BCBusiness

W e e k e n d W a r r i o r FEbruarY 2016 BCBusiness 63 aDaM blasbErG Working with the dogs is the most pleasurable part for me— when you see those hunting dogs do what they were bred to do: bringing out the nose, the drive, the eagerness to work. If they have a job, they're much easier to live with. The season begins mid- October and runs through January. At the beginning I go for grouse. As a pointer, Emma's job is to catch onto the bird's scent, freeze up and point either with her head or raised paw in the direction of the bird, and allow you to get into range. The ducks start coming in mid-November. There's a lot of good hunting right on the Fraser River Delta, really close to built-up areas, too—you can see cargo ships in the distance, you can see condos. Chesley is a perfect dog for this area. He's all heart and very driven. Labs don't hold back. When they're going through a corneld or in a thicket, and their tails start to windmill and they're on something—that's when you need to hustle and get into range. He sits with me in the blind and watches the sky. I call the ducks in; I have decoys out. As they get into range, I will select whichever one I'm going for, and he will watch the duck come down and he will go and retrieve it and bring it back to me in the blind, right to my hand. I'm always amazed by the conservation ethic I see in the hunting community. For the little bit of biomass that we harvest, we sure are involved in wetlands habitat preserva- tion, and we make sure that the Pacic Flyway and the waterfowl associated with it are protected. People think we're rural, we're right wing, but I think hunters and people who love to sh come from all walks of life. —as told to Mary Beach TRaVeL / February is the last month to enter the lower Mainland tourism alliance's online contest in support of its new website, Westcoastfood.ca. Grand prize: two Vancouver- seattle amtrak cascades busi- ness class tickets; two nights in a four-star Vancouver hotel; and a themed itinerary (cultural cuisine, seafood or sweets and wine). FOOD / For Vancouver-based food concierge Foodee, delivering meals from local restaurants to company boardrooms has delivered results. the three- year-old company, which has 2,600 corporate customers and 90 restaurant partners, recently expanded to the u.s. ReTaiL / "King of cashmere" brunello cucinelli has opened his first canadian location on thurlow in Vancouver's luxury zone, in the same building as Versace and swiss menswear brand strellson. next up: a flagship Prada across the street. FOOD / canada's first Dock to Dish program has landed in Vancouver, steered by skipper otto's community supported Fishery and Four seasons Hotel executive chef ned bell. the program connects chefs and restaurants directly to local community-based fisheries, serv- ing whatever they catch each day. eaTeRY / chinook for "the table," latab is a new wine and snack bar in the Wall centre that works with small ethical farmers, fishers and foragers, and supports low-impact farming methods and alternative protein sources. –Felicity Stone The latest developments in the world of lifestyle—from retail to restaurants to travel (and more!) For the Birds McLean Group president and CEO Jason McLean on the pleasure of taking his hounds huntin' Range RoveRs Jason McLean and his dogs prepare for the duck hunt N e w + I m p r o v e d WaRRiOR spOTLiGhT The McLean Group is a second-generation family business in real estate develop- ment, construction and investing; film and television production and facilities rental. "We enjoy working together, which a lot of family businesses can't say." McLean is also chair of Blackcomb Aviation.

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