Winter 2010 - Footeprint

Transcription

WINTER 2010
SPRING 2010
CONNECTING ITALY AND CANADA
THE MAGAZINE OF THE ITALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN CANADA – VANCOUVER EDMONTON CALGARY
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
SETTING
THE
STAGE
WHISTLER POISED TO
TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT
OLYMPIC
MOVEMENT
VANOC’S AMBITIOUS
TRANSPORTATION PLAN
FEATURE
STILL
BURNING
BRIGHTLY
LEARNING FROM
THE LEGACY OF
CALGARY ‘88
LET THE
GAMES BEGIN
VANCOUVER IS READY
TO HOST THE WORLD
CALABRIA JOINS THE PARTY
HOSTING A SHOWROOM IN
DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER
Flavours of ITALY
RETURNS TO VANCOUVER
AND CALGARY
Personalized International Real Estate Services
A Pure
ConneCtion
Fioretta Wilinofsky & Christopher Rivers
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i ta ly
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C anada
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Successful partnerships exist on a mutual vision. For italian born
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V a n C o U V e R,
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C o l U M B i a
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Christopher Rivers 604 . 218 . 4001
features
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Whistler, BC is Poised to Take the Spotlight
BEST PRACTICE
VANOC’s Ambitious Transportation Plan
Calgary’s Olympic Legacy
REGIONAL FOCUS
Getting to Know Calabria
The Best of Vancouver is
Ready to Host the World
GUEST FEATURES
Five Questions With
Karolina Wisniewska
B.C.’s Newest Frontier
CHAMBER NEWS
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Brent Foote,
Footeprint Communications
Tara Foote, Elizabeth Iachelli,
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Oberto Oberti
JC Ospino, Alliter CCG
Manfred Kraus
Michaela Wildbacher
Sophie de Marigny
Conexus (ISSN 1718-1852) is published by the Italian Chamber of Commerce
in Canada in cooperation with Footeprint Communications. Contents of this
publication may not be reproduced without prior written permission of the Italian
Chamber of Commerce in Canada.
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for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
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JANUARY 2010
Made in Italy Design Tour :
An Insider’s View
Flavours of Italy 2009 : Sold Out Events in Calgary and Vancouver
Dine Italia 2009 :
Dishing Up the Best of Vancouver’s Italian Cuisine
04
24
18
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
SETTING
THE
STAGE
WHISTLER POISED TO
TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT
Consistently ranked as one of the
world’s leading mountain resorts, the
majestic coast mountains of Whistler
and the splendour offered by the city of
Vancouver ensure that everyone taking
part in the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic
Winter Games is guaranteed to come
out a winner.
4 CONEXUS – WINTER 2010
Of the four distinct zones hosting Olympic events,
it is the image of Whistler that most will remember.
Not only will Whistler play host to the widest range
of events, but each venue has been designed to
showcase the best of its natural surroundings. It is
time for Whistler to take centre stage.
Holding the Games has long been a dream of many
in the Whistler community. Beginning in 1960, a
group of Vancouver businessmen skiing Squaw Valley,
California, host of that year’s Winter Olympics, thought
that Vancouver, and the mountains north of it, would be a perfect
place to hold the 1968 Games. Norwegian Franz Wilhelmsen
already knew the ideal location and he opened Whistler for skiing in the 1960s in the hopes of hosting the Olympic Games.
trail or slope needed for high calibre competition. The work
was so seamless that all three of Whistler’s competition venues
were constructed two years ahead of the Games, marking the
earliest completion in the history of the Winter Olympics.
Whistler didn’t host those Winter Games, and failed in the next
bid attempt too, but the vision was always clear. Today, more
than 50 years later, that vision is upon us.
Whistler Creekside village is the main centre for Olympics
coverage from its location in the Whistler Blackcomb ski
resort.Downhill, Super-G, Slalom, and Combined events will
all begin on Whistler Mountain and end in a large horseshoeshaped area. The newly-built Whistler Sliding Centre, 14km
south of the town of Whistler, is hosting Bobsleigh, Luge and
Inspired by nature, and its mountainous terrain, Whistler’s
Olympic venues seem to effortlessly complement each jump,
CONEXUS – WINTER 2010 5
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Skeleton events. Another new venue, the Whistler Olympic
Park, will be home to Cross Country Skiing, Biathlon, Nordic
Combined and Ski Jumping.
Whistler Creekside
Whistler Creekside hosts both men’s and women’s Alpine
Skiing events at the Winter Games. This includes Downhill,
Super-G, Giant Slalom, Slalom and Super Combined.
The men’s Olympic Alpine Skiing events will be held
on the Dave Murray Downhill, the second longest
downhill in the world. It is extremely challenging with
long winding turns and rolling terrain. Rated a “black
diamond”, the course is naturally Olympic-calibre
with few modifications needed.
Franz’s Run, a new course, will host both the women’s
and Paralympic Alpine Skiing events. This upgrade
included doubling the snowmaking capacity and the
installation of a new infrastructure to support safety
nets to meet the Olympic requirements. “Hot Air” is the
last technical jump before the finish line for both men’s and
women’s courses offering up a thrilling finish for spectators.
VANOC spent $27.6 million improving Whistler Creekside.
Post-games it will continue to offer a world-class ski area to
recreational skiers and will be a site for future international
competitions and Canadian team training.
Whistler Sliding Centre
Situated on Blackcomb Mountain, the Whistler Sliding Centre
will welcome the Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton competitions.
The construction included a concrete track, two athlete start
buildings, track weather protection system, five facility support
buildings, plus control and timing systems and a refrigeration
plant. Snowmaking and grooming began in October 2009 with
the making of the racecourse base which was further built up by
record snowfalls in November.
The 1,450-metre track is officially the fastest track in the world,
guaranteeing world record speeds. With a 152-metre vertical
drop (the record of any track in the world) and 16 corners, this
course starts fast and only gets faster!
Post-games, the Whistler Sliding Centre will be operated under
the direction of the Whistler Legacies Society, supported by
an endowment trust that was established by the federal and
provincial governments as part of their 2010 Winter Games
venues investment. The facility will operate as a centre for
high-performance development, youth and recreational club
programming and tourist rides and tours.
Whistler Olympic/Paralympic Park
Located in the stunning Callaghan Valley, Whistler Olympic
Park is the first Winter Games venue to include all three
traditional Nordic sport stadiums in one site: Cross-Country,
Ski Jumping and Biathlon. The separate stadiums are situated
about 500 metres apart.
All Paralympic Cross-Country Skiing and Biathlon events will
use parts of both the Olympic Cross-Country and Biathlon
competition trails and stadiums. Competition courses include
a 5km course for the standing classes and a specially designed
3.75km course for the sit-ski classes.
The venue consists of 14km of cross-country skiing and biathlon trails.The biathlon stadium’s range consists of 30 lanes
with a fully electronic target system able to detect and report
the precise time and hit or miss of each bullet fired. The two
ski jumps (90m and 120m) include one of the world’s most
sophisticated ski jump snow refrigeration and track setting
systems. Chair lifts take athletes up to the start of the ski jump
where a warming/holding facility exists. A 10,500 square-foot
day lodge is part of the athletes compound.
After the Games, the Whistler Legacies Society will manage
Whistler Olympic Park/Whistler Paralympic Park. The venue
will showcase Nordic sports by hosting international competitions and developing Nordic sport opportunities.
The Whistler Olympic Celebration
Medals Plaza
This outdoor venue is situated in Whistler’s town centre. It
will host nightly Victory Ceremonies presentations, as will BC
Place in Vancouver. For both the Olympic as well as Paralympic
Games, the Olympic Celebration Plaza in Whistler will have a
capacity of 8,000 spectators. Athletes, visitors and residents can
witness the achievements of medal winners each day. More than
half of the Olympic medal competitions and 90 percent of the
Paralympic medal competitions will be held in Whistler.
The Whistler Olympic Celebration Plaza will also be hosting
concerts, films, sport demonstrations, performing arts and big
screen broadcasting of the 2010 competitions.
After the Games, Whistler Medals Plaza will become a community gathering space ideal for picnics, casual summer
activities and performing arts as well as housing an Olympic
Legacy Cauldron that will recognize the athletes, volunteers and
Whistler’s long Olympic journey.
Whistler Olympic and Paralympic
Athletes’ Village
The Olympic and Paralympic Village in Whistler includes
duplexes, apartments and town-homes sprawled across 40
hectares in the Cheakamus Valley. During the Games, the tall,
angular buildings with big windows will house about 2,850
Olympic and 1,000 Paralympic athletes, officials and coaches.
Whistler Media Centre
During the Games over 3,500 media will call Whistler home.
The accredited media centre will operate out of the Conference
Centre. This is for licensed right holders, for example CTV and
NBC, and will be operated by VANOC. The unaccredited media
centre will be at Millennium Place and will be operated by
Tourism Whistler. Media at this centre will include CBC, CNN
and other non-right holders.
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Whistler Media House
Village Square
Whistler Media House (WMH) will serve as a central resource
facility for unaccredited media visiting Whistler during the
Games. It is a full service broadcasting facility, offering secure
and fully wired networking and operating space. WMH will provide access to athletes, dignitaries and government leaders, as
well as contacts to Whistler-related stories happening outside
official Winter Games venues.
As Whistler’s original celebration site, Village Square will
feature a large stage with a focus on live music performances by
regional, national and international headliners. A large screen
will show post-medal concerts, competition highlights, short
films, new media and audience generated content.
Celebration Sites
During the 2010 Games, there will be six different Celebration
Sites set up throughout Whistler Village featuring interactive
arts and entertainment programming.
Celebration Plaza
Celebration Plaza will be the anchor of the Celebration Sites
and along with the Medal Ceremonies, Paralympic Closing
Ceremonies and live competition broadcasts, will offer
Breakfasts with Champions and major concert performances.
Town Plaza
Town Plaza is for family oriented programming. From the
interactive Kidzone to storytelling, to school choirs and bands.
Village Common
Village Common will host an art showcase with exhibitions
and fringe theatre performances. This Celebration Site will be
Whistler’s alternative edge.
Mountain Square
Before reaching Blackcomb and Whistler Mountains, a stop in
Mountain Square will offer national and international street
theatre, circus arts and dance. This is also the feature site for
Aboriginal performing arts and street hockey.
Skiers Plaza
At the base of Blackcomb and Whistler Mountains, Skiers
Plaza will offer full sport competition and medal ceremony
broadcasts, along with concerts, short films and new media
projected on giant screens.
There is no other opportunity that draws the attention of the
world to the same extent and with such compelling ideals as the
Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Games have the capacity to inspire people of all ages and represent excellence and
achievement in human endeavour.
“The 2010 Winter Games will be a time in our history not to
be repeated,” said Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed. “With piles
of snow, the best skiing and snowboarding in North America
along with the Olympic spirit coursing through the Village, it is
truly a genuine adventure not to be missed.”
THE WORLD COMES TO VANCOUVER
The Winter Olympics is just one of
the ways to enjoy Vancouver.
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Personalized International Real Estate Services
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BEST PRACTICE
OLYMPIC
MOVEMENT
VANOC’S ambitious
TRANSPORTATION PLAN
When Vancouver was awarded the opportunity to host the 2010 Olympic Games, it not only
marked victory for Vancouverites to take part in a truly once-in-a-lifetime winter sports
celebration, but it also opened the door for much needed urban transportation improvements
and investment for the city.
As the third most populated metropolitan area in Canada, Vancouver and the surrounding
metro area have long been facing enormous challenges to transport the 2.1 million permanent
residents and a growing number of visitors to and from work, school and recreational activities.
Traffic congestion and commuting distances are all growing, while air quality worsens and
urban sprawl extends over additional areas of the Lower Mainland.
BEST PRACTICE
While the Olympics represent an incredible opportunity to
showcase the city’s unique strengths, it is a taxing test for public
transit. Experience shows that the Games rely critically on the
ability of the public transportation system of the host city and
its region to get large numbers of extra travellers to the right
places and it’s the only way to avoid horrendous traffic jams and
extreme air pollution. Poor service, delays and accidents will not
only affect the image of the city and transport but visitors will also
perceive this as a failure of the Olympic Games. Their experience
on our roads, buses, skytrain and railways will have the potential
to either make or mar their opinion of Vancouver.
Transportation during large sporting events is always a major
concern for the organizers. Such was the case for the 2004
Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, where public transportation
was planned to transport an ambitious 90 percent of all of the
spectators, volunteers and employees. In fact, during the Games,
22 million passenger journeys were made to and from Olympic
Venues, a strong 74 percent of which were using public transport.
During the two weeks of the Games, hundreds of thousands
of spectators, athletes, journalists and staff will flood the city
and fill every single corner of the sport venues and
other activity centres. There is no doubt that on-time,
orderly and safe movement will create a huge burden
on the urban transportation system.
An important lesson for Vancouver that was learned from
the Salt Lake City Games was the importance of upgrading
During the 2008 Beijing Games, public transportation offered
unprecedented convenience and comfort to Beijing residents.
Over this period, the percentage of people taking public transport increased significantly from 26 percent to 46 percent.
operations to help travellers to “know before you go.”
Salt Lake visitors found intelligent transportation
systems, such as close circuit TV, message signs
and public outreach to be the best investments, and
Vancouver will utilize these same methods.
As part of its environmental sustainability strategy,
one of the key principles of the Vancouver 2010 Games
transportation plan is the extensive use of public
transport. Within Greater Vancouver more than 6,000
park-and-ride spaces currently exist in conjunction
with transit services. These existing systems form the
base of the spectator transportation plan and therefore no spectator parking will be provided at venues.
The Olympic bus network is the quickest way for
spectators from Metro Vancouver to be transported
to Cypress Mountain and Whistler venues from a
network of departure hubs. Within two hours of the
end of each event, passengers will be transported back
to their originating departure point.
