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See what’s Made in Strathcona

It’s no secret that Strathcona is a hot spot for small businesses and budding artists. Six businesses will give tours of their storefronts and workspaces as part of an initiative started by the Strathcona Business Improvement Association.
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Made in Strathcona tours take place May 31 and June 7. Tickets are $10. Photo Dan Toulgoet

It’s no secret that Strathcona is a hot spot for small businesses and budding artists.

Six businesses will give tours of their storefronts and workspaces as part of an initiative started by the Strathcona Business Improvement Association.

“We wanted to have an opportunity to tell more people about all the really cool and interesting businesses in the area.

Unlike most BIAs centered around retail, we have a lot of industry and it’s difficult for people to know what’s happening here,” said Joji Kumagai, executive director of the Strathcona BIA.

Here are three Strathcona businesses featured in the Made in Strathcona tours happening May 31 and June 7.  Tickets are $10.

AGRO Café

  • AGRO opened its first location in Yaletown, then expanded to Granville Island and Strathcona. The company prides itself on roasting its coffee in Vancouver and its founder travels around the world to talk to coffee farmers.

Founder: Blake Hanacek, a Strathcona resident since 2009

Why Strathcona?

“We identified it as an up-and-coming neighbourhood, it had the proper zoning for coffee roasting and was conducive to importing green coffee.” Green coffee is unprocessed coffee, which comes in the form of cherries. AGRO roasts its own coffee in Strathcona.

What will people see on the tour?
People will see the coffee roasting process and some unique brewing equipment. AGRO café has a wide variety of brewing methods and they can make recommendations depending on your coffee preferences. For instance, customers can try the latest resurgence of old coffee brewing methods with the Chemex Coffeemaker.
 

Eclipse Awards

  • Eclipse Awards makes awards out of sustainable materials like recycled glass and reclaimed wood. This business also got its start in Yaletown before moving to Strathcona after four years.

Founder: Toby Barazzuol, a Strathcona resident since 2002

Why Strathcona?

“I like Strathcona because it’s different from a lot of Vancouver communities. People who come here like to think outside of the box a little bit. They don’t want to be mainstream. The area supports collaboration between companies and I think that feeling of community here is a valuable part of this neighbourhood.”

What will people see on the tour?

“They’ll see our green roof, our production space, the space that inspires our work. We’ve put a lot into building a space that’s inspiring and healthy for our staff.”  The green roof features a strip of greenery down the centre and garden boxes along the edges where they grow flowers as well as some fruit like strawberries.

YEW Woodshop

  • The idea of YEW Woodshop stems from the company House of Doors, started by an Emily Carr graduate. House of Doors still operates in Yew Woodshop, along with four other contracting and design companies. YEW Woodshop focuses on custom wood pieces, but also collaborates with metal shops in Strathcona to create mixed pieces.

Founder: Logan Gilbay, a Strathcona resident since 2011

Why Strathcona?

“It’s an interesting mix of people and businesses. It hasn’t always been the best area of town. But we’ve been here for three years and you can definitely see the changes happening.” — Danielle Jasinski, coordinator and project manager

What will people see on the tour?

“When they come into our space we have a show room space filled with objects we’ve already built. We have a lot of doors. One of the things we carried over from Emily Carr is a community working area. Our workshop is quite large and open. Everybody shares everything.”

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