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Hundreds of international authors and book lovers will be celebrating the 30th birthday of the Vancouver Writers Fest, this year again hosted on Granville Island from October 16–22. Jónína Kirton, David Chariandy and Ayelet Tsabari are three Canadian writers who will present their literary works throughout Granville Island’s many venues. A common thread through most…
This year’s Vancouver International Film Festival features several documentaries that touch on subjects such as family relations, self-expression and preserving culture. Here are three directors The Source spoke with about their films. Shut Up and Say Something As an admirer of spoken word artist Shane Koyczan’s work, director Melanie Wood was happy to work on…
Language barriers and social isolation are among several factors newcomers may experience as they settle in their new environment. Local libraries have developed programs tailored to those needs, such as language clubs and referral services. Libraries in Surrey, Burnaby and Coquitlam offer outreach programs such as interactive ESL and volunteer programs to help them navigate…
Benjamin Franklin once said that ‘an investment in knowledge pays the best interest,’ and many studies show that higher education levels generally lead to higher incomes. But how much must be spent, in both time and money, before skills and training pay dividends? For new Canadians, the investment could be costly. Investing in knowledge “Recertification…
The Scandinavian Community Centre’s annual feast is approaching and Carina Spencer, the Centre’s president, shares a few memories of childhood fare. Spencer, who first came to Canada as a visitor from Sweden in 1996, moved to Vancouver after marrying her Canadian husband. Although her family is what she misses the most from home, Swedish food…
From jazz to cosplay, young artists and students add their own sense of creativity to the Lower Mainland’s summer festivals. Reinforcing the region’s cultural diversity, artists such as Jory Kinjo and Kaya Kurz will play at the Surrey Fusion Festival and the Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival respectively, while a team of UBC Masters of…
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), a world-wide record of 65.3 million people are currently displaced from their homes by wars, persecution, violence or poverty. To shine a light on this urgent problem, the UNHCR will observe the World Refugee Day on June 20 for the 16th time since its founding. Last year, Canada…
In December 2016, Stats Canada published Perspectives on the Youth Labour Market in Canada, a report comparing current labour statistics to those in the 1970s for young Canadians aged 15 to 24. It found that while youth unemployment levels are similar, job quality appears to have deteriorated for many young people. How can today’s youth,…
2017 is not just a special anniversary for Canada as a nation, but also for the Chinese Canadian community. While it is the 150th birthday for Canada, it is also the 70th anniversary of Chinese Canadians being granted full citizenship and the right to vote. To acknowledge this milestone, and to celebrate the history of…
The second annual Consumer Virtual Reality Conference will show off the latest technology, but the use won’t be applicable in everyday life yet. The CVR will be coming to the Vancouver Convention Centre from May 5–7. It will have demonstrations from Secret Location, Cloudhead Games, Ydreams, Serious Simulations and many others. People who are dissatisfied…
The art of poetry goes beyond the typical rhyming scheme taught in school and extends to using poetry as a platform to speak out against injustice, create mindful haiku, and project powerful spoken word, all forms practiced by local poets that will be highlighted during National Poetry Month. The celebration, which began in 1996 in…
Autism organizations across the world will celebrate World Autism Awareness Day April 2 with special fundraising events. Autism is now the fastest growing and most commonly diagnosed neurological disorder in Canada. According to Autism Speaks Canada, one in 68 children are currently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. In British Columbia, one in 61 children have…
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed every year on March 21. On that day in 1960, police officers shot and killed 69 protesters in Sharpeville, South Africa. The group was protesting past laws that would further fuel the discrimination and segregation already present during Apartheid. These laws would limit the…
