Vancouver magazine,jun2016 by NextHome

They earn less, owe more, and can only dream about owning a home. Is it any wonder that Vancouver’s young and educated are leaving town for good? Pg. 53

INT

R t BEE CA raf 0

Meet the pilsner that’ll make your summer (and 39 other refreshing pours) pg.37

N AT ION A

The Best Beer in the City

WA R DS·2

WHAT YOU DO WITH THE ATTENTION IS YOUR BUSINESS. T H E 2 0 16 A C U R A T L X S H - A W D .® S T A R T I N G F R O M $ 4 0 , 4 9 0 *. With aggressive yet sophisticated styling, the 2016 TLX demands attention on the road. Loaded with technology and performance options, including torque-vectoring Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD ®); 9-speed automatic transmission; available award-winning AcuraWatch™ advanced safety and driver assistive technologies, and more, the TLX is the thrilling step up you’ve been waiting for.

acura.ca/TLX

TLX shown with accessory rims. *Prices not applicable in Quebec. MSRP is $40,490 on a new 2016 Acura TLX SH-AWD® (UB3F3GJ). Model shown is a new 2016 Acura TLX SH-AWD® (UB3F3GJ) with optional accessories (MSRP: $42,990). Prices exclude $2,045 freight and PDI, fees, license, insurance, registration, and taxes. Some terms/conditions apply. Model shown for illustration purposes only. Offer is subject to change or cancellation without notice. Dealer may sell for less. Dealer order/trade may be necessary. While quantities last. Visit acura.ca or your Acura dealer for details. © 2016 Acura, a division of Honda Canada Inc.

JUNE

V O L U M E 4 9 // N U M B E R 5

In print, we give you the definitive list to this city’s best beer. But if you want to know more about the judging—and judges—behind it, go to Vanmag.com/BeerAwards

feature story PG 37

THE 2 nd A NNUAL VA N MAG

DAVID STRONGMAN

BEER AWARDS

From Yeast Van to the west side, our city’s craft beer scene is growing—and so is our coverage of it. Find out which brew took home the top prize this year, why cider is the next big thing, and how to start your own craft brewery.

ALSO

The Departed We’ve heard it time and again: young talent is leaving Vancouver because the cost of owning a home here is beyond the reach of even the most successful twenty-something professional. But as it turns out, that’s only half the story. Pg 53

ON THE COVER

j Photo composite

by Eydís Einarsdóttir

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

Looking for Vancouver’s best bagel? Our latest Taste Test has you covered (you bring the lox). Pg 30

DE PA RT M E N T S

City

The death and life of a great Vancouver venue; How a local engineer with a taste for charitable giving gets by; As America prepares for the Big One, Canada stands (mostly) idle; Why begging and pleading is no way to build a transit system of—and for—the future. Pg 15

Taste

Cannoli that’s fit for a king (and made by one, too); A father and daughter square off in the finals of our latest Taste Test; An introduction to Japanese-Italian fusion (short version: it’s real, and it’s spectacular); Cachaça makes its annual pitch for patio prominence. Pg 27

Pg 28

Play

EXTRAS

Editor’s Note Why the exodus of young and educated people should have us all paying attention. Pg 12

Vancouver Specialist The summer that changed this city—and its citizens—forever. Pg 66

Pg 61

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

BAGELS: PAGE & PAPER; OMID JAVADI: JONATHAN WALL; KISSA TANTO: LUIS VALDIZON

Why Korean fashion is turning shapeless into sexy; How a batch of new Hawaiian breweries are giving new meaning to the idea of island hopping; The virtues of the simple life. Pg 61

Pg 20

SPONSORED REPORT

DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER YALETOWN E

levated 35 storeys above Emery Barnes Park in the heart of downtown Vancouver, 8X ON THE PARK offers a rare opportunity to live with an expansive park just outside your door. With a walking path, water fountain, kids’ playground and off-leash dog area, it’s a lush oasis amid an animated urban core.

THE EXCLUSIVE STORY BEHIND 8X ON THE PARK A Q&A with Tracie McTavish, executive director, Rennie Marketing Systems

URBAN ENERGY STEPS AWAY From this peaceful parkside setting, you’re just steps from the very best of the city: destination dining, nightlife, boutiques, cafes and our iconic Vancouver Seawall. Just blocks away are cultural venues including the Orpheum and Vancouver Public Library, Rogers Arena, the Paciﬁc Centre and the downtown shopping district, grocery stores and much more.

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE But it’s not only the location and nearby amenities that are sustainably minded and smartly planned. 8X ON THE PARK is a bold architectural statement that is functional and aesthetically pleasing. The tower’s form subtly shifts as it rises, inspired by the scale of neighbouring heritage buildings. The distinctive X patterns function as solar screening, contributing to the LEED Gold standard, and a high-eﬃciency geo-thermal exchange system channels lower residents’ environmental footprints even more.

LOCALLY BUILT The project is being built by Brenhill Developments, a trusted, family-owned Vancouver builder of iconic, landmark projects in the Lower Mainland since 1976. As a proven, responsible corporate citizen, the Brenhill name further adds to the sustainable, Vancouver-centric footprint of 8X ON THE PARK.

RARE LUXURY “Only 200 will call 8X home,” says development marketer Bob Rennie. “You cannot duplicate this one.”

WHY IS THIS PROJECT SUCH AN OUTLIER? Emery Barnes Park is the huge diﬀerentiator. It’s an urban oasis and social gathering place.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR RESIDENTS TO LIVE IN A BUILDING LOCATED ON A PARK? Tremendous breathing space. Almost half of the suites have some sort of park view. There are also long, deep views of Richards and Helmcken Street. What people don’t realize is that in Vancouver, some residential towers are as close as 80 feet from each other. That’s not the case with 8X ON THE PARK.

BOB RENNIE SAYS YOU CANNOT DUPLICATE THIS ONE. WHY? You are close to some of the city’s best restaurants and in the middle of Vancouver’s energy hub—and you reap the beneﬁts of peaceful parkside living. A new development next to Emery Barnes Park simply doesn’t exist in Yaletown. 8X ON THE PARK is the only one. And then there are the amenities of the building...

LIKE WHAT? The penthouse-level SkyLounge, for one, which opens up onto a 3,800-sq.-ft. rooftop patio. This is a great place to relax or entertain while taking in the best views downtown has to offer. There is also the SkyFitness Centre, a high-functioning air-conditioned gym. Coupled with 24/7 concierge service and Vancouver’s first dedicated bike elevator and bike floor with secure storage, the penthouse lifestyle will be available for all residents at 8X ON THE PARK. The most amazing part? The amenities don’t stop there. It’s true: you simply cannot duplicate this one.

Created by the Vancouver advertising department in partnership with 8X ON THE PARK and Rennie Marketing Systems

ELEVATED ABOVE THE PARK. SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS. 8X ON THE PARK offers a rare opportunity to live with an expansive park just outside your door. From this peaceful parkside setting you’re just steps from the best of the city: destination dining, nightlife, cafes, shopping and cultural venues. With a SkyFitness Centre, SkyLounge, 24/7 concierge at your service, all homes complete with air-conditioning, and the finest features and finishes, 8X will change how you view downtown living.

VISIT OUR PRESENTATION CENTRE AT 1149 HAMILTON ST NOW OPEN DAILY 12-6 604 801 6861

8xonthepark.com

RICHARDS STREET

HOMER STREET PRESENTATION CENTRE 1149 HAMILTON ST HAMILTON STREET

*THIS IS NOT AN OFFERING FOR SALE. ANY SUCH OFFERING CAN ONLY BE MADE WITH A DISCLOSURE STATEMENT. PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. ARTIST’S RENDERINGS AND MAPS ARE REPRESENTATIONS ONLY AND MAY NOT BE ACCURATE. E.&O.E.

EMERY BARNES PARK

HELMCKEN STREET

DAVIE STREET

SEYMOUR STREET

SPONSORED REPORT

A SECOND YALETOWN IS COMING TO BURNABY

The new Concord Pacific community is synonymous with signature urban elements that range from an urban park to nearby conveniences and lifestyle amenities right on the property. No wonder this is the renowned development company’s most anticipated community: the Yaletown blueprint in Brentwood Burnaby.

YALETOWN HIGH STYLE, NEW TOWN LIVEABILITY Imagine yourself strolling a 13-acre park the size of Yaletown’s David Lam and George Wainborn Park combined. Or picking up groceries on your way home from work in the vibrant Village Central and its 40,000-sq.-ft. brand new grocery store. Not feeling culinary? Make it a local night out at one of the park-side cafes, restaurants or numerous other unique, vital retailers. Then head over to the resort-like amenities including a swimming pool, sports court, fitness centre, and bowling alley. Given the family-friendly activities just a short stroll away, it’s no surprise that there’s a proposal for a new public school in place, planned as part of the community. “This was planned closely with the City of Burnaby to be an extremely liveable family community,” says Matt Meehan, Concord Pacific Development’s senior vice-president of planning.

A MASTER-PLANNED COMMUNITY MEETS ARCHITECTURAL MASTERY Designed by award-winning architects James K.M. Cheng and Walter Francl of Vancouver, Concord Brentwood—the developer’s largest in Burnaby—consists of 10 residential towers, most between 40 and 45 storeys. Tower 1 of Phase 1 boasts 426 units on 45 storeys. Signature proposed exterior architectural elements include asymmetrical supporting pillars that extend approximately 38 feet from the ground, creating “a dynamic visual presence as well as architectural support for the tower,” says Peter Webb, senior vice-president of development with Concord Pacific. Tower 1’s one- to three-bedroom homes will range in size from approximately 534 sq. ft. to 1,239 sq. ft. Luxurious interior features include fully integrated Bosch appliances, engineered-quartz countertops, marble tile shower backsplashes and bathroom flooring.

A COVETED NEIGHBOURHOOD IN BURNABY Willingdon Ave.

BURNABY HEIGHTS

PEAR TREE RESTAURANT Parker St.

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CONCORD BRENTWOOD

AMENITIES DESIGNED FOR A LIFE WELL LIVED Common-area features include Wi-Fi in ground-floor lobbies and amenity areas, a building-wide water filtration system, 100% EV parking stalls and 9 electric cars for sharing. A central lobby concierge podium, shared between towers 1 and 2 of Phase 1, will house two levels of amenities, including a fitness centre with yoga studio, grand lounge, games room, pet grooming room, theatre room, study rooms and a music room.

