As most of you are aware, Joji Kumagai has represented the Strathcona BIA over the past year as its Acting Executive Director while Executive Director Cathy Kwan was on maternity leave. We've recently learned that Cathy has decided to devote her full attention to being a mom, and the SBIA Board has asked Joji to stay on as our Executive Director.  

Cathy, we thank you for your eight great years of service to the BIA, and we wish you and your family much health and happiness. Joji, we welcome you once again and look forward to many shared projects and endeavours. Congratulations to you both!

Claude Lemay, Chair, Strathcona BIA Board of Directors    

Executive Director's Report

The Strathcona BIA recently received a Small-scale component Vancouver 125 grant. This funding was awarded to carry out The Waldorf Drive-In: Vancouver Sometimes Plays Itself, a joint initiative of the SBIA, the Waldorf Hotel, and Elvy Del Bianco. A heritage project in conjunction with the Waldorf Hotel, its intent is to showcase four films in which Vancouver 'plays itself.' Our city is the third largest film production centre on the continent, yet most often stands in for other cities in the movies shot here.

The films will be presented "drive-in" style at the Waldorf's parking lot (1489 E. Hastings St.) throughout August. Project partners adopted the drive-in model to evoke a feeling of nostalgia for an almost-vanished form of social gathering, but it has a modern twist. Cars are welcome, but the majority of audience space will be reserved for people arriving by foot, bike, or public transit. Check the Waldorf's calendar this summer for details: http://www.waldorfhotel.com/events-page/.      

Annual  Members' Summer Luncheon

& 1st Year Resource Exchange Anniversary

This summer, we're holding our annual members' luncheon early because we're ready for summer to start! Join us on June 28th, from noon to 2pm at the Ukranian Cultural Centre, 805 East Pender Street.

We'll be networking and having a delicious buffet lunch. We'll also update you on the first year of the Resource Exchange and where we're headed in the next year. RSVP by June 21 at noon by calling 604-258-2727 or emailing admin_strathconabia@telus.net. 

Best in the West Awards Gala

At the end of April, we attended BIA BC's annual conference

in Chilliwack. This three-day event brought together BIAs and downtown associations from across the province to participate in roundtables, attend keynote presentations, and celebrate our success with a gala luncheon and awards ceremony.

The Best in the West Awards, which were presented at the conference's gala luncheon, recognize the hard work that BIAs contribute to their communities and share creative program ideas across several categories. While the Strathcona BIA was nominated in only one category (sustainability), we were incredibly inspired by all of the nominations.

Strathcona BIA's Sophie Agbonkhese and Joji Kumagai accept the Best in the West Environmental Sustainability award.  *All rights reserved by Amy Lanteigne (Paparazzi Photography)

Some of our favourite program nominees included the  Yaletown Area Dining Card  (provided area employees with pre-loaded dining cards redeemable at Yaletown BIA member restaurants); Maple Ridge's Facade improvement Program (awarded grants to BIA members for renovating, restoring, or redesigning their commercial building facades); and  Vernon's Sparkle Day (organized business owners and employees to get outside and scrub their buildings and clean up their neighbourhood).

Of course, we were also excited to share the story of our

 Strathcona Green Zone Initiative  - and even happier that we won the award for sustainability programming. The award, which was designed and produced by local recognition expert, Eclipse Awards , now sits prominently in our conference room, reminding us that our efforts do not go unnoticed, and sparking conversations with everyone who comes in.

Climate Smart Partnership

The BIA has another exciting partnership to announce. This summer, we will sponsor ten BIA organizations to complete the Climate Smart program ( www.climatesmartbusiness.com). In this program, you will measure your carbon footprint and develop reduction strategies that will save significant operating costs for your business. Becoming a Climate Smart Business will also help you reach new markets that give preference to environmentally conscious suppliers. Please contact the BIA office to express interest in participating. Preference will be given to companies that have not previously completed the program.

