Coffee Wars

A quiet war has been slowly percolating in coffee shops across Canada. Battle lines have been drawn, territories have been formed and colours have been chosen. Two sides now battle each other in the streets, armed with steaming cups of Joe and the occasional sugary treat.

In Vancouver, the Green Mermaid has claimed victory over the brazen Hockey star's double-double, but independent factions of revolutionaries now seek to challenge the Seattle based franchise. Who will win this bean war? We will have to wait till the coffee cools...

All puns aside, the coffeehouse competition in Canada is very real. The two combatants, Starbucks and Tim Horton's, are competing for territory from St. Johns to Victoria. If you look at sheer numbers, Tim Horton's is ahead with roughly 3,500 locations in Canada; Starbucks is trailing with a mere 1,200.

But unlike the majority of urban centers in our country, in Vancouver, Starbucks is winning.

Maybe it's our proximity to Seattle, the home of the first Starbucks, or maybe it's our desire for a stronger brew, but in Vancouver, Richmond, North Van, West Van, Delta and Port Moody the green runs deeper than the donut.

That being said, Starbucks knows they're in for an uphill battle to convince the rest of Canada to give up the roll-up. In the past few months, Starbucks has released a lighter coffee that is comparable to the milder, Tim Hortons fare. Their new 'Amber Roast' even comes with a marketing campaign specifically tailored to engage those Canadians that have already decided that Starbucks coffee is too strong.

But as the two megachains trade blows, another market is emerging. The independent coffee house is making strong strides, especially in the trendsetting neighbourhoods of Vancouver. Main Street is home to a number of these smaller establishments, many who roast their own beans.

According to Coffeegeek.com creator, Mark Prince, Main Street's "49th Parallel" and "Kafka's Coffee and Tea" are two of the finest coffee spots in the city.

What separates them from the 'big two' and the rest of the smaller competitors are their ethical stance on bean purchasing, their slow brew option and their ambiance.

The operators of 49th Parallel travel around the world to visit the sites where their coffee beans are grown. Once imported, their green coffee is roasted by Master Roaster Michael Piccolo. At their Main location, the coffee bar itself takes center stage.

At Kafka's, their motto says it all: "We're serious about coffee and not much else." Their beans are purchased from an ethical importer in Seattle, where they are processed in a micro roaster. Like the 49th Parallel, Kafka’s specializes in slower brew methods, like the pour over. They are also home to a rotating gallery of local art.

If coffee means more to you than a morning jumpstart, take the time to visit Main Street’s coffee mecca. Let the big boys battle for the mass market. Indulge in something unique, dark and artistic.

"It doesn't matter where you're from - or how you feel... 

There's always peace in a strong cup of coffee." - Gabriel Bá

Gallery Shift

For years, the hottest spot in the city of Vancouver for contemporary art was a 10-block span from 6th to 16th, on Granville Street. This area was known commonly as Gallery Row. Only a few years ago it contained the highest concentration of art and antique galleries in Western Canada. But times are changing and the private art galleries are moving east.

Main Street is now becoming the center of the privatized art world in Vancouver. It has lower taxes, larger spaces for rent and is closer to many of the studios used by the artists themselves.

Gallery owners on Granville Street have been hit by huge property tax increases, due to staggering spikes in property values. Renters are also feeling the pinch, as landlords are forced to race rent prices to offset the tax hike.

With lower taxes, Main Street offers financial relief for gallery owners determined to show emerging artists, instead of the works of stable, established artists.

The properties being snatched up by the galleries moving to Main are much more conducive to large showings as well. With higher ceilings, larger doors and more creative spaces, dealers feel that the new Main properties are better suited for showcasing contemporary works.

Jennifer Winsor, the owner and operator of the Winsor gallery made the move to Main Street in December. "We have a space that's comparable in size to what we had on Granville," she claims, "but it's a better combination of warehousing and exhibit space. It just works better, from all points of view."

And it's not just the interior space that is attractive. "Parking was always an issue on Granville; we don't have that problem here."

Monte Clark is the latest to leave Granville for Main, moving to Great Northern Way in January. Before him, Elliot Louis made the switch and before him, the pioneer of the movement, Catriona Jeffries relocated to the South Main area in 2006.

With the influx of high-end art to the area, it won't be long before Main Street is attracting the same upscale residents seen in the South Granville area. This attraction could create a cyclical effect, once again forcing the galleries to move further east.

The benefit for homeowners is the spike in property value. The galleries, like those in New York, might need to play musical chairs, moving from district to district, but if the Big Apple is any example, each burrow they touch will turn to gold for property owners.

