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/1458960
missed it," he remembers. "That's when I got a real passion for it. Not doing something for that long, and not realizing how much you loved it, was a real eye-opener for me." Now living in New Westminster, Dean holds reverence for the peaks of B.C.: "I've skied all through the States, and a little bit in Europe. I still feel that Whistler is one of the best mountains in the world." As for his ideal skiing conditions—the deeper the powder the better, he says. "For me, there's not a purer feeling than skiing some really deep pow, like when you have to wear snorkel to breathe it in. Up to your chest or higher, it's a phe- nomenal experience." Dean is "mostly a re- sort kind of guy," he says, though he has done back- country work and taken avalanche courses. These days, time on the slopes is something the whole family can enjoy. His wife is an avid snowboarder, and their children are coming into their own. "For a while, I had to sign a waiver to let my 12-year-old go on to double black dia- monds and stuff," he says. Now she's out of the Kids Pass program at Whistler. Dean admits that he used to be something of a gear head, but now that both daughters keep growing out of their own equipment, those days are more or less over. "I had custom skis; I was all over that kind of stuff," he says. "But since I had kids, it's been con- stant replacements of their gear. I hadn't changed my boots for 20 years and had to change them this year— first ski purchase I've made in a long time." In any case, there's more to the experience than feeling the wind in his hair or making the perfect cut through pow. "When I'm driving up, I spend close to two hours in the car with my daugh- ters, and that's just so great," Dean says. "I get caught up on how their week has been, talk about what's happening in their lives, let them take over the music on the radio and hear what kind of music they're listening to." So what's blasting up and down the Sea to Sky? "Lots of pop," Dean laughs. "Olivia Rodrigo, AJR, all that." • A F T E R HO U R S JOY RIDE Like the rest of us, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra has had to roll with the changes during the pandemic. Recent COVID concerns prompted the VSO to push An Ode to Joy: Beethoven's Ninth to April 29 and 30 at the Orpheum Theatre, adding a third performance on May 1. Maestro Otto Tausk conducts this rendition of Symphony No. 9, "Choral," which you can enjoy virtually, too. Also on the bill: an appearance by local pianist Angela Cheng and the North American premiere of Elysium, a VSO co-commission from Canadian composer Samy Moussa. Tickets $21-$125; series packages available; vancouversymphony.ca TRAVEL PLANS Live theatre from the comfort of your living room? We're down with that. As part of its fifth annual Femme Festival, Vancouver institution The Cultch presents the premiere of Clean/Espejos, a new work by local playwright Christine Quintana with translation and adaptation by Paula Zelaya Cervantes. The Neworld Theatre production, directed by Chelsea Haberlin and Daniela Atiencia, explores female solidarity, secrets and survival by telling the story of two very different women who meet by chance at a Mexican resort. After in-person performances in March, the show goes on online April 5-10. Tickets $15; thecultch.com • 56 BCBUSINESS MARCH/APRIL 2022 FROM TOP: VANCOUVER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA; SEWARI CAMPILLO The Partners, Managers, and Staff at H.Y. Engineering and H.Y. Surveying would like to announce the retirement of Gene (Eugene) Wong, BCLS, Principal. Gene completed his study at BCIT (1984) and University of Calgary (1989) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Surveying Engineering and earned his BC Land Surveyor's designation in 1992. Through work on common development projects, Gene established close relationships with the original Partners at H.Y. and he was invited to join their team as a Partner in 2002. Gene has said that moving to H.Y. was the best career decision he ever made. Gene is honoured to be part of the company's legacy and looks forward to one day having his great grandchildren recognize the H.Y. Engineering name. We are proud and thankful to Gene for creating the Legal Survey Division and managing it for the past 19 years. We wish Gene a wonderful retirement and hope he enjoys quality time with his daughters and much excitement as he travels the world on his motorcycle. hyengineering.com