OWN THE OPPORTUNITY Concord Brentwood Phase 1 sales are set to open soon. The Burnaby presentation centre, located in Metrotown, is now in its final construction stages and will soon open to the public. For information and to register for updates about the project, visit www.ConcordBrentwood.com

Created by the Vancouver advertising department in partnership with Concord Pacific Developments Inc.

Client: C|Prime / Size: 4.6” X 4.9” / CMYK / Vancouver Magazine

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

Editor-in-Chief Max Fawcett Art Director Paul Roelofs (on leave) Acting Art Director Naomi MacDougall Senior Editor Trevor Melanson Associate Art Director Jim Keller Assistant Art Director Jenny Reed Assistant Editor Jenni Elliott Online Assistant Kaitlyn Gendemann Videographer Mark Philps Contributing Writers Jessica Barrett, Charlie Demers, Neal McLennan, Amanda Ross, Jimmy Thomson, D.B. Thompson, Eagranie Yuh, Nick Zarzycki Contributing Artists Eydís Einarsdóttir, Clinton Hussey, Evaan Kheraj, Joe McKendry (contributor illustrations), Andrew Querner, Carlo Ricci, John Sinal, Martin Tessler, Milos Tosic, Luis Valdizon

Located in the Century Plaza Hotel

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VANCOUVER MAGAZINE is published 10 times a year by Yellow Pages Homes Ltd. Copyright 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission. Not responsible for unsolicited editorial material. Privacy Policy: On occasion, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened organizations whose product or service might interest you. If you prefer that we not share your name and address (postal and/or email), you can easily remove your name from our mailing lists by reaching us at any of the listed contact points. You can review our complete Privacy Policy at Vanmag.com. Indexed in the Canadian Magazine Index by Micromedia Ltd. and also in the Canadian Periodical Index. International standard serial no. ISSN 0380-9552. Canadian publications mail product sales agreement #40068973. Printed in Canada by Transcontinental Printing G.P. (LGM Graphics), 737 Moray St., Winnipeg, MB, R3J 3S9. All reproduction requests must be made to: COPIBEC (paper reproductions) 800-7172022, or CEDROM-SNi (electronic reproductions) 800-563-5665. Distributed by Coast to Coast Ltd.

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Aberdeen: 2800-4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond T 604.295.9357 Ambleside: 1560 Marine Drive, West Vancouver T 778.279.8822 UBC Wesbrook: 102-3313 Shrum Lane, Vancouver T 604.228.8765 Kerrisdale: 2028 41st Avenue West, Vancouver T 778.379.8865

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

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Publisher & General Manager Tom Gierasimczuk Senior Sales Manager, Western Canada Edwin Rizarri Account Managers Deanna Bartolomeu, Judy Johnson Sales Coordinator Karina Platon Production Manager Lee Tidsbury Advertising Designer Swin Nung Chai Marketing & Events Manager Dale McCarthy Event Coordinator Laura Lilley Marketing Assistant Kaitlyn Lush Administrative Assistant/Online Coordinator Kaitlyn Gendemann Vancouver Office Suite 560, 2608 Granville St. Vancouver, B.C., V6H 3V3 604-877-7732

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VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6 Untitled-3 1

11 2016-05-11 4:27

From the Editor

The Signal and the Noise

L Coming in the July/August issue WATER WORLD

From sea to sky, we’re surrounded (and often deluged) by water. We take a deeper dive into where it comes from, why we can’t swim in it, and what it means to our city.

BEST. SUMMER. EVER

There’s nothing better than summer in Vancouver, and we’re here to help you make this one the best yet. From secret hikes and sublime daytrips to advice from a nudist on how to drop trou in style (seriously), we’ll help you make the next 67 days the time of your life.

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

and going it becomes difficult for Like a lot of people in this city, I read them to develop a proper sense of Jennifer Fox’s “Dear John” letter place and belonging, much less the to the Province back in March. And kinds of relationships with friends, like a lot of people, I didn’t like it. neighbours, and casual acquaintances Her description of the eight years that lubricate a city’s social life. she spent living in Vancouver as “an So sure, let’s be critical of how Ms. abusive relationship” was remarkably Fox communicated her message. But tone-deaf, and when she wrote that let’s not lose the signal that’s buried “Your people and politicians have in with all that noise. This city is an failed me,” well, I confess that I increasingly hostile place when it fantasized about inventing a time comes to the dreams and aspirations machine just so I could go back and euthanize whoever it was that decided of young and educated people, and those are precisely the people whose it was a good idea to give children an dreams and aspirations we need to endless supply of self-esteem. come true. A city in which young But here’s the thing: we should and educated people can’t imagine listen to what she had to say, even if a future for themselves is a city that we don’t like the way she said it. She’s effectively has no future. not the only person her age who’s You can read all about this in leaving Vancouver, and while most Trevor Melanson’s cover story, which of them don’t write obnoxious letters begins on page 53. And if it leaves you before they go, many are making the needing something to drown your same calculations that she outlined sorrows, well, I've got good news. in hers. For many, those calculations practically scream out an answer: go. This issue also features the second annual Vancouver International Craft Can those people be replaced? Beer Awards, the definitive list of the Sure. Vancouver’s an undeniably best brews you can buy in this city. attractive city, and there will always If nothing else, we know nobody’s be people from other parts of the leaving Vancouver because of its province, the country, and the world selection of craft beer. who are willing to try their luck here. But young people aren’t widgets, and they can’t just be swapped in and out without there being a cost attached. One of those costs, I’d submit, is the pervasive sense of loneliness that’s the bass line to this city’s soundtrack. Max Fawcett If young people are constantly coming max.fawcett@vanmag.com

ANDY FANG

Why an open letter about the plight of young people in Vancouver was so wrong—and so very, very right

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City

VANMAG .COM/CITY

OFF THE RAILS / DRINKING WITH YOUR BOSS / ARE WE READY FOR THE BIG ONE? / HOW AN ENGINEER GETS BY / THE TRICK WITH TRANSIT FUNDING

AT I S S U E

STEVE LOUIE

Vancouver’s Venue Crisis

Joe Keithley of D.O.A. at the Rickshaw Theatre j

HANNAH EPPERSON is the kind of musician that Vancouverites should want to have in their city. The solo artist has toured Europe, won the $75,000 Peak Performance Project musician competition in 2013, and continues to build an impressive career. But here’s the problem: she lives in New York now. That’s because the ongoing loss of venues and rehearsal spaces in this city, and the wealth of them in that one, made it impossible for her to ignore the contrast. “[New York] is more inspiring than any other creative environment I have ever been in,” she says. “Vancouver felt like a bubble.” And it’s a bubble that may still be shrinking. When the Railway Club, an 85-year-old mainstay of the music scene that helped launch the careers of k.d. lang and Spirit of the West, closed in March, it was just the latest in a long list of venues to draw the curtain for good. The Electric Owl closed in 2015 following the nearclosure of the legendary Waldorf Hotel (which was saved last minute by a granting of heritage status). Like many of the people behind now-

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

City

AT I S S U E

“If the premier had some vision, if the council had some vision, Vancouver could be a great entertainment hub.” shuttered venues, Railway Club owner Steve Silman cited high rents and declining attendance as reasons behind his decision. The good news is that new federal and provincial money are on their way and may help musicians stay afloat. But the bad news, Epperson says, is that what’s really needed in Vancouver are more venues like the Railway Club. A 2016 Music Canada report didn’t shy away from declaring it a problem: “No one can predict how long B.C.’s pipeline of young talent will persist when it is so hard for them to earn a living.” The study recommended steps the Province’s new Ministry of Red Tape Reduction could take to incentivize the existence of more space for music, like lifting the existing $5 maximum price on 12-ounce drinks for festivals and making it easier for

of grants to musicians every year. At the provincial level, the new $15-million BC Music Fund will be spent on recording, touring, and performances. But following a tour through deeper-pocketed European them to apply for liquor licences. A venues, Hannah Epperson says that ministry spokesperson says these what’s needed isn’t just money for recommendations are being taken musicians but more publicly-funded into consideration this year. spaces that can encourage venue Vancouver city councillor Heather Deal, meanwhile, proposed to council managers to take risks on new talent. Joe Keithley, who has watched in February that the city adopt many as club after club closed in this city, of the report’s recommendations. agrees. The front man of legendary Deal says the city already uses zoning Vancouver punk band D.O.A. has to discourage changing the use of venue space and can make their liquor seen what a dedicated entertainment district in Austin did for its music licences easier to acquire. “We want sector, and what the European system to make sure people have spaces to of governments providing financial create, produce, and perform music,” support directly to venues has done she says. “We also know it’s one of the biggest threats to people staying here.” there. He wonders why this is missing in Vancouver. “If the premier had The federal and provincial some vision, if the council had some governments have both announced vision, Vancouver could be a great new money for the sector as well. entertainment hub,” Keithley says. The 2016 federal budget includes “But where do you go to see people? an additional $550 million over five Where do new bands get a break?” years for the Canada Council for the Arts, which gives out thousands —JIMMY THOMSON

How to Drink With Your Boss DRINKING WITH YOUR BOSS might sound terrifying and complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. Take the case of the Australian man who was fired from his job last year after he had 10 beers at an office party and told his boss off. Do not have 10 beers (even if your boss does). Do not attack your boss. Getting wasted around the person in charge of your salary is a bad idea, no matter how amazing that IPA is. Drinking with your boss only gets tricky when it’s your boss who crosses the line. For example, my friend’s boss recently asked her out for a beer and then told her about how he had once abandoned his wife and son, become a heroin junkie, and spent time in jail. My friend smiled and nodded, but a less scrupulous employee might have shared some of their own dark secrets,

i Each issue, Nick offers authoritative advice on living— and getting by—in the (pretty) big city

which is a terrible idea. (Dark secrets you should share with your boss: how you secretly think you’re too much of a perfectionist and that you work too hard.) Or take the time I had drinks with the CEO of a startup I once worked at (this was at The Shameful Tiki Room). He admitted to me and my coworkers that maybe the company wasn’t doing so well. I immediately and loudly agreed with him, drawing silent stares from across the table. No matter how many terrible personal secrets your boss tells you over drinks, always remember: they’re still your boss.