Who is SoMa?

SoMa is Symon, a property and liability insurance broker who commutes to downtown Vancouver from Burnaby on the SkyTrain. Symon has been working for a national firm for the last 9 years. He started out as an auto insurance salesman, received his Caib designation in 2007, moved into the world of homeowners insurance in 2008 and finally to property and liability for small Canadian businesses in 2010. It was a long road to his current position, one that let him experience all the minute levels of the insurance industry.

But Symon would never consider himself a salesman, an insurance broker or a businessman; his passion lies in the Arts. Symon is a folk musician. His instrument: the Kobza, a Ukrainian lute that has similarities to a mandolin.

Practicing since he was 7 years old, Symon was trained by his Grandfather, a Ukrainian immigrant, who came to Canada in 1947 and settled in the Edmonton area. Symon moved to Vancouver in his early 20s and has been playing in different folk bands for the last 10 years.

His first permanent residence was an apartment in North Vancouver, which he shared with his cousin. He then bounced around the Lower Mainland, most recently living in South Burnaby.

For the last two years, Symon has been considering purchasing a home in the Vancouver area. He wanted to move to a neighbourhood close to the local folk music scene. An area where he could be inspired by local talent, preform with others and continue his progression as a musician.

He chose the South Main or SoMa area.

After searching listings for months, Symon came across Evan, a Vancouver development that is currently cultivating a creative collective.

The six-story building is the product of a local architect firm, Shift Architecture, the team responsible for some of the most intriguing public and private buildings in the Vancouver area. The high ceilings and concrete walls are perfect for expansive sound; yet provide adequate sound dampening qualities. The building is walking distance from the clubs, restaurants and cultural venues that are actively booking local musicians. And, if it wasn't sweet enough already, the Evan building is mere blocks away from Long & McQuade, Vancouver's premiere instrument shop.

Evan's proximity to the SkyTrain is an added bonus, as it potentially allows Symon to be at his office in twenty minutes, without turning on his car. The transit route will shave off at least forty-five minutes of commute time daily; forty-five minutes extra that Symon can spend with his passion.

SoMa is Symon, a musician, who occasionally dabbles in insurance. 

Poodle On A Perch

The Biennale Art Project is an excellent example of the dedication shown by the City of Vancouver to increase the number and quality of public art installations that line our streets and parks.

The exhibits attract tourists through walking tours and photo opportunities, they encourage greener transportation by beautifying commuter routes and they inspire younger generations of artists, exposing them to alternative forms of expression and larger than life conversation pieces.

Some would say these installations are the sugar roses on Vancouver's frosted layer cake.

Communities inside the city are taking this initiative one-step further by commissioning their own works for public enjoyment. Commissions like the East Side Mural Project take regular urban landscapes and give them colour, history and purpose.

Main Street is no different. While most of the artistic activity occurs in studios, clubs, restaurants and coffee shops, the South Main community is looking to move its art out to the street.

A project has been in the works since 2009 to establish public art along the South Main Street Corridor. The endeavor, labeled "88 Blocks - Art on Main," began with a combination of pieces created by Instant Coffee. These works were produced under the title "A Bright Future."

The project is being funded by TransLink, the City of Vancouver and the Federal Government, with an estimated price tag of $97,000.

This week the second installment was erected near 17th and Main.

The latest installation, created by Montreal artist Gisele Amantea, is titled Memento. To describe it simply, the piece consists of a pole, a perch and a larger than life-size porcelain poodle replica. (see photo)

So far, the installation has received mixed reactions from local residents, some of who are confused by the subject matter.

Amantea has clarified her choice of themes in the following public statement:

The poodle was chosen as a motif for the sculpture and other artworks in Memento because it is expressive of the general surroundings of the street. The poodle is not associated with a particular culture, and can therefore be enjoyed by a wide range of people along the street and in the surrounding neighbourhoods. The sculpture is based on and is a representation not of a living poodle, but rather of a porcelain figurine, the kind of object that might be found in any number of shops along Main St.

The project is a hot conversation piece, inciting direct dialogue and online reactions. The poodle has people talking about the role of art in society. From street buzz to twitter comments, an open discourse is emerging about what public art should entail. The poodle even has its own twitter account: @MainStPoodle.*

Next up for the project is a work by Germaine Koh.

*Favourite tweet from @MainStPoodle: "Have been cast in the new Star Wars movie! Chewie's cousin Poodacca. #BetterThanJarJarBinks"