Podcasts deliver diverse programming to community radio listeners

In the last decade, podcasting has redefined broadcasting for radio stations, producers, hosts and listeners alike. For community radio stations, which offer exceptionally diverse and niche programming, podcasts have become an essential part of making their content accessible for their equally diverse listeners. Commenting on listener demand trends are affiliates from local community stations: UBC’s…

A Place to Call Home: where you were born or where your heart is?

Adventure and revolutions are catalysts for new beginnings. With the upcoming 17th annual Metropolis conference on immigration and settlement, a few Canadians born in different countries – from such diverse regions as the Philippines to Iran and central Europe – share stories of overcoming barriers and finding belonging and acceptance. While the events for coming…

Francophone arts, culture and education expand to new audiences

The francophone community in British Columbia is growing, with roughly 70,000 people whose first language is French, almost 30,000 of whom live in Vancouver, according to the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique. With the Journée Internationale de la Francophonie (International Francophonie Day) coming up on the 20th, March is an important month to celebrate…

Who is a feminist today?

Over a hundred years ago, Clara Zetkin pushed for an annual international event where women could demand rights and freedoms from their governments. The 1970s saw feminism rise in full force with the Women’s Movement and the new millennium has brought a general sense of gender equality in society. Clearly, greater equality has been achieved,…

Families in an Age of Globalization

Vancouver is home to more than twice the average rate of mixed-race couples, with 8.5 per cent compared to the national average of 4 per cent according to Statistics Canada. Couples who have found their footing in Vancouver and are raising a family view the city as open and accepting, a comfortable place to bring…

Chinese language media tackle cultural sensitivities

When terrorists attacked the Paris satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo and killed 12 people earlier this month, it played out on the world’s stage. The extremists claimed their murders were to protest irreverent cartoons about the prophet Muhammad.  Like mainstream media, local Chinese news outlets took the opportunity to engage their audiences with editorials to…

Happy New Year all year round

Jan. 1 may officially be New Year’s Day, but not all Canadians celebrate the new year on the same date. Canadians from the Filipino, Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian and Tibetan communities greet the new year at different times and celebrate in different ways. Polka dots for prosperity “Preparations begin immediately after Christmas and New Year celebrations…

For the Record: Preserving our stories for future generations

From the Ukrainian and Gaza-Israeli conflicts and the terror attacks in Nigeria to the mass murders in Mexico and the protests against police impunity in the United States, 2014 has been an eventful year of political, social and cultural upheaval, whose consequences will no doubt reverberate for years to come. Should we remember 2014 as…

Cultural identity fuels volunteerism

Volunteerism builds healthy and flourishing communities through valuable exchanges and cooperative efforts.  A 2010 Statistics Canada study revealed that over 13 million Canadians collectively devoted about 2 billion hours of their time to volunteer work. Among the trends established, the strongest link discovered was between the number of hours individuals donated to causes, and their level of attachment…

Burnaby candidates seek to connect with all voters

In the 2011 Burnaby municipal elections, voter turnout was just 23 per cent, below the provincial average of 29 per cent, according to Civic Info BC. As local elections approach again on Nov. 15, Burnaby mayoral candidates are hoping to find the issues that will engage different cultural communities and counter low voter turnout. Candidate…

The search for Canada’s identity at Writers’ Festival

Canada’s story is far from being a fairy tale, and this year’s Vancouver Writers Fest allows authors like Arjun Basu and Richard Wagamese to express their views on Canada as a country and literary nation. These two writers not only hail from different parts of the country, they also hold distinct and definitive views on…

Urban development eroding cultural identity

Located in the Pacific Northwest, a coast characterized by natural and cultural diversity, Vancouver is regarded as one of the most beautiful places to live. In Aug. 2014, the Economist Intelligence Unit rated it as the third “most liveable city” in the world. “The ethno-cultural diversity here is undeniable,” says Nicholas Scott, sociology professor at…

Dive beneath the surface at VIFF

This year, the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) will present three documentaries that capture life as it happens in and around water. Yakona, Walking Underwater and Faith Connections all explore the histories, cultures and stories that surround one of life’s most precious resources. Yakona co-directors and photographers Paul Collins and Anlo Sepulveda’s personal relationship with…