This recipe has no meat, no dairy and no regrets, only cozy BBQ vibes, melty goodness and big flavor.

Ingredients:

1 can young jackfruit in brine (not syrup), drained and shredded

½ cup BBQ sauce (your fave, ideally low sugar)

½ cup dairy-free cream cheese

½ cup unsweetened plain dairy-free yogurt or sour cream

¼ cup nutritional yeast (adds that cheesy flavor)

½ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: a handful of chopped green onions or cilantro on top

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Sauté the shredded jackfruit in a pan with a little oil until it starts to brown. Add BBQ sauce and cook down for 5–7 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the cream cheese, yogurt, nutritional yeast and seasonings. Fold in the BBQ jackfruit.

Spread into a baking dish and bake for 20–25 minutes until bubbly and slightly golden on top.

Make it ahead: This dip reheats like a dream. Just bake it at the party or pop it in the microwave in your friend’s kitchen.

Top with green onions or cilantro, if you want, and serve warm with tortilla chips, celery sticks or grilled bread.

Fresh flowers can lift a space instantly, especially during summer when blooms are at their peak.

Sunflowers bring warmth and energy, thrive in natural light and last up to a week.

Zinnias and dahlias are heat-loving showstoppers that add vibrant color and structure to any room.

Lavender or eucalyptus bundles are low maintenance, are fragrant, dry beautifully and stay fresh for weeks.

And if you want an effortlessly elegant vibe, then hydrangeas are classic, but keep them hydrated because they’re thirsty.

Canadian employment was virtually unchanged from the previous month, gaining 8,800 jobs to 20.978 million in May. The employment rate remained unchanged at 60.8 per cent, while the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 points to 7.0 per cent. Average hourly wages rose 3.4 per cent year-over-year to $36.14 last month, while total hours worked were up 0.9 per cent compared to May of the previous year.

Employment in B.C. rose by 0.4 per cent to 2.963 million, gaining 13,000 jobs in May. Employment in Metro Vancouver rose 0.9 per cent to 1.715 million in May. The unemployment rate in B.C. increased by 0.2 points to 6.4 per cent in May. Meanwhile, Vancouver's unemployment rate rose by 0.3 points to 6.6 per cent in the fifth month of the year.

May's jobs report echoes many of the same trends from the previous month, characterized by minimal job creation coupled with further upticks in the unemployment rate in B.C. and Canada. Overall, the Canadian labour market continues to stabilize at relatively weak levels, with the national unemployment rate reaching 7.0 per cent for the first time since September 2021. Following their decision to hold this week, this report favours a 25-point cut from the Bank of Canada during their next meeting in July to stimulate the labour market and broader economy amidst broader global uncertainties.For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

Everyone knows that meditation can reduce stress. But researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital say it directly affects the function and structure of the brain. It increases attention span, sharpens focus, and improves memory.

With the aid of advanced brain scanning technology, one study showed that daily meditation thickens the parts of the brain's cerebral cortex responsible for decision-making, attention, and memory.

With practice, you can develop a state called mindfulness, which is being aware of what's going on as it arises without jumping to conclusions, judgments, hopes, fears, or plans.

Meditation also improves productivity and reduces absenteeism at work, probably because it helps prevent stress-related illness. 

Meditation seems to aid with emotional regulation, which helps people get along better. It acts on emotional intelligence, which neuroscientists say is more important for life success than cognitive intelligence.

The Bank of Canada held its overnight policy rate a 2.75 per cent this morning.  In the statement accompanying the decision, the Bank noted US trade policy continues to create uncertainty in the global economy and that uncertainty is likely to slow economic growth in coming quarters. On inflation, the Bank cited stronger than expected inflation in April and survey data showing household inflation expectations rising due to tariffs as concerning trends in the evolution of inflationary pressures.

While we know with a high degree of certainty that trade wars are stagflationary – they slow growth, and raise prices - what we don't know yet is how severe a trade war may be or even if it will end up materializing at all. The immediate impact of that uncertainty is paralysis in decision making, both at the macro level of businesses looking to hire and invest and at the micro level of households thinking of buying or selling a home. Indeed, we are already seeing the impact of uncertainty in a slower labour market and slumping home sales.  Unfortunately, we are also seeing a pick-up in underlying inflation, with core measures of inflation registering above 3% on a 3-month annualized basis in recent months.  That combination of slowing growth and rising inflation puts the Bank in a very difficult position. That said, given rising unemployment and risk of a wider downturn, we believe that the Bank of Canada will, lower its policy rate at least one more time this year, likely at its next meeting July. 

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.

