The reason for the party
The Passions gala is an annual philanthropic event held to raise funds directly for the Dr. Peter Centre, located at 1110 Comox Street in Vancouver’s West End. The Centre honors the legacy of Dr. Peter Jepson-Young, a local physician who brought widespread awareness and humanity to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the early 1990s through his weekly CBC television diaries. Today, the Centre provides stigma-free healthcare, supportive housing, and day health programs for individuals facing complex, intersecting barriers, including HIV/AIDS, mental illness, substance use disorders, and homelessness.
The annual Passions Gala specifically funds the Centre’s Food and Nutrition Program, which serves over 87,000 hot meals a year. Holding a culinary gala is a logical fit because food functions directly as a form of harm reduction within their care model. Proper, nutrient-dense nutrition stabilizes a patient's physical health, which is medically necessary for complex drug treatments to function effectively, while also building a foundation of trust between clients and clinical staff.
The format of the party
This is a premier philanthropic culinary gala located at Performance Works on Granville Island. The 22nd annual event took place on November 26, 2025, drawing a bustling but intimate crowd of a few hundred people, matching its reputation as Vancouver’s "best small gala." Instead of a traditional, rigid sit-down dinner, the event is structured as an upscale grazing market. The venue is filled with custom tasting stations, allowing guests to flow fluidly through the room and sample plates directly from the city's top culinary talent.
Who is there / guest list
The gala is open to the public through ticket sales, with general admission priced at $240 and VIP tickets at $300. The room brings together a distinct mix of Vancouver's dedicated philanthropists, serious foodies, and socialites. I attended the event with my parents. My dad has handled marketing and brand strategy for the Dr. Peter Centre for many years, so he has been attending and hyping this specific gala up for as long as I can remember. This was my first time attending, and we had VIP tickets, which granted us access to the exclusive VIP hour starting at 5:30 PM, an hour before general admission opened. Looking around the room, it was clear he didn't exaggerate how excellent the event is.
What people are wearing
The dress code for the evening is formal, making it a great excuse for everyone to suit up and dress to the nines. Our group ended up with a cohesive, winter-toned color palette. I wore an ankle-length forest green satin dress from Zara, my mom wore a matching forest green velvet blazer, and my dad wore a classic, tailored Armani suit.
What people are eating & drinking
The event featured a lineup of 26 different local restaurants, bars, and beverage purveyors, including spots like Chambar, L'Abattoir, and Anh and Chi. The early VIP hour featured exclusive stations anchored by four prominent local culinary figures: Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson (Published on Main), Chef Andrea Carlson (Burdock & Co), Chef Allen Ren (iDen & Quan Ju De), and Chanthy Yen (Touk).
While the caliber of the food across the entire room was exceptionally high, a few tables were our absolute favourites:
The Welcome Drink: Right at the entrance, VIP guests were served a crisp pink champagne. It was excellent and easily became the favorite drink of the night for both my mom and me.
The Fanny Bay Oyster Table: This station featured incredibly fresh oysters shucked perfectly on the spot, drawing a consistent line all evening.
The Peking Duck: Prepared by Chef Allen Ren’s team from iDen & Quan Ju De Beijing Duck House, the duck featured flawlessly crispy skin and tender, savory meat.
The Tuna Crudo: Served on rich, warm, buttered toasties. The contrast between the cold, clean fish and the heavy, decadent crunch of the bread made it the single best bite of the night.
The entertainment / activity
The layout featured a brilliant organizational detail right at the entrance. The exact second you walked through the doors into the main dining room, the organizers had a beautifully lit, professional photo area set up to take everyone's picture. For anyone who routinely forgets to document parties, this was a great decision because it caught guests while they still looked completely fresh. Nobody left without a high-quality keepsake, which earned the planning committee major brownie points.
The main program of the evening concluded with the formal live auction. The hosts did a fantastic job commanding the stage, balancing humor with a clear emphasis on the importance of the cause. They kept the room highly engaged and the bidding competitive across a luxury catalog of items and travel experiences. Between the ticket sales and the auction, the night successfully raised over $200,000 for the Centre's therapeutic food program.