Vancouver Magazine December 2015

IN DEFENCE OF

HOT EVENTS THIS

WE SHOULD ALL EAT AT

SHAUGHNESSY WINTER TORAFUKU

Whose city is this?

POWER 50 THE

The politicos, the developers, the philanthropists plus this twelve-year-old activist who took on a school board and won

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Proudly presenting works from the National Gallery of Canada

HIGH ART. HIGH STYLE. A TRIBUTE TO THE MASTERS. Inspired by the paintings in the National Gallery’s European art collection, Oakridge is proud to present these stunning masterworks in a new way. This second edition of the series presents a work by Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), one of the most radical of 19th-century French artists.

Imprisoned for taking part in the 1871 populist uprising known as the Paris Commune, Courbet was limited to painting the flowers and fruit his sister Zoé and his friends brought him. With his bold handling, Courbet made the traditional subject of the still-life into something expressive and defiantly modern, influencing the next generation of French artists.

Look closer – for more on Courbet, and the full story on this series, visit oakridgecentre.com

GUSTAVE COURBET, STILL-LIFE, (DETAIL) 1871. NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA, OTTAWA. PHOTO © NGC

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VOLUME 48

NUMBER 10

DEC

Cover: Evaan Kheraj; styling Luisa Rino. Hair and makeup Melanie Neufeld for Lizbellagency.com. Armani Junior shift dress available at Nordstrom Pacific Centre; This page: Jeff Vinnick

C O V E R F E AT U R E

THE POWER 50 39

In a city forever consumed with change—aesthetically, ethically, socially, and politically—those who drive its evolution have a profound impact on everyone’s day-to-day lives. Our 15th annual survey of civic influencers finds some familiar names, some new arrivals, and—as always—plenty to talk about

See mo

re at

om/ Va n M a g .c 0 5 r Powe THE CIT Y’S ENGINE Ian Gillespie tops this year’s Power 50 list

D E C E M B E R 2 O 15 | VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E

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DECEMBER

***

“I FIND IT VERY DISRESPECTFUL WHEN PEOPLE HAVE TO LINE UP. IT SHOWS THE WORLD, ‘LOOK, I’M POOR. I HAVE TO STAND IN LINE FOR FOOD”

—pg. 22

THE

THE

32 TASTE MAKER

76 LAST-MINUTE GIFT GUIDE Fear

18 FROM THE PUBLISHER

not the increasingly few days between now and the apex of holiday celebrations: the exchange of brightly wrapped goodies.

Our expert selection of covetable items will make you the star of the season

Our annual Power 50 list isn’t just a crucial part of this magazine’s editorial calendar; it’s a crucial snapshot of this city’s ceaseless transformation

BRIEF DISH 22 VANCOUVER LIFE Meet the man

who is reinventing Vancouver’s relationship with its food banks.

24 BLOCK WATCH

As Vancouver’s first-ever heritage conservation area, Shaughnessy is gables-deep in the conflict between the City’s firm defense of history and residents’ cries of municipal dictatorship.

PG.32

26 THE ESSENTIAL 6

PG.26

The holiday season brings with it a fire hose of entertainment options. Cut through the clutter with our hot picks for the most festive month.

PG.82

The dynamic duo behind the beloved Le Tigre food truck have put walls around their addictive culinary creations at Main Street’s bustling Torafuku 34 THE DECANTER

All of us deserve an occasional indulgence. These bottles of wine don’t exactly break the bank, but they make good on their slightly higher price tags with flavours and aromas that are definitively premium

GOODS PLUS

78 MODEL CITIZEN

A cosmetics expert’s sense of personal style extends far beyond makeup

90 SNAP CHATTER

Philanthropy and the arts converged across the city’s social scene in recent weeks

82 MY SPACE

A couple whose specialty is luxury interiors create an impeccably festive environment in their own home 84 SWEAT EQUIT Y More than

three decades in kick-boxing have made this woman a force to be reckoned with 86 FIELD TRIP

The road less travelled is worth it when it leads to the paradise that is Bora Bora

Va n m a g .co m See hundreds of winners from past Restaurant Awards, with chef videos and more

12

Luis Valdizon; Martin Tessler; Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa

THE

VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E | D E C E M B E R 2 O 15

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Ripe for change

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SENIOR EDITOR

Michael White

DR. JEAN CARRUTHERS, DR. SHANNON HUMPHREY & DR. KATIE BELEZNAY

ART DIRECTOR

Paul Roelofs ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR

Naomi MacDougall TRAVEL & STYLE EDITOR

Amanda Ross ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

Jenny Reed

answer your questions about today’s cosmetic advances & issues

PRODUCER

Jennifer Elliott ONLINE ASSISTANT

Rachel Morten VIDEOGRAPHER

I’ve noticed lately my face is looking more tired and less youthful than it used to. I am interested in trying filler because of its immediate impact, but I’m nervous having seen so many women look unnatural with very full cheeks and lips. What are my options?

- P. Wallace, Vancouver Good news! It is possible to use filler in a natural looking way. Filler can be customized for you, offering personalized patient care to refresh your appearance and improve the features that may be causing you to look more tired.

First, choose a provider with an advanced skillset in cosmetic injectables and a thorough grasp of anatomy. It’s important to place a small amount of filler in specific locations to ensure the result isn’t obvious, but still offers meaningful, balanced and natural rejuvenation.

We also recommend treating areas that may be less obvious, but still transform a tired appearance. One great example is your temples. Over time, temples hollow and this area around the eye becomes shadowed. Re-inflating the temples with a sugar-based filler can bring light to the upper part of your face, resulting in a more rested appearance. Another similar option is called the tear trough, which is the dark hollow under the eye. A small amount of filler can be used to smooth out the shadowed area and make the entire eye region look fresh and healthy.

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– Shannon Humphrey, frcpc – Jean Carruthers, frcsc – Katie Beleznay, frcpc

14

Mark Philps CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Frances Bula, Mario Canseco, DJ Kearney, Neal McLennan, Fiona Morrow, Malcolm Parry, Gary Ross, Timothy Taylor CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Eydís Einarsdóttir, Clinton Hussey, Evaan Kheraj, Joe McKendry (contributor illustrations), Andrew Querner, Carlo Ricci, John Sinal, Martin Tessler, Milos Tosic, Luis Valdizon EDITORIAL INTERN

Ashley Sparrow ART INTERNS

Claire Roskey, Jamie Yeung EDITORIAL EMAIL

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THIS

MONTH

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Big Picture

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULDN’T DO THIS MONTH 1. Let canned beans qualify as charity. Pg. 22 2. Spend a ton on inventive dining. Pg. 32 3. Spend a little on wine. Pg. 34 4. Scoff at the TED Conference as exclusionary. Pg. 66 5. Light candles with a boring old match. Pg. 82

“This magazine’s mandate has always been to help you get more out of your city”

The Power Within for years as a reader and over the past 12 months as publisher, I’ve always considered this issue you’re holding to be Vancouver magazine’s most important of the year. It’s always been an annual gut-check on the place we call home, packaged and presented in 50 embodiments of what matters right now. For a nuanced cipher like Vancouver, studying people and their recent resonance by way of ambition and efficacy was always less intimidating than conceptual policy.

What makes this issue such a keeper—whether to reference for local opportunities and partnerships or as a way to rule networking cocktails—is the methodology.

We spend the year surveying this city’s journalists, academics, entrepreneurs, politicos and other such string-pullers.

Vancouver turns 50 next year, so we’ve built up a bit of trust with those who run the city. From there, we invite about 20 of the most connected and engaged to a dinner party at the Vancouver Club where everything is off the record, save for one madly scribbling Vancouver magazine editorial staffer.

And, unlike an endorsement-happy editorial board of a certain Toronto-owned local paper, we listen and discuss and debate.

We also drink exceptional wine while doing so.

This year as Vancouver has, as never before, caught the planet’s imagination as an unparalleled place to live, play and (if you must) work, our Power 50 theme is “Whose city is this?”

There’s a tug of war for our future: Are we more international resort town or an innovation lab powered by citizens who feel like they belong and have a place in deciding Vancouver’s direction for themselves and their kids?

This magazine’s mandate has always been to help you get more out of your city. Helping you belong and contribute to its future at such a vital time is perhaps our greatest purpose.

As the great urban theorist Jane Jacobs put it, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” Our 2015 Power 50 list celebrates the incredible women and men who consider inclusivity a part of calling Vancouver home. VM

tomg@vanmag.com

18

Max Fawcett is an awardwinning editor and writer and the outgoing editor of Alberta Oil magazine. His work has been published in The Walrus, Hazlitt, Eighteen Bridges, The Globe and Mail, and The National Post.

Joining Max as Vancouver senior editor is Trevor Melanson, who joins us from BCBusiness where he was associate editor and, prior to that, ran the digital side of Canadian Business for Rogers Media in Toronto.

And yes, both are Vancouver born and raised.

Portrait: Evaan Kheraj; Styling: Luisa Rino; Outfit provided courtesy of Holt Renfrew

TOM GIERASIMCZUK

AND SPEAKING OF WELCOMES...

We have a new editor-in-chief!

VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E | D E C E M B E R 2 O 15

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Having the team at Pender Medi Spa support and encourage me along the way also helps a lot. I feel their encouragement when we do before and after photos and when I step on the scale to measure the results. I’m still not willing to know what I weigh but I know I’m down 13 lbs despite the increase in muscle from the workouts!

Needless to say, I’m pretty ecstatic right now and even more motivated to take my health to the next level. Equally exciting is that Pender Medi Spa now has the new mini-applicator that treats double chins and stubborn fat around the knees! I can’t wait to have those areas frozen away as well. My final transformation will be revealed in the January/February issue. You can also follow my results with Pender Medi Spa on my Instagram page @my_new_me_journey and @pendermedispa” Renee – Vancouver hair salon professional

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VA NC O U V E R L IF E

BL OCK WAT CH

THE ESSENTIALS

“When people have to line up for food... it tells the outside world, ‘Look, I’m poor.’”

THE

PG. 22

The month in politics, real estate, business & culture

Pray for Snow (That Stays on the Ground)

Night sliding at Grouse Mountain.

W H E N I T COM E S TO SNOW, MO ST Vancouverites have short memories. So with a “super El Nino” in the forecast for 2016, let’s forget about last year and remember 1997, a similar El Nino confluence when Cypress Mountain boasted a settled snow base of a thousand centimetres.

But before you use up all your vacation days on a January staycation, remember our local mountains’ fluctuating freezing level: that fickle reality that turns falling snow into surface rain, freezing the sweetest pow into crust by the time you leave for your “dentist appointment” at 3 o’clock.

Still, when the right combination of temperature and precipitation collide, an evening sesh under the lights at Cypress, Grouse, or Seymour offers a priceless powder experience and yet another validation for your $4,000 mortgage.

But even if the snow gods frustrate the powder hounds among us, let us remember the beginners. Artificial snowmaking on iconic learner’s slopes like Grouse Mountain’s Cut allows thousands of novices to try skiing and snowboarding each winter, creating an entirely new generation that prays for snow each autumn.

Pierre Leclerc

D E C E M B E R 2 O 15 | VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E

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BRIEF

VA N C O U V E R L I F E

Tr e n d i n g S t o r i e s

Bank Society to choose a recollection with a bigger moral point.

Happy meals at the But in fact it’s a perfect story from North Shore Hub. the man with the enormous task of reinventing the 33-year-old institution. Schuurman Hess loves food. He tells you the recipe for French dressing with the reverent tones of a sorcerer. For those who think of the Food Bank as the purveyor of Kraft Dinner and canned beans, think again. Last year the Food Bank started saying no to certain poor-quality donations and pushed instead for fresh and healthy food. No one, he believes, should have to eat wilted endives.

As a young man in the Netherlands, Schuurman Hess worked as a waiter in Michelin-starred restaurants, and then all over the world producing onboard meals for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. His three children were born on differBUSINESS ent continents, and in 2007 he and his wife settled in Calgary. After a year of job hunting, he was hired as chief administrative officer of the Mustard Seed, an inner-city not-for-profit that helps people in poverty. In 2012, the family moved to Vancouver, attracted by the mild weather.

By following the “know your When he took over the Food customers” credo, the new CEO of Bank, he was “shocked” to find the Greater Vancouver Food Bank out that there were many thirdis restoring dignity and efficiency generation users. No one knew why. Since 2008, the Food Bank’s aart schuurman hess says membership has grown 10 percent that everybody has a story about annually; today, it exceeds 26,000 food. Here’s his: “My mother wasn’t people. the best cook in the world. She Early on in his tenure, he visited liked to boil endives in such a way each of the 14 depots in Vancouthat, to me, was a disaster. One ver, Burnaby, the North Shore, and day I was injured in a field hockey New Westminster and was taken game. And I was so happy that ball aback to see people waiting outside was in my eye because I didn’t have the buildings, usually churches. to eat endives.”

“I find it very disrespectful when You might expect the CEO people have to line up. It shows the of the Greater Vancouver Food outside world, ‘Look, I’m poor. I

How to Win the Hunger Game

A

22

—AART SCHUURMAN HESS, CEO, GREATER VANCOUVER FOOD BANK

have to stand in line for food.’”

Paul Michael Taylor, the executive director of Gordon Neighbourhood House (GNH) in the West End, had stood in similar line-ups as a child. He also has a story about food: “I grew up near Kensington Market in Toronto with a single mother. One of the hardest things I learned as a child was that the beautiful mangoes and grapes in the market were not for me. So I avoided that area. I’ve never forgotten that experience.”

In early 2012, Taylor was an aggravating thorn in the side of the Food Bank. He was heavily involved in protests against the annual CBC fundraising drive.

Emergency food, he tells me in an elegant argument, is something we provide to make ourselves feel better, rather than seeking a political solution to poverty.

“People at the office were scared of Paul Taylor,” recalls Schuurman Hess. “I said, ‘Who is this guy? Let me talk to him.’”

After Taylor started at Gordon Neighbourhood House in 2013, the team began working on how GNH could host a community food hub to replace the weekly West End food depot. The Food Bank had just created this new model at the North Shore Neighbourhood House, featuring more store-like food displays, an area for coffee and snacks, and in-season produce offered for cut-rate prices by the Edible Garden Project (50 cents for a bunch of carrots). Following their shared belief in the power of food to bring people together, the two groups opened the hub at GNH this past February, with room for people to sit, eat homemade soup, and talk. Schuurman Hess hopes to replace all 14 depots without the indignity of lining up.

Photo Credit: Flora Gordon

THE

I FIND IT VERY DISRESPECTFUL WHEN PEOPLE HAVE TO LINE UP”

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Schuurman Hess also believes in the power of data, and he recruited a group of researchers from SFU and UBC to look at questions like why people use the Food Bank. “In business terms,” he says, “it’s about knowing your customers.” That information is valuable for advocacy. The Food Bank used to state proudly on its website that it was independent of governments, but Schuurman Hess wants them at the table. So far, the Food Bank has worked with the City of Vancouver to help set up a Curbside Fresh Market, with the goal of adding four more in the next few years to improve food access. These street vendors offer well-priced local produce (30-cent tomatoes) in low-income areas that have no grocery stores nearby. The Food Bank also completed a pilot Untitled-1 project with Vancouver Coastal Health to improve the nutritional content of infant and youth programs. The team currently works with social, health, and welfare agencies, such as the library and community nurses, to attend the hubs and help people with the root causes of hunger.

Thanks to the Food Bank’s partnerships with local farmers, started in 2013, more fresh produce is available in the groceries that people take home. (A $1 donation to the Food Bank buys $3 worth of eggs, in-season potatoes, or plums.) There are also initiatives around food literacy, including a revamped community kitchen program that teaches people to cook healthy, simple meals. This is a new story about food, and maybe the institution needs a new name.

Schuurman Hess’s proposal? “The Centre for Urban Food Excellence,” he says. —Marcie Good

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Angus Drive Built: 1921

Matthews Avenue Built: 1910

H E R I TA G E

In Defence of Shaughnessy by marcie good richard keate is well into a twohour driving tour of First Shaughnessy, winding around the wide boulevards and identifying the distinguishing features of early 20th-century homes. He is somewhat of a guardian here, having served for many years on the committee that advises council on what constitutes “heritage.” The humming engine of his hybrid car shuts down every time he pauses, as if in deference.

“Picturesque,” he says, pointing out a gabled manor partially veiled by landscaping. “It’s

Selkirk Street Built: 1912

Balfour Avenue Built: 1912

Balfour Avenue Built: 1911

an American style. What it means is a quality of delight and mystery and surprise.

That’s what we want to keep.”

This is what he would rather lose: “Chateau Gateau,” he says, shuddering in front of a Disneyesque castle with round turrets and decorative plates fi xed to the stucco. He points to the columns and explains how they don’t even look like they support anything.

“People look at this and think, ‘There’s something wrong.’”

What is also wrong, in his mind, is that

Heritage Vancouver/Patrick Gunn

A looky-loo’s guide to Vancouver’s first-ever heritage conservation area

N O TA B L E P R O P E R T I E S

IN THE MARKET If the new heritage legislation hasn’t deterred you from purchasing your Shaughnessy dream home, the good news is there are more listings than buyers. Here are three options on the same street; one is even (comparatively) affordable.

24

1389 MATTHEWS AVE.

1926 MATTHEWS AVE.

PRICE $25,800,000 SIZE 5 Bed, 8 Bath, 10,007 sq. ft.

GROSS TAXES $30,904

PRICE $6,688,000 SIZE 5 Bed, 4 Bath, 4,927 sq. ft.