Olympic bus network transportation tickets are sold
separately from Olympic event tickets. With the pur-
chase of a transportation ticket, spectators need
to reserve a round-trip seat to Cypress Mountain
or a Whistler venue and receive complimentary
parking at a designated hub. Only ticket holders
may reserve seats on the Olympic bus network.
There are several departure hubs in the Lower
Mainland for those heading to Cypress, the snowboard and freestyle venue, and to Whistler.
For Cypress, spectators can go to Simon Fraser
University, Capilano University and Lonsdale
Quay. There is no parking at the Quay, which is
also the Lower Mainland hub for people going
to the Whistler Sliding Centre. For the Nordic
venue, the Lower Mainland hub will be BCIT in
Burnaby. The hub for Whistler Creekside, the
alpine venue, is Langara College.
Provincial transportation officials say that in the
event that a slide blocks the Sea-to-Sky Highway
during the Games, there’s a plan for B.C. Ferries
to carry Olympic vehicles and passengers by
docking at Darrell Bay, just outside Squamish.
The busiest area during the Games is anticipated
to be downtown Vancouver, where local road
capacity is expected to be reduced by 50 percent
from the east and by 20 percent overall.
All Olympic Venues in Vancouver and Richmond
(the site of the Olympic Speed Skating Oval)
can be accessed using public transit. With every
Olympic and Paralympic event ticket that has
been purchased, spectators have unlimited
access to public transit on that day. Starting in
January 2010, SkyTrain will have added 48 additional cars and a capacity of 14,300 people per
hour. Canada Line will have a capacity of 5,400
people per hour. Transit will add an extra 180
buses and many routes will run 24 hours a
day during the Olympics. A new Olympic line
streetcar can carry 1,500 people per hour in each
direction, connecting Granville Island with the
Canada Line. The West Coast Express will add
80 percent capacity, up to 2,000 people per day,
with extra trips during the week and weekends.
Terry Wright, VANOC’s executive vice-president
of services and Games operations, said spectators should arrive at the event two or three hours
in advance so they can be screened and in their
seats ‘before the puck drops.’
“If you’re going to an event down there you need
to leave yourself plenty of time, especially if
you’re going to a hockey game or the opening
ceremonies,” Wright said. “We’re appealing to
motorists who aren’t local residents to stay out
of the area for the three weeks.”
In the downtown core, road closures and parking
restrictions will make it extremely difficult to get
around by car. Security perimeters will also be
set up around venues, but local businesses and
offices have been told access for customers and
employees will be possible. Extended rush hour
parking restrictions for up to 650 blocks around
downtown will be in place around the clock.
“Olympic Lanes” have been created for TransLink
buses servicing high-traffic areas, such as
Burrard Street between the Burrard Bridge
and Cordova Street, Seymour Street between
Granville Bridge and Cordova Street, and
Cambie Street from Cambie Bridge to 59th
Avenue. The Olympic Lanes are reserved for
buses and Olympic-accredited vehicles 24 hours
a day, seven days a week.
KNOW
BEFORE
YOU GO
Travellers to the Olympic
Games need good, real-time
information about road and
traffic conditions so that
they can plan their route and
alter their route if travel
conditions change. The best
way to get where you need
to go and avoid delays is by
planning ahead, avoiding peak
travel times and knowing your
transportation options now
before you step out the door.
There will be peak travel times
no matter what mode you
choose. If trips must be made,
Although use of public transit and other sustainable modes of transportation is key to having
a successful transportation experience, there
will be peak travel times no matter what mode
you choose. If trips must be made, travellers
are encouraged to avoid peak travel times from
February 12 to March 1.
travellers are encouraged to
Experience gained in the management of past
Olympic Games shows that the key to success
is the integration of the transport operating
committee and the transportation companies
being utilized. Long term benefits of traffic and
transportation management implemented for
the Games should continue after the Games. The
Athens Games transportation plan led to a new
city-wide plan introduced by the Ministry of
Transport shortly after the successful management of the event and was based on the good
practices applied during the Olympics such as
bus lane extensions and longer evening services.
leaving by 2:00 PM or, for
As the world arrives, residents in Metro
Vancouver will be asked to park their vehicles
and use public transit whenever possible. “We
want to create an opportunity for sustainable choices,” said Wright. “Some of
which we hope will hold post-Games
and help with the long-term transportation challenges and livability
challenges within the region.”
avoid peak travel times from
February 12 to March 1. In
Vancouver, this means, whenever possible, travelling into
the downtown area before
7:00 AM or after 9:00 AM and
those who want to stay later
and enjoy the fun, leaving
after 7:00 PM. In the Sea to
Sky corridor, this means travelling northbound before 6:00
AM or after 6:00 PM on the
Sea to Sky Highway. The best
place to check for updates and
changes that might be needed
for travel planning is www.
travelsmart2010.ca, a website
with the most up-to-date
transportation information
available during the Games.
BEST PRACTICE
STILL
BURNING
BRIGHTLY
CALGARY’S
OLYMPIC
LEGACY
Over 20 years ago the eyes of the world watched the city
of Calgary as fifty-seven nations and over 1,400 athletes
decended upon the first Canadian city to host an Olympic
Winter Games.
The Winter Olympics not only transformed the host city
and made it the home of winter sports in the country but
it also changed the entire face of the Winter Olympics.
For the first time the Winter Games were a 16-day
competition instead of 12 days. Demonstration sports
introduced in Calgary such as curling, short track speed
skating and freestyle skiing are now medal sports in
the Olympic programme. Calgary also included three
Paralympic events as demonstration sports, which led to
the full Paralympic Games following the Olympic Games
and the last time that the Winter Paralympics and the
Winter Olympics were held in separate cities.
The main venues for the 1988 Winter Olympics were the
Olympic Oval, the Canmore Nordic Centre, Canada Olympic
Park, the Olympic Saddledome, the Max Bell Arena,
McMahon Stadium, Nakiska, the Stampede Corral and the
Father David Bauer Olympic Arena.
Today all of the Olympic Venues
exist as they did during the Games.
They continue to operate on a regularly scheduled basis for training
Canadian and international athletes in the Olympic Winter sports.
Several other venues throughout the
city had huge spin-off benefits from
the Games, including the Olympic
Plaza, the Olympic Village and the
University of Calgary.
Calgary has embraced its Olympic legacy, as the facilities
that hosted the Olympic events, and the Olympic culture,
continue to thrive to this day. Since the completion of
the Games, the Calgary facilities became a training and
competition mecca for thousands of winter athletes
from Canada and abroad. Calgary’s Olympic facilities
have allowed the city to host over 200 national and
international competitions between 1987 and 2009.
Dale Henwood, President of the Canadian Sport Centre
in Calgary, said the Olympic facilities have been used
way beyond the expectations of the visionaries who built
the dream. “They had a great image for the Games, but I
don’t believe they would say this is what they envisioned.
I think it’s now gone way beyond that. Our post-Olympic
success allows Canadians to train at home in worldclass facilities that have seen our country’s performance
hugely increase.”
The legacy of the Winter Olympics thrives at the Calgary
Olympic Speed Skating Oval, located at the University
of Calgary. The Olympic Oval was designed as the first
covered speed skating oval in North America, and as the
first to be used at Winter Olympics. The covered dome
allowed the facility to control climate conditions inside,
producing the highest quality ice possible. During the
Games, the Oval became known as “the fastest ice on
earth”, as world record times were set in seven distance
events (Men’s 500m, Men’s 1500m, Men’s 10000m,
Women’s 500m, Women’s 1000m, Women’s 3000m and
Women’s 5000m), and new Olympic records were set in
the other three events (Men’s 1500m, Men’s 5000m
and Women’s 1500m). The combination of the climatecontrolled facility and the effects of high altitude were
credited to the fast surface and new record-breaking
times. Of the top 30 world records in speed skating, 17
of them have been set at the Olympic Oval in Calgary.
two-time Olympic gold medalist Catriona Le May Doan,
now associate director for the Olympic Oval. “This has
separated us from simply becoming a venue. We are so
much more than just an ice rink or an indoor track.”
“We have all the things we need under one roof, which
is something that doesn’t exist anywhere else that I
know,” said Denny Morrison, a speed skating Olympic
silver medalist at the 2006 Torino Olympics. The oval
has been used by several national team programmes,
most notably putting Canada on the world map in speed
skating. It has been enormously useful to the university’s athletic programme and has been an extremely
important public facility for indoor jogging, cycling
programmes, and other special events.
Since the 1988 Games, the Canadian Sport Centre
Calgary, the Roger Jackson Centre for Health and
Wellness Research, The Calgary Sport Medicine Centre
and the University of Calgary’s Human Performance
Lab have come to reside alongside the Olympic Oval,
within the Faculty of Kinesiology. The venue now
encompasses everything an athlete needs, including
a university education.
Located in Kananskis Country, the Canmore Nordic
Centre Provincial Park is about one hour west of Calgary.
The cross-country ski and biathlon activities were held
at this venue for the 1988 Games. Named in honour of the former president of the Canadian Olympic
Association who helped bring the Games to Calgary, the
Bill Warren Training Centre was opened by WinSport
Canada in January 1994 at the park to provide dryland training and support services to Canada’s nordic
sport athletes. Construction of the facility was financed
through $4.7 million in funds transferred to WinSport
The Canadian Winter Sport Institute or Winsport
(previously known as Calgary Olympic Development
Association) continues to fund two-thirds of the operating costs of the Olympic Oval. “Post Olympic our
facility has been successful in helping athletes thrive
and achieve in their sport and we are now very much
part of the high performance sport community,” says
BEST PRACTICE
rankings, and a $4.2-million icehouse, designed to
help sliding sports competitors. Almost undetected
are the athletes training on the bobsleigh, luge or
skeleton tracks, working out in the fitness and medical
facilities, practising in the icehouse or at the jumping
ramps. This winter-sport facility is now the second
largest tourist attraction in Alberta. It draws one
million people each year, 300,000 of them skiers and
snowboarders. Canada Olympic Park hosts many major
winter competitions, including ski jumping, and has
an athletic residency programme, which allows athletes
from around the world to train at their facilities.
Some 1.5-million people a year attend events at the
iconic Pengrowth Saddledome, formerly the Olympic
Saddledome. The Saddledome served as the venue for
the figure skating and hockey events. Opening in 1983,
the Saddledome was built for the Calgary Flames, who
had just moved to the city from Atlanta. The building
is home not only to the Flames, but also to the Western
Hockey League Calgary Hitmen and the National Lacrosse
League Roughnecks. Perhaps even more so than the
Calgary Tower, the Saddledome defines Calgary’s skyline
and it remains a proud and visible reminder of the city’s
triumphant hosting of the 1988 Olympics.
Green space around Olympic Plaza and the Calgary Tower, a tourist attraction
with dramatic revolving restaurant for those city views.
Canada from the 1988 Olympic Organizing Committee.
The centre was redeveloped for the 2005 Cross-country
World Cup and international events. It boasts some
60 km of world-class cross-country and biathlon trail
systems designed to meet international Nordic competitive standards. The trails are groomed and track set
to accommodate both classic and skating techniques on
the same trail. The Nordic Centre is the host of national
training camps for Canada’s biathlon and cross-country
teams. In the summer visitors enjoy the 18-hole disc
golf course, more than 100 km of mountain bike and
hiking trails and a mountain bike skills park.
Perhaps the most visible legacy of the XV Olympic
Winter Games, Canada Olympic Park is located alongside the Trans Canada Highway on the western edge
of Calgary. Winsport Canada has bankrolled the construction of a $100,000 superpipe for snowboarders,
a $1.8-million gymnastics centre for athletes of all
The Max Bell Arena was the site of the demonstration
sport of curling and the demonstration event of short
track speed skating. The existing facility was upgraded
for use during the XV Olympic Winter at the cost of
$1 million. Today it is a fully featured sports arena and
public space. It has a large 196-foot by 96 foot rink
designed for hockey and is also an extremely popular
spot for concerts.
The legacy facilities have helped tremendously with
Canada’s Olympic fortunes. From a disappointing 12th
place showing in Calgary, with only five medals and no
gold, Canada finished 4th overall in Salt Lake City, winning 17 medals, including six gold. At the Torino Games
Canada won 24 medals and more than 25 percent of the
196-member Canadian team were from Calgary and the
surrounding area. Almost three-quarters of the medal
winners in 2006 were either Albertan or had been
training in the province at facilities that are a legacy of
the 1988 Olympic Winter Games.
Astonishingly, Calgary was the first profitable Winter
Games ever, with a reported surplus of $250 million.
When all the bills were paid, $85 million was turned over
to Winsport and $56 million to the Canadian Olympic
Committee. The federal government sold Olympic Park
to Winsport for a loonie, on the provision that the
association manage the park and everything in it from
the bobsled run to the ski jumping towers.
Nearly $100 million was earmarked as a permanent
endowment to be administered by Winsport, for use
to maintain facilities and pay for training and programmes for Canada’s elite athletes. The endowment
fund, which now stands at $185 million, generates
about $9 million in interest annually. A third of that
sum is granted in annual grants to 12 national winter
sports organizations, and the remainder is used to
maintain and improve the original Olympic venues,
and build and operate new ones.
“The Calgary Games were so successful due to visionaries like Frank King, Bob Niven and Bill Warren,”
said Chris Dornan, Director of Communications for
Winsport. “At the time they were thinking how the
legacy of Olympic facilities would benefit Canadians
20 years after the Games rather than just the 16 days of
the Games. Now, more then two decades later, we can
continue to reap the rewards.”