Nick Zarzycki edits the Syrup Trap, a satire magazine

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

A N D I A B L A S C O K N O L L P A O L A L E N T I R I C H A R D S C H U LT Z R O D A E X T R E M I S G A N D I A B L A S C O K N O L L PA O L A L E N T I R I C H A R

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City

T H E E X PL A I N E R

Ready or Not As the Pacific Northwest prepares for its biggest-ever emergency excercise, B.C.—and Vancouver—mostly watches from the sidelines

THE SCENARIO IS GRIM: a 9.0-magnitude earthquake strikes off the coast of Cascadia, rattling cities from Vancouver to Eureka, California, and triggering 10-metre-tall tsunamis. In this imagined (and perhaps inevitable) version of the Big One, thousands die, many more are injured, roads crack, and ports are decimated. June 7 marks the beginning of the largest-ever emergency exercise in the Pacific Northwest, one that’s preparing for this worst-case scenario. Cascadia Rising will be conducted over five large-scale exercises in three states with 6,000 emergency responders and military personnel. B.C., meanwhile, will partake as well, albeit on a smaller scale, with a $1.2-million exercise in Port Alberni (“We purposely kept the scope and scale to a manageable level to create the foundation for future exercises,” a ministry spokesperson says). As for Vancouver? Well, it seems we’re on our own—this time, anyway. —TREVOR MELANSON

CANADA

UNITED STATES

Coastal Response Location: Vancouver Island Focus: Disaster response, cross-border communication Participants: 600

4 DAY S

Ardent Sentry Location: Wash., Oregon, Idaho Focus: Disaster response, resource direction Participants: 2,500 Turbo Challenge Location: Wash., Oregon, Idaho Focus: Transportation testing

Vigilant Guard Location: Washington Focus: Military support Is Vancouver prepared for an earthquake? Vanmag.com/ earthquake

Special Focus Exercise Location: Oregon Focus: Military support

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INCOME AFTER TAXES

k Omid Javadi donates $15 to the BC SPCA monthly

For a Good Cause Name: Omid Javadi Age: 29 Gross salary: $72,000 Javadi is a chemical engineer who helps run his family business, an oil-spill response company called Versatech Products. The demanding gig requires 50 to 70 hours a week, but that doesn’t stop him from devoting plenty of time to his passions: rock climbing, back-country skiing, and wrangling desert-bound hippies as a prominent organizer in B.C.’s Burning Man community, a cause to which he devotes more than 200 volunteer hours a year. —Jessica Barrett

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

$4,595

Mortgage on a Yaletown condo his parents bought in 2007 (“I think the down payment was 50 percent”) Strata fees Eating out (“I rarely take a lunch into work, and a lot of the time I work late”) Cable and internet Netflix and proxy server House and car insurance Phone plan BC Hydro Produce bin from Green Earth Organics and other groceries Sponsoring a Palestinian child through the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (“He was in a car accident and needs monthly medical supplies”) Donation to BC Search and Rescue Donation to BC SPCA Donation to elephant orphanages in Thailand and Kenya (“I saw a GIF of a baby elephant playing with a rope. In the comments section it said it was from this animal refuge”) Donation to UNICEF Donation to UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (“I’m lucky enough to have been raised in Canada so I help when I can”) Donation to The Tyee Donation to the New Democratic Party of Canada Donation to the Green Party of Canada Donation to the Dogwood Initiative Donation to Wikipedia Membership to the Hive climbing gym (“I go there three times a week”) Gas Tickets to the Funk Hunters Incidentals (toothpaste, hair, toiletries) New bathroom towels Flight to L.A. (“There was a crazy seat sale. That’ll be my first vacation in two years. [My friend and I] are going to Joshua Tree and Red Rock to climb”) Movie ticket to Star Wars: The Force Awakens (“It was a better stand-alone film than as part of the greater canon”)

Total Spent

THE REMAINDER

$1,200

$348 $540 $97 $13 $203 $67 $35 $188 $100

$10 $15 $10

$55 $15

$5 $25 $10 $10 $5 $50 $100 $50 $135 $120 $65

$20

$3,491

$1,104

I take all of it and put it in my RRSP. I’m looking to buy a new place, and I’m not sure how much money I’ll need.

JOHANN WALL

City

CIT Y SEEN

By TREVOR MELANSON

Money for (Almost) Nothing Why relying on federal handouts is no way to build a city

DON’T GET ME WRONG, the latest federal budget was good news for transit advocates. The Lower Mainland will receive $370 million for renovations and system upgrades over three years. Then comes phase two, in which major projects like the subway and the light-rail lines in Surrey will receive the feds’ support. The Liberal government will foot half the bill for those new lines, when traditionally it only covered one-third of such expenses. Like I said, it’s good news—an opinion Mayor Gregor Robertson has certainly expressed.

$1.49B

Federal Transit Funding for Canada’s Biggest Provinces (2016–2018) $924M $460M

Ontario

Quebec

B.C.

$347M Alberta

But here’s the catch: phase two is contingent on the Liberals being re-elected in 2020. A lot can happen in four years, meaning that money is far from certain—and the fate of key transit projects along with it. Meanwhile, what is certain is that Vancouver is a growing, densifying city—and Surrey even more so. Indeed, in a perfect urban world, ground would have already been broken on the Surrey lightrail lines. But that perfect world would be one in which cities could raise the money themselves, and we don’t live there. According to the Fraser Institute’s 2015 Canadian Consumer Tax Index, the average Canadian family pays just 10.5% percent of its total tax bill to property tax—the main source of revenue for cities in Canada. Put another way, cities take home just a sliver of the tax revenue pie. Municipalities are thus left to beg the federal and provincial governments for the vast majority of the money required to fund anything that’s, well, literally ground-breaking. Indeed, the feds and B.C. will together cover 83 percent of the costs for those major lines, with the city picking up the remainder. And even that will be a struggle, requiring alternative revenueraising tools (like the 0.5 percent regional sales tax voters vetoed last spring). The solution? Rather than money flowing through Ottawa or Victoria and then into Vancouver, why not give cities a small slice of income or sales tax revenue in lieu of piecemeal handouts? No offence to the prime minister—or the people behind the Olympics or Expo, for that matter—but we shouldn’t need them to get a subway built in our city.

C A S E I N P OI N T

High Hopes m Anyone who grew up in a small town or suburb knows the drill: come graduation, half the kids are halfway to Vancouver or some other big city to make names for themselves. But what drives them there may not be talent so much as it is self-confidence. That was the conclusion of a recent study called “City of dreams,” published in January by economists from major universities in the U.S., U.K., and Spain. Ability, the report found, had no real bearing on whether or not someone moved to the big city (one with a metro population of at least two million). And while education and being single mattered, nothing compared with simply believing in yourself.

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

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SUMMER

ROAD TRIP Washington State

There’s something about summer that makes us want to get behind the wheel and away for the weekend. With these great sights, good eats and cozy hotels awaiting in Seattle, Tulalip, and Lynnwood, your next Washington State road trip will be the stuff summer memories are made of.

Tulalip

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Gaming doesn’t get better than at Tulalip Resort Casino, with the best odds, the best variety and selection of slots and table games, plus the best cashback of any Seattle casino. But as its name implies, there’s much more to this must-visit Washington spot than jackpot wins: the resort is a destination in itself. STAY Recently renovated rooms offer guests everything in luxury and comfort, with 55” Smart TVs, sumptuous furniture, instant high-speed WiFi access, in-room refrigerators, Bluetooth-enabled media hubs, and more. TASTE With eight different restaurants, you can take your pick: enjoy traditional tribal salmon prepared over an open fire with ironwood sticks at Blackfish, which celebrates Pacific-Northwest fare; dine under the twinkling fiber-optic night sky at the casual Cedars Café; enjoy hand-crafted cocktails and Pan-Asian cuisine at Journeys East; or visit the carving station and Mongolian grill at Eagles Buffet. Those are just some of your tantalizing options. PLAY Four distinct hot spots offer a huge range of entertainment, from celebrity comedians at the Orca Ballroom to star singers like Diana Ross and Daughtry at the Tulalip Amphitheatre. Head to Canoes Cabaret, the region’s premier live entertainment venue, for acts ranging from’70s funk and ’80s new wave to PPV MMA/boxing and live classic-rock tributes. Last but not least, experience the journey of the Tulalip people at the Hibulb Cultural Center, with striking exhibitions and 50 acres of forests and wetlands. sn

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How SENIOR LIVING is being REINVENTED in WEST VANCOUVER

ith a new concept in senior living taking root, quality of life is something that residents of Maison West Vancouver will never have to give up. In fact, those who call this new community home may find their lifestyle better than ever before. Maison West Vancouver will revolutionize senior living. Bringing together the best in caregiving and hospitality for assisted living and memory care, it will give people the opportunity to be part of a community. Maison’s residents will experience what it truly means to call a place home. “We’re really excited to be a part of the West Vancouver neighbourhood as the new care community available for everyone on the North Shore,” says Maison Executive Director Kelvin Monteiro. “Our assisted living and memory care offerings allow our residents to have a really fabulous place to live, to enjoy, and to be assured of quality of care and services.” Situated minutes from beautiful Ambleside Beach and the vibrant Park Royal Shopping Centre at the northwest corner of Taylor Way and Keith Road, this seniors’ care community will have all first-class amenities. An all-day self-serve bistro, craft kitchen, gardening centre, salon, and theatre will all be on-site; there will be beautifully appointed lounges and tranquil outdoor walking areas.

Residents can enjoy three professional chef-prepared meals daily and snacks 24/7 in the bistro. A private dining room is also available. They can participate in tailored diverse activities and outings or relax on a spacious terrace or patio. There are extensive social spaces and two lounges and terraces on every living floor. A distinguishing feature of Maison is that it offers a continuum of care. This gives residents a tremendous level of comfort knowing that, should their needs change over time, there will be no need to move to another suite, wing, or building. This is a carefully planned community where you can age in place. Maison has flexible care services to suit individual needs and preferences provided by a Professional Care Team 24/7. “Our builders are proud of this neighbourhood, and this community is something we believe in,” Monteiro says. “We want to plant roots here and be community ambassadors.” Maison Senior Living West Vancouver will open in fall 2016. For more information, please visit our Presentation Centre and take a virtual tour of our model suites at 70 Keith Road across from the Park Royal Shopping Centre, visit maisonseniorliving.com, or call 778-280-8540.

Created by the Vancouver advertising department in partnership with Maison Senior Living

Opening Fall 2016

Visit our new Presentation Centre! Maison Senior Living will open in Fall 2016 at the corner of Keith Rd and Taylor Way. Here, residents will enjoy a first class all-inclusive lifestyle designed with 24/7 care and support. We offer two dedicated living options: ASSISTED LIVING

MEMORY CARE

Our waitlist is now open. Come visit us any time. The View Is Good From Here

JULY 30 & 31, 2016 BC Day Long Weekend

Town Centre Park - South Field 1pm-9pm

BREWERS, BEERS MUSIC & FOOD OVER 60 CRAFT BREWERIES Tickets & Sponsorships Available Online kinsmencraftbeerfest.com

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Want a beer? How about 40 of them? From pilsners to pale ales, this is the list of the best beer that you can buy in Vancouver. And if that’s not enough, well, head to Vanmag.com/ BeerAwards to tap into even more information about our city’s new favourite pastime.