GROSS TAXES $19,071

VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E | D E C E M B E R 2 O 15

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DRIVEWAY GUIDELINES

OFF LIMITS

LANDSCAPING

“VIEWS ALONG DRIVEWAYS MUST

“OUT-OF-CHARACTER MATERIALS

“CREATES PRIVACY FOR RESIDENTS,

BE MODERATED BY CURVING DRIVE-

MUST BE AVOIDED, SUCH AS

CONCEALS VEHICLES, AND CON-

WAYS AND USE OF LANDSCAPE

ALUMINUM FENCING, ASPHALT

VEYS A SENSE OF GRACIOUSNESS

SCREENING AND LAYERING.”

PAVING, AND ARTIFICIAL TURF.”

OF THE PROPERTY TO THE STREET.”

* The City of Vancouver’s First Shaughnessy Heritage Conservation Area Design Guidelines

the palace recently replaced a Tudor-style home with red trim, window boxes, and nine-foot interior ceilings. The trade-off won’t happen as easily now, with First Shaughnessy recently designated as Vancouver’s first Heritage Conservation Area. The controversial plan, unanimously approved by council on Sept. 29, protects pre-1940 homes deemed “heritage” from being demolished. It also adds design guidelines to ensure that new houses fit in with the overall character of the area.

Protection of neighbourhood aesthetic is nothing new here. These massive and varying lots were first cleared of forest and sold by the Canadian Pacific Railway to Vancouver’s most socially elite families in the early 1900s. Sir Thomas Shaughnessy, president of the CPR, ensured his company retained control over the quality of the development, reviewing and approving plans for every house. That iron-clad control loosened over the years, and even guidelines approved by council in 1992 were no longer standing up to the powerful forces of Vancouver real estate. More and more old homes were facing the wrecking ball. Council finally drew the line last year, when 19 of the remaining 317 pre-1940 homes were up for demolition.

Keate has much personal investment in this neighbourhood, being a

1281 MATTHEWS AVE. PRICE $15,990,000 SIZE 7 Bed, 8 Bath, 8,835 sq. ft.

GROSS TAXES $32,983

fourth-generation Shaughnessy resident. He also shows me the Dutch Revival Colonial mansion bought by his great-grandfather, a Minnesota senator, in 1926. Keate is a retired architect. His own home, which he built in 1989, shares a lot with a large British Arts and Crafts specimen and is marked with a neat sign: Downton Shabby.

But other residents, concerned more about their financial investment, are less enthusiastic. A large group of them wrote letters to council and have started legal proceedings to challenge the HCA. “It’s like the old days of kings and dukes,” says one disgruntled owner of a 1912 Craftsmanstyle home. “Noblesse oblige. The city can do anything they want. They can take your house.” He doesn’t want to be named or speak for the group, but he bought his home about 40 years ago and feels the pressure of the $20,000 property taxes and ongoing maintenance. He’s concerned about the additional maintenance requirements of the plan. This is his home, not a museum. If someone knocks down a home on his street and builds something that looks similar, that’s fine with him. He doesn’t want the city telling him, for example, what colour to paint his house. “People are idealistic that want to preserve everything. They don’t look at the property owner’s point of view and what you have to do to keep everything the way it has to be.”

As my tour with Keate winds up, it strikes me that his own interpretation of the new rules is not as stuff y as I expected. He estimates that 40 of the 317 homes could immediately be struck off the protected list because they’ve been irrevocably renovated.

We come to the question of colour. “There’s sort of a rumour out there that colours are going to be forced on people. That’s not going to happen. We can offer them a grant and seed money for paint, and they can meet us halfway and do it in historical colours.”

He points out a Tudor-style mansion used as a residential facility for mental health patients. It used to be painted yellow, the woodwork pink. The neighbour objected.

“I thought it was great. It was cheerful.

The poor people had enough problems.”

DEAR GREGOR...

ANGRY WORDS Some furious Shaughnessy residents didn’t hold back in their complaint letters to the City…

Our house is not a museum nor is it open to the public, so how it looks on the inside should be our business and not the City’s.”

If the laws and regulation continue on this trajectory, next you will ask us to furnish our home in such a way consistent with how a Canadian Pacific Railway baron would have done so in the early 1900s.”

D E C E M B E R 2 O 15 | VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E

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THE

BRIEF

THE ESSENTIALS

 F ION A MORRO W

S t u f f You Should D o

ROCK

T H E AT R E

JOLLY SAINT NICK A veteran singer-songwriter gets festive while keeping his rock ’n’ roll bona fides intact

Charles in Charge

NICK LOWE, DEC. 19, VOGUE THEATRE

 What could be more festive than holiday clas-

A Vancouver funnyman has his way with a British holiday tradition

sics performed by an actual British rock legend? Nick Lowe—backed by Nashville’s Los Straitjackets—comes

three years ago, vancouver comedian and writer Charles Demers really didn’t know much about the curious British tradition of the panto. Nevertheless, commissioned to write one such Christmas extravaganza by Theatre Replacement, he started learning about the various tropes that make a panto (or pantomime) an annual festive must-see across the pond. “That first year, we had the narrator give a ‘how to’ from the stage,” says Demers.

He consistently delivers an East Van Panto firmly rooted in place.

This year’s—his third—is Hansel and Gretel, and attendees should expect much mirth extracted from the outcome the recent federal election. Because of the timing of the election, the script—usually close to completion by early September—could not be finalized until six weeks later. “I warned them before I started this year that, depending on the result, I reserved the right to change just about everything.” Thecultch.com

to Vancouver on his Quality Holiday Revue. Lowe will be reprising the classic and original tracks from his 2013 Christmas album, Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family, as well as other winter-related musical wonders and some of his own non-festive tunes. Hugely influential, Lowe has worked as a producer with (among others) Elvis Costello, the Pretenders, and the Damned, and has written tracks that became bigger hits for others, including “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding” (covered by Costello) and “The Beast in Me,” now forever associated with Johnny Cash.

Lowe told NPR Music Radio that when he was approached to make a Christmas album, the Brit in him was “slightly appalled, really. We think it’s all a bit vulgar, you know: cashing in on Christmas.” In the end, though, he admits he had “a ball doing it.” Undoubtedly one of the

Read more from our interview with Charles Demers at Vanmag.com

best festive bashes on the holiday calendar—be there with bells on. Ticketfly.com

Tim Matheson; Dan Burn-Forti

HANSEL AND GRETEL: AN EAST VAN PANTO, DEC. 2 TO JAN. 3, YORK THEATRE

FILM

WHISTLER’S CLOSE-UP The little film festival up on the big mountain keeps growing WHISTLER FILM FESTIVAL, DEC. 2 TO 6, VARIOUS VENUES

26

 The Whistler Film Festival

attended screenings over three

building those partnerships

turns 15 this year. Executive

days, we thought, ‘Wait a sec-

early on, and I would say the

director Shauna Hardy Mishaw

ond—maybe we’re on to some-

festival has grown organically...

talks about how far it’s come.

thing.’ Whistler is different from

I think we’ve created a really

many other festivals: once peo-

important industry event on the

“The first Whistler Film Festival opened with a screening of

ple come, they really are a cap-

Canadian movie landscape—one

John Zaritsky’s NFB documen-

tive audience. There’s no city to

that is now part of Whistler’s

tary Ski Bums, and 1,300 people

navigate. One thing we quickly

wider growth as a cultural tour-

showed up. It was crazy. We

realized was that we wanted to

ism destination. And after 15

hadn’t intended to start a film

bring in the film-industry talent

years, I’d say it’s about time.”

festival, but after 3,600 people

from Vancouver, so we began

Whistlerfilmfestival.com

VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E | D E C E M B E R 2 O 15

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THE

BRIEF

THE ESSENTIALS

S t u f f You Should D o

ROOTS MUSIC

SCIENCE

To the Power of One

EUREKA! The dynamic duo behind Mythbusters delivers a night of edu-tainment MYTHBUSTERS: JAMIE & ADAM UNLEASHED! DEC. 15, QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE

 Big bangs and other assorted mind-bending scientific

Frazey Ford flourishes apart from her fellow Be Good Tanyas

revelations are on the menu as Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage take their popular Discovery TV show, Mythbusters, on tour. Nerds and nerds-in-training are made to feel absolutely cool in this milieu, where popular

FRAZEY FORD, DEC. 10, VOGUE THEATRE

myths are examined, debunked, and, yes, sometimes exploded. Prepare to be called upon to help the pair put

What are you listening to today?

Fathers & Sons, a collection of black gospel quartet groups from the ’30s; Shirley Caesar’s Stranger on the Road, also gospel but from the ’60s; and Blood Orange.

You can pick fi ve albums to take to your desert island. Which ones?

Fathers & Sons; Aretha Franklin, Amazing Grace; Donny Hathaway’s self-titled album, Fela Kuti, Zombie; and J.J. Cale, Naturally.

What was the last book you read?

Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine.

28

Best gig ever (not including your own)? I saw D’Angelo last March

any number of theories to the test, and find out what

in Utrecht, Holland. It was like the best church ever.

Ticketmaster.ca

really goes on behind the scenes of the hit show.

T H E AT R E

Describe your perfect day. Probably

driving out to my favourite secret ocean swim spot with some friends and my son, communing with waves, eating delicious snacks, laughing, drawing, playing ukelele, napping in the sun, and then heading back to the urban jungle for some Ethiopian food. Maybe even going dancing.

BUGGIN’ OUT A tale of insect tyranny walks into a former porn theatre…

FLEE, UNTIL DEC. 6, FOX CABARET

When and where were you happiest? Probably cruising around B.C.

 A new production from Vancouver’s Electric Company

with my son last summer, living out of our RV, staying on friends’ land, drawing and painting, having coffee with neighbours. I think the gypsy life at my own pace makes me the happiest.

Flee (produced in collaboration with Studio 58) should

Theatre is always a hot ticket, and the alluringly bizarre prove no different.

Site-specific productions tend to bring a certain thrill, and considering Main Street’s Fox Cabaret was, until fairly recently, a notorious porn cinema, one can only speculate on the inspiration for this tale of destitute watchmaker Archibald Twill and his creation of a

What’s your proudest achievement?

flea circus. More disturbingly, in a twist of Kafkaesque

Raising my son. I think it’s turning out okay. Also, my last album—it was the most challenging yet.

Ticketfly.com

proportions, the insects eventually take control.

Foxcabaret.com

Mythbusters: David Allen

frazey ford was born in Canada, the daughter of Americans who fled the Vietnam draft. That desire to stay free, she has said, is the biggest influence on her songwriting. One of the founding members of folk trio the Be Good Tanyas, Ford is forging a significant path as a solo artist on her second album, Indian Ocean, a smoky, soul-inflected treat that shows off her astonishing voice to its fullest.

VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E | D E C E M B E R 2 O 15

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LeCreuset.ca

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TA S T E M A K ER

THE DECANTER

“The ultra-premium wine market has never been more competitive, more profitable, or more out of reach for wine drinkers of normal means” PG. 34

THE Hot restaurants, food trends, wines & chefs

The Meat of the Matter no matter how fast and furious the 21st century’s culinary trends are evolving, the hamburger is seemingly immune to the whims of an increasingly fickle dining public. The masses’ only demand, it seems, is that burgers become better. Thus, while McDonald’s will be—for the first time since 1970—closing more U.S. outlets this year than opening, ambitious entrepreneurs who offer a superior sandwich experience are finding their wares hungrily received. Recent arrivals in Vancouver include Toronto’s Big Smoke Burger (Bigsmoke burger.com), its first West Coast location after forays into New York, Dubai, and elsewhere; Relish Gourmet Burgers (Relishlife. com), from Fredericton, which claims its goal is to become “the Starbucks of the better burger industry”; and the homegrown Cannibal Café (Cannibalcafe.ca), where a menu of 10-plus burgers is served to ravenous patrons beneath a wall festooned with vintage local rock concert posters.

Joann Pai

The Big Texas burger from Relish Gourmet Burgers

D E C E M B E R 2 O 15 | VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E

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THE

DISH

TA S T E M A K E R

Recently Reviewed

Can’t Talk. Eating

plating. But that was exactly the case recently at Torafuku, which opened in July on the gradually evolving 900 block of Main Street Torafuku, the first bricks-and-mortar project from the (the long-time home to Campagpartners behind Le Tigre food truck, is quickly becoming nolo and, most recently, the site the Main Street culinary destination of the anticipated reincarnation by timothy taylor || photos by luis valdizon of La Bodega, under the name Bodega on Main). The service was great: friendly and fast. The room is sleekly minimal—comfortable it’s been a couple of years quite a few occasions, I’ve found since I started writing this column. the table talk focusing on whatever without drawing attention to itself.

The concept is dead simple: panAnd after having dined at many concept seems to be driving the Asian small plates, essentially. But Vancouver restaurants, I’ve learned kitchen. These are the “big idea” that it’s often not the dishes one restaurants: Cinara’s bid for Italian from the first bite onward, all those things faded to a comfortable backends up discussing during a meal. simplicity, the high-continental ground hum behind the experience Sometimes it’s the service and the ideals evident at Bauhaus, Royal attitude, particularly when neiDinette’s commitment to out-there of taking one bite after another.

Maybe this should come as ther is proving to be stellar. Other experimentation. no surprise. Torafuku is the first times, it’s the atmosphere—a conWhat is surprisingly rare, I’ve bricks-and-mortar project of Le versation whose likelihood tends to found, is a meal where the food correspond with how much money really dominates conversation: the Tigre food-truck partners Clement Chan and Steve Kuan. And has been spent on the place. On specific flavours, techniques, and

I

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CLEMENT CHAN IS TORAFUKU’S EXECUTIVE CHEF. A VANCOUVER NATIVE, THE FORMER TOP CHEF CANADA COMPETITOR HONED HIS SKILLS AT BLUE WATER CAFE, CHAMBAR, HAPA IZAKAYA, AND MORE

From left, opposite page: “‘Calamari’ Done the Right Way,” executive chef Clement Chan, “Dr. Octopus vs. Mr. Tuna,” “Brown Cow”

like a lot of food-truck fare, dishes at Torafuku tend to go big or go home. Take, for instance, “Rye So Messy” chicken wings, marinated in gochujang (a Korean fermented condiment) and, yes, rye, then fried and topped with ramen crumble.

Dip one of them into the mango glaze and feel welcomed into a world of crunch, earthy heat, and sweetness. I predict you’ll take about two minutes to clear a plate.

Other dishes evoked the partners’ food-truck origins. “Brown Cow” is oxtail braised to exceptional tenderness in Chinese Shaoxing wine, and served with cabbage, basil, and a fried egg on top of sticky rice cakes. “Me Like Papaya” salad was just as homey.

These are comfort dishes that will just make more and more sense around here as winter sets in.

THE

TICKET TORAFUKU 958 Main St., 778-903-2006 HOURS 5:30-11pm (closed Mondays) PRICES At press time, all dishes were $13 or less, excepting a daily “market price” fi sh special NOTES Bartender Max Borrowman’s cocktails are made for food pairing. You can’t go wrong

TORAFUKU IS THE RIGHT BLEND OF EXPLOSIVE AND CALM, HOMEY AND REFINED, LOCAL AND BOLDLY EVERYWHERE There’s some decidedly nonfood-truck refinement on other plates. Pork gyoza come with carrot-ginger purée and shiso, plus tiny translucent beets that deliver an unexpected flare of heat.

“Kickass Rice 2.0” is on another planet from the hearty version first served out of Le Tigre’s window: the pork is torched Aburi-style and served over rice, cut into perfect rectangles, and garnished with microgreens and dabs of mayo and Sriracha-like “Angry Tiger Sauce.”

Each bite is completely enveloping. A similar effect is achieved with “Dr. Octopus vs. Mr. Tuna.”

Here you have a creamy octopus salad served with the refreshing

lightness of tomato, jalepeno, and scallion, with crisp nori and tuna crudo, and a binding base note of acid from Romesco sauce. Impressively complete, it makes you want to take another bite immediately.

We were entertaining a Greek friend when we came here, which is what made our final dish of the evening so notable. She perused the squid, confidently listed on the menu as “‘Calamari’ Done the Right Way,” with a dubious frown.

She had eaten her mother’s seafood for enough years to know her way around a cephalopod. Here, Humboldt squid—coated in a cornstarch and yam batter and given a precise number of minutes (seconds?) in the fryer—comes in slices on an arugula salad brightly seasoned with lychee and sweet chili.

We didn’t talk about the dish while eating it. We didn’t talk about anything. We just ate in silence until it was gone. With respect to my friend’s mother, a new “Best Calamari Ever” has arrived.

Torafuku is the kind of place I’d take any visitor to Vancouver.

It’s the right blend of explosive and calm, homey and refined, local and boldly everywhere. And if all that isn’t enough, consider that four of us polished off eight dishes and left completely satisfied for $90, not including drinks. We’ll be back. VM

D E C E M B E R 2 O 15 | VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E

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THE

DISH

THE DECANTER

 DJ KE ARNE Y

Wines Discovered

NE X T UP

Little Luxuries Whether for a loved one or for yourself, you shouldn’t resist occasionally plumping for a premium bottle

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TORRES MAS LA PLANA 2010

FONTODI CHIANTI CLASSICO 2011

($64.99)

($59.99)

($31.99)

This glorious Napa blend (83 percent cabernet sauvignon) is styled like modern Bordeaux.

