February 2009

Volume 1 Number 2 • February 2009

34 gothe’s guide to the best bubble for the buck 39 party girl joy metcalfe 16 winds of change 12 CHOCOLATE kama sutra 13 FORD’S NEW FLEX 27 BURBERRY’S BOY WONDER 14 john maclachlan gray talks with john ince, who has sex on the brain

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myvancouver WIN Vida Spa pampering for two at the Sutton Place Hotel! PAGE 17

The L Word Love

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Jennifer Beals, TV gay role model, and real-life Obama advisor, glams it up for myvancouver as her world-changing Vancouver-made series enters its final season

From the publishers of

Say “Happy Valentine’s Day” all year long.

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myvancouver

Volume 1 Number 2 • February 2009

features

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Q+EH? JOHN INCE Sex: what’s love got to do with it? What have politics, culture and social conditioning?

Not many in Vancouver have given as much thought to such questions – nor done as much about them – as John Ince, the lawyer, author, educator, leader of the Sex Party and entrepreneur who admits: “In my world, the sight of a woman’s ankle can still be a sexual event.” Interview by John MacLachlan Gray. Photography by Zenaida Kwong

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net worth Market leader Selling Vancouver property in this buyers’ market? Forget what you used to think it was worth, then price ahead of the pack. By Peter Mitham. Illustration by Kathy Boake

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MY VANCOUVER LIZ BELL Immigrant, mom, model agent. Photography by Robert Karpa

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JENNIFER BEALS, THE ORIGINAL FLASHDANCER, NOW L-WORD STAR, UNEXPECTED ROLE MODEL AND OBAMA ADVISOR, TALKS TO MYVANCOUVER

STYLE: luxury THE NIGHT WATCH A fine watch isn’t simply a handy way to tell the time – you can do that on your mobile anyway. It’s an expression of good taste and style and in the case of the most sought-after makes, it’s an appreciating asset. By Tony Whitney. Photography by Chris Haylett

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COVER story OUR MS. BEALS Jennifer Beals’ second act, starring in Vancouver-shot The L Word and so unexpectedly becoming a beacon for gay rights, suits the actress/activist who stumped for Barack Obama and sees his election as something bigger than politics as usual.

mv 24

cover

departments

Photography by Kharen Hill.

Photo assistants: Jennifer Houghton, Rob Seebacher, Geoff Neufeldt. Photo equipmemt supplied by beauphoto.com.

Stylist: Cynthia Summers.

Stylist’s assistant: Patti Bishop.

Hair: Paul Edwards for sapphocosmetics.com.

Makeup: Joanne Fowler for sapphocosmetics.com.

6 EDITOR Bob Mercer 8 IT HAPPENED ONE

Teal gown: Roberto Cavalli; necklace: Liberty of London blue scarab; shoes (not shown): Guiseppe Zanotti; all from Holt Renfrew, Vancouver.

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myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

NIGHT 1981, Obolensky debut RED REMEMBERS Red Robinson’s Top 10 hits from yesteryears intelligence open house What $11,500,000 buys WHitney on wheels Tony Whitney WHAT’S YOUR SIGN? Roxanna Bikadoroff LIVING GREEN Pamela Groberman STREET LEVEL Michelle Hopkins

22 the face 26 27 34 34 36 36 39 40 46

Photography by Chris Haylett the hit list Jennifer Watton CATWALK Guy Babineau best cellars Jurgen Gothe CAFE SOCIETY Gary Barclay CARE + FEEDING Three squares DINING GUIDE Capsule reviews Joy Joy Metcalfe gallerista Aubin van Berckel LYON’S GATE Bernie Lyon with Lee Bacchus

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EDITOR Bob Mercer

TV we can believe in

L

ast month’s televised coverage of the Barack Obama presidential inauguration was great TV: spectacular, intimate, sometimes outright fun to watch. I have not been so glued to the set since September 11, 2001, but this time I was watching for exactly the opposite reasons. The events of 9/11 were impossible to ignore, even if TV’s meagre response was a tsunami of small details in the hours when the larger picture was incomprehensible or too terrible to contemplate.

At the other end of the scale, January 20, 2009 was too good to miss.

In the scene-setting hour before the actual swearing in, CTV’s Lisa Laflamme, moving among Washington, D.C.’s throng of visitors, stopped to interview a man from Toronto. He looked 60-ish, bearded, fit and happy (who in the crowd didn’t look happy?). When Laflamme asked him why he had journeyed to Washington, he replied: “I missed Woodstock; I wasn’t going to miss this.”

Trust a bearded boomer to point out that Obama isn’t political, he’s cultural.

A CBC segment focused on Obama’s transcendence of the so-called “culture wars,” meaning the divisive “values” debates such as those that pitted often religion-based ethics against the call for abortion rights, more open immigration and gay rights. In essence, said pundit Todd Gitlin, Obama would not have been elected if not for The Cosby Show. Gitlin’s point: it took a TV sitcom for America, with its racist heritage, to internalize that the black people in its midst were not a threat but merely human too. And funny to boot, in a “laugh with,” not “laugh at” kind of way.

Jack Benny’s radio and TV comedy pairing with Eddie (“Rochester”) Anderson also got a shoutout as an earlier pioneer. I later started my own list of pre-civil-rights-era black performers I grew up with: Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles and Sam Cooke, although nominally apolitical, were exemplars of black dignity, wit, grace – in short, a kind of uplifted yet normal humanness. Then in 1963, Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” brought racism out into the open: “I go to the movies and I go downtown / Somebody keeps telling me don’t hang around / It’s been a long, long time coming / But I know a change gonna come / Oh yes, it will.”

It took nearly a half century, but change did come. Good change at that.

This idea – that culture can lead us where politics only can follow – sparked our cover story on Jennifer Beals (“Our Ms. Beals,” page 28). Her life embraces advocacy (she campaigned for Obama). Her art, specifically her pioneering TV show The L Word, some day may be seen as having paved the way for some future gay president. Can a TV show do that? Yes, it can. bmercer@myvancouvermag.ca

myvancouver myvancouvermag.ca editorial Bob Mercer Editor & Art Director Jennifer Watton Associate Editor & Art Director Gary Barclay Associate Editor, Arts & Entertainment Jurgen Gothe Associate Editor, Food & Drink Contributors Guy Babineau, Lee Bacchus, Roxanna Bikadoroff, Kathy Boake, Beverly Cramp, John MacLachlan Gray, Chris Haylett, Kharen Hill, Michelle Hopkins, Robert Karpa, Zenaida Kwong, Bernie Lyon, Thea Mercer, Peter Mitham, Oraf, Julie Pegg, Red Robinson, David Spaner, Tony Whitney Editorial Interns Paul Chun, Vickie Hsieh

advertising + marketing Julie Hamilton Director of Sales Hilary Kaye Account Manager Kathryn McCready Account Manager

Theresa Marshall Account Manager Rene St. Louis Account Manager

corporate President & Publisher Bob Mercer

General Manager George Mleczko

myvancouver is a publication of VLM Enterprises Ltd., 400–73 Water St., Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6B 1A1. Tel: 604-630-1000. Fax: 604-630-1001. myvancouver is published monthly and distributed to selected homes in Metro Vancouver and via newsstand, subscription and in selected copies of The Globe and Mail.

Editorial submissions are welcome but we cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and images. All material should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission. Publication Mail Product / Sales Agreement No. 41639014. Printed in Canada.

myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

February 2009 myvancouver

it happened one night

Red remembers Red Robinson charts the month’s Top 10 hits from 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago.

Red’s Red Rock Diner airs Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on fm1049.

Top Ten hits of February 1999 Feb. 4: Freddy Fender receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This was the 2,129th star to be dedicated.

1. Have You Ever, Brandy 2. Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here, Deborah Cox 3. Baby One More Time, Britney Spears 4. I’m Your Angel, R. Kelly 5. Save Tonight, Eagle Eye Cherry 6. Hands, Jewel 7. Lullaby, Shawn Mullins 8. Lately, Divine 9. Do Wop (That Thing), Lauryn Hill 10. Slide, Goo Goo Dolls

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02/81

2

3

4

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February, 1981

6 myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

All photos by Oraf

Fashionista extraordinaire Tracey Pincott and interior designer Fernando Antunes launched the art band Obolensky in a Yaletown warehouse. Mark Oliver fronted; Constance Barnes (Connie then, daughter of MLA and B.C. Lion Emory) sang backup. Artists, models and photographers danced all night long.

1 Tracey Pincott, David Newson. 2 Brad Gough, Fernando Atunes 3 Jeanette, Jeff Wall. 4 Kevin Hatt (far left), Roy Arden. 5 Diane Gagne. 6 Obolensky singer Mark Oliver.

Top Ten hits of February 1989 Feb. 12: Tiny Tim declares himself a candidate for Mayor of New York City. He did not win the election.

1. When I Am With You, Sheriff 2. Straight Up, Paula Abdul 3. When the Children Cry, White Lion 4. Born to Be My Baby, Bon Jovi 5. Wild Thing, Tone Loc 6. Armageddon It, Def Leppard 7. The Way You Love Me, Karyn White 8. Don’t Rush Me, Taylor Dayne 9. All This Time, Tiffany 10. Two Hearts, Phil Collins Top Ten hits of February 1979 Feb. 23: The first tour of the U.S. and Canada by the group Dire Straits logs 51 sold-out shows in 38 days.

1. Le Freak, Chic 2. Y.M.C.A., Village People 3. Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?, Rod Stewart 4. A Little More Love, Olivia Newton-John 5. Too Much Heaven, Bee Gees 6. My Life, Billy Joel 7. Every 1s a Winner, Hot Chocolate 8. Fire, Pointer Sisters 9. September, Earth, Wind and Fire 10. I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor Top Ten hits of February 1969 Feb. 7: George Harrison’s tonsils are removed at London’s University College. They were destroyed so they could not be sold.

1. Crimson and Clover, Tommy James and the Shondells 2. Everyday People, Sly & the Family Stone 3. Worst That Could Happen, Brooklyn Bridge 4. Touch Me, The Doors, 5. I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye 6. I’m Gonna Make You Love Me, Diana Ross and Supremes & The Temptations 7. I Started a Joke, Bee Gees 8. Hooked On a Feeling, B.J. Thomas 9. Soulful Strut, Young-Holt Unlimited 10. Build Me Up Buttercup, The Foundations Top Ten hits of February 1959 Feb. 3: Six weeks after Red Robinson brings Ritchie Valens to town, the singer/guitarist dies with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper in a plane crash in Iowa.

1. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, The Platters 2. The All American Boy, Bill Parsons 3. Donna, Ritchie Valens 4. 16 Candles, The Crests 5. Stagger Lee, Lloyd Price 6. My Happiness, Connie Francis 7. Gotta Travel On, Billy Grammar 8. Lonely Teardrops, Jackie Wilson 9. A Lover’s Question, Clyde McPhatter 10. Goodbye Baby, Jack Scott

Feb. 3, 1959: Ritchie Valens’ death, ‘the day the music died’

Over $130 Million Sold in 2008 Alone!

10 myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

Intelligence Datebook

Freddie Hubbard, at times the greatest trumpet player in the world, died December 29 at age 70. O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar is marking the event and Hubbard’s Vancouver connection.

Hubbard’s 1975 Vancouver début was at Oil Can Harry’s. He returned in 1978 to play The Hot Jazz Club and in 1983 fronted a blistering band at the Landmark Jazz Bar, a block down from O’Doul’s on Robson in what was then the Sheraton and is now the Empire Landmark Hotel.

Born in Indianapolis and mentored by his neighbour, guitarist Wes Montgomery, Hubbard moved to New York in 1958 and rose to prominence with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. He recorded with giants John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Sonny Rollins, Ornette Coleman and Herbie Hancock. The U.S. National Endowment for the Arts honoured Hubbard with the NEA Jazz Masters Award In 2006. Over three nights at O’Doul’s, three stellar Hubbard-influenced trumpet players will join bassist Russ Botten and his trio.

Feb. 5: Chris Davis, a recent import from Jacksonville, Florida; Feb. 6: Vancouver’s Brad Turner; Feb. 7: Seattle’s Jay Thomas.

All shows from 9 p.m. to midnight. O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar, 1300 Robson St. 604-6611400, odoulsrestaurant.com

Freddie Hubbard tribute at O’Doul’s

Photography by David Cooper

Hubbard salute at O’Douls

Ted Cole and Nicole Underhay in the Arts Club Theatre Company’s production of The Constant Wife, till Feb. 22 at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage.

Maugham’s the word

02/09

In this classic comedy of marriage and revenge by W. Somerset Maugham, the discovery of her husband’s (Ted Cole) infidelity sparks in Constance (Nicole Underhay) some rather, to say the least, unusual behaviour.

Twice the recipient of the Governor General’s Award for Drama, Morris Panych returns to the Arts Club to helm this light-as-air, sharp-asdaggers unromantic comedy that explores the complexity of partnerships and the tense negotiations that take place when dealing with love and sex.

Dubbed by some as a “bridge between Wilde and Coward” for his sharp observation and witty dialogue, Maugham achieved an unprecedented popularity in the first decades of the 20th century. His modern ideas and dialogue are fresh and relevant today, explaining The Constant Wife’s resurgence on stages across North America, including a Broadway revival.

The play features a powerhouse cast of this country’s talent in roles that are complex, witty, and stylish. Panych also is joined by a Jessie Award-winning design team (Ken MacDonald, Nancy Bryant, Alan Brodie) in this comic look at the struggle for power between husband and wife.

Through Feb. 22. Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, 2750 Granville St. 604-687-1644. artsclub.com.

JAZZ CLUBS & LOUNGES The Cellar Restaurant & Jazz Club 3611 W. Broadway (604-738-1959) — Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8:30 and 10:15 p.m.; Sundays, 7:30 and 9:15 p.m. Feb. 11: Oliver Gannon’s trio performs the second Wednesday of each month through April. Feb. 12: Tribute to the Clarinet Trios of the 1930s, featuring James Danderfer, clarinet, Miles Black, piano, and Joe Poole, drums. Feb. 23: Lou Donaldson Quartet, with the bluesy, soulful alto of Donaldson, Akakiko Tsurga on Hammond B3, guitarist Randy Johnston, and Fuki Tainaka, drums. cellarjazz.com THEATRE 5–21 THREE VIEWINGS Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of Tuesdays with Morrie, directed by Jay Brazeau, and starring Jillian Fargey, Suzanne Ristic and Kevin McNulty. Feb. 5–21 at 8 p.m. (Sundays and Mondays, dark). Presentation House Theatre 333 Chesterfield Ave., North Vancouver. 604-9903474. phtheatre.org

Kristi Malakoff’s “Target, 2005/8,” made from crepe paper party streamers, at How Soon Is Now.

represents an opportunity to recognize artists from the province through their contribution to culture in this region and beyond.