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Beer lovers gather at the Main Street Brewing Company

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Social Lubricant How Vancouver’s craft beer scene is reshaping the city—and our interactions with each other

Barry Benson remembers what Mount Pleasant was like back when it didn’t quite live up to its name. He remembers how prostitutes frequented the streets and used needles littered the lanes, and how he found the retractable door at R&B Brewing bent upward by a thief who stole a bike belonging to Rick Dellow, Benson’s co-founder of the brewery at Fourth and Quebec. “Back then it was a little grittier…certainly not somewhere you’d leave your car overnight,” Benson says. “The whole Olympic Village was nothing: it was flatlands, undeveloped, so there wasn’t a lot of population or transportation; there was no place to go for lunch, no restaurants.” These days, though, it’s much more appealing to stroll around the neighbourhood, one that’s been reshaped both by residential development and the businesses that have followed. You’ll occasionally catch a whiff of the warm,

bready aroma of spent grain, and instead of streetwalkers you’re more likely to see beer drinkers moving from one tasting lounge to the next. That’s because the neighbourhood’s mixed-use zoning has attracted craft breweries to the area, and they’ve brought with them a new kind of drinking establishment: the tasting lounge. In the process, they’ve given the city back something that it’s lacked since before Prohibition: a neighbourhood pub culture. That culture is booming, too. Where three years ago only R&B Brewing occupied the one square kilometre straddling Main Street, today there are seven operating in the area. That reflects a broader trend city-wide, where 10 breweries in 2013 will become 27 by the end of this year. Craft beer had been growing in popularity before 2013, but the floodgates fully opened in March that year, when the B.C. government allowed breweries to apply for a lounge endorsement. That’s one reason why, despite being the oldest brewery in Mount Pleasant (it was established in 1997), R&B only just recently opened its own lounge

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A pint gets drawn at Off The Rail Brewing Co.

It might sound cheesy, but I don’t look at 33 Acres as a brewery. It’s much more than that.” JOSH MICHNIK, OWNER, 33 ACRES BREWING CO.

after tenants vacated an adjacent unit. The new room is a stylishly lived-in space that serves up fresh pizza and R&B’s beer range while music wafts from a wall of retro speakers hooked up to an eight-track.“The attitude with this place is very comfortable,” Benson says. “Come in, try some different beers, and leave happy; don’t try to force an attitude on anyone.” That could be the motto of any of the new tasting lounges. Step inside one on any given evening and you’ll notice two things: how busy it is, and how different the experience is to a typical North American bar. Most will have you order at the bar, you can stand with your drink, children are welcome, televisions are anathema, and long tables foster interaction—even in Vancouver. “You have a better chance of socializing at a brewery than in a pub,” says Ken Beattie, executive director of the B.C. Craft Brewers Guild. “They’ve become the neighbourhood meeting place, with the same mystique that a British pub

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has; the British pub culture of little neighbourhoods all having their little local.” This concept has probably found its fullest expression—but in a thoroughly West Coast style—at 33 Acres Brewing Co., which has developed into a one-stop hub that both serves and collaborates with its community. When owner Josh Michnik brought aboard a gorgeous Slayer coffee machine and switched the brewery’s opening hour to 9:00 a.m., it meant you could drop by in the morning for a latte and then swing by for a beer later. Its locally sourced food options have grown from beer snacks to charcuterie plates and beer waffles, and it even offered drop-in yoga classes at one point. Oh, and want some 33 Acres apparel? It’s made three blocks away by CYC Design Corporation. “It might sound cheesy, but I don’t look at 33 Acres as a brewery,” Michnik says. “It’s much more than that. It’s a neighbourhood hub, or starting place. Beer and coffee are a catalyst to collaboration. It’s something that can start a conversation that we all meet over, but in turn will always lead to discussions about a project or neighbourhood, community, or whatever else.” For an even better gauge of how craft breweries are bringing neighbourhoods to life, head to the area now known as “Yeast Van”—specifically the sector sandwiched between Hastings and Powell. It’s a curious part of Vancouver, where quaint homes are nestled beside small industrial plants and the views are dominated by the

dinosaur-like cranes of Port Metro Vancouver. In years past, there was little reason to walk through this part of the city unless you were a longshoreman. That was, until Parallel 49 Brewing Company set up on Triumph Street in 2012. Like Benson, Parallel 49 head brewer Graham With remembers witnessing “crazy” goings-on in the alley behind the brewery. He recalls how he’d start every 6:00 a.m. shift by making as much noise as possible to scare away any lurkers on the other side of the brewery’s bay doors. But soon, the street dwellers stopped coming back as the neighbourhood began to change. A nearby JJ Bean café saw a big uptick in weekend sales after the brewery’s tasting room opened, With says. Powell Street Craft Brewery opened two blocks away in late 2012, and its pale ale ended up winning beer of the year at the Canadian Brewing Awards a few months later. (The brewery could barely keep up with demand.) Odd Society Spirits opened its own cocktail lounge. The Scandilicious waffle house opened around the corner and was soon joined by bistros Wagon Rouge and Kessel & March. New breweries like Callister Brewing and Doan’s Craft Beer Company, as well as stalwart Storm Brewing, have also opened their doors to the public in what used to be an almost-abandoned

They’ve become the neighbourhood meeting place, with the same mystique that a British pub has.” KEN BEATTIE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, B.C. CRAFT BREWERS GUILD

How To Drink (Beer) in Public Let’s make one thing abundantly clear: at Vancouver Magazine, we don’t condone the consumption of beer (or other alcoholic beverages) in public. That’s not because we’re a bunch of prudes who are ardently opposed to fun of any kind—no, it’s because drinking in public remains illegal in this city. But if you like to live dangerously, then you need to know about the Lolo Lid. It’s an invention by a pair of local entrepreneurs (and beer lovers) that looks exactly like a conventional coffee lid and allows you to put your favourite can of beer inside most medium or large to-go coffee cups without anyone (except you) being the wiser. It also sports design features that improve flow and keep your beverage of choice colder than a traditional beer cozy. Sure, they’re $12.50 a pop when you buy four of them (or $10 when you buy 10), but given that the cost of a ticket for drinking in public can be north of $200 it seems like a pretty wise investment—you know, if you’re into that sort of thing. Outside the Strange Fellows Brewing tasting room on Clark Drive

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Beer and coffee are a catalyst to conversation. It’s something that can start conversation that we all meet over.” JOSH MICHNIK

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The Moody Brews Anyone with even a passing interest in the craft beer scene knows all about “Yeast Van” by now, and there’s an equally impressive boom taking place—albeit one without quite so catchy a name (Mount Pilsner?)—in Mount Pleasant. But there’s a burgeoning beer ‘burb out in Port Moody, where three craft breweries (Twin Sails, Yellow Dog, Moody Ales) have already set up along a two-block stretch of Murray Street. A fourth is about to join them on the so-called “Brewer’s Row”, as Sam Payne and ex-Granville Island Brewing guru Vern Lambourne prepare to launch The Parkside Brewery. It will be located (as the name suggests) across the street from Rocky Point Park, and they’re expecting to officially open their doors by late spring or early summer. So far, they say, the reception they’ve gotten so far has been encouraging. “The four breweries meet together,” Payne says, “and we’ve already done a collaboration beer together supporting the Port Moody Arts Centre. Beyond that, we’ve already talked about getting lined up at events so we have our own little Brewer’s Row at trade shows and that kind of thing. We’re all love—it’s all high-fives and celebrating beer.” For those looking to join in, it’s a reasonably quick trip from downtown Vancouver out to Port Moody on the West Coast Express, which just happens to deposit riders a short walk from Brewer’s Row. And once the Evergreen Line is finally completed later this year, it’ll be even more accessible to beer lovers across the region. As to whether Brewer’s Row can handle another member? “The more, the merrier,” Payne says.

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instrustrial area. This previously unknown corner of Vancouver has become a destination where many quality establishments are connected by a short walk, and foot traffic begets more foot traffic, With says. “People like to go downtown because there are people around. In an area like this, you see people walking around to the breweries, and it’s people of different demographics. You’re kind of like, ‘Oh, I’ll go down there, too.’” NPA city councillor George Affleck shares the belief that breweries have revitalized this neighbourhood, particularly because of the area’s compact nature. The councillor was instrumental in encouraging city council to create zoning for brewery lounges, and he describes Vancouver as a city that’s focused more on foot traffic than vehicle traffic. “We’ve been trying to build neighbourhoods that are distinct,” he says. “We’re building them so you don’t have to drive to the mall to get your groceries. I think that sets us up for these kinds of cultural experiences like coffee and beer, and in that respect we’re perfectly designed to complement a new kind of trend like [brewery lounges].” Combine pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods with the growing push to buy local and it’s easy to see the brewery lounge’s appeal. More importantly, perhaps, the tasting-lounge experience offers an increasingly rare physical connection to a product and the people who make it and enjoy it, Ken Beattie says. In this age of digitally enabled instant gratification there’s something special about being able to go to the source, take your time enjoying something tactile, and share your experience directly with others—one of whom might well be the owner or brewer. It’s a modified form of social lubrication beyond simply getting drunk. And in a city where loneliness and isolation is a common complaint, that might be the best feature of all. “People always say Vancouver is a hard city to meet people,” Beattie says. “But I think those walls are being torn down if you happen to be in the beer community.”

