Newcomer accessibility program

Last October, MOSAIC launched the Accessibility for Newcomers Program, an innovative new program that will enhance accessibility for immigrants, refugees and newcomers in the Lower Mainland. Funded by the City of Vancouver in accordance with their new Accessibility Strategy, the innovative program will connect newcomers with disabilities to employment and disability support services while working…

Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Bias, and Ethics

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly touching every facet of our society, including transportation, the stock market, dating, and health care (where I focus my work). As AI makes its way into medical devices, hospital readmission algorithms, iPhone apps that scan moles to determine if you should see a dermatologist, etc., the public is being increasingly…

International day of persons with disabilities

People with disabilities – one billion people – are one of the most excluded groups in society. Annually, on Dec. 3, Vancouver joins cities around the world to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This year’s theme, Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world, continues…

The appointment of senator Dr. Margo Greenwood

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the Governor General appointed Dr. Margo Greenwood as an independent senator to fill a vacancy for British Columbia. Dr. Greenwood is an internationally recognized and highly respected Indigenous scholar of Cree ancestry. She is a researcher and author with over 30 years of experience in health fields.…

UBC researcher to study young adults who live with their parents

Young adults in Canada are less likely to own a home and more likely to live with their parents than they were a decade ago, according to recently released census data.But statistics only tell one part of the story. Umay Kader (she/her), a PhD candidate in sociology at UBC, wants to understand the other part.…

The Charming Taste of European… Cinema !

The EU-funded promotional campaign “The Charming Taste of Europe” once again sponsors the European Film Festival in Canada. In an effort to support its initiatives, “The Charming Taste of Europe” is a major sponsor of the European Film Festival in Canada. EUFF draws the best films from the European Union to Canada, engaging 27 Consulates…

Day of the Dead

Time to commune with the dead. Across the world, festivals are celebrated throughout the year to honour those who are no longer living. On Nov. 1, join in the Día de los Muertos celebrations offered at the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) and Latincouver. Seasonal celebrations can be jovial, spiritual, or, at times, sinister. Here is…

Recent data on official languages and mother tongues

Statistics Canada has recently released a fourth set of 2021 Census results on mother tongue, languages spoken at home and languages known by Canadians. Their findings revealed that English and French remain by far the most commonly spoken languages in Canada. More than nine in 10 Canadians speak one of the two official languages at…

How climate change is impacting older women

Older women can come to the table to tackle inclusive climate change solutions. Recent heat waves around the world are reminders of global warming and its detrimental impact on our health and well-being. At the same time, Canada is on track to become a super-aged society with older adults constituting 20 per cent of the…

Investing in Indigenous youth and forests

Canada’s Forest Trust (CFT) and Outland Youth Employment Program (OYEP), part of Dexterra Community Initiatives (DCI), have drawn up a partnership in order to build powerful relationships with Indigenous communities and youth in Canada. Through this partnership, CFT and OYEP will collaborate on their shared goals of supporting Indigenous youth through engagement, leadership opportunities and…

Orange Shirt Day – a look back

For several years now, Orange Shirt Day and its call for justice, ‘Every Child Matters’ has been commemorated by Canadians to honour Indian Residential School survivors, the children who never made it back home, their families and the broader Indigenous community who still bear the scars from a legacy of harm. The Truth and Reconciliation…

Global citizenship and its Canadian award

“Adrienne Clarkson asked me to create the medal for the Prize for Global Citizenship. I had the idea of bringing together the world of creation with that of the great mythological winged deities. Sedna is the Inuit goddess from whom all creatures of the sea spring. Atalanta, Nike, Lilith and the winged bearers of souls…