B.C. art of earlier eras also will be in the spotlight in the VAG permanent collection exhibitions Enacting Abstraction, Western Landscapes: Emily Carr, E.J. Hughes, Ann Kipling, Gordon Smith and Two Visions: Emily Carr and Jack Shadbolt. Feb. 7 to May 3.

Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St. 604-6624719. vanartgallery.bc.ca

Photo courtesy of Kristi Malakoff

Art and artists from here and now How Soon Is Now is an exhibition that looks outside the doors of the Vancouver Art Gallery at some of the most compelling artists working in British Columbia, a focus that will extend to Vancouver artist Reece Terris’s major project “Ought Apartment” – a more than 60-foot apartment tower that will rise up through the VAG’s rotunda. Including painting, sculpture, photography, video and new media, the exhibition is organized according to shared connections between works. How Soon Is Now

CONCERTS 8 BANG ON A CAN Part rock band and part amplified chamber group, Bang on a Can incorporates cello, keyboard, electric guitar, bass, and drums to blur the lines between classical and pop ensembles and give voice to an enormous range of musical styles. Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. Chan Shun Concert Hall, Chan Centre of the Performing Arts at UBC, 6265 Crescent Rd. 604-2803311. ticketmaster.ca 13 GLADYS KNIGHT “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination” and “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” are perennials. Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. River Rock Show Theatre, River Rock Casino Resort, 8811 River Rd. Richmond. 604-280-4444. riverrock.com 14 DAME EMMA KIRKBY & DANIEL TAYLOR Dame Emma Kirkby’s pure and agile soprano voice is the quintessence of pure Baroque. Daniel Taylor’s honey-toned countertenor wins accolades internationally for its golden eloquence and passionate soulfulness. Appearing with musicians of the Theatre of Early Music. Feb. 14 at 8 p.m.

Kay Meek Centre, 1700 Mathers Ave., West Vancouver.

604-913-3634. kaymeekcentre.com 15 THE ACADEMY OF ST. MARTIN IN THE FIELDS The VSO presents one of the world’s great orchestras on the 50th anniversary of its founding by Sir Neville Marriner.

Violinist Julia Fischer leads in a program of Mozart, Bach and Walton. Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. Orpheum Theatre, Smithe at Seymour. 604-280-4444. ticketmaster.ca 22 CURTIS FULLER The fluent trombonist and NEA Jazz Master whose impeccable sense of time and ambitious solos has made him a mainstay of the hard bop scene.

Fuller worked in Detroit with Kenny Burrell and Yusef Lateef then moved to New York where he made his recording début as a leader in 1955. With “A” Band and NiteCap under the musical direction of Réjean Marois. Feb. 22 at 8 p.m.

Performing Arts Theatre, Capilano University, 2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver. 604-990-7810. capilanou.ca/theatre 27 BILL FRISELL & RUSSELL MALONE Two fine guitarists, who recently have been having a ball playing together, promise an evening of exceptional modern jazz.

Frisell has collaborated with Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Elvis Costello, Renee Fleming, Norah Jones, and the L. A. Philharmonic. Hemispheres is Frisell’s new album with Jim Hall. Malone, a native of Georgia, is well known for his association with Diana Krall and has played with Jimmy Smith, Harry Connick Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Barron and Aretha Franklin. His beautifully recorded current CD is Live at the Jazz Standard. Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. Christ Church Cathedral, 690 Burrard St. 604-280-3311. ticketmaster.ca

DANCE 26–28 CARMEN Inspired by Prosper Mérimée’s original French novella and Georges Bizet’s most popular opera, Carmen tells the tragic love story of a fiery Gypsy temptress who pushes the men in her life to the explosive limits of their passion, with choreography by Jean Grand-Maitre. Plus: the world premier of choreographer James Kudelka’s Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach. Feb. 26–28 at 8 p.m.; Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Hamilton at Dunsmuir. 604280-3311. ticketmaster.ca

February 2009 myvancouver 11

Open house

LIVING DESIGN Beverly Cramp

Eye candy There is more to chocolate’s sensual pleasures than meets the eye. But first, this food of love still has to meet the eye

W

hen dealing with matters of the stomach, what the eye sees is as crucial as what the tongue tastes.

This old adage has Vancouver chocolatiers preparing special Valentine’s Day chocolates that look as good as they taste.

“The eye wants something too,” says Alexandra Temple, founder of Dutch Girl Chocolates, which opened 12 year ago on Commercial Drive. Temple’s hand-made chocolates come in a wide range of traditional and contemporary designs: from naturalistic chocolate-covered, liqueur-dipped cherries sitting in gold foil to minimalist cubes.

Some specialized designs are kept out of sight in the back of the store.“We make Kama Sutrainspired chocolates as well as more explicit shapes. We call the explicit shapes ‘the body parts.’ I keep the body parts and Kama Sutra chocolates out of sight because we get school children in our store. We put up a sign to let adults know that they have to ask.”

Dutch Girl’s Kama Sutra

12 myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

chocolates are exquisite representations of erotic Hindu stone carvings found in some temples, particularly the Sun Temple in Konark, a small town on the Bay of Bengal. The Sun Temple’s amorous shapes are derived from the Kama Sutra writings about lovemaking and inspired the famous Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore to write of Konark: “Here the language of stone surpasses the language of man.” As for “the body parts,” the inspiration for these chocolate forms can be seen in just about any North American sex shop.

A heart-within-a-heart design is a specialty of Mink Chocolates in downtown Vancouver. Mink sells it in a line of chocolates called “Love Potion 2.0” along with a seasonal, exclusive “Romeo & Juliet” chocolate bar, donating five per cent of sales to the Downtown Eastside charity Beauty Night Vancouver (see page 16). “Valentine’s Day is when couples get to celebrate all the good things about being together,” says Mink founder Marc Lieberman.

“Every month our chosen charity changes and we picked Beauty Night for February because they work for women in Vancouver who are disenfranchised.”

CocoaNymph Chocolates blends classic flavours with fun contemporary aesthetics. “Our designs are all one-inch square

Rosemary Brown’s stamp on history

$11,500,000 Waterfront at 3398 Radcliffe Ave. in West Bay, West Vancouver. Approximately 89 feet of beachfront with adjacent outdoor pool and hottub. Ocean and coastline views. The recently renovated three-level home features, downstairs, a formal foyer with double-height ceiling, living and dining rooms with large view windows, private office and chef’s kitchen, family and dining rooms.

Upstairs: playroom or media room, four bedroom suites plus master with ensuite. Also included: a separate nanny or guest suite. Luxury finishing throughout. Listed by Jason Soprovich, soprovich.com. Beds: 5. Baths: 7.

Interior floor space: approx. 5,200 sq. ft. mv

Dutch Girl’s exquisite Kama Sutra chocolates are based on erotic Hindu stone carvings.

chocolates, beautifully decorated, from the austerity of a single pink peppercorn to handpainted cocoa butter palettes of colour,” says Rachel Sawatzky who opened a chocolate business at the corner of Tenth and Alma one year ago with long-time friend Kirk Hutton. Their chocolates also are at Urban Fare stores and Edible British Columbia.

What would a good-looking Valentine’s Day chocolate be without a heart-shaped box or frilly wrapping? According to Sawatzky, who looks after the creative side of CocoaNymph while Hutton takes care of the business end, there are other considerations.

“Packaging is important but we consider the environment first.

We have in place several refillable containers that customers can bring back to refill with their favourite products or re-use in their home. We also wrap our bars in traditional foil and paper wrap, eschewing the current trend of dressing up a chocolate bar in a cardboard box – less is more, of course.”

CocoaNymph chocolates have their own special poetry says Sawatzky. “All of our chocolates have fun names and they tell a story. Our store is all about stories – our story and our customer’s stories. I have often played Cupid for guys who really want to impress their partners. I’ve gotten good at spotting the man who is buying the ‘I’m sorry’ chocolates.”

For the stomach, the eye, or any other body part, ask a chocolatier. mv

A new stamp shows Rosemary Brown at the B.C. Legislature where she served for 14 years.

“To be black and female in a society that is both racist and sexist,” Rosemary Brown once said, “is to be in the unique position of having nowhere to go but up.” Brown, indeed, went up, carrying many others with her. She stamped her place in history when she was elected MLA for Vancouver-Burrard in 1972, becoming the first black woman elected to public office in Canada.

To mark February as Black History Month, Canada Post <canadapost.ca.> has issued two stamps, honouring Brown as well as Ontario’s 19th-century anti-slavery activist Abraham Doras Shadd.

Brown served in the B.C. Legislature for 14 years, during which time she also ran for leader of the federal NDP, coming a close second to Ed Broadbent in 1975. Before and after politics, Brown pursued interests in women’s and minority rights and Third-World development with the aid agency MATCH International. In later life, she headed the Ontario Human Rights Commission. She died in 2003.

Photography by Paul Chun

Intelligence

The Oakville-built Ford Flex can carry a load up to 303 cm – almost 10 feet long. An optional rear refrigerator keeps your road pops cool.

WHITNEY ON WHEELS Tony Whitney

Flex time Ford’s interesting new crossover is in a class all by itself

O

ne quick look at the 2009 Ford Flex tells you this baby is “different.”

It might just be the most interesting vehicle to emerge from a domestic automaker for years and already it’s selling strongly – proving that a little creative boldness can pay off.

The Flex doesn’t really fit into any clear vehicle category but is, one supposes, a kind of crossover product. And it doesn’t seem to borrow styling cues from any other vehicle on the market, though the eagle-eyed might point to the Honda Element and the U.S.-market Scion XB. From most standpoints, though, the Flex is unique.

It’s angular shape is avantgarde, promising to look fresh and modern many years from now. It certainly is all practicality, as we’ll see, but it is undeniably trendy – this could become something of a cult vehicle with design-conscious people. I was amazed at the number of heads the Flex turned as I drove by and the people who stopped to talk about it at curbside.

This is no compact by any means and is quite lengthy, though

its low-slung lines tend to thwart any sense of bulk. Front styling is aligned with Ford’s current look – the grille looks great with its huge Ford blue oval badge. Aft of the A-pillar, it is squared off and boxy but easy on the eye due to its basic sleekness. Ribs along the bodysides preclude any slab-sided appearance.

The roof is white on all body colours, enhancing a hunkereddown sleekness. Big 19-inch wheels set off the look very nicely indeed.

You can order a Flex for seven passengers and amazingly, in this configuration, the rear seats are very roomy, even for fairly tall adults. They also are ranged higher than the first two rows so rear passengers get a theatre-style view out the windows. My test Flex had some impressive leather trim – as good as anything I’d seen in quite a while from any maker. It just seemed to look and feel opulent and the texture was tastefully chosen too. My tester came with the optional panoramic roof – great to have, but a $1,700 extra.

The rest of the interior boasts a high level of quality, fit and finish.

Rather than a dreary monotone approach, there are several different materials involved, all complementing one another nicely.

The overall effect when climbing into a Flex is that you’re about to ride in a very upscale vehicle – yet my loaded-to-the-gills example was priced at well under $45,000.

For interior stowage space there seemed to be bins, cubby holes and trays everywhere, some with lids to keep valuables out of sight. The glove box is small, but there are plenty of other places to stow your stuff. On models where it is available, the rear floor well that accommodates the rearmost seats when folded is very deep – the perfect spot to stow grocery bags.

No bags sliding around the cargo area and emptying themselves.

When the two rear rows of seats are folded down, you get something resembling a giant station wagon or even a small minivan. It’s possible to carry a load up to 303 cm in the back of a Flex – that’s almost 10 feet long!

For keeping your cans of pop cool on touring trips, there’s a rear refrigeration console available – a worthwhile luxury on a hot day or for picnicking jaunts.

As one might expect, there are some interesting aspects to the powertrain department too. The familiar Ford 3.5-litre V-6 engine

delivers 262-horsepower. The Flex is fast and quiet and rides very comfortably too. It’s not a sports car and doesn’t pretend to be, but some drivers would be surprised by its stability in tight turns – maybe it has something to do with that low-rider look. Transmission is a six-speed automatic that is hardly noticeable, thanks to seamless shifts at all the right power levels.

In common with vehicles in this class, there are all kinds of electronic stability and braking aids in case things threaten to get out of control. Similarly, there’s a full suite of air bags to protect all occupants.

Even the rearmost passengers get the protection of Ford’s Safety Canopy side-curtain air bags.

Optional is Ford’s intelligent all-wheel drive system, aimed at providing confident driving in all weather conditions. I would guess that most Canadian buyers will go for the AWD option.

Incidentally, the Flex is built at Ford’s Oakville plant in Ontario.

Specifications – Body style: Four-door, seven-place crossover. Engine: 3.5-litre V-6.

Transmission: Six-speed automatic. Towing capacity: Over 4,000 lbs. Fuel economy: 13.5 litres/100 km city; 9.2 litres/100 km hwy.

Price: $36,999 base, $45,529 as tested mv

For love or money, natural coloured diamonds are rarest of the rare Is it possible that, while adding a little extra romance to your relationship this Valentine’s Day, you also could be adding value?

Natural fancy coloured diamonds are the rarest gems on the planet.

“Natural coloured diamonds have intrinsic value,” explains Colin Ferguson of CEO Carats Investments in Vancouver. “For every 100,000 carats of flawless white diamonds, only one carat of gem-quality coloured diamond is found. They’re the Rembrandts of the diamond world.” Unlike traditional, or white, diamonds, natural coloured diamonds are rapidly increasing in rarity and value, making these exquisite gems both an emotional and financial investment.

These ultimate gemstones come in a full spectrum of colours – from deep blues to dazzling pinks – and are on average 20 times more valuable than white diamonds.

The rarest of all coloured diamonds, reds are the result of compression on the diamond’s structure over millions of years. The 0.95-carat Hancock Red sold for US$880,000, for a record of US$926,000 per carat, at a 1987 Christie’s auction in New York. This per-carat record stood for 20 years.

