BCBusiness

46 BCBusiness december 2015 TouCHdown: VanCouVer InTernaTIonal aIrporT The Christmas and summer holidays are the airport's two busiest times of the year, according to YVR spokes- person Tess Messmer. In 2014, YVR had an average of 60,000 passengers a day over the Christmas holiday season, with approximately 565 runway movements a day during December from the main terminal. It's also peak season for the many designer shops located at YVR that service the last-min- ute shopper, says Messmer: "For a lot of business travel- lers with a two-hour layover, it's a great place to nd some really great gifts." KaTe Calls up Her CHIldHood frIend, anITa, and seTs up a weeKend daTe To waTCH THe GoH BalleT performanCe of The NuTcracker The Nutcracker holds a spe- cial place in the heart of Chan Hon Goh, former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada and now executive producer at the Goh Ballet. When she joined the National Ballet in 1988, her rst principal role was the Sugar Plum Fairy; when she retired in 2009, her rst project was launch- ing a large-scale professional production of The Nutcracker in Vancouver, traditionally a host to touring produc- tions. A complicated ballet to produce, The Nutcracker has more props and costume changes than any other ballet and a cast of around 220. Casting starts in May and rehearsals are in September; ticket prices start at $28. From the outset, The Nutcracker has played to nearly full houses, expand- ing from ve shows per season to the current eight (this year, Dec. 17 to 22). "It's quite jam packed," says Goh. Too Busy To sHop In ToronTo, KaTe Goes In searCH of GIfTs In B.C. for Her nepHew ryan, sHe Heads To kNoTTy Toys on GranVIlle Island To add To HIs wooden TraIn seT "Christmas is my biggest sales period," says Rhonda Pummell, who owns Knotty Toys with her husband, Ray. "November and December is probably 25 per cent of my annual sales." Ray and his dad, Jim, started mak- ing wooden toys and selling them at craft fairs before opening their own store in 1984. Now about ve percent of what they sell is their own Buzz Woodcrafts line with the rest international brands. Online they sell an assortment of 200 or 300 of the best-selling items; the complete range of 700 or 800 toys sell for between $3 and $300 each. "I don't really stock anything di¦erently for Christmas," says Rhonda, "just more of it." KaTe's wIne-loVer dad, franK, Is easy To Buy for: IT's on To LiberTy WiNe MerchaNTs aT GranVIlle Island To Buy a BoTTle of VInTaGe porT "We do three times our normal monthly volume in the month of December," says Robert Simpson, general manager of the six-store Vancouver wine retailer. Many customers are corporate, buying gifts for their clients, or people ordering for Christmas functions and parties; as a result, shops sell more wine baskets, champagne, ice wine and dessert wines—like the special $300 Croft 1970 vintage port that Frank is getting as a gift. The week before Christmas is always the busiest for Liberty, and the company's most success- ful years are when Christmas Day falls on a Monday, says Simpson—allowing people to shop on the week- end, which is usually when they hit the liquor store. "When Christmas is in the middle of the week, people get confused." on Her way THrouGH yVr, KaTe pICKs up some voN hardeNberg Beeswax Candles from CrafTHouse–a HosTess GIfT for Her parenTs Betty and Klaus von Hardenberg have been making moulded and traditional hand-dipped beeswax candles since 2004. "Our candles are available at YVR year round, but Christmas is our big season," says Betty. "Probably two-thirds of our annual income comes at Christmas time." The couple sells about 15,000 candles a year, ranging in price from 90 cents to $40, mostly through markets and Circle Craft plus the annual Thornhill Artisan Fair at their Maple Ridge studio each Decem- ber. Apart from Crafthouse, the only retail stores they sell to are on the Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast. "We decided to build our business slowly by selling directly to our customers. We love meeting and building relationships with our customers," says Klaus. (this page from top) courtesy of liberty wines, knotty toys, Von hardenberg candles; (opposite) robert kenney changes than any other ballet and a cast of around 220. Casting starts in May and rehearsals are in September; ticket prices start at $28. From the outset, The has played to nearly full houses, expand- ing from ve shows per season to the current eight (this year, Dec. 17 to 22). "It's quite jam packed," says Goh. opening their own store in 1984. Now about ve percent "We do three times our normal monthly volume in the month of December," says Robert Simpson, general manager of the six-store Vancouver wine retailer. Many customers are corporate, buying gifts for their clients, or people ordering for Christmas

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