The 1988 Olympic Winter Games focused the world’s
attention on Alberta for a few weeks and changed the
course of sports history. The Games created an economic legacy that has reshaped the region’s economy
ever since. Calgary touched the world with its memorable, hospitable and well-run games and it succeeded
in bringing the world together to celebrate the Olympic
spirit. During the Games, IOC member and then Calgary
Mayor Ralph Klein was jubilant with the spirit of the
Games and declared, “Everything is perfect!” As the
Olympic Flame suggests, a fire had been lit from within
and the fire is still alive today.
FAST FACTS: 1988 Olympic
Winter Games
• Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• Dates of the Games:
February 13-28, 1988 (16 days)
• Number of nations: 57
• Number of athletes: 1,423
(1,122 men and 301 women)
• Number of events: 46
• Number of media: 6,838
(2,477 print, 4,361 broadcasters)
• Number of volunteers: 9,498
• Prime Minister of Canada: The Right
Honourable Brian Mulroney
• Chairman OCOG (OCO’88): Frank King
• Official opening of the Games by: Her
Excellency, the Right Honourable Jeanne
Sauvé, Governor General of Canada
• Canada’s flagbearers:
Opening Ceremony - Brian Orser
(figure skating; men’s singles - 2nd)
Closing Ceremony: Karen Percy
(alpine skiing)
• Mascots: Howdy and Hidy, an inseparable
brother and sister pair of polar bears
• Olympic venues: Calgary Olympic Oval
(speed skating), Olympic Saddledome
(figure skating, hockey), Canmore Nordic
Centre (biathlon, cross-country skiing,
Nordic combined), Nakiska (alpine skiing),
Canada Olympic Park (ski jumping, luge,
bobsleigh, Nordic combined)
• Other candidate cities: Falun, Sweden and
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
Calgary Olympic Park
REGIONAL FOCUS
GETTING TO KNOW Calabria
When the eyes of the world are on Vancouver
during the 2010 Winter Olympics, over 5,500
Olympic Games athletes and 1,350 Paralympic
Games athletes from over 80 countries are
expected for the Games which will be broadcast to over three billion television viewers
worldwide. Unioncamere Calabria has recognized the unique opportunity afforded by the
Games to organize, in collaboration with the
Italian Chamber of Commerce, a “Discover
Calabria” Showroom to showcase the rich
culture and heritage of Calabria as well as
their businesses in key sectors.
With 135,000 daily spectators at Vancouver events and 60,000+
daily participants at Live Sites in Vancouver, the Discover
Calabria Showroom will be one of the must-see venues in
downtown Vancouver. Representing companies from the agrifood
sector (olive oil, wine, pasta, cheeses, cold cuts and conserved
vegetables) as well as from the fashion, jewellery and tourism sectors, the Discover Calabria Showroom will offer local
companies, as well as visitors from all over the world, a chance
to experience authentic food and wine specialties. Visitors will
also experience products that meld antique traditions with
leading edge technologies and tourism blessed with year-round
temperate climate and spectacular scenery and coastlines.
Calabria Region
Calabria is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located
at the “toe” of the Italian peninsula. It is bounded to the north
by Basilicata, to the southwest by Sicily, to the west by the
Tyrrhenian Sea, and to the east by the Ionian Sea.
Calabria Region counts five provinces (see sidebar, page 23)
and 409 municipalities over a 15,080 square-metre area.
Catanzaro is the capital of the region.
The territory is extremely varied with different landscapes: from
mountain to hills and wonderful beaches. The fact that no place
found a region speaking through archaeological remains and
memories which faced both seas and subsequently faced a
rugged mountain landscape. Famed writers such as Denon
and Douglas visited Calabria. This land was a birthplace for
Cassiodoro, Gioacchino of Fiore, Barlaam of Seminara (who
taught Greek language to the poet Petrarch ), Leonzio Pilato (the
first person to translate Iliad and Homer’s Odyssey from Greek
into Latin), Bernardino Telesio, Tommaso Campanella, Mattia
Preti, Umberto Boccioni, Corrado Alvaro, Raf Vallone, Leopoldo
Trieste, Aroldo Tieri, Mimmo Rotella, Renato Dulbecco and
Gianni Versace.
Calabria photos by Francesco Stefanelli
in this region is more than fifty kilometres away from the coast,
makes this territory extraordinary and unique.
The Apennines start from the Pollino massif, cross the Sila
plateau, rise on the Reventino and Mancuso mounts, rise again
on the Serre massif and end on the Aspromonte, which faces
the Etna volcano on Sicily and Aeolian Islands. Calabria’s three
big plains - Sibari, Lamezia, and Gioia Tauro are fertile lands of
citrus plantations, while gentle hills offer an extraordinary olive
oil and chestnuts at higher altitudes. With its 780 kilometres of
coasts, Calabria boasts an indisputable supremacy of continued
contact with the sea.
History
Calabria and Magna Graecia have always been considered as
one single entity from the times of Cicero through Lenormant,
from Ancient Rome to the 1800s. In fact, the region is full of
archaeological remains of Sibari, Crimisa, Petelia, Squillace,
Caulonia, Locri, Reggio, Metauro, Melissa, Ipponio, Terina,
Temesa, Clampetia, Sidro, Lao and much more. The adventurous travellers who reached Calabria between 1700 and 1800
During the Magna Graecia era, the Greeks landed on Calabrian
coasts, settled on the Bruzi’s land and mingled with other
indigenous populations, giving birth to a mixed race which
would expand during the following centuries. Between the VI
and V Century B.C., the Greeks set up colonies that earned the
name of Magna Graecia (Great Greece), some of them becoming more prosperous than the mainland. During the Roman
era and following the Roman conquest, III Century B.C, these
territories were called “Brutium”. Excluding some allied cities
which did not experience the Roman authority, most parts of
the region were not able to recover the prosperity they had once
enjoyed. Magna Graecia polis were thus bound to lose their
power by creating alliances (in some cases) or undergoing a
colonization process by the Romans. Reggio Calabria remained
the last stronghold for the Greek language and culture. Its
harbour linked the region to Rome through the ancient Popilia
road. When the Roman Empire fell, Calabria was ravaged during
the Gothic wars fought between the Gothic and Byzantine populations. The Byzantines defeated the Longobardi (barbarian
tribes settled in Lombardy region). After that the Byzantines
aggregated the Bruttii region to their Salento territories, creating the Calabrian Dukedom. Subsequently, the Byzantine
supremacy through Southern Italy was divided into the following areas: Thema of Langobardia, with Bari as its capital
city and Thema of Calabria, with Reggio as capital city. This
territory inherited the name “Calabria” which was previously
used to indicate the Salento peninsula. During the early Middle
Ages, inhabitants were forced toward the inland territory due
to plagues and pirate raids which threatened coastal cities and
lasted until the end of the XVIII Century.
During the IX and X Centuries, Calabria was a border land
between the Byzantines and Arabs who had settled in Sicily.
These local populations defended the territory for a long time,
while the peninsula was subject to raids and fights, depopulated
and disheartened. The Norman Altavilla family put an end to
the long struggle and in 1061, Calabria became a Norman kingdom. Robert Guiscard, Duke of Calabria, and Roger, Count of
Calabria, shared the power over this land, while the government
was run by the local Greek magnates, thus marking the end of
the Byzantine power. In 1098, Pope Urban the II appointed
Roger a papal nuncio, thus turning the Altavilla dynasty into
the precursor of the future kingdom of Naples and kingdom
of Sicily, which ruled Calabria until the unification of Italy.
Aspromonte hosted a famous battle during the Risorgimento,
when Giuseppe Garibaldi was injured. According to tradition,
a hollow tree where Garibaldi rested from wounds can still be
seen at Gambarie, today a ski resort.
REGIONAL FOCUS
Provinces of Calabria
Catanzaro
The province of Catanzaro hosts 80 municipalities with 368,923
inhabitants and a 154.3 pop/km2 density. Its borders are the
other four provinces. The most important cities are Catanzaro
and Lamezia Terme, the third largest city in the region for
number of inhabitants.
From a geographical point of view, this province has a particular morphological characteristic due to its mountains, plains
and hills. The Sila plateau, rich and fertile, Lamezia plain,
Catanzaro’s Serre, Gulphs of Sant’Eufemia and Squillace characterize this geographical area, with several archaeological sites
—such as Terina and Scolacium—as well. Tourist attractions
include the Villaggio Mancuso, a Swiss haven of Sila Piccola,
Nocera Terinese, where the evocative ritual of “Vattienti” takes
place during the Holy Week; Gizzeria, Falerna, Curinga beaches,
Caronte thermal station, Soveria Mannelli, Decollatura and
Carlopoli, Sersale’s Valli Cupe rich in waterfalls and canyons,
the elegant lidos of Copanello and Soverato. Typical products
are Serrastretta chairs, Cortale beans, Cicala chestnuts and
Monte Covello water.
Cosenza
Cosenza is the broadest and most densely populated province of
Calabria with 155 municipalities and 732,615 inhabitants, a 110.2
pop/km² density. Its northern border is the Basilicata region;
Crati valley lies in the centre of this territory and the wide Sila
plateau dominates and overtops Cosenza, the administrative capital of the province. A large number of attractive beaches dot the
Tyrrhenian coast from Praia a Mare to Diamante, from Belvedere
Marittimo to Amantea crossing Cetraro, Paola—birthplace of St.
Francis of Paola—and Guardia Piemontese, where the Luigiane
thermal resort is located. Castrovillari is the most important city
in the Pollino area. The city of Cassano allo Ionio is the main centre of the flourishing Sibari plain together with Corigliano, with
its important Ducal Castle and Schiavonea harbour and Rossano,
with San Nilo church, a perfect example of Byzantine art, and the
Codex Purpureo an important ancient legal text. This plain is also
famous for its archaeological remains and artificial harbour.
Crotone
The province of Crotone covers the eastern territory of Calabria,
with 27 municipalities and 172,950 inhabitants, a 100.8 pop/km²
density. The administrative capital Crotone was the cradle
of ancient traditions belonged to Magna Graecia and was the
birthplace for many philosophers, mathematicians, and distinguished personalities such as: Pythagoras, Filolao, Alcmeone,
Milone. This is where la Magna Graecia started and still lives, a
badge of pride for all the inhabitants of Crotone. The province
is also known as Calabria’s granary and as the land of the Gods’
nectar. Here, the renowned Cirò wine has been produced for
centuries. Stretching from Punta Alice to Le Castella, its coast is
full of naturalistic oases from the Neto river outfall to the Nature
Reserve of Isola di Capo Rizzuto. The inland territory hosts several historical and cultural places. Cerenzia, former Acerenza,
Santa Severina, an enchanting village with its stately castle and
artistic value of its ancient diocese. Petilia Policastro, where the
Santa Spina Sanctuary lies, Cirò Marina, ancient Krimisa, and
its Saracenic Markets. Cotronei with its hydroelectric stations;
Carfizzi, where Arbëresh writer Carmine Abate was born.
Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria is the most southern province of Calabria, with
97 municipalities and 565,866 inhabitants - a 177.8 pop/km²
density. The province of Reggio was one of the most flourishing centres of Magna Graecia culture and power. Moreover, it
boasts many famous native sons and daughters such as philosopher Tommaso Campanella, music composer Francesco Cilea,
Constantinople archimandrite Barlaam, famous musicians
such as Mia Martini, Loredana Bertè and Mino Reitano and
Umberto Boccioni, painter, sculptor and leader of the Futurist
artistic movement, the famous designer Gianni Versace, great
writers and reporters such as Corrado Alvaro, Leonida Rèpaci
and Saverio Strati. Situated a few kilometres away from the
North-Western boundary of Reggio Calabria province, Locri
Epizephiri founded in 680 B.C. was one of the most flourishing
cities in Magna Graecia. Plato described this city as “a flower of
Italy by nobility, richness, and glory of its people.” Along the
Viola (violet) coast, the castle of Scilla stands on a breathtaking
landscape with Sicily in the background.
Vibo Valentia
Vibo Valentia reached the status of capital of the province in
1992. It counts 50 municipalities and 168,894 inhabitants
a 148.2 pop/km² density. This city was founded by the Italic
population of the Oscan and later became a Greek, Bruttii and
finally Roman colony. During the Roman empire, Valentia was
the only existing harbour between Naples and Sicily and then
turned into one of the most important Southern Italian cities,
until the fall of the Roman Empire, when the city decayed.
Valentia suffered several barbarian raids and was destroyed in
983, and only experienced a renaissance after more than two
centuries, when the Normans arrived.
The Swabian dynasty also meant further development which
lasted until the Napoleonic conquest. With the Bourbons leading the kingdom of Sicily, Valentia suffered a period of economic and social decay which only ended with the annexation
to the Kingdom of Italy. Vibo Valentia coastline is one of the
most attractive Calabrian sea resorts for tourists, with Pizzo,
Capo Vaticano and Tropea. Inland a top-class gastronomic area
lies with products as the Tropea red onion, the ‘nduja sausage of
Spilinga and pecorino cheese of Monte Poro.
Economy
Tourism: mountains and coasts
Calabria is a peninsula which enjoys a truly unique environmental and ecological harmony between the mountains and the
seas. Every sea resort is no further away than 40 km from the
mountains. Calabria with its 800 km of coastline between the
Tyrrhenian and Ionian sea might lead a tourist to believe that
it is basically an island. It is well-known that Calabrian coasts
are extensive, jagged and bathed by a limpid sea, but it is less
known that the remaining 90% of the territory is covered by
hills and mountains. The Pollino, a plateau with unique tree
species such as the loricate pine and rare animal species, and
the Sila plateau, the largest in Europe, can be visited all the year
round at one of the many tourist resorts. The magnificent and
sunny beaches on the Ionian coast mark different periods of
Calabria’s fascinating history. Villages were built on the top of
hills in order to defend and secure their population from the
incursions of the Saracens.
