Nú to the new year

Hello! Nú! Weyt-kp! Xaayda! As stated by Marianne Ignace, soon British Columbians will only be able to say one of these greetings and be understood. The other words are from Squamish, Secwepemc (Shuswap), and Haida languages, which are named as endangered in the UNESCO 2019 Year of Indigenous Languages observance. Here in BC, Ignace is…

Looking back… …Going forward

Another year has come and gone, and, as we always do, The Source Newspaper reached out to the myriad individuals living, visiting and working in Metro Vancouver to learn about their plans, ambitions, hopes and dreams. Throughout the year, we told the stories of environmentalists, designers, artists, storytellers and others, all with diverse backgrounds, experiences…

Newcomers to B.C.: towards a better integration

The Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies (AMSSA) has released an immigration strategy plan outlining a series of recommendations for the provincial, in contrast to the federal, government. With immigration policy largely falling under federal jurisdiction by default, the recommendations are directed at the provincial government with the hopes of leading to a more…

The other side of war

There are many images of women associated with the world wars: women knitting and sewing during the “Great War,” factory worker “Rosie the Riveter” in the early 1940s. Yet these images are of predominantly white women. Minority women, especially Chinese-Canadian and Aboriginal women, were also present throughout these cataclysmic world events, say Amy Shaw and…

Doctors take an eastern medical approach for eye diseases, eye strain

Two Lower Mainland eye doctors who have backgrounds in Chinese medicine say they are concerned with the increase in eye strain conditions and diseases they have seen in their patients due to excessive use of screens. Cheryl Wang has been practising 16 years in acupuncture, and six years in micro-acupuncture. Micro-acupuncture is a relatively new…

Writers Fest Finding home

  Vancouver’s yearly Writers Festival is known for its display of promising young talent who can transport their readers to far off places. Some places can be paradise, others… a war-torn country forcing its children to flee. Among those searching for a better life were Abu Bakr al Rabeeah and Javier Zamora. A co-author of…

VIFF brings refugees to the big screen

This year, the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) shines a light on refugees and migration. The worldwide crisis is portrayed by directors from all around the globe. Here is a look at three films presented at the festival. The 2018 edition of the festival runs Sept. 27 to Oct. 12. Central Airport THF Director Karim…

Fostering literacy, offering opportunity

  Literacy is a skill that opens the doors to opportunity for Canadians and increases their chances of success in the modern world. Organizations such as Decoda Literacy Solutions in Vancouver show their commitment to literacy and learning through their work in the community. Decoda Literacy Solutions was born on May 30, 2011 as a…

More than words

In the modern classroom, rote methods of learning have given way to more effective methods. When it comes to learning English as an Additional Language (EAL), two students at the University of British Columbia (UBC) demonstrate that, with creativity, there is more to gain than fluency in English. Natalia Balyasnikova and Harini Rajagopal are PhD…

A taste of local South American flavours

According to local restaurateurs, there is much more to Latin American food than tacos, even in Vancouver. Two Vancouver chefs elaborate on the flavours of Brazilian and Peruvian food. Eliane Trovo, owner of Boteco Brasil, a Brazilian restaurant in Vancouver, says that Brazilian food is exceedingly undervalued on the international food scene. “A lot of…

A summer in music

Daphne Roubini of Black Gardenia brings her band’s blend of London jazz and Americana to Granville Island’s Canada Day celebrations, while John Welsh & Los Valientes share their combination World Music and Reggae at the Surrey Fusion Festival, and Iskwé aims to deliver a fully experiential trip-hop performance at the Vancouver Folk Festival. Black Gardenia…

Sports, cultures and comradery

Mens Sana in Corpore Sano. The Roman poet Juvenal argued that “a healthy mind in a healthy body” is the basis of human happiness. Playing a sport brings not only the physical rewards of a healthier body, but also a wealth of mental benefits. This philosophy is shared by players, coaches and team organizers across…

Helping hands ease integration

“We’re here for support and to make a difference,” says Muna Amir, one of the members of the Surrey Immigrant Advisory Roundtable (IAR). The IAR was formed by the Surrey Local Immigration Partnership (LIP) Committee in 2014 so the voices of immigrants would be heard by the City of Surrey. It is made up of…