BCBusiness

8 BCBUSINESS MAY 2019 PORTRAIT: ADAM BLASBERG T he biggest challenge with predict- ing the future? People are terrible at it. Nobel Prize–winning physicist Niels Bohr gets credit for nailing the problem: "Prediction is very di•cult, especially if it's about the future." We make things worse by telling ourselves that what's coming—climate change, for example—is some far-o‚ event. As B.C. science …ction legend William Gibson said, "The future is already here—it's just not very evenly distributed." "The Future of Work" (p.27) looks at how technological, demographic, hiring and other trends are transforming the way we do our jobs right now. In this seven-part package, Ryan Stuart tackles the thorny question of how auto- mation will a‚ect B.C.'s workforce. There's a case to be made that almost no one will escape its impact. But as companies throughout the province have shown, arti…cial intel- ligence and big data can make work- ers more productive. That could be an economic advantage if business and government invest in giving people the tools and the skills they need not just tomorrow but today. Another change that might happen sooner than you think: fewer cars in cit- ies. In the not-so-distant future, British Columbians who commute to work may …nd themselves catching a high-speed train, hailing a ride-share—or walking from a building on what was once a road. "The Future of Work" also features a survey by regular BCBusiness contribu- tor Mustel Group. As always, thank you to Evi Mustel and her team for their thoughtful research. Work is one thing, but what does the future hold for professional bas- ketball in B.C.? On page 20, associate editor Nathan Caddell sizes up the Fraser Valley Bandits of the new Cana- dian Elite Basketball League, whose debut season tips o‚ this month at the Abbotsford Centre. "Power Ball" weighs the Bandits' chances of thriving against previous e‚orts to …nd pro teams a home in the Valley. It does look like the Lower Mainland has a bigger appetite for basketball than in the 1990s, when NBA franchise the Vancouver Grizzlies failed to court enough fans. Hopefully the Bandits will entertain specta- tors for decades, like our Top 100 event. That annual gathering in downtown Vancouver, which has featured some of B.C.'s biggest busi- ness success stories as guest speakers (see p.19), marks its 30th anniversary on June 20. If you haven't bought your ticket, please join us for a conversation with Dragons' Den judge and Boston Pizza International owner Jim Treliving. I look forward to seeing you there. Nick Rockel, Editor-in-Chief bcb@canadawide.com / @BCBusiness ( editor's desk ) In the market for a B.C. vacation home? Kick back with our Recreational Property Guide I N J U N E The Future Starts Now C ON T R I B U T OR S Freelance writer Ryan Stuart, who resides in the Comox Valley, lets curiosity guide his work. "I start with a concept, in this case the future of work, and then have to figure out how to break it down into different article topics," Stuart says of his approach to our cover feature (p.27). "It's like a puzzle but in reverse." Steven Hughes loves B.C. and its natural beauty. That came in handy when the award-winning, Ontario-based illustrator was tasked with creating this issue's cover image. "In B.C., there's a meditative quality to reaching the peak of a mountain or exploring deep into the woods," Hughes says. "It seemed like a lot of fun imagining a robot being able to enjoy the same kind of peace."

• Cover