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MOODY ALES

PORT MOODY Murray St

PARKSIDE BREWERY

YELLOW DOG BREWING

TWIN SAILS BREWING

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HOP

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MOVE OVER

PORTLAND & SEATTLE

Vancouver is the new king of craft brewing. It took a while (like a few decades) but the buzz around good, locally brewed nectar has never been more intense. As exciting new pubs and breweries open almost monthly, we present the hot spots to drink in the boom, just in time for this month’s Craft Beer Week.

de to Vancouver’s Your gui n t s eighbourhood hoppie fty brewerie s and s t ha t the cra c i t r y u ’ s o n t e n w buzz e s e r ep r

VANCOUVER Vancouver started brewing beer in the city more than a century ago. It’s never been more exciting

1 BIG ROCK URBAN BREWERY & EATERY Located in the heart of Brewery Creek, Big Rock Urban is the new Vancouver home of Big Rock Brewery. Their full scale brewery oﬀers brewery tours and tastings, a beer store with growler ﬁll bar, and also features a full-service restaurant & lounge serving beerinspired dishes. 310 West 4th Avenue | 604.708.8311 bigrockurban.com

FOUNDED 2015 TASTING ROOM Yes GROWLER FILLS Yes BEST-SELLING BEER: Citradelic Single Hop IPA

2 THE BELMONT BAR The Belmont Bar brings new ﬂavour to Granville Street with a wide selection of craft beers, specialty cocktails, fresh local fare, and nightly live entertainment. Open from 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, it’s the perfect place to grab a bite and brew after work or during a night on the town. 1006 Granville Street | 604.605.4340 belmontbar.com

FOUNDED 2014 TASTING ROOM No GROWLER FILLS No BEST-SELLING BEER Tasman Pale Ale

3 POWELL STREET CRAFT BREWERY PSCB is an independent microbrewery owned and operated by Nicole and David, a husband-and-wife team focused on creating high-quality craft beers that everyone can enjoy. Visit the Powell Street tasting room to try their award-winning ales, seasonal stouts and tart kettle sours. 1357 Powell Street | 604.558.2537 powellbeer.com

FOUNDED 2012 TASTING ROOM Yes GROWLER FILLS Yes BEST-SELLING BEERS Ode to Citra Pale Ale and Old Jalopy Pale Ale RICHMOND A quiet corner of the local brew map is joining the buzz, with more craft brewers eyeing the scenic Fraser banks to set up shop in the coming year

Created by the Vancouver advertising department in partnership with our local brewery partners

4 BRB CO. BRB Co. has been brewing smallbatch craft beers since 1997. Recently re-branded as ‘Be Right Back’ Brewing Co., this Richmond brewery is committed to producing easy-drinking, high-quality beers. Whether you’re sipping a ﬂagship ale or seasonal brew, you’re guaranteed a fresh ﬂavour that won’t compete with your palate. #180-14200 Entertainment Boulevard 605.271.2739 | brbco.ca

FOUNDED 1997 TASTING ROOM Yes GROWLER FILLS Yes BEST-SELLING BEER Kentucky Common VICTORIA Our idyllic capital is home of B.C.’s ﬁrst brewpub and has set the tone of craft brewing in the province for more than a century

5 CATEGORY 12 BREWING Owner and head brewer Michael Kuzyk puts his PhD in Biochemistry to good use at Category 12 Brewing: each batch, whether a colossal Northweststyle ale or Belgian-inspired beer, is meticulously crafted. Try a tasting ﬂight or ﬁll your growler in the taproom—the tap list is always changing! 2200 Keating Cross Road 250.652.9688 | category12beer.com

FOUNDED 2015 TASTING ROOM Yes GROWLER FILLS Yes BEST-SELLING BEER Disruption Black IPA

Good times at Strange Fellows Brewing

Waiting for another round at the Red Truck Beer Company’s Truck Stop Diner

Powell Street Craft Brewery’s tasting room

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It took two full days, 30 judges, 291 different kinds of beer, thousands of sips (no spitting, either), and more than a few arguments to get it done. But for the second year running our esteemed panel of hop heads, lager lovers, and other craft beer conaisseurs reached a consensus on the best brews that this city has to offer. Drink it up. bottle photos by EYDIS EINARSDOTTIR

m Vanmag.com/BeerAwards

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Le Trou du Diable

La Pitoune QUEBEC

If you’re not already familiar with the kellerbier family, then let this magnificent bastard serve as your formal introduction. Kellerbier literally means “cellar beer,” and it’s a lager that’s served directly from its aging vessel, which was typically a barrel from the cellar in the days before refrigeration. It’s not served from a barrel, but this Keller Pils—a cloudy version of a pale, bitter, refreshing German pilsner—possesses both the classic haze of a kellerbier and an inviting, creamy, white head. The flavor profile is defined by both a subtle note of bread yeast and crisp, drying bitterness. Despite facing stiff competition in the Best Of Show round, La Pitoune came out on top because of its remarkable versatility. From drinking it on a sunny patio to pairing it with a wide range of culinary dance partners (think everything from shellfish to soft cheeses), this beer is likeable in any context. But it also won’t disappoint those who are just looking to sip and savour their suds—the mark of a true champion. — CHAD MCCARTHY, HEAD JUDGE

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PILSNER & GERMANSTYLE LAGER “Well-brewed take on a German pilsner that verges on classic.”

THE JUDGES SAID...

“A very tasty, sessionable beer.” “Slight sweetness that moves to a crisp finish; could drink several.”

Main Street Brewing Co.

Main Street Pilsner VANCOUVER

A low, spicy hop character that finishes nicely

Big Ridge Brewing Co.

Worthy Brewing

Le Trou du Diable

Stanley Park Brewing

SURREY

OREGON

QUEBEC

VANCOUVER

152 Lager

Subtle fruit, with hints of cotton candy (that’s a good thing, by the way)

Easy Day Kolsch Malt forward, with a bready aroma

BELGIAN & SOUR

La Pitoune

Floral, citrus and herbal Honey sweetness leads, hop aromas float atop a bed with a trace of crackers and of grainy, cracker-like malt malt underneath

Dageraad Brewing

BELGIUM

BURNABY

Affligem Blonde Delicious, rich flavour, with an elegant bitterness

Amber

Clean aroma, nice amount of malt, hops, and a light note of citrus

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33 Acres Brewing Co.

33 Acres of Darkness VANCOUVER

Notes of coffee and dark chocolate balance well

U.K. ALE

“Acid level is fantastic, and hop character is astounding. Very well done.”

Brouwerij Affligem

Noble Pilsner

“Very pleasurable. A great summertime beer.”

Four Winds Brewing Co.

Howe Sound Brewing

DELTA

herbal hop aroma and caramel undertones

Nectarous DryHopped Sour

The “lemonade of beer”

Persephone Brewing Co.

Renaissance Brewing

GIBSONS

NEW ZEAL AND

Devil’s Elbow IPA Goddess SQUAMISH Golden Ale Malty sweetness with an

Fresh, with floral hops

Stonecutter Scotch Ale

Malt-forward beer with hints of fruitcake

NORTH AMERICAN RED, AMBER & BROWN

NORTH AMERICAN PALE ALE

“A really good malty, toasty, and hoppy red ale.”

beer— “A delicious beer very drinkable.”

Powell Street Craft Brewery Yellow Dog Brewing Co.

Persephone Brewing Co.

Bridge Brewing Company

Steamworks

Strange Fellows Brewing

VANCOUVER

GIBSONS

NORTH VANCOUVER

VANCOUVER

Ode to Citra Pale Ale

Chase My Tail Pale Ale

Notes of pine and orange, with a slight hint of caramel

Citrus hop flavour with a malt balance at the finish

PORT MOODY

Persephone Pale Ale

Woody aroma with toffeelike caramel malt flavour

NORTH AMERICAN IPA “Great tropical hop bomb. Quite a bitter beer, but definitely would order.”

Central City Brewers

Red Racer Super Stellar IPA SURREY

Tons of hop bitterness up front with a punch of citrus

“Great example of a North American IPA.”

Yellow Dog Brewing Co.

Play Dead IPA PORT MOODY

Tropical citrus hops with a clean, lingering grassy bitterness

Central City Brewers

Red Racer Indian Pale Ale SURREY

Lemon, passionfruit, guava, and some herbal notes

Ambleside Amber Ale

Bright piney hops balanced with toffee malt makes for a refreshing sip

Steamworks Heroica Red Ale Hard caramel-orange rind with subtle sweetness and a clean bitterness

Nocturnum Dark IPA

A robust but balanced dark hoppy ale that pairs well with red meat and cheese

Best Label Sometimes, you can judge a book—or a beer—by its cover. While local breweries have set the design bar high, the understated simplicity of the Field House Brewing labels consistently sets it apart from the (growing) pack. Here, the sum is greater than its parts. From the toothy, uncoated paper stock to the perfectly detailed illustration and well-crafted typography— they elevate this design from a potentially tired hipster aesthetic into a timeless classic. That’s a credit to Field House co-founder Josh Vanderheide, who also helps other local breweries, wineries, and cideries with their branding. —THE VAN MAG ART DIRECTORS

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STRONG “Wonderfully-balanced beer with some malt richness and a dry finish that leaves you wanting more.”

“A floral, fresh, thirstquenching beer for the Earl Grey/ IPA lover— sign me up for a pint.”

Saltspring Island Ales

Earl Grey IPA SALTSPRING ISL AND

Citrus hop flavour with a light caramel malt. Floral yet refreshing (and yes, this is possible)

Four Winds Brewing Co.

Juxtapose Wild IPA DELTA

Fruity tropical-citrus hop flavours balance well with a brittle biscuit-y malt

Mission Springs Brewing Co.

McLennan’s Scotch Ale MISSION

Big bodied brew that’s both smokey and sippable

STOUT

Central City Brewers

Red Racer Imperial

Rich flavours play well with an herbal, earthy hoppiness

NETHERL ANDS

BELGIUM

Light, fruity notes (grape, pear, strawberry), some herbal hop aroma and a bit of spice

PORTER & BROWN

Mission Springs Brewing Co. Postmark Brewing

MISSION

Huyghe Brewery

Export Porter 1750 Delirium Tremens

A complex mix of coffee, SURREY chocolate, and dark fruit This 9.0 ABV monster offers that would sing alongside a up notes of grapefruit, piece of stinky blue cheese tangerine, and mango

“A very pleasant and balanced warmer.”

“A fantastic example of the style that hits all the marks.”

Fat Guy Oatmeal Stout

Brouwerij Kees!

Postmark Stout VANCOUVER

Notes of chocolate, coffee, and caramel balance nicely with its malt flavour

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Off The Rail Brewing Co.

Into The Black Oat Stout VANCOUVER

A smooth stout with a bit of bitterness. Highly quaffable

Saltspring Island Ales

Renaissance Brewery

Hoyne Brewing Co.

SALTSPRING ISL AND

NEW ZEAL AND

VICTORIA

Dry Porter

Toasty with a light roast, and hints of caramel and licorice

Elemental Porter Sweet treacle is balanced well by the bitterness of the hops

Dark Matter

An exciting, unconventional, and flavourful dark ale

Patrick Connelly, Clinton McDougall, and Dane Brown of Sunday Cider

How do you like them apples?

