Vancouver Magazine, July 2020

J U LY 2 0 2 0

$5.99

PLUS THE CITY AT HOME: DESIGN INSPIRATION FOR MAKING YOUR SPACE BETTER

INSIDE!

REASONS TO LOVE VANCOUVER PM40065475

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Balcony Concerts, Staff Meals, Murals and More: 23 Ways Vancouverites Are Coming Together During the COVID-19 Crisis

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1970-2020

DO

One simple word, but it defines an institution. Over the past 50 years, Douglas College has launched and grown the careers of more than 200,000 people.

People like Environmental Studies student Alejandra Llanes.

People who want more out of their education. People who DO. For our 50th anniversary, we have added more programs, more degrees, more opportunities than ever before.

And we’re just getting started.

19358E

Join us.

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GOING... GOING... ALMOST GONE The Van Maren Group started construction of The Cottages on Osoyoos Lake in 2012. The vision was to create a one-of-a-kind retirement and vacation community of 285 homes with plenty of green space and resort style amenities, all connected by a beautiful private sandy beach on Osoyoos Lake.

If you’ve been following our progress, you’ll have to agree. We delivered!

Cottages site 2012

With our continued reputation for high-quality homes, as well as a focus on customization, it’s not surprising we’re 85% SOLD OUT! There are only 11 Meadow and 7 Lakefront lots remaining.

2020 may be your final opportunity to become part of this amazing community. We are currently offering several custom designed homes under construction. These homes are still at the stage where you can choose your own interior finishes to create your unique home and obtain early occupancy.

Cottages site 2019

For a short time, we have one move-in ready home available. It’s not only move-in ready, we’re including all the furnishing and decorations!

ONLY 11 MEADOW HOMES & 7 LAKEFRONT HOMES REMAIN

ACT NOW FOR BEST SELECTION OF REMAINING HOMES There are plenty of great plans to choose from and we will be introducing a new floor plan in 2020 to add to the collection. We also have some great new exterior and interior colour schemes coming your way soon!

Please contact Jody Curnow at 1.855.742.5555 to arrange a private viewing or visit our website for a full tour.

Visit our Display Homes » 2450 Radio Tower Road, Oliver, BC See website for open hours.

1.855.742.5555 osoyooscottages.com

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Publisher Samantha Legge Editorial Director Anicka Quin Creative Director Catherine Mullaly Executive Editor Stacey McLachlan Food Editor Neal McLennan Associate Art Director Jenny Reed Associate Editor Nathan Caddell Assistant Editor Alyssa Hirose Contributing Editors Frances Bula, Amanda Ross Editorial Intern Chloe Finn Editorial Email mail@vanmag.com

Director of Sales Brianne Harper Senior Account Executives Johnny Alviar, Matty Lambert, Anna Lee, Jessica McBean, Joan McGrogan Sandy Short, Sheri Stubel Digital Ad/Marketing Coordinator Alexandra Day Senior Production Manager Kristina Borys Production Coordination/Design Nadine Gieseler Sales Email sales@canadawide.com National Media Sales Margo Bock Tel 647-472-5203 Email mbock@canadawide.com U.S. Sales Representation, Hayes Media Sales Lesley Hayes, 602-432-4868 Email lesley@hayesmediasales.com European Sales Representation S&R Media Sylvie Durlach, Tel +33 1 44 18 06 62 Email srmedia@club-internet.fr

Suite 230, 4321 Still Creek Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5C 6S7 Tel 604-299-7311 Fax 604-299-9188 Chairman and CEO Peter Legge, OBC, LLD (HON) President Samantha Legge, MBA VP of HR/Admin Joy Ginete-Cockle VP of Finance Sonia Roxburgh, CPA, CGA Executive Creative Director Rick Thibert Director of Circulation Tracy McRitchie Head of Brand Partnerships Johnny Alviar, MCE, SCE Marketing Lead Chris Hinton Accounting Terri Mason, Eileen Gajowski Circulation Katie Gajowski, Kelly Kalirai Office Manager/Sales Coordinator Lori North Executive Assistant to the CEO Charie Ginete-Ilon

VANCOUVER MAGAZINE is published six times a year by Canada Wide Media Limited, Suite 230, 4321 Still Creek Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5C 6S7. Phone 604-2997311; fax 604-299-9188. Copyright 2020. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission. Not responsible for unsolicited editorial material. Privacy Policy: On occasion, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened organizations whose product or service might interest you. If you prefer that we not share your name and address (postal and/ or email), you can easily remove your name from our mailing lists by reaching us at any of the listed contact points. You can review our complete Privacy Policy at Vanmag.com. Indexed in the Canadian Magazine Index by Micromedia Ltd. and also in the Canadian Periodical Index. International standard serial no. ISSN 0380-9552.

Canadian publications mail product sales agreement #40068973. Printed in Canada by Transcontinental Printing G.P. (LGM Graphics), 737 Moray St., Winnipeg, Man. R3J 3S9. All reproduction requests must be made to: COPIBEC (paper reproductions) 800-717-2022, or CEDROM-SNi (electronic reproductions) 800-563-5665. Distributed by Coast to Coast Ltd.

BC

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ED NOTE

One night back in early april, after the 7 o’clock cheer had died down, I noticed a second one rise up about 10 minutes later. I live (and now work from home) in the West End, just a few blocks from St. Paul’s Hospital, and that nightly salute (especially during the early COVID-19 days) was a ritual I looked forward to—seeing my neighbours clap from their windows helped ease some of the anxiety of isolation.

The next night I kept my head out the window a little longer, and heard two voices launch into a Great Big Sea song, alongside a round of happy applause. Between each verse, the singer would shout out “To the health-care workers!” to more cheers.

