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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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
If all the world’s a stage, a number of theatre and arts groups in Vancouver want to see their diverse cultural stories under the spotlight. The Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (VACT), the Firehall Arts Centre and Full Circle are three Vancouver theatre organizations that seek to engage audiences through honest and creative stories, ones that…
Allan Bloom said “Education is the movement from darkness to light,” and this quotation cannot be truer than for Aboriginal students in Canada. The Aboriginal community struggles with lower university enrollment rates, higher dropout rates and fewer programs that directly incorporate Aboriginal culture and teaching mechanisms. However, Simon Fraser University (SFU) has created a pair…
Canada has a vibrant comedy scene whose face, both nationally and here in Vancouver, is changing to include an increasing number of comedians from minority communities: …
As Vancouverites cheer about the warmer weather and longer days, many are also excited about another summer tradition: BBQ. It may surprise you that it’s not just hotdogs and hamburgers.
