 SUMMER VACATION GETAWAYS
You have probably noticed the recent ads by the Canadian Tourism Association called Locals Know featuring scenic places from across Canada. The most viewed photo on their website shows the pristine waters of Georgian Bay, Ontario, but we think B.C. has some pretty amazing places too. We asked our WLC Advisory Council to tell us their favorite B.C. summer vacation spots and here’s what they had to say:
Sue Paish, QC, CEO, Pharmasave Drugs (National) Ltd.:
- “Somewhere far from the madding crowd. There’s a great spot to camp at the north end of Nimpkish Lake about an hour north of Campbell River. There’s no sign and it requires a hefty hike down to the lakeshore but once there: its B.C. wilderness at its best… a week there in the sun works wonders!”
Elise Rees, FCA, Partner, Ernst & Young:
- Salt Spring Island (or SSI, as she calls it). “It’s the ‘Martha’s Vineyard’ of the West Coast−totally mellow and lots fun.”
Praveen Varshney, CA, Varshney Capital Corp.:
- Cable Cove Inn in Tofino (www.cablecoveinn.com). It’s a small beautiful, romantic inn set in a gorgeous setting with a spa which offers a treatment room that is specifically designed for traditional Ayurvedic therapies from the South of India. The Ashram Spa by Ayurcare is the first of its kind outside of India and it combines treatments which rejuvenate and detoxify, yoga to help revitalize, and a diet that is customized to each person’s needs. The owner, Ram Tumuluri, is a chef and does one delicious dinner seating for two in a private romantic setting every night.
Maureen Daschuk, general manager, TELUS:
- “My summer getaway involves going up to a small piece of lakefront property north of Whistler. There is no hydro, no cell coverage and a beautiful pristine glacier-fed lake where I can kayak or canoe with my husband, read and relax with no distractions from the outside world.”
Janet Austin, CEO, YWCA Vancouver:
- “Pacific Sands Beach Resort, Cox Bay, Tofino – I love the beaches; the little nine hole golf course that is never busy early in the morning; running down Long Beach from the North end all the way to the old Wikaninnish (now the interpretive centre); hikes in Pacific Rim Park; the Common Loaf bakery in Tofino; playing bocci on the beach; fresh crab from the Trilogy Fish Company or off the docks; etc. etc.”
- Pender Island – great hiking & bicycling; Le Pistou Grill at the Driftwood Centre; swimming in the ocean; the Anglican Church Book Sale; farmers market, etc. etc.”
 THE BOOKS OF SUMMER
If you are looking to expand your mind or just escape from it all, summer is one of the best times to catch up on your reading. Whether you like to physically turn the pages or lie back and listen on your iPod, this list has something for everyone.
Fun and exciting cookbooks:
- No, kidding! Sue Paish tells us she “loves reading cookbooks and they are a great way to let the imagination run wild.” She is planning to read The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell or perhaps the new release, The Talent Advantage: How to Attract and Retain the Best and the Brightest by Alan Weiss and Dr. Nancy MacKay (one of WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada).
Inspirational:
- Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood, founder of Room to Read, an organization that has created a network of over 5,500 schools and libraries throughout rural and poor communities in Asia and Africa. Praveen Varshney said that one of the gals in his office borrowed his copy last week and was in tears after reading it.
Quirky and funny:
- The Flying Troutman by Miriam Toews. If you liked the movie, Little Miss Sunshine, you will enjoy this road novel that combines a rag-tag family’s journey from Canada to the U.S. dealing with car repairs, sleazy motel rooms and encounters with bizarre people.
Topical:
- Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. Janet Austin says that not only is this relevant, considering the current events in Iran, the “literary sections are wonderful… particularly loved the description of students at Tehran University putting The Great Gatsby on trial.”
- Murder In Amsterdam by Ian Buruma, a non-fiction account of the murder of Theo Van Gogh in November 2004 by an Islamic extremist. Janet Austin says it “reads like a thriller.”