Similar to reds and pinks, the hue and saturation are deformed by extreme pressure.

The world’s largest natural fancy vivid purple coloured diamond is the Royal Purple Heart. Of Russian origin, this gem is 7.34 carats.

As the hottest segment of the coloured diamond

market, pinks are also the result of structural compression.

The world’s largest pink diamond is the 182-carat Darya-ye Noor. Considered to be one of the oldest diamonds known to man, it now forms part of the Iranian Crown Jewels.

“There has been a paradigm shift in the way people view the ownership of diamonds,” says Ferguson. “Rare diamonds are associated with messages of eternal love and refined taste. But a coloured diamond also provides long-term financial gains.”

Millions of years in the making, pink, purple and red diamonds are a paradigm shift in buying diamonds for loved ones or investment.

February 2009 myvancouver 13

Intelligence February Venus trades cold fish for hot fishnets as she moves from Pisces into Aries Feb. 2, igniting the way for a full-blaze Leo Moon on the ninth. Should be a sizzling Valentine’s Day! Aquarius Jan. 19–Feb. 17: Though his ultra-Aquarian apparel may cause blurred vision or migraine, windbag Don Cherry only has eyes for hockey. You both may need to sport heart-shaped bifocals, for viewing personal values and personal relationships at the same time.

Pisces Feb. 18–Mar. 19: In a Catch 22 reminiscent of your love cycles, fossil-fueled Arctic thaw has spawned new prospects for oil exploitation therein, while simultaneously releasing ghosts of past expeditions.

Looks like responsibility and long-term commitment issues are on the horizon.

Aries Mar. 20–Apr. 18: The CIA has found Viagra to be a “silver bullet” for procuring Taliban movement details from polygamous, aging, Afghan warlords. Likewise, you’ll win friends and influence people by enlisting the forces of Venus this month.

Taurus Apr. 19–May 19: “I only answer to two people: myself and God,” claims bovine sister, Cher. At the risk of encouraging your elitist tendencies, I suggest you take her example, Taurus. Strengthen connections to your higher self when chatter and so-called advice encircles you.

Gemini May 20–June 20: Aggressive Swedish twins are great on ice (as in the Sedins), but lousy on the motorway (as in Britain last September). You’ll be of the former sort this month, gaining positive recognition for your efforts.

Cancer June 21–July 21: The male Fiddler Crab attracts a mate by making back and forth “fiddling” motions with his otherwise impractical power claw, so you’d think losing it in a rough tide would be traumatic for the little feller. Don’t worry, Mother Nature makes a new one grow in its place.

Leo July 22–Aug. 21: CBC Radio listeners hope to give Leo President Obama insight into Canada’s psyche via 49 tunes. You too may experience a fresh perspective through the eyes of another person or place this month, especially during the full moon on the ninth. A sight-seeing, Valentine vacation abroad might be just the thing.

Virgo Aug. 22–Sept. 21: Sex can be purely recreational or a vehicle of self-transformation, particularly when it results in children. Whether you’re a parent, a child, have a whiney inner child or are nine months pregnant with a project, your devotion is being demanded.

Libra Sept. 22–Oct. 22: Damascus, not Fredrick’s, is world headquarters for bawdy lingerie, where conjugal bliss is maintained with musical bras and remote-controlled panties that drop with a hand clap. Your mood may not be as kinky, but a little playtime together would suffice.

Scorpio Oct: 23–Nov. 20: With its high sex, drug, crime and dampness content, Vancouver is like one big Scorpio Playland. Romantic adventure can be found close to/at home, but keep any secret liaisons out of yours, unless you wish to be caught.

Sagittarius Nov. 21–Dec. 20: Centaurs who aren’t in a steadfast relationship right now are either a) oblivious, happy to navel-gaze into the wee hours without interruption b) carefully dreaming up the match to make real, one on par with your mind, soul, body and spirit.

Capricorn Dec. 21–Jan. 18: “It’s the end of an era of silly money,” says a recent BBC article. Luckily, Scarlet Johansson hawked her lipstick-smeared snotrag on ebay before this revelation, raising $5,300 for Hunger USA, but you’ll still find unconventional, new ways to collect for the less fortunate in the coming months.

Roxanna Bikadoroff

14 myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

Photography by Zenaida Kwong

What’s your sign?

As a lawyer, John Ince defeated a 117-year old law that prohibited sexual material from entering Canada. As an entrepreneur/ activist, he staged a show that featured live sexual acts; despite threats from Vancouver Police, no charges were laid.

Q+EH? John MacLachlan Gray

John Ince Sex: what’s love got to do with it? What have politics, culture and social conditioning? Not many in Vancouver have given as much thought to such questions – nor done as much about them – as John Ince, the lawyer, author, educator, entrepreneur and leader of the Sex Party. He tells John MacLachlan Gray: ‘In my world, the sight of a woman’s ankle can still be a sexual event.’

T

here is something peculiarly unsexy about Valentine’s Day – quite apart from the fact that it commemorates a Christian martyr who was torn apart with red-hot tongs. I know of no sexy Valentine’s Day songs, whereas Christmas songs abound with double-entendre (Eartha Kitt’s Santa Baby, for example).

I suspect this is also because the Valentine greeting card was a Victorian Invention; at no time did human beings make a greater effort to separate sex and “love” as human concepts.

In an effort to restore some balance, I decided to speak to John Ince, the Vancouver lawyer, author (The Politics of Lust), educator (The Erosha School of Erotic Massage), politician (as leader of the Sex Party he ran for office in Vancouver-Burrard a few years back), and as entrepreneur (a Vancouver shop and potential franchise called The Art of Loving).

As a lawyer, for years he has waged a war against Canada’s censorship laws, and managed to defeat a 117-year-old law that prohibited sexual material from entering Canada. As an entrepreneur/activist, in 2003 he staged a show called Public Sex, Art and Democracy that featured live sexual acts; despite threats from Vancouver Police, no raid occurred and no charges were laid.

The Art of Loving greets you with that New Age aroma peculiar to human potential bookstores, head shops and hippie crafts stores. To your left, a reading area with a sofa, next to shelves of books covering such topics as masturbation, fetishism and erotica and instruction books on the female orgasm and oral sex.

Up a couple of steps and you’re greeted by two emphatically wholesome young women who make small talk about the weather but tastefully refrain from asking you what you’re after. One of them is tinkering with an electronic dildo called the Rabbit, evidently a big seller after an appearance in Sex and the City. To your

right, lacy feminine attire, instructional videos, a selection of massage oils and what might be termed novelty condoms. To your left, products that remind you of a joke shop.

The area in the centre seems almost entirely devoted to dildos of various sizes, shapes and, to judge by the attachments, functions: plastic dildos, electronic dildos, stainless steel dildos and a crystal dildo costing several hundred dollars. Simulated female parts, however, seemed in short supply, other than a couple of flashlight-shaped contraptions designed to simulate feminine openings, back and front.

Perhaps because I couldn’t get those flashlights out of my mind, while speaking with Mr. Ince I was surprised to encounter a complex, well-read man with a deeply serious take on sex and its place in society – more serious than anything in his shop.

John MacLachlan Gray Most Canadian public institutions were formed during the Victorian Era – and a lot of our attitudes came with them – attitudes to crime and punishment, the family, poverty, prostitution and especially

‘Biologists have found almost no species that is truly monogamous.

An illusion persisted ... that certain species, like eagles, mate with one partner for life. Now with DNA sampling scientists know better.’ sexual mores. Is your erotic crusade really a crusade against Victorianism in society today?

John Ince No, Victorianism is only a specific example of sex negativity. Hostility to erotic expression is prominent in the Bible.

JMG Unlike Canada, the USA seems to have formed its attitudes to sex in the Puritan era – they not only disapprove of people who commit sexual indiscretions, they have a need to publicly shame them, put them in the stocks.

JI My key argument is that erotophobia is a product of social hierarchy. The more unequal the society, the more sexual fear exists within it. That’s why the Catholic Church is more frightened of sex than the Unitarians; why Saudi Arabia is more sex-negative than Sweden. America is far more hierarchic than Canada; think big military, big business, big fundamentalism. So America is a lot more erotophobic than we are.

JMG You coined the term erotophobia – what, exactly does it mean? What are we afraid of? Intimacy? Shame? Loss of control?

The unknown?

JI I did not coin the term. Social scientists did in the mid-1980s. It’s not well-understood in the way that the gay movement gave homophobia currency. Erotophobia is a lot like racism. A racist reacts to the sight of a person’s skin colour. We know that is disordered because there is nothing inherently threatening about skin colour. Erotophobia is similar – a person

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February 2009 myvancouver 15

LIVING GREEN Pamela Groberman

Tilting for windmills

I

’m planning a sleigh ride on Grouse Mountain with my Valentine. What could be more romantic than snuggling under a muffled sky with only the whisper of skis on snow and the lights of the city below.

The sleigh used to be pulled by horses from Stanley Park, bells jingling, but now more prosaically it is powered by biofuels. Magnificent shire horses no longer ride the gondola to go to work. Afterwards, as long as my love can convince me that organic cocoa beans have been grown under fair-trade practices, we’ll sip hot chocolate and warm our hands on recyclable containers.

But a more compelling reason to visit one of Vancouver’s top visitor attractions is to take a closer look at the site of the proposed wind turbine, which is already causing a stir. Grouse Mountain Resorts, according to its web site, aims to become carbon neutral, and the

65-metre tower will produce 20 percent of its electrical power and “inspire others to make a difference.”

The naysayers – including, dare I say it, my fellow environmentalists – say wind turbines desecrate the scenery and indiscriminately kill birds and bats with their whirling blades.

The Peregrine Falcon would be threatened and seven species of bats endangered.

Wherever the truth lies, North Vancouver District Council has given its approval by a 4–3 margin and the wind turbine will be built this year at the summit. Like the statue of Christ the Redeemer that soars over Rio de Janeiro or the Great Buddha on Hong Kong’s Lan Tao Island, it will be visible for miles.

Don’t know about you, but I favour harnessing the wind and the tide – or, for that matter, hot air from Victoria and Parliament Hill – if it will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Germany, for

example, the world’s largest user of wind power, with nearly 20,000 wind turbines installed, and more planned, produces 6 per cent of its power from wind. It exports wind energy systems, providing jobs for 70,000 citizens. Canada lags far behind, producing only 1 per cent of its power requirement from what naturally blows in from the sea.

Like Cervantes’ fabled character Don Quixote, are we tilting at windmills?

“Do you see over yonder, friend Sancho, 30 or 40 hulking giants? I intend to do battle with them and slay them. With their spoils we shall begin to be rich for this is a righteous war and the removal of so foul a brood from off the face of the earth is a service God will bless.”

“What giants?” asked Sancho Panza.

“Those you see over there,” replied his master, “with their long arms. Some of them have arms well nigh two leagues in length.”

“Take care, sir,” cried Sancho.

“Those over there are not giants but windmills. Those things that seem to be their arms are sails which, when they are whirled around by the wind, turn the millstone.”

Blow, wind, blow.

Pamela Groberman heads up an awardwinning media and public relations firm <pamelagroberman.com> that is passionate about sustainability.

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street level Michelle Hopkins

Girl power To feed her addiction, Kerrisdale-raised Caroline MacGillivray heads to the Downtown Eastside, where her Beauty Night has touched 10,000 lives

D

J is zipping around at such a speed, it’s dizzying. The 40-year-old reformed sex worker and crack cocaine addict is making popcorn and tea for the “ladies” in the PHS Lifeskills Centre in the Downtown Eastside.

This tiny dynamo – who weighs 90 pounds dripping wet and sports a T-shirt that reads “Girl Power” – stops long enough from her volunteer duties to tell her life story.

She’s been raped, beaten and nearly killed.

DJ has lived on the Downtown Eastside for two decades. She’s on husband number five, has had hundreds of “clients” over the years and has a lifetime addiction to crack cocaine.

Known as Mom on the streets, DJ credits Beauty Night with giving her purpose in life and making her feel good about herself – something that is echoed over and over again throughout the night by many of the women here.

Four nights a week, Beauty Night – an evening of pampering and fun reserved for the disenfranchised women in the poorest postal code in the country – hosts parties for “clients.”

They come for a free manicure, hairstyle, make up application, companionship and lots of hugs.

This night, the ladies have a choice of a facial, watching the movie The Notebook, card making or simply kibitzing with the other women.

Safe from the rain and the mean streets, Carol, 54, is painstakingly trying to glue some sparkles on a card she is making. Her hand shakes slightly as she looks up to discuss her “descent into hell.”

One of nine children raised by an alcoholic mother, Carol was on her own at 12. It wasn’t long before she became addicted to alcohol and drugs.

The shy, quiet First Nation Cree has survived living on the streets, prostitution, cancer and regular beatings.

“I have been sober for 16 years and I help others on the street through a street ministry, “ she says proudly. “I love coming here; you aren’t judged. … Caroline and the volunteers treat you like a real person.”

Eight years ago, Caroline MacGillivray headed to the Downtown Eastside to research an upcoming acting role. The actress went there in hopes of finding sex workers willing to talk to her about their lives on the streets.

While volunteering at the WISH Drop in Centre, MacGillivray, who was raised in an affluent Kerrisdale family, styled the hair for one of the street workers and then gave her a manicure.

“She hugged and thanked me, while tears streamed down her face,” says the 30something MacGillivray.

That encounter became the seed which blossomed into Beauty Night.

Today, Beauty Night has mushroomed into a nonprofit organization with branches in Vancouver, Victoria and Toronto. To date, Vancouver’s chapter has provided more than 10,000 makeovers for marginalized women and youth.

MacGillivray shrugs and laughs when asked why an attractive young woman would spend endless hours on the seedy side of town.

“It’s my addiction,” she says. “I tell people I work to pay for my addiction.

“One of the things we do through our work with Beauty Night is restore each individual’s sense of dignity by treating them with respect … through creating a compassionate and safe environment, both clients and volunteers are able to flourish.”

For information, visit beautynight.org. mv

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myvancouver P R O M O T I O N February 2009 myvancouver 17

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Buy low Economists predict that, with recent market turmoil, British Columbians are likely to put less into their RRSPs this year. Bad idea! But a good idea – especially now – may be what one advisor calls ‘disciplined rebalancing’

R

RSP season should be at its height but many economists expect the final tallies will show that contributions for the season – which ends March 2, 2009 – will be down from previous years.

