D É C O R

Bring the incredible energy of Canadian Ammonites

into your home or office for balance, prosperity,

good fortune, and positive well being.

1-800-917-2228www.korite.com

The mostinfluential stoneof the millenium.

cover S t ory

Into the SpotlIghtBehind the scenes with Fiona ForBesBy Lucy Lau

Photographer/ Felix Chang

Wardrobe by Holt Renfrew

Dress/ Tom Ford

Jacket/ Dion Lee

Dress/ Victoria Beckham

Dress/ Oscar de la Renta

Styling/ Sarah D’Arcy

Makeup/ Ana Viseroiu

Hair Styling/ Chris Funk

“It was his way of guiding me gently into what he thought I would love

to do. And he was right.”

58 B O U L E VA R D

early two decades into her broadcasting career, Fiona Forbes estimates she’s interviewed no less than 30,000 people. But there’s still one figure the Vancouver-born television host, producer and all-around lady boss is dying to score some face time with.

“Oprah,” Forbes confesses without hesitation. She flutters her eyes closed as a makeup artist applies a light dusting of shadow across her lids. “Can you imagine? I’d be back to breathing in a paper bag.”N

While the mere thought of meeting Ms. Winfrey —arguably one of the most prolific media person-alities of our generation and the undisputed queen of luxurious, over-the-top giveaways — is enough to send us regular folk into fits of hyperventilation, it’s a tad more difficult to believe that the well-equipped Forbes would require a calm-down technique of her own. After all, the long-time Shaw TV host has bantered with the likes of Canadian hockey legend Bobby Orr, actress Elizabeth Hurley and former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Saul Hudson, better known by his stage name, Slash.

However, as the veteran interviewer has previously detailed, public speaking wasn’t al-ways her forte. Sitting in a small beauty studio in downtown Vancouver as her makeup and hair is primped for the Boulevard Vancouver cover shoot, and her tiny Yorkshire Terrier, Chewie, waits patiently on her lap, Forbes recalls her years at the University of British Co-lumbia where she studied history and political science.

“I feel so lucky to do what I do for a living.”

FIona ForbeS

B O U L E VA R D 59

early two decades into her broadcasting career, Fiona Forbes estimates she’s interviewed no less than 30,000 people. But there’s still one figure the Vancouver-born television host, producer and all-around lady boss is dying to score some face time with.

“Oprah,” Forbes confesses without hesitation. She flutters her eyes closed as a makeup artist applies a light dusting of shadow across her lids. “Can you imagine? I’d be back to breathing in a paper bag.”N

While the mere thought of meeting Ms. Winfrey —arguably one of the most prolific media person-alities of our generation and the undisputed queen of luxurious, over-the-top giveaways — is enough to send us regular folk into fits of hyperventilation, it’s a tad more difficult to believe that the well-equipped Forbes would require a calm-down technique of her own. After all, the long-time Shaw TV host has bantered with the likes of Canadian hockey legend Bobby Orr, actress Elizabeth Hurley and former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Saul Hudson, better known by his stage name, Slash.

However, as the veteran interviewer has previously detailed, public speaking wasn’t al-ways her forte. Sitting in a small beauty studio in downtown Vancouver as her makeup and hair is primped for the Boulevard Vancouver cover shoot, and her tiny Yorkshire Terrier, Chewie, waits patiently on her lap, Forbes recalls her years at the University of British Co-lumbia where she studied history and political science.

“I feel so lucky to do what I do for a living.”

FIona ForbeS

60 B O U L E VA R D

Int

o t

he

S

po

tl

Igh

t

“I was so painfully shy that I used to have panic attacks when I was giving presentations,” she re-members. “If I’d had to speak to you guys then, I’d probably have to step outside ’cause I’d be freaking out.”

Forbes originally planned to follow in her father’s footsteps by becoming a lawyer and, at his sug-gestion, enrolled in a broadcasting course during her final year of post secondary school that would hopefully help conquer her fear of talking in large groups. She loved the first class so much that she decided to audition for an onscreen job the fol-lowing day: a task that her pops had dared her to tackle.

Fast-forward one week and Forbes was hosting a one-hour live television program — her first-ever broadcasting gig — on Rogers TV.