PAGE & PAPER

Finding people to drink craft cider is easy. Finding the ingredients for it? Not so much Dane Brown isn’t disappointed to learn the cider on tap—Cowichan Valley-based Merridale—sold out hours ago at the East Vancouver pizzeria where we meet. After all, it just bolsters his argument that cider is the rising star of the city’s craft beverage scene. Brown and his partners followed in the footsteps of their craft beer brethren in starting the Vancouver-based Sunday Cider about two years ago, and quickly amassed more interested vendors than they could supply. “We always knew selling it wasn’t going to be the hard part,” he says, settling on a glass of Prosecco instead. “Making it would be.” Sunday is one of more than a dozen B.C. cideries that have popped up in recent

years to offer libations that bear scant resemblance to the sickly sweet confection commonly sold in two-litre pop bottles. For makers and drinkers, cider’s appeal is in its simplicity. The gluten-free alternative is made from little more than apples and yeast, making it the perfect product for bountiful B.C. But as Brown and others have discovered, getting your hands on the right fruit isn’t easy. While many ciders are made from apples commonly found at your local grocery store, orchardists in the province have suddenly been inundated with requests for cider-specific varieties that were heretofore unheard-of in this part of the world.

The bitter fruit, known as “spitters,” are more akin to crabapples than your average lunchbox additions, and are loaded with tannins that give cider a certain depth. Although they’re commonplace in Europe, where they’ve been grown for centuries, orchardists in B.C. had little incentive to plant them in an industry geared to supplying grocery stores with fruit that looks good on the shelf. “They just haven’t been a thing,” says Bob Thompson, an orchardist and cider-maker based in Summerland. Indeed, he and his partners at Summerland Heritage Cider Company began experimenting with the drink to make use of their bruised and misshapen apples. They only discovered traditional ciderapple varieties such as Yarlington Mill, Kingston Black, and Harry Master’s Jersey when they got serious about selling the stuff and managed to finagle a few sticks of budwood—used for grafting—from a local research station. That was 10 years ago, and it gave them a considerable head start on the newer cideries now clamouring to buy their extra fruit. But Thompson says he’s hesitant to begin planting specifically for cideries other than his own. Valuable as they are, cider apples are a labour-intensive crop that takes a long time to pick and often bears fruit only every other year. “I tell people they’re miserable to grow,” he says. That hasn’t deterred the new generation of cider producers, like Brown, from getting into apple farming. It’ll be years before Sunday Cider’s plans for an orchard on the Sunshine Coast come to fruition, and in the meantime getting enough apples will continue to be a scramble. But with domestic cider sales worth $55 million in B.C. last year and the market still growing, they they’re sowing the seeds for a bright future. —JESSICA BARRET T

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int

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SPICED, HERB, FRUIT & VEGETABLE

wa r ds·2

HYBRID, WHEAT & SESSION “Extremely drinkable from start to finish.”

“Try it—you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

Dead Frog Brewery

Steamworks

ALDERGROVE

VANCOUVER

Classic Nut Brown Ale

Solid coffee flavour balances well with a hoppy finish

Stiegl

Steamworks Jasmine IPA

Stiegl Grapefruit Radler

Balanced IPA with a hopforward west-coast style

Sweet, sweet grapefruit. So much grapefruit

AUSTRIA

Parallel 49 Brewing Co.

Jerkface 9000 VANCOUVER

Intense hoppiness with lead notes of black tea, tropical fruit and malt undertones

Phillips Brewing Co.

33 Acres Brewing Co.

make this a perfect sixpack choice for the summer

VANCOUVER

Bottle Rocket ISA 33 Acres of VICTORIA Sunshine Big hops and lots of citrus

Brew It Yourself Maybe you’ve thought about opening your own craft brewery one day—everyone else seems to be doing it, after all. Here’s why you might want to think twice Owning a craft beer operation might sound like a dream job, given that you get to make beer and make money at the same time. But the truth is a little more complicated than that. This is B.C. we live in, and while it’s the most beautiful place on earth, it can also the most beautiful place on earth in which to have your dreams both crushed by bureaucracy and potentially end in

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

“This is refreshing. It makes us wish we had a lawn to mow.”

bankruptcy. “There’s a huge amount of steps, a huge amount of outlay, a huge amount of headache and commitment involved,” says Ken Beattie of the B.C. Craft Brewers Guild. Thankfully there are people out there to help, including Carlos Mendes, who practices beer law at Richards Buell Sutton. Here, he helps break down the six stages of setting up a brewery (grief not included).

A lightly-hopped blanchè ale with orange peel, coriander, and anise

① Develop

an identity

This is the most enjoyable part. Decide which kind of beers you’re going to brew, develop your brand, and conceptualize your tasting room. Bonus: you get to enjoy “research” at nearby breweries.

② Business plan

Now it’s time to get serious. The business plan, submitted with your manufacturing licence application, should contain important details such as financial projections and the

cost of equipment, Mendes says. An accountant can advise about appropriate capital structures and funding options.

time, so use it to make modifications to your space such as drainage and venting before installing the brewhouse.

③ Find a space

⑤ Permits,

Once you get your approval in principle, brace yourself for a hurricane of bureaucracy. The City of Vancouver, Vancouver Coastal Health, Liquor Control and Licensing Branch, and the fire department all want to make sure your place is legit. Paperwork moves slowly; sometimes it gets lost. Smile and try not to maim anyone. If your temper starts to build, feel free to “test” some of your product.

④ Apply for licence

⑥ Opening day

and start build-out

DAVID STRONGMAN

permits, permits

Locking down a location that’s both suitable and affordable in Vancouver might be like trying to catch a unicorn, but you still need to have a space leased or secured before you can apply for your licence and an architect can draw up plans. When you’ve finally found your magical steed, order the brewhouse equipment immediately: many manufacturers have long waiting lists, so you’ll need to be patient. Now’s also a good time to start hunting for a brewer.

Pray to the relevant deity (or, better yet, all of them) for prompt licence approval. “In the Lower Mainland, where the licensing agents are quite busy, it could take up to a year,” Mendes says. You’ll almost certainly be paying rent the entire

Congratulations! Like parents celebrating a newborn child, now the real work begins. You get to find out if you have the business chops to keep your new baby alive. And like those new parents, don’t expect to sleep much over the first year or so. —JAN ZESCHK Y

TOTAL LENGTH OF STARTUP PROCESS

“Around 14 to 16 months in Vancouver,” beer lawyer Carlos Mendes says. “It could be sooner—probably not more unless there are huge issues with the space.” BUDGET REQUIRED

You’ll have to scrape together a sevenfigure sum to do this comfortably. “This is Vancouver,” Mendes says. “$1.2 million, just to be safe.”

mStill thirsty? Vanmag.com/ BeerAwards

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Low wages. Loads of student debt. And, yes, a ludicrous housing market. Vancouver is the worst city in Canada to be young and educated, and they’re leaving in droves. Wouldn’t you? BY TREVOR MEL ANSON

The Departed An opportunity came up for me that had me move up here, and I wasn’t seeing any opportunities like that down in Vancouver.” HANS SEIDEMANN

these days, it takes Hans Seidemann just three minutes to get home from work. During lunch breaks, meanwhile, he has time to grab groceries, take them back to his “full house with spare rooms,” cook, eat, and even “click around on Facebook before getting back to work.” This is because Seidemann no longer lives in Vancouver. He didn’t want to leave, he says, although now that he’s returned to his hometown of Prince Rupert he’s actually enjoying himself. “An opportunity came up for me that had me move up here, and I wasn’t seeing any opportunities like that down in Vancouver,” says the 31-year-old, who earned

Vancouver IN C O ME

$36,484

Median income among 25-34-year-olds with degrees

H O ME

$1,104,133

Average home price (February 2016)

DEBT

$34,886

Average student debt load (by province)

R AT E S

PRIME +2.5% Provincial student loan interest rate

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

(FIXED RATE: PRIME +5)

his bachelor’s degree in integrated engineering at UBC before working as an engineer at a prosthetics company for over two years. But with his old job and the price of rent in the big city, it was going to take Seidemann another three years to pay off his student loans. Now he expects to have them gone this year. And the work he’s doing in Prince Rupert—helping the city plan for major industrial projects—is fun and fulfilling, he says. “If it continues to be this way, I could definitely see myself settling down here for the long run.” Seidemann is hardly alone in leaving this city for greener, albeit colder, pastures. That’s because mild winters just aren’t enough to retain a growing number of educated Vancouverites who are choosing to pursue their careers—and their lives—elsewhere. Indeed, this has become something of a postmodern allegory in Vancouver, as well as a topic for debate. Not everyone believes the anecdotal evidence of an ongoing exodus—a friend here, a cousin there—but the numbers are much harder to argue with. Between 2006 and 2010, Vancouver gained a net 4,199 interprovincial migrants between the ages of 25 to 34. Between 2011 and 2015, however, the city lost 2,350 people within that same range to other provinces. Many have rightly cited expensive housing as the reason for this, but in fact there are a number of systematic hurdles that, when taken together, have turned Vancouver into one of the worst cities in North America for the young and educated. For example, while we’ve known for a while that Average-Joe incomes in Vancouver don’t support home prices (median family incomes here ranked just 22nd among 28 Canadian cities in 2013), it turns out our best and brightest are no better off. The median income for 25-to-34-year-old degreeholders in Vancouver is $36,484, compared to $41,419 nationally. And not only does Vancouver trail every other major city in Canada in this regard, the gap doesn’t get any tighter with age. In 2014, researcher and urban planner Andy Yan—who’s become a bit of a local celebrity in recent years—uncovered something, he says, that

Toronto IN C O ME

$29,520

who opt for a fixed-rate plan, it’s nearly eight percent— comparable to what you might pay on a line of credit. “It’s hard to believe that the risk premium that ought to be attached to a student versus, say, a home buyer is 400 basis points higher,” says Krishna Pendakur, a professor of economics at SFU. Alberta, for example, charges only the prime rate on its student loans, while Ontario tacks on an additional one percent. Then there’s Newfoundland, which eliminated interest entirely on them before scrapping the loan system altogether in favour of a grantbased one. Newfoundland is an instructive case, given that it has long grappled with the problem of its young and educated workforce leaving in droves. In 2007, former Newfoundland premier Danny Williams didn’t shy away from pointing a finger at what he saw as a leading cause.

