With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1159085
PORTRAIT: ADAM BLASBERG 10 BCBUSINESS SEPTEMBER 2019 A s our 17-year-old daughter heads off to university this month, my wife and I are sorry to see her go. We're also confident that out in the world, she'll be just fine. Stella is a sensible person who has always taken the time to do things right, from learning to skate to driving a car. Just as important, she would never let a man push her around—or limit what she can accomplish in life. That Stella even has to worry about that stuff is depressing. After all, sexism was supposed to be dead by now. But as we approach 2020, it's still alive and well, making regular appear- ances in the schoolyard, social media, politics and the workplace. The women in our cover story, "Rough Trades" (p.26), can certainly relate. Through interviews with female tradespeople at differ- ent stages of their careers, Roberta Staley shows that despite efforts to level the play- ing field, women who want to be car- penters, electricians and plumbers face discrimination and bullying in a 95-percent-male industry. That's a shame for them and for the provincial economy, whose con- struction sector could use an injec- tion of female talent. Fortunately, several B.C. post-secondary institu- tions offer programs for women in the trades. At the same time, both government and industry are taking steps to encourage more female par- ticipation in work that shouldn't be a boys' club. When it comes to what some have billed as the next big thing in canna- bis, government and industry aren't exactly singing in perfect harmony. Marijuana-infused drinks will be legal in Canada this year, but no one knows where you'll be allowed to sip them. As associate editor Nathan Caddell explains in "Stirring the Pot" (p.36), if people can enjoy a cannabis bever- age on the street or at the beach, that could pose challenges for the prov- ince's liquor business. Although estimates of the potential market for such drinks vary widely, some B.C. alcohol players are hedging their bets by getting into the cannabis game. Time will tell if they were smart to choose a new drug. Speaking of choice, you'll find plenty in "Take One With the Team" (p.42), a roundup of 10 places for company retreats everywhere from Whistler to Kelowna to Haida Gwaii. We did our best to find venues that will help you and your colleagues break out of the daily routine, whether that means sharing a paddle- boarding adventure or hitting the spa. With any luck, you won't be sorry you went. Nick Rockel, Editor-in-Chief bcb@canadawide.com / @BCBusiness ( editor's desk ) We profile the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year competition's 2019 Pacific Region finalists and winners I N O C T OB E R Fair Trades C ON T R I B U T OR S Roberta Staley ("Rough Trades," p.26) is an award-winning magazine editor and writer, documentary filmmaker and author who reports from places like Afghanistan, El Salvador and Kenya, specializing in topics such as gender, business, health and human rights. "Covering the story about women in the trades was a reminder of how women in Canada are rising up to demand—and achieve—equality and self-respect," she says. For "Stirring the Pot" (p.36), Paul Joseph took time out from his regular gig as UBC's official photographer to shoot Jeff Donnelly at the latter's Hobo Recreational Cannabis Store in Vancouver. "It's not like your head-shop kind of experience where there's pipes all over the place and paraphernalia," Joseph says. With the vibe of an upscale health spa, the interior felt like an Apple store for cannabis, he notes.