Travelling along the Ionian coast, the Magna Graecia tradition
fuses with the subsequent Byzantine culture discovered in
towns such as Locri, Gerace, Paulonia, Riace (where the famous
Bronzes were found), Monasterace, Punta Stilo, Guardavalle,
Noverato, Copanello, Squillace (the birthplace of Cassiodorus),
Capo Colonna and Crotone (where Pythagorus taught).
Agricultural products
The products of Calabria are the expression of a land which
melds traditional flavours with innovation and technology.
Sibari Plain (citrus fruits, olives, fruits and vegetables). In order
to boost the area a Quality Agriculture District (DAQ – Distretto
Agricolo di Qualità) was recently promoted and approved by the
Calabria Region.
Lamezia Plain (floral garden centre, olives, market gardening).
Gioia Tauro Plateau (gardening and citrus fruits). Among them
the bergamot, a fruit that exclusively grows in this area due to
microclimatic conditions. It is currently used for perfumes and
aromas for Earl Grey Tea.
REGIONAL FOCUS
Animal husbandry is also present in the Sila, Monte Poro (cattle), in the Crati Valley, in the Low and High Tyrrhenian Areas
of Cosenza ( Verbicaro wine).
On the whole, Calabria has a list of 271 traditional fruit/vegetable products with a registered brand.
Meat products include the Capocollo of Calabria, the ‘nduia,
the Pancetta of Calabria, I salumi (sausages) of Calabria, the
soppressata of Calabria. Cheeses include Mozzarella, the musulupu and pecorino Crotonese (sheep, milk, cheese). Olive oil
includes the Crotonese PDO (protected denomination of origin) extra virgin olive, the Bruzio PDO extra virgin olive oil and
the Lametia PDO extra virgin olive oil. Other products include
red onion of Tropea and citrus fruit, Clementina of Calabria.
The best wines of the region include Arghillà, Bivongi, Cirò,
Donnici, Lamezia, Melissa, Pollino, S. Anna di Isola Capo
Rizzuto, S. Vito of Luzzi, Savuto, Scavigna, Verbicaro and Valle
del Crati.
Traditions and Folklore
Popular traditions and folklore are for Calabria an incommensurable source of wealth which bear witness to its great past.
There is a very strong religious tradition in Calabria. At Easter
and Christmas, traditional customs, celebrations and chants
that have been handed down from one generation to another
are followed. Even the Carnival has its own customs giving
the chance to amateur actors to express their imagination and
creativity. There are innumerable village festivals for local
products, such as those for mushrooms, chestnuts and the
grain and grape harvest.
Logistics and
Innovation Technology
The Gioia Tauro Port is the major trans shipment port of the
Mediterranean located in a central geo-strategical position in
the average range traffic flow that crosses the Mediterranean
(Meridian Passage). It is also important for the long range
Euro-Asian flow (Suez Canal). The increase in shipping opens
new opportunities for the Gioia Tauro Port (which has a capacity
of approximately 2.00.000 TEU). Furthermore, the implementation of the Euro-Mediterranean free trade area, foreseen for
2010, will favour further development of the Port.
The presence of a group of small innovative and competitive
companies which operate in the field of ICT are mostly located
in the area of the Crati Valley.
The development of the proto-district has been favoured by the
presence of the university (Unical-Università della Calabria)
and young graduates in computer sciences.
A number of various specialized Technological Parks are in the
start-up phase in the transport field, the field of renewable
energy and in the field of sustainable fishery resources.
Handicraft
Calabria expresses a quality handicraft which is valued in the
regional register of the artistic and Traditional Handicraft
Companies. The fields which have received the mark of “Origin
and Quality” are clothing (Catanzaro), ceramics (Squillace,
Bagnara Calabra, Cirò Marina, Amendolara), wood (Spezzano,
Simeri Crichi, Limbadi, San Giorgio Morgeto), metal (Fores.
P. Policastro, Stalettì, Polistena), gold (Crotone, Catanzaro,
Chiaravalle), stone and marble (Siderno), musical instruments
(Crotone, Sant’Onofrio), fabric (Longobucco, Cortale, Tropea,
Filadelfia) and glass (Soveria Simeri, Montepaone Lido).
The Role of Chambers of
Commerce, Industry,
Handicraft and Agriculture
The Italian Chambers of Commerce, representing all the Italian
companies, are extremely important pillars for the various production sectors, both nationally and internationally. Chambers,
classified as local autonomous public bodies by Law n. 580/93,
are the mainstays of a wide network of agencies working with
institutions, organizations and associations, providing services, development strategies and projects aiming at promoting
a balanced growth of the economy. The Chambers of Commerce
meet the frequent need for data and information about businesses and offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet and do
business. The large amount of business-related data provided
by the various Chambers of Commerce are collected in a centralised electronic database, which can be accessed by credit
institutions, businesses, professionals, notaries public, business consultants and entrepreneurs. The Chambers network
plays a key role in the dissemination of business information,
by means of publications, periodicals, magazines, statistics,
research studies and socio-economic analyses.
The Regional Union of
Chambers of Commerce
of Calabria
The chamber system consists of the Calabrian Regional Union of
the Chambers of Commerce plus the five provincial Chambers
of Commerce (Catanzaro, Cosenza, Crotone, Reggio Calabria
and Vibo Valentia), as well as the special organizations created
by some of these for reaching their institutional purposes. In
addition to the normal institutional activities assigned by
law, the Calabrian System interacts with the national and
international systems and ensures a lasting and solid economic
and social development. Over the years it has gained extensive
experience in several areas at high added value, such as training human resources, coordinating the efforts to broaden the
productive base, modernizing the existing economic system
and discovering new market channels.
Cosenza
Crotone
Catanzaro
Vibo Valentia
Reggio Calabria
The region of Calabria is divided into five provinces.
Each province has speciality products indicative of the
resources of the area.
Catanzaro (pop. 96,741)
Farming is the main industry; olives, plums, grapes,
citrus fruit and wheat are grown and sheep and goats
are raised. Fishing is well developed along the Strait of
Messina. The region’s few manufactured goods include
processed food, wine, forest products, chemicals and
metal goods. There are several large hydroelectric plants.
Cosenza (pop. 85,329)
The province is rich in commercial enterprises. It is the
sorting centre of all agricultural and zoological products
coming from Sila. The timber and furniture industry has
a credit balance.
Crotone (pop. 59,001)
Crotone is rich in vines of noble and old origins, the wines
produced are well known all over the world. They include
Ciro and Melissa, two inimitable, strong red wines.
Reggio Calabria (pop. 178,312)
The province has the main crop of wheat and the principal crops of the widespread horticultural and specialized cultivations include aubergines, tomatoes, onions,
watermelons, beans and peppers. Sugar beets and
potatoes are also important. Calabria is most famous
for its olives, citrus fruit (oranges and bergamots) and
wine grapes. Fishing is important along the coastline.
Vibo Valentia (pop. 34,836)
Agriculture in this province is essentially based on
the production of olives and oil, citrus and grapes. As
far as industry is concerned, there are cement works,
railway materials works and synthetic resins works. In
Vibo there are large fuel deposits. Vibo is well known
for its handcrafts that range from the terra cottas to
ceramics and textiles.
MEMBER FEATURE
let the games begin
THE BEST OF VANCOUVER
IS READY TO HOST THE WORLD
Majestic mountains,
sparkling ocean, rainforests and beautiful
foliage year round make
Vancouver one of the
most beautiful cities in
the world.
Vancouver was voted the “Best City in
the Americas” for 2004, 2005, 2006
and 2009 by Conde Nast Traveler magazine, based on the categories of ambience, friendliness, culture and sites,
restaurants, lodging and shopping. In
addition, Vancouver was bestowed with
the top Canadian travel destination
honour in the Travel Weekly magazine
annual awards issue. Vancouver has won
this accolade each of the six years that
the awards have been granted.
With world-class restaurants and cultural activities, as well as the natural
beauty of British Columbia, there is
plenty for visitors and locals alike to
enjoy. Vancouver is a vibrant, multicultural city framed by the splendour of
the Pacific Ocean and stunning snow-
capped mountains. It is a spectacular
stretch of sea to sky containing the jewels of nature and a wealth of world-class
attractions for work and play.
Planning a visit or even a night out
during the 2010 Games can feel a bit
overwhelming—there is so much to see
and do, and it’s virtually impossible to
include every activity during a single
trip. To guide you in your ventures,
we’ve gathered Vancouver’s must-see
and must-do experiences for you to
make your planning a bit easier.
BACI RISTORANTE
3728 E HASTINGS ST, BURNABY
Baci Ristorante offers authentic, delicious Italian
cuisine. Be served in style in a relaxed and welcoming setting with fresh seafood, beef, chicken,
pasta and Baci’s homemade gourmet pizzas!
Dine and dance to nightly entertainment in a fun
and friendly atmosphere.
BRIOCHE URBAN BAKING
& CATERING
401 CORDOVA ST W, VANCOUVER
Whether you yearn for a fluffy tall cappuccino,
homemade duck, spinach and feta quiche or a
remarkable vanilla bean and espresso creme
brulee you’ll find it all here—some of the freshest, tastiest fare in the city!
CARMELO’S RISTORANTE
ITALIANO
1448 MARINE DRIVE, WEST VANCOUVER
Carmelo’s has been a mainstay for North Shore
diners for over 20 years. The menu is not “fussy”
with most of the mainstays of Italian cuisine
represented, such as Penne Salsiccia, Linguini
Salmon, rustic pizzas baked in a wood fired brick
oven and entrees such as Veal Marsala, Rack of
Lamb and Veal Friulana.
AMARCORD RESTAURANT
104 –1168 HAMILTON STREET, VANCOUVER
Amarcord Restaurant offers an extensive selection of inventive dishes that represent the Italian
region of Emilia Romagna. The gnocchi and seafood dishes are particularly recommended.
ANDUCCIS ITALIAN KITCHEN
9604 CAMERON STREET, BURNABY
Many of us strive for la dolce vita, but is such a
life achievable in today’s hustle-and-bustle, cyber
rapid world? Luckily, Anducci’s is right around
the corner. A break from reality where the priorities are right—family, friends, food, wine, and
the good life!
ARRIVA RISTORANTE ITALIANO
1537 COMMERCIAL DRIVE, VANCOUVER
Arriva Ristorante Italiano is situated in the heart
of Vancouver’s “Little Italy” district. Delicious,
authentic Italian cuisine has made Arriva the restaurant of choice for those seeking an excellent
dining experience.
CIAO BELLA RISTORANTE
ITALIANO
703 DENMAN ST, VANCOUVER
Step into Little Italy. This cozy restaurant has 60
seats inside and an outdoor heated patio; it is
romantic and intimate and has a live piano bar.
Ciao Bella’s authentic Italian atmosphere is perfect for a romantic dinner or private functions.
CIN CIN
COZA! TUSCAN GRILL
20065 LANGLEY BYPASS, LANGLEY
Fresh ingredients of the finest quality, prepared
from scratch daily. Where the flame ignites the
food and the grapes fill the glass! Cibo! Vino!
Famiglia!
DOMENICO ITALIAN
RESTAURANT
5625 EAST HASTINGS, BURNABY
Great atmosphere, much like what you’d expect
an Italian family’s dining room to look like!
FEDERICO’S SUPPER CLUB
Unique to the city of Vancouver, Federico’s
Supper Club is an award winning, Italian fine
dining and dance restaurant. Friendly staff and a
fine menu.
GRAMERCY GRILL
2685 ARBUTUS, VANCOUVER
Experience a taste of New York on the West side.
A dedication to dining excellence using only the
finest ingredients rendered with creativity and
flair, in a more casual, bistro environment.
1154 ROBSON STREET, VANCOUVER
Located above bustling Robson Street, the city’s
fashionable and vibrant shopping district, CinCin
excels in Italian wood-fired cuisine, awardwinning wines, and true hospitality.
CIOPPINO
MEDITERRANEAN GRILL
GUSTO DI QUATTRO
1 LONSDALE AVENUE, VANCOUVER
Translated, Gusto di Quattro means, a taste of
Quattro, and Gusto is just that - a North Shore
favourite since opening in 2000. Gusto is located
seaside, by the Lonsdale Quay market in North
Vancouver. 1129 HAMILTON STREET, VANCOUVER
Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca gives
you a fresh perspective on Mediterranean cooking with chef/owner Giuseppe “Pino” Posteraro,
the 2008 winner of Vancouver Magazine’s Chef
of the Year and gold medal winner at the BC
Gold Medal Plates (2007).
ISLAND CITY BAKING COMPANY
UNIT 105 - 12753 VULCAN WAY, RICHMOND
For more than 15 years the goal at Island City
Baking has been to offer products that meet
uncompromising standards of incomparable quality and taste.
MEMBER FEATURE
ITALIAN KITCHEN
NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS
1037 ALBERNI STREET, VANCOUVER
3695 EAST HASTINGS STREET
Italian Kitchen brings a passionate, playful,
refined Italian experience to Vancouver’s bustling
downtown core. A seamless blend of old-world
charm and modern lustre, this celebrated restaurant offers a fresh new take on the old country.
The Soccer Shop is the most comprehensive
soccer speciality store in Vancouver. Replica
jerseys, footwear, cleats, apparel and much more.
PAPI’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO
12251 NO. ONE ROAD, RICHMOND
LA BUCA
Papi’s cuisine is reflective of regional Italian
cuisine and features hand selected fish, meat,
poultry and produce offerings from the local
farms and markets.
4025 MACDONALD ST, VANCOUVER
Classic regional cuisine is the star at this
bustling neighbourhood trattoria. Here, rich
flavours and hearty dishes inspired by the Italian
countryside command an audience that is never
disappointed.
PRESTO PANINI
859 HORNBY STREET, VANCOUVER
Whether you’re visiting Presto Panini for a quick
lunch or an evening out, you will be welcomed
with quick and friendly service in a warm, casual
atmosphere.