So, I decided to wander over the following night and see if I could locate the singers. About a block away, I spotted a homemade “Songs of Thanks” banner hanging over a high-rise balcony; around me on the street, a small group of West Enders had gathered to listen. The couple kicked off their post-cheer “concert,” with all of us below keeping physically apart but still swaying together to the music. That night, the couple—who I later found out was two members of a local band called the Town Pants—played one of their own songs, “Coming Home,” which reminisced about beers on English Bay and spending time with friends. I smiled, felt my heart surge... and cried.

It’s a moment that has stuck with me many weeks later. Those tears were a multilayered reaction to what it all meant for me: happiness that these two people were reaching out with live music and giving us all something to enjoy together, scared for what this massive shift in reality meant for everyone, so much worry... you know.

But it was a moment of release that I was grateful for, and I’m thankful for those nightly concerts and how they helped us get through. (You can read more about them on page 36.)

For this special issue of VanMag, we’re looking at all of the different ways our community has come together over the past few months. From drag shows inspired by quarantine to feeding the city’s neediest through the Food Coalition to manufacturers pivoting to produce PPE, there are so many reasons to celebrate how this city has managed, shifted, grown and been downright inspirational during the COVID-19 crisis. As chef Warren Chow told me (see reason #16, page 32), “Our mission was to show that there are still people out there willing to help, who they can lean against during this hard time.”

And there are still people willing to sing, too.

Coming Up Next Issue Made in Vancouver After a quick COVID-19 shift, our second annual Made in Vancouver Awards is back in action. Discover the best food, booze, fashion design and more— all of it made right here in our city.

What It Took We all know restaurants have been hit hard during the pandemic. But just what was it like behind closed doors? Neal McLennan talks with restaurateurs about how they’re (barely) making it work.

On the Web Maskmaker Maskmaker...

A mask for every season!

Discover all of the local mask designers pivoting to create PPE to keep you safe and, dare we say, stylish in our time of need.

FOLLOW US ON

Follow me on Instagram!

Anicka Quin editorial director

anick a . quin @vanmag . com

@ aniqua

PORTRAIT: EVA AN KHERA J; ST YLING BY LUISA RINO, MAKEUP BY MEL ANIE NEUFELD; CLOTHING COURTESY HOLT RENFREW, HOLTRENFREW.COM; MAKERS IMAGE: ANNIE SPRAT T/UNSPL ASH

How We Get Through

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PORTRAIT: EVA AN KHERA J; ST YLING BY LUISA RINO, MAKEUP BY MEL ANIE NEUFELD; CLOTHING COURTESY HOLT RENFREW, HOLTRENFREW.COM; MAKERS IMAGE: ANNIE SPRAT T/UNSPL ASH

Sta tu a rio

Tor on t o

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Mo n tr é a l

Va n c ou v e r

Ca lga r y

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BONNIE HENRY: DARRYL DYCK /CANADIAN PRESS; SAY MERCY: K ATIE CROSS PHOTOGRAPHY; BIKE DELIVERY: COURTESY CHEF WARREN CHOW

Frits de Vries Architects + Associates Ltd. Architecture

Interior Design

Planning

1834 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver, BC

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info @ frits.ca 1.604.736.7820

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its.ca .7820

BONNIE HENRY: DARRYL DYCK /CANADIAN PRESS; SAY MERCY: K ATIE CROSS PHOTOGRAPHY; BIKE DELIVERY: COURTESY CHEF WARREN CHOW

23 Reasons to Love Vancouver ❤

Well gang, it’s been a grind. Against the

backdrop of one of the most beautiful springs in recent memory, we, as a city, looked on in isolation as a seemingly never-ending parade of bad news dropped on our closed doors every day: we lost people, we lost businesses, we lost money, we lost freedom. But there were also moments of beauty, when Vancouverites rallied, came together, and quickly pivoted to support each other. And in this first issue back from our own shutdown, we want to shine a light on some of the great things done by our great citizens that helped us get through. They’re the rays of hope that remind us what it means to be a Vancouverite. And why we’ll get through this mess together. stories by The Editors

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From left: Andrew Jameson, Sean Reeve and Antonio Cayonne of Say Mercy.

2

1

WE’RE NOW A CITY OF DAVIDS, NOT GOLIATHS

ONE OF THE THEMES of the pandemic has been a re-examination of our consumer priorities, and nowhere has Vancouver made its vote for a new world order clearer than in the good ol’ fashioned book. With Indigo closed to in-store shopping and Amazon being a tougher and tougher choice to feel good about, into the vacuum came the little guys: Pulpfiction, Massy, the Paper Hound, MacLeod’s. All offer some form of delivery (some by bike), curation and—maybe most importantly—interaction. We should have known that these scrappy survivors would be best equipped to rise to the challenge of keeping our city literate and connected at the time we needed it most.

SAY MERCY, JUST A FEW MONTHS into opening when COVID-19 hit, could be forgiven if they had packed up their Fraser Street tent, lamenting the vagaries of timing. Instead, they were among the first to pivot, not just transforming into a takeout spot, but also setting the tone for giving back that would be echoed by so many of our restaurants during the crisis. They founded the Staff Meal program, which not only provided a lowpriced meal for a reeling economy (and even free meals to those in serious need), but also earmarked $2 from each order to help local food banks. In no time they were joined in the program by neighbours Masayoshi and friends Dachi, the Belgard Kitchen and others. One of the lasting legacies of this trauma will be the impact of those who saw the tsunami of trouble approaching and immediately asked, “What can we do to help?”

