Heritage buildings of Gastown: The Dominion Building

This time, the focus of this column is on a building situated in the heart of the city’s financial district, across from Victory Square: The Dominion Building, previously named the Imperial Trust Building. The Dominion can be easily spotted from anywhere in Gastown or the area around it due to its unique architecture and style.…

Heritage buildings of Gastown: Hotel Europe

Gastown, a Vancouver neighbourhood beloved by many for the restaurants, bars and pubs. But to connoisseurs of history, Gastown stands out as the foundation stone of the city. Everything here is dipped in heritage: the cobbled roads, the lamps that light up its nightlife and the buildings. For this series of articles, the focus will…

Vancouver: hand in hand with nature

Join Canada’s foremost experts in a panel discussing Vancouver’s West Coast Modern architecture and city-building with nature in Thinking Forward: Building With Nature. The upcoming discussion features Vancouver-based architect James Cheng and will be held Nov. 27 at the Vancouver Central Library. Due to exploding city populations, the art of city-building has taken on unprecedented…

Beyond noodles and spices: An Interview with Meeru Dhalwala

Vancouver owes its glowing reputation as a diverse city in part to its varied cuisines. However, what do we really mean when we talk about a global cuisine? Meeru Dhalwala, chef, author and co-owner of Indian restaurant Vij’s in Vancouver, talks about what the future of a cuisine away from home might be like. Simon…

Empathy trumps conflict

Conflict and confrontation can be a daily occurrence in everyday life. They can be incited by a difference of opinion, religious belief, social conduct or even parking disputes. Though these disconcerting moments can be frequent, many people are not properly equipped to navigate or deal with these uncomfortable moments. Kimberly Jackson Davidson is the director…

Including all of Vancouver

In Alden Habacon’s view, diversity is a fact of Canadian work. Most workplaces in Canada will include people who bear dissimilar appearances, backgrounds, and beliefs. Yet inclusion – ensuring that every member of a workplace team feels welcomed and valued – is a goal that bears its own challenges. “It’s an aspect of Canada that’s non-negotiable. But,…

P.E. Moskowitz: The ‘plastic straws’ of gentrification

New Orleans-based author and journalist P.E. Moskowitz (who identifies as queer) has written for The New Yorker, Slate, and the New York Times. They will speak about their research surrounding the topics of both free speech and gentrification on Oct. 19 at Christ Church Cathedral. Moskowitz’s new book, How to Kill a City: Gentrification, Inequality, and…

(Em)Powering up for winter

As winter looms ahead again, people bring forth woollens and knits. However, what precautionary measures are they taking for their houses? Deborah Wong, communications coordinator of the Empower Me program, talks about saving energy, money and the environment over the winter through simple tips that help make homes more energy efficient. Weathering the move Immigration…

Being Punjabi: Exhibition shares inclusive stories of struggle and success

A celebration of Surrey’s dynamic cultural diversity and an interactive demonstration of resilience and success, Being Punjabi: Unfolding the Surrey Story will be on display at the Museum of Surrey from Oct. 2, 2019 to Feb. 23, 2020. As the Museum of Surrey’s first community curated exhibition, Being Punjabi: Unfolding the Surrey Story strives to connect people and communities through…

An investigation into local herbal delights

Anastasiia Dushyna, botanical pharmacology specialist talks about healing herbs at Medicinal Plants Series: Culinary uses and knowledge at Burnaby Public Library on Sept. 30, and Urban Homesteading Series: Cosmetic Herbs at North Vancouver City Library on Sept. 25. Inspired by her endocrinologist and ethnobotanist grandmother, Dushyna cultivated a career in botanical pharmacology, drawing on her medical education and a…

Practicing everyday philosophy

Valerie Malla will be moderating Culturalism versus racism: What is the difference between them? How is our DNA connected to these concepts? at the Surrey Central Branch Library on Sept.11 as well as Racialized propaganda: how has this strategy affected modern times? What will it take to get past our radicalized underpinnings? at the Anvil…

Promoting children’s safety through artificial intelligence

Envision a safe space where you are able to play a game with your peers, controlled by each of the participants’ emotions. Students at Simon Fraser University (SFU) have developed a futuristic design concept for an interactive and artificial intelligence (AI) driven holotent designed to support the development of empathy in children. The EmotoTent generates…

A look at the Jewish pioneers in Vancouver

There is much history to be found in Vancouver, and this is no less pertinent in the case of the city’s Jewish community and its resilient pioneers. Michael Schwartz, director of community engagement at the Jewish Museum will be conducting walking tours of Vancouver’s Jewish landmarks on July 14 and August 25. He explains that…