B.C. residents contributed $4.7 billion to RRSPs last year, or an average of more than $3,000 a person. The national average was $2,780 a person.

RRSPs – Registered Retirement Savings Plans – are a time-honoured way we in Canada have of stashing away a few dollars with the ostensible aim of preparing for retirement but with the more immediate goal of snagging tax deductions.

The investment, after all, is sheltered from taxes – meaning taxes aren’t owing on contributions until they’re withdrawn.

But plummeting markets in the months leading up to the current investment season have sapped not just consumer confidence but confidence in the potential of the markets to deliver a return. Just 31 per cent of those eligible made contributions last year, and the percentage could be less this year. Those who do contribute could very well contribute less.

But the behaviour goes against the grain of everything the advisors tell us: If we’re to buy low and sell high, then now is a far better time to invest than last year was. And if we’re to make regular contributions that allow us to ride market swings and worry less about the peaks and valleys of the market, then a) we shouldn’t be

fretting about the current environment because we’ve been contributing all along, and b) a lumpsum investment now stands a better chance of appreciation than it did a year ago (hindsight bears out that comment).

We’ve all been burned, however.

And it’s that burning sensation most people can’t escape when it comes to considering new investments, especially in a volatile market like the current one.

But Jonathon Palfrey, a senior vice-president with Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd. in Vancouver, says a disciplined approach can offer hope.

“Don’t change your investment horizon based on market fluctuations,” says Palfrey, who works primarily with the private-client wing of the firm. “It pays over time to stay invested and to avoid making emotional decisions after markets have declined. Just like chasing high returning stocks at the top of market is a bad idea, chasing low returning investments near the bottom of a market can be just as damaging.”

Rebuilding a shattered portfolio may take time, but there are ways of addressing losses.

The first is to get advice, starting with a thorough analysis of your portfolio. While it may not pay to ditch good investments that have tanked, any portfolio bears regular examination and potentially rebalancing in order to meet investment objectives.

A number of banks have stepped forward with check-up programs catering to customers See page 42

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February 2009 myvancouver 19

Liz Bell Model agent

“When I immigrated to Canada from South Africa in 1981, and really kind of settled my roots, my first job was as a waitress at Bridges restaurant on Granville Island. I spent a lot of time there and developed some really close relationships with the people I worked with, some of whom I’m still in contact with today, so that big yellow building will always be a familiar and special landmark to me.

“But, gosh, there are so many things that I love about Vancouver – namely the people who’ve been in the [fashion] industry forever; the creative teams who do an amazing job and are innovative and constantly excited about the work they do.

“Vancouver is an amazing city where you can be five minutes outside the city and find yourself in nature.

Often I’ll take my dog for a walk in the North Shore and be on my Blackberry to New York and they’re all stressed out and I’m in the trees enjoying myself! I love the contrast in the city of thriving business and being in nature.

“I do wish Vancouverites would be a lot more passionate about things and not so complacent. I always compare the weather to the people; the weather is so low-key so the people are lowkey. South Africa is full of thunder and lightening and the people there are like that, whereas here, for example, on New Year’s Eve we were sitting at home watching the fireworks in Seattle on TV and we switched the broadcast to show what was happening here and they showed the police on their horses doing patrols.

“I wish Vancouver would be more fun. My pet peeve is the overregulation in Vancouver that kyboshes any kind of fun and deters from making things easy for people.”

Three things I love n The freshest seafood on the planet, especially the oysters at Finest at Sea n The drive home into the sunset over Howe Sound – Sea-to-Sky Highway, here we come! n Foggy morning walks with my dog at Ambleside Doggy Park.

Liz Bell, the founder of Lizbell Agency, has spent the last 27 years working in the fashion industry, first as a model, now an agent. She lives in Lions Bay with her husband, Canadian artist David Burns, and their four children.

Photography by Robert Karpa

‘MY VANCOUVER’

February 2009 myvancouver 21

Lip service Hard times? Don’t pout! OK, pout, prettily, when affordable luxury is just a kiss away As the economy crumbles, the Lipstick Index is jumping.

During World War II amid shortages and rationing when woman were discouraged from wanting luxuries, lipstick sales rose. Leonard Lauder, Chairman of the Estée Lauder group is credited with coining the “Lipstick Index” theory or the “Lipstick Effect” as an economic indicator.

“There seems to be some kind of correlation – when times are tough, gloss [and] lipstick sales seem to boom,” Shawna Weinman, a spokeswoman for the Toronto-based Cargo Cosmetics told CBC News.

In 2009 the business of luxury could face its first recession in six years.

A study from consulting group Bain & Company predicts a seven per cent decline in global luxury sales this year. Bad news for luxury sales; good news for the cosmetics industry.

In an era of “austerity chic” women decide where to skimp, when to splurge. “In today’s credit crunch, a Chanel lipstick is a far more affordable luxury than a Chanel bag,” reports Marina Rust in February’s Vogue magazine.

And how to get the most out of your favourite lipstick? myvancouver beauty expert Sonia Leal-Serafim divulges her favourite lip tricks for creating a luscious pout.

22 myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

“To keep chapped lips at bay and make your lips full and lush, try brushing your lips with your toothbrush when you brush your teeth.

This will exfoliate your lips and get rid of any dead or flakey skin,” Leal-Serafim says.

“It’s always best to start out with a primer,” she explains. “MAC’s Prep & Prime Lip is a great product to smooth and refine your lips. Apply it before your lipstick to improve its appearance.”

If you are more of a lip-gloss kinda gal but want to find a way to make it last longer, Leal-Serafim recommends using a similar colour lipliner to match the gloss and “fill in your entire lips before applying your lip gloss.” On our model she chose Tinted Lipglass in Lychee Luxe by MAC. Whether you skimp or splurge, in today’s cosmetics market there are plenty of great options. Joe Fresh Style, by Joe Mimran, creator of Alfred Sung, Club Monaco and Caban and the epitome of affordable chic, has launched a collection of stylish and well-priced cosmetics, due to hit Superstore shelves March 1. With quality comparable to prestige lines, their lip stains, tinted balms and cream lipsticks range from just $6 to $8.

Alternatively, Sisley’s Phyto-Lip Shine from Holt Renfrew is a wise splurge at $45. It’s treatment formula hydrates while forming a light film on the lips for a plumping and shape-enhancing effect and each silver tube comes in its own lush velvet case.

In these tough economic times, holding off on a planned vacation or major household purchase may be a prudent decision, but a luscious red lip surely is a guilt-free luxury. Jennifer Watton

Photography by Chris Haylett; hair and makeup by Sonia Leal-Serafim; model: Jenelle from richardsmodels.com

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February 2009 myvancouver 23

style Luxury

The night watch A fine watch isn’t simply a handy way to tell the time – you can do that on your mobile anyway. It’s an expression of good taste and style and in the case of the most sought-after makes, it’s an appreciating asset

F

ine wristwatches have enjoyed a boom in recent years, with top Swiss makers posting year-by-year records, even in challenging economic times. And while much of the focus has been on increasingly gadgetfestooned men’s watches, few prestige brands have ignored women’s designs and many specialize in that market. After all, women were wearing wristwatches well before men, who stuck faithfully to their bulky pocket watches long after the ladies had discovered the convenience of a timepiece worn on the wrist. It took the demands of WWI troops to popularize the wristwatch as a “unisex” item combining practicality with

stylistic flair.

The great watchmakers long have included women’s watches in their catalogues – usually with a charm, design and individuality of their own and sometimes as downsized versions of men’s watches. Rolex, Omega, Longines, Tissot, TAG Heuer, Concord, Zenith, Ebel, Baume & Mercier and many other (mostly Swiss) makers offer outstanding designs for every imaginable occasion from formal evenings to sports.

Watch designs often are influenced by wider trends and many fashion houses market their own timepieces – names such as Hermes, Gucci, Armani and Burberry. Even writing instrument icon Mont Blanc has a wide range of watches now.

Recent years have seen the return to favour of mechanical watches with self-winding movements and many women’s timepieces – even very small ones – boast this feature. Even so, the smaller and slimmer women’s designs often use precision quartz movements, which are highly accurate and far easier to engineer into a case of restricted size.

The quietly distinctive Patek Philippe Twenty-4 timepiece is made in stainless steel with 36 diamonds, $13,800 (opposite page). Also seen is matching Patek Philippe Calatrava Cross ring in 18-carat white gold with 48 diamonds, $9,360 – a luxurious combination to slip on for the Crystal Ball, a fundraiser for B.C. Children’s Hospital. Patek Philippe is available exclusively at Brinkhaus Jewellers in Western Canada.

The wonderful “cocktail” designs of the 1920s and ’30s have all but disappeared in an age when women want – and need – chronographs, waterproofing and other practical features, but some makers still carry updated versions. Of course, there are lots of Art Deco watches to be found in antique shops, but they can be tough to fix if there’s anything wrong. The best place to start looking for a vintage Art Deco watch is a well-established jeweler that handles some estate sale business.

Vacheron Constantin’s 1972 Cambrée – paved timepiece (on this page), as seen at Palladio, is made of 18-carat white gold with a full diamond pave set case and buckle on a pale blue fabric strap – an ideal piece for this month’s sold-out VSO Lovers Ball, supporting the Vancouver Symphony. $32,600.

As always, watch cases may be made of a variety of materials. Since almost all watches must be considered jewelry pieces, gold is still an obvious choice. In recent years, white gold and rose gold have become very popular and some makers combine the colours with great effect. Even more desirable is platinum, which is offered by many topend watchmakers, but expect to pay a high price for such an heirloom. Modern watch cases might be made of anything from high-impact plastic to stainless steel, titanium or even carbon fibre. The best choice for most people with busy lives is probably stainless steel, which is super-durable with the bonus that a good watchmaker can easily polish it and restore its original finish.

The show-stopping Gucci Chiodo timepiece from Rodeo Jewelers, Oakridge Centre – seen here in 18-karat white gold and set with 6.15 carats of diamonds – is the only one in Canada (centre). It’s an eye-catching statement to make at this spring’s Diamond Ball to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society. $68,500.

A fine watch isn’t simply a handy way to tell the time – you can do that on your mobile anyway. It’s an expression of good taste and style and in the case of the most sought-after makes – Rolex, Omega, Patek Phillipe, Vacheron Constantin, JaegerLeCoultre and others – it’s an appreciating asset. It’s a reminder, perhaps, of a loved one’s caring. It’s a technical marvel that we tend to take for granted – especially if it’s a mechanical watch that may have hundreds, of parts. A wristwatch is a cherished companion that in many cases can last a lifetime and even span several generations.

Story by Tony Whitney Photography by Chris Haylett Styling by Jennifer Watton Hair and makeup by Sonia Leal-Serafim

24 myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

February 2009 myvancouver 25

the hit list Jennifer Watton

Lucky in love

Naughty or nice Seduce your sweetheart with undeniably real, honest-to-goodness, authentic lingerie from Agent Provocateur. The classic Love collection (above left) is made with delicate French Leavers lace with built-in stretch to caress the skin and flatter the figure. Just in for February is the Pan & the Vestry of Virgins collection (above right) offering some enticing looks for an intimate Valentine’s Day. Prices range from $125–$200. (1026 Alberni St. 604-258-7943, agentprovocateur.com/vancouver).

Little gem Stittgen is a sparkling gem in West Vancouver’s shopping district, specializing in unique custom jewelry. With a dedicated goldsmith for the past 11 years, Stittgen’s signature pieces showcase hammered gold, satin-finished precious metals and rare pearls. The South Sea pearl strand (pictured) is made with all natural coloured pearls. $23,800.

(1457 Bellevue Ave., West Vancouver. 604-925-8333, stittgen.com).

Sweet tooth The much-lauded Vancouver original, Cupcakes, was started by two friends seven years ago and has since spawned world-wide copy-cat bakeries. Now with four stores and a fifth opening at Thurlow and Robson later this month, the demand is hardly fading. Baked daily from scratch in an array of flavours. $1.25 for a bite-sized mini to $7.50 for the “big one.” (1168 Denman St. 604-974-1300, cupcakesonline.com)

Twosome treat Get yourself and your other half in the mood for love with the Signature Couples Treatment at Vida Spa Sutton Place. Begin with a side-by-side warm sugar body exfoliation, followed by a private shower and steam for two and finish with side-by-side relaxation massages. Ninety minutes for $320. (The Sutton Place Hotel, 845 Burrard St. 800-401-4018, vidawellness.com).

26 myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

Photography by Paul Chun

Indulge in a little luxury this Valentine’s Day with French lingerie, natural coloured pearls, gourmet cupcakes and couple’s massages

catwalk Guy Babineau

Christopher Bailey’s Burberry Coast If there is one high-end fashion label that can weather the storm, this is it

C

anada’s first stand-alone Burberry store opened without fanfare in Vancouver last November. The world has had the financial rug pulled out from under it, and luxury brands are poised to teeter and crash. Maybe we can learn a thing or two from a company whose reputation for quality has seen it through two world wars and the Great Depression, not to mention most of Queen Victoria’s reign.

The stunning store is smartly situated on the street level of the Shangri-La, that shiny new obelisk of swank hotel rooms and multimillion-dollar condos towering above the city skyline at 1101 Alberni St. (the store runs the length of Thurlow from West Georgia to Alberni, so you can enter on the Georgia side, too). Burberry knows its clientele, and as they say, location is everything. I went inside to look at all the beautiful things I can’t afford to buy – but would if I could – licking my lips like Oliver Twist.

If there is one highend fashion label that can weather the storm, this is it.

Burberry invented gabardine, introduced the trenchcoat, and is as synonymous with British identity and staying power as HP Sauce, Coronation Street and Rolls Royce. But at one point the company was perceived to be out of step with the times, as risible as, say, Spam or Carry On movies.

That changed radically in 2001 when Christopher Bailey came onboard as Design Director. All of a sudden Burberry was young, hot and hip. Sales shot through the roof.

“I really wanted the new [Vancouver] store to capture the energy of the brand, to reflect the heritage of the brand, but with a real modern point of view,” Bailey writes from London in an e-mail interview.

Bailey, who is only 35, spent several years as the Womenswear Designer at Donna Karan, and several more working with Tom Ford at Gucci as the Senior Designer of Womenswear. When he was asked to join Burberry, he welcomed the challenge. “The idea of having the possibility to evolve, develop and implement the design and creative direction of such a stoic British house known globally is an amazing dream role and a responsibility that I respect enormously.”