SAY MERCY: K ATIE CROSS PHOTOGRAPHY; THE PAPER HOUND: FACEBOOK

“Staff Meal” Is Now Part of Our Vernacular

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SAY MERCY: K ATIE CROSS PHOTOGRAPHY; THE PAPER HOUND: FACEBOOK

From Left: John Horgan, Dr. Bonnie Henry and Adrian Dix

The COVID Supply Hub Launched in Just One Week When the Digital Technology Supercluster—a B.C.-based, federal government-funded outfit—heard that frontline workers had a serious lack of PPE, it sprang into action, enlisting Burnaby-based Traction on Demand to build an online platform that helps health authorities across the province access what they need.

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4

WE HAVE DR. BONNIE HENRY (AND POLITICIANS WHO ARE SMART ENOUGH TO LEAVE HER ALONE)

The provincial health officer’s informed, calculated and smart approach to COVID is one thing. But pair that with a double-ply soft voice (get her a podcast already) and bashful responses to both cutting her own hair (she apologized to her hairdresser) and being called premier, and it’s clear that B.C. has had a better vehicle than most to deliver the tough news. (Turns out she is also part owner of a great little winery, Clos du Soleil. A renaissance woman for the ages.)

Unlike his counterparts in places like Alberta and Ontario, our actual premier, John Horgan, has kept a relatively low profile while keeping things in check. Except when it comes to dad jokes. Among our favourites: allowing the Easter Bunny a special “eggs-exemption” over the travel ban, and advising on Star Wars Day that people “use droids to communicate” and “keep two lightsabers apart.”

It also doesn’t hurt that Henry has had assistance from expressive interpreter Nigel Howard, who has inspired fan clubs on social media— the largest of which has over 4,000 followers—as well as posters imploring people to “listen to Nigel.”

Our triple threat has made us feel pretty lucky: we also have one of the lowest per capita COVID rates in the country.

BONNIE HENRY: DARRYL DYCK /THE CANADIAN PRESS; ILLUSTRATION: KEVIN KOBSIC/UNSPL ASH

3

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BONNIE HENRY: DARRYL DYCK /THE CANADIAN PRESS; ILLUSTRATION: KEVIN KOBSIC/UNSPL ASH

Bound together, forever

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5

Boarded-Up Shops Transformed Overnight Our initial thoughts on boarding up shops was, um, seriously, we’re going to start looting? But then some irrepressible artists made some gouache lemonade by using the plywood as a platform to spread a little beauty, highlight a social issue or two and generally bring some much-needed joy into our lives. Robson and South Granville fully art-ed up, but it’s in Gastown where the paint and inspiration really took off (thanks to the enterprising initiative of Kimprints’ owner Kim Briscoe). From Banksy-esque social commentary to portraits of our health-care heroes to goofy images of hope: our artistic spirit thrives in tough times.

Top of the Tech Sue Paish (left) with Jill Tipping

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Ryan Reynolds @vancityreynolds has always beat a loud drum for his hometown, but he stepped it up in the face of some serious alone time.

First up, he hopped on a reminiscing Zoom call with the CBC’s Amy O’Brian, a VanMag alum and an old pal of Reynolds from their Prince of Wales Trek days. And then, so his other alma mater wouldn’t feel left out, he gave the grade 12 class from Kits Secondary a de facto commencement speech and topped it off by sending every one of them a pizza from the Broadway institution that is Nat’s. In related news, no one’s heard from Seth Rogen.

The Food Coalition in action.

When COVID-19 hit, the natural reaction was to retreat to our safe spaces to process. But what about those who don’t have safe spaces? 2020 marks Chambar’s amazing 16th year of being part of the fabric of our food scene, but instead of celebrating, the team rolled up their sleeves and created Food Coalition. With the help of the City, some restaurant partners and a deep-pocketed anonymous donor (who pledged a matching $100,000), they set about the three-pronged task of getting some hospitality people back to work, feeding the most vulnerable in our city and securing the food chain for the rest of us.

The Pride of P.W.

8

WHITECAPS BOOST THE AQUARIUM

An institution that’s on the verge of closing gets a hand from a franchise with nothing but time in the form of almost 100,000 Whitecaps-branded facemasks that raised close to $2,000,000 to keep the otters and friends housed. Win-win.

RYAN RE YNOLDS: YOUTUBE; WHITECAPS: COURTESY WHITECAPS

7

AN ICONIC RESTAURANT AND A DEEP-POCKETED DONOR DECIDED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

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RYAN RE YNOLDS: YOUTUBE; WHITECAPS: COURTESY WHITECAPS

A selection of Masayoshi treasures.

WE JUST MIGHT HELP SOLVE THIS MESS

Before the pandemic, AbCellera wasn’t exactly a household name. The Olympic Village-based company was just one of our city’s growing legion of biotech startups. But their specialty— antibody discovery—now has a whole new urgency, and they were quickly sought out by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly to help them advance their antibody research. Then the Trudeau government dropped an extra $175 million in their laps to continue their work in seeking out both potential tests and treatments for infection. If it goes well, this could be the best thing to come out of Olympic Village since, um, Terra Bread’s olive sourdough. (To be fair, it’s a relatively new neighbourhood.)

10

You Can Dine Like a King on a Pauper’s Salary

Back in the day (a.k.a. February), dinner for two at Elisa would easily run you $200, depending how crazy you went on the beef.

Want to go for the tableside service at the acclaimed Boulevard?

Likewise, set aside a few C-notes. And a seat at Masayoshi’s legendary omakase menu—$130 a plate. But these paragons of fine dining all did a major pivot when COVID moved everything to takeout. Suddenly, these special occasion spots transformed into a treat for the everyman: a litre of potato and leek soup actually made by chef Roger Ma was $10—cheaper by volume than Tim Hortons. A Holstein striploin from Elisa was yours for $18, less than retail if you could ever get access to it. And Masasan, God bless him, was selling Japanese stew at Masayoshi for $5 a serving. Some of our greatest chefs worked for no other reason than to keep their kitchens open and their hands busy—and we were the lucky recipients.

