Letters From THe edITor
This year is the 150th
anniversary of Canadian
Confederation. While
British Columbia didn’t
join the new dominion
until 1871, when the
promise of a trans-con-
tinental railroad sealed
the deal, BC and its big-
gest city, Vancouver, are
marking the national ses-
quicentennial with the
rest of the country.
Although officially Canada is a country of two lan-
guages, French and English, in practice her cities are
multicultural and multilingual. After a couple of gen-
erations, immigrant families tend to assimilate, but
without losing sight of their imported traditions; just
as our First Nations work to preserve the uniqueness of
their own languages and culture. The resulting demo-
graphic is as close as we’ll ever come to defining that
elusive creature, The Canadian Identity.
The first immigrants to settle what is now
Vancouver came from all over the globe (see the
Gastown 150+ story, page 50). They’re still com-
ing, and Canada, more than most countries in our
unsettled world, is in the fortunate position of being
able to welcome them. Look around any Canadian
place where people gather and what do you see? In
our office, among fewer than a dozen people, we can
name antecedents who were English, Scottish, Irish,
Welsh, Hungarian, German, French (Breton), Italian,
Norwegian, Swedish, Malaysian (Kadazan), Chinese
(Hakka) and Lebanese.
Essential Vancouver publisher Peggie Terry has the
truly Canadian distinction of having a First Nation
ancestor (likely Iroquois), and a Scottish great-grand-
father, banker Richard Angus, whose far-sighted
Canadian Pacific Railway venture opened up the
Canadian West to trade and immigration.
Wherever you come from, however you got here; dip
into our issue for a taste of Vancouver culture, all of it
informed by the many nationalities that make up our
Great Canadian Mosaic.
From Les CLeFs d’or
On behalf of the Members
of the BC Region of Les Clefs
d’Or Canada, I am delighted
to welcome you to the beauti-
ful city of Vancouver, which
is ranked the third most live-
able city in the world!
As Les Clefs d’Or Concierges,
we like to make magic hap-
pen for guests. Whether you
are looking for a romantic
table at a popular restaurant,
tickets to a sold-out show, assistance in booking flights
or private tours; or you have forgotten your shoes or bow
tie for a gala, our professional concierges have a network
of members and colleagues around the world to call upon
and assist us in exceeding our guests’ expectations. We are
your travel consultants, personal and business assistants
and confidential secretaries.
“Les Clefs d’Or” (The Golden Keys) is a name familiar to
any international traveller accustomed to staying in the
grand hotels of the world. Les Clefs d’Or concierges have
been opening doors for hotel guests in Canada since 1976
and today over 150 members from coast to coast are at your
service. We are part of an international professional hotel
concierge association, Union Internationale des Concierges
d’Hôtels “Les Clefs d’Or,” which has more than 4,000 mem-
bers in over 80 countries and 530 destinations. You can
recognize Les Clefs d’Or concierges by the crossed gold keys
they display on the lapels of their uniforms. These keys are
more than just the symbol of our association — they are
the symbol of guaranteed, quality service.
In British Columbia, you will find 40 full member con-
cierges and a select few dedicated corporate affiliates act-
ing as your own private experts to our beautiful province.
Vancouver is yours to explore and a gateway to the entire
province. Let those in the know share their love of the cit-
ies in which they live, whether it is the beautiful mountain
serenity of Whistler or the charm and history of the pro-
vincial harbour capital of Victoria on Vancouver Island. We
have members at the most celebrated hotels who are there
to assist in anything you may require.
I invite you to visit our website, www.lesclefsdorcanada
.org, to learn more about our association and to stay cur-
rent on what’s happening in British Columbia. Follow us on
Twitter/Instagram @bclesclefsdor, and like us on Facebook.
www.facebook.com/bclesclefsdor.
In Service through Friendship,
Louise Phillips
Editor essential vancouver
Yuki Fournier
Director Bc region, les clefs d’or canada
Fairmont Gold Concierge fairmont Hotel vancouver
4
E ss E n t i a l Va n co u V er 20 1 7/ 1 8