Vancouver has several excellent schools: The Dubrulle International Culinary & Hotel Institute of Canada, which also offers classes for the Serious Amateur; The Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, located on Granville Island; and Vancouver Community College, which offers an apprenticeship program.

If you really want to 'fast track' yourself, check out the Culinary Institute of America. There are two locations: one outside of New York City and one in the Napa Valley, California. They also offer classes for culinary professionals. Any graduate I've worked with from the CIA has been exceptional!

Les Dames d'Escoffier is a group of born and bred British Columbian chefs which offers scholarships for women exclusively in BC.