Bailey oversees everything from the clothing, footwear and accessories collections, to advertising campaigns, to store designs around the world. He is no diva, though, and credits the people he works with. “I have to say that I am most proud to be able to build a team of incredible people who have the same level of passion and dedication, and who are great fun to be with!”

GQ recently named Bailey Designer of the Year. The

2008 British Fashion Awards recognized him as Best Menswear Designer for the second consecutive year. In 2005, he was honoured with the BFA Award for Best Designer. It’s obvious why when you see the men’s and women’s Spring/Summer 2009 collections he designed for Burberry Prorsum, which showed at Milan Fashion Week. In Vancouver, a city famous for rain and gardens, the theme and palette couldn’t be more appropriate.

“I had been spending a lot of time in my garden in Yorkshire – I love being outside and the idea was really about going back to the Earth and our foundations. I like things that are a little more gentle, with a bit of romance and nostalgia. I had a very clear vision of these Garden Girls splashing around outside in their raincoats, which really reflects our outerwear heritage.”

His ethereal, elegantly rumpled young women sauntered sweetly down the runway wearing flowing, kneehigh, prairie-style dresses, oversized trenchcoats, comfy cardigans, floppy hats and chunky bracelets and necklaces, played out in hues of grey, taupe, moss green, tan and metallic gold.

For the men’s collection, Bailey was inspired by the seaside garden of the late filmmaker Derek Jarman, whose movies include Caravaggio, Edward II and Wittgenstein. The garden is poignantly located next to a nuclear reactor and served as the setting for his film The Garden. A tireless gay and AIDS activist, Jarman died of HIV-related complications in 1994.

The collection, called Crumpled Classics, is softly sensual with a lived-in look, featuring generously draped jackets, pants, shirts and sweaters in shades of mustard, muted blue, olive green and grey.

There is a resilience and ease about both of the collections that speaks to our troubled times, and the language is poetry. This isn’t the England of the Tudors, Elizabeth I or Jane Austen, all done to death in recent pop culture. Here we have flowers sprouting amidst rations and air raid sirens.

All I can say to Mr. Bailey is, “Please, sir, I want some more.” mv ‘I like things that are a little more gentle, with a bit of romance and nostalgia,’ explains Burberry Design Director Christopher Bailey (inset). ‘I had a very clear vision of these Garden Girls.’

February 2009 myvancouver 27

Our

Jennifer Beals’ second act, starring in Vancouver-shot The L Word and so unexpectedly becoming a beacon for gay rights, suits the actress/activist who stumped for Barack Obama and sees his election as something bigger than politics as usual

Ms. Beals Story by David Spaner Photography by Kharen Hill

J

ennifer Beals found her second act in Vancouver.

Most actors wait forever for the iconic role that never comes.

For Beals, though, stardom came early, with Flashdance, the 1983 hit dedicated to the proposition that dancing will set you free.

Despite strong work in other films over the years, Beals continued to be identified with Flashdance. Then, in Vancouver, 20 years after her first iconic role, she created a second one – starring in The L Word, the television phenomenon dedicated to the proposition that all lesbians, and everyone else, are created equal.

So popular is the shot-in-Vancouver Showtime series – which has just begun its sixth and final season (airing Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on Showcase) that its name has become a widely-used euphemism for lesbian.

“Yeah, it’s huge,” says Beals. “Really, globally, it’s been a really incredible response.”

Beals first told me about The L Word over a lunch-time interview at the Kitsilano Milestone’s in 2003. The show had just gone into production in Vancouver. With its groundbreaking premise (a Sex and the City-style relationship series but with lesbian characters) and quality cast (for starters, Beals, Pam Grier and Mia Kirshner), it seemed destined to become one of the benchmark Vancouver TV series, alongside The X-Files and 21 Jump Street.

At the time, Beals was just beginning to grapple with the larger meaning of The L Word, and she would pause after some questions, as if unwilling to say anything until she’d found words with a ring of truth. That search for clarity is part of what makes Beals so unique in a profession that celebrates celebrity and self-absorption. She is acutely aware that the world is larger than her profession and herself, which brings her to campaign for Barack Obama, study Buddhist philosophy and take roles in no-budget indie films.

But there are other sides to Beals, too, and the one that first responded to

28 myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

The L Word was all about her.

“To be totally honest, when I first read the pilot, I didn’t really think about what will this mean socially, what will this mean culturally, what will this mean for the gay community or for the community at large,” she now says. “I just thought very selfishly as an actress.”

Beals was drawn to the complexity of her character, Bette Porter, a strong-willed woman who worked as a curator at a Los Angeles art museum, but she had done some tepid television and was wary about jumping into the small screen. So, she met with The L Word’s creator/producer Ilene Chaiken, was impressed with her smarts and integrity, and signed on.

“When Jennifer and I both started this show, we had no idea it would have the impact and the reach that it’s had,” says Chaiken. “Jennifer has had a tremendous impact. She has become such an inspiration and role model to so many women who never have seen themselves or their lives or their aspirations represented on television.”

G

rowing up in Chicago, the daughter of an AfricanAmerican father who owned a grocery story and Irish-American mother who taught school, Beals was more voracious reader than star-struck movie fan (“I remember having a big crush on Huckleberry Finn,” she says). She also acted in student productions and by 14 had an agent. Beals had barely started first-year classes at Yale University when she was cast in Flashdance, as a welder with dreams of dance school. During her second term at Yale, the movie was released to tremendous fanfare. Beals was an instant cover girl, her bare-shouldered sweatshirt the style of the day.

Continued on page 32

.

February 2009 myvancouver 29

Our Ms. Beals

30 myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

Oscar de la Renta black gown with gold appliquĂŠ; Fendi black, strappy platform shoes; David Yurman gold hoop earrings; all from Holt Renfrew. Jennifer Beals wears her own rings.

Dolce and Gabbana purple satin bustier; Viola black seamed stockings; Papillon Blanc black satin garter belt; Agent Provocateur black lace panties; Holt Renfrew black fedora; Fendi thigh-high grey suede boots; all from Holt Renfrew.

Lanvin 2007 navy cotton/wool-blend trenchcoat: stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own.

February 2009 myvancouver 31

Our Ms. Beals

from page 28

When a movie makes a splash like Flashdance, its young star can keep doing what she’s doing or move to L.A. to pursue the opportunities.

“I had no intention of dropping out of school,” says Beals, “and woe to the person who would suggest it to me. It’s just something I really loved.”

With her considerable acting chops and unique beauty, had Beals relocated to L.A. during the Flashdance mania, she might have wound up a Julia Roberts-sized star.

“What’s the point of being a big movie star?” she says. “I mean, literally, at the end of the day, what’s the point of it?”

Beals, at 19, was more interested in exploring herself than chasing fame. “If you’re interested in inquiry, a movie star isn’t perhaps the best path. But if you go to university and you are exposed to a myriad of subjects and extraordinary teachers, then you’re more likely to go on that path of inquiry. At least for me. I don’t think I could have made the pursuit of movie stardom anything other than a misery.”

So, Beals finished her degree in literature. She met New York filmmaker Alex Rockwell, and the two were soon married, living in Manhattan and working on In the Soup, a comic look at movie-making that would be a Sundance hit in 1992. The sensibility that kept Beals at Yale put her in sync with the independent film world, and she has kept one foot in indies, appearing in such films as The Anniversary Party and Rodger Dodger.

Beals is also a working actress with a long resumé of TV and film work between Flashdance and The L Word – some forgettable, some exceptional.

In the noirish Devil in a Blue Dress, for instance, Beals delivered a stunning, Oscar-worthy performance as a sensitive-but-tough fatale enmeshed in intrigue with private investigator Denzel Washington.

Beals’ home is the next place a good script takes her, so she is reticent to says she lives any place. But not long after her breakup with Rockwell in the mid-1990s, she got a place in L.A. Her ties to Vancouver started shortly after when she met Maple Ridge-reared Ken Dixon, who had worked on film crews. They married, and had a daughter in 2005.

T

hese post-L Word days, Beals moves between homes on the west side of Los Angeles and the west side of Vancouver, undecided whether they’ll maintain a place in Canada if she’s not shooting here.

“We haven’t really made a plan,” she says. “When I’m not working, I do spend time here. Well, because my husband’s from here, we have family here. I love Vancouver. I would love to do another series in Vancouver. I discovered triathlons in Vancouver – swimming in the ocean and running on trails and biking and . . .”

Maybe it’s a lesson derived from Beal’s onetime Yale classmate David Duchovny, who found that joking about Vancouver, especially its weather, can provoke the inner lynch mob in local rain-soaked media, but Beals seems hard-pressed to find anything wrong with the city. (“I was in New York a couple weeks ago and it started pouring down rain and everybody started panicking, and I was like, ‘So what, it’s just rain.’”)

She can’t, however, resist mentioning just one thing: “I think somebody could help the architecture along,” she says. “Coming from Chicago, it’s just really deplorable. It’s crazy because you have this amazing backdrop of the mountains and the ocean and you have so much to work with, but nobody, I think, has given it the thought. It seems quite expedient. So ... but I do love being here.”

Having a black father and a white mother and being from Chicago, voting for Obama must have almost been like voting for herself.

“I didn’t think of it that way,” Beals says with a laugh. “But it certainly resonated with me in a very personal way, especially since he was a community organizer in Altgeld Gardens, which is where my father had a store when I was a girl. But obviously you don’t campaign so hard for someone – especially when you’re so much of a genetic hermit as I am – just because they have a similar background.”

Beals activated for Obama last year and was invited to be on his women’s policy committee. She saw in Obama an exhilarating way out of the Bush years.

“It was this amazing possibility to have the dynamics of politics, as they had been practised for the last eight years or more, completely changed, because we were just in the politics of fear and there was no

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Beals saw in Obama an exhilarating way out of the Bush years. ‘I’ve met him on several occasions. And he’s really the person who looks you in the eye and talks to you and listens to you, and remembers what you said the last time that you met. And you just can’t even believe it because he’s met thousands upon thousands of people. ... It’s more about a movement than a political campaign.’

Zac Pozen black gown; YSL black-pattern booties; Luc Kieffer assorted bracelets; King Baby men’s lion’s head ring; all from Holt Renfrew. Agent Provocateur bra and fishnet stockings.

sense of the community or a government for the people and by the people. And here was an opportunity to have someone who would lead but who would also listen.

“I’ve met him on several occasions. And he’s really the person who looks you in the eye and talks to you and listens to you, and remembers what you said the last time that you met. And you just can’t even believe it because he’s met thousands upon thousands of people. ... It’s more about a movement than a political campaign.”

Beals did not realize it at the time, but when she signed on to The L Word, she was also signing on, in a sense, to the gay movement. Once she knew what she had gotten herself into, she relished it, knowing that somewhere, in the middle of nowhere, some girl who had identified herself as gay would find strength seeing herself represented on TV. “It wasn’t until later that it dawned on me – I had had no idea this was the first show of its kind and what does that mean. And for me what it meant was that you have an enormous opportunity to be helpful to another group of people. That doesn’t mean that you in any way colour your performance to be helpful. You be as honest as you possibly can be. And the truth will be helpful.” mv Photo assistants: Jennifer Houghton, Rob Seebacher, Geoff Neufeldt. Photo equipmemt supplied by beauphoto.com.

Stylist: Cynthia Summers. Stylist’s assistant: Patti Bishop. Hair: Paul Edwards for sapphocosmetics.com. Makeup: Joanne Fowler for sapphocosmetics.com. Location thanks to Gwyn Roberts Management, Vogue Theatre, 918 Granville St., Vancouver.

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Café society

Bubble, bubble – hey, no trouble

“We figured it might be funny to take a run at ourselves for being three guys from Alberta opening an Italian restaurant in Vancouver,” laughs Tom Doughty, who, along with Robert Belcham and Tim Pittman of Fuel, has launched Campagnolo Restaurant at 1025 Main St. Inspired by the Piedmont and EmigliaRomagna regional cuisine of Italy, Executive Chef Belcham and Chef de Cuisine Alvin Pillay have stocked the menu with simple plates of house-made salumi, pizza, pasta, risotto, and seasonal main courses.

Designed by Marc Bricault, the dim 90-seat room, with a clean, modern, unfinished look, is highlighted by original old-growth fir beams and original concrete blocks. Made mostly from sustainable sources, the floors are cork and the tables of recycled wood. Open nightly, 5 p.m. until late. … New downtown, in the space formerly occupied by The Sugar Refinery at 1115 Granville, The Refinery is a charcuterie-based, market-fresh-style eatery and wine bar.

Concentrating on artisan-cured meats, pates, terrines, cheeses, seafood dishes and sharing platters, Chef Michael Carter prepares antipasto and tapas plates, as well. Designed

by M-Studio, the 75-seat second-floor room is built from reclaimed wood, non-toxic building supplies, and incoming water is filtered into the kitchen. … Jennifer Boyer of Stella’s Tap & Tapas Bar on the Drive tells myvancouver that her husband Todd will be the cook at their new Cambie location, formerly occupied by Dadeo New Orleans Diner & Bar and Tomato Fresh Food Café. “We’ll be serving more of a dinner menu of sustainable local produce, meat and fish, a modified tapas menu, and the same attention to beer.” With the aim to open March 15, a stone fireplace and take-away service are planned. …

Thai House Restaurant Group introduces their newest location, Charm Modern Thai and Bar, in Yaletown at 1269 Hamilton, promising authentic Thai dishes daily from 5:30 p.m. to late. … The redesign, renovation and rebranding of the former site of the Jolly Alderman Pub, next door

Whatever the name, the message in the bottle is the same: fun, romance, elegance, celebration.

Here’s a Valentine’s Day six-pack of festive bubble, from Australia, Spain, Ay and Patagonia

C

hampagne — sparkling wine, vin mousseux, cava, sekt, cremant, spumante – whatever the name, the message in the bottle is the same: fun, romance, elegance, celebration – and a really good dinner companion regardless of the food or the company. Which is why there’s so much of it about; every wine-making area produces some – and this is the season – one of the seasons – when we like to drink it, give it, enjoy it.

Here is a Valentine’s Day six-pack of festive bubble, from Australia, Spain, Ay and Patagonia, arranged from budget ($15) to indulgence ($65). All were personally taste-tested to make sure I’m not steering you wrong here. It’s all part of the selfless service. All came from the government stores (although, as is usually the case, not all of them are to be found in all of the stores.)

