BC Business
Taylor Swift, Victor Montagliani and MEC are among our top stories of the year
Everyone in B.C. has felt the fiscal challenges and macroeconomic headwinds that characterized 2024. And while it hasn’t been the most standout year for growth, we at BCBusiness have had the privilege of sharing local stories of innovation, resilience and collaboration.
Here are some of our favourites.
We kicked off the year the way we ended it: with Taylor Swift. According to a 2023 survey, people spend around US$93 million per Swift show on things like tickets, hotels, restaurants and more. So when the 12-time Grammy winner announced that she would be ending her Eras Tour with three shows in Vancouver, former BCBusiness managing editor Alyssa Hirose (the ultimate Swiftie) decided to unpack what that means for local businesses. She did an excellent job of analyzing how different industries could take advantage of this opportunity and expertly sprinkled 22 TSwift references throughout the story. Can you spot them all? —Rushmila Rahman, associate editor, BCBusiness
It’s not hard to get BCers fired up over the evolution of MEC. The former co-op’s sale to an American private equity firm and its subsequent rebranding sent the homegrown outdoor sports giant into something of a tailspin for a couple of years. Long-time BCBusiness contributor Ryan Stuart does a fantastic job taking us through the company’s last several years and diving into whether it’s actually back on track now. While Stuart notes that MEC’s financials are reportedly in a better place and the company is opening stores, it remains to be seen whether it can claw its way back to its former relevance. —Nathan Caddell, editor-in-chief, BCBusiness
I promise I’m not just picking this as my favourite story of the year because I’m hoping the BCBusiness team will pick me as a Woman of the Year for 2025: I genuinely love to dig into the inspiring stories of the women who are making a difference in our province, whether by creating STEM programs for Black kids or disrupting the seafood industry. And I hope you’re able to tell this from reading each of these profiles, but I know from sitting next to them here at the office that BCB editors pour hours upon hours of effort and care into making this list and crafting these stories. Give them an award already, someone! —Stacey McLachlan, editor-in-chief, Vancouver magazine
There are so many stories that I loved from BCBusiness this past year; and of course I’m partial to the ones I contributed to, like Big Love for Small Business and Entrepreneur of the Year. But it’s this piece about climate change that has been playing back in my head. Van Evra expertly dives into the real life effects that climate change is having on a very important industry in the province, while also showcasing the voices of those who have been hit the hardest. Though some may find the article sad, to me, that’s the point. Hard things aren’t always easy to hear but it’s hearing (or in this case, reading) them that can propel us all towards action. And I think that’s the most important takeaway I could have for this year. —Dani Wright, Managing Editor, BCBusiness
It was a great coup for Nathan to get as much time with CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani as he did—not only is “Vic from East Van” regularly just about anywhere else but home, but he’s just as rarely in the media back on home turf. Vic was generous with his time, and Nathan’s profile offers a deep dive into both the history and present-day power circles the man responsible for bringing the FIFA World Cup to Canadian soil (and most definitely, Vancouver) travels in. It’s been said we don’t know what’s going to hit us when World Cup fans descend here in 2026, but Nathan’s excellent piece gives us a great sense of one of the top power players behind that coming monsoon (and the desire to grab a coffee on the Drive with Montagliani for an hour or three). —Anicka Quin, VP Content, BCBusiness