Turning the corner into March and the promise of spring, with the flowers coming up, warmer temperatures and more hours of daylight, another holiday approaches. March 21 is the Afghan New Year, or Nowruz, a holiday celebrated in countries across the Middle East and all the way to India. The holiday has a theme of…

The theme for Black History Month 2023 is a reminder that Black people have valuable stories to share. These stories are an integral part of our history. Many stories go unheard or unnoticed, so this theme feels especially important to highlight the stories of Black people in Canada. At every single Black History Month event…

World Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual event observed during the first week of February (February 1–7) after General Assembly designation in 2010. Recognizing the imperative need for dialogue among different faiths and religions to enhance mutual understanding, harmony and cooperation among people, the General Assembly encourages all States to spread the message of interfaith…

Will the rabbit bring in a tamer year? Associated with peace, longevity and prosperity across Asia, the rabbit is a symbol of hope. The Lunar New Year has been celebrated at the time of the new moon since 104 BC, during the Han dynasty, when a date on the traditional Chinese calendar was chosen to…

At the LEVEL Youth Policy Program, youth learnto shape policy on issues that matter to them What does it look like to level the playing field when addressing racial inequity? For the LEVEL Youth Policy Program, it means investing in the leadership and capacity of Indigenous and racialized migrant and refugee youth to give them…

Statistics Canada has recently released a fourth set of 2021 Census results on mother tongue, languages spoken at home and languages known by Canadians. Their findings revealed that English and French remain by far the most commonly spoken languages in Canada. More than nine in 10 Canadians speak one of the two official languages at…

For several years now, Orange Shirt Day and its call for justice, ‘Every Child Matters’ has been commemorated by Canadians to honour Indian Residential School survivors, the children who never made it back home, their families and the broader Indigenous community who still bear the scars from a legacy of harm. The Truth and Reconciliation…

Developed by the Vanier Institute of the Family through consultation with academic and government policy partners, the Family Diversities Framework is a roadmap for understanding family diversity. Based on three intersecting lenses – of Family Structure, Family Work, and Family Identity – the framework provides a focal point for discussion, knowledge creation, and decision-making to…

North Vancouver’s Presentation House Theatre will host Nchem?u?s Day, an afternoon to celebrate Indigenous culture with food, music, shows and indoor and outdoor activities on the grounds of the theatre. Nchem?u?s Day, happening on Aug. 25, is open to people of all backgrounds, although some activities may be more suited for adults. To Keith “Bubbas”…

Greek Heritage Month is back in full swing this year with a street festival, an art showcase, and live comedy. The June-long program (from Jun. 3-26) celebrates traditional Greek art, culture, food, and history, bringing together the Hellenic diaspora with diverse audiences from across the Lower Mainland. “Since they first settled in Vancouver more than…

Even though Reconciliation can be a daunting and confounding subject, Port Coquitlam’s Riverside Secondary School’s art department decided to engage with it after hearing about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. The school asked students to work collaboratively on one call to action, and to come up with one way that they as…