LA PIAZZA DARIO
3075 SLOCAN ST, VANCOUVER
At La Piazza you will encounter a warm relaxed
atmosphere where fine cuisine is presented in
gracious style. Bright and airy luncheons, or intimate candlelight dinners, dining at La Piazza is
a revelation of the Italian gift for making an art
out of life.
LA RUSTICA
228 6TH STREET, NEW WESTMINSTER
La Rustica in New Westminster is a highly
acclaimed restaurant featuring authentic Italian
cuisine. Come and enjoy the taste of Italy at La
Rustica, blending fine dining with local heritage.
L’ALTRO BUCA
QUATTRO ON FOURTH
1906 HARO STREET, VANCOUVER
2611 W 4TH AVE, VANCOUVER L’Altro Buca is located in Vancouver’s beautiful
west end. Dishes at L’Altro Buca are inspired by
traditional Italian cuisine, where simple and rustic flavours take centre stage.
Located in the heart of Kitsilano, Q4 embraces the
senses with a dazzling array of colour and texture.
MANGIA E BEVI RISTORANTE
323 HOWE STREET, VANCOUVER
2222 MARINE DRIVE, WEST VANCOUVER
Mangia E Bevi brings great Italian food and wine
to a comfortable neighbourhood setting. LA SPAGHETTERIA RISTORANTE
232 6TH STREET, NEW WESTMINSTER
From its inception in 1976, Salvatore’s La
Spaghetteria has maintained an authentic
Italian feel. The meals and atmosphere that La
Spaghetteria offers is uniquely crafted by its
owner, Salvatore Fancello.
MARCELLO PIZZERIA &
RISTORANTE
RENDEZVOUS ART GALLERY
Contemporary and traditional paintings and
sculptures are displayed in an atmosphere conducive to viewing fine works of art.
SASSO MODA
595 W GEORGIA ST, VANCOUVER
Marcello’s is famous for their pizza and pasta.
They make all of their pasta fresh in house.
Sasso Moda is about looking good and feeling
good. At Sasso you will find the best and the
latest European fashions from Italy, Paris and the
rest of the world.
LA TERRAZZA
MOJA COFFEE CORPORATION
STONG’S MARKET
1088 CAMBIE STREET, VANCOUVER
218 MACKAY ROAD, NORTH VANCOUVER
4560 DUNBAR STREET
Nestled on the edge of Vancouver’s historic Yaletown, La Terrazza Restaurant
has been impressing diners since 1998.
Located close to most major venues including GM Place, BC Place and the Queen
Elizabeth Theatre, La Terrazza boasts some
of Vancouver’s most sought after cuisine and an
internationally renowned wine list.
Moja Coffee is the only café / roaster on the
North Shore, featuring fresh roasted coffee and
single origin beans.
A friendly and courteous market featuring fresh
cut meat, exotic seafood and gourmet items such
as pheasant, quail, duckling and ostrich. A huge
selection of sausages, salamis, sliced meat and
imported cheeses.
MON BELLA BISTORIA
1809 WEST 1ST AVE, VANCOUVER
Mon Bella Bistoria is a welcome new addition
to the neighbourhood. Vancouver diners can
now dine at the world’s first Bistoria, a blend of
Italian Trattoria and French Bistro.
TRATTORIA ITALIAN KITCHEN
1850 4th AVENUE WEST, VANCOUVER
With a friendly neighbourhood feel, classic Italian
fare, and a warm energy that always makes you
feel like a member of the famiglia, Trattoria brings
a casual Italian experience to Kitsilano’s 4th
Avenue – a classic Vancouver neighbourhood.
ONE-OF-A-KIND FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS FOR HOTELS, OFFICES AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Signature designs to brighten any occassion
In many parts of the world, a gift of flowers is considered to be the best possible
offering to receive. It is widely thought
that a person holding a bouquet is truly
blessed because there is someone who
truly cares for them. Flowers have also
been associated with peace and purity.
They are always placed in high regard
across all the temples of the world, irrespective of the religion.
It is this same high regard for flowers,
whether it is the smallest bouquet to
the grandest wedding arch that Arezoo
Aliperti and Mehrshid (May) Tahmasebi
have built a solid reputation that reflects
their own creative flair and signature
designs. Tahmasebi explains, “We love
being able to figure out exactly what a
person wants and having the ability to
exceed their expectations. We want to
make all of our clients happy and it makes
us pleased to know they enjoy the creative
designs we have arranged for them.”
Specializing in corporate arrangements,
Aliperti loves crafting new designs and
prides herself in the fact that a client
will never see any repeat arrangements.
Seemingly without effort, Aliperti provides stunning arrangements for hotels,
offices and special events. “I love to do
one-of-a-kind items. I also enjoy doing
traditional pieces with style and elegance.
It’s important to me that my designs are
distinctive and without repetition.”
Another growing aspect of this family business is floral and table décor for
Persian weddings. Sunflower Florist provides arrangements for this traditional
ritual with a trendy and modern twist.
“We are pleased to be able to meet the
needs of these beautiful weddings and
have had a lot of repeat business due to
word of mouth.”
Generosity and giving is second nature to
Aliperti and Tahmasebi, they work hard
and by the philosophy that in order to be
successful, one must give back. The two
women actively support many charitable
organizations including Canuck Place
Children’s Hospice, Breast Cancer foundation and BCPA.
“Whether it’s one arrangement or a thousand, we provide it with the professionalism and efficiency of a large corporation
but with the courtesy, skill and kindness of a family business. Each flower we
touch gets our full and artistic attention.”
Make your next
event something
to remember
SUNFLOWER FLORIST is a Yaletown florist
that offers the best in unique floral designs,
custom flower arrangements and flower delivery.
Weather it be a gorgeous bouquet of roses for
that special someone, spectacular arrangement
for a newborn baby or a stunning masterpiece
for your office, Sunflower Florist has you covered
in style. Our designs are special because we
believe everyone is unique.
1359 Richards Street Vancouver, BC
604-676-7677 | www.sunflowerflorist.ca
MEMBER FEATURE
FAMILY BUSINESS SERVES UP THE BEST IN ITALIAN FOOD AND HOMEMADE SPECIALTIES
Full service butcher shop and gourmet kitchen
Cioffi’s Meat Market and Deli was originally opened by Antonio (Tony) Cioffi
and his son, Rino, 20 years ago. Tony
came from a family of meat cutters from
the Italian province of Avellino and
worked as a butcher after immigrating to
Vancouver. After partnering with others,
Tony realized he’d much rather run his
own business with his wife Lina and sons
Rino and Sergio. Tony’s hard work and
passion for good Italian food enabled
him to make that dream a reality.
After running the family business for
seven years, sadly Tony passed away in
1996. Since then, Rino and Sergio continued running the successful business
and even opened a separate location
two doors over that offers a full service
butcher shop and gourmet kitchen.
The entrance of the often-crowded
deli greets customers with the wafting
aroma of fresh Italian meats and cheeses,
paninis and homemade Italian specialties. Browse the shelves and choose from
a large selection of high quality imported
Italian foods including varieties of dried
pasta, sauces, extra virgin Italian olive
oils, capers, anchovies and olives. At the
deli counter, savour the authentic Italian
cured deli meats, such as prosciutto,
sopressata, capicolli and pancetta. You’ll
find homemade dried sausages and an
array of Italian cheeses including buffalo
mozzarella. Enjoy deli items including
to-die-for sandwiches, marinated grilled
vegetables and antipasto salads.
At the meat market, the butcher cuts fresh
daily to satisfy customer requests. There
Meat Market & Deli
Your wholesale supplier to many
of the top restaurants throughout
Vancouver and the best selection
of groceries, meats and cheeses
this side of Italy.
Eat well, live well!
Cioffi’s Meat Market & Deli
4156 Hastings St E
Burnaby , BC V5C 2J4
Tel: 604-291-9373
are also plenty of specialty meats and
organic items, including bison prime rib,
milk-fed veal, organic lamb and a huge
variety of dry aged meats.
A new custom kitchen in the meat market
is now offering fresh and hot homemade
meals to go. The menu often includes fresh
pizza, veal parmigiana, lasagna, beef short
ribs with risotto, and unique specialties,
such as Sicilian arancini. Private catering
is also offered, with customized menus
that are perfect for business luncheons,
parties and other celebrations.
Cioffi’s has been serving Burnaby Heights
with high quality Italian food for two decades. In keeping with family traditions,
the legacy of Antonio Cioffi continues
today with his sons Rino and Sergio.
Something special for your next business meeting
Monasteries, convents and private villas
Every Italian, no matter where in the
world they may live, knows about the
magical and unique qualities of monasteries and convents, even private villas
that are spread throughout the country.
These historical buildings are magnificent and one of the main reasons tourists
continue to flock to Italy.
Until recently, these properties have been
a well-kept secret as they catered mostly
to pilgrims visiting religious events
in the country. But a decade ago, the
Vatican embarked on a gigantic program
to update their best properties so that
all sleeping rooms would have private
baths and all public areas would be kept
in their original splendour, and made
available to the general public. Hume
Travel in Vancouver is very proud to be
the Canadian representative for these
wonderful places.
the opportunity for something you will
cherish forever.
Some of these properties were so well
suited to hold meetings and conventions
that we now offer properties with the
most fascinating history and elegance
that include meeting rooms equipped
with all the latest technical equipment
needed to make every event successful.
So, whether you want a week in Rome
or a venture into the countryside, we
have Monastery Hotels that will suit every
requirement and every budget. These
properties are perfect for that magical
wedding in Italy. We can make it happen
in the most spectacular way!
Imagine hosting your group in a garden
where monks may have toiled over 500
years ago. Or hosting your small group
in a banquet room where a fresco of the
last supper (done in the year 1100) is
the backdrop for your head table. It’s
all possible. These unique, very special
places have dominated the very essence
of Italian life for centuries. Now you have
Check out individual properties at
www.MonasteryHotels.com or call Hume
Travel in Vancouver at 1-800-663-9787
for more information. These properties
can also be booked for that very special holiday. Consider a driving holiday
perhaps with these overnight stops as a
wonderful way to see the real Italy.
Make your next business meeting “Classical”
Hume Travel can make
it happen in Italy!
www.MonasteryHotels.com
HUME TRAVEL CORPORATION
• Over 200 properties
• Experienced meeting
planners
• Beautiful settings
• Exquisite dining
• Affordable rates
powered by
202-1055 WEST BROADWAY, VANCOUVER, B.C. V6H 1E2
PHONE 604-682-7581
TOLL-FREE 1-800-663-9787
BCReg1204-0
GUEST FEATURE
5 Questions
with Karolina Wisniewska
SIX-time Paralympic Medallist
Karolina Wisniewska is a six-time Paralympic
medallist, Canada’s most decorated athlete
of the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter
Games, an Overall World Cup Champion and
the first Paralympian ever to be inducted into
the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame. She is now
embarking on a comeback for the 2010 Winter
Games in Vancouver.
Karolina was born with mild cerebral palsy that affects the
muscle coordination, strength and flexibility in her legs and
her balance. She began ski racing at the age of five as a form
of physical therapy. Karolina was a member of the Canadian
Para-Alpine Ski Team (CPAST) from 1995 until 2004 when she
took time off due to injury. She is now back on the CPAST with
her sights firmly set on the podium in 2010.
Karolina has a Master’s degree in the History of Art from
the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Arts from McGill
University. She speaks three languages.
There are five alpine skiing events on the
Paralympic programme: Downhill, Super-G,
Super-Combined, Giant Slalom and Slalom.
Which do you participate in and for how long have
you been doing each?
I compete in all five disciplines. I have been racing and training
in the technical disciplines (Giant Slalom and Slalom) since I
was a kid. Around the age of 14 you progress into Super-G and
later into Downhill, when you are strong enough to sustain the
speeds and gravitational forces associated with the speed disciplines (Super-G and Downhill). I didn’t actually really start
training and racing Downhill until I first made the National
Ski Team in 1995 when I was 19 years old. I have only recently
started competing in Super-Combined as 2010 will be the first
time that it will be featured in the Paralympics. It is one run
of Super-G combined with one run of Slalom so, essentially,
I have been training for the separate components of SuperCombined for a long time!
The Super-G Paralympics event features the speed
of Downhill with the turning skill of the Giant
Slalom. You have been marked World Class in this
event. Can you tell us about some of your recent
Super-G rankings? What speed do you actually
race at during the Super-G?
Before I retired from ski racing in 2004 due to injury, I was
definitely dominant in Super-G. The funny thing is how things
change: how I have changed as a racer and how my competitors have changed as well. So that, right now (October 2009)
2008 NorAms, Park City, Utah
my world ranking in Super-G is worse than in all the other
disciplines! My best ranking currently is in Downhill and Giant
Slalom where I am 5th in both, while I am ranked 7th in Slalom,
which is my favourite discipline.
I haven’t been clocked for speed recently in a Super-G, but I
was clocked during the Downhill at the World Cup Finals in
Whistler in March (which also served as a “test event” for the
Paralympics), and I was going over 120 kms/hr.
How has your ski equipment been adapted, if at
all, for you needs?
My ski equipment is exactly the same as an able-bodied ski
racer’s, with the exception that I do put a lot of extra work into
my boot fitting, especially with respect to alignment.
You have spent most of the last year training all
over the globe. What is a typical training day like?
Where do you enjoy skiing most?
A typical training day often consists of being on the mountain
before it is open to the public (sometimes even getting on the
chairlift in the dark) and doing a few technical free ski runs
before jumping into gate training. We generally train one
discipline a day for a series of days in order to make progress
in that specific discipline. Once we get off the hill we always
have dryland (i.e. “not-on-snow” training) that consists of
spinning to reduce lactic acid buildup, either core or strength
exercises, and stretching. I have physiotherapy almost daily
because, unfortunately, I have chronic injuries that are caused
by my cerebral palsy. We also do video analysis every day as well
as having a team meeting. If our sports psychologist is with
us, we will have sessions with him as well. Last but not least, if
needed, we deal with any equipment issues that may have come
up during the day. So, a typical training day is pretty packed and
doesn’t leave a lot of free time!