ZERO WASTE Challenge  

The Strathcona BIA is looking for 30 members to participate in a Zero Waste Challenge this summer, particularly business located in the area bounded by Gore, Railway, Heatley, and E. Pender. The program is offered in collaboration with Metro Vancouver and will be the first phase of a BIA-wide recycling program that we plan to kick off in the fall. Be the first in your neighbourhood to get ahead of your waste and join the Zero Waste Challenge today. Contact Sophie at the BIA office for details.

On May 30, the Strathcona BIA sponsored a commuter station during the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition's Bike to Work Week. The event encourages people to use bicycles as a means of transportation, and it was a great opportunity to promote our neighbourhood to the nearly 200 cyclists who stopped in for a break and refreshments.  

We'd like to extend special thanks to our member businesses who contributed food, beverages, and prizes - and to Jim M. Koo Produce for hosting the station. Sunrise Soya Foods and Trump's Foods donated snacks; Starbucks provided coffee. ECO Apparel, Australian Outback Outfitters, Hastings Steam and Sauna, Saul Good Gift Co., Au Petit Chavignol, and JJ Bean all contributed prizes for men's and women's raffle baskets. We couldn't have done it without you!  

And congratulations to Allison Collins and Russ Strothers, raffle-winning commuters!  

Hastings Steam and Sauna:  

85 Years

In 1926, Arthur Meighen and William Lyon Mackenzie-King played Prime Ministerial musical chairs. Miles Davis and the future Queen Elizabeth II were born. Babe Ruth visited Vancouver, and the city's Council established the Vancouver Town Planning Commission. And at 766 East Hastings Street, J.P. Wepsela started Hastings Steam and Sauna.

In the early days, longshoremen and fishermen came in for deeper cleansing than the shared bathrooms their hotels and rooming houses could offer. Over the years, musicians stopped by to clear their lungs after gigs in smoky bars; Stephen Fearing, the Parachute Club, and kd lang all enjoyed the therapeutic steam. Late restaurant critic and TV host James Barber (The Urban Peasant) was also a fan.

Today, 85 years after it opened its doors, the traditional Finnish-style sauna is still going strong, bathing health-seeking clients in clouds of detoxifying steam. The street outside has undergone radical changes, but indoors, owner Tej Purba works to maintain a nostalgic feel. He's owned Hastings Steam and Sauna since 1987, when he bought it from a family friend, a woman he describes as being like a second mother. Purba, a commercial realtor, was selling the building and business for her; he sold the building and bought the business himself (and invested in the building a few years later, when he realized renting it wasn't financially viable).

Though he and his daughter revamped the lobby to make it brighter, they chose heritage colours and kept an old-fashioned look. The building-which was built to be a sauna-has changed hands only a few times over its history, and it still features its original mosaic tile in the basement, radiators in the hallways, and on-the-spot gas-fired steam generation.

There's a 40-person gas-fired public sauna downstairs and six private cedar and tile rooms on the main floor, three gas-fired and three electric. The walk-in public sauna is mens'-only, although it's available for private group bookings in the evenings: mixed or women only. The privates accommodate singles, couples, or small groups.

"This is the only place you can get the real thing," Purba explains. "The steam isn't piped in, as it is in most rec centres. Gas firing creates more humidity. We can repair and maintain it, but if something happened, we couldn't recreate this gas-fired steam generation; it's been grandfathered in."

The three electric saunas were later additions; they get hotter than the gas ones and produce a drier heat, which is good for congestion. Purba encourages customers to try both so they can establish which system works best for them.

Hastings Steam and Sauna still resembles its original incarnation, and its simple formula: deep cleansing through sweating, remains the same as well.

"Sweat is a common denominator for health; the body's natural way of cleansing toxins is through sweat," says Purba. "It's like an oil change in a car..."

To read the rest of the article, please go to

http://strathconabia.blogspot.com/2011/06/hastings-steam-and-sauna-85-years.html 

Cloud Computing for Small Businesses 

Following Microsoft's recent "to the cloud" television ads, it feels as if the cloud is mentioned everywhere and anywhere these days.  But do you know what it is and what it really means?

