Exploring Purple is a fresh and fiery take on an old debate – what are the different roles between men and women in the workplace. Are the stereotypes, obstacles and conventions that attribute to gaps in wages, promotions and job security still relevant in our modern work environment? Has equality in the workplace arrived or is it just a myth? Where do we go from here? Young Women in Business, a group of emerging female leaders in Vancouver, want to find out. On May 14 they will be hosting a panel discussing women in business.

“Women make less because they’ll work for less,” said Ghost Ceo founder Chris Flett at the provocative All-Male Panel discussion at YWiB’s Beyond Pink conference in November. He will join some of Vancouver’s savviest and successful men and women including:

· Bob Elton, BC Hydro
· Ken Sim, Nurse Next Door
· Tamara Vrooman, Vancity
· Cybele Negris, Webnames.ca
· Anne Giardini, Weyerhaeuser

The teams of men and women will go head to head in this exclusive panel talk, moderated by Blo Blow Dry Bar Founder, Judy Brooks. This is Exploring Purple, where pink meets blue. The first of its kind, Exploring Purple creates a space to have an honest and collective dialogue involving generations of Vancouver’s business community. This honest and raw panel conversation hopes to empower young women and men to celebrate equality in business. This once in a lifetime experience promises to be provocative, energizing and compelling.

When: May 14th, 2010
Where: UBC Robson Square
Time: 1 – 3:30 PM
Tickets: Get ‘em while they’re hot at www.ywib.ca

On Sunday March 7, 2010, grab some friends and head downtown to O Lounge (1054 Alberni Street) at COAST Restaurant and watch the Oscars’ festivities in Hollywood Style. Starting at 5pm, their new HD Projector and 2 large plasma screens will broadcast all of the glitz from the Kodak Theatre, live from Hollywood.

Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin host, while Chef Josh Wolfe prepares the finest and freshest oysters in town to go with your bubbly!! For the first time ever there are 10 movies in the running for best picture instead of the standard 5. Think you are a movie buff? Glowbal Group prizes and Gift Certificates given to the table with the closest predictions! Break out the Tuxes and Cocktail attire…we will be giving awards and prizes to the evening’s Best Dressed.

For your table reservations call 604.685.5010

Recently opened on the corner of Granville and Helmcken, The Edge may have just managed to pick out a coveted, underserved area in the downtown region. With the recently revamped Granville strip nearing completion, a chic lounge open for both brunch and cocktail hour could just hit the spot and give the area right off the bridge more character to complement the strip bars and nightlife.

Interior décor is spacious, lined with wood trim for the walls and flooring, comfortable sofas and windows that allow plenty of lighting, presenting a comfortable setting for both day and night time activities. A couple of private rooms allow for small groups of special functions.

The menu’s pricing is standard fare, no remarkably good deals to score. As I went to the opening party, I was unable to see how the portions are like, but the food quality is a standard above your typical “bar grub”. Samples included flatbread, mini-burgers, fried squid, chicken thighs and Dungeness crab. I found the flavor intensity to be too strong in most of the dishes and oil content is high, but paired with a good selection of cocktails this is nothing in particular to be disappointed about for this sort of venue.

With a good location (there is nothing I can think of around the immediate area), great hours (they are open 7 days a week from 7AM to “late”), decent food and a comfortable interior along with timing the completion of the Granville strip and the imminent winter Olympics, the stars have aligned for this new establishment.

A new Aritzia store will be opening in Fall 2009, located on the upper level of Pacific Centre, by the dome entrance, replacing the old Le Chateau space.  It will bedouble the size of the current Aritzia store.  The new Le Chateau store is now located on the lower level and opened in mid- June.

By Alicia Woodside, MMV Fitness Writer

Qoola Frozen Yogurt + Fruit (1116 Denman Street) offers the great taste and atmosphere of a regular dessert destination, with the added bonus of being excellent for your health. The store offers Vancouver’s only fresh frozen yogurt, as well as organic whole grain waffles with free-range eggs, fresh crepes, daily-prepared fruit, smoothies, and popular acai berry bowls. Qoola tops traditional ice cream and dessert outlets, not only because of its deliciousness, but also due to its 135-calorie serving size of their small Qoolala (6 oz), loaded with active bacterial cultures which aid in reducing the effects of lactose intolerance, boosts the immune system, and increases brain stimulation.

