Every day we assemble the ingredients for news stories, human interest features, fashion, food and movie columns and arts previews. We then deliver what we hope is a five-course feast into the citys sidewalk boxes, coffee shops and mobile devices before moving hungrily on to the next. But, like a host checking to see if everyone has had enough to eat, we like to know our readers are satisfied.
Accordingly, an ad hoc look back on your emails, tweets, Facebook comments and website traffic has revealed the keys to your appetites for 2013.
While interviewing beloved local sci-fi icon Amanda Tapping on her lengthy career and huge international fan base, writer Sabrina Furminger learned a heartbreaking truth about Tappings personal life. And while Furmingers series of stories throughout the year on Tapping have all been widely read, it was the world exclusive in May on Tappings eight miscarriages that gripped her fans (and made new ones) around the world.
For 17 years, WE Vancouver has been asking our readers to tell us which people, places and businesses are the Best in the City. In 2012, we added a second poll Best of the City Dining that focuses specifically on the booming food scene in Vancouver. You can also add your opinions to our new BOTC Neighbourhood poll, now underway with an iPad mini up for grabs. The results prove, year after year, to be among the most popular and most contested stories on our website.
Reality TV star Mary Zilba is no stranger to bullying in her line of work, and touched on the subject when she met with writer Gen Handley in March for a story about her new album and upcoming Shooting Stars Foundation charity performance. Her placement on the cover got some readers riled up, but well support someone whos giving back to a local charity any day.
Award-winning blogger Mijune Pak otherwise known as Follow Me Foodie joined our food pages in May to deliver weekly insights from her position as international food critic, event judge and chefs confidant. Some of her most popular stories of the past seven months include her overview of the Vancouver Food Cart Fest, her piece on the forget-me-nots of the Vancouver restaurant scene and her Sushi 101 etiquette series.
While the Best of the City results are inimitably compelling, it was a February feature on one winner in particular that lit up our social media feeds. Kid Carsons wide-ranging profile by editor Martha Perkins explains why the likeable SONIC 104.9 fm host was chosen Best Radio Personality for 2013 (and why so many women love him).
Actress Emelia Symington Fedy contributed to our cultural education in June with her guest piece on Vancouvers New Antiquarian movement. In profiling the old-world ways of the Belmont Barber Shop, forager Alexander McNaughton, Old Faithful Shop, Space Lab, The Found and the Freed and cobbler Hunter Mayer, she articulated the difference between this sincerity movement and our love-em-or-hate-em hipsters.
I put on my wide-brimmed, floppy fashion-writing hat to explore the 10 showrooms of the Parker Building in March, and talked to the sartorial wholesalers who rep more than 50 high-end designers out of the reclaimed East Van space. Many of your favourite clothing labels find their way into local boutiques through the halls of this fish factory turned fashion agency hive. And then there are the sample sales.
Were known as a foodie newspaper, and the sheer number of food stories making the top ranking month after month shows that you are right there with us. Taraneh Ghajar Jervens speculative piece at the start of 2013 on which would be the best new restaurant of the year tapped Bestie, Burdock & Co., Cartems Donuterie, The Flying Pig, Maruko Ramen, Pidgin, Tableau, Tap & Barrel and Tractor for her top 10. Was she right?
Alongside food is our love, here in the office, of craft beer; particularly of the Vancouver variety. We endeavoured to keep you up-to-date on the craft beer explosion of 2013, and see nothing but more good news on that front for the year to come. From Craft Beer Week previews and event photos to behind the scenes sneak peeks into your favourite local breweries, you can practically smell the hops in our ink.
Nils Hognestad is a 28-year-old Vancouver actor whose biggest role to date has been Heart Patient #1. Its a recurring role; as a child, Hognestad underwent three open-heart surgeries. I sat down with him in February, just days before his fourth surgery (a groundbreaking technique that could spare weeks of painful recuperating for future generations) and then told his harrowing story from the perspective of his heart.
We look forward to another year of hearing from you. You can reach us with feedback and suggestions at editor@wevancouver.com, on Twitter @WEVancouver and at Facebook.com/WEVancouver. Happy 2014!
You can follow Kelsey Klassen on twitter @KelseyKlassen.
