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Although social distancing measures are beginning to ease, too many restrictions are still in place to allow celebrations for Shavuot to take place at syniguages (synagogues). “One of the main reasons behind the festival: we celebrate the receiving of Torah from God to Moses on Mount Sinai,” says Rabbi Carey Brown from Temple Sholom in…
A charity for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and a 3D Printing company seem like an unexpected partnership, but during this pandemic they have come together to tackle community-based issues. Tinkerine Studios, a technology and design company, is working on a surprising new project with The Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility, a charitable organization…
The Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall (VJLS-JH) has the unique distinction of being the only example of confiscated property, including cars, boats, homes, and businesses, that was returned to the Japanese Canadian community at the end of the Internment period during and after World War II. As one of the only physical links…
Each year on May 9, Armenians from Vancouver and around the world will be recognizing Victory and Peace Day, celebrating the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in the Second World War. “It’s a celebration of happiness,” says Serge Maranjyan, owner of Lamajoun, an Armenian bakery/cafe in Richmond which he runs with his family. “People are…
Melody Lim, this year’s winner of Coast Capital Savings Venture Prize, was inspired by a local candle maker in Milos, Greece, in 2016. At a small local store, she “fell in love with the process of candle-making.” “It was in Milos where I conceptualized Mala,” she recalls. The experience led her to found Mala the…
The COVID-19 outbreak has brought changes to people’s lives in an unprecedented way, all over the world. Travel restrictions, stagnant commerce and overloaded hospitals have not been the world norm for generations. One of the first measures adopted by governments worldwide to fight the spread of the virus was the reduction in international air travel