BENTO BOX: MASAYOSHI; VIRUS: ISTOCK

9

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Introducing the new alumni UBC app It’s the easiest way to access your alumni UBC benefits.

The fantastic features include: • Savings deals from alumni UBC partners • Instant one-touch connection to over 4,000 online journals • Access to Trek magazine and alumni UBC webinars and podcasts • UBC library privileges

BENTO BOX: MASAYOSHI; VIRUS: ISTOCK

There are monthly contests too!

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The Darlings, clockwise from top left: PM, Rose Butch, Continental Breakfast and Maiden China.

THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF ARTISTIC INSPIRATION TO BE FOUND FROM QUARANTINE GREAT ART IS BORN FROM CONSTRAINT—and these three local arts groups embraced (or are embracing) the strange new structure of digital performance to create works uniquely of their time.

11

WHO Non-binary drag collective THE DARLINGS (Maiden China, PM, Continental Breakfast and Rose Butch) THE INSPIRATION “It’s a representation of the ups and downs we can go through when we are confined,” says Continental Breakfast. “The pleasantries that exist, swiftly followed by the melancholy of isolation.”

THE SHOW The quartet may have performed from their individual living rooms for the livestream of Quarantine I and Quarantine II, but

their mixed-medium performance art explored universal themes: love, distance, queer existence and intimacy. vimeo.com/ thedarlings

12

WHO RUMBLE THEATRE THE INSPIRATION “I wanted to offer an audience a chance to be soft in a hard world,” says creator Christine Quintana.

THE SHOW In Good Things to Do, you’re not a viewer but a participant, interacting with visual dreamscapes and music as you explore a digital environment designed to empower and restore. goodthingstodo.ca

13

Good Things to Do, an interactive show from Rumble Theatre.

WHO EVOLVER FEST (formerly Revolver Fest) THE INSPIRATION Empowering artists who want to make something new with technology and non-traditional platforms.

THE SHOW The emerging-theatre festival adapted to these unpredictable times not just with a name change but also with a new mandate: to commission original real-time content specifically created in response to isolation. Will we see Discord audio dreamscapes? Experience modern dance via Skype? We’ll find out in late June. upintheairtheatre.com

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14

Our Parks Stayed Open (and Stanley Park Said Goodbye to Cars, Too) IN EARLY APRIL, as the number of positive cases continued to climb, there was a point when even going for a walk in the West End felt a little like a high-stakes game of Frogger. I’d walk alleyways or hop onto the street to get a little space, until it felt like the mental health I was gaining from the fresh air was no longer in balance with the creeping anxiety of being surrounded by too many people—and I’d head back home.

Then, in response to crowding in Stanley Park, the Park Board shut down vehicular traffic and diverted bikes to the roadway—giving pedestrians more space on the seawall and creating a safer way for cyclists to get some exercise. So, I hopped on my bike around 8 a.m. on a Thursday, did the climb up to Prospect Point and pulled in to the viewpoint over the Lions Gate. I gazed down on the Burrard Inlet, breathed deeply and, for the first time since the WHO declared a pandemic, felt my shoulders drop just a few inches.

As cities east of us were shutting down their green spaces in support of physical distancing, our 230 parks stayed open and available to us as a sweet, grassy coping mechanism. And someday, when this pandemic is finally far behind us, here’s hoping we can say, “Remember when we were crazy enough to allow cars in Stanley Park?” —Anicka Quin

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15

Our Clothing Manufacturers Have Their Priorities Straight

ARITZIA Brian Hill’s company gives $10,000,000 worth of comfortable, easy-care leggings and T-shirts to frontline workers.

ARC’TERYX + MUSTANG + BOARDROOM The Vancouver clothing companies banded together to quickly retool their factories to the tune of 90,000 pieces of PPE.

VESSI SHOES The local company donated 2,000 pairs of their ultracomfortable shoes to frontline health workers.

An Arc’teryx worker sews PPE gowns.

ILLLUSTRATION: ALYSSA HIROSE; ACR’ TERY X WORKER COURTESY ARC’ TERX

They retooled from fashion to frontline assistance in record time.

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Time to get inBed!

Ranging from Eco-nomical to Eco-Luxury.

STEIN MEDICAL

Our Certified Organic Latex Rubber Mattresses are plant-based and sustainable.

ILLLUSTRATION: ALYSSA HIROSE; ACR’ TERY X WORKER COURTESY ARC’ TERX

High quality natural products for a healthy, chemical-free sleep environment for the whole family.

Since 2005

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info@inbedorganics.com

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16

#teamwork

WHEN CHEF WARREN CHOW of Bauhaus quickly needed to close the restaurant for social distancing measures, he had a lot of food left in the larders. “We froze as many things as we could, and we had a big staff meal to take care of people,” says Chow. “But there was a lot of perishable food to save.” Along with chef TJ Conwi (Ono Vancouver), chef Jefferson Alvarez (formerly Cacao), chef Alessandro Vianello (Pourhouse), and chefs Mike Boshart and Spencer Jansz, Warren gathered up what they had, and received a donation from Dan’s Legacy—a youth outreach program that rescues surplus food from grocery stores.

Then Chow posted to his Instagram and to the COVID-19 Coming Together group on Facebook: free soup to anyone who was having a hard time putting food on the table, via contactless delivery from a team that would be masked, gloved and willing to travel.

