industries

122nd Vancouver Board Of Trade AGM

By Alison McLaughlin /

The Vancouver Board of Trade welcomed incoming chair Sue Paish with a memorable keynote address from entertainer Rick Mercer



Dallas Vaillancourt of HUB International with the BoT’s Jack K. Wong.



Canuck Place CEO Filomena Nalewajek with Executive Assistant Shelley Adams.



Inn at Laurel Point’s Cari Bower with WestJet corporate sales manager Caroline Johnson.



Everyone’s Favorite Vancouverite Joseph Segal C.M., O.B.C., LL.D.(HON.)



Knotty boy Rupert May, Partner at Grant Thornton LLP



Pharmasave’s Ron Ingram with Dave Reston, CEO



Don Rix and Sue Paish flanking George Pratt’s “Carly”



Phoenix Legal consultant Linda K. Roberton and Nexterra’s Lori Aizer Bryenton



Board of Trade’s Rolf Savella with Blair Qualey, President and CEO at New Car Dealers Association of British Columbia.



Evi Mustel. President at Mustel Group with BC Hydro VP of Corporate Affairs, Susan Yurkovich.


Event: 122nd Vancouver Board of Trade Annual General Meeting
Setting: Westin Bayshore (June 17, 2009)
Critique: East meets West

Once a year the member’s of Vancouver Board of Trade meet to formally welcome a new Chairperson and outline the goals of Board for the term ahead. This year taking the gavel from Dr. Don Rix, CM, OBC, is Pharmasave CEO Sue Paish, QC. The former managing partner of Fasken Martineau, Paish is one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women and one of Canada’s Top 25 Women Lawyers. She also has the distinction of being the fourth female chair elected in the board’s history. With a promise of committing to the health and wellness of Vancouver, the future of this city’s youth and the legacy of the 2010 Olympic games Paish will be supported by the 2009/10 executive and the following newly appointed board of directors:

Terry Hui, Concord Pacific

Dave Cunningham, TELUS

Calvin Helin, RCI Capital Group Inc.

Ken Martin, Pacific Blue Cross

Tina Osen, Hub International

Carol Lee, Linacare Laboratories

Paul Lee, Vanedge Capital

Tim Manning, RBC Royal Bank

Derral Moriyama, BMO

John Nightingale, Vancouver Aquarium

Jon Schubert, ICBC

J. J. Johnson, Corus Radio

* * *

There was an important first at this VBOT shindig – it was the only event I’ve ever attended where the audience paid attention to who was at the mic. (The worst offenders, since you asked, are media-industry types. Any bash where they fete themselves is an exercise in cheek, guaranteed.) Sue Paish, QC, you had me at “…not a Magic Johnson kind of magic, nor a David Copperfield kind of magic, but the magic that happens when people work together…”.

If I had an award to give out for best opening line, Ms. Paish, your name would be on it. I have Vancouver’s worst case of ADHD (according to a Facebook quiz, at least) and you tuned me right in.

Next up on the bill was Newfoundland’s Crown Prince of Mirth, Rick Mercer. The comedian enjoys a position in the annals of Canadian hilarity alongside such legends as Steve Smith, Mike Bullard, and Wayne & Shuster. After his talk, Mercer gave a book signing before jetting up to Whistler to do it all over again for the B.C. Insurance Brokers Assoc. To be sure, the mantle of Comedy Keynote Speaker is a sweet one, but, despite the laughter it was Sue’s star that shined brightest. The fourth woman to chair the Vancouver Board of Trade in its 122 year history confirmed her commitment to community – citing health and wellness as a concern greater than economics.