Plush cassis fruit shows a minty note, with polished tannins and signature Napa dustiness to the long finish. The cooler 2011 vintage brings elegance and refreshment, with the structure to age for a decade

One-hundred percent cabernet sauvignon from a superb singlevineyard site, this Spanish superstar smells gloriously of blackcurrant, plum, and fragrant cedar, with traces of savoury grilled bell pepper. The rich and robust 40th edition may be the best yet

Certified organic and farmed in harmony with nature’s rhythms, this 100-percent sangiovese is replete with juicy red-cherry flavours, lacy tannins, earthy undertones, and a spicy stamp of barrique. Stately and deeply fruited, this Chianti punches well above its price tag

CHÂTE AU DE BE AUCASTEL CHÂTE AUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2011

($82.99)

 Full-bodied and expressive, the 2011 is an elegant vintage that will last for decades, but its potent black fruit, mineral-laced tannins, and overall balance make it approachable now. Combining 13 grape varieties from organically farmed old vines, it is one of the great, great wines of the world.

BEST

CELLAR

 Veteran sommelier Owen Knowlton loves to drink splurge wines as much as he enjoys pouring them for his guests at West Restaurant (2881 Granville St., 604-738-8938), where he oversees a list worthy of executive chef Quang Dang’s refined cuisine. From established classics to the new and novel, Knowlton serves them with care and flair.

Brandon Hart

have you got the money and the moxie to drop $900 for a bottle of newly released Château Margaux 2012? Or $25K for a single bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, the most coveted red Burgundy on the planet? The ultra-premium wine market has never been more competitive, more profitable, or more out of reach for wine drinkers of normal means.

Mercifully, though, most wine isn’t priced just for collectors, and we have the luxury of vast selection.

Here in B.C., we consume almost equal amounts of domestic and imported wine, and on average we tend to spend about 15 bucks per bottle. But there are times when we need to splurge: for a present or a special dinner, to squirrel away in a wine fridge or cellar, or simply to see what more money gets you. And what you usually get is a meticulous wine made from scrupulously selected grapes, carefully fermented, aged in top-quality oak, and handsomely packaged. These wines tend to have extra concentration of flavour and structural components that stand out in the glass. And for the patient, they’ll develop aromas and flavours of greater complexity in the bottle.

Try these four knockout splurge wines that will impress now, but can also be aged for many years. VM

DOMINUS ESTATE NAPANOOK 2011

VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E | D E C E M B E R 2 O 15

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SPONSORED REPORT

prestonsrestaurant.ca/vancouver @prlvancouver

Chef Shelley Robinson brings refreshingly local cuisine to the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel

W

hen the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel looked to rebrand their restaurant, Prestons Restaurant + Lounge, earlier this year their first move was to hire Shelley Robinson as Regional Executive Chef. The collaboration has proven to be a match made in hospitality heaven as Vancouver-bred Robinson—a winner of the Food Network’s Chopped Canada and competitor on Canada’s Top Chef—continues to bring far more than her celebrity status to the renowned hotel chain.

“My concept was, ‘What do I want to cook? What do I want to eat?

What’s important to me?’” The answer—refreshingly local food—became a motto the Coast hotel chain could embrace and apply across multiple unique locations.

For Robinson, the possibilities in Vancouver are particularly exciting.

After spending almost two decades immersed in the Alberta culinary scene and most recently teaching at Vancouver Community College, Robinson is visibly inspired by her return to a West Coast kitchen. “We have everything at our fingertips,” she explains, raving about the ability to source authentic ingredients from Chinatown and the freshest produce from nearby partnering farms.

Robinson, who started connecting with local farmers and suppliers while owning and operating two restaurants, a café and an artisan grocery store in Alberta, is the first to celebrate the influence of the farm-to-table movement in Vancouver. “It’s just the way that we breathe now, as chefs,” she says, removing any pretension about the all-local, all-organic expectation. “At Prestons our food is elegant but not overworked. It’s pleasurable.”

It is this exact straightforward approach that drives the refreshed establishment, where the emphasis is on rich, healthy and ultimately sustainable cuisine. “Our food is very approachable,” explains Robinson—and the holiday season is no exception. Prestons offers an express lunch, three-course tasting menu, inviting happy hour and holiday-themed dinners, perfect for business gatherings based downtown and small groups craving a comfortable upscale experience.

Meanwhile, full and partial corporate buy-outs set the scene for relaxed seasonal celebrations founded on delicious food. “Prestons is a casual place; it’s an easy place to unwind, refresh and nourish.”

Created by the Vancouver advertising department in partnership with Coast Coal Harbour Hotel

CoastCoalHarbourDEC15.SR.DPS_sc.indd 2

MENU HIGHLIGHTS buttermilk fried cauliflower jalapeno honey, green goddess, compressed watermelon west coast chowder mussels, clams, ling cod, fennel, potato, salmon chorizo 48-hour beef short rib pemberton beef, sasquatch stout, chipotle, orange salsa, star anise, horseradish + potato puree chicken + waffles buttermilk fried chicken, crispy quinoa waffles, house slaw, jalapeno honey, ranch dressing vanilla cured wild salmon crispy skinned wild salmon, beetroot gnocchi, wilted greens, spiced pecans, goat brie chef shell’s grilled double cut pork chop smoked fingerling potatoes, roasted rainbow carrots, shishito peppers, overnight apple butter grilled pacific octopus smoked potato, pickled mushroom, chorizo aioli, fennel hay

HOLIDAY RECIPE Chef Shelley’s Spiced Pecans 4 oz butter ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup maple syrup ¼ t cinnamon

¼ t smoked paprika 2 t kosher salt 8 cups pecan halves

Combine butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and smoked paprika in a medium sized pot and bring to a slow simmer stirring often. Once the brown sugar is completely melted with the other ingredients, add the pecans, stir to coat evenly. Spread the coated nuts onto a parchment lined baking sheet, bake at 325F for 30 minutes. Stir the nuts every 8 minutes to ensure even cooking. Season the nuts with salt while still warm.

A perfect holiday treat to enjoy with family and friends!

Enjoy!

Photos by Kevin Clark

2015-10-26 12:15 PM

SPONSORED REPORT

r

vanilla cured wild salmon crispy skinned wild salmon, beetroot gnocchi, wilted greens, spiced pecans, goat brie

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THE ALL-NEW XC90.

OUR IDEA OF LUXURY. What is luxury? To us, it starts with people and what really matters: simplicity, confidence, connection. It’s why the all-new XC90 is not only the safest Volvo ever, it’s the most innovative.

We’ve simplified the complex, designed technologies to be more intuitive, and given equal thought to each of the seven seats.

The result? Every journey ends with you more relaxed than when you started. That’s our idea of luxury. That’s the all-new XC90.

To learn more, visit Volvo of Vancouver or go to volvoofvancouver.com

8530 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC V6P 6N6 604.325.1000 volvoofvancouver.com

European model shown. Features and equipment may vary in Canada. Visit volvo of vancouver or www.volvoofvancouver.com for complete details on Canadian models. See your participating Volvo retailer for details. © 2015 Volvo Cars of Canada Corp., 9130 Leslie St., Suite 101, Richmond Hill, ON, L4B 0B9. Always remember to wear your seat belt.

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POWER

50 WHOSE CITY IS IT? That simple question, easy to pose but difficult to answer, helped to inform our deliberations as we sorted through the scores of names of people with a legitimate claim to a place on the list—our 15th annual ranking. Here are the people who are shaping Vancouver’s future for all of us.

See mo

re at

om/ Va n M a g .c 0 Power5 || by fr a nces bul a, chris koentges, gary mason, gary stephen ross a nd the editors of va ncou ver maga zine ||

D E C E M B E R 2 O 15 | VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E

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A POWER

as one of the most beautiful cities in one of the most stable countries on earth, Vancouver attracts people from all over the country, and the world. By 2041, Metro Vancouver is expected to be home to more than 3.2 million people. That demand drives up real-estate prices, forcing some young families to seek their fortune elsewhere.

But the fight for ownership of the city plays out in more obvious ways every day.

Is Vancouver the city of the cyclists who stream, in ever-increasing numbers, into downtown each morning? Or of BMW drivers who can’t turn right because of the bike lane? Selfie-happy foodies who dress all in white and sip tiny bubbles, or bleary-eyed addicts lining up at a food bank? Developers eager to rezone prime locations, or First Nations elders who view those sites as sacred?

The answer, of course, is “all of the above.” Every city is a nexus of opposing forces—a dynamic that gives urban life its richness and vitality. One of the most valuable exercises of power is the wise and fair mediation of those forces. Power is the ability to get things done, using money or political muscle; but it’s also the ability to cooperate, to strike compromise, to include those we may oppose. Whose city is this?

As the great urban theorist Jane Jacobs put it, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”

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MASTER BUILDER

1

IAN GILLESPIE FOUNDER & CEO, WESTBANK PROJECTS A G E 54 M O V E M E N T

(#6, 2014)

When leaders at First Baptist Church, at Nelson and Burrard, interviewed local developers to decide on a partner to build a condo skyscraper on their land, it was Ian Gillespie who most impressed them.

His conviction that a building must be more than just a structure—that every building is a contribution to the fabric of a dynamic, well-functioning urban environment—is what swayed them. True to that philosophy, Gillespie is imaginatively re-creating the city at dazzling speed these days. His massive Vancouver House project, woven around the north

end of the Granville Bridge, breaks downtown’s repetitive pattern of thin, straight-line glass towers with a design

by Danish superstar architect Bjarke Ingels. Gillespie’s firm, Westbank, just completed the Telus Gardens office and condo tower and commissioned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma for another tower on Georgia. Gillespie steered the massive Oakridge shopping mall re-development (which will create a mini-city at 41st and Cambie) through city approvals. And then there are the major Westbank projects in Toronto, Seattle, and Hawaii. That would be more than a full plate for most developers. But Gillespie also bought Vancouver’s downtown steam-heat power plant and is transforming it into a low-carbon energy generator that will service dozens of new buildings on the downtown peninsula.

And he’s building a social and marketrental housing project in Blood Alley.

No developer has a more diverse range of partners, and no one has had a more profound influence on Vancouver this year.

1: Jeff Vinnick

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BIG WHEEL

2

GREGOR ROBERTSON M AY O R , C I T Y O F VA N C O U V E R A G E 51 M O V E M E N T

(#3, 2014)

What a difference a year makes. Before last November’s election Gregor Robertson had to apologize publicly to save his Vision Vancouver party from what looked like sure defeat. Vision’s win at council had a whiff of scraping through, though the mayor himself got a record-setting 83,000 votes. And he’s taken some hits, from friends and political allies, over the purchase and sale of his home, his divorce, and his relationship with Chineseborn pop star Wanting Qu. But he and his party still hold the reins as incredible change sweeps through Vancouver these days, and Robertson has lately been flexing his muscles and scoring some wins.

Over the objections of some in his party, he decided that the rule of city manager Penny Ballem was over and terminated her contract. He’s garnered attention for his attendance at international climatechange gatherings in D.C., Paris, and the Vatican. During his New York trip in September he got starry-eyed coverage from Bloomberg, which supported his claims that Vancouver has transformed itself from a resource town to a high-tech hub. No Vancouver mayor has ever given the city such a high international profile, and the Conference Board of Canada says that Vancouver’s economy is poised to perform better than that of any other city in the country. Politics, like comedy, is all about timing.

2: Glenn Baglo/Vancouver Sun

MICHAEL AUDAIN // WHAT’S THE WORST THING ABOUT OUR CITY?

“TOO MANY OLD GEEZERS DIE RICH INSTEAD OF HAVING FUN AND GIVING IT ALL AWAY.” D E C E M B E R 2 O 15 | VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E

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POWER

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CHIEF ROBERT JOSEPH C H I E F O F T H E G WAWA E N U K F I R S T N AT I O N A G E 76 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

He wasn’t quite seven when he was taken from his family home and sent to St. Michael’s residential school in Alert Bay, a village on Cormorant Island off northern Vancouver Island. For the next 11 years, Robert Joseph’s life included abuse of the most disturbing and painful kind.

Those experiences have left him with deep psychological scarring and haunting memories. But that pain would also give Joseph a gift: the power to speak with authority and authenticity on the subject of reconciliation. Today, Chief Robert Joseph, 76, is a leading voice—perhaps the leading voice—in the discussion about how to bridge the aboriginal-non-aboriginal divide in this country.

A hereditary chief of the Gwawaenuk First Nation (on Watson Island off the central B.C. coast), Joseph is the founder of Reconciliation Canada. He has described its mandate as encouraging and fostering reconciliation “through dialogue, economic reconciliation, educational outreach, and creating partnerships between multiple segments of society so we can have a more inclusive Canada where we can share prosperity.”

His group organized the nationwide Walk for Reconciliation marches, including one in Vancouver in 2013 that drew thousands in the pouring rain and ended with a stirring plea by Dr. Bernice King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., for political action to deal with the unresolved issues of the First Nations in Canada.

Joseph was among those the federal government consulted on the wording of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s 2008 official apology to the country’s First Nations for the residential school system.

He was an advisor to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and to Indian Residential School Resolutions Canada.

He has served in an executive capacity with the Indian Residential Schools Survivors Society, an organization that provides crisis counselling and support for residential school survivors.

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His eloquence is a great force because he speaks without animosity. “Everything Robert Joseph talks about is out of love and care,” says former Tsawwassen First Nations chief Kim Baird. “He has a powerful story to tell and a vision for reconciliation that is compelling. He touches a lot of people with his call for healing.”

Joseph is helping shape the conversation around the role First Nations will play in Canada’s future. Part of that discussion involves coming to grips with the country’s racist past, one outlined in grim detail in the landmark Truth and Reconciliation Commission report released in June. It concluded that Canada’s treatment of aboriginal children at residential schools amounted to cultural genocide, and it called for a nation-to-nation relationship between the Crown and its first peoples. Among its 94 recommendations was a demand that Canada honour

the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which the federal government has so far viewed as a non-binding document.

In recent years the Supreme Court of Canada has put aboriginal people on a new economic footing with a groundbreaking ruling that gave First Nations rights over their ancestral lands unless their ownership had been signed away in a treaty. The historic Williams decision of 2014 gave them powerful leverage over development on their land—which, as the Christy Clark government is learning, has far-reaching implications for the province’s resource-industry aspirations.

As the First Nations gain new powers and new confidence, forging partnerships is crucial. It’s work that requires patience, understanding, and an outsized capacity for forgiveness—qualities embodied by Chief Robert Joseph.

Gutter Credit

PEACE MAKER

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R E L AT I O N S HIP E X P E R T

4

BOB RENNIE FOUNDER & DIREC TOR,

RENNIE MARKE TING SYSTEMS

4: Gutter Jeff Vinnick Credit

A G E 59 M O V E M E N T

(#8, 2014)

Information is power, and nobody in this city gets better information, sooner, about buzzier things, from a more diverse network—and nobody uses that information more deliberately, or to greater effect—than the obsessively driven, seemingly ubiquitous Energizer Bunny that is Bob Rennie. He meets more players for coffee, and has a busier BlackBerry, than someone of lesser energy might think possible. Christy Clark has publicly acknowledged the crucial role he played in her 2013 electoral victory and his effective fundraising has made the provincial Liberals debt-free for the first time in memory. At the municipal level, his support of Gregor Robertson and the Vision team has been similarly vital. Meanwhile,

relying on data from his own pollsters, he helps developers figure out what to build where and how to market their projects; then his real estate agents sell the finished units—to the tune last year of some $1.5 billion. That’s why, in May, his annual presentation to the Urban Development Institute (he argued for greater density and blamed local speculation, not foreign investment, for our stratospheric realestate prices) drew a standing ovation— and, of course, accusations of self-interest. Behind the scenes, he works diligently to address homelessness and the need for subsidized shelter. But his real passion is the collection of contemporary art he has assembled, one of the finest in the world. (Only a tiny portion is shown at his museum—the old Wing Sang building on Pender Street in Chinatown, which he transformed into a tasteful architectural gem.) His stature in the art world is clear: he’s about to step down as head of the North American acquisitions committee at the Tate Modern in London and accept a seat on the board of the Art Institute of Chicago. His stature in Vancouver is summed up by a City Hall insider, who explained, “Generally speaking, if Rennie’s behind something, it gets done.”

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50 P O W E R P L AY

6

THE AQUILINI FAMILY AQUILINI INVESTMENT GROUP MOVEMENT

5

FRANK GIUSTRA FINANCIER AND PHIL ANTHROPIST A G E 58 M O V E M E N T

(#17, 2013)

The mining business has been in the dumpster, but these things are cyclical and Frank Giustra, who made his fortune in oil and mineral exploration, has plenty to keep him busy in the meantime. He has numerous food-related interests; one of them—his olive oil, Domenica Fiore, named for his mother and derived from his olive grove in Umbria—is regularly judged the world’s finest. His magazine startup, Modern Farmer, has won a loyal following and major accolades. He built and sold Lionsgate Entertainment, a Hollywood-type movie studio, here in Vancouver. The studio in which he’s now the major shareholder, Thunderbird—with several recent acquisitions and a Blade Runner sequel, starring Ryan Gosling, in the works—looks nicely positioned to go public. Small wonder the Vancouver International Film Festival recently honoured Giustra with its inaugural Screen Industry Builder Award. And he’s now in the music business as well, having founded Westsonic, a Vancouver

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recording studio that allows him to indulge his passion for songwriting.