Let’s begin with the amazing 15-dollar bargain from down under, Wolf Blass “Yellow Label” Sparkling Brut n/v, which stands for non-vintage, which all of the following are, except for the Marques de Gelida. $14 plus the requisite dime buys you a great deal of bubbly delight: it’s soft, a teeny bit sweetish, but rich and full and just very nice, especially for the price. Sure, you can do two, the two of you, if you’re planning on staying in. Which is a good thing to plan on Valentine’s Day. Or even extemporize.

Here’s a newbie from the bottom of the continent: Fresita Patagonian Strawberry Bubble “100% Natural.” The natural part refers to the strawberry pulp that goes into the wine, bringing it up to a scarcely wine-legal eight per cent alcohol (OK, you can do three of these, the two of you!). You’ve got to love berries, though, ’cause that’s what the taste is all about: “premium Chilean sparkling wine, infused with hand-picked strawberries from Patagonia,” according to the label legend. As well as being bright and clean and fresh, and presented in a festive Barbie-pink celebratory bottle, it really suffers from only one little problem – price; $17.95 seems a tad steep for such pop. But it’s lovely with custards and cobblers when fresh baking fruit reappears. Might make pretty good Jell-O, too.

The Spanish cava, Marques de Gelida Brut Exclusive Reserva 2004 ($24) is packaged in one of those wrap-around plastic covers, with lots of splashes of bright orange and white, which might not make the ecofolks too happy. And be careful – the wire cage twists off the opposite way from what we’re used to.

But it tastes very nice – a little yeasty off the top, till it gets comfortable in the glass, then lean and quite crisp, lemon-fresh for the front of the palate; very easy drinking, especially if you’ve got it at hand while cooking. A welcome newcomer to our bubbly shelves.

Segura Viudas “Herredad” Brut Reserva ($30) has delighted fanciers of mid-priced bubble ever since landing on our shores. It sits at the top of the price pyramid from this reliable producer of quality cava; the presentation of the heavy bottle-in-box is giftready; the fruit is fabulous. This is as good as many French champagnes, at half the cost: fresh, lively, brisk and festive; well worth the price. A bubble best buy for sure.

Lanson “Black Label” Brut is another best buy; yes, even at $34 for the half (375 ml) bottle. (You’ll want four of these, at least, for the two of you. Or go the bundle and get the 750). But if it’s a matter of a whistle-wetter before you go out to dinner, this will do the trick nicely; set you up for more, at restaurant markup price when you get to where you’re going (which you did book, right?). Lanson is a French classic and French bubble costs the bundle, nothing for it but to take a deep breath and pay the piper. Ah, but it’s so splendid. And we do buy label as much as content, don’t we. Go ahead, indulge, enjoy – the bill won’t be in till mid-March.

Last on this little list is a grande marque from the littlest of the three leading Champagne towns, Reims, Epernay and – Ay. Pronounced Ay. Here you can find a dozen or so houses, dominated by Deutz, whose Brut Classic ($65) is simply stunning. Yes, it will probably blow your Dom-loving cousin away, too, just don’t tell him it costs way less than the good monk’s namesake market-headliner.

A whiff of fresh bread yeast off the top and then lovely little bubbles pearling into the glass with gorgeous fresh, tingly fruit and a super-long finish.

We’ve saved the best to the last again. I’d be very selective about who’s sharing this one. mv

LEFT TO RIGHT: 6 – Deutz Brut Classic, VCG SA “Fresita” Strawberry Bubble, Lanson “Black Label” Brut, Marques de Gelida Brut Exclusive Reserva 2004, Segura Viudas “Herredad” Brut Reserva, Wolf Blass “Yellow Label” Sparkling Brut.

Alberta guy and Fuel Executive Chef Rob Belcham, with Tom Doughty and Tim Pittman, launches Campagnolo Restaurant on Main Street. to FigMint, will emerge as a gastropub/sports bar with TV screens. … Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Market at the Shangri-La was fully booked when we fell by the classy and costly hotel on opening night, January 24 – although a few seats were empty in the casual bistro with fireplace on the other side of the bar. A peek at the dinner menu revealed an emphasis on local seafood with the first item listed as Sea Urchin Toast with Yuzu and Jalapeño.

Dining deals: For the ravenous, all-youcan-eat linguine – with marinara sauce for $10.95 or meat sauce for $15.95 – every Wednesday night at Hennessey Dining Lounge. … Andrew Wong and Chef Todd Bright at Wild Rice are serving a special threecourse Year of the Ox Dinner through February 8 for $25. Steamed oxtail half-moon dumplings accompanied by B.C. side stripe shrimp ceviche and a drizzle of beef jus, braised Pemberton beef shank, osso buco with Five Treasure Rice, and a sweet dumpling filled with a mixture of white chocolate and red bean paste dressed with caramel and accompanied by vanilla tofu ice cream.

Rather than traditional Scotch or cognac, Wong prefers “to pair wines that complement the complexity of each dish’s flavours” and a matched flight of wines is available for an additional $20.

Gary Barclay

www.glowbalgroup.com

CARE + FEEDING Three squares

Capsule reviews PRICE GUIDE Below $30 = [$]. $30–$50 = [$$]. $50–$70 = [$$$]. Above $70 = [$$$$].

Prize dim sum and other stuff BREAKFAST Deacon’s Corner, 101 Main St. 604-684-1555, deaconscorner.ca

LUNCH Lin Chinese Cuisine and Tea House, 1537 W. Broadway, 604-733-9696

DINNER Senova Restaurant 1864 W. 57th Ave. 604-266-8643, senovarestaurant.com

I love weekend breakfast and all the gourmet touches that go along with it, and it’s no trouble to find great breakfast menus in Vancouver. But sometimes what does seem to be sorely missing is a solid, unpretentious brekkie joint where eggs are served up every day of the week and you can walk away without spending a fortune.

Tucked into the corner of Alexander and Main on the outskirts of Gastown, the newly opened Deacon’s Corner serves up comfort food that wouldn’t be out of place in a classic 1950s greasyspoon diner. The fare ranges from hearty to down-home indulgent, with comfort foods like Sausage and Biscuits ($7.50) setting the tone.

The mark of a great breakfast spot is the selection of side orders, and Deacon’s Grill delivers with a dozen different sides to plump up the famished diner’s breakfast.

I can’t resist adding a homemade Biscuit with Country Gravy ($3.25), and the light and fluffy consistency does not disappoint. The French Toast ($6.25) is impossibly thick and fluffy and dusted with cinnamon. If you’re feeling ravenous, the menu also boasts a sub-section of monster ‘Big Breakfasts’ such as the Hungry Man Steak & Eggs ($13.50) that could feed two comfortably. Most dishes are served with wheels of fresh fruit and tasty griddle hash browns that have a subtle and savoury curried flavour.

The booths are filled with diners enjoying endless coffee and stacks of pancakes, and there is even a diner bar where solo guests and pairs alike can chat up the waitresses who ring in orders and brew up fresh pots of joe.

Deacon’s Corner is open Monday to Friday, 7a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thea Mercer

At last month’s first annual Chinese Restaurant Awards the Shanghaistyle Juicy Dumplings ($4.99) at Lin Chinese Cuisine and Tea House won the Critics’ Choice Award in the Northern/Shanghai-style Dim Sum category. To try these celebrated delicacies ourselves, we arrived at what was formerly Galing-Galing on Broadway near Granville, next door to Mayfair News, where we were welcomed warmly, seated promptly, and served a pot of hot Jasmine tea.

The room is attractive and clean, in dark wood and pastel colours of peachy hues.

The ambience, congenial and harmonious, is filled with cheerful chatter from families and friends of all ages at booths, small tables for two, and large round tables draped in white linen.

Manager and Dim Sum Chef Yu Miao guards her secret recipe, but she told us she boils meat, chicken, pork skin, green onions, wine and seasonings to make a “very good soup” and puts it in the fridge where it turns to gelatin. She then adds a small amount of the jelly to the meat filling before wrapping, which melts when steamed in the bamboo baskets in which they are served.

There are easier ways, she says, but for her, it’s a complicated procedure.

We dip each mouth-watering morsel, hot but not scalding, in a sauce of shredded ginger and vinegar. Take care – as we learned the hard way – to envelop the entire dumpling in one mouthful and suck out a bit of the broth to avoid excessive squirting as it bursts into myriad flavours. Pan-fried Pork Buns ($4.99) and Chives Cakes ($4.99), a big potsticker stuffed with Chinese chives and eggs, were noteworthy complements and hot Sweet Sesame Cakes ($4.99) served as a nice finish. Gary Barclay

You walk past the large wooden door of Senova and step into an intimate, warm and easy-going neighbourhood restaurant. When we visited, the kibitzing going on at the bar between patrons and staff was a welcome diversion after some of the stuffy restaurants in this well-heeled South Vancouver area.

Proprietor Wally Bayley (whose partner is Manuel Ferreira, also of Le Gavroche) took the time to stop, say hello and ensure we were enjoying our dinner.

In its five years, Senova has built its reputation on a fusion of flavours from Portugal, Spain and French cuisine. The décor is warm with earth tones and wood floors, in the bar and dining room. Think Whistler goes Mediterranean.

The menu is vast and diverse.

There are so many tapas to choose from it took us a while to decide.

We shared the Salted Cod and Potato Fritters ($13) and Polenta Fritta ($13) – both simply delicious.

Less appealing – to me – was the grilled sardines appetizer. I’m not crazy about the smell of sardines nor, in this case, the presentation.

But the grilled albacore tuna entrée ($24) was stunning, as was my partner’s chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto and sweet basil ($24).

Executive Chef Tobias Grignon came to Senova a year ago. Young he may be, but talented: In 2007 he placed third in the world against 17 other countries in a competition sponsored by La Chaine des Rôtisseurs in Frankfurt.

On the recommendation of our waitress, we shared a bottle of Tentação Reserva from Portugal ($65), a bold, rich red that just has been introduced to B.C. If you are serious about your wines, ask the obliging Bayley for a tour of Senova’s cellar.

Michelle Hopkins

36 myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

Photography by Paul Chun

Senova

Photography by Jackie Ko

Lin Chinese Cuisine and Tea House

Photography by Paul Chun

Deacon’s Corner

ASIAN Hoshi Sushi [$$$$] On the ground floor of Granville Island’s Sandbar Restaurant, in this cozy 18-seater corner with a view of the courtyard, you can find menus to rival Tojo’s – at a relative bargain price.

Order the $60 omakase, roughly translated from the Japanese as “I’m in your hands.” 1535 Johnston St., Granville Island. 604-669-9030, vancouverdine.com/ sandbar/menus_sushi. html Imperial Chinese Seafood Restaurant [$$] Dim sum here will run you twice what it might in one of those humbler Chinatown joints. But in surroundings like this, a high-ceilinged, spacious room off the lobby of the splendid heritage Marine Building, the sticker shock barely stings. 355 Burrard St. 604-6888191, imperialrest.com Pho Hoang [$] Service here is indifferent and the glass-brick décor exudes coolness rather than warmth, but the hot, scented broth of the deep bowls of pho, or beef noodle soup, more than compensates. 3388 Main St. 604-874-0832.

Posh [$] The $9.88 lunch at Posh is the bargain of the century, with a truly intimidating list of 35 menu items including pork or beef and introducing the timid Westerner to such delicacies as black fungus, chayote, and konjac roll. 1788 W. Broadway. 604-737-7674, 303-posh.com Prima Taste Restaurant [$$] Authentic Singapore food in a modern, attractive room with an agreeable ambience that marries the best of old and new Singapore. 570 Robson St. 604-685-7881, primataste.com CARIBBEAN The Reef [$] A cute tiki bar faces onto the dining room floor, which is still sporting the comfy aquamarine booths from Frenchies, now offset with bamboo walls and painted wooden tables. The food is delicious, especially when topped with the house-made jerk and hot sauces, available by the bottle for home-use as well. Try the brunch on weekends and select breakfast items weekdays until 3 p.m. 1018 Commercial Dr. 604-568-

5375, thereefrestaurant. com FRENCH Le Gavroche Restaurant [$$$$] A good choice for intimate dining. Established in 1979, Le Gavroche is set in a gently refurbished two-storey Victorian house with fireplace, an upstairs terrace and a sweeping view of Vancouver’s Coast Mountains and harbour.

1616 Alberni St. 604685-3924, legavroche. com Jules [$$] A handsome room with one exposed brick wall and bare wood tables. The salade de chèvre, with goat’s cheese melted onto dressed beets, and steak frites are fine. 216 Abbott St. 604669-0033, julesbistro.ca LATIN La Bodega [$$] Since 1971, this downtown staple has been famous for their traditional Spanish tapas, whether for cozy dinners for two or boisterous parties of 10. The service is friendly and casual, and the quaint checkedtablecloth ambiance suggests that there might be snuggling stray dogs canoodling over spaghetti and meatballs out back. 1277 Howe St. 604-684-8814/5, labodegavancouver.com Havana [$$] This funky restaurant transports you to the country Hemingway fell in love with. From its signature savoury black bean soup to the Carne Havana, a grilled sirloin with Dominican Chimichurri and salsa verde, Chef Trevor Booth’s menu sent our taste buds into overdrive. 1212 Commercial St. 604-2539119, havanarestaurant.ca Zocalo [$] Contemporary Mexican fare in an eclectic, funky room.

Try the huevos con chilaquiles or huevos divorciados. There is obvious care in these dishes evidenced by homemade tortillas, cornbread and chorizo.

Closed Mondays. 2115 Main St. 604-677-3521, zocalorestaurant.ca MEDITERRANEAN Araxi [$$$$] A culinary cornerstone in the heart of Whistler Village, Araxi holds an international reputation for excellence in food, wine and hospitality. Extensive menus by Executive Chef James Walt celebrate homegrown ingredients from the nearby Pemberton Valley Farms in addition to showcasing fresh seafood from the Pacific Ocean. 4222

Village Square, Whistler. 604-9324540, araxi.com La Buca [$$] The kitchen shines with Italian flavour at this 32-seat joint that jumps. Osso bucco with saffron risotto is clearly the favourite “main.” Alone, tête-à-tête or with a group of friends, you are made to feel welcome, comfortable and satiated – without breaking the bank.

