International Women’s Day (March 8) is a time to recognize the contributions made by females all over the world, and one organization is working tirelessly to increase economic, social and political power for diverse women. Women Transforming Cities (WTC) is changing the civic landscape of Vancouver, hoping to create cities that reflect the women that…

Vancouver filmmaker Calixte Leblanc’s 40-minute film Will Power is showing at this year’s Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) from February 19 to 28. Part of VIMFF’s Climbing Show, it follows Red Bull athlete and ice climber Will Gadd as he travels to China in search of new ice routes in the Taihang Mountains. The…

Cofounder of the MIX New York LGBT Experimental Film and Video Festival, and co-director of the groundbreaking ACT UP Oral History Project, Sarah Schulman argues that when people are raised or otherwise made to feel superior, being asked to be self-critical causes them discomfort, and to see the challenge to this internalized sense of dominance…

It has been a few years since Canada signed the Paris Climate Agreement. Under the agreement, the country is supposed to reduce its emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 in comparison to 2005 levels. So far it is on track to miss the target. Last November, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally submitted draft legislation…

The global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that has swept the world has changed everything. With over one million worldwide deaths, ushering in the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression, and the resulting culture clashes between personal freedoms and public safety, it is safe to say 2020 has been an earth-shattering year of political, economic…

A few years ago, the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability showed that about 6.2 million individuals – or 22 per cent of the Canadian population aged 15 years and over – had one or more disabilities. Similarly, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2011 World Report on Disability revealed that one billion people – or 15%…

On Nov. 19, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will celebrate World Philosophy Day by inviting communities to unmask social dogmas and prejudices, and discover the universality of the human condition. An invitation to read and know philosophy can be the first step in understanding how political and social structures can help…

More than 200 different languages are spoken in Canada in addition to English and French, yet the linguistic and cultural diversity of immigrants, refugees, international students, Indigenous peoples, and other minority groups has often been ignored in our mainstream school systems. Languages Without Borders, the biannual national professional development conference for second language educators, features…

The upcoming Narrative Architecture: How Storytelling Builds Worlds event hosted by the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Green College on Oct. 22 aims to facilitate an interdisciplinary conversation on how narratives create our world in different contexts. Julen Etxabe, Canada Research Chair in Jurisprudence and Human Rights and an assistant professor at the Peter A.…

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…