Thought provoking:
- The Gift of Thanks by Margaret Visser looks into the act of gratitude, embodied in the deceptively simple phrase “thank you.” It’s a fascinating inquiry into all aspects of gratitude, from how and why children are taught to give thanks, to the difference between speaking the words and feeling them.
Thriller/Mystery:
- Maureen Daschuk says her summer reading is “mind candy.” She likes “mystery thrillers that totally take my mind off of work and allow me to escape. My deep dark secret is that I really enjoy Dean Koonz.”
- Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith (The latest in the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series)
- Arctic Chill by Arnaldur Indridason. Janet Austin says this is a good mystery if you enjoy Scandinavian writers – Indridason is Icelandic.
We want to know, what are you reading this summer?
Send us an email at: judy@workthepond.com
 IT WILL FLY BY…
One of the best ways to get the most out of our very short summers is to make a wish list. Do it at the dining room table (you know that place where food occasionally is placed—not homework, bills, etc.) and ask everyone to pick the three things they want to do in the city this summer. Since there are only seven or eight weekends, everything can’t get jammed into that precious time, but there’s time in the day after work, or on a day off, to do some cool things around town.
What do they want to do? Take a windsurfing lesson off Jericho Beach. Finally try the Grouse Grind. Go to the Dutch Masters exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Ride your bike across all the bridges in Metro Vancouver. Rent a boat at Horseshoe Bay and see what’s really up Indian Arm. Fly in a helicopter over Grouse Mountain. You get the idea. Too many ideas? Put all the ideas in a bowl and draw a certain number of them. If your family (read “teenagers”) doesn’t want to do this with you, then get a group of friends together and do the same exercise. You will have an amazing summer and it will NOT fly by without you noticing.
 DID YOU KNOW?
- That the first woman member of The Vancouver Board of Trade was Wendy McDonald, CM, OBC, chair of B.C. Bearing Group.
- That 42% of our new members are women.
- That if you are a female, card-carrying Vancouver Board of Trade Member, you are automatically a member of the WLC.
- That the Terminal City Club, our official WLC clubhouse, offers Board of Trade members a 25% discount off the entrance fee – a saving of up to $2,500 plus GST. And, the TCC Tower Hotel offers a 30% discount off posted rates.
- The Arts Club Theatre offers members a 20 per cent discount on tickets.
- The Spirit of Vancouver calendar offers a quick way to see what is going on in Metro Vancouver. And, if you are holding a community, charity or sports events, you can easily post it on the calendar for others to see. www.spiritofvancouver.com
- There are group rates for tickets to Playland, the Fair at the PNE & Friday nights.
See Member Benefits (PDF) for a full list of all the benefits (and there are lots!)
 WLC SURVEY COMING SOON
What are you looking for from your WLC membership? That’s what the WLC Advisory Council wants to know. So, this summer we will be sending out a short survey to our almost 2,000 members to gather your thoughts on events, speakers and other membership ideas. Please take the time to respond. According to Evi Mustel of Mustel Research, a typical survey response rate to this type of survey is about 10 to 15%. Hey, we are a group of powerful and opinionated women; we can do way better than that!
 GOOD TIMES YIELD LITTLE PROGRESS
A new report released in June 2009 by Catalyst, which tracked the representation of women in Canadian capital markets from 2000 to 2008, reveals troubling trends. Despite an optimal economic climate and record job growth in this industry over the past decade, women have made no gains since 2000 and men continue to outnumber women four to one in all positions (excluding administrators). Despite the dismal statistics, the Catalyst report delivered some positive news. The number of corporate officers of banks who are women has grown 6% between the years 2002 to 2008. WLC follows Catalyst research avidly, starting with a WLC event last September featuring Deborah Gillis, Catalyst vice-president, North America speaking on the topic, Boardroom Ceiling: Why Women are Crucial to Corporate Canada’s Success. Read an overview of the latest report on the Catalyst website. More summer reading…
YOUR FEEDBACK
We would love to hear from you. Send your comments, ideas for this newsletter, for speakers, for content to: info@wlcircle.com
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A HEALTHY SOCIETY
July 16, 2009 