Qoola is the only frozen yogurt destination in Vancouver that provides fresh frozen yogurt, which contains up to an estimated 100 to 400 times the quantities of probiotic cultures per gram than competing frozen yogurt providers. The yogurt itself comes in four flavours: original, chocolate, green tea (made with real matcha), and a feature flavour. To add to your fresh frozen yogurt, choose from a huge array of fun toppings, including fresh-cut, daily-prepared fruit and crunchy spoonfuls of your favourite childhood cereal.

Overwhelmed by the many options? Qoola even suggests featured creations, such as the Qoolbama, a yogurt inspired by President Barack Obama, in red, white, and blue. If you choose one of Qoola’s smoothies, add some hemp seed powder as protein, or “Greens Plus”, a plentiful mixture packed with more nutrients than you could imagine. After enjoying one of Qoola’s homemade waffles, prepared with organic whole grains, barley, whey, oats, and free-range eggs, I felt satisfied and well-nourished.

Photo by Julia Buczek

Beyond the food, what struck me most about this new business is the store’s sincere purpose and devotion to its customers. Managing Director Warrick Chu, a Vancouver native, explains, “I want customers to know what [foods] you are putting into your body”. In an age when even McDonalds claims it is part of a balanced lifestyle (as a sponsor for the 2009 BMO Vancouver Marathon), it is great to see a company that truly acts on its stated purpose. To deliver on its mission to provide a healthy dessert alternative, Qoola refuses to cut costs in ingredients, and provides only fresh materials, which certainly come at the expense of profits.

For example, Warrick explains that the store incurs extra costs to ensure that all fruit is fresh, (except for the acai berries, which retain the most nutritive value in a frozen form). The company has a ninety-seven page nutrition document for employees to reference, and insists on serving fresh frozen yogurt only, despite the huge challenges this poses to the business. Warrick hopes the store becomes not only about quality food, but about astounding customer service. He hopes that his staff can truly get to know customers, and provide unconditional service, such as always giving the customer the extra smoothie that doesn’t fit into the cup, or offering customers filtered water free of charge.

Not only is the store dedicated to customers’ well being, it is also serious about its role in the community and its impacts to the environment. Despite the added costs, all of Qoola’s packaging is biodegradable, compostable or recyclable, T5 fluorescent lighting is used to conserve energy on menu boards and displays, and the company has a Green Table membership,  which means it is collaborating with other restaurant professionals to reduce environmental impacts. The store even composts leftover organic waste with the help of a family friend and hopes to coordinate a way for leftover food to feed hungry mouths. At Qoola’s recent grand opening party, an offer for free yogurt in exchange for non-perishable food donations raised an impressive 138 pounds of aid for the food bank.

If this sounds like a place you want to hang out, the store is a great choice for an afternoon break, a study spot (boasting free Wi-Fi), a delicious stop during a stroll along the Seawall, or a friendly get together at any time of day. It is well equipped for a lounge-like atmosphere in the evening, as the store’s spotlights fade into the night. Head in to check it out Monday through Thursday from 1pm to 10:30pm, Friday 1pm to midnight, Saturday 11am to midnight, or on Sunday from 11am to 10:30pm. Despite these stated hours, owner Warrick Chu says, “we will never close our doors on a customer!”

Photo by Julia Buczek

So next time you’re strolling along English Bay and heading for a treat at one of Denman’s many food outlets, skip the Starbucks’ dessert-in-disguise beverages, the luring Cupcake store, and that seductive, sweet-smelling Italian bakery. Instead, head into Qoola. This frozen yogurt destination will leave you with your sweet tooth satisfied, but also with a snack that has added nutritive value for your body. Finally: a conveyor of sweet treats and desserts that are good for you and true to their slogan of “Pure Heart + Pure Body”!