The overwhelmingly positive response last week to our inaugural BC500 magazine and website of prominent British Columbian business leaders has been gratifying. One of the 60 categories, recognizing Restaurateurs and Chefs, generated some public dismay and disappointment because of the all-male representation.
I am writing to respond.
First off, the concerns expressed are valid. The omissions and shortfalls were an oversight and by no means intentional, but I can understand the response in a sector in which women have fought hard for their place. While we are not responsible for the system that produces this inequitable recognition, we would never wish to reinforce it.
The research by our journalists for BC500 involved examination of several criteria to produce the list. Regrettably, our efforts in this category did not adequately appreciate the achievements of women in this sector.
Our values as a news organization consistently demonstrate a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. In recent years we have taken pride in developing magazines for female- and Indigenous-led business. Our work attempts to earn trust, and when it fails to do so, we have an obligation to look for solutions.
In this case, the unintended consequence of emphasizing economic impact in the selections generated a blind spot in the findings that we did not sufficiently address. The selections were worthy and reflective of the establishment in the sector, but we could have done more to account for other forms of leadership and prominence in the category.
This was our first attempt at a giant task and it would have been extraordinary to get 500 out of 500 selections correct, but that is no excuse. We will review our selections with an aim to add some names in the next few weeks to the digital edition to better reflect the industry’s leadership. We will create a series of articles and podcasts later this year to examine issues involving women in the restaurant sector. And the public response of the last few days will inform our criteria and selection process in all categories for the next edition in the summer of 2022.
I want to thank those who have generously suggested how we might serve our community better. We plan to do so.
Kirk LaPointe,
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief,
Business in Vancouver.