For snow conditions I think you can’t beat the Rockies, both
Canadian and American, because the snow is so dry and amazing, and because it’s the snow I grew up skiing on! But in terms
of overall charm and appeal, I really love the Alps.
What does it feel like for you when you are at the
start gate of a race, waiting for the starting gun?
Well, thankfully, there is no starting gun in ski racing, I think
that would make me jump! We stand in the start hut and there
is a system that beeps essentially indicating: “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!”
Your time only starts once your feet have kicked open the start
wand, so that’s what really counts.
How does it feel to be in a start gate?
I have raced in so many races in my life and I think that every
one is slightly different (depending on the importance of the
race, the discipline, how I feel on that particular day, etc.). That
said, there are some common feelings: I am always a bit excited,
a bit nervous, and also extremely, extremely focused. I tend to
try and cultivate a more relaxed and mellow feeling before the
speed disciplines and a more pumped and high-energy vibe
before the technical disciplines as these feelings correspond
more or less to the bodily movements of each discipline.
GUEST FEATURE
B.C.’s
Newest
Frontier
REACHING HIGH INTO the
Purcell Mountains
When Vancouver architect, Oberto Oberti, immigrated to British
Columbia from his native Lombardy in the mid 1960s, part
of what attracted him to the province was its almost limitless,
and seemingly undiscovered supply of mountains. Oberti had a
passion for skiing and before coming to Canada he was involved
in ski racing as a member of Ski Club Pirovano of Passo Stelvio
and of the Ski Club Courmayeur.
Fast-forward 30 years and having established successful architectural and project management businesses—Oberto Oberti
Architecture and Urban Design Inc. and Pheidias Project
Management Corporation—Oberti found himself steering clients towards the relatively untapped potential of ski resort
development in British Columbia. While B.C.’s incredible
mountain ranges, scenery, terrain and snow quality had been
discovered by heli-skiers, its best mountains remained largely
inaccessible to average tourists.
Between the mid-1970s and mid-1990s, skiing was a growth
industry in B.C. Skier visits more than doubled in the two
decades. This was largely due to the rise of Whistler Blackcomb
in which Oberti participated with a number of innovative
development projects. But when compared to jurisdictions with
similar population bases and accessibility, such as Colorado,
the province was still lacking in terms of skiing infrastructure
and mountain tourism development.
Enter Dutch construction giant Ballast Nedam, builder of
PEI’s famous Confederation Bridge. Seeking new investment
opportunities in Western Canada, Oberti, who had worked
for Ballast Nedam since 1995, steered them towards a little
community-owned ski hill near Golden, B.C. called Whitetooth
in 1997, for which he had been planning and designing an
ambitious expansion. Ballast Nedam’s investment allowed the
creation of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, the first new fourseason destination ski resort to open its doors in B.C. since
Blackcomb Mountain in 1980.
The resort, located about 2.5 hours driving time west of Calgary,
next to the Rockies in the Dogtooth range of the Purcell Mountains,
implemented an innovative design concept by providing access
to a large ski area, spectacular views, and a mountaintop lodge
from a single, major all-season lift. The Golden Eagle Express
gondola can transport up to 1,200 skiers and sightseers per hour
on a 3,413 metre (11,266 foot) ride that takes 12 minutes.
The resort’s success from the standpoint of community
involvement and participation was evidenced by the fact that
it won a referendum with a 92.8 percent yes vote and with 33
percent greater voter turn-out than at political elections prior
to construction. Following an innovative governance structure
proposed by Oberti and its master development agreement,
construction commenced and the resort opened its doors to
the public in December 2000.
The mountaintop lodge at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is the
highest in Canada. It uniquely features two exclusive overnight
suites and a fine dining restaurant and bar, the Eagle’s Eye. The
acclaimed restaurant is situated at 2,350 metres (7,705 feet)
elevation and can seat 130 indoors.
Additionally, a two-story 8,600 square foot day lodge at the
foot of the mountain features a cafeteria, ski rental and retail
shop, and ski school, as well as guest relations, ticketing and
mountain operations.
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort was an immediate success, with
greater than anticipated skier visits and initial investment, as well
as unprecedented press and acclamation, including exposure in
international media such as the New York Times and London’s
Guardian newspapers. It spearheaded somewhat of a revival
in skiing in the area as nearby resorts also experienced record
numbers of skier visits following Kicking Horse’s inception. The
resort currently encompasses 2,750 acres of ski and snowboarding terrain, which will roughly double at buildout. The vertical
drop from mountaintop to the base village is 1,260 metres (4,133
feet), making it the second highest current vertical drop in
Canada after Whistler Blackcomb. The mountain is known for its
excellent and abundant snow and its many chutes and glades.
Located along the Trans-Canada Highway, three million people
travel past the town of Golden each year, which has transitioned itself from being primarily a resource industry town
into a veritable outdoor recreation capital surrounded by six
The mountaintop lodge at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is the highest in Canada.
Visitors and skiers take a 12-minute ride on the Golden Eagle Express gondola.
Canadian National Parks—Banff, Glacier, Kootenay, Yoho, Mt.
Revelstoke and Jasper.
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is still growing and has
recently completed a new planning process, again led by
Oberti’s team, which defined its growth strategy and ultimate
expansion over the next forty years. Yet, Kicking Horse is not
the only new all-season ski resort project in B.C.’s interior
that is grabbing attention. Oberti is leading clients on two
additional, but very different, year-round destination resorts:
Crystal Mountain Ski and Golf Resort near Kelowna and
Jumbo Glacier Resort near Invermere.
Crystal Mountain is currently a small family-oriented ski hill
overlooking the shores of beautiful Lake Okanagan. Oberti has
completed a master plan that will transform the ski hill noted
for its climate and accessibility into a year-round destination
ski and golf resort. It will feature hundreds of acres of new,
family-friendly ski terrain with significantly increased vertical.
A signature golf course will anchor a new summer season for the
resort, which will be situated in the centre of one of Canada’s
most famous summer playgrounds and wine regions, with easy
access to major population centres.
The $500 million project has received a master plan approval
and a master development agreement from the province and is
now undergoing first phase rezoning at the regional district.
Jumbo Glacier Resort is a planned year-round ski resort in
the heart of B.C.’s Purcell range, located near the town of
Invermere in the East Kootenays. The resort will provide liftserviced access to several glaciers at an elevation of up to 3,400
metres (11,155 feet)—the highest in Canada by a wide margin.
It will be the first North American resort to offer significant
GUEST FEATURE
completed a land use process, a lengthy environmental review
process, and a master plan review process. It has received
an environmental assessment certificate and a master plan
approval and is nearing a master development agreement with
the province.
Georgie Award winning townhome development – Selkirk Townhomes – at
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.
year-round skiing and high alpine sightseeing—at elevations
that are currently only accessible to heli-skiers/sightseers
or hardened mountaineers. In winter, the resort will offer a
vertical drop of 1,700 metres (5,500 feet) of all-natural snow.
In summer, up to 700 metres (2,300 feet) vertical of glacier
skiing will be available. The Canadian national ski teams have
already used one of the project’s glaciers, Farnham Glacier, for
summer ski training.
The resort is planned in three phases and will ultimately include
5,500 bed-units plus 750 bed-units for staff accommodations
in a 104-hectare resort base area. The $1 billion project has
Finally, Oberti and his team have been busy on a number of
non-ski related planning and design projects, including a new
major golf resort near Sparwood, B.C., featuring a Fred Couples
designed golf course, a Georgie Award winning townhome
development—Selkirk Townhomes—at Kicking Horse Mountain
Resort, a subdivision near Kimberley B.C., a town beautification
programme and a condominium development in Valemount,
B.C., an award-winning heritage restoration project in Winnipeg,
Manitoba, and numerous other design projects spanning the
North American continent in locations as distant and disparate
as Whitehorse, Yukon and West Palm Beach, Florida.
Yet Oberti’s enthusiasm for B.C.’s ski resort industry and its
ultimate potential is palpable. He often likens his Europeaninspired ideas for ski resort design and development to the
adoption of espresso coffee in North America. He relates a
story, “when I was a young architect designing small hotels or
restaurants in the 1970s and ‘80s I would often suggest to my
clients that they should install espresso machines, and they
would say, ‘No, that’s crazy, nobody wants espresso in North
America.’ And yet all it took was for one man from Seattle to
recognize the goodness of the product and have the foresight to
offer it to a new market, beginning with a single store…and the
rest is history.”
TM
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NEWS & EVENTS
Messaggio
Message
del Presidente
from the Executive Director
Celso Boscariol
Elizabeth Iachelli
President of the Board
Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada −
Vancouver Edmonton Calgary
[email protected]
Executive Director
Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada −
Vancouver Edmonton Calgary
[email protected]
Poche settimane fa si e’ conclusa la missione organizzata dalla
Provincia di Catanzaro che ha portato 12 imprese e diverse
personalita’ istituzionali a Vancouver per partecipare al nostro
Gala annuale Flavours of Italy, in qualita’ di ospiti d’onore, e
naturalmente per svolgere una serie di attivita’ propedeutiche
allo sviluppo di collaborazioni e partership commerciali tra
realta’ italiane e canadesi. L’iniziativa si e’ dimostrata un successo, visto l’interesse che ha suscitato lo showroom dedicato
alla Provincia di Catanzaro allestito per l’occasione all’interno
del Westin Bayshore Hotel i primi giorni di Novembre ed in
considerazione delle numerose manifestazioni d’interesse che
le aziende calabresi hanno ottenuto nel corso dei loro incontri
d’affari con le rispettive controparti canadesi.
Most of us in Vancouver will remember where we were on
July 2, 2003, when the President of the International Olympic
Committee, Jacques Rogge, announced in Prague that Vancouver
had won its bid to become the host city of the 2010 Winter
Olympics. Amid the general jubilation and civic pride, to the
uninitiated 2010 seemed almost an eternity away, yet here we are
on the eve of the greatest party ever to take place in Vancouver.
Tale e’ risultato l’entusiasmo e l’interesse nei confronti
dell’area di Vancouver, che la Regione Calabria sara’ presente
a Vancouver anche durante i Giochi Olimpici Invernali del
2010 con uno showroom interamente dedicato dove verranno
organizzati, oltre alle esposizioni ed agli incontri d’affari,
una serie di eventi esclusivi per celebrare le eccellenze
della Regione. Le Olimpiadi rappresenteranno una vetrina
d’eccezione per le aziende calabresi che vorranno introdursi
nel mercato canadese ed allo stesso tempo farsi conoscere al
resto del mondo sfruttando la presenza di un elevato numero
di delegati stranieri che si trovera’ a Vancouver tra Febbraio e
Marzo del prossimo anno.
L’iniziativa legata ai Giochi del 2010 non e’ comunque l’unico
progetto che la nostra Camera di Commercio coordinera’ con
la Regione Calabria. E’ gia’ in programma per i primi mesi
del prossimo anno una missione esplorativa in Calabria a cui
partecipera’ un selezionato e ristretto numero di professionisti per valutare la possibilita’ di attrarre investimenti canadesi
nella Regione allo scopo di realizzare una serie di strutture
turistiche all’avanguardia a partire dal modello di alcuni resort
nordamericani. L’idea di fondo rimane il raggiungimento
di un duplice obiettivo: portare un po’ di Calabria in Canada
ed allo stesso tempo contribuire al progresso della Regione
esportando un po’ di Canada in Calabria.
The Italian Chamber of Commerce, in the intervening six years,
has dedicated considerable time and resources to Olympic
related projects, recognizing that this is a unique opportunity
for Vancouver to bask in the world spotlight. In 2004 we began
to capitalize on the linkages with Italy by promoting the 2006
Winter Olympics in Torino. We were a major stakeholder in the
100 strong institutional and economic mission from Piemonte
that visited Vancouver in March 2004 with the goal of establishing international and business relations here. We ideated the
Best of the West project, a promotional initiative organized in
partnership with the Chamber of Commerce of Torino and with
the support of Western Economic Diversification and the BC
Ministry of Economic Development to offer Canadian companies
and associations the possibility of participating in a series of promotional and business development events which took place in
the BC-Canada House in the centre of Torino, Italy. This initiative
was important since Canada was showcased to the international
community as the host of the next Winter Games and the world
watched as the then Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan received the
Olympic flag during the closing ceremony in Torino.
Starting in 2007, we began to promote the Vancouver Olympics to
Italian institutions and companies with a special project funded
by the Italian government called the Olympic Bridge and have
continued to provide information, present proposals and solicit
interest until the eleventh hour.
Now the 2010 Olympics are here and the Italian Chamber of
Commerce in Canada is capitalizing on this once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity for Vancouver to take the world spotlight and giving
it an inimitable Italian spin.