Reservations recommended. 4025 MacDonald St. 604-730-6988, labuca.ca Cafe Il Nido [$$$] B.C.’s finest ingredients are used to create dishes reminiscent of Northern Italy – “the food of kings, peasants and, everyone in between.” Closed Sundays. 780 Thurlow St. 604-6856436, cafeilnido.net Capones Restaurant & Live Jazz Club [$$] Live jazz seven nights a week, an extensive wine list, tapas and signature entrées with a West Coast flair, plus scrumptious pizza and pasta dishes.

1141 Hamilton St. 604-684-7900, caponesrestaurant.net CinCin [$$$$] Executive Chef Mark Perrier’s ingredient-driven seasonal focus delights the palate with creative dishes infused by Mediterranean influences. Outstanding desserts demonstrate the Michelin starstudded pedigree of acclaimed Pastry Chef Thierry Busset. 1154 Robson St. 604-688-7338, cincin.net Don Francesco [$$$] Warmly Italian, with floor-to-ceiling windows, across from The Sutton Place Hotel.

850 Burrard St. 604-685-7770, donfrancesco.ca Il Giardino [$$$$] The yellowpainted heritage house is a warren of terra cotta-coloured rooms and passages, along with a lavish interior courtyard. The mains here are massive. The key to Il Giardino’s longevity: treat ’em like regulars, and give them lots to eat. 1382 Hornby St. 604-669-2422, hotelvilladelia. com/restaurant_ilgiardino.cfm Gusto di Quattro [$$$] Cozy and comfy dining, an anecdote to the chill and damp of winter, with dishes like spaghetti and meatballs (polpette), a perfect al dente tangle of noodles sauced modestly with tomato and porcini goodness and three beefy polpette atop. A well-groomed young staff pays attention to detail. 1 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver. 604-924-4444, quattrorestaurants.com Marcello Pizzeria & Ristorante [$$] In a lovely and lively Old-World atmosphere, there’s no need to go to Naples to get a taste of Italy.

Lunch and romantic dinners of authentic pizza, pasta and gnocchi from a wonderful open kitchen with a large wood-burning oven. 1404 Commercial Dr. 604-215-7760.

Quattro on Fourth [$$$] In the heart of Kitsilano, with crimsonwashed walls, rustic wrought-iron chandeliers and candlelight casting a glow on rich mahogany tables and a hand-painted floor. Italian cuisine.

2611 W. 4th Ave. 604-734-4444, quattrorestaurants.com Villa del Lupo [$$$] Situated in an ornate heritage mansion, the menu in this discrete, private setting celebrates fresh, healthy and subtly exquisite-tasting foods.

869 Hamilton St. 604-688-7436, villadellupo.com MIDDLE EASTERN Falafel Maison [$] Lunchtime may not be the best time to drop by for lunch unless, like the small throngs that crowd the tiny storefront’s doorway at that time of day, you are willing to forego a seat just to tuck

into what many, the management included, call “the best falafel in town.” The food is simple, delicious and inexpensive – a falafel sandwich costs $4.75, vegetarian plate or shawarma plate $7.95, and that is pretty much the price range. And the food is halal, the Islamic equivalent of kosher. 516 Robson St., 604801-6450 SEAFOOD Blue Water Café & Raw Bar [$$$$] Known for innovative and brilliantly executed West Coast seafood dishes prepared seasonally and responsibly by Executive Chef Frank Pabst. Housed in a handsome brick-and-beam heritage warehouse conversion in the heart of Yaletown.

1095 Hamilton St. 604-688-8078, bluewatercafe.net C Restaurant [$$$$] A high ceiling gives the dining room an atrium feel, and the spacious seawall patio is a promise of summer to come. The main-course halibut was perfectly composed: crusty fish, smooshed potatoes, chewy little morel morsels and a slick of creamy, peach-hued sauce. C is a fine place to celebrate.

1600 Howe St. 604-681-1164, crestaurant.com Dundarave Fish Market [$$] This popular little neighbourhood eatery and retail market hums along with seafood lovers packing the patio and hunkering down in its cozy interior.

There are plenty of fish dishes, much of it local, and plenty of ways to cook it. 2423 Marine Dr., West Vancouver.

604-922-1155, dundaravefishmarket. inknoise.com/main STEAK Morton’s, the Steakhouse [$$$$] Specializes in classic, hearty fare, serving generous portions of USDA prime aged beef, as well as fresh fish, lobster, veal and chicken entrées. 750 W. Cordova St. 604915-5105, mortons.com

WEST COAST Altitudes Bistro [$] Ten appetizers, a couple of soups, a few salads and hot and cold sandwiches. Majestic scenery from the 120-seat patio atop Grouse Mountain. 6400 Nancy Greene Way, North Vancouver. 604998-4398, grousemountain.com/ grousemountain-dining-altitudesbistro.cfm Avenue Grill [$] The house special Benedict with avocado and shrimp benefits from free-range eggs and possibly the best Hollandaise in Vancouver. A three-pancake order is cheerfully cut down to two for the seven-year-old in attendance but is still costly at $8-plus. 2114 W. 41st Ave., 604-266-8183.

The Beach House at Dundarave Pier [$$$] A beachfront landmark with views from every table, where a large fireplace illuminates a Japanese motif above and radiates a rosy glow.

From a menu of pasta, seafoods and meats, service is courteous, caring and well-paced. Marine Dr. and 25th St., West Vancouver. 604-922-1414, atthebeachhouse.com Beyond Restaurant & Lounge [$$$] Breakfast, lunch, tapas, dinner or late-night libations in this chic multi-leveled 300-seater, with each area and tier having its own persona.

Hints of Asia and India influence a menu of fish and fowl. The kitchen is farm-supplied with a focus on organic and seasonal. 1015 Burrard St. 604-684-3474, beyondrestaurant. com Boneta [$$$] Eclectic’s the word for both the airy décor and the tight menu, displayed via PowerPoint

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Capsule reviews

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38 myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

above the open kitchen. While the confit tuna salad was OK, the grilled mackerel and tomato chutney was spot-on. 1 W. Cordova St. 604-6841844, boneta.ca Cactus Club Café [$$$] Hip young servers without attitude and a classy, unfussy décor. The new steel-and-glass CC at Bentall 5 downtown has rolled out some of Rob Feenie’s new items, innovations that are subtle but significant. Tuna tataki is about a dozen slices of buttery sashimi-grade loin atop tangy Asian slaw in ponzu vinaigrette.

Garnished with juicy, peeled orange, diced avocado and mango, and micro cilantro leaves, the starter is an absolute showstopper. Service, never obsequious, is impeccable throughout. 558 Burrard St. 604682-0933, cactusclubcafe.com Café Presto Panini [$] Folks who file into this hole-in-the-wall Italianstyle café opposite Vancouver Law Courts aren’t here for the décor but for what could be the best panini in town. 859 Hornby St. 604-684-4445, prestopanini.ca Chill Winston Restaurant & Lounge [$$] For entrées on the new winter menu by Executive Chef Richard Tyhy, the options are limited, and a good chunk of the mains are tapas-sized gourmet pizzas like the functionally titled Earth, Turf, or our pick, Surf, a West-Coasty construction of house-smoked salmon and clams abed spinach and feta and drizzled with a lemon-dill cream sauce that is tangy but not overwhelming. The service is warm and friendly, and while the delivery is a bit slow, no one here seems to be in a hurry. 3 Alexander St. 604-2889575, chillwinston.com Fuel [$$$] Chef Robert Belcham’s high-end regional fare utilizes cooking techniques from around the world suited to each dish. Ninetynine per cent of everything is made in-house with fresh ingredients.

1944 W. 4th Ave. 604-288-2700, fuelrestaurant.ca Little Nest [$] This airy room is dotted with mid-century modern loungers and mismatched tables and chairs. A pancetta scramble comes with tasty cherry-tomato salsa and a flat Georgian baguette anchors the satisfyingly meaty ham and cheese.

Food here manages to be fresh, sophisticated and child-friendly.

1716 Charles St. 604-251-9994, littlenest.ca Narrow Lounge [$] Descend a set of concrete stairs and walk into a bar/lounge that you’d see anywhere in the hippest part of London or New York City. Close quarters encourage kibitzing with your fellow diners and the full-length bar is a great spot for artists to discuss their latest projects.

Open daily, 5 p.m. to midnight.

1898 Main St. 604-488-4740, narrowlounge.com Nice Café [$] Instead of $12 plates drizzled with artisanal syrup, the new Nice offers credible Bennys, vegetarian or non-, for under $6. The Nice doesn’t have much in the way of décor, and service can be spotty, but hip Main Streeters don’t seem to mind. 154 E. 8th Ave. 604-874-4024.

Nu Restaurant & Lounge [$$$] Stylish and casual fine dining in a room of virtually 360 degrees of floor-to-ceiling glass, under the south end of the Granville St. Bridge at False Creek. Small plates, appetizers and specialties such as lamb cheeks, beef short ribs, duck,

halibut, salmon and steaks. Classic cocktails and an innovative wine list.

1661 Granville St. 604-646-4668, whatisnu.com O’Douls Restaurant & Bar [$$$] Standard breakfast fare kicked up a notch via excellent service. The breakfast tab for two ($50-plus with tip) is as rich on the wallet as the silky citrus Hollandaise on the Pacific smoked salmon Benny. The seemingly bottomless carafe of coffee shows up often, always hot, always fresh. 1300 Robson St. 604661-1400, odoulsrestaurant.com The Ocean Club [$$] West Vancouver-born and -bred Chef Doug Scott delivers the best of local ingredients, featuring handcrafted cocktails, a Wine Spectator-awarded Pacific Northwest wine list, and elegantly casual food in a sexy, hip environment. Open Late. 105–100 Park Royal, West Vancouver. 604926-2326, theoceanclub.ca Parkside [$$$$] Chef Andrey Durbach serves deeply-flavoured, lusty dishes he calls “food for adults.” 1906 Haro St. 604-6836912, parksiderestaurant.ca Raincity Grill [$$$] West Coast fare but with a twist: the 100-Mile Diet, and centres their menu accordingly on game, fish and fowl as well as organic vegetables all sourced from B.C., Alberta, Washington State and Oregon.

1193 Denman St. 604-685-7337, raincitygrill.com Suvai [$$] Little wider than a building corridor, this charming 30-seat-only gem buzzes daily for dinner, lunch and weekend brunch.

We like the simple décor, from taupe walls napped with local art, sleek dark wood, and comfy upholstery to the plain napery and cutlery.

The tight menu offers four mains, including the much-lauded gingerstar anise beef short ribs, and a daily fish special. 2279 W. 41st Ave. 604-261-4900.

Timbre Restaurant [$] The relatively new Commercial Drive destination boasts a decidedly rustic aesthetic, with roughly hewn large wooden tables that can seat parties upwards of eight people and lumberjack competitions playing muted on the two mounted televisions. A great place for a big group to enjoy home-style brunch.

2068 Commercial Dr. 604-215-7515, timbrerestaurant.com Village Taphouse [$$] A new venture of Cactus Club, this restaurant/pub offers a whiff of modern elegance in a Whistler après-ski kind of way. The Pacific Northwest-inspired dishes by Executive Chef Darren Clay are as smartly designed as the room. It’s a great while-away-the-afternoon spot on a cool, wintry day. 1C–900 Main St., Village at Park Royal, West Vancouver. 604-922-8882, villagetaphouse.com West [$$$$] The space is the ideal match of scale and symmetry – airy yet intimate, modern yet mellow, elegant but not stuffy. Executive Chef Warren Geraghty’s cooking, service and wine pairings proved impeccable. Eyedropper amounts of orange/cracked pepper mignotte added perfect zest to tangy Washington beach oysters. Seared arctic char “gravadlax” with olive oil/dill Hollandaise was a delicious shock of hot and cold, crisp and velvety. 2881 W. Granville St., 604738-8938, westrestaurant.com

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JOY Joy Metcalfe

Kitchen help Chefs and other hospitality folk fundraise to care for their own and others

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t the recent opening of the Peak2Peak adventure ride at Whistler/ Blackcomb, veteran wine man Harry McWatters sabered a bottle of Steller’s Jay bubbly to toast the new gondola experience. But he didn’t do it with the traditional sword; he did it with a ski!

McWatters was one of the special guests at the B.C. Hospitality Foundation’s media preview dinner at the Renaissance Habourside. The foundation, formed in 2006, offers financial assistance at a critical time of need to people who work in food, beverage and hospitality professions.

The first recipient was veteran wine agent Michael Willingham who, following a dreadful stroke, required costly surgery followed by rehab time. Michael was the evening’s special and inspiring speaker. The foundation is in place as a safety net for others as well, thanks to such determined humanitarians as Richard Carras, McWatters, Geoffrey Howes, Tim Pawsey, our own Jurgen Gothe and most especially, Dawn Donahue.

Great to see the six top chefs taking part: Victoria’s Melbourne O’Brien, Kelowna’s Rod Butters, Diva’s Jeff Van Geest, Oliver’s Bernie Casavant, CinCin’s Thierry Busset and the Renaissance’s Executive Chef Kevin Greehy.

1 Grace McCarthy, Perry Goldsmith. 2 Tina Hills, Jaclyn Laic and Mark Hills.

3 Michelle Hopkins, Stephen Wong, Shelley McArthur. 4 Cheryl MacKinnon, Four Seasons’ GM Simon Pettigrew. 5 Harry McWatters, Rod Butters, Terry David Mulligan. 6 Rick and Virginia Corcoran. 7 Four Seasons’ Executive Chefs Rafael Gonzalez, Oliver Beckert. 8 Andy, Kristi, Jessica and Mark Andrew. 9 Michael and Sally Lambert, Murray Atherton. 10 New U.S. Consul-General Philip Chicola, Andy Andrew, USAF. 11 The Outriggers. 12 Dave and Diane Abbott.

One of the most festive seasonal celebrations was hosted by the irrepressibly optimistic V.P. Fairmont Hotels in the Pacific Northwest and genial GM of the Hotel Van, Mark Andrew and his wife Kristi in the hotel’s elegant 14th floor suites. Enjoying the company, the ambience and the cuisine were CHILD’s Grace and Ray McCarthy, VPD Chief Constable Jim Chu and wife Vicky, Victoria’s new VPD boss Jamie Graham and wife Gail, former hotelier Michael Lambert and wife Sally, Bowen Island’s mover and shaker Murray Atherton, Tourism Vancouver’s Rick Antonson and Patti Smolen, Speakers Bureau’s Perry Goldsmith, CanTrav’s George Bartell, Graziella and Bruce Constantineau, Ray LeBlond and wife Nancy Chilton, and very special guest Philip Chicola, the new U.S. Consul General, who just had arrived in

town from Brazil, his last posting.

