BCBusiness

Whether you’re a Swiss chocolate lover, or an early-holiday-gift shopper, you’re in luck. Switzerland’s largest (and arguably most beloved) chocolate brands, Läderach, has opened its first Vancouver—and second B.C.—location. After debuting its first Metro Vancouver shop in Richmond last fall, the 64-year-old Swiss chocolatier expanded into Vancouver with a new location at CF Pacific Centre, which officially opened on Saturday, September 5.

Leaving a gift in your will is a powerful way for everyday Canadians to champion the values they live by while paying it forward to future generations. With one in two people expected to face cancer in their lifetime—and with cancer incidences increasing by 35 percent over the next decade—advancing cancer care in B.C. is a deeply personal mission. Last year, BC Cancer Foundation donors gave more than $15 million through their estate plans.

There’s a lot of coffee in Fabric Living’s office. Enough that one of the artworks hanging in its speakeasy (yes!)—a coffee-themed piece by Nigerian artist Jimbo Lateef—was commissioned specifically for the space. It’s a small but telling detail. Fabric’s Mount Pleasant office is full of motifs that feel personal and playful: walnut doors, art chosen by the team, trinkets that nod to inside jokes and spaces designed as much for hanging out as getting work done. There’s even a mini putt in the lobby.

Chef Ben Kiely is the senior education administrator and lead chef instructor at Vancouver’s Pacific Institute for Culinary Arts (PICA). Born and raised in Richmond, England, Chef Ben got his start at a culinary school. He moved to Vancouver in 2009, where he held positions as executive sous chef at the Sutton Place Hotel and as head chef at Caffé dé Medici, a DiRoNA award winner. Back-to-school season brings mixed emotions.

Darren Entwistle doesn’t walk or talk like a man headed for retirement. It’s mid-May, and he’s bounding downstairs from the 26th-floor event space above his office at Telus Garden. The patio overlooking downtown Vancouver is open and breezy. Entwistle, 64, would step away from leading Telus Corporation as president and CEO at the end of June, after 26 years at the helm, with former CIBC chief Victor Dodig taking over as his successor.

For years, Duchess Cocktails (the flagship brand of Coupe Beverages) existed only on shelves—at BC Liquor Stores, independent shops and even its zero-proof duplicate, DuchessDry, in grocery aisles.

Despite being a bit of a daredevil, I had to overcome a wave of fear when I was invited to the unveiling of the Malahat SkyWalk’s newest attraction, The Overhang. Still, I couldn’t help but leap at the chance to take in some spectacular B.C. scenery from a unique glass terrace. As soon as I walk into the glass cube suspended 250 metres above sea level over the steep cliffs of the Saanich Inlet, I feel a thrill at the grand, open-air gallery of nature’s artistry on full display.

Bees connect entire ecosystems, and the same can be said for today’s business leaders. While AI and other emerging technologies are creating a buzz, organizations that thrive will be led by leaders—people—who can cross-pollinate strategy, technology and human potential. Even though AI can process information in seconds, new technology alone won’t determine which businesses succeed.

Whether it’s the quiet suburban vibe of Kerrisdale or the community-minded spirit of Cedar Cottage, Vancouver has its distinctive neighbourhoods. That distinction could be lost, say planning experts. They worry that the City of Vancouver’s newest plan to drop large pockets of six-storey density into existing neighbourhoods—which they call villages—could erode character and homogenize streetscapes with boxy mixed-use buildings already seen on every major arterial route.

Ask around about the upcoming merger between Vancouver-based Teck Resources and London-based Anglo American, and you’ll get two predictable responses. One is that there’s very little incentive to go on the record about such a huge future part of the Canadian business landscape. The other is that, while this deal may come with some partial downsides for Canada, it’s also better than the most likely alternatives.