When Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) festival organizers planned for contingencies in the past, few had ever thought about the scenario of a global pandemic lasting months with no end in sight, but they are now learning to adapt – and hopefully thrive – in a drastically different environment. The upcoming festival, running from Sept.…

Lazy summer afternoons, supplies shopping, back to school jitters. In any given year, this is what the end of August looks like for parents and their school-aged children. But for parents of children with learning or physical disabilities or diverse learning needs, this is also a time of increased anxiety as they work with schools…

Some of B.C.’s psychotherapists and counsellors are reporting an uptick in client requests in the last two months as prolonged COVID-19 outbreaks and the lockdown are taking a toll on people’s mental health. “Initially people were cutting down on therapy by focusing on their primary needs. However, as time went on, anxiety about COVID started…

In a country with continental dimensions like Brazil, each region has its own cuisine and typical dishes. Local business owners Cassia Ribeiro from Brazilian bakery and catering service Gimme Coxinhas and Carolline Cunha from WhataFood are bringing those flavours to the Metro Vancouver area. The South region is famous for its barbecues and dishes derived…

“On Canada Day we’re going to have to be physically distanced this year,” says Matthew Hayday, history professor at the University of Guelph. But considering the vastness of Canada even before the current COVID pandemic, “in a way we’re always experiencing a level of physical distancing from most other Canadians,” he adds. “[But] frankly, Canada…

The 19th annual DOXA Documentary Film Festival will be held online this year from June 18–26 in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The annual DOXA is organized by the Documentary Media Society, a non-profit organization established in 1998. The festival has a screening and a programming committee to select and showcase the best documentaries…

  COVID-19 has shifted the nature of the world as we once knew it. The upcoming Climate Change Reset: Learning from the Global Pandemic event series hosted by Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Environment aims to facilitate a discussion on how emerging insights can be applied to climate change. The June 10 panel, the fourth…

  On the cusp of World Museum Day on May 18, museums are navigating digital space to find new ways of reaching the public during a pandemic. While many museums have had to close their doors due to the COVID-19 crisis, it does not mean that their services have stopped. Instead, many museums are continuing…

When thinking of viruses, particularly in the current context where COVID-19 is impacting lives in multiple ways, they are seen as spreaders of disease. However, Curtis Suttle, professor in environmental virology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), reveals another reality. “What we don’t recognize is that we couldn’t exist without them,” he says. “They…

The world is in a time of turmoil and many people are looking inward for peace and comfort. Reading poetry, during National Poetry Month and beyond, can satisfy the desire to travel outside of living rooms as well as discover some inner peace in an uncertain time. Sonja Grgar and Jeff Derksen are poets who…

‘Racial passing’ is used to describe when an individual is accepted as a member of an ethnic group other than their own. In today’s world, does anyone choose to ‘pass’ as another race? Does the term ‘racial passing’ still merit any use? Jeff Chiba Stearns, 41, co-founded Hapa-Palooza Art Festival in 2011 with the objective…

“How many of you are underestimated because of your appearance?” A sharp-looking weight loss instructor asked his audience in Heavy Craving, a debut feature film by Taiwanese director Pei-Ju Hsieh that explores fat-shaming, mainstream beauty standards and the social pressure to conform through the protagonist’s struggle to lose weight. It is perhaps a fitting question…

Get inspired and learn about the action-packed lives of adventurers and explorers by watching breathtaking presentations and listening to incredible stories. Explore the world of wildlife photographers, professional hikers, and wilderness explorers at the Vancouver Convention Centre’s Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show (Feb. 29–Mar. 1). Emmett Sparling, one of the guest speakers, is a professional…