When a close friend passed away last year, Giustra realized he didn’t want to end up just another “dead rich guy.” He started doing a “Dear Rich People” column for the Huffington Post, explaining his philanthropic rationale and urging other wealthy people to follow suit. His commitment to helping others, via the high-profile Clinton-Giustra foundation and the heavyweight International Crisis Group, caught the attention of no less a personage than His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who awarded him one of the firstever Dalai Lama Humanitarian Awards.

But it’s the work Giustra does quietly, close to home, that makes him special.

What other billionaire has gone on a midnight walkabout in the Downtown Eastside, doing a homeless count, to better understand the issue? And who else not only gives his time and money to the Boys Club Network, which provides direction and role models to at-risk youth, but also personally mentors former gang members? “There are very few people who have that sense of themselves as both a local and a global citizen,” says Louise Arbour, the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and former CEO of the International Crisis Group. “Frank does.”

Giustra can get almost anyone on the phone—he’s pals with business tycoons, movie stars, and world leaders—but his real distinction is that he’s made himself into a pragmatic philanthropist who’s not forgotten his humble Abbotsford roots.

The exchange rate is playing havoc with Canadian NHL teams, which pay many expenses (including player salaries) in U.S. funds. Meaning the Canucks’ bottom line doesn’t look nearly as bright as it did a few years ago. The on-ice product also pales in comparison to the team that came within a game of a Stanley Cup championship in 2011. Don’t cry for the Aquilini family, though. With three towers rising above Rogers Arena, a second FlyOver attraction (after the one at Canada Place) soon to open in Minneapolis, extensive blueberry-, cranberry-, and wine-growing properties in the Lower Mainland and Washington state, new restaurants in Whistler, multiple partnerships with the First Nations, and a potentially mammoth pipeline project in northern B.C., the Aquilini Group just keeps growing. The death in June of beloved matriarch Elisa dealt a blow to husband Luigi and their sons (below, left to right) Roberto, Francesco, and Paolo.

But the astute hiring of former VPD chief Jim Chu adds depth to a powerful team.

5: BenNelms; 6: Malcolm Parry

LIFE LESSON

(#1, 2014)

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U T I L I T Y P L AY E R

8

JESSICA MCDONALD PRESIDENT & CEO, BC HYDRO A G E 46 M O V E M E N T

(#22, 2014)

British Columbians who depend on BC Hydro for electricity don’t have to look far for reasons to resent the massive utility: ongoing rate increases, smart meters, and mega infrastructure projects such as the Site C dam. But CEO Jessica McDonald knows something about being on the hot seat, having been deputy minister to Premier Gordon Campbell from 2005 to 2009. Nor is she a stranger to running big, unwieldy organizations—she was also head of the province’s 30,000-plusstrong public service. An expert mediator, she’ll find her political background useful as she seeks to appease Hydro’s many stakeholders. The Crown corporation’s mandate—to supply “reliable power, at low cost, for generations”—is complex and daunting; climate change, the empowered First Nations, and acts of God make it even more so. Like her predecessors—Marc Eliesen, Dave Cobb, Charles Reid—she’s discovered that running a $5-billion utility with 5,500 employees is a Herculean task for which you get faint praise and abundant criticism.

LIVING LEGEND

7

JIMMY PATTISON C H A I R & C E O , J I M P AT T I S O N G R O U P A G E 87 M O V E M E N T

(#5, 2014)

For a guy who didn’t have positive net worth until he was in his fifties, Pattison—one of the two or three richest people in Canada—has done all right ever since. Spend a day in Vancouver and you can’t help but interact with his empire: auto dealerships, grocery stores, billboards, radio stations; or perhaps you’ll spot his yacht, the Nova Spirit, slipping

under the Lions Gate Bridge. Pattison is ably supported by the all-star team he’s assembled over the years, including former Blake Cassels lawyer Michael Korenberg, former Hydro chief Dave Cobb, and former B.C. premier Glen Clark, who’s likely to assume control once the 87-year-old Saskatchewan native calls it quits. Pattison’s work ethic and smarts have made him a legend. But what makes him admirable is his quiet philanthropy, his support of fellow business people— who routinely seek his advice—and his mentorship of young entrepreneurs. Eric Pateman, who started Edible Canada at Granville Island, tells the story of sending Pattison a handwritten note, requesting half an hour of his time—and promptly being invited to HQ atop the Shaw Tower for a late-afternoon session at which Pattison opened his books, offered advice, and answered questions until 8 p.m.

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POWER

50 WAT E R W O R L D

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ROBIN SILVESTER P R E S I D E N T & C E O , P O R T M E T R O VA N C O V E R A G E 47 M O V E M E N T

(#16, 2014)

Port Metro Vancouver lies at the nexus of many of the forces that define this city: global opportunity vs. local responsibility; economic growth vs. environmental protection; federal oversight vs. municipal accountability—and Robin Silvester is the man on the spot. Overseeing the biggest, most active port in Canada—a complex organization that must deal with a plethora of unions and competing stakeholders—means there are always fires to put out (sometimes literally, as in March, when a chemical fire in a container on Burrard Inlet darkened the skies and prompted fears of toxicity). As the Lower Mainland continues to develop, the port needs more trade land to meet the growth mandated by the federal government and articulated in the Port 2050 plan Silvester introduced in 2010. That long-term vision repeatedly bumps up against the shortterm priorities of politicians, municipalities, and corporations. Which is what makes Silvester’s job so challenging—and so important to the region’s future.

QUEEN OF VICTORIA

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CHRISTY CLARK B.C. PREMIER A G E 50 M O V E M E N T

(#2, 2014)

It hasn’t exactly been a banner year for the premier. Her support for LNG and the infrastructure needed to get it to market has been dealt a blow by the drop in energy prices, which may be dragging the country into recession. Putting the region’s transit future to a referendum— thus allowing voters to nix tax increases for improved mass transit—has, say critics, doomed the Lower Mainland to a congested, automotive future. The plan to close the Burrard Bridge for downward dog day, cancelled due to public ridicule,

was a PR disaster, as were a number of her tone-deaf tweets. The list of political sins goes on: the firing of Ministry of Health workers (one of whom committed suicide) and government claims of an RCMP investigation that never existed; tardy response to the summer’s forest fires; the Site C dam controversy; a disappointing attempt to update B.C.’s liquor laws; insensitive treatment of First Nations; the unexplained disappearance of 30 years’ worth of education records; an Abbotsford teen who fell to his death through the cracks in the provincial child-care system; even Arvind Gupta’s messy departure from the president’s office at UBC (the board is stacked with provincial appointees)—all attest to a government with a knack for getting it wrong. That said, B.C., compared to other provinces, is in sound financial shape. And Christy Clark may be down, but that doesn’t mean she’s out, as she showed a couple of years ago in the last election, when the NDP were riding high and it was assumed the Liberals didn’t stand a chance.

IRENE LANZINGER // WHAT’S THE WORST THING ABOUT OUR CITY?

“POVERTY AND HOMELESSNESS. WE NEED A PROVINCE-WIDE POVERTY REDUCTION PLAN THAT INCLUDES FAIR WAGES, PUBLIC SERVICE AND HOUSING WITH SUPPORT.”

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FIRST AIDE

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MIKE MAGEE M AY O R ’ S C H I E F O F S TA F F A G E 51 M O V E M E N T

ARTISTIC PRINCIPAL

11

MICHAEL AUDAIN C H A I R , P O LY G O N H O M E S

11: JonathanCruz; 12: Allison Kuhl

A G E 78 M O V E M E N T

(#31, 2014)

If you’re involved in the arts in British Columbia, you’re involved with Michael Audain. If you’re a young artist, the Audain Emerging Artist Acquisition Fund might buy a piece of your work. If you hit the big time, the Audain Prize might be your sweet reward. If you visit the National Gallery in Ottawa, the VAG, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Museum of Anthropology, the Bill Reid

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museum, the Gordon Smith museum, or the newly branded Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver, you’re enjoying the ongoing support of Audain’s foundation.

Ditto if you’re an art student at UVic, UBC, SFU, or Emily Carr. And the new year will bring the soft-spoken magnate’s crowning philanthropic achievement: the opening of the Audain Art Museum, a 56,000-sq.-ft. ode to the art of British Columbia, tucked up next to Whistler Village in a stunning Patkau-designed building. The museum will be everything the sexy new VAG (where he’s still honorary chairman) isn’t: focussed, funded, and actually built. All this while Polygon Homes, the development company that enabled his cultural largesse, clips along—with little fanfare and big returns—as the go-to builder for functional contemporary units in such places as Richmond, Coquitlam, Abbotsford, and South Surrey.

(#7, 2014)

If there’s an overlooked reason why Gregor Robertson won re-election as mayor last year, it’s his chief of staff.

It was Mike Magee who, during the municipal campaign, mediated between the scorched-earth and kinder-gentler camps in the Vision Vancouver party.

After the election, some blamed him for Vision losses on the school board and park board, but he steered the campaign deftly enough between aggression and humility to help Vision eke out a win. In the early 2000s Magee helped solidify Vision into a real party, and he’s been by the mayor’s side ever since. He and city manager Penny Ballem were considered the two who ran the show at city hall; now that Ballem is gone, and Magee’s close friend Sadhu Johnston is acting city manager, Magee is all the more powerful.

There’s been speculation about whether he’ll decamp to the federal Liberals (he was involved in raising money for a group of union and centre-left types to run ads against Stephen Harper and the Tories).

Meanwhile, he’s handling the difficult files and standing by the mayor’s side whenever Robertson gives a speech, cuts a ribbon, or meets a Pope.

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POWER

50 MISSING LINK

H E A LT H I N S T R U C T O R

13

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PETER FASSBENDER

PATRICIA DALY C H I E F M E D I C A L H E A LT H O F F I C E R , V P O F P U B L I C H E A LT H

MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR TR ANSLINK

Since jumping into provincial politics in 2013, the former Langley mayor has become one of Premier Christy Clark’s most trusted ministers. Clark didn’t hesitate to give the rookie MLA the always-tough education portfolio, along with the seemingly impossible job of trying to reach a long-term labour agreement with the province’s teachers. Mission accomplished: the six-year deal is the longest ever signed by the B.C. Teachers’ Federation. He also helped shape the massive curriculum overhaul being rolled out over the next couple of years. That accomplished, Clark in July moved Fassbender to the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development with responsibility for TransLink—the key part of his job.

Fixing the broken governance model that has undermined the public’s confidence in the beleaguered transit authority will be no easy task, but it says something about Clark’s faith in 69-year-old Fassbender that she gave him a role where others have failed. His past association with the region’s mayors should come in handy as he tries to find a way to give them the increased say over the TransLink they seek, while ensuring the provincial government doesn’t forfeit total control.

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L AND LORD

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HUNTER HARRISON C E O O F C A N A D I A N P A C I F I C R A I L WAY A G E 71 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

A CEO who lives in Connecticut and runs a company headquartered in Calgary may seem an odd choice for this city’s Power 50. But the company is CP—the railway that helped build Canada—and the war it’s waging over the fate of the Arbutus corridor speaks directly to the theme of this list: Whose city is it? Hunter Harrison, 71, son of a Memphis police officer and a notoriously tough “big personality,” was brought in to turn CP around in 2012, after the vicious proxy fight led by a U.S. hedge-fund mogul that ousted former CEO Fred Green and remade the CP board. One of Harrison’s mantras is to “optimize assets.” That’s why CP moved its headquarters from downtown Calgary out to CP’s under-utilized Ogden Yards, and it’s why the fate of some long-disused, CP-owned real estate in Shaughnessy is the focus of an increasingly intense battle here. CP’s hardball tactics—tearing out community gardens, threatening to store railway cars in the midst of a pricey residential neighbourhood—have put tremendous pressure on city hall to come up with a win-win solution.

Whether it’s trading city-owned property for CP-owned land elsewhere, or having a developer buy the Arbutus lands and then gift much of it back to the city (or something else altogether), the resolution of this showdown will shape the way the city evolves for years to come.

Dr. Patricia Daly likes to tell friends that if they haven’t heard her on the radio, that’s probably a good thing. At a time when reason can be drowned out by hysterical online opinion, there’s much to be said for the steady voice of Vancouver’s chief medical health officer. “The risks that people perceive,” she says—speaking of Ebola and other tropical diseases—“are often much higher than the actual risks.”

Instead, she says, people usually underestimate the risks of the apparently benign.

Daly is responsible for everything from the quality of the air we breathe to the safety of the food we eat to the drugs we consume—and where we can consume them. “After 20 years working in public health in Vancouver, there’s not a lot that could surprise me,” she says—even in a year that’s provided an especially textured glimpse into her quiet but widespread influence. In the spring, she helped the city navigate two environmental emergencies: the port fire in March and the oil spill in April. By June—in the absence of federal guidance—Vancouver city council began regulating the dozens of retail marijuana-related businesses that have sprung up. “Legalization and regulation of psychoactive substances like marijuana is the best way to reduce the harms associated with their use,” she says. On the radio, you could hear her nuanced explanation of why those under 19 would be prevented from entering dispensaries, and why cannabis “edibles” would be prohibited (because of the dramatic rise in childhood poisonings in U.S. marijuana retail outlets).

Then came a summer of drought and record temperatures. “Drought conditions increased forest fires in the province,” says Daly, “which had an impact on our local air quality, posing a risk to those with chronic health conditions such as asthma.” The city also faced an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness due to consumption of raw B.C. oysters contaminated by a marine bacterium that proliferates in warmer water. She

14: REUTERS/Mike Sturk

A G E 54 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

A G E 69 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

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MR. FIXIT

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RICH COLEMAN M I N I S T E R O F N AT U R A L G A S D E V E L O P M E N T & HOUSING, DEPUT Y PREMIER A G E 61 M O V E M E N T

(#4, 2014)

15: Trevor Brady

Not for nothing is Rich Coleman referred to as “Minister of Everything.” First elected in 1996, he’s held many of government’s trickiest ministries and knows where all the bodies are buried. His reputation was forged under Premier Gordon Campbell and continues under Christy Clark. When Clark needed someone to handle her most important file—liquefied natural gas—Coleman was handed the job. It may be his toughest assignment yet. With a provincial election only two years off, the government is desperate to ink at least one major LNG deal. After all, the riches that LNG is supposed to deliver formed the basis of Clark’s 2013 election win. Of course, there have been setbacks. The company expected to be the first to sign a major deal, the Malaysian energy giant Petronas, is dealing with horrible publicity after an audit exposed catastrophic lapses in safety at their operations. To make matters worse, the Malaysian government, which owns Petronas, has been rocked by a scandal involving the country’s PM, Najib Razak.

Through it all, Coleman has remained a picture of calm. He was one of the few who assured naysayers that the Liberals would win another majority in 2013, and he’s anxious to show LNG doubters—who are also legion—that they, too, are wrong. ordered restaurants to stop serving raw B.C. oysters.

Daly even played a role in the transit referendum. “Advocacy is an important part of my job, and often my role is making a link to population health where it might not be obvious, to the public or to decision-makers. Advocating for a “yes” vote in the transit referendum was an easy decision—there’s “lots of good evidence around the world that people who use transit to commute to school or work are more likely to be physically active and less likely to be obese than those using cars,” she says. She also relied on results from a community health survey of 43,000 people in Metro Vancouver.

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“Ultimately, the decision-making process comes down to one question: will it improve population health?”

Vancouver has one of the healthiest populations in the world. When Daly travels, she tells others about the city’s low rates of smoking and obesity, the long life expectancy. Unfortunately, these numbers don’t tell the whole story. “There are people in Vancouver who don’t enjoy the same good health, and opportunities for it, as everyone else,” says Daly.

“My most important job is to help reduce those population health inequities, particularly for those living in poverty, aboriginal people, and some of Vancouver’s immigrant and refugee populations.”

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2015-10-27 2:34 PM

POWER

50 SERVICE PROVIDER

HOME MAKER

17

18

C H I E F O F T H E S Q U A M I S H N AT I O N

PRESIDENT & CEO, TELUS

CEO, BC HOUSING

A G E 42 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

A G E 53 M O V E M E N T

A G E 54 M O V E M E N T

When Woodfibre LNG Ltd. wanted to build a facility in Howe Sound, it soon discovered that the B.C. government would not be the only political entity with which it would be dealing. The company would quickly learn that concerns of the Squamish Nation, under the dynamic leadership of Chief Ian Campbell, would also have to be satisfied. The First Nation released 25 conditions that Woodfibre LNG had to meet before it could proceed with the project on ancestral Squamish land. Campbell, 42, has emerged as the new face of the Squamish Nation, following the defeat of Gibby Jacob in band elections in 2013. The band claims a vast territory from Whistler to downtown Vancouver. Under Campbell’s leadership, the band has begun expanding its business interests. Among other ventures, it is partnering with the Aquilini Group to develop the Willingdon Lands in Burnaby. The band—which has a population of 4,100, about 2,400 of whom live on reserve—declared revenues of $94 million last year, the most of any First Nation in the province. It derives lease dollars from the Park Royal Shopping Centre, among several other land holdings. For his part, Campbell, who completed the aboriginal MBA program at Simon Fraser University, has become a strong advocate for the language and culture of his community— and a new political force in the province.

During Darren Entwistle’s 14 years as president and CEO, Telus grew from a regional carrier into the second-largest telecommunications company in the country (ahead of Bell, behind Rogers) with close to 8 million subscribers and 2014 revenues of $12 billion. Today it’s easily the biggest Vancouver-based firm (ahead of the publicly traded Teck Corp. and the privately held Pattison Group).