Hotel Van manager Rick Corcoran was beaming. He’d just received an early Christmas present when wife Virginia delivered their nine-pound, one-ounce baby boy whom they named Benjamin.

The annual Dine Out Vancouver, Tourism Vancouver’s most successful promotion, began with a media sneak preview at the Four Seasons’ Yew Restaurant where we were welcomed by PR Samantha Geer and Executive Chef Rafael Gonzalez before limoing off to such restaurants as The William Tell, Tropeka and Lift. Rafael also was beaming.Seems he’s just become a first-time parent with wife Toni of a little six-pound, 14-ounce baby girl they’ve named Arianna. And they’re leaving our town. The scoop is that Rafael has just been promoted to Executive Chef at the Four Seasons Philadephia.

Coming in to take his place is Executive Chef Oliver Beckert from the Four Seasons Lania in Hawaii.

We met Oliver at a special Hawaiian dinner in Yew recently along with several of his colleagues who were touting their exotic menus of Ahi Tuna with Mango-Fennel Slaw, Goat Cheese Fritter, nut-crusted Mahi Mahi, Kalua Pork and Passion Fruit Pallet in their Pacific Northwest properties. Adding to the lure of the tropics was the melodic stylings of The Outriggers.

Kudos to Diane Abbott and friends who raised more than $40,000 at her annual Hy’s Encore luncheon to benefit the YWCA’s Crabtree Corner. ... Tip of the hat too to Bianca Fusco Zanatta who entertained some 70 kids from the Boys and Girls Club aged 5 to 9 at The Shark Club with a fun event called Reach for Outer Space. Bravo, Bianca! mv February 2009 myvancouver 39

Photography by Joy Metcalfe

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GALLERISTA Aubin van Berckel

Wood works Winsor Gallery’s Alan Wood show marks return to form, and from personal loss, for the West Coast art patriarch

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n the last weeks of 2008 well-wishers flocked to the Winsor Gallery to see new works by Alan Wood, the first major exhibition for the Vancouver art patriarch since the death of his wife Flora. Her presence was poignantly evoked in the mixed-media works that lined the walls. Guests chatting with Alan, including Andrew Gruft and Claudia Beck, entered easily into reminiscing.

Refreshments served at the back of the gallery led people downstairs to works by two younger artists. Brian Boulton’s extraordinary drawings of young men were so popular, the gallery was taking back-orders before the end of the evening. Christian Nicolay’s witty installations of life preservers and water wings made with American

5 flags and American dollars were impossible to miss, and his complicated painted canvases with their stitchery and collaged elements harkened back to Wood’s works upstairs.

The same crowds were at the Monte Clark Gallery to view recent works by another young artist with a blossoming career. Karin Bubas presented a series of mist-filled landscapes and fairy-tale maidens.

Her romantic photo murals offered an ironic contrast to the tattoos, piercings, and colourful hair dyes of

many gallery patrons sipping wine in front of them.

The Buschlen-Mowatt’s annual turkey buffet attracted a different but equally enthusiastic crowd.

This year the gallery charged a modest entrance fee for the gala evening, turning the party into a fundraiser for food programs in the Downtown Eastside. Among those enjoying the live music, deliciously catered food and fine wines were a young entrepreneurial artist, Garett Campbell-Wilson and his mother and manager Vena

Campbell. Beaming with pride, Ms. Campbell told us that her son’s art already had hung on BuschlenMowatt walls, in an Arts Umbrella exhibition several years ago.

The new year opened with a big art event at the former A&B Sound store, and snow-weary Vancouverites flocked to it in impressive number. Organized

by Attila Richard Lukacs and sponsored by Vince Alvaro, who plans on turning the venue into a nightclub, the show featured four Vancouver artists with

art ful It describes myvancouver and its readers. Who we reach, and how. Engaged Metro Vancouverites who follow the visual and performing arts at the city’s premiere galleries and venues – and in these pages. myvancouver reaches them where they live, the way they live. So can you.

myvancouver To advertise: 604-630-1000

40 myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

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international reputations: Western Front denizen Michael Morris, video guru Paul Wong, Mexicanborn artist Ignacio Corral, and Lukacs himself, whose gilded and luminous paintings of dark subjects hang on the walls of the rich and famous, including Madonna. When Hank Bull, director of Centre A, shouted, “It’s amazing. Everybody’s here!” he was not exaggerating. On every floor of the building, people were exchanging hugs and long-timeno-see friends were sharing up-

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dates. There were artists, including: Terry Ewasiuk, Jim Cummins (a.k.a. I Braineater), Brian Boulton, Tracey Pincott, Tiko Kerr, Jeannie Kamins, Henri Robideau, Donna Partridge et al. and hundreds of art fans: Niels and Nancy Bendtsen of Inform Furniture, Jennifer Winsor of Winsor Gallery, collector Rick Erickson and Downtown East-side dentist Dr. Sean Sikorski to name a few. Prada rubbed up against Value Village togs. It was a happy, democratic art event, showing Vancouver at its best. mv

1 Karin Bubas at Monte Clark Gallery.

2 Nancy, Niels Bendtsen at A&B show.

3 Chris Ecceleston, Jeremy Andrew at A&B. 4 Terry Ewasiuk, Jim Cummins at A&B. 5 Alan Wood, Jennifer Winsor at Winsor Gallery. 6 Matthew Saunders, Ignacio Corral, Wil Aballe at A&B. 7 Tiko Kerr, Vincent Alvaro, Vancouver Councillor Ellen Woodsworth at A&B. 8 Michael Thomas, Dr. Sean Sikorski at A&B. 9 Garett Campbell-Wilson, Vena Campbell at Bushlen Mowatt.

10 Christian Nickolay at Winsor Gallery. 11 Tracey Pincott, Brian Bolton at Winsor.

Photography by Oraf

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anxious about their own financial health, and Palfrey agrees that during difficult times a reassessment is attractive. The key – as in good times – is not to let past performance influence expectations for the future.

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The second step is to improve diversification. Putting your nest eggs in one basket isn’t wise if you’ve got so many eggs the basket breaks; using two or more baskets is a better way to go about growing and protecting your portfolio.

As your portfolio grows, Palfrey says it makes sense to diversify into other options that provide good opportunities for growth while sheltering you from risk. While diversification strategies have been tested in the current market, which has sent so many sectors sideways, Palfrey emphasizes its ongoing importance.

“A balanced investor with a well-diversified portfolio has generally not been able to avoid weak returns in 2008,” he says. “However, since it is virtually impossible to predict the future returns of markets over the short term with any certainty, a diversified portfolio still makes sense over a full market cycle.”

Again, that can mean rejigging a portfolio with a view to finding investment opportunities that meet both the emotional and financial needs of the investor. A portfolio whose value was weighted 70 per cent to stocks and 30 per cent to bonds may require what Palfrey terms “disciplined rebalancing” through the sale of high-priced bonds and the purchase of stocks that are valued below the long-term value they offer (and with the potential to appreciate back to regular levels).

The success of discipline and paying a portfolio some focused attention is borne out by past market cycles. Larry Jacobson, a principal with Macdonald, Shymko & Co. Ltd. in Vancouver, advises his clients never to react to headlines. Writing in a recent letter to clients, he pointed out that investors who sought to capitalize on market fluctuations rather than pursuing a disciplined strategy saw significantly lower returns than those who had invested a single sum and let it be. Jacobson, citing figures from investment research firm Dalbar, noted that the average mutual fund investor who sought to time the market between 1987 and 2005 saw a 3.5 per cent annual compounded return. An investor who stayed put garnered a 10.8 per cent annual compounded return.

Similarly, in the 21 years following October 19, 1987, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 508 points to close at 1,739, a portfolio of large-cap U.S. equities rose approximately nine per cent a year.

“The markets are extraordinarily resilient,” he said during a recent interview. “Yeah, we’ve had some significant swings and volatility. They will come back. Now, will they come back to the 12,000 that we left the Dow at a few months ago? It probably will. I don’t know when. But it probably will. It’s a question of time.” mv

Q+EH? FROM page 15

reacts with alarm at the sight of genitals. They see, say, a couple sunbathing nude in Stanley Park, and they call the police. Then armed men force the sunbathers to cover their genitals or be hauled off to jail. Just covering these harmless body parts calms everyone down. That is phobic.

JMG What is your view of the sexual mores of Asian and South-Asian Canadians? Do many South Asians show up at your classes on Tantric massage?

JI People from patriarchal family structures tend to be more sex-negative than those from more egalitarian families. Asian families can have rigid roles for men, women and children and hence tend to be more fearful and less adventurous about sex.

JMG So you’re talking about some sort of power relationship that has been internalized.

JI It’s complicated. If you tell people there is this huge sexual fear about, they’re like: “Excuse me, but we love sex. How could that be?”

JMG For a Victorian male, the sight of a woman’s ankle was a sexual event.

JI In my world, the sight of a woman’s ankle can still be a sexual event.

JMG But you don’t see many porn sites devoted to ankles. What I’m wondering is if seeing a leg became an event because of the proscription against it.

JI What happens is that we eroticize the anxiety itself, so that it becomes a trigger for sexual feelings.

JMG A survey by The Georgia Straight indicated that 40 per cent of married people (Georgia Straight readers at any rate) had been unfaithful to their partners. To which you responded: “I think there is a ton of evidence that human beings are genetically nonmonogamous.” Is there really?

JI Yes, lots and lots of evidence of genetic non-monogamy. Biologists have found almost no species that is truly monogamous. An illusion persisted for years that certain species, like eagles, mate with one partner for life. Now with DNA sampling, scientists know better.

Extra-pair couplings are almost universal across species.

JMG Are men wired differently from women in this respect, or do they have different tastes, or what? For example, we don’t see carloads of female johns cruising the Downtown Eastside.

JI Most women have 10 per cent of the testosterone of men. Testosterone powerfully affects sexual drive. Just ask women who take high doses of it for medical reasons. They often report a sudden desire to shag the postman.

The gender difference in our hormonal structure alone ensures a significant difference in sexual behaviour.

JMG When did you first become immersed in sexual politics?

JI I first got into sex-positive activism in 1982, fighting Canadian Customs authorities in court. We won that case and the sex-repressive laws were set aside as contrary to the Charter.

I got involved in the Little Sisters case, briefly, shortly after that.

JMG You graduated law school in 1977. Had you already made a connection between sex and the law?

JI Not really. It was only after running into the bizarre incoherence of judges and legislators about sex in actual cases that I made that connection.

JMG Canada’s sex laws are notable for their vagueness. Is this because the framers wanted to hand maximum power to police, customs and postal inspectors, or because they couldn’t bring themselves to be specific?

JI Mostly the latter. Erotophobia corrupts the ability to think clearly about sex – the way that racism prevents clear thinking about race. It was my discovery of that vagueness in the laws and the reasoning of judges that started my career. I learned in law school that top legal thinkers were incredibly precise, articulate and rational about most legal issues. They had crafted an elegant

body of law spanning generations that was one of the great achievements of Western democracy.

I was amazed to discover that they lost this intelligence when sex was the subject.

JMG Are you ever confused with the John Ince who co-writes books on sea-kayaking? Have you been in touch with him at all?

JI He is such a hippie. Raving about the wondrous beauty of our coastline and how it is best explored in the “people’s yacht.” I am jealous that he got way more attention and sales writing about padding than I ever did about sex. But I do see him frequently. In fact he inhabits my body.

JMG Do you consciously make a separation between the two John Inces?

JI No, it’s just that I wrote the book 20-some years ago. I had hair then. mv

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February 2009 myvancouver 43 12/22/08 2:14:26 PM

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lyon’s gate Bernie Lyon

Hotel Vancouver With matronly elegance, the mother – or grandmother – of urban romance turns 70

I

t may be the time of year when media hearts turn to obligatory lists of Valentine’s Day getaways.

But the mother – or grandmother – of urban romance arguably looms right in front of us. The Hotel Vancouver (officially, the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver) turns 70 in May and the imposing gargoyle-festooned structure still exudes a matronly elegance and old-world charm.

Not unlike some current development projects, the Hotel Van was born into an economic crisis and suffered growing pains. Construction on this, the third incarnation of the grand hotel (the first was destroyed by fire, the second demolished), began in 1929 but was suspended due to the economic slap in the face incurred by the Great Depression.

Ten years later, however, work resumed and the hotel was rushed to completion for the May 1939 royal visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. But its sophisticated ambience really was fashioned a year later in 1940, when Vancouverites were swept away by local music legend Dal Richards, who began conducting big-band CBC broadcasts and dances from the Panorama Room on the top floor of the hotel. It was a tradition that was muted in 1965 – but its glamorous ghosts still seem to linger in the hotel’s polished aura.

Illustration by Bernie Lyon. Story and photography by Lee Bacchus.

For more visit: splinterinyoureye.blogspot.com

NEXT MONTH in myvancouver

46 myvancouvermag.ca February 2009

Jessie Farrell

Irish ayes

Rancher recycled

She’s the Canadian Country Music Awards Female Artist of the Year and winner of the Top New Female Talent Award. Born and raised in Vancouver, Jessie talks about love, relationships, songs and songwriting, her mentors, how she’s all about ritual right now, the new album she’s working on, on being a girl, fashion, Obama’s inauguration, her love for Canada, and her two pugs, Rupert and Henry.

If all you know of Ireland is green beer on St. Paddy’s Day, then the Devil take you. For one traveling band of Vancouver musicians, Ireland means their annual pilgrimage to the Cork Jazz Festival and – down the road a piece – the Kinsale Fringe Jazz Festival. Uptown Cork draws the international stars. Rustic Kinsale is three days of music pouring as freely from every pub doorway as the Guinness pours from the taps.

A faded ’70s Southlands ranchstyle home is divided into many small, dowdy rooms. Undersized windows make the interior spaces dim and closed-in. Outdated wallpaper, cabinetry and beigecoloured appliances make the home even more dull and dreary. If ever a home was an ugly duckling awaiting a metamorphosis into a graceful swan, this is it. See what was done, and how. In March’s myvancouver.

We s t e r n C a n a d a ’ s L a r g e s t S u p p l i e r o f H o m e A p p l i a n c e s

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