W E L COM E TO OUR N EW EST MEMB E RS
ACME CONCORD CORP
STEVE LOUNT
CORPORATE
EDMONTON AB
780-428-3500
Industrial Distributor
and Factory
www.acmeconcord.com
CARMELO’S
RISTORANTE ITALIANO
PETER OATES
SUSTAINING
WEST VANCOUVER BC
604-922-4719
Restaurant
www.carmelos.ca
ALBI HOMES LTD
DEBRA MAURO
CORPORATE
CALGARY AB
403-236-4032
Home Builder
www.albihomes.com
CIAO BELLA
RISTORANTE ITALIANO
AFTAB ALI KHAN
SUSTAINING
VANCOUVER BC
604-688-5771
Restaurant
www.ciaobellavancouver.ca
ANDUCCIS
ITALIAN KITCHEN
DEAN DALTON
SUSTAINING
BURNABY BC
604-444-4788
Restaurant
www.anduccis.com
COZA! TUSCAN GRILL
ROCKY NENKA
SUSTAINING
LANGLEY BC
604-539-8880
Restaurant
www.coza.ca
GARY HSU
INDIVIDUAL
VANCOUVER BC
TAIWAN CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE
BACI RISTORANTE
MARINO ROSH
SUSTAINING
BURNABY BC
604-299-7047
Restaurant
bacirestaurant.ca
HOTEL ARTS
MARK WILSON
SUSTAINING
CALGARY AB
403-266-4611
Hospitality
www.hotelarts.ca
L’ALTRO BUCA
CHRIS STEWART
SUSTAINING
VANCOUVER BC
604-683-6912
Restaurant
www.altrobuca.ca
INTERNATIONAL CELLARS
MICHAEL SHUSTER
CORPORATE
VANCOUVER BC
604-689-5333
wine
www.international-cellars.com
LINO BUSSOLI
INDIVIDUAL
VANCOUVER BC
JIM GREEN
INDIVIDUAL
VANCOUVER BC
LA BUCA
CHRIS STEWART
SUSTAINING
VANCOUVER BC
604-730-6988
Restaurant
www.labuca.ca
LA SPAGHETTERIA
RISTORANTE
SALVATORE FANCELLI
SUSTAINING
NEW WESTMINSTER BC
604-525-2611
Restaurant
www.laspaghetteria.com
MANGIA E BEVI
RISTORANTE
DOUG GRISDALE
SUSTAINING
WEST VANCOUVER BC
604-922-8333
Restaurant
www.mangiaebevi.ca
MON BELLA BISTORIA
BRIAN FOWKE
SUSTAINING
VANCOUVER BC
604-569-2741
Restaurant
www.monbella.com
PINA ROMOLO
INDIVIDUAL
CALGARY AB
PRESTO PANINI
ZORAN JUNGIC
CORPORATE
VANCOUVER BC
604-684-4445
www.prestopanini.ca
PRO.SE.QUA
AUGUSTO ORIANI
SUSTAINING
COQUITLAM BC
604-939-4280
Consulting
SASSO MODA
KOUROS EGHDAMI
CORPORATE
VANCOUVER BC
604-689-1996
Fashion
www.sassomoda.com
SAVERIO SCHIRALLI
AGENCIES
PETER BURROW
CORPORATE
VANCOUVER BC
604-681-0860
Wine
TONI GUFFEI
INDIVIDUAL
CALGARY AB
Specialized in organizing personal
tours in Western Canada for singles and
groups in English, Italian and German.
• Personal assistance from arrival
to departure at the airport
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visits to attractions
• Limo and charter service from
singles to groups
Relax and enjoy your Holidays with
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Armand Petronio
Lawyer
Armand Petronio is the partner
fluent and certified in Italian language. He has been nominated by
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as a designated lawyer, and has a
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and dedication to his clients. He is
known for his close connection
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and for his resourceful advocacy.
Armand Petronio may be contacted
directly at 604-638-3184.
[email protected] | www.nwct.ca
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Since 1973, Hawthorne, Piggott &
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Presentato da:
N E W S & EVENTS
Our vantage point on Castelvecchio’s Ponte Scaligero—an afternoon reprieve from the
throngs at Abitare il Tempo—is definitely a bridge to its past.
Made in Italy
Design Tour
A unique insider’s
view on design trends
throughout Italy.
Submitted by Janet Gyenes, Editor,
BC Home / Alberta Home
In Verona, a 1,000-year-old legend accompanies
a whale’s rib that’s suspended from an archway
high above the street: if a person who walks
beneath it has never told a lie, the rib will
come loose and tumble down . . .
Tall tale or truth, this is just one of the thought-provoking
stories our group will hear during the Made in Italy Design
Tour, which kicks off in this city that may be best known for its
legend of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet.
But our group of 14 architects and interior designers, led by the
Chamber of Commerce in Canada, will delve beneath the façade
of legend and Zeitgeist to discover how Italy keeps pace in the
design world—past, present and into the future. We discover the
marble mountains, meet local artisans, architects and designers,
and explore manufacturing companies—all of which contribute to
Italy’s international status as a global centre for design.
Inside Abitare il Tempo
There’s a buzz and sense of urgency at Abitare il Tempo, Verona’s
four-day international exhibition of interior design and decor.
It could just be from the espresso that seems to be coursing
through everyone’s veins. But in reality, it’s more likely the
collective excitement of tens of thousands of professionals who
NEWS & EVENTS
have converged here to drink in the atmosphere, develop ideas
and make business connections they can bring back home.
This year, the 24th edition of Abitare il Tempo centres around
the concept of “total living.” And the Adige River is said to
serve as a metaphor for the steady flow of ideas streaming from
designers, architects and artists showcasing their work at the
700-plus exhibits in every imaginable niche. Old ideas take
new shape. Inner and outer spaces are unified. Forward thinking meets back-to-basics.
For example, luxury fashion house Fendi brings haute to home
with its exclusive line of Murano chandeliers and vases. And
the simple fireplaces at Verona-based Nativo, which are fuelled
by clean-burning ethanol, could easily find their way inside
architect Roberto Semprini’s ultra-modern pre-fab Green
Home that showcases how stripped-back design can be chic
and sustainable. It’s certainly a fine fit with Western Canada’s
burgeoning eco ethos.
Made in Italy inspiration also abounds from designer Raffaello
Galiotto with his re-imagining of marble as seen in his i Marmi
del Doge (the Doge’s marble) project. Galiotto connects past
with present by extrapolating the lines of ancient quatrefoils
and Gothic arcs found on Venice’s famed Palazzo Ducale. He
expertly reverses, twists and modifies these shapes and configurations, effectively elevating the design of everyday objects,
such as lamps, freestanding sinks and even headboards.
Rice and rubinetteria
Most people who travel through the bucolic landscapes to Novara
probably don’t even realize the golden fields and grazing cows
yield two regional specialties: rice cooked into a creamy risotto,
and the blue-veined Gorgonzola cheese that is often added to it.
Nor that this region tourists blitz by also happens to be a hotbed
of big business for rubinetterie. Here, hundreds of thousands of
faucets and fixtures for kitchen and bath are fabricated each
year right by the Italian manufacturers we visit, including
FIMA, HEGO and Fratelli Frattini, among others.
Business is competitive, and Italy’s exacting standards are seen
in the facility tours where we witness the manufacturing process
in immaculate environs. The use of robots allows some companies to operate around the clock, while a small but mighty team
of people will do the final hand polishing, quality-control testing
and packaging of products that get shipped around the world.
While collections are continually being created and refined,
there are few trends to watch for. At HEGO, domotics meets
design with the striking I.WO (In Wonderland) tap that’s been
created in high- and low-tech versions, putting control and
comfort in its users’ hands. Techies will prefer the electronic
touchpad to regulate water temperature and flow, while tactile
types can choose the mechanical version, which uses two dials
At the other end of the spectrum, designer Luca Dini catapults
us into the future as he takes us aboard mega-yacht Sea Force
One. The yacht is outfitted with supple leather floors underfoot,
starry skies of pinpoint lighting overhead, and a virtual steward
who will fulfill the captain’s every wish, all at the touch of a
button. Dini’s radical reproduction of a futuristic mega-yacht is
described as a bridge between design, technology and alchemy.
While his vision might seem like a fantastical voyage to some,
Sea Force One embodies the best of domotics (home automation)
with its cutting-edge convergence of design and technology.
If Sea Force One offers a bridge to Italy’s future, then our
vantage point on Castelvecchio’s Ponte Scaligero—an afternoon
reprieve from the throngs at Abitare il Tempo—is definitely a
bridge to its past.
This bridge was an escape route for Cangrande della Scala who
built Castelvecchio in the 14th-century as a residential palace
and military stronghold. It has been a museum since 1925,
and impressive examples of Veronese sculpture and art are
ensconced within its walls. Our visit here is also a chance to
witness the work of Italian architect Carlo Scarpa, who restored
the palace, artfully balancing old with new.
Legend has it that the bridge’s designer arrived on horseback at
its opening ceremony so he could make a quick getaway if the
bridge crumbled. But the red brick-and-marble masterpiece
remains sturdy, with its swallowtail battlements blocking out the
glare of the late-September sun. Standing on the ponte overlooking the fast-flowing Adige River gives us one last look at Verona
before we travel to our next design tour destination: Novara.
Outside the Arena in Verona, modern juxtaposed with ancient symbolizes
the overriding theme of our tour.
N E W S & EVENTS
“We crisscross our way through the
mineral-rich mountains Michelangelo
explored in the early 1500s.”
instead. Artistry takes centre stage at FIMA (which turns out
900,000 pieces per year) as seen in its Swarovski crystalbedecked Brick Chic collection and Rain showerheads that
light up in a kaleidoscope of chromotherapy colours. Fratelli
Frattini, a family business that just marked its 50th anniversary, has launched PURA, a new production philosophy that
puts environmental conservation front and centre.
include diamond wire and plenty of high-tech machinery.
Sheer faces of marble rise above us like skyscrapers, and
even the equipment is dwarfed by the magnitude of the stone.
A stepped “cathedral” has been carved out, forming a type
of ceiling above. Loaders and other heavy equipment move
the behemoth blocks below us in a well-orchestrated dance.
Sweeping vistas draw our eyes down to the Versilia coastline,
where marble was once shipped off from Forte dei Marmi’s
golden sands. A few kilometres inland is Pietrasanta, where
tomorrow we’ll each meet one-on-one almost two-dozen local
artisans who are keeping cultural traditions alive—and creating
some new ones.
Marble, mosaics, metal, and more
Inside Villa Versiliana the lyrical sounds of Italian being spoken
and translated simultaneously to English by dozens of excited
artisans, designers and architects ebbs and flows like the
waves that lap the shores of the nearby beaches. The passion
of the artisans is palpable as they showcase examples of their
craftsmanship, from Ferrari & Bacci’s impossibly intricate
mosaics and L’Apuano’s opulent marble fireplace surrounds
to the latest LED lights from Cantalupi Lighting and Lucense’s
cutting-edge furniture and display items fashioned from sturdy
and sustainable cardboard.
Michelangelo’s marble
From Piedmont plains and rice paddies, the Made in Italy
Design Tour takes us high up into Tuscany’s Apuan Alps, en
route to the Henraux marble quarry. We crisscross our way
through the mineral-rich mountains Michelangelo explored in
the early 1500s. As the bus negotiates relentless switchbacks,
we pass ancient villages straddling the precipitous slopes. Tiny
crosses and other roadside memorials are somber reminders of
the hardscrabble history of this fairytale-like landscape that’s
punctuated by plunging valleys and pale peaks.
We reach the quarry where a sea of bright-white marble blocks
line the roadway, practically glowing beneath the brilliant blue
sky. Massive trucks trundle by, hard at work, while we get a
history and geology lesson on how this quarry’s marble is 98 per
cent calcium carbonate, making it perfect for statuary.
Extracting the marble itself was a tough task. Hammer and
chisel were once used to pry open cracks before workers
learned to wedge wood in the crack, pour water on it and allow
the wood to expand enough to fracture the marble. An ancient
spool-like device nearby helps to illustrate how marble was cut
until 800 BC: cables were wrapped around the base, and a stick
was inserted into a hole above and used as a lever. Today’s tools
Time-honoured traditions are passed down through the
generations—not unlike a nonna’s treasured recipe—so that
the art can endure under the skilled hands of family. There’s
something heartwarming about watching a grandfather show
his work, while beaming proudly at his granddaughter—who is
his translator—seated next to him. And, of course, a little legend
or superstition is revealed by one of the artisans who deadpans,
with a wink, how he’s fourth generation, the one who usually
ruins the family tradition.
Tomorrow, our Made in Italy Design Tour takes us to the Tuscan
countryside to Villa Artimino for a day of wine tasting and relaxation overlooking the undulating hillsides with rows of olive
trees and grape vines, and Florence off in the distance.
NEWS & EVENTS
Dine Italia dishes up the best of
Vancouver’s Italian cuisine
For the fourth year in succession, the ICCC
successfully organized Dine Italia, a celebration of Italian food and wine in the
Lower Mainland’s favourite restaurants. For
two weeks, October 23rd to November 8th,
restaurant patrons enjoyed a three or four
course set menu of authentic Italian cuisine
at price points ranging from $15 to $50.
The goal of the promotion is to not only educate the Lower Mainland’s population on the distinct flavours of
Italy, but also to promote new and established Italian restaurants. Dine Italia is still lesser known than its “big brother”,
Dine Out Vancouver, and in the beginning it often took superior
negotiation skills to convince Italian restaurants to partake in
this promotion. However, many restaurants are now seeing the
benefits of the marketing power of Dine Italia that isn’t generally available to independents and small operations. In 2009,
Dine Italia had full-page exposure in The Vancouver Sun and
The Province newspapers. In addition there was advertising
on the Dine Italia website (www.dineitalia.
com), several community newspapers,
KVOS TV advertised the event, as did radio
station 103.5 QM/FM. The social network
site “Urban Mixer” promoted Dine Italia
in their weekly newsletter and the ICCC
also distributed 5,000 flyers at various
events to further encourage patrons to
visit the participating restaurants.
“It was one of those promotions that was a win-win for the
customers and restaurant owners,” says Michaela Wildbacher,
Project Manager for ICCC. “It’s easy to understand why consumers like it. A great price can get you into a fine dining
restaurant you might overlook otherwise or feel you can’t
afford. It also has group appeal; six, eight, or even more people
at a time are not uncommon. It also creates a sense of ‘dining
urgency’. It’s easy to say you want to try a place out, but when
you can only get this price and this menu for a certain period
of time, you do it.”
In addition, Dine Italia brings people into Italian restaurants
during what is often a slow eating-out month. Restaurateurs
report that the event brings in both new customers as well as
returning guests.