When Entwistle stepped down as president and chair last year in favour of longtime senior executive Joe Natale, it looked as if a clear succession plan had been executed. The unexpected announcement in August that Natale was himself bowing out and Entwistle was returning to the CEO’s chair caught many analysts off guard. Telus’s explanation—that Natale wasn’t ready to move his family here from Toronto (as if this wouldn’t have been sorted out prior to his appointment)— sounded like the kind of “personal reasons” blanket that boards sometimes throw over disappointing performance.

In any case, Entwistle’s restoration was timely: Telus Garden, the strikingly innovative new company headquarters that occupies a downtown block, was his baby all along. Because he worked closely with architect Gregory Henriquez on virtually every detail of the $750-million project, it’s only fitting that he presided over the official opening in September.

DARREN ENTWISTLE (#7, 2013)

SHAYNE RAMSAY (#19, 2014)

When you’re CEO of the provincial agency responsible for creating social housing in one of the world’s most expensive real estate markets, you’re in the thick of one of the thorniest public-policy issues in the province. Welcome to Shayne Ramsay’s world. Head of BC Housing since 2000, Ramsay has been at the heart of some of the most contentious debates in the city, particularly as they pertain to the Downtown Eastside and what to do about housing the troubled souls who walk (and often sleep on) its streets. Ramsay has overseen perhaps the most ambitious expansion of social housing in the province’s history. Over the past 15 years, billions have been poured into building supportive housing here and around the province, turning dingy single-room occupancy hotels in downtown Vancouver into something people are proud to live in. His tenure has been productive and widely applauded, though it has not been without controversy: he’s married to Janice Abbott, a powerful housing advocate in her own right and executive director of the Atira Women’s Resource Society, one of the largest social housing agencies in the DTES. Given that Ramsay oversees the provincial body responsible for funding, there have been charges of conflict of interest. His response? He simply excuses himself, he says, whenever matters arise involving his wife’s non-profit.

17: Wayne Leidenfrost/Vancouver Sun

CHIEF IAN CAMPBELL

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20: Photography by Evaan Kheraj; Styling by Luisa Rino; Hair+Makeup by Melanie Neufeld for lizbellagency.com; Millly Minis shift dress and Circus by Sam Edelman loafers both available at Nordstrom Pacific Centre

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TRU WILSON STUDENT

20: Photography by Evaan Kheraj; Styling by Luisa Rino; Hair+Makeup by Melanie Neufeld for lizbellagency.com; Millly Minis shift dress and Circus by Sam Edelman loafers both available at Nordstrom Pacific Centre Gutter Credit

A G E 12 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

“I remember when I was in kindergarten, the teacher got a new dollhouse,” says Tru Wilson, a bright-eyed 12-year-old with shiny braces on her front teeth. “I started playing with the dolls, and one of my guy friends was like, ‘What are you doing?’ I said, ‘Playing with the dollies.’ He’s like, ‘But that’s not what boys do.’ And I’m thinking, yeah, but I’m not a boy.”

“At first we thought Trey was gay,” says Michelle Wilson, a graphic artist.

She and her husband, Garfield, an actor and personal trainer, share their Ladner home with their three children and a dog.

Having grown up in a Jamaican household in Edmonton, Garfield—macho and muscular—at first had trouble accepting that his son was not a little version of himself. Michelle was caught between not wanting her child to be bullied, and wanting her to be able to live as her true self.

One day Trey told his teacher at Sacred Heart elementary in Delta that he was “a girly-boy.” The vice-principal called Michelle and said, “We’re a little concerned with the language your son is using. You might want to tone that stuff down.”

Instead, understanding that Trey had gender dysphoria, the Wilsons began lobbying the school to let her attend as a girl. The school firmly refused. Garfield was polite and rational in the discussions, thinking that would yield the best results.

Michelle got quietly furious that he was treating school officials with the respect and consideration they were failing to show their child. “There was a lot of stress,” says Garfield. “It put our marriage in a rocky place.”

“They kept asking for supporting material from doctors,” says Tru. “When we gave it to them, they’d ask for an opinion from a doctor they chose.” Then they wanted a third opinion. “Then they played the religion card,” says Garfield.

Recognizing a transgender child, they said, would go against Catholic teachings. Tru was living as a girl at home, at her dance class, on her basketball team.

“Then I had to go to school and pretend to be a boy.”

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“We wanted her to be able to wear the girl’s uniform and they just shut us right down,” says Michelle. “I remember sitting in the parking lot after one meeting, bawling my eyes out, thinking, so this is what it’s going to be like.”

Tru transferred to a public school, and the Wilsons filed a human rights complaint. “We wanted a policy in place so that other kids wouldn’t have to go through what we did,” says Michelle.

The Catholic School Board was finally pressured into developing such a policy; the Vancouver School Board was already working on one. Meanwhile, an interview on Global TV, which the family posted on Facebook, became a way to let everyone hear their story in a safe way. “We had no idea what the reaction would be,” says Michelle. “Would people shun us? Which friends would be left standing? Would we have to move?”

On the contrary. They were amazed by how open and supportive friends, family, and even strangers were. “It was overwhelming,” says Michelle. “Even Garfield’s parents, who are pretty traditional, said, ‘We don’t understand it, but we love you and support you.’” A year later, as the Vanouver Parks Board was developing a transgender policy, they asked Tru to be a poster child. A photo of Tru and her parents now appears on Parks & Recreation posters around in the city.

It wasn’t until the whole family was benefitting from therapy that they began taking comfort in the realization that normalcy and conformity don’t move the world forward. “If you look back,” says Garfield, “you see that people who make a real difference usually go through hardships along the way.”

Gender identity is the social-justice issue of our time, brought into focus, and media prominence, by the likes of Chelsea Manning, Laverne Cox on Orange is the New Black, Jazz Jennings on the reality show I Am Jazz, Caitlyn Jenner on the cover of Vanity Fair—and by a child at a Catholic School in Delta who knew she belonged in a girl’s uniform.

“I didn’t expect to be on posters and people recognizing me and making a difference for other kids,” says Tru. “I just wanted to be me.”

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DJAVAD MOWAFAGHIAN PHIL ANTHROPIST A G E 88 M O V E M E N T

(#49, 2012)

Raised in Iran by a widowed mother who taught him and his siblings about selflessness and community, Djavad Mowafaghian made his fortune in construction. There he also built schools in the country’s poorest neighbourhoods, understanding that health and education are the keys to a child’s—and a nation’s— future. After the Iranian revolution of 1979 he moved to Switzerland and then,

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in 1987, to Vancouver. He has since used his resources to further health and social development in Africa, India, Haiti, Switzerland, England, and here in his adopted city. His extraordinary generosity has enriched everything from the Children’s Hospital to SFU, Lions Gate Hospital, and the Centre for Child Development in Surrey. His $15-million contribution to the Centre for Brain Health allowed UBC to leverage government funding and create one of the top brain research and treatment facilities on the continent.

Slowed by a stroke in 2010 and now partially disabled, Mowafaghian, 88, puts life in refreshing perspective. “How much money do you need?” he asks.

“You need money for eating and to sleep— a place for a bed. If you have a billion dollars, you cannot spend it. I love to help other people—my heart becomes happy.”

That sunny outlook makes a lot of other people happy, too.

GAME CHANGER

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STEWART BUTTERFIELD CO-FOUNDER & CEO, SL ACK A G E 42 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

After Stewart Butterfield sold Flickr, the photo-sharing startup he co-founded, to Yahoo for $35 million in 2005, he began assembling a team of programmers in Vancouver to develop a weird online multiplayer game called Glitch. Flickr had been a happy accident that grew out of his first attempt to develop such a game. As Glitch neared completion, it turned out that it was not the game itself but the tool the programmers created to communicate with each other that had great value.

Slack is now valued at $2.8 billion, and Butterfield is a beacon in the burgeoning tech scene in this city. Born in a cabin in Lund, B.C., he taught himself to code growing up and then studied philosophy at the University of Victoria and at Cambridge. His sensibility is perhaps best captured in the resignation letter he sent Yahoo, which is legendary in tech circles: “I will be spending more time with my family, tending to my small but growing alpaca herd and of course getting back to working with tin, my first love.”

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N AT I V E S O N

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WADE GRANT SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE PREMIER A G E 37 M O V E M E N T

(#31, 2013)

Wade Grant was called on recently to welcome an incoming class of UBC students.

He did it gracefully, evoking the history of his Musqueam people in a way that made clear that he remembers the past without being embittered by it. Then he had to leave for his job at Premier Christy Clark’s office. He was named her special adviser on First Nations issues in June 2014; Clark called him her “relationship guide.” He has since been convening groups to talk with the province about the many unresolved issues with B.C. First Nations. Grant, not yet 40, has made a name for himself as an ambassador for the Musqueam and a bridge between two worlds. He lives on the Musqueam reserve with his wife and two children but doesn’t isolate himself there.

His mother is former Musqueam chief Wendy Grant, his stepfather the former NDP minister Ed John. He himself was a band councillor for several years and, until recently, also the Musqueam’s economic development manager. Small wonder that he’s been courted by more than one political party. He’s interested in politics, he tells these suitors, only if it directly helps his community.

E A S T- W E S T C O N N E C T O R

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THOMAS FUNG CH A IR & CE O, FA IR CHIL D GR OUP

23: Kris Krug

A G E 64 M O V E M E N T

(#28, 2013)

Eager to escape the shadow of his legendary father, Fung King Hey, Thomas Fung left Hong Kong for North America at age 15. He arrived in Vancouver on July 1, 1967—Canada’s centennial—determined to make it on his own. Almost half a century later, you’d have to say he’s succeeded. With Fairchild Media, he controls the largest Chinese media company in Canada. As the developer of

Richmond’s thriving Aberdeen Centre, he owns not just the mall but many businesses in it, including Chef Hung Beef Noodle (a Korean chain to which he has North American rights) and Daiso (a remarkably profitable Japanese-based dollar store, which he plans to roll out across Canada).

His Saint Germain Bakery in Richmond supplies dozens of airlines, and he intends to franchise the Aimé Pâtisserie he opened in Shanghai. The 1,200-person guest list at his son’s wedding last year at the Convention Centre included Hong Kong’s who’s-who. Fung is the epitome of the international businessman: he travels frequently, is at home on both sides of the Pacific, helps other Asian immigrants, and next year will open a school in Hong Kong that offers a Canadian privateschool curriculum to students hoping one day to follow in his footsteps.

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L A D Y IN WA I T ING

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ANDREA REIMER CIT Y COUNCILLOR

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BING THOM FOUNDER, BING THOM ARCHITEC TS A G E 74 M O V E M E N T

(#31, 2011)

“My client is more than the person who pays me,” the architect Bing Thom once told architecture critic Witold Rybczynski. “My client is society and the public.”

Thom is one of those rare architects who lives his idealism. And he does so on both sides of the Pacific. Born in Hong Kong, educated at UBC and Berkeley, he worked with Fumihiko Maki and Arthur Erickson before striking out on his own in Vancouver. He’s established the kind of eclectic practice that sees him shortlisted to design the Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario (could there be a more definitively Canadian project?), while at the same time landing the prestigious Xiqu Centre, a $347-million sanctuary dedicated to traditional Chinese opera in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District. To say nothing of his acclaimed redesign of Surrey Centre, or the many buildings he’s designed in Vancouver. But it’s not his buildings that get mentioned first in conversations about Bing Thom.

It’s his contribution to the communities where he builds them.

(#32, 2014)

Is she Vancouver’s next mayor? Andrea Reimer is Vision Vancouver’s secret weapon—the councillor who doesn’t get bashed by the party’s left-wing supporters as a development sell-out.

The one who can deliver an impassioned, verge-of-tears speech at city council, or be sent out among the hostile crowds that Mayor Gregor Robertson avoids. Named permanent deputy mayor shortly after Vision was elected for the third time last November, Reimer is relentless on her files—environment, sustainability, First Nations, public engagement. No environmental initiative at the city goes forward without her support. A former executive director of the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, she’s the loyal soldier for now. But she’s working hard at taming her patronizing-remark impulses and demonstrating her engaged, emotional, empathetic self. A former street kid and the mother of a transgender teen, she’s the very embodiment of the city’s diversity. If she does reach the mayor’s office, she’ll certainly be familiar with the room.

She’s the only councillor, say insiders, who’s free to walk into Robertson’s office any time for one of their frequent chats.

Gutter 25: Thomas Credit Billingsley

COMMUNIT Y BUILDER

“SUCH A CITY DOES NOT EXIST.”

JODY WILSON-RAYBOULD // WHAT CITY IS BETTER THAN VANCOUVER?

A GE 43 MO V EMEN T

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T HE A C C E L E R AT O R

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RYAN HOLMES CEO, HOOTSUITE A G E 40 M O V E M E N T

(#18, 2014)

Vancouver’s tech poster boy is a big fan of the word “hustle.” Life advice? “Now is the best time to hustle.” Core value?

“Hustle.” Words to live by from the founder of the local social-media-dashboard success story that counts the NHL, eBay, the White House, and Sony Music Entertainment among its high-profile

clients. It’s unclear whether the (private) company is even close to profitable, though it probably would be if it halted its aggressive global growth strategy.

Holmes himself—fiercely independent and committed to Vancouver—is now investing in local startups as a way of building the tech industry here. Meanwhile, Hootsuite is building its own campus by connecting the three buildings it occupies west of Main Street. It may well go public in the next couple of years, analysts say, particularly after news that Open Text’s principal accounting officer has accepted the CFO position. (The success of Shopify, the e-commerce software company that went public, has inspired Holmes.) “You must always be open to taking risks,” he says. “Learn from failure; don’t fear it.”

TRADES PERSON

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KATHY KINLOCH P R E S I D E N T, B C I T M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

Gutter 28: Credit Claudette Carracedo

Say “post-secondary education” in Vancouver and people think UBC and SFU. The B.C. Institute of Technology may not get the same recognition, but the B.C. Liberal government’s jobs plan—which helped get them re-elected in 2013—is built around the innovation and resource economies, and LNG in particular. Those sectors need skilled workers, not young people with degrees in art history, English literature, or women’s studies. Which is why Kathy Kinloch’s role as president of BCIT is so important to the future of the city and the province. A former nurse who moved into health care and then into education, she took the reins at BCIT after a stint as president of Vancouver Community College. Her mandate is clear: satisfy what she calls the “insatiable demand” created by the government’s message that we need more people in the economy who have technical skills. To that end, as competition for government funding intensifies, she’s seeking to develop alternative sources of revenue. One approach is to bring educators, businesses, and students together by collaborating with startups in need of applied research. Her success to date became clear in September, when BCIT opened a new campus—its fifth—on Annacis Island.

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GREEN GIANT

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ADAM PALMER

SADHU JOHNSTON

C H I E F C O N S TA B L E , V P D

A G E 52 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

AC TING CIT Y MANAGER A G E 41 M O V E M E N T

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CHANGE AGENT

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MARY ACKENHUSEN P R E S I D E N T & C E O , C O A S TA L H E A LT H A G E 55 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

Mary Ackenhusen began her career as an industrial engineer before completing an MBA at Harvard Business School. In 2014 she was named Vancouver Coastal Health’s president and CEO, in no small part because she could see opportunities where others saw hopeless contradictions.

“My selling point,” she recalls, “which I think resonated, was my passion and courage to work aggressively to make our current public healthcare system sustainable in the face of increasing demand and stagnant budgets.” As the demographic bulge of aging baby boomers strained the healthcare system, her white whale became the Clinical & Systems Transformation (CST)—a single electronic health record, accessible to clinicians and patients anytime, anywhere. “This is an essential building block of modern healthcare that we have not yet achieved,” she says. “We must do so, and soon.” The mega-IT project Ackenhusen inherited, reported to cost $842 million, had, as she puts it, “gone off the rails.” Her team parted ways with IBM and, engaging Coastal Health’s 15,000 employees and more than 2,000 physicians, relaunched an initiative to design a viable system.

“My goal is to make sure that our system is still working for all of us in 10 years.”

Now that Vancouver’s bureaucratic overlord, Penny Ballem, has left the building, Johnston—hired from Richard Daley’s Chicago administration in 2009 to drive Mayor Gregor Robertson’s green agenda here—is at the helm as acting city manager. While Ballem handled the high-profile political and money files, Johnston tackled the longer-term projects: managing the city’s emergencyresponse plan; overseeing the overall infrastructure plan; and, of course, transforming Vancouver into the greenest city in the universe. That won’t be achieved solely through idealism and policy; it starts with understanding the business case for new environmental standards and innovations. Johnston—a woodworking aficionado who hand-crafted his own canoe—is the go-to guy for companies scouting Vancouver for a place to pilot new products and projects because he understands both the theory and the practice. His name isn’t widely known in the city, but in the global green-cities movement he’s viewed as an influencer.

And though he has said that he doesn’t want the city manager post, he wouldn’t be the first acting executive who grew into the permanent gig.

29: JohnLehmann/CP

When the city was looking for a new chief constable last year, Adam Palmer was one of three internal candidates who ticked all the boxes. After studying business administration at SFU, he worked as a corrections officer before joining the force in 1987. He’s served everywhere from the jail to the gang crime unit, and from police/Crown liaison to the planning, research, and audit section. As an inspector, he oversaw the city’s toughest neighbourhoods, as well as the port and marine division. During the Winter Games, he was venue commander for the Pacific Coliseum. Deputy chief since 2010, he ended up with responsibility for all investigative areas of the force. Along the way he’s also led executive leadership programs with the FBI. Palmer clearly had the resume and the experience the position demands, and was appointed the VPD’s 31st chief constable in May. The intangibles of leadership are harder to assess. Peter Brown, the Canaccord founder and honourary VPD chief, called Palmer’s predecessor, Jim Chu, “one of the finest people I’ve ever met, a natural leader who’s quick to credit others for any success and to take responsibility for any failures or shortcomings.” Chu’s legacy is a police force considered among the best in North America; Palmer’s challenge is to build on that legacy while making the force his own.