“I think he knew me better than I knew myself at the time,” she says of her dad. “And it was his way of guiding me gently into what he thought I would love to do. And he was right.”

Today, Forbes is host and producer of Shaw TV’s Where You Live, a 30-minute program that takes her into the vibrant boroughs that make up BC’s Lower Mainland, and the recently launched Up Front, which sees the experienced telecaster grill-ing movers, shakers and key decision-makers from across Metro Vancouver on topics such as civic affairs, arts and culture, and newsworthy trends.

Up until this past summer, Forbes was also the face of Fiona Forbes, an entertainment talk show that — surprise, surprise — featured interviews with notable names like Bif Naked and Peter Mansbridge. However, the proud Vancouverite is perhaps best known for her role alongside co-host Michael Eckford on Shaw TV’s now defunct gabfest, Urban Rush, which was rebranded as the nationally syndicated The Rush in 2012.

“I love the talk-show format,” Forbes explains. “That’s definitely something that’s a running theme in everything I’ve done with Shaw TV. I think it’s the best way to introduce people in the community to the community in a way that reflects the place that we’re in.”

B O U L E VA R D 61

Int

o t

he

S

po

tl

Igh

t

“I was so painfully shy that I used to have panic attacks when I was giving presentations,” she re-members. “If I’d had to speak to you guys then, I’d probably have to step outside ’cause I’d be freaking out.”

Forbes originally planned to follow in her father’s footsteps by becoming a lawyer and, at his sug-gestion, enrolled in a broadcasting course during her final year of post secondary school that would hopefully help conquer her fear of talking in large groups. She loved the first class so much that she decided to audition for an onscreen job the fol-lowing day: a task that her pops had dared her to tackle.

Fast-forward one week and Forbes was hosting a one-hour live television program — her first-ever broadcasting gig — on Rogers TV.

“I think he knew me better than I knew myself at the time,” she says of her dad. “And it was his way of guiding me gently into what he thought I would love to do. And he was right.”

Today, Forbes is host and producer of Shaw TV’s Where You Live, a 30-minute program that takes her into the vibrant boroughs that make up BC’s Lower Mainland, and the recently launched Up Front, which sees the experienced telecaster grill-ing movers, shakers and key decision-makers from across Metro Vancouver on topics such as civic affairs, arts and culture, and newsworthy trends.

Up until this past summer, Forbes was also the face of Fiona Forbes, an entertainment talk show that — surprise, surprise — featured interviews with notable names like Bif Naked and Peter Mansbridge. However, the proud Vancouverite is perhaps best known for her role alongside co-host Michael Eckford on Shaw TV’s now defunct gabfest, Urban Rush, which was rebranded as the nationally syndicated The Rush in 2012.

“I love the talk-show format,” Forbes explains. “That’s definitely something that’s a running theme in everything I’ve done with Shaw TV. I think it’s the best way to introduce people in the community to the community in a way that reflects the place that we’re in.”

62 B O U L E VA R D

old age of 18 — Forbes makes an effort to give back to the community by volunteering with non-profit organizations such as Dress for Success Vancouver and the Pacific Autism Family Centre.

She’s also a champion of local, up-and-coming designers. Her favourites currently include Rimpy Sahota and Pyrrha, the latter of which is responsible for the talisman hanging loosely from her neck. The pendant catches the vanity’s light as Forbes’s hair is carefully curled into voluminous tendrils.

“I think it’s like anything when it comes to Vancouver: you never appreciate it until it makes it big somewhere else,” she says of the city’s talent. “But I think it’s important to appreciate people when they’re starting out and, when I find out about them, it gets me excited.”

Asked what her next move will be, Forbes doesn’t look too far ahead. She mentions David Letterman as another name on her dream interview list as well as a desire to eventually be lying somewhere sandy and warm. Following the cover shoot, howev-er, she’ll likely take Chewie for a stroll on Kitsilano beach, where she regularly goes to take five from her busy schedule. Then it’s back to showcasing the things that make Vancouver beautiful and brainstorm-ing cockamamie web series to develop.