This year’s event ventured out as far as Langley, including
COZA! Tuscan Grill. Chef Rocky Nenka commented, “Customers
outside of the immediate Vancouver area are pleased to see
Dine Italia has reached us and have been very impressed with
the overall promotion!”
Banquets, buffets, breakfast meetings,
corporate events from 40 to 700 guests.
Theatre style meeting space up to 900 guests.
In 2010, the ICCC hopes to attract even more restaurants to
take part of this growing promotion specifically focusing on
great Italian food. If you are interested in more information or
would like to include your restaurant in Dine Italia 2010, please
contact Michaela at [email protected].
TAKE-OUT CATERING NOW AVAILABLE!
Excellent service • Traditional Italian Cuisine
Central location • Free parking
Reasonable prices • Recently renovated Ballroom
State-of-the-Art Audio Visual Equipment
3075 Slocan Street, Vancouver (604) 430.3337
www.italianculturalcentre.ca
N E W S & EVENTS
VANCOUVER
FLAVOURS OF ITALY
Vancouver’s most exciting Italian wine and food extravaganza,
Flavours of Italy, now in its 7th year, is indisputably the mustattend event in Vancouver for lovers of “la dolce vita”. The
month-long promotion included an exclusive presentation,
in partnership with the British Columbia Liquor Distribution
Board, of premium Italian wines in the 50 largest liquor stores
throughout the province as well as a trade tasting attended by
300 members of the hospitality industry.
However, the highlight of Flavours of Italy undoubtedly was
a fundraising Gala at the Westin Bayshore Vancouver on
November 3rd and the focal point of the evening was an
institutional and economic delegation from the Province of
CATANZARO, Calabria, visiting Western Canada for the first
time. Participating companies from the agrifood, fashion,
jewellery and tourism sectors were on hand with a unique
showroom of exclusive products guests were able to view during the reception. Later in the week the companies met with
potential local partners in a series of B2B meetings organized
by the Chamber.
The reception ran from 6pm to 8pm and guests sampled over
120 Italian wines poured by 19 local wine agents and authentic
Italian food products sponsored by Bosa Foods as well as sampling the one-of-a-kind Calabrian products.
For the dinner which followed the reception, award-winning
chefs flown over from Calabria devised an extraordinary menu
of special Calabrian dishes, representing the rustic, seasonal
fare of the area, which were paired with regional wines hitherto
unavailable in Canada.
Guests also enjoyed a spectacular runway fashion show with
exciting new Italian designers from Calabria who also participated in the Vancouver Fashion Week which was taking place
concurrently. Jewellery, jeans, evening gowns and wedding
dresses kept all eyes glued to the runway. The young designers present—Elena Vera Stella, Giusari by Giuseppe Sarubbo,
Officine Preziosi with principals Attilio Benincasa e Renato
Cantafio—enjoyed well-deserved ovations.
MC for the evening was the delightful Coleen Christie of CTV
who quite captivated the crowd and ensured the programme ran
smoothly. Auctioneer, Bob Marjanovich, proved a formidable
auctioneer, working the crowd in inimitable fashion to extract
bids on many exciting auction packages including a unique trip
to Italy, artwork, getaway weekends and fashion.
The Chamber was particularly pleased to partner with the
Michael Cuccione Foundation in its efforts to raise funds to
finance research into childhood cancer.
The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada wishes to gratefully acknowledge the support of its sponsors: The Vancouver
Sun and The Province; CTV; Bosa Foods; The Westin Bayshore;
Rayacom; SunFlower Florist; Vancouver Fashion Week and
Villaggio Guglielmo.
NEWS & EVENTS
A TOUCH OF ITALY
Showroom, Service & Spare Parts
N°8, 606 Meredith Rd.
N.E. Calgary, Alberta
Brasilia De Curtis leva
espresso machine – made in Italy
www.atouchofitaly.ca
403.229.1066
N E W S & EVENTS
CALGARY
Wine Tasting and Italian Wine
Awards Gala Dinner 2009
The Italian Chamber of Commerce held its 7th Annual
Flavours of Italy and the 1st Annual Wine Awards at Hotel
Arts in Calgary on October 8th. “Flavours of Italy 2009”
was organized in collaboration with 16 Western Canadian
wine agents and members of the Italian Chamber of
Commerce who participated in a piazza style setting at
Hotel Arts promoting the best Italy has to offer, from the
fabulous wines to cheeses, coffee, Italian style cookies to
fashion, motorbikes and great furniture. The event featured an exclusive wine tasting for media and hospitality
professionals as well as an evening consumer tasting for
the general public and, for the first time ever, the Italian
Awards Gala Dinner, a multi-course Italian dinner with
exclusive wine pairings and awards that acknowledged
the best Italian wines in 2 categories: Industry Choice and
People’s Choice.
The event kicked off with a trade tasting for industry
professionals, liquor stores, restaurants and media representatives who had a chance to taste over 150 Italian wines.
Guests enjoyed an extensive selection of red and white
wines, while wandering around the Hotel Arts’ ballroom
which, for this occasion, was embellished with Roman
Vintage International Ltd.
columns, fountains, Italian
furniture, paintings, Vespas,
Aprilias, Moto Guzzis and an
espresso bar.
For the first time ever in
Canada, the Italian Chamber
of Commerce launched the
Inaugural Italian Wine Awards. Participating agents nominated 27 wines—15 reds and 12 whites—that were judged by
guests who attended the trade and public tastings. Judging by
the cast ballots, the wine awards created quite a buzz and will
certainly become a regular feature of the future Flavours of
Italy events.
Following the trade portion of the event, the Hotel Arts ballroom was refreshed and prepared to host the public tasting.
Excitement was in the air as guests lined up in the hotel lobby
looking forward to savour the wines and have a wonderful
evening. The room was full in a heartbeat. Perhaps two hours
was not enough time to taste all the wines but at least it gave
guests a sneak preview on why Italian wines are considered
among the best in the world.
It was time for guests to enjoy the sold-out Italian Wine Awards
Gala Dinner! And what a great evening it was. The guests were
spoiled by a multicourse Italian inspired dinner prepared by
Need to get
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Wines
Spirits
Foods
Cantine Eugenio Tinazzi
e Figli, Veneto
Azienda Martorana, Sicily
Grappa di Amarone
Gagliano Marcati
Liquori e Distillati
Bosco e Figlio Distilleria
Douglas Laing & Company
Single Malts - Old and Rare
& Old Malt Cask
Val Paradiso Extra Virgin
Olive Oil (Organic and
Traditional), Sicily
~ Organic Wines ~
Azienda Gino Fasoli
Cantina Cesena Reggio Emilia
Find out about
everything happening in
town from the private
and upscale to the
must-attend social event
of the century.
You get to choose the
events you want to attend
- we even offer
introductions to the event
organizers or hosts and
can even walk you into
those very special events.
Vintage International is an importer and distributor
of fine wines, spirits and specialty foods.
Phone: 403 243-9952 ~ Fax: 403 668-7472 ~ Cell: 403 605-8055
e-mail: [email protected]
www.vintageinternational.ca
www.socialempire.com
connect with the city’s most exclusive events today
NEWS & EVENTS
Duncan Ly, the Hotel Arts Executive Chef, who wonderfully
paired foods with a superb selection of outstanding wines generously sponsored by Rinascita Liquor Agency. The Master of
Ceremonies, Darryl Raymaker, entertained the crowd all night
long with jokes about Italy and Italians while providing very
exciting information on Italian culture, lifestyle and connections with Alberta.
The evening was also a fundraiser for the Salvation Army Agape’
Hospice which received a portion of the proceeds from the silent
and live auctions that took place during the evening reception
and dinner. The event concluded with the announcements of
the 2009 Wine Awards Winners. The big winner of the evening
was Picconero Rosso di Toscana which scooped the awards for
the best Red Wine in both Industry and People’s Choice.
2009 Wine Awards Winners:
 Best White Wine Industry Choice - Soave Classico,
DOC 2008 – Suavia (imported by Empson Canada)
 Best Red Wine Industry Choice - Picconero Rosso
di Toscana, 2004 – Tolaini (imported by Eclipse
Wine & Spirits)
Panorama: Vancouver-False Creek in snow
VANCOUVERMOMENTS.com
Selected works by photographer Manfred Kraus
Manfred’s panoramic images of BC landscapes can be printed several
feet wide on photo paper or canvas. His selection of Giclee prints
are a great decor item for boardrooms and homes, and make a
very special gift showcasing the Olympic host city. Giclee prints,
panoramic images and a wide selection of stock photos are
available at www.vancouvermoments.com or by email at
[email protected].
Manfred Kraus also provides custom photography services:
Assignments, Picture Scanning, Fine Art Photography
and Giclee printing.
 Best White Wine People’s Choice - Prosecco Extra Dry Conte Collalto (imported by Lotus Vini & Spirits)
 Best Red Wine People’s Choice - Picconero Rosso
di Toscana, 2004 – Tolaini (imported by Eclipse
Wine & Spirits)
GICLEE PRINTS STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY CUSTOM SERVICES
●
●
N E W S & EVENTS
Convention of the foreign Italian Chambers
of Commerce held in Salerno
The annual Convention of the foreign Italian Chambers of Commerce
organized by Assocamerestero, our
umbrella organization, took place
in Salerno between October 24th
and 28th, 2009.
Augusto Strianese,
President of
Assocamerestero
Sixty-six out of the 72 Chambers
were present with a total of
165 foreign delegates, primarily the Presidents and Executive
Directors of the Chambers. More
than 800 Italian delegates were
also present representing the
Italian organizations and institutions with linkages to the foreign
Chambers. Federal organizations
such as the Ministry of Economic
Development, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of
Infrastructure, alongside regional
and provincial organizations as
well as representatives of more
than 30 Chambers in Italy, were
GENERAL NOLI is a leading company in the freight forwarding
business. We move to all world destinations a substantial
volume of freight, both by air and by ocean. We are able to
grant our customers allotted space with air and ocean carriers,
best available rates in the marketplace along with the highest
quality and service standards. Our company has been working
in the international market for over twenty years and is well
experienced in sea and air shipments.
GENERAL NOLI’S headquarters are located in Modena, one of
the most important places of Italian business.
VANCOUVER OFFICE
2030 - 5200 Miller Road,
Richmond, BC V7B 1K5
1-866-GEN-NOLI (436-6654)
Tel: (604) 821-1301
Fax: (604) 821-1335
MODENA OFFICE
41100 Modena
Via Sallustio, 3
Tel: +39-059-380-311
Fax: +39-059-380-380
eager to network with the foreign
delegates arriving in Salerno from
around the world.
The theme of the Convention was
“Made in Italy beyond the crisis:
new markets and solid alliances”,
underlining the perennial resilience of the Italian entrepreneurial system. Despite the financial
crisis and the funding cuts that
have already taken place, the ministerial representatives took pains
to reassure those present that the
foreign Chambers are considered
invaluable and indispensable
partners in “Sistema Italia”.
Elections to the Board of Directors
of Assocamerestero took place at the
Convention with a new President,
Augusto Strianese President of the
Chamber of Salerno, taking over
from Edoardo Pollastri.
Associazione delle
Camere di Commercio
Italiane all’Estero
Our Chamber subsequently took
part in B2B meetings with local
companies as well as in a series of
meetings with export consortia. In
addition, we made a presentation
to the group of special agencies
of the Chambers in Italy on our
project, Olympic Business Link,
promoting the upcoming Winter
Olympics as an excellent venue for
international business development for Italian organizations and
companies.
The annual Assocamerestero
Convention is a not-to-be-missed
appointment for all the foreign
Chambers but particularly for
those, like ours, whose distance
from Italy can create difficulties in
consolidating ties with our counterparts there.
ITALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN CANADA
vancouver edmonton calgary
The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada – Vancouver Edmonton Calgary is a non-profit, membership based
organization with a mandate of facilitating trade and investment between Italy and Canada with a special focus on
British Columbia and Alberta.
President of
the Board
TREASURER
DIRECTORS
STAFF
STAFF
Al Botteselle
Galloway Botteselle
and Co.
Joe Forzani
Elizabeth Iachelli
Executive Director
Giovanni Varano
Project Manager
Calgary
VICEPRESIDENT (AB)
DIRECTORS
Oberto Oberti
Oberto Oberti Inc.
Marina Mason
Marina Mason &
Associates Inc.
Teresina M.
Bontorin
Bontorin Law
VICEPRESIDENT (BC)
Rob De Lazzari
Deltec Electric Limited
Rita Bellano
Bellano Ceramic Tiles
Gerardo Dutto
Celso Boscariol
Watson Goepel Maledy
Conexus 1/2P 2_08 FINAL
Franco Anglesio
Roberto Noce Q.C.
Miller Thomson LLP
Paolo Pela
Novam Ventures Ltd
Paolo Quattrocchi
NCTM Studio Legale
(Rome)
Alex Martyniak
Business Development
Director
Sophie de Marigny
Office Administrator
Giorgio Puppin
Project Manager
Dusan Rnjak
Regional Director
Alberta
Vincenza Eppich
Ebco Industries
2/19/08
3:03 PM
Page 1
Healthy Choices!
All Organic
• Pasta & Gnocchi • Tomatoes • Specialty Olive Oils & Vinegars • Vegetables
• Cookies • Mineral Water • Panettone • Coffee
• Retail, Restaurant & Catering Sizes
www.falesca.com
[email protected]
604-929-5711
Michaela
Wildbacher
Project Manager /
Conexus Magazine
Stefania
Zanandrea
Trade Analyst
e
th
visit
to Showroom
ver
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1
Discover
85
Uncork some excitement
Join Us in Vancouver, 2010.
The Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada is pleased to
welcome the world during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
www.iccbc.com

Winter 2010 - Footeprint

Transcription

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