Vancouver Club is rooted in the past but moving into the 21st century
(Advertising feature)
June 2006


When Wendy King takes over as president of the Vancouver Club's board of directors next year, it will be history in the making. Not only will it mark the first time a woman has every held the post, but it will serve to show once and for all that the prestigious institution is no longer an "old boys' club."

While it's taken some time, the crusty image of the club is fading, and as it moves forwarding in the 21st century, it is transforming into an modern facility that is still rooted in tradition. On any given schedule of events at the club, you'll find a power-speaker luncheon right before a society dinner; or a trip to see Cirque de Soleil side-by-side on the list with a Strawberry Tea.

In fact, the breadth and depth of club activities seem endless: art gallery tours, wine-tastings, poker nights, family birthday dinners, cigar and spirit nights and even a Wednesday night Latin Jazz series. Perhaps Dal Richards your flavour; or maybe you'd like to be one of members who gets an exclusive night in a GM Place Sky Box to see the farewell tour of Luciano Pavarotti.

King herself became a member of the Vancouver Club in 1997, after she began practicing law. She saw it as an opportunity to get to know some of the more established businesses and professionals in the city.

"I particularly wanted to cross paths with some of the older, more experienced members of the community, and to learn from them," she said. "I knew that there were not a lot of female members and I had heard about the 'old boys' days, but I was pleasantly surprised to find the majority of the members welcoming."

For those who say the club isn't relevant anymore in the 21st century because there are so many other activities and networking events that take up their time, King says, "The club is unique in this city. There are many networking organizations, great restaurants and other social activities in Vancouver. Our current general manager, Philip Ireland, has done an amazing job of bringing the dining facilities to a level of excellence that competes with that of the best restaurants in the city.

"However, the club offers all of these things at once, along with the collateral benefits of a private club -- ease of use, personal service and a traditional ambiance."

Among the benefits members are offered is access to the club's new Enoteca Wine Boutique. It not only serves as an elegant venue for wine-tastings with sommelier Brian Berry, but members have the opportunity to purchase wines from the quarter-million dollar wine collection. In some cases, they have access to wines found nowhere else in the world.

Other amenities at the club include a state-of-the-art wireless business centre, a fully equipped fitness facility offering personal trainers, massage therapy and a steam bath, a hotel facility with guest rooms for members or their out-of-town visitors, and free valet parking.

"We really wanted a contemporary feel to the club to respect our contemporary demographic," said Ireland, who said the average age of members has now dropped to between 37 and 42. But, he adds, at many of the events you'll find all ages of members, "from 21 to 97."

Ireland has been overseeing the club's renovation projects for the past four years making sure the modern additions don't conflict with the classic nature of the club, which was built in 1888. He is particularly proud of the work the club has done in getting their restaurant up to par as one of the best in the city, under chef Benny Faber, with help from former chefs of Lumière, C and Nu restaurants.

The transformations to the Vancouver Club seem to be garnering interest as its number of resident members gets close to the 1,200 mark, a milestone not reached in more than 30 years. It's likely the club will be enjoying a growing success when King comes in as the new president next year.
Part of her goal will be to keep working "to build the club's diversified membership in all respects."

"The club is already so much more diversified than the traditional professions," said King. "We have entrepreneurs, senior members of cultural organizations and health-care professionals joining. I also think that it is important for the board to continue to ensure that the club is always moving forward and staying relevant to its membership's needs."

With the vision and dedication of people like King and Ireland at the helm, no doubt it will.