A FIVE SAILS SURPRISE

The Five Sails has the greatest view to dine by in town.

Big surprise in the local dining out world when veteran restaurant owner the Glowbal Group's Emad Yacoub made headlines recently stating that the Vancouver restaurant scene was going to diminish terribly due to the high cost of rent and leasing space.

Then out of the blue, Emad takes a giant leap and leases the very elegant and exclusive Five Sails Restaurant in the tony Pan Pacific Hotel. The Five Sails was formerly owned and operated by Ernst Dorfler and Gerry Sayers, the talented husband and wife culinary team that helped put the Pan and their restaurant on the map.

As with many things that happen, Emad's timing, unfortunately, was a bit off. And social distancing was on.

Nevertheless, the Five Sails is a spacious treasure with a fantastic view of the harbour and with the expertise of the Glowbal Group is bound to be a winner.

The Pan Pacific itself has been rather quiet over the past few years, possibly due to the absence of their PR wizard, the late Thomas R. Butler. Tom was famous for his creative and at times zany stunts, like elite golfers shooting golf balls off the roof of the hotel.

Not only did he open the Pan Pacific back in 1986 with Steve Halliday as general manager, he had the mayor of Vancouver, Michael Harcourt and 14-year-old Jenny Allison Dickson, the great great-granddaughter of the first Mayor of Vancouver, cycling in on a bicycle built for two, dressed in 1890's costumes while the full uniformed Vancouver Fire Department Band played. Once again Tom got the headlines.

But probably his most successful tourist promotion, which could never be done today, took place in the spring of 1975 where a group of Vancouver's senior sales executives and marketing hoteliers were brainstorming a plan to promote B.C. to the 1,000 attendees at the American Society of Association Executives at their annual convention in New York City. These are the people who make the decisions on where to take their conventions which are worth millions of dollars to the host city's economy.

They knew it would be a tough job to compete against such heavy hitters as L.A., San Francisco and Chicago. Enter Thomas R.Butler who's ability to find the soft underbelly of the news media with whimsy, imagination and humour was better than anyone on the planet. He was beloved by city editors and was definitely up for this challenge.

Dale Scott, Steve Halliday and Ron Drake with Bucky the Beaver. (Tom Butler Photo)

He proposed that they borrow a live B.C. beaver, Canada's national symbol, from Stanley Park, fly him to the Big Apple and house him in their rooms in the tony New York Hilton. It cost $12 for the 20-pound beaver to enter the U.S. via United Airlines with his new title of the Right Honourable B.C. Beaver Esq.

Our heroes, Steve Halliday of the Bayshore Inn; Dale Scott from the Hyatt Regency; Ron Drake of the Hotel Van; Tourism Vancouver's Fred Oakley and Barry Lee from Tourism BC (with Tourism Minister's Grace McCarthy's hearty approval) were all dressed in formal top hats, striped ties and tails to be "Bucky's" escort at the convention.

They paraded him everywhere throughout the convention with music blasting from a boom box and hired a chauffeured limo to take the group and Bucky to TV interviews and appearances on the Carol Channing Show, press photographs with the famed Rockettes who loved Bucky, and TV chats with the cast of the Archie Bunker Show and Cher's Oscar-winning movie, “Moonstruck”.

The New York Times reported that the BC contingent were in town with their "enormous" beaver and were taking over the Hilton Hotel. You couldn't buy that kind of press!

Bucky also did his noontime stroll throughout the lobby of the famous Waldorf Astoria.

Bucky on the streets of New York. (Tom Butler Photo)

At one point the guys took Bucky in their formal attire of tails and top hats for a stroll down Fifth Avenue and stopped traffic. They were on the front page of the New York Times the next day!

They gave away 1,500 Beaver Power buttons which became the hottest giveaway item of the show. They were gone in a flash!

Overall, this one event produced more than 20 conventions for Vancouver valued at millions of dollars for the city and the province. It really helped to put Vancouver and B.C. on the global map for these convention planners.

Bucky was carefully protected and cared for 24/7 and was returned to the Stanley Park zoo a few pounds heavier.

A tip of the hat to the late Thomas R. whose promotion is on record as the best sales and marketing event to come out of Vancouver!

And my tip is to all those hotel sales and PR people - don't just assume that guests will just automatically flock to your establishment after COVID-19 is eliminated. Get your grey matter working now while you have time to think and plan your creative and innovative ideas. Have fun!...

Beloved Vancouver restaurateur John Bishop retires from the kitchen.

FAREWELL TO THE BISHOP

Someone who is looking to have a more relaxed and carefree time is one of the nicest gentlemen around. John Bishop will officially close Bishop's, his iconic restaurant after a very successful 35 year run.

He opened Bishop's one year prior to Expo ‘86 and never looked back, serving fresh local food with his own indelible touch and attracting local and international diners and rave reviews.

It's not that he wanted to close. His decision was based on escalating expenses primarily the fact that the leasing prices were soaring along with the increasing price of foodstuffs. His concern and worries resulted in some sleepless nights.

So after more than three decades this consummate gentleman, talented, gracious and so honourable, will take his leave and concentrate on writing his new cookbook, on being able to have time for his family and sleeping peacefully through the night. Enjoy John!

NOTES FROM THE WEDGEWOOD

Very special evening at the charming Wedgewood Hotel in March as hotel co-owner Elpie Marinakis-Jackson entertained a special visitor. He was Clovis Taittinger of the famed Taittinger Champagne house who had flown in from France for this special occasion to attend the champagne pairing multi-course dinner evening in Bacchus. When the event was announced it sold out in 15 minutes!

Included in executive chef Montgomery Lao's menu was a duo of Dover Scallops, Applewood Smoked Haida Gwaii Sablefish, crusted New Zealand Saddle of Venison with Marcona Queen of Almonds and petit fours for dessert.

SUCCESS AT THE BAYSHORE

Special guests at the annual S.U.C.C.E.S.S Society gala fundraiser which was held at The Bayshore just before the pandemic hit were Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan and his wife, Dr. Kulip Sajjan, Lieutenant. Governor Janet Austin and her husband Ashley Chester, Maggie Ip patron of the Society, and her husband, popular Kelly Ip, Senator Yonah Marin and Queenie Choo, CEO of S.U.C.C.E.S.S and the S.U.C.C.E.S.S Foundation. Thanks to a generous benefactor, they reached their goal of more than $500,000. They couldn't have been happier!

A SHOUT-OUT TO SHELLEY

The talented and hard-working Shelley Johnston, after years of being heavily involved with the VSO and their annual gala gala do, the Vancouver Symphony Ball, has stepped away from the daily grind, smelling the spring lilacs and looking for a new adventure. She's one of the very best and we wish her well.

FACE THE WORLD CANCELLED

The virus that consumes our daily lives has also brought a crushing disappointment to one of our dedicated fundraisers, Jacqui Cohen, whose Face the World gala has had to be cancelled this year. Face the World, which has raised millions for local charitable causes, was due to be an even bigger celebration as it was going to be held on its thirtieth anniversary on May 30.