PRIME +1%

Ottawa

$40,681

Median income among 25-34-year-olds with degrees

H O ME

$685,278

Average home price (February 2016)

DEBT

Average student debt load (by province)

R AT E S

Provincial student loan interest rate

IN C O ME

was truly unexpected. Among Canada’s 10 biggest metropolitan areas, Vancouver was home to the lowestpaid 25-to-54-year-old workers with degrees by far. If you took those 10 median incomes and drew a line from first place (Ottawa) to last place (us), it would decline like a gentle slope before transitioning, suddenly, into a cliff— with Vancouver at the bottom. But if these relatively low incomes aren’t bad enough, there’s another burden that Vancouver’s educated young people—at least, those who were educated here—have to shoulder. Not only do B.C. students graduate with the most debt in the country ($34,886 on average, compared to $26,297 nationally, according to a 2013 BMO survey), they also pay the highest interest rate on those loans: 2.5 percent plus the prime rate, which at present adds up to roughly 5.5 percent. For risk-averse graduates

$50,664

Median income among 25-34-year-olds with degrees

H O ME

$356,180

Average home price (February 2016)

DEBT

$29,520

Average student debt load (by province)

R AT E S

PRIME +1%

Provincial student loan interest rate

It’s really hard to create a garden of new economic activity under an inch of concrete.” ANDY YAN

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

The Departed

Qualified candidates are deterred from moving to the city and great employees are leaving because they can’t afford to build a life here.” RYAN HOLMES

Montreal IN C O ME

$37,314

Median income among 25-34-year-olds with degrees

H O ME

$334,815

Average home price (February 2016)

DEBT

$13,180

Average student debt load (by province)

R AT E S

PRIME +0.5% Provincial student loan interest rate

“We are losing young people here because of debt,” he said. Unlike Newfoundland, however, B.C. has made no such changes. And so it was that, in 2011, the heads of B.C.’s four research universities lobbied the provincial Liberal government for a lower interest rate on student debt, noting that ours was the highest in the country. Despite their efforts, and despite the fact that our graduates are the most debt-burdened in Canada—likely due to higher shelter costs and lower parental incomes— nothing has changed. (Former UBC president Stephen Toope and SFU president Andrew Petter declined to comment for this story, though both expressed continued interest in the matter.) Naturally, these challenges feed into one another. Higher debt payments, higher housing costs, lower incomes: all are incentives to make more money

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

elsewhere, or to leave in order to save on living expenses. And while a high interest rate on student debt has an obvious solution—lower the rate—the other challenges are more difficult to tackle, in large part because they are more difficult to understand. Theories abound on what’s driving Vancouver’s real estate market (foreign investment, a low interest rate, a lack of land), while the fact that educated Vancouverites make so much less money than their peers in other cities is equally vexing. Andy Yan admits he’s not entirely sure why Vancouver incomes are uniquely low, but he has at least one theory. “Which has more head offices: Vancouver or Calgary?” Yan asks rhetorically. “Vancouver actually has more head offices than Calgary—however, they are half as big.” In fact, among the 10 largest cities in Canada, Vancouver comes in at ninth place in terms of head office size. This may be a sign, Yan says, that Vancouver is not a good environment for growing small businesses into larger firms. That’s more or less how Krishna Pendakur sees it, too. “Vancouver is a city of consumption, not production,” he says. The problem? It could be that businesses are struggling to keep talent around. That combination of factors—low incomes, high housing costs, and high student loan payments—is making it difficult for young Vancouverites to see a future for themselves in this city. “It’s really hard to create a garden of new economic activity under an inch of concrete,” Yan says. “We may very well attract some of the smartest and brightest around in this country, but to saddle them with debt limits their potential, and if anything is motivation to get out of a region that may not pay as well as other regions.” In other words, retaining talent—not just attracting it—may be the biggest priority for those who want to see Vancouver become more than just a place where people spend money they earned somewhere else. “At the core of this, it really is a question of how can Vancouver be a city of the future, for the future,” Yan says. “Vancouver is of the future, but then without the ability to create a city for the future—that is for young people, for young workers, for young families— there will be profound challenges on the road ahead.”

One-Way Ticket National Post columnist and Calgary resident Jen Gerson on why she’d love to come back home—and why she can’t Yan isn’t alone in worrying about the city’s future. Writing for the Financial Post in February, Hootsuite CEO Ryan Holmes echoed Yan’s concerns, and blamed the housing market specifically for making it difficult to keep talented workers around. “It makes it exceptionally hard to grow a business in Vancouver. I’ve experienced this firsthand, but it’s hardly unique to the technology sector,” Holmes wrote. “Qualified job candidates are deterred from moving to the city and great employees are leaving because they can’t afford to build a life here.” That was the conclusion of a 2015 Vancity report as well. Between 2001 and 2014, house prices in Metro Vancouver increased 63 percent while salaries rose just 36.2 percent—and that was before the remarkable run-up in prices on detached homes in the last 12 months. If that gap continues to grow, the report said, talent will continue to leave.

Calgary IN C O ME

$52,109

Median income among 25-34-year-olds with degrees

H O ME

$453,175

Average home price (February 2016)

DEBT

$27,334

Average student debt load (by province)

R AT E S

PRIME

Provincial student loan interest rate

LET’S START WITH the confession no good Calgarian should ever make: my husband and I both love Vancouver. I spent most of my childhood there; he, his undergrad. I miss the mountains, the ocean, the long treks in the rainforest an easy distance from home. Now pregnant with our first child, it would make all kinds of sense to return home like full-grown salmon eager to spawn (minus the death at the end, ideally.) We could do it, too. Our jobs are mobile, and we could both probably swing such a move. But we won’t. We can’t. When my husband and I discuss our future, we talk about staying put in Calgary, or perhaps moving to Toronto. There’s even some distant fantasy of a rural acreage with an ocean view on the East Coast. But Vancouver? You’ve got to be kidding, right? We’re double-income professionals with a baby on the way, and we can do the math. That math is clear: moving home would be the dumbest possible decision we could make at this stage of life. This is the point, Dear Vancouverite, where you’re bracing for the typical Millennial lament. Your housing costs are too high! Amazing people like us can’t afford to live there! The world owes us something! The government owes us something! Feel free to relax your hackles. No one is entitled to live anywhere, and Vancouver doesn’t owe us jack. The question of where to live is a simple matter of cost and benefit. The jobs are neither plentiful nor well-paying enough there to justify the cost of housing. So my husband and I wound up in a city where we could finish our education, build careers, own a home, and start a family by our early thirties. Vancouver can’t offer me this, and that’s fine. But however content I might be with this state of affairs, I’m not sure you should feel the same way. That’s because more and more people my age are doing the same math, and coming to the same solution: just leave. And where once my friends settled for hellish commutes from Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows, now they’re moving to Squamish and Comox—and, yes, Calgary. Mountains are pretty, but you go where you can build a life. My mother and aunt and grandmother are settling in Vancouver as they age, of course. They’ve built their equity and want gardens and oceans and access to long green trails they can walk in winter. Distance is tricky, though. We’re training my mother on Skype for the grandchild she’s only going to get to hold on holidays. There is a cost to everything, after all.

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

SPONSORED REPORT

Summer

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The Departed

That was certainly the case for Hans Seidemann and the thousands of others like him who have moved to Calgary, Toronto, Seattle, or even Prince Rupert—anywhere, really, that offers them a better chance of being able to build a future. Jennifer O’Keeffe, however, is still sticking it

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VANCOUVER FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL July 15-17, Jericho Beach Park Over 60 amazing folk, world and roots music acts from 18 different countries perform on seven beachfront stages at the 39th Vancouver Folk Music Festival. Performers include the great Bruce Cockburn, L.A.-based indie stars Lord Huron, Haiti’s Lakou Mizik, The Wainwright Sisters, legendary English folk punkers Oysterband, M. Ward, The New Pornographers and many more! For tickets and info, go to: thefestival.bc.ca

MUSEUM OF VANCOUVER AT VANIER PARK Find yourself in the city at the Museum of Vancouver – located just 10 minutes from downtown/ Granville Island. Visit MOV to gain a greater understanding of Vancouver by experiencing the city’s stories, culture, and exhibitions of Aboriginal belongings, historic artefacts, and neon signs. Check our website for feature exhibitions and events listings. 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver 604-736-4431 | museumofvancouver.ca 58

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

I’m not sure what the job market is going to be like when I get out of school, and I have doubts about whether I’m going to be able to afford to stay in Vancouver.” JENNIFER O’KEEFFE

out. O’Keeffe, who ran for Vancouver city council last election with COPE, is obviously invested in her community’s future and wants to be a part of it. But like many people her age, she isn’t convinced that she’ll be able to. “I want to teach after my master’s, but I’m not sure what the job market is going to be like when I get out of school, and I have doubts about whether or not I’m going to be able to afford to stay in Vancouver,” she says. O’Keeffe hears similar stories from all her friends: the jobs don’t pay enough, they’ll never own homes, and they’re buried under mountains of student debt. So what if the views are nice? “It’s kind of like what Adam Smith said in The Wealth of Nations,” she says. “No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable.”

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Play IN PRAISE OF THE SIMPLE LIFE / WHY

KORE A N S T Y L E TA K E S OV ER

V A N M A G .C O M /P L A Y

HAWAII' S BEER BUZ Z

ON T R E N D

The Seoul of Fashion Why Korean clothing and West Coast style are a match made in heaven YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED loosefitting, oversized pieces slowly replacing the skinny jeans regularly adorning Vancouver’s window mannequins lately. This is not a mistake. These are called “free-size” items, and they’re part of a trend in Korean fashion where one single size is worn by (almost) all. Instead of conforming to one pre-determined silhouette, they’re structured to fall differently on multiple body types, focusing on the angles and flow of the outfit. As a result, these Koreaninfluenced pieces are all about the quality of the linens, cottons, wools, and advanced synthetic blends they use. Not surprisingly, given this city’s affinity for the combination of comfort and luxury, they’re already a big hit. Nervous about letting such a drastically different shape into your wardrobe? Try layering a few pieces and begin to understand Korean design’s appreciation for angles and structure—you’ll soon master a new silhouette.

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

ON T R E N D

Looking for something to accessorize with? Check out Canadian-Korean jeweller Kara Yoo’s pieces like this wave necklace ($60), which you can find at boutiques like Zebraclub and The Board of Trade and online at karayoo.com. l

That silhouette, incidentally, is astoundingly forgiving after large dinners or afternoon beer sessions. When you’re shopping for a piece, keep an eye out for simple and elegant lines with an emphasis on one key feature, be it a dropped shoulder, a surprising texture, or some structured asymmetry. Check out local boutiques like Oak + Fort, Noul, Woo to See You, and Ego Closet to pick up a few Korean pieces of your own. —CHRISTINE BORTOLIN

Hans Woo is the owner of Woo to See You, a boutique that specializes in Korean and Japanese fashion Q: Why does Korean-influenced fashion work so well here? It’s the fact that it’s both wearable and fashionable. Pieces can be dressed up or down easily, which pairs well with our vibe here. Q: What's the biggest misconception about it? Oversized and loose-fitting clothing can be sexy! Some people think “form-fitting” automatically means sexy, but you’ll get to know how different shapes can be very attractive without being skin tight. Q: What sets your store apart from other boutiques that carry these sorts of items? I have a lot of Korean pieces, but I also carry about 25 local designers and have products from around the globe. I’m curating an aesthetic more than sourcing from one specific place.