The demand was so massive that the team went back to cook more. They moved into Coho Commissary to produce over 600 litres,

and Chow recruited an army of delivery folk to get the food out to nearly 400 homes, as far away as Surrey and Maple Ridge. “There was a single mother who was also a chef; she lost her job, had just come out of an abusive relationship and has a two-year-old to take care of,” says Chow. “Another elderly woman was battling stage four lung cancer, and she was a volunteer in the West End, helping out her community for 25 years.

There was a gentleman who has dementia and was trying to take care of his disabled son. There were some very heartbreaking and touching stories—it was such an eyeopening experience.

“For me, I believe a pandemic like this—when people face adversity, their true colours really show,” he says. “I wanted to combat the hoarders, the stocking and reselling. Our mission was to show that there are still people out there willing to help, that they can lean against during this hard time.”

PHOTOS COURTESY CHEF WARREN CHOW

Chefs Alvarez, Boshart and Chow ready for duty.

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17 JOHANNA SÖ AND DUANE KEOGH were performing in New York City with their band the Town Pants when the coronavirus crisis abruptly stopped the music and ended their tour. They self-quarantined upon their return home, but musicians don’t stop wanting to perform just because concert venues are closed. One night in early April, after the 7 o’clock cheer for health-care workers, Sö, a violinist, plugged in her small practice amp on her West End balcony and performed “Oh Canada” for her neighbours, with Keogh joining her on his guitar afterward for one of their band’s songs. It wasn’t too many days before they went into their storage unit to grab another amp, and a series of two-song, post-cheer balcony concerts began, which the duo coined “Songs of Thanks.”

They play both originals and covers—crowd favourites like Blue Rodeo, the Tragically Hip, Coldplay and a special Ritchie Valens set for Cinco de Mayo—to cheers from the balconies surrounding them.

“It’s been heartwarming that people want to tell us that the music is appreciated,” says Sö. “At the beginning of our pandemic world, realizing that the chance we’ll be on stage again for some time is quite low—you feel… non-essential. But this has given us a boost of encouragement. Hopefully the music doesn’t have to stop just because we can’t play on a theatre stage anymore.”

The first original song they played on that night in April (“Resilience”) is available online, and the pair donated all proceeds from its sales during the month May to local charities affected by COVID-19. Let the music play. songsofthanks.com

18

This Foxy Visage

Someday, when we look back on this crazy time, there will be images that just seem to capture the mayhem perfectly. For us it’s Savio Volpe’s iconic fox being an early facemask adopter with the mantra Andrà Tutto Bene — Everything Will Be Fine.

19

Renters Are Finally Given Some Solace IT WAS THE END OF MARCH and a friend I’ll call Al got a note from his landlords.

Their house had been sold to an offshore owner who had never seen the property, and the laneway house Al was living in was going to be used for “family.” He needed to depart within 60 days. In times past, contesting such an eviction would require the tenant to file an application disputing the new landlord’s reason, a process that’s enough of a hassle that most tenants just give up and move. But when Al called the Residential Tenancy Branch, they said, “You can just ignore it.” Tenants’ rights advocates say that the pandemic has moved the province closer to where it should have been all along: looking out for tenants in a market that was precarious well before COVID-19. In addition, the provincial government is also granting rent subsidies of up to $500 (not nearly enough, say critics), freezing rent increases until the provincial state of emergency is over, and ceasing most evictions up to and including not paying rent. It’s been a long time since renters in this city felt anyone was paying attention to their needs—sadly, it took the pandemic to shift (at least temporarily) the focus to their plight. —Neal McLennan

V JOHANNA SÖ AND DUANE KEOGH: FACEBOOK; FOX: SAVIO VOLPE; T YPEWRITER: ISTOCK

AT 7:02 P.M. MOST NIGHTS, WEST ENDERS GET A BALCONY CONCERT

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Dageraad Starts a (Small) Revolution

The Vancouver comedy institution moved their weekly improv show from the Fox Cabaret to online in March and continues to livestream—chaotically, endearingly, hilariously—every Sunday at 9 p.m., holidays and wifi issues be damned.

22

OUR LIQUOR REGS HAVE RELAXED

THE EMAIL CAME LIKE A GUARDIAN angel in mid-May. Restaurants, ordered to close a week prior, were being given a (thin) lifeline in that the province was going to allow them to sell some of their wine with the purchase of a takeout meal. Baby steps, to be sure, but welcome to an owner with an expensive cellar and bills coming out their ears. And there are murmurs that the change will stick after the pandemic. Next up: rolling the discussion of added patio space into something permanent—stay tuned.

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BRANDON EHLINGER FORD/UNSPL ASH

20

21

BECAUSE THE SUNDAY SERVICE STILL HASN’T MISSED A SUNDAY

DAGERA AD PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: JENNY REED

We’ll sign up for anything the Burnaby brewing powerhouse asks us to, and evidently we’re not alone. In late March, the owners were part a disparate group of businesses (regional newspapers, commuter airlines) that launched the Save Small Business petition to counter the then-prevailing notion of debt forward assistance from government (i.e., don’t pay now, but you’ll have to pay later). In short order they had over 30,000 businesses sign on, with another 8,000+ individuals. And their voices seem to have, in some part, been heard. The 75-percent employee subsidy addresses some of their concerns on debt obligations, and commercial rent programs are likewise gaining traction in both Victoria and Ottawa. And they’re still making Burnabarian Ale as well.