(#14, 2014)

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RISING SON

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TOM GAGLARDI P R E S I D E N T, N O R T H L A N D P R O P E R T I E S A G E 47 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

The family name is part of provincial history. Tom Gaglardi’s grandfather was “Flyin’ Phil” Gaglardi, a cabinet minister in the Social Credit government of W.A.C. Bennett in the 1950s and ’60s. Phil’s son Bob founded Northland Properties, starting with real estate, restaurants, and budget motels. After nearly going under in the 1980s (Gaglardi was saved from bankruptcy thanks to help from Jimmy Pattison and Luigi Aquilini), Northland has since grown into one of the largest privately held companies in the province.

Besides real estate and the Sandman and Signature chains, the Gaglardis own Moxie’s, Denny’s, and the Sutton Place Hotel here (as well as the Sutton Place in Edmonton and the right to build elsewhere in Canada). Business, like politics, makes strange bedfellows. Tom Gaglardi may be best known for having (with Ryan Beedie) come out on the losing end of a court battle with the Aquilinis over ownership of the Vancouver Canucks, but he’s now an NHL owner and governor himself, having bought the Dallas Stars in 2011. And the Gaglardis have long been involved with the Aquilinis in an expansive, all-seasons resort they hope to build north of Squamish.

32: Adam Blasburg; 33: Jerome Miron/Usa Today Sports

L ABOUR OF LOVE

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IRENE LANZINGER P R E S I D E N T, B C F E D E R AT I O N O F L A B O U R A G E 60 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

When she was elected head of the BC Federation of Labour late last year, Irene Lanzinger had big boots to fill. Her predecessor, Jim Sinclair, was a loud, passionate advocate for the province’s workers, a one-time journalist whose popularity

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was evidenced by his unprecedented 15-year term. Lanzinger, a former teacher who went on to become president of the BC Teachers’ Federation, is the first woman to head the organization (even though women make up more than half of union membership in the province) and thus serves as a ground-breaking, if belated, role model. Her more concrete goals—a $15 minimum wage; stronger health and safety laws; countering the temporary foreign workers program— will likely prove more elusive. With union membership declining sharply over the past decade, and a Liberal government hostile to unions making it more difficult to organize them, Lanzinger has her work cut out for her—and the half million members whose interests she represents.

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BARGE AND IN CHARGE

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CAROL LEE

KYLE WASHINGTON

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, LINACARE COSME THER APY

C H A I R , S E A S P A N C O R P.

(#21, 2014)

“I like to do things that are important to me,” explains Carol Lee, the daughter of real-estate billionaire and noted philanthropist Robert H. Lee, whose name graces UBC’s new alumni centre. “It’s a combination of interest and curiosity in different projects.” Lee is plainly having an impact as chair of both the Vancouver Chinatown Revitalization Committee and the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation; and on the board of the Rideau Hall Foundation, a position that requires her to visit Ottawa two or three times a year. To say nothing of her main business endeavour: Linacare is a skin-care line that’s both cosmetic and therapeutic, specializing in aiding cancer patients and burn victims. Lee’s focus is the changing role of the Chinese community in this city. The three restaurants she just bought in Chinatown are, in that sense, less about food than about the neighbourhood they occupy. She’s not talking about gentrification; she’s nurturing inclusiveness by walking the fine line between respecting tradition and encouraging growth. “I can’t do it on my own,” she says. “It’s all about teamwork. The secret to success is always finding the right people.”

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A G E 45 M O V E M E N T

TR AIL BL AZER

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JODY WILSONRAYBOULD L I B E R A L M P, VA N C O U V E R G R A N V I L L E AGE 44 MOVEMENT

(#36, 2014)

She’s not a natural politician. She doesn’t network easily or promote herself. She’s not a natural politician. She doesn’t network easily or promote herself. In fact, in one debate during the election campaign, it was her NDP opponent, Mira Oreck, who stepped in to say that Jody Wilson-Raybould was hiding her light under a bushel and should get credit for her work on treaty negotiations. But if the new MP for Vancouver-Granville is quiet and unassuming, it’s not because she lacks a power resume. The daughter of Chief Bill Wilson, Wilson-Raybould is a former Crown prosecutor who worked in Vancouver’s gritty provincial court on Main Street, worked with the B.C. Treaty Commission, and until recently served as a regional chief with the Assembly of First Nations. Colleagues describe her as more policy wonk than campaigner, more comfortable revising a report in detail than participating in a rapid-fire debate.

As a negotiator, she’s known as someone who knows how to get everybody to a win.

She’ll be a key voice in Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, bringing an aboriginal and western voice to the table, as well as a determination to empower women.

It’s an important first for the province.

(#30, 2013)

Since being sent to Vancouver in 1994 by his father to oversee the family’s huge marine division, Kyle Washington has become a force in the city’s business community. As executive chair of Seaspan Corp., he’s overseen major gains by the shipbuilding, drydock, and barge operator, highlighted by an $8-billion (and growing) contract to build 12 vessels for the federal government that effectively resuscitated a dying industry on the West Coast. Washington is also an active director on the boards of several companies owned by the family and keeps in close touch with his 81-year-old father, Dennis, who amassed a multi-billion-dollar fortune in construction, mining, and shipping. Kyle, 45, and his wife, Janelle, support many charitable causes, but he has also earned a reputation as a workhard, play-harder party guy. Earlier this year, he was handed a three-month driving ban after a bizarre incident when, leaving the West Vancouver Yacht Club, he drove one of his many pricey cars into a ditch. When he blew above the limit, his lawyer argued in court that Washington’s “bizarre behaviour” that night was a reaction to a prescription sleeping pill.

34: Tracey Ayton; 36: Carlo Ricci

MOVEMENT

2015-10-27 3:52 PM

Kerrisdale • Hornby • Park Royal

The Parisian elegance to your Christmas desserts

Order any bûche before December 6th and enjoy a 10% discount 604.322.3446 • info@faubourg.com • faubourg.com

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JOSEPH ARVAY P A R T N E R , F A R R I S , VA U G H A N , WILLS & MURPHY

N AT U R A L W O ND E R

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DAVID SUZUKI C O - F O U N D E R , D AV I D S U Z U K I F O U N D AT I O N A G E 79 M O V E M E N T

(#2, 2011)

For half a century he’s been warning that our short-sighted stewardship of the planet is leading toward disaster, and the world has finally started to listen.

David Suzuki frankly fears it may be too late, though he knows that’s no reason to abandon hope and hard work. Soon to turn 80, he shows few signs of slowing down, giving speeches, publishing books (the most recent, Letters to My Grandchildren, is the 55th title that bears his name), marching in climate-change demonstrations along with the likes of Jane Fonda and Bill McKibben, and paddling the Peace River in solidarity with First Nations protesting the Site C dam approval. He’s a polarizing figure (just ask Justin Trudeau, with whom he has publicly quarrelled), and corporate types like to paint him as a hypocrite for living in a multi-million-dollar Point Grey home (which he bought, four decades ago, for $135,000). Some young environmentalists feel his message and his methods have become outdated, but no one can deny that the geneticist-turned-TV-hostturned-environmental activist—who’s regularly voted among the most admired and trusted Canadians—will leave a legacy that places him in the company of Wendell Berry, Rachel Carson, and Jacques Cousteau.

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(#20, 2014)

Knowing something about the plight of minorities—he was confined to a wheelchair after a car accident while a student at the University of Western Ontario—Arvay has long fought for the underdog. He helped strike down the law preventing same-sex marriage, fought for the rights of the children of sperm donors, and argued all the way to the Supreme Court that the Canada Border Services Agency’s withholding of gay materials violated the constitutional rights of Little Sister’s bookstore and its owner, the late Jim Deva. Arvay has represented clients dealing with issues of all legal stripes, but it’s his work in helping to define what the Charter of Rights and Freedoms actually means that has made him perhaps the pre-eminent constitutional lawyer in the country. He represented Gloria Taylor in the case that led the Supreme Court to strike down the law banning assisted suicide, forcing the government to come up with a legislative response and prompting the Canadian Medical Association to instruct its members to follow their conscience in dealing with individual cases.

As increasing numbers of baby boomers watch their parents endure protracted deaths, and public opinion polls favour more humane end-of-life options—not to mention the new Liberal government it Ottawa—it seems inevitable that the laws will soon be changed. And that Joseph Arvay will one of the people making it happen.

SEE YOU IN COURT

39

KATRINA PACEY E XECUTIVE DIREC TOR, PIVOT LEGAL SOCIE T Y A G E 41 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

As a lifelong activist, Katrina Pacey is leery of appearing on lists such as this.

But as the executive director of Pivot—a group of legal professionals committed to social justice on the Downtown Eastside—she appreciates having access to the other people on such lists. “Because we’re lawyers,” says Pacey, “we can get invited to meetings that frontline activists or sex workers may not be invited to.” Bringing the frontline to Ottawa has become an effective MO for Pivot. “It becomes much harder when you have somebody in front of you telling you, ‘Your laws are forcing me into the darkest corners of the Downtown Eastside where I don’t know if I’m going to make it home tonight.’” Pacey has spent almost a decade arguing that Canada’s prostitution laws are unconstitutional. Canadian Lawyer named her to its “25 Most Influential” list for “helping change draconian laws that threaten the lives of sex-trade workers and restore dignity to people who have been marginalized.” Not long after Canada’s Supreme Court ruled that the law violated sex workers’ rights to improve their safety and health, the Conservative government introduced new legislation to undermine the decision. And Pacey began working on her next piece of litigation.

37: Kent Kallberg; 38: Dominic Schaefer; 39: France Edward

A G E 66 M O V E M E N T

VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E | D E C E M B E R 2 O 15

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POWER

50 PERPETUAL MOTION

D AT E K NI G H T

40

42

RICK HANSEN

MARKUS FRIND

C E O , R I C K H A N S E N F O U N D AT I O N A G E 58 M O V E M E N T

(#50, 2007)

FOUNDER, PLENT YOFFISH.COM A G E 36 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

62

S TAT I O N M A S T E R

41

JILL KROP NE WS DIRECTOR, GLOBAL BC A G E 52 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

When Jill Krop, 52, arrived at BCTV in her early thirties, the idea that a woman would run either the newsroom or the station seemed unlikely. Last April, she was placed in charge of both. The mostwatched local newscast in the region had slipped in the ratings, so she went to work. She turned beloved anchors back into reporters, where they could break news. She anointed a Chinese-Canadian breakfast show host as co-anchor of the six o’clock news. And she began transforming her daily newsroom into a robust online presence. Today, at BCTV’s current incarnation as Global, Krop orchestrates the daily conversation that takes places in the sweet spot where urban Vancouver turns into the suburbs. “In the golden era of news, you had one middle-aged Caucasian male speaking to an audience that by and large matched him,” she says.

“That just doesn’t exist anymore. How do I appeal to an immigrant from South Asia who’s just learning English but interested in understanding where they live?

A 40-year-old mother who works all day and has to still cook dinner and barely has time to watch news? And a senior who’s long been a viewer from our BCTV days and lives up north and doesn’t want a thing to change?” Answer: by doing what she did as a reporter almost two decades ago—hold the powerful accountable.

Only last year, Markus Frind was quoted as saying he had “no intention of selling to any of the many investors who have expressed an interest in Plenty of Fish,” the dating website he created in two weeks in 2003. This year, he sold it to Match.com for US$575-million cash, joining the likes of Roger Hardy (of Coastal Contacts and Shoes.com) and Charles Chang (who cashed out of Vega plant-based food and nutritional products) as the city’s latest self-made multi-millionaires. What will the 36-year-old developer do with his newfound riches? He wants to spend more time with his baby daughter, he loves to travel, and he’s beginning to invest in local startups, including Cymax, an online furniture retailer, and bankingmeets-tech outfit Grouplend. “He has a brilliant mind,” says an investment banker who knows him well. “He used to play chess with his dad when he was growing up, but constantly got his ass beat. He started winning when he started thinking five or six steps ahead. That’s how he operates, and I think that’s why he’s so successful today. He’s always ahead of the game, and that’s rare in Vancouver.”

42: Mark Yuen/Vancouver Sun

A paraplegic since he was thrown from a truck at age 15, Rick Hansen is best known for his Man in Motion tour, from March 1985 to May 1987, when he circumnavigated the globe in his wheelchair (damaging his shoulder on the first day) to raise awareness and money for people with disabilities. That journey made him a hero in the Terry Fox mould, but it’s what he’s done in the decades since—from counselling newly paralyzed people to lobbying for the rights of the disabled to establishing a foundation that has raised more than $200 million—that makes him an enduring role model. Many of the things that physically challenged people in Vancouver (and elsewhere) take for granted—curb ramps, handicapped parking spots, fully accessible washrooms— have grown directly out of Hansen’s advocacy and example. A champion Paralympic athlete in 1984, and a torchbearer at the 2010 Winter Games, he’s made the city more inclusive and become a civic beacon by turning personal misfortune into an ongoing crusade to help others.

VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E | D E C E M B E R 2 O 15

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+

WITH GREAT POWER, CAME GREAT CONVERSATION A YEAR OF THE M POWER SPEAKER SERIES Every year, Vancouver magazine unveils an index of 50 influential and powerful people who run Vancouver—from philanthropists, developers, activists and politicos. This is our Power 50.

The December issue—the one you’re holding—is one of our most popular of the year, and our revealing profiles resonate online months after they’re published.

This past year, for the first time ever, Vancouver magazine and Brian Jessel BMW teamed up to bring select 2015 Power 50 winners to the stage in a quarterly networking and thought–leadership event hosted at the stunning Brian Jessel BMW showroom.

Jim Murray Brian Jessel BMW Managing Partner

More than 600 Brian Jessel BMW customers, VIPs and engaged Vancouverites attended our five conversations, featuring new Vancouver Granville Liberal MP Jody Wilson-Raybould, Bob Rennie, Polygon Homes founder and arts patron Michael Audain, local TED organizers Janet and Katherine McCartney and many other prominent city builders.

Diana Zoppa Brian Jessel BMW Marketing Manager

The powerful conversations on stage were just the beginning.

Great food and wine before and after the event fueled some of the best networking opportunities in the city.

We hope you join us for next year’s series. Check out VanMag.com/MPower for details.

Shayne Ramsay CEO, BC Housing

Anne Giardini

SFU Chancellor

Jody Wilson-Raybould Vancouver Granville Liberal MP

Bob Rennie

Party photos by Sheldon Coxford

Rennie Marketing Systems

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Michael Audain

Anthony Von Mandl Proprietor of Mission Hill Family Estate

Tom Gierasimczuk Vancouver magazine Publisher

Polygon Homes Chair and Audain Art Museum Founder

2015-10-26 1:26 PM

POWER

50 SISTER ACT

44

DIREC TORS, PDW INC. A G E S 57 M O V E M E N T

DESIGNER GENES

43

GREGORY HENRIQUEZ A R C H I T E C T, H E N R I Q U E Z P A R T N E R S A G E 52 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

There are architects in this town who design nothing but high-end towers. Others specialize in modest projects of social housing or low-cost rentals. There’s only one who does both. Gregory Henriquez is the mind behind the big-bang Telus Garden project that opened in September, with its giant archway and unusual glass boxes hovering over the downtown sidewalks. He’s helping to turn the three Hootsuite buildings off Main Street into an interlinked campus. He’s working with developer Ian Gillespie on the billiondollar Oakridge shopping mall redevelopment—luxury stores! condos that look like terraced hillsides in China!—and, again with Gillespie, on the remake of the crumbling Stanley/New Fountain building in Gastown that operated for the last decade as a combination of shelter and transitional housing. It will become new, livable social housing, combined with stacks of market-rental units. Henriquez produced a book earlier this year, Citizen City, that examines how developers, architects, governments, and non-profits can work together to capture wealth from real estate to use for social good. That’s unabashedly his aim: to merge architecture and social justice in the effort to give people of all income levels a city they can call home.

64

(#35, 2014)

For the past two years, during a week in March, billions of dollars of net worth has sat, thigh-to-thigh, in a custom-built theatre in the west ballroom of the Vancouver Convention Centre. It’s possibly the largest concentration of wealth on the planet during that time, with attendees sych as Al Gore, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Google’s Larry Page and Sergey Brin. For all the star power, though, the éminences grises behind this digital Davos are the twins Janet and Katherine McCartney. With a staff of about 40 full timers and 15 part timers, they help coordinate TED’s $60-million conference business out of the North Van offices of PDW (Procreation Design Works), the event production company that has worked with TED curator Chris Anderson since 2002.

“TED in Vancouver is more than simply filling hotels and a convention centre,” says Greg Klassen, who as former CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission (now Destination Canada) worked with the sisters to bring TED to town from Long Beach for the first time last year. “It’s about the scientists, engineers, venture capitalists, Hollywood stars, and decision-makers in Vancouver year after year who develop a relationship with our business community.” Everybody wins.

Burnaby-based General Fusion Inc. appointed astronaut Mark Kelly to its advisory council after meeting him at TED, and—coincidence or not—Microsoft announced its Vancouver expansion (and 400 projected new jobs) six weeks after the temporary theatre was disassembled last March.

Thanks to the sisters’ negotiating acumen, PRW’s production expertise, and the overwhelming success of the first Vancouver TED back in 2014, the conference is here to stay. Chris Anderson announced earlier this year: “This is our home for the foreseeable future.”

FRIEND IN DEED

45

JOEL SOLOMON C H A I R M A N , R E N E WA L F U N D S A G E 60 M O V E M E N T

(#15, 2011)

A native of Tennessee, Joel Solomon learned about political organizing while working on Jimmy Carter’s U.S. presidential campaign in the 1970s. A serious health issue led to some soulsearching on Cortes Island, where in 1993 he met a young organic farmer named Gregor Robertson. Their views aligned, especially on the urgent need to address environmental issues, and they became fast friends. Solomon has supported Robertson, from his business ventures to the provincial legislature to the mayor’s office, ever since. His own work revolves around Renewal Funds—a venture capital firm that generates impressive returns by investing in businesses built on social and environmental innovation—and chairing the board of Hollyhock, the retreat and learning centre on Cortes. All of this dovetails nicely with Vancouver’s “Greenest City by 2020” vision, which Solomon robustly supports and, indeed, helped to create. Gregor Robertson’s career in public life is not likely to end at the mayor’s office. Wherever it leads, he’ll have the support of his most important sponsor, mentor, and friend.

44: Allison Kuhl: 45: Dean Buscher

JANET & KATHERINE McCARTNEY

VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E | D E C E M B E R 2 O 15

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46

OMER ARBEL C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R , B O C C I A G E 39 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

Vancouver may love Omer Arbel, but that doesn’t mean the feeling is entirely mutual. He’s the city’s best-known designer—equally at home in interior design, industrial design, and architecture—and widely celebrated on the international stage (Gwyneth Paltrow just named his Bocci light installation

one of her favourite picks from London Design Week)—but the design scene here, he says, is not ideal. “I’m not saying Vancouver designers are weak, but the culture is just too undeveloped to sustain a career. I’ve been splitting my time between here and Berlin. Vancouver designers often have to move and fight for their ground in other markets where they might not be connected.” His message reverberates through the local art and design communities: housing costs are high, the city is more intent on the tech and green industries, support systems are simply not in place. There’s speculation that he himself may move to Germany.

Let’s hope he chooses instead to stay and help build the vibrant community he’d like to be part of.

WADE GRANT // WHO SHOULD BE NO. 1 ON THIS LIST?

“THE THREE LOCAL FIRST NATIONS CHIEFS WHOSE TERRITORY VANCOUVER IS BUILT UPON.”

46: Grant Harder

ALL YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING UNDER ONE ROOF

POWER

2015-10-27 1:56 PM

VANCOUVER’S NEWS WEATHER TRAFFIC PEOPLE PLACES &STORIES HEAR IT ON

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POWER

50 FOOD FIGHTERS

48

BUS FULLER/ STAN FULLER/ JEFF FULLER

FIELD OF DREAMS

47

R E S TA U R AT E U R S A G E 86, 62, 50 M O V E M E N T

(2001)

DAVID SIDOO CHAIR, E AST WEST PE TROLEUM A G E 56 M O V E M E N T

(#47, 2012)

Before he struck it rich in the oil business, David Sidoo was a football star at UBC. His love of the game—and of his alma mater—has been a constant through his career: as a CFL defensive back with Saskatchewan and the B.C. Lions, then as a partner at Yorkton Securities, and finally as an investment banker. His first big win, American Oil & Gas, made him wealthy when it was acquired by Hess.

His success has allowed him to pursue philanthropy and return the support he received from coaches and friends when his sawmill-worker father died suddenly and he thought he’d have to drop out of university to help his family. His Sidoo Family Giving foundation funds everything from children’s breakfast programs to community scholarships. But the initiative closest to his heart is the football program at UBC, which was facing deep, perhaps mortal, cuts. Sidoo stepped up and put together a group of alumni to form the 13th Man Foundation. New corporate sponsorships, new facilities, a new coach, and new recruits have made the Thunderbirds a force once again. Which makes it only fitting that the turf at Thunderbird Stadium is now called David Sidoo Field.

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In the beginning, Bus created Earls.

That’s Leroy Earl “Bus” Fuller, an 86-year-old dynamo who got out of the oil business and into restaurants via a little spot in Sunburst, Montana, called The Green & White. He moved on to A&W franchises then opened the first Earls (in Edmonton) in 1982 and the second (on Marine Drive in North Vancouver) in 1983. Bus also created four sons. Two of them—Stan, and Jeff— now head Earls and JOEY, respectively.

Those chains, along with Cactus Club and Browns Social House—which are both presided over by Earls alumni— are rapidly replicating their respective “premium casual” concepts throughout North America. Cactus Club just opened a spectacular complex at First Canadian Place, their first outpost in Toronto.

Earls and JOEY already have multiple rooms there, in many other Canadian cities, and, increasingly, in U.S. markets as well. Earls is killing it in Miami, Boston, Chicago, and Washington; JOEY has four rooms in Seattle and just opened their first Los Angeles location (they also have the fast-growing Local Public Eatery brand). The Fuller chains are aggressive, well managed, and intensely competitive. They are privately held, but industry analysts suggest that their combined annual sales will soon approach a billion dollars.

2015-10-23 3:08 PM

2015-10-27 3:53 PM

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POWER

50 MAN WITH A PLAN

49

ANDY YAN SENIOR URBAN PL ANNER/RESE ARCHER, BING THOM ARCHITEC TS A G E 40 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

A NEW YORK ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER Vancouver’s newest dining experience reintroduces the city to Chef Bruce Woods. Chef Bruce puts a premium on locally sourced and curated ingredients. His homemade pastas and the finest cuts of beef, guarantee a truly memorable dining experience. Our award winning wine list and wine by the glass program is sure to contain a new gem for discovery.

In 2009, Bing Thom Architects spun off a research and development division to identify the many influences converging in Vancouver. A young urban planner named Andy Yan soon gained influence by dispelling urban myths and making sense of a sort of ground-truth that everyone in this city seemed to believe but nobody in power would address. Yan had grown up in Vancouver, and he remembered Granville Street in the mid-’80s as “a very cool menagerie of people of all stripes. The greatness of cities is in the weird and the strange.” He’d felt that vibrancy ebb, and he tracked the ghost stories that have taken hold in the city, attempting to make sense of the zombie neighbourhoods of Coal Harbour, the bogeymen reputation of China driving up housing prices. His research mostly became fodder for nerdy urbanists. And then, in 2014, there he was in the New Yorker, explaining how a city with percapita income similar to that of Reno, Nevada, could have San Francisco’s housing prices. He loves to say, “Anecdote is not the plural of data!” Today, people are listening. He’s been reappointed to the city’s planning commission. He’s on the roundtable for the mayor’s task force on housing affordability, the board of the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House, and the David Suzuki Foundation’s climate council. “How do you scare off the bogeymen?” Yan asks. “You shine a bright light on them.”

Located in the Century Plaza Hotel

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W W W. C P R I M E . C A

2015-10-20 3:13 PM

2015-10-27 1:24 PM

PRESENTED BY

Thank You! For celebrating mentoring with us at our inaugural Luminary Award Soirée!

Your support will help us continue to enhance the confidence, self-esteem, and well-being of girls through supportive relationships with female mentors.

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50

LUMINARY AWARD SPONSOR

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MEDIA, EVENT & IN-KIND SPONSORS

A G E 53 M O V E M E N T (First Appearance)

P H O T O G R A P H Y

McKinsey & Co. is the world’s leading management consulting firm—or was, until one of its senior partners, Anil Kumar, pled guilty in 2010 to revealing Untitled-1 client secrets to a Wall Street hedge-fund manager, who went to prison for insider trading. As the managing director of McKinsey, Dominic Barton has spent much of his time in recent years seeking to restore the firm’s tarnished image and introduce change and innovation at the global behemoth, which operates in 50 countries and has revenues of more than $6 billion. Earlier this year McKinsey opened an office here, a sign of the city’s emergence. “We are very bullish on Vancouver,” Barton says. “The city and the region are full of amazing talent, are central to an increasingly globally important trade route with Asia, and are flexing their muscles in sectors from natural resources to tech. We were overdue for an office here.” Vancouver also represents a homecoming of sorts for Barton, 53, who grew up in the Fraser Valley and studied economics at the University of British Columbia before heading to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. He’s now based in London and, as global managing director, travels the world constantly. His passion for this city extends beyond McKinsey to his role as a strategic adviser to HQ Vancouver, an initiative that seeks to persuade Asian companies to locate their global headquarters here. VM

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2015-10-22 3:19 PM

The Vancouver Aquarium would like to thank all of our sponsors for making Toast to the Coast 2015 a success. We raised over $165,000 on October 16 for conservation, research and education programs. THANK YOU.

The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is a non-profit society dedicated to the conservation of aquatic life.

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POWER

50 POWER OUTAGE As of late October, 44 senior executive positions were unfilled across the city of Vancouver. We can’t remember a time when municipal leadership ranks were this thin. And there are other glaring vacancies all over town. Here are some of the biggest shoes to fill . . . by fr a nces bul a

T AN C A V

T AN C A V

T AN C A V

TRANSLINK CEO

UBC PROVOST

PRESIDENT OF UBC

L A S T OCCUPA NT:

L A S T OCCUPA NT:

L A S T OCCUPA NT:

Ian Jarvis

Fired by the board in February, which cited a “lack of public confidence” in the agency Jarvis led.

SA L A RY R A NGE: $325,092 – $406,364 W H Y FILL IT ? The CEO oversees a complex, billion-dollar transit operation that moves an average half-million people a day, not to mention taking care of five major bridges and several roads.

OS TENSIBLE RE A SON F OR DEPA R T URE:

T AN C VA

David Farrar

UBC president Arvind Gupta announced in April that Farrar had “decided to step down” and that the university would be “initiating a review of the provost model.”

SA L A RY R A NGE: $340,000 ( 2014) W H Y FILL IT ? The provost is the chief academic officer for a university, carrying out its strategic plan and managing the academic budget, which was $721 million for the past fiscal year.

OS TENSIBLE RE A SON F OR DEPA R T URE:

T AN C VA

VANCOUVER VANCOUVER PLANNING DIRECTOR CITY MANAGER L A S T OCCUPA NT:

Brian Jackson

Wanted to have a more balanced life. Also said that former staff had made life unbearable.

SA L A RY R A NGE: $288,015 ( 2014) W H Y FILL IT ? This person decides how and where the city’s rampant growth is going to be channeled, balancing the demands of politicians, developers, and residents.

OS TENSIBLE RE A SON F OR DEPA R T URE:

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L A S T OCCUPA NT:

Penny Ballem

Contract terminated in September, with Mayor Gregor Robertson citing his election promise to run things differently.

SA L A RY R A NGE: $334,617 (2014) W H Y FILL IT ? This person runs an organization that regulates land development and business operations, as well as providing the basics: water, sewer, garbage pick-up and roads.

OS TENSIBLE RE A SON F OR DEPA R T URE:

Arvind Gupta

Resigned in August, with a statement from the board claiming he’d said he could best serve the university by returning to teaching and research.

SA L A RY R A NGE: $446,750 (Gupta’s contract) W H Y FILL IT ? The president oversees one of the major economic engines of the city, a university whose impact on the local economy was assessed at $10-billion annually a few years go.

OS TENSIBLE RE A SON F OR DEPA R T URE:

LED L I F 5 T ’1 OC

VANCOUVER ENGINEERING DIRECTOR L A S T OCCUPA NT:

Peter Judd

Retired, with no hint of any other reason than wanting to retire, at the end of April.

SA L A RY R A NGE: $265,175 (2014) W H Y FILL IT ? The city’s chief engineer will be the one handling the viaduct removals, planning new bike paths, and supervising Burrard Bridge renovations over the next few years.

OS TENSIBLE RE A SON F OR DEPA R T URE:

VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E | D E C E M B E R 2 O 15

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“An amazing experience!

Exciting to watch and really inspirational!”

— Stewart F. Lane, Six-time Tony Award–winning producer

Shen Yun has only been around for a decade, but these days, wherever it goes theaters are packed. Some people fly from other countries or drive hundreds of miles to see it. Others see the same show five times. Why? Many say there are no words to describe it—you have to see it with your own eyes.

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A Christmas Story all too often, holiday decorating runs more kitsch than clean. Design sparely and you run the risk of underwhelming your space (see page 82 to learn how to hit just the right note); add too much and your home looks Griswoldian. But each year, no matter what your age, there’s always something childlike about decorating the Christmas tree—suddenly, we’re 10 years old again and giddy with excitement and promise.

We’re especially enchanted with these new glass ornaments by Italian design house Alessi, which unite two great traditions—the nativity scene from southern Italy and the annual tree decorating ritual from the north. From baby Jesus to the little donkey, the baubles combine both elegance and sophistication in handpainted gold, with Japanese anime-like wit and whimsy.

Designed by Marcello Jori, the Le PallePresepe glass-ball Caption characters evoke the best and brightest

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Luminous gold ornaments

by Alessi ($29 each/$257 for a set of 10). Available at Designhouse; Designhouse.ca

D E C E M B E R 2 O 15 | VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E

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THE

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Tick Tock, Beat the Clock We’ve made a list and checked it twice: here’s how to be a holiday star with the best new finds by a ma nda ross Classic monogram gifts get a contemporary makeover with these silvertone and goldtone Initial cut-out bracelets ($45) by jewellery designer Robert Lee Morris. The Bay, 674 Granville St., 604-681-6211; Thebay.com

Because you need Stocking Stuffers

Clé de Peau Beauté’s Bal Masqué limited-edition makeup coff ret ($250) takes its cues from the drama of a masquerade ball with four eyeshadows in antique shades, Bordeaux mascara, and crimson lipstick. Holt Renfrew, 737 Dunsmuir St., 604-6813121; Holtrenfrew.com

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Christmas Jewel tea ($62/100 grams) by TWG Tea is a mix of green tea, festive spices, sweet orange, and jasmine pearls plated with molten 24-carat gold—all perfectly packed in a jewellery box. The Urban Tea Merchant, 1070 W. Georgia St., 604-692-0071; Urbantea.com

The limited-edition Nirvana Black mini rollerball fragrance ($14/.24 oz) by Elizabeth and James evokes sandalwood and vanilla—and doubles as a tree ornament.

Sephora, 1045 Robson St., 604-681-9704; Sephora.ca

Hipsters and the Filofax-forward will rejoice with Vancouver-based Design Love Co.’s 2016 limited-edition Marble/ Smokey Lavender daytimer ($65), featuring a 12-month format, a budgeting section, tear-out to-do lists, and three pockets for receipts.

LYNNsteven Boutique, 225 Carrall St., 604-899-0808; Lynnsteven.com

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THE SPARKLE & SHINE BOX SET—BLOW DRYER, CERAMIC BRUSH, SAKE BOMB SHAMPOO, CONDITIONER, 100-PROOF TREATMENT OIL, AND SPARKLING SODA SHINE MIST—DELIVERS THE PERFECT DIY BLOWOUT FOR HOLIDAY PARTIES

($269.67; Nordstrom.ca)

Holiday cheer starts with Kate Spade’s Two of a Kind Mask bottle opener ($40) and stainless steel Top Hat ice bucket ($89) etched with “Bottoms Up.” The Bay, 674 Granville St., 604-681-6211; Thebay.com

Handmade in France, the Nez du Whiskey box ($549.99) features 54 tiny bottles of the most commonly found whiskey aromas in the world. From floral and spicy to vinous and peaty, learn the scent and you’ll be a tasting connoisseur by New Year’s.

Atkinson’s, 1501 W. Sixth Ave., 604-736-3378; Atkinsonsofvancouver.com

Holidays are for kids, big & small

The classic Christmas sweater gets a modern Cowichan-style makeover with this zip wool cardigan ($259) by J.Crew.

1088 Robson St., 604684-2367; Jcrew.ca

Vancouver-based People Footwear (from the founders of Native Shoes) offer ultra-light, cushy shoes with locally inspired monikers—the Cypress, the Stanley, and here, the Phillips sneaker ($60) in Highland Red with mesh side, removable sock liner, and high-tech, crack-resistant construction. Boys Co., 1044 Robson St., 604-684-5656; Boysco.com

For the tub devotee, there’s the Ultimate Bath Jewels essential oils collection ($122)

by Brit-based Aromatherapy & Associates—10 9-ml bottles of all-natural bath and shower oils to relax, reboot, and rejuvenate. Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Pacific Rim, 1038 Canada Place, 604-695-5300; Fairmont.com

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THE

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JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, MAC COSMETICS’ DARK DESIRES STUDIO EYE GLOSS IN SPANK ME, AVAILABLE DECEMBER 1

MODEL CITIZEN

Personal St yle

($26, Maccosmetics.ca)

CAITLIN CALLAHAN

MORE GIF T IDE AS

SENIOR AR TIST, MAC COSME TICS

Artist Steve McDonald’s Fantastic Cities colouring book ($19.95) offers bird’s-eye cityscapes from around the world; Anna Karenina: A Colouring Book Love Story ($16) reimagines the classic tale against the backdrop of 19th-century Russian fashion and architecture. Indigo, 2505 Granville St., 604-731-7822; Indigo.ca

one of only three senior mac cosmetic artists in Canada (and the only one based in Vancouver), Caitlin Callahan is just as likely to be artfully applying runway makeup at New York Fashion Week as she is her own for holiday parties. At MAC, “we’re encouraged to be ourselves and to treat makeup as fashion, not beauty,” she says. Her fashion style?

“Eclectic, comfortable, and colourful, with a touch of Iris Apfel.”

What’s the most beautiful item in your closet?

A Maison Margiela blouse—I barely wear it; I just love looking at it.

What’s your favourite piece of clothing?

A Chloé pinstriped jacket—it makes me feel like a mobster.

Name something in your closet you couldn’t throw away. A Dsquared2 bomber jacket I got after working on their fragrance campaign in Montana. It doesn’t fi t, but it has such great memories.

What influences your style? The variety of shows during fashion week.

Your go-to hostess gift? Makeup!

The designer you love the most and a piece you’d buy? Any of the dresses from Rick

Biggest mistake women make with their makeup? Wearing too much.

Best style advice? Stand out—life is short. VM Plastic animal crayons ($10.95) keep hands clean (they don’t melt like wax) and come in a pack of six for pintsized artistic expression.

Indigo, 2505 Granville St., 604-731-7822; Indigo.ca

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Evaan Kheraj

Owens Fall/Winter 2015.

Catch the full interview with Caitlin Callahan at Vanmag.com

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X

KA’ANAPALI BEACH RESORT

Maui Pop-Up Party!

Come here...

MON., DEC. 7

|

... to get there.

BLUE WATER CAFE

|

6 P.M. – 9 P.M.

Join us for a night of Maui and Vancouver culinary mash-ups, courtesy of Blue Water Cafe Chef Frank Pabst and Executive Chef of The Westin Kā‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas Francois Milliet. Guests will be treated to five courses collaboratively prepared by both chefs and Hawaiian-inspired beverages—compliments of Kā’anapali Beach Resort.

One lucky guest will win a trip for two to Kā’anapali Beach Resort in Maui.

The prize includes a four-night stay at the The Westin Kā‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas, airfare from YVR and car rental.

For your chance to win tickets to this exclusive culinary event at Blue Water Cafe, register at VanMag.com/Hawaii or show and tell us why you #CraveKaanapali on Twitter or Instagram.

Hashtag your cravings by November 30, 2015.

Created by the Vancouver advertising department in partnership with Blue Water Cafe, Kā’anapali Beach Resort, The Westin Kā‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas and Hawai’i Food & Wine Festival

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SPONSORED REPORT

HOLIDAY SHOP LIST

Stuck for gift ideas this holiday season? These Vancouver brands have something for everyone on your list, no matter what your budget.

FEEL GOOD HALF NAKED

Swimco is Western Canada’s leading swimwear store; with a wide range of brands and styles they have swimwear for everybody and every body!

Shop in-store or online at swimco.com.

Azura ‘Cut Out Mio One Piece’ $179

1.888.979.4626 | swimco.com SCARVES FOR WATER | COBALT SCARF

Obakki Foundation’s “Scarves for Water” campaign works to bring clean water to those most in need. Every 500 ‘limited edition’ scarves sold create a water well in Africa. 100% of net proceeds go toward their projects. $29 It all begins with water. The Obakki Foundation drills and monitors wells in Africa, with 100% of donations going directly to their projects.

#400 - 341 Water Street, Vancouver obakkifoundation.org

RAVEN MESSENGER BAG

BY DOROTHY GRANT 100% Napa leather Black, dark red or cedar $400

AN AMAZING MOMENT IN ONE BITE

With over 50 flavours ranging from the traditional to the most creative sweet & savoury macarons, everyone will find something to their taste! All of our macarons are naturally gluten-free and we make a number of dairy-free options as well.

of Northwest Coast Art

639 Hornby Street, Vancouver 604.682.3455 | billreidgallery.ca

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2823 W. Broadway, Vancouver 778.379.6065 | bonmacaronpatisserie.com

2015-10-28 11:06 AM

SPONSORED REPORT

TEMPER CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS CARTOON CREATIONS

FABERGÉ PALAIS TSARSKOYE SELO LOCKET PENDANT

Inspired from Fabergé’s original jewelled masterpieces, the Palais Tsarskoye Selo locket pendant features round brilliant cut diamonds, turquoise opalescent guilloché enamel and is set in 18kt yellow gold.

A Brinkhaus Canadian exclusive.

Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph and the Dr. Seuss tree.

Made out of Valrohna dark, milk and white chocolate. $30 each

Open 7 days a week 8am-5pm 2409 Marine Drive, West Vancouver 604.281.1152 | temperpastry.com

Price available upon request.

1018 W Georgia Street, Vancouver 604.689.7055 | brinkhaus.com

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS WITH YOUR GLISODIN GLOW AND SHOW YOUR BEAUTY FROM WITHIN

GliSODin Skin Nutrients Advanced Skin Brightening Formula is available at Skinworks in Vancouver

3568 W 41st Avenue, Vancouver 604.737.7100 | skinworks.ca

CREATING FUTURE HEIRLOOMS IN OUR STUDIO HERE IN VANCOUVER

From their memorable events featuring some of Vancouver’s most accomplished artists, to their workshops introducing new artists to their passions, Katami Designs demonstrates their unwavering commitment to local artists. Libelle $250

Katami Designs

Katami Designs 138 E. Broadway, Vancouver 604.559.3872 | katamidesigns.com

Katami Designs Katami Designs Inc.

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Katami Designs Inc.

2015-10-28 11:06 AM

THE

GOODS

Storied Homes

Danish Delight The duo behind Inform Interiors honour sentiment when choosing Christmas décor by jen ni elliott photos by m artin tessler

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TALENTED GENES: THIS BRASS AND ONYX SLEEPING MUSE RING IS PART OF DAUGHTER KARYNA BENDSTEN’S JEWELLERY LINE

M Y SPACE

($115, Casamalaspina.com)

standing in the bendtsen house, it’s hard to believe these modern concrete walls, floorto-ceiling windows, and exposed steel beams weren’t just built yesterday. But it was on this very site more than 20 years ago, with candles hanging from construction scaffolding and a porta-potty out back, that Nancy and Niels wed. The house, now well lived in,

could otherwise feel cold with its white-washed walls and angular furniture, but its warmth and spirit is unmistakable. It comes from family, the artwork—by friends Douglas Coupland and Gordon Smith—and Nancy’s laugh as she shows off the butane torch her descended-from-Vikings Danish husband uses to light even the smallest of holiday candles. VM

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FAMILY HEIRLOOMS

Nancy replicated her mother’s pattern to create a personalized stocking for each of her family members GENEROSIT Y

This candle stick

by Danish artist Poul Kjærholm was a gift to the children from artist Gordon Smith SIMPLICIT Y

The Bendsten Christmas table is adorned with fresh sprigs and white candles TRADITION

Nancy’s grandmother specialized in making paper table decorations.

Here, one of her creations is the inspiration behind this family Christmas cracker—with each family member pulling a tab to reveal the prize CREATIVE GENES

The Bendsten daughters— Meriah, Karyna, and Julia—give self-portraits to Nancy every year for Christmas FAMILY MATTERS

3D prints of the family ( from left): Meriah, Nancy, Niels, Julia, and Karyna. Behind, a gift from Coupland that represents the 23 screws in Niels’s ankle

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S W E AT E Q U I T Y

Workout Plans

***

POWER READING WIN A COPY OF LEAH GOLDSTEIN’S NEW MEMOIR, NO LIMITS

(visit Vanmag.com/nolimits)

Agent of Change Leah Goldstein gives confidence by way of kicks despite becoming a world champion kick-boxer in 1987 at age 17, Leah Goldstein was really just starting her career as an athlete and all-around bad-ass. After high school, she joined the Israeli army’s spy unit, where, specializing in Krav Maga, she became the only female instructor training not only the commando division but the force’s other elite units, too. When she retired, she followed up with a 15-year career as a pro cyclist. You know—as one does.

Now 46, Goldstein is still kick-boxing, though in a coaching capacity for her training firm, No Finish Line Living. “I like to incorporate kick-boxing, especially for women. When you can defend yourself—and know you can— you have a different energy that projects when you’re more confident.”—Stacey McLachlan

WHERE TO GO

Westside Kickboxing offers a free trial class for beginners (memberships from $145/month), so strap on some gloves. Westsidekickboxing.com

BRING FRIENDS

Sign up for Urban Contender’s UrbanCardio kick-boxing boot camp ($20) for some serious aerobic and core

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conditioning (and learn all the lingo for punch-kick combos).

Urbancontender.com

CALORIES/HR* * by someone weighing 155 pounds

BRING A DEFIBRILLATOR

Run by an elite-level MMA fighter, FKP MMA is serious business. You’ll wear headgear for these intermediate and advanced Muay Thai kick-boxing classes (memberships from $110). Fkpmmavancouver.com

John Sinal

BRING GRANDMA

650 THE BURN

VA N C O U V E R M A G A Z I N E | D E C E M B E R 2 O 15

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EVERY STORY STARTS WITH A RESERVATION

JANUARY 15 – 31, 2016

GET TICKETS AT dineoutvancouver.com

PRESENTED BY

FESTIVAL PARTNERS

PREFERRED PARTNERS

™ Trademark of Tourism Vancouver, The Metro Vancouver Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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THE

GOODS

FIELD TRIP

Nex t Destinations

Fantasy Island More than 4,000 kilometres south of Hawaii, another more exotic Polynesian paradise awaits. And it might just be cheaper than its more popular—and more crowded—neighbour by a ma nda ross

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Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa

FIELD NOTES

AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE 27°C

LANGUAGES: Tahitian French English

PL AY

The island of Bora Bora is not for the itinerary-obsessed—a good book, sun hat, and a committed plan to chill out are essential. Rent bikes to go touring (rental cars are few and expensive, and public transport is almost non-existent) and even then don’t expect to happen across great shopping or museums (these exist on neighbouring Tahiti). It’s the aqua fauna where the island sparkles brightest.

Bleached-white sand and warm, 26°C waters make for bath-like swimming and snorkelling conditions, and with more than 400 species of exotic fish cruising around with rainbow-hued abandon, you’ll soon feel like you’re exploring a giant tropical fish tank. A technicolour coral reef encircling the island offers an excellent reef-shark

hangout (they’re harmless) and the stingrays so enjoy their azurewater eden that they’re more affable than dogs—to locals, they’re affectionately known as “rubber puppies.” Tempting as it is to brine in the ocean for the entire day, it’s best to head back to your room each evening for nowhere-elselike-it sunset watching, a moment so breathtaking, so idyllic in its red, apricot, and tangerine layers, that you will soon be tasting tears as salty as the ocean before you.

STAY

James Michener once said Bora Bora was “the most beautiful lagoon in the world.” In reality, it’s an island made up of one central mountain, the now-extinct Mt. Otemanu volcano peak, which sits right smack in the centre like

Top: Chris McLennan ; Bottom: Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa

it feels suspiciously like I’m on the set of some ridiculously cheesy movie. The ocean’s been injected with turquoise food colouring and the beach is blanketed with a velvety, white talcum powder; the thatched-roof bungalows, sitting on stilts above the water, are the green screen, and the kaleidoscopic fish have been layered in CGI. Nothing in the real world could possibly look this perfect. Nothing, that is, except Bora Bora.

Sitting in the geographic middle of the ocean between Sydney and L.A., the South Pacific’s most iconic calling card is part of French Polynesia’s Society Islands, annexed by France in 1888 from the island’s reigning monarchy. True, Bora Bora’s postage stamp-sized 30 square kilometres aren’t as quick a getaway as most other palmtreed YVR faves. It’s an eight-hour, 6,600-kilometre direct flight from L.A. to Tahiti (and then a 55-minute zip from there), but if paradise were too easy, it would be overrun.

Bora Bora sees fewer visitors in a year than Hawaii does in practically a single high-season week.

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A CELEBRATION OF FOOD & WINE

Join us as gold-winning chefs from the Vancouver magazine Restaurant Awards serve dishes specially created to match top wines from our 2016 International Wine Competition Competition.

ONLY

$99!

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5TH, 2016 | 7PM – 9PM Coast Coal Harbour Hotel (1180 West Hastings Street, Vancouver) Tickets on sale NOW. Only $99! Tickets are LIMITED!

EAT

One-of-a-kind dishes

DRINK

Award-winning wines

MEET Celebrity chefs

Photos from Big Night 2015

Media Sponsor RNATION TE

N

2016

L

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IN

W

Visit VanMag.com/BigNight2016 for details and ticket information.

N

A

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Hosted at

IO EC O MPETIT

2015-10-28 11:57 AM

THE

GOODS

GE T TING THERE FIELD TRIP

YVR 3 hrs (LAX) 8 hrs 25 min (PPT) Total distance travelled: 8,619 kms

Nex t Destinations

45 min (BOB)

* Daily flights on Air Canada (to L.A.), Air Tahiti Nui (to Papeete), inter-island Air Tahiti (to Bora Bora)

A Polynesian crown of flowers

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FIELD NOTES

Rooms at the Bora Bora Nui will reopen as an upscale Conrad; until then, enjoy steep discounts

HISTORY LESSON The Pomare Dynasty ruled Tahiti until 1847 when Queen Pomare accepted French protection.

Following her death in 1880, King Pomare V ceded Tahiti and most of its territories to France

HAWAII FIVE-O Last year, more than 500,000 Canadians went to Hawaii; less than 10,000 visited Tahiti

down with a few less amenities (one closed restaurant, one pool closed, all on rotating schedules from this January to August), you can bunk in one of those 1,000-sq.ft.-plus overwater bungalows for US$600 per night; post-reno, those bungalows will skyrocket to several thousand dollars. The Hilton’s sister property on Maui, the Grand Wailea, starts at about the same price for a basic room half that size during the same travel dates.

E AT

This tiny island’s most decorated restaurant is Lagoon (Stregisborabora.com/lagoon), the FrenchAsian offering from the guy who invented it: Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Expect the surrounding water’s bounty with island flavours

like coconut, passion fruit, and vanilla, all set in an overwater bungalow with those distracting views. Meanwhile, cheap food is tougher to find, but supermarkets and food trucks, known locally as roulottes, are your best bet. Roulotte Matira has a permanent stake on Matira Beach and the longest lines (for whatever’s been caught— mahi mahi, shrimp—all for around US$13). And, from Jimmy Buffet to Warren Buffet, every A-lister who parachutes in checks off Bloody Mary’s (Bloodymarys.com), where local fishermen’s daily catch sits buffet-style on a massive bed of ice. Pick from mako shark, wahoo, parrotfish, and lobster and, while you wait, wiggle your toes in the sandy floor enjoying a signature Bloody Mary—you’re on Tahiti time. VM

Left: David Kirkland; Middle and right: Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa

a lemon juicer. An outer ring of motus, or smaller islands, create a calm lagoon of turquoise-blue water in between. It’s fair to say there’s no ugly real estate and every hotel has capitalized on that. The island doesn’t really do cheap so if you’re looking for luxe, the St. Regis (Stregisborabora.com) delivers butler service to the likes of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban (who honeymooned here) in the iconic overwater bungalows. At the other end, there’s camping, the only real option on the southern tip of Motu Piti Aau (Boraboracamping.blogspot.ca)—palm trees and coral reefs are mere strokes away, but getting around anywhere else will set you back, cost-wise (taxis aren’t abundant on the island).

The secret? The Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa (Hilton.com), located on an islet, is the only property built on a hill; guests take in sweeping views of five other islands while each of the 122 private villas come standard with ocean-front vistas. While Bora Bora’s famed cerulean beauty never changes, the circa-2003 Nui hotel is slated to undergo a metamorphosis. If you’re

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BACK

PAGE

S N A P C H AT T E R

 M A L COLM PA RRY

A b o u t To w n

“I’ve seen, first hand, the transformative power of arts education in the lives of children and youth.”

— Lucille Pacey on announcing her retirement after 11 years as Arts Umbrella’s president and CEO.

Francesco Aquilini and Philip Lindt

CHARIT Y

Skye Natasha Lintott and Christie King

Ryan Miller and Paolo Aquilini

REVEAL September 24 Although Rogers Arena was free of ice for the occasion, several Vancouver Canucks attended and singer Sarah McLachlan performed at an event chaired

by Olympics medalist Charmaine Crooks that raised $785,000 for the Canucks Autism Network founded by Paolo and Clara Aquilini of the team-owning family.

PHIL ANTHROPY

GIFT OF TIME October 3 Canuck Place Children’s Hospice emerged $850,000 better off when benefactors like Robert and Diane Conconi attended an 11th-annual celebration that was chaired by Lindsay Geheran, Emily Lazare and Cathy Trimble, and featured table centrepieces created by hospice children with a little help by artist Tiko Kerr.

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Don and Trace Yeomans

Lindsay Geheran and Cathy Trimble Dina Goldstein

ART

Robert and Diane Conconi

Tiko Kerr and Craig Shervey

Arts Umbrella senior dance students

SPLASH October 17 Arts Umbrella’s 33rd-annual fundraising auction returned to Granville Island’s Performance with 100 artists donating works, including Dina Goldstein, whose piece went for $7,250, and Don Yeomans’ sculpture fetching $32,500.

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An intimate collection of 58 design-led homes set in a prime location in Vancouver’s storied West End, the first project by the Inform + Intracorp partnership rethinks

The Jervis: elevated living by design.

From $1 Million.

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the way homes are designed and built.

TheJervis.com This is not an offering for sale as such an offer can only be made when accompanied by a Disclosure Statement. E.&O.E. Sales and Marketing by Intracorp Realty Ltd.

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