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

Play

T H E DE S T I NAT ION

Hawaii’s Craft Beer Six Pack Great local brews are flowing in paradise. Here’s where to tap the scene YOU CAN excuse the tardiness of the Hawaiian Islands in joining North America’s craft beer boom. The archipelago is the most remote state in the union—and about 5,000 kilometres from Yakima’s hop vines. But it’s this isolation and urgency of food security that has for the past decade fuelled a near-zealous dedication to strengthening the local supply chain, creating thousands of new jobs and, more importantly to visiting palates, intense, fresh flavours only made possible by farmto-table that doesn’t involve a side trip in a cargo airliner. The state’s 10-plus (and growing) breweries are just an extension of local preference for products (in the patois of passionate producers and the locals that feast on their bounty) that are “grown here, not flown here.” That authenticity is particularly resonant around Hawaiian beer, given that mainland bottles adorned with tribal tattoos and postcard Hawaiiana are brewed in suburban Massachusetts or Orange County, with little more than sixpoint type acknowledging the ruse. So get real on your next trip to Oahu or Maui and check out Hawaii’s best, newest, and most interesting craft breweries.

—TOM GIERASIMCZUK

Island Hopping

HAWAII

Hawaii’s best craft breweries are located on the two islands most frequented by Vancouverites. Now boarding: your buzz

Oahu ③ ④ ➊ ➋ ➏

OAHU

Maui

Honolulu Beerworks

➎

Lanikai Brewing Co.

Ignore the warm winds and fragrant hibiscus and this twoyear-old brewery could pass for a neighbourhood brew pub in East Van— in the best possible way. A storage warehouse in the revitalized Kaka’ako neighbourhood hosts locals at communal picnic-style tables on any given evening, but most importantly their beer selection has no fewer than a dozen year-round styles ranging from barley beers to best-of-breed IPAs and mind-blowing saisons. Drink: One of the brewery’s collaborations with Portland or Seattle craft brewers. Waikiki Brewing Company

Waikiki Brewing Company

A welcoming, open-air space makes it easy for a quick beer to turn into five at this new brewery, especially with favourites like the not-as-grossas-it-sounds Jalapeño Mouth Amber Ale among its nine brews. A year in, it's expanding to taps across the city while remaining based in the banquet room at Honolulu’s Cheeseburger Restaurant—with all the culinary benefits of said alliance. Drink: The Black Strap Molasses Porter, with flavours of coffee, chocolate, and vanilla.

Honolulu Beerworks

➌ Home of the Brave Brewing Co.

Home of the Brave Brewing Co.

Maui Brewing

This may just be the weirdest brew pub you’ll ever visit—and not just on the Islands. The room is both neighbourhood hangout and a military museum with the largest private collection of World War II artifacts in the Pacific, donated by veterans and their families. And if you’re going to have a war museum as a brewery, you may as well also open a brewseum, which also exists on site. Drink: Remember Pearl Harbor Dark Lager while humming Born in the USA. Lanikai Brewing Co.

On Lanikai Beach in Kailua, another one-year-old is turning heads locally and abroad. The small tasting room may only be open Thursdays to

Sundays, and the brewery might only have two flagship beers, but their focus on quality and local provenance is winning it praise. The potent 808 Imperial IPA, infused with local pikake flowers, and the Pillbox Porter, a velvety, chocolate porter brewed with Hawaiian and Tahitian vanilla, may just be the most Hawaiian beers you can drink. Drink: Both flagships, because less is definitely more here.

MAUI Koholā Brewery

Koholā Brewery (meaning whale in Hawaiian) was only the second brewery on Maui when it was created by six partners from the mainland six months ago. So, naturally, their largest "competitor," Maui Brewing Company, sold them equipment and offered them space. That's island life for you. The room’s steel-clad interior and warm wood decor complement outstanding beer, with the usual brew on offer executed with premium hops from the U.S. like Citra and Simcoe, along with European imports like Mandarina and Bavaria. Drink: Both the Light and Mighty versions of 88 RyePA, named for the largest whale ever measured (88-feet long). Maui Brewing

The largest independent brewery in the state celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a new brewery in residential Kihei Town late last year, while still keeping thirsty tourists satisfied with the original Kaanapali brew pub. The brewery offers tours, a kid-friendly tasting room, and scheduled food truck visits. With an impressive menu focused on local products—even the condiments are made in house—Maui Brewing has the most variety of any brewery on the Islands. Drink: The tap-only Mosaic Mo Betta Double IPA is quickly becoming a favourite for visiting hop heads. The pine and citrus hide the 8.2 ABV while somehow remaining refreshing and quaffable.

Koholā Brewery VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

Play

T H E HOT TA K E

By AMANDA ROSS

i This year’s cult-favourite book Spark Joy:

When Less is More

An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up revolutionizes the way we look at our stuff. It’s all about loving fewer but better things—and the underappreciated art of being neat.

From clothes to clutter, simple organized solutions can make our lives easier and more streamlined— and spark a little joy along the way 4

2 1. The Pannier Convertible Backpack in graphite by Vancouver-based Two Wheel Gear transitions from bike bag to backpack for onthe-go, stylish storage. $129, twowheelgear.com

2. Mark to-do lists, containers, and bottom-

shelf bins with the Sherpa, a pen shell that holds a variety of disposable pens and markers including a Sharpie, ballpoints, and highlighters. From $41.95, charals.com

3. Make room in your drawer for reimagined basics: the new patterned Hybridge Lite Vest classic is feather-light, breathable, and folds up into the size of a tennis ball for easy folding and suitcase packing. $345, canadagoose.ca

E XO T IC I M P ORT S WHILE THE PRACTICE of scouring the world over for precious ingredients used to be the purview of only a few luxury brands, rare and unusual inputs are rapidly becoming the new norm for less expensive brands as well. The Face Shop's Hwansaenggo Escargot Golden Firming line imports an ancient South Korean ritual that uses snail mucus for its purported healing and skin-smoothing properties. Laneige’s Bright Renew Capsule Sleeping Mask trades on truffle yeast extracts for an even skin tone, while The Body Shop’s Drops of Youth features Edelweiss from the alpine regions of Italy—all in the service of everlasting beauty.

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

k Hwansaengoo Escargot Gel Eye Mask, $6. thefaceshop.ca j Drops of Youth Essence-Lotion, $22. bodyshop.ca j Laneige Bright Renew Capsule Sleeping Mask, $36. sephora.ca

4. Mondays aren’t so blue with these daysof-the-week file folders, which promise to bring orderly, colourful zen to the office. $5.99. homesense.ca

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Welcome to Vancouver Magazine ’s ﬁrst-ever neighbourhood ranking. We crunched the most vital Coming this month... and current livability numbers—from green space to property crime—for all 39 neighbourhoods in Neighbourho od Guide! Vancouver, West Vancouver, and North Vancouver, Lo ok fo r it andRESTAURANT fed them intoFINDER our online calculator. Since great in Yello search by name, neighbourhood, or cuisine boxes throughout w Pages neighbourhoods are a matter of personal taste, the For advertising city. you can ﬁnd your perfect corner of our city by OR USE ADVANCED SEARCH oppo CUISINE SEARCH rtunities, call emphasizing the categories that matter to you. 604-877-4843 . See more at VanMag.com/BestNeighbourhoods

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Vancouver Specialist

By CHARLES DEMERS

Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, But to be young was very heaven!

The Summer of ‘86 Thirty years ago, Expo made an indelible mark on this city—and the people who lived here 66

VA N M A G . C O M J U N E 2 0 1 6

TRY TO IMAGINE, if you can, my surprise upon learning that William Wordsworth wasn’t writing about Expo 86. Thirty years ago, more or less exactly, the provincial backwater of Vancouver opened itself up to the world through the prism of a transportationthemed minor World’s Fair, and my most emblematic memory of the event doesn’t even take place on the official fairgrounds. When I think of the moment that best defines the brief and prosperous reign of Ernie the First, the fair’s robot king, I’m nowhere near the glint of what was not yet Science World, nor the shady wonder of what was not yet among the most valuable stretches of condo-dense real estate in the world. Instead, the memory that sums the whole thing up for me takes place east of Boundary Road, in a first grade classroom on an autumn day in Burnaby, where a teacher—my teacher—is trying vainly to explain to her six-year-old charges that just because Expo 86 is over doesn’t mean it’s 1987. For a small child in the Lower Mainland, the extents of Expo 86 overlapped with the extents of the known universe with the perfect symmetry of the hot and cold polystyrene hemispheres of a McDLT served on the McBarge. It still gives me vertigo to imagine that some people experienced Expo 86 as adults, or teenagers—that is to say, as a phenomenon that merely took place in the world rather than giving birth to it. My old sketchcomedy partner, Paul, worked there in the prime of his breakdancing adolescence; my producer on The

Debaters, Richard Side, was a youngish but fully adult improv comic, putting on a show in the Amiga Theatre with Ryan Stiles (on which a man who was not yet my uncle, having not yet married my aunt, was working as a tech). The idea of Expo as a place where a horny teenage boy might try to meet girls, or a comedian might kick off a career, is alien to me—I thought the whole thing was built for us kids to thrill to Colour Wars. In the same way that if you can remember Woodstock you weren’t really there, well, if you were tall enough to ride the Scream Machine then it didn’t really mean anything to you. Equally jarring was my discovery that Expo was a commercial and political project I’d likely have opposed as an adult—with prefigurations of the boondoggles and mean-spirited exclusions that marked Expo’s sleeker, higher-end mutant child, the 2010 Olympics. And yet six years later, who talks about the Olympics? Besides the heroics of a goaltender not yet returned to Florida, who remembers the Games with anything approaching the blinding nostalgia we reserve for a dumpy little fair about monorails? As Wordsworth wrote, “They who had fed their childhood upon dreams, / The playfellows of fancy, who had made / All powers of swiftness, subtilty, and strength / Their ministers”—and what’s swifter or more subtle than a McBarge?

Charles Demers is a comedian and the author of Vancouver Special, a wide-ranging collection of essays about our city

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