As summer stretches out with its long days and golden evenings, the season gently invites us to slow down. During these quieter moments — the clink of ice in a glass, a passing smile from a neighbor, the hush of a sunset — is when I’m reminded of the beauty in the ordinary.

Lately, I’ve realized that progress often comes not in bold strides but in steady, quiet steps. This season has been teaching me that it’s perfectly okay not to have everything mapped out. Each day offers its own chance to move forward, to learn something new or simply to breathe.

And more than ever, I’m noticing that staying connected is essential. Whether a quick check-in, a kind word or just being present, these simple gestures hold a quiet power. They remind us that we’re not alone in figuring things out and that all of us are navigating life one moment at a time.

There’s no big message here; just a gentle thought: Sometimes the most-meaningful progress occurs when we pause, appreciate where we are and take that next step with intention.

Wishing you calm moments and meaningful connections this summer.

With gratitude,

Gino Pezzani

June is here — longer days, warmer nights and a good excuse to fire up the grill. (Thanks, Dad.)

It’s also when we tip our hats to the father figures who’ve taught us everything from changing a tire to changing our perspective. Their classic one-liners and quiet life lessons stick with us, sometimes more than we care to admit.

This month, let’s celebrate the wisdom, the wit and the welltimed dad jokes that helped shape who we are.

Here’s to the guys who taught us how to do the hard stuff — and laugh along the way. And if you haven’t called him lately, then this is your sign.

To view the full interactive BCREA Commercial Leading Indicator, click here.
To view the full Commercial Leading Indicator PDF, click here.

The BCREA Commercial Leading Indicator (CLI) rose 2 points to 152.6 in the first quarter of 2025, while the six-month moving average rose to 151.1. Compared to the same quarter in 2024, the index was up 3.3 per cent. 

First Quarter Highlights

• The economic activity index rose in Q1 by 0.5 points. Growth in this index was driven by increased inflation-adjusted retail trade (0.2 per cent) and wholesale trade (0.4 per cent), which offset a small decline in manufacturing sales.

• The overall employment component increased by 1.3 points in the first quarter. Broad-based growth across office employment (0.6 per cent) and manufacturing employment (0.7 per cent) suggests a healthy level of job creation across many sectors to begin the year.

• The financial component of the index increased in the first quarter by 0.1 points. Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) prices rose by 0.6 per cent, slightly pushing the component up. Additionally, interest rate spreads saw modest decreases from the previous quarter, indicating slightly less perceived short-term risk in the economy (this data reflects pre-tariff conditions).

Canadian real GDP rose by 0.1 per cent in March, after declining by 0.2 per cent in February. Goods-producing sectors rose 0.2 per cent, while service-producing industries increased by 0.1 per cent. Sectoral growth was led by mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (2.2 per cent), construction (0.5 per cent), and retail trade (0.8 per cent). Output for the offices of real-estate agents and brokers fell by 4.5 per cent month-over-month. Preliminary estimates suggest that real GDP by industry increased by 0.1 per cent in April.

Real GDP increased by 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, registering an annualized growth rate of 2.2 per cent. Growth in household spending slowed from the previous quarter to 0.3 per cent, leading to a 0.1 per cent uptick in per capita household expenditures. Growth was driven by increased trade, with exports of goods and services (1.6 per cent) outpacing imports (1.1 per cent). Investment into both residential and non-residential structures declined by 2.8 and 1.6 per cent in the first quarter, respectively. Meanwhile, investment in machinery and equipment increased by 5.3 per cent in the first quarter.  The household savings rate fell from 6.0 per cent to 5.7 per cent in the first quarter, as disposable income growth was outpaced by nominal household expenditures, while investment income declined. On a per capita basis, GDP rose 0.4 per cent in Q1 after increasing by 0.1 per cent in the previous quarter.

Tariff-avoidant behaviour from Canadian households, businesses, and our trading partners alike propelled Canada's GDP growth in the first quarter above the Bank of Canada's most recent projection. Growth in the first quarter was largely driven by rising exports, as US firms and households purchased goods ahead of tariff implementation. As central bankers continue to worry about the economic damage caused by volatile trade policy, this report could influence the Bank of Canada towards a hold during their next meeting to curb the inflationary risks of tariffs. Moving forward, the Bank of Canada will be closely watching second-quarter data for signs of a weakening economy and broader price pressures due to current tariffs and the uncertainty over future trade policy.

For more information regarding British Columbia's GDP growth, please visit our Nowcast for an estimate of economic activity throughout the province:

DRAFT: BCREA Nowcast for March and April Prelim by Economics - Infogram

https://mailchi.mp/bcrea/canadian-economic-growth-real-gdp-q1-2025

For more information, please contact: Gino Pezzani.