north shore news & BUSINESS Wednesday, September 29, 1999 — North Shore News - 15 NEWS photo Cindy Goodman SEAN Kostrezewski is among an endangered species on the North Shore: auto mechanics who work at a gas station. The gas station is tive Cypress Park Mohawk at 4370 Marine Dr. in West Vancouver. They leit their faces at Bob Mackin News Reporter A lot of famous faces have been in and out of the House of Da Vinci. The 12-year-old beauty parlour specializes in facials, manicures and pedicures. Among the customers are Daniel Baldwin, Michael Dorn, Brian Austin Green and Gillian Anderson. Even television’s Patrick Duffy. Most celebrities have left their face behind, in the form of autographed, glossy publicity photos. “They just come in, they’ve got makeup on for 18 hours a day, so they have their skin cleaned so we have in- depth cleaning,” says House of Da Vinci’s Rosalind Stuart. “It’s seclud- ed and most have their own drivers, they can go wherever they want to go. It’s so quiet.” Stuart says the location is ideal and so is the architecture. The Cypress Park shopping centre, which also inckides a convenience store, is one of West Vancouver’s best-kept retail secrets. Designed by Scott and Funadjieff Architects, it was built in 1962 and is being considered for the municipal heritage buildings list. Mother Nature’s Gas Lorne Kraft and Sean Kostrezewski are part of an cndan- gered species on the North Shore: auto mechanics based at a service sta- tion. Their service station is the Cypress Park Mohawk. The nearest place to get gas is Hozseshoe Bay to the west, Dundarave to the cast or Westmount to the northeast. The gas station opened 36 years ago and was a Gulf before it donned Mohawk colours. It’s popular with drivers who prefer the leisurely waterfront drive to the hustle and bustle of the Upper Levels Highway. “We don’t have to fight much for business,” says Kraft. The Mohawk has but one kind of service, full ser- “We stay two cents cheaper than the Chevron up the hill,” he says. “We do get deemed as being a higher priced gas sta- tion by peopic, bur generally they're from out of the area.” The gas station gets its fair share of celebri- ties, too, Former Wayne Gretzky line- mate B.J. MacDonald and comedian Tommy Chong roll in for a fill-up. X- Files’ Anderson has also been a cus- tomer. Bon Appetit! John Carlo Felicetla prefers not to drop names, just as he prefers not to drop dishes at his La Toque Blanche restaurant. Situated in a former post office /pharmacy, it draws its fair share of celebritics who enjoy the quiet, cosy hideaway. The 50-seat gourmet eatery has customers who come for dinner once a year while staying at a nearby water- front bed and breakfast, as well as North Shore regulars. Felicella also funs a catering operation wader the same name. “Our menu changes monthly, whenever we want more excitement. a "MARINE DR. re Some of the most popu- lar are our sea bass, pheasant, lamb, foie gras. My wine rack in the dining room is totally original wines, from $27 to $70, of course there’s wines that are not on the menu for a very special evening.” Felicella is a 1983 grad- uate of Vancouver Community College’s cooking school where he teaches morning courses. He apprenticed at a variety of hotels and travelled through Europe and Asia to hone his craft. He’s also a member of B.C.’s culinary team which has competed with chefs from around the globe. Commercial Avenues is a bi-month- ly feature of the North Shore News’ business section. While it is by no means a comprehensive guide to any of the arcas it focuses on, it secks to capture @ snapshot of the day-to-day life of busi- nesses stlected at random that call the street home. If you have a business that is part of @ unique or otherwise worth- while block, or know of any, please share it with us. Write to Commercial Avenues, c/o Bob Mackin, North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale Ave., Novth Vancouver V7M 2H4. E-mail . Sere cine NEWS photo Cindy Goodman CYPRESS Park shepping centre was built in 1962 and is now being considered for West Vancouver's heritage list. a LA Teque Blanche cheffowner John Carlo Felicella outside his gourmet restaurant. RaGE are Con ence HOUSE cf Da Vinci’s Rosalind Stuart has seen some famous faces. Taking millennial advantage FEELING worried about the Y2K bug yet? By now, most of vou have heard of the Millennium Bug, the computer-generated crisis that will supposedly strike Jan. 1, 2000. In fact, one poll recently found that due to stories on television and in the press, 93% of Canadians have cead or heard something about Y2K. (Almost makes “you wonder what the other 7% has been up to). Bur, have you really given it any serious thought? I did- n’t think so. According to the same poll, about onc third of us are concerned about the effects of ¥2K while 8% of Canadians described themselves as extremely concerned. At last count, about 1% of the popu- lation plans to withdraw all of their money from the stock market in preparation tor the new millennium. The mania over ¥2K is perhaps unsurprising, as we five in a society described by one researcher as “increasing- ly apocalyptic.” Nearly half of all adults feel we are headed for some kind of a disaster in the next 10 to 20 years. While this kind of thinking is certainly nothing new, sociol- ogists say that the number of people expressing concern is rising. What’s unclear is the exact nature of the coming cata- strophe. Worries range from ecological disasters, natural disasters, war, religious apoca- lypse and the Y2K. Where anxicty can be found, oppor- tunity also exists. A handful of newsletter writers, book authors and sur- vivalists have all banked heavi- ly that Y2K will bring on Panic, particularly in financial markets. As awareness for Y2K grows, so docs the num- ber of prognost’zators look- ing to cash in on this group’s worst fears, peddling survival guides, suspect financial advice and tall tales of impending doom. ; When it comes to predict- ing the near-random ebb and flow of financial markets, the stakes are raised in the case of Y2K and opinions seer readi- ly confused with facts. Articles on the Y2K bug surface daily, as a quick perusal of the Web site will show. But before you pull the pin on your long term invest- ment strategy, consider the facts. The hype about the bug has spurred industries into taking self-correcting mea- sures. Canadian Financial Institutions are particularly well prepared, having spent nearly $1 billion since 1995 See YZK next page