“Being able to do what I do is pretty silly in the grand scheme of things,” she says. “I’m not saving lives; I get to meet really cool people and tell their stories all the time. No matter what format it’s in … it’s telling people’s stories. And that’s what re-ally drives me.” n

The Kerrisdale-raised broadcaster maintains a relationship with Eckford to this day. In fact, the ex–radio personality, who Forbes affection-ately dubs “the brother I never wanted,” is slated to host an upcoming web series produced by Forbes and The Real Housewives of Vancouver star Mary Zilba under the duo’s pet project, Lad-ypants Productions. The program’s name? Mari-juana Minute.

“Mary and I have been friends for a million years,” shares Forbes. “And, like a lot of peo-ple, we think we have incredible ideas when we have a couple of glasses of wine.”

Marijuana Minute, a collection of bite-size in-fotainment clips that outline, in Forbes’s words, “everything you wanted to know about marijua-

na but were too paranoid to ask,” is the second series from Ladypants to be picked up by US executives. The first, an online marijuana cook-ing show titled Baked: Cooking with Mary Jean, also involves BC bud, though Forbes reveals that her and Zilba have a more serious documentary and reality TV program — both free of pot — in the works.

“We don’t just do marijuana shows,” she stress-es with a laugh.

Besides, the affable producer has other interests, too: namely, her hometown of Vancouver, which she strives to support on- and off-screen. In addi-tion to sharing the stories of gifted and fascinat-ing Vancouverites — including Michael Bublé, who first appeared on Urban Rush at the ripe

“It’s important to appreciate people when they’re starting out and, when I find out

about them, it gets me excited.”

… it’s telling people’s stories. And that’s what really drives me.”

old age of 18 — Forbes makes an effort to give back to the community by volunteering with non-profit organizations such as Dress for Success Vancouver and the Pacific Autism Family Centre.

She’s also a champion of local, up-and-coming designers. Her favourites currently include Rimpy Sahota and Pyrrha, the latter of which is responsible for the talisman hanging loosely from her neck. The pendant catches the vanity’s light as Forbes’s hair is carefully curled into voluminous tendrils.

“I think it’s like anything when it comes to Vancouver: you never appreciate it until it makes it big somewhere else,” she says of the city’s talent. “But I think it’s important to appreciate people when they’re starting out and, when I find out about them, it gets me excited.”

Asked what her next move will be, Forbes doesn’t look too far ahead. She mentions David Letterman as another name on her dream interview list as well as a desire to eventually be lying somewhere sandy and warm. Following the cover shoot, howev-er, she’ll likely take Chewie for a stroll on Kitsilano beach, where she regularly goes to take five from her busy schedule. Then it’s back to showcasing the things that make Vancouver beautiful and brainstorm-ing cockamamie web series to develop.

“Being able to do what I do is pretty silly in the grand scheme of things,” she says. “I’m not saving lives; I get to meet really cool people and tell their stories all the time. No matter what format it’s in … it’s telling people’s stories. And that’s what re-ally drives me.” n

The Kerrisdale-raised broadcaster maintains a relationship with Eckford to this day. In fact, the ex–radio personality, who Forbes affection-ately dubs “the brother I never wanted,” is slated to host an upcoming web series produced by Forbes and The Real Housewives of Vancouver star Mary Zilba under the duo’s pet project, Lad-ypants Productions. The program’s name? Mari-juana Minute.

“Mary and I have been friends for a million years,” shares Forbes. “And, like a lot of peo-ple, we think we have incredible ideas when we have a couple of glasses of wine.”

Marijuana Minute, a collection of bite-size in-fotainment clips that outline, in Forbes’s words, “everything you wanted to know about marijua-

na but were too paranoid to ask,” is the second series from Ladypants to be picked up by US executives. The first, an online marijuana cook-ing show titled Baked: Cooking with Mary Jean, also involves BC bud, though Forbes reveals that her and Zilba have a more serious documentary and reality TV program — both free of pot — in the works.

“We don’t just do marijuana shows,” she stress-es with a laugh.

Besides, the affable producer has other interests, too: namely, her hometown of Vancouver, which she strives to support on- and off-screen. In addi-tion to sharing the stories of gifted and fascinat-ing Vancouverites — including Michael Bublé, who first appeared on Urban Rush at the ripe

“It’s important to appreciate people when they’re starting out and, when I find out

about them, it gets me excited.”

… it’s telling people’s stories. And that’s what really drives me.”