Just about any business function you can think of has a cloud based solution, from phone services to marketing to operations to finance. Learn about the pros and cons of cloud computing for your business at

Thinking Ahead - Prepare for the Future of Your Online Business

Thursday, July 28, 2011

 10:30am - 12:00pm  

$20.00 

http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/

Ask an Accountant Days are Back!

Do you know how to calculate and file your business taxes properly? Which expenses you can deduct and how to deduct them? What business structures are the most tax effective?

If you're unsure, then book a one-on-one 30 minute consultation session with an accounting professional from Loren, Nancke & Company, CGAs. Your consultation appointment allows you to ask the specific tax questions you have for your individual business needs.

Ask an Accountant Day sessions are booked in advance and take place at Small Business BC or by phone or Skype if you live outside the Lower Mainland. Ask an Accountant Days are on a first come first serve basis and are limited, so book today!

35 Birthday Candles
for the Powell Street Festival

By Sabrina Furminger, Powell Street Festival Society

Milestone birthdays can be bittersweet. They remind us that we have no control over the sway and passage of time. But they can also be a time to celebrate, a time to reflect on one's accomplishments and plot a course for the future. In the case of the Powell Street Festival-marking its 35^th season with a series of events, culminating with two rousing days of Japanese Canadian arts and culture at the end of July-the milestone birthday is cause for joyous celebration.

The Powell Street Festival welcomes more than 12,000 people from all walks of life to festival venues each year-making it Canada's largest Japanese Canadian summer festival and the longest-running community festival in Vancouver-and has never strayed far from its community roots. The festival is volunteer-driven, responsive to the needs of the community it serves, and appreciative of its role in the DTES. For Japanese Canadians, Oppenheimer Park and the Powell Street area is nihon machi-a place rich with memories. And though the originating idea for the Powell Street Festival was one of remembrance, it has grown to be renowned as a celebration of both traditional and contemporary Japanese Canadian arts and culture that successfully walks the line between past and present.

Powell Street Festival 2010

Everyone's festival experience is different. A day at the Powell Street Festival can include delicious food, perusing handmade arts and crafts, heart-pounding taiko drumming, and martial arts demonstrations-not to mention sitting on the grass and watching thousands of people stroll by (many in beautiful kimonos). Those interested in history and tradition can participate in a tea ceremony, learn more about bonsai, or cheer as the ceremonial omikoshi is hoisted around the park; rock bands, experimental films, cutting-edge modern dance, and more appeal to those fascinated by contemporary Japanese Canadian arts and culture.

Powell Street Festival 2008

If you're unable to attend the festival this year, fear not! The Powell Street Festival Society offers inspiring programming in the lead-up to its festival. On June 15, the Powell Street Festival presents KANPAI!, a gala fundraiser for the festival society at Performance Works on Granville Island. KANPAI! features delicious appetizers, a live and silent auction, performances, and the launch of Bento Box #35, the second edition of our popular community cookbook.  

July 7marks the tenth edition of Spatial Poetics (7:30pm, Studio D, SFU Woodward's Goldcorp Centre for the Arts), an annual multidisciplinary event that never fails to tantalize packed houses with its boundary-pushing cross-genre exchanges. Detailed information about both events can be found on the Powell Street Festival's web site (http://www.powellstreetfestival.com).

Whether you attend every year or haven't made it out in a while, we hope you'll consider attending the 35th Annual Powell Street Festival (July 30 and 31, Oppenheimer Park and surrounding venues). For more information, visit our official web site, or follow us on Twitter (@powellstfest).   

Vancouver is updating its Transportation Plan and wants your input. The plan will set goals to the year 2040 and direct Vancouver's transportation decisions for the years ahead. Until July 15, the City is coordinating a series of community and stakeholder meetings and encourages all city residents, businesses, industry groups and regional commuters to contribute their ideas during the planning process. From January to March 2012, the City will seek feedback on the draft 2040 Transportation Plan.

If you would like the Transportation Plan team to come and meet with your group, please send an email request to transportationplan@vancouver.ca.  

For a list of all of the upcoming public meetings, videos, presentations, background materials and a moderated discussion forum, visit  www.talkvancouver.com/transportation.