FOR YEARS THE RUB ON VANCOUVER was that it’s a land of great beauty, populated by insular and unfriendly people. No one borrows a cup of kombucha from their neighbours. Everyone hates sharing their log at the beach. The clique culture extends weirdly beyond high school. And if you’re new in town, you can pretty much forget about hooking up in any iteration any time soon. But then came our new commandments from Drs. Theresa Tam and Bonnie Henry: stay in your homes, no large gatherings in public places, avoid close interaction with non-family members. Suddenly our innate insularity became a 2020 superpower. And it’s no joke—even though the virus had a head start here (B.C. had its first case in late January), we’ve kept our infection rates to a level that’s the envy of the country (and the rest of the world, frankly). Here’s hoping that, when this is over, we’ll thank our unfriendliness for its service and put it on the shelf for a few years while we let our hair down.

BRANDON EHLINGER FORD/UNSPL ASH

DAGERA AD PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: JENNY REED

23

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AT H OME W ITH

ROOM TO GROW

Design (and Life!) Lessons from 800 Square Feet, page 48

GET THE LOOK

Blissful Bedrooms for Every Style, page 41

FAMILY MATTERS

A Custom Townhouse to Inspire, page 53

EMA PETER

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To r o n t o

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Montréal

Va n c o u v e r

Calgar y

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PROVOKE STUDIOS

Diamante

WRITER KAITLYN FUNK

GET THE LOOK

LAYER UP The best way to zhuzh up a streamlined colour palette? Adding layers of texture and pattern, achieved here with the geometric wallpaper, tiger-print throw pillow and ribbed upholstered headboard.

KEEP A LOW PROFILE The one thing this small condo had going for it? “Tall ceilings!” says Lui. To exaggerate this height—and make the bedroom appear larger—the designer opted for a low, unobtrusive headboard.

GET THE SKINNY Lui selected these table lamps for their sleek and narrow profile. The barely there base frees up space, allowing more room for plants and decor (along with bedtime reads).

MODERN MASTERS

PROVOKE STUDIOS

Three stylish bedroom looks from three Vancouver designers.

THE LOOK: SWEET SUITE When it came time to design this 130-square-foot bedroom, Phyllis Lui and Aleem Kassam of Kalu Interiors turned to luxury hotels for inspiration.

TAKE TIME TO REFLECT Mirrored Willow nightstands from Mobilia do double duty: “They offer an illusion of space and light in otherwise dark corners and edges of the room, while providing ample storage,” says Lui.

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GET THE LOOK

TAKE A (NIGHT)STAND With a limited amount of closet space, two dressers—including one Hessa dresser, complete with iridescent shell inlay—act as bedside tables. “Beauty is always my first inspiration, but necessity is a great driving force,” says the designer.

MAKE IT COZY To make the room as comfortable as possible, Vogler layered super-soft pillows and throws on the bed—and added an ultra-plush Scandinavianinspired shag rug underfoot.

JANIS NICOL AY

THE LOOK: QUIET QUARTERS A neutral colour palette and luxe linens helped Stephanie Vogler of The Cross Decor and Design transform her master bedroom into a peaceful retreat.

RAISE THE ROOF Vogler was hesitant about the four-poster bed, but now it’s her favourite thing in the home. Made with whitewashed distressed oak, it lends warmth to the space while drawing the eye up: “It’s unexpected and dramatic without being a show-off.”

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JANIS NICOL AY

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GET THE LOOK

HANG IN THERE Lin replaced the flush-mounted frosted-glass ceiling fixture (a builder’s special) with two hanging pendants. Suspended from a canopy of black rope, the bedside lighting gives the room a relaxed feel.

TIE UP LOOSE ENDS Adding a touch of macramé was critical for the boho aesthetic, but it also lends texture and light to what would have been a dark tunnel of a hallway.

THE LOOK: BOHO BEAUTY Wall-to-wall windows and odd angles required designer Kathleen Lin to get creative in this False Creek condo.

SAVE A SEAT Not only does this custom-made bed offer a spot to sit windowside, the bench also opens up for storage—and there are four drawers at the foot. “We didn’t want a standard headboard,” says Lin of its many functions.

JANIS NICOL AY

EMBRACE THE GREY AREA The charcoal feature wall adds some much-needed contrast to the room, and makes the linen bedding and natural wood bedframe pop.

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JANIS NICOL AY

If all this home time has you thinking about changes talk to us!

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HOMES

WRITER STACEY McLACHLAN PHOTOGRAPHY EMA PETER

ROOM TO GROW

Falken Reynolds helps a family transition from condo living to a 3,500-square-foot dream home—without any growing pains.

What happens when you ask small space experts to tackle the renovation of a 3,500-square-foot home? You get a house where every spare inch is used to the fullest. Or at least that’s how designers Chad Falkenberg and Kelly Reynolds of Falken Reynolds do it. Here, they’ve applied the lessons learned from a decade of designing compact, highly efficient condos to a larger footprint, creating a dream home that’s the perfect fit for a family of three.

LESSON #1 LAYOUT IS EVERYTHING Though the square footage of the 1960s-built house was generous, an awkward layout made it feel even more cramped than homeowners Melanie and Will’s previous condo had been. “It was a very unique space, but extremely confusing,” laughs Melanie. “There were a lot of separations of the rooms with walls and although the layout had some interesting components, the house didn’t feel unified.” With the help of Terris Lightfoot Contracting, Falkenberg and Reynolds etched out a new open-concept floor plan; now the kitchen, living space and toddler Max’s play area are unified, and stack-and-slide glass doors from Western Window Systems part for a 12-foot opening into the back deck.

LESSON #2 PUT FUNCTION FIRST During the design process, the Falken Reynolds team spent a lot of time deep-diving into the family’s needs, discovering solutions to problems they didn’t even know to anticipate. For example, says Melanie, “They proposed having a few key high-traffic areas with tiled walls, and we can really see how it makes sense now.” In Max’s bathroom, the designers placed the faucet and knobs on opposite sides to make bath time with a toddler easier.

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LESSON #3 CORRAL YOUR CLUTTER Thanks to some clever storage planning, the house is practically clutter-proof. There are deep cabinets underneath the island, and a custom wall of millwork by Munro Woodworking that hides what is essentially a giant appliance garage, with room for all of the family’s gadgets: the doors open up and slide into pockets to allow access to the toaster, microwave and blender. There’s even more storage in the mudroom that the family uses for their comings and goings. “It’s the ‘comein-and-drop-everything’ spot,” says Reynolds.

LESSON #4 TURN SMALL SPACES INTO COZY ONES Melanie and Will didn’t want or need a lot of bedroom space: just something that felt like a cozy hideaway at the end of the day. While the rest of the house is painted a crisp white, here the team used a warm Benjamin Moore Amulet amber colour, paired with Cloth Studio linens, grey wool carpeting and a dreamy print by photographer Brit Gill to contrast the airy and bright common spaces.

LESSON #5 PLOT OUT YOUR PIVOT Though the family’s square footage has changed, the designers took care to use a small-space mentality for the functionality of the kitchen. “Everything’s within a few steps instead of extending across the full room,” says Falkenberg. “We were thinking about a pivoting action.”

From the stovetop, for example, the sink and a drawer full of cooking utensils are within easy reach.

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GALLERY WALL FITS ALL Art was a challenge for the long space, but a matrix of art prints (the pink one is Scott Sueme) and “fashiony” black-and-white family photos—many taken by photographer and good friend Phil Crozier—flex to fit.

0 11:44 AM

Family Matters A once-tacky ’90s townhouse was no match for interior designer Stephanie Brown, even with a baby on the way.

WRITER JULIA DILWORTH PHOTOGRAPHY PHIL CROZIER

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FAMILY MAT TERS

HAPPY ACCIDENT To make a structural post storage-friendly, Brown bridged the gap with three open shelves.

“That was just one of the best things ever, because it’s our only little bit of open display,” says the designer.

SMART MOVE In the original floor plan, an ugly closet with a bifold door dominated the entrance.

By replacing it with a modern tabletop at the end of her stairs, Brown was able to open up the space and steal some room for her powder room.

T

here’s nothing like the impending birth of your firstborn to put the rush on a home renovation.

Interior designer Stephanie Brown and her husband got possession of their new townhouse in May 2017.

Baby Claire was due in July. “The irony is not lost on me that I tell all my clients, never build or renovate with a hard deadline in mind, because you’ll never make it,” laughs Brown. “And yet, there we were.”

The couple found a three-bedroom, 1970s-era townhouse on the west side that had the space they needed and backed out onto a big, green park. “It was 1,800 square feet on three levels, but the interior was atrocious,” says the founder of Stephanie Brown Inc. Previous renovation attempts in the ’90s had left their mark in the form of dark woods, speckled granite countertops and faux Tuscan travertine tile. “But that didn’t sway

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FAMILY MAT TERS

LOW COST, HIGH IMPACT Brown wanted to do something interesting with the railing, which ended up being a great budget hack, too: those are solid metal closet rods from Home Depot that already come powdercoated in white.

us,” says Brown. “We saw the potential.”

Huge developments in the area meant it was possible their whole neighbourhood could be suddenly sold for condo high-rises, so the couple wanted to be smart about how they spent their renovation budget. The main level’s chevron hardwood floors in white oak were a non-negotiable splurge. “Knowing that the space was so long and you’d see a fair bit of the floor, it would be a worthwhile place to invest in something a little bit more special,” says Brown.

To offset the big-budget floors, Brown got thrifty with a customized Ikea kitchen, painting the bottom row a blue-grey. Her husband, who is a contractor and carpenter, built the open shelf for displaying cookbooks and dishes, and a fluted marble porcelain tile backsplash from Olympia Tile gives the designer that dose of marble she loves. “It’s getting a more high-end touch for less,” says Brown.

The kitchen’s long and narrow envelope called for an equally slim kitchen island, which Brown topped with a sliver of white Corian. “In my last condo I had put in marble countertops, which is such a point of contention in the design world, because they’re beautiful, but super impractical,” says Brown. “So I lived with those, and here I wanted to try something totally different.” Corian (which is like a man-made resin) is the polar opposite of marble in terms of durability and cost,

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BRING THE DRAMA The black-and-white dining area is anchored with one big piece of art. “According to anyone that’s ever been to our house, that’s me,” laughs Brown about her Christopher Karklin photograph. “It’s just a girl with brown hair.”

Black Vienna cane chairs from her husband’s former townhouse look updated and new with Brown’s marble tulip table.

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FAMILY MAT TERS

PICTURE PERFECT A whole wall on the top floor is reserved for the family’s photos, between two sculptural gold sconces from CB2.

explains the designer. “Wine won’t stain it, you can buff out scratches yourself—it’s bulletproof.”

Off the kitchen, a black-and-white dining area flows through to the living room, a functional locus for adults and kids at play. An oval ottoman covered in fuzzy pink wool can take abuse from toddlers (it’s non-toxic and easy to clean) as well as support trays, drinks and resting feet after a long day. A gold pedestal end table is the perfect functional layer to round out the room’s tabletop needs, while a dark mixed-grey rug from Salari softens things up underfoot and flip-up Ikea cabinets can stow away toys and media accessories. The open-corner fireplace is original and one of Brown’s favourite things about the house. “We’re total junkies for a real fire,” she says. A couple coats of white paint and a hearth of charcoal tile bring it into present day.

Upstairs in the master bedroom, the white and soft grey palette continues with a velvet ribbed bed from CB2 and luxe Cloth Studio linen drapes. There was a ton of wall space, but Brown wanted to keep decor to a minimum, so her husband installed a funky and modern flat-panel detail. A baubly West Elm chandelier and

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FAMILY MAT TERS

ROUND AND ROUND The round mirror in Brown’s ensuite (left) is a welcome change from the usual.

“I think it’s a little bit of playful relief in a bathroom where everything is always so boxy and square,” says the designer.

Wanting to do something different with the lighting, Brown sourced solid marble pendants (which weigh about 10 pounds each). “They’re cheeky and cool and fit perfectly with our minimalist colour palette,” she says. In the tiny powder room, dubbed the “airplane bathroom,” a mirror wall makes the space look as large as possible. “It’s small, but it does the trick,” says Brown.

edgy artwork add interest without compromising the airy modern vibes. For Claire’s room, Brown kept the shell white and crisp, and added a splash of awesome Scion wallpaper in a playful geometric print. A modern rocking chair from Restoration Hardware’s baby line, a celadon green pouf and pink linen Roman shades pull in a bit of colour to a room that Claire won’t outgrow.

The original upstairs bathroom was “stupidly huge,” says Brown, with a massive jacuzzi tub, yet no shower.

Splitting the bathroom into two, they were able to

create an ensuite for them and a full-sized bathroom with a tub for their daughter. Even divided, the ensuite has space for a seven-by-three-foot marbled porcelain shower. For the floor, Brown asked her husband to lay out charcoal floor tiles in a herringbone pattern. “I like to keep him on his toes,” she says.

In the end, Brown and her husband renovated in phases to manage their little arrival. “As I warn all my clients, we didn’t quite make the deadline, but it was okay. She didn’t know the difference.”

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Your life, organized!

Solutions for your home, office, and garage. arbutus.com • 604-734-1949

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WRITER SALLY MICHAEL WHITE

ESSENTIALS

2 1

4

3

Clay Creations

5

Set the table with these eight dinner party-worthy ceramic plates.

1

HARVEST MOON Serve up delicacies from your local bounty or just elevate tonight’s takeout order on the Full Moon plate from Amanda Marie Ceramics ($64). amandamarieceramics.com

2

FUN AND FUNCTIONAL Local ceramicist Meg Hubert embeds patterns of coloured clay into her hand-formed pieces ($48 each), making each one a distinctive piece of art. meghubert.com

3

BLUE PERIOD The abstract blue watercolour composition of the Artiste dinner plate ($23) is almost too lovely to cover in food. crateandbarrel.ca

4

PRECISION AESTHETIC Hasami Porcelain, from Japan’s foremost pottery district, is designed to be multifunctional, with pieces that nest neatly and often play dual roles (from $24). vanspecial.com

5

RAW POWER These gorgeous dinner plates from G Ceramic and Co. ($44) contrast a glossy jade interior with a unglazed raw edge, showcasing the natural speckles of the clay beneath. gceramicandco.com

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6

6

CLEAN AND COLOURFUL CB2’s line of Drift Reactive dinner plates ($18 each), available in indigo, red and silver grey, are sprayed with a special heat-activated glaze to achieve their textural finish. cb2.ca

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WRITER SALLY MICHAEL WHITE

ESSENTIALS

3

1 2

5 4

Made in the Shade Six modern shaded table lamps that will give your space a well-deserved glow up.

1

SMOKE SHOW Bring a dash of midcentury style to your space with the smoked glass and retro brass shade of the Koepel table lamp ($169). article.com

2

SHAKESPEAREAN GLOW Looking to add some serious drama to your living room?

The black marble Baston lamp ($575) features a resin skull Hamlet would be proud of. latelierhome.com

3

BRIGHT BEACON Designer Bruno Moinard was inspired by the elegance of a Swedish lighthouse for his Faro lamp ($10,305). avenue-road.com

4

TRANQUIL TEXTURE The crackled glaze of the earthenware Quinn lamp is evocative of the distinctive pitted sandstone found on the shores of the Gulf Islands ($149). crateandbarrel.ca

5

TASTEFUL TANGLE The Lydia Mini Knot gold lamp ($295) is the perfect piece to tie your room together. thecrossdesign.com

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“When all that is left of me is love, give me away”

6

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Give the gift that keeps on giving SimplyBeautifulBox.com Subscribe to the Simply Beautiful Box and she’ll receive $150+ worth of curated beauty and decor products delivered to her door each season

6

MASS APPEAL With its solid cylindrical base, practical dimmer knob and lightweight shade, we can’t help but be drawn toward the highly attractive Gravity table lamp ($1,565) in any pattern. informinteriors.com

BCB-1/3sq-AD_BCL Editor'sBox.indd 1 Book 3.indb 65

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WRITER SALLY MICHAEL WHITE

ESSENTIALS

2

1

3

4

All the Right Angles Level up your living space with this lineup of sectional sofas.

1

TUCKED AND TAILORED Our favourite feature of Bensen’s Aura sofa ($10,985): the intentional design of the undercut seat, creating an appealing eyeline as well as functional foot space. informinteriors.com

2

DUTCH DELIGHT The Amsterdam corner sofa (from $6,589), seen here in dusty green velvet, offers classic tufted detailing with a modern twist. boconcept.com

3

EVOLUTIONARY WONDER With straight lines, drop curves and the option of high and low backrests, Minotti’s Alexander seating system (from $14,535) can truly adapt to any space. livingspace.com

4

AT YOUR SERVICE The cloud-like Dresden sectional sofa ($4,099) comes with an interchangeable side table insert for storage and a surface when you need it, where you need it. roveconcepts.com

5 5

CHARMING CURVES With rounded edges and a customizable configuration, Piet Boon’s Bo sofa (from $11,785) welcomes rest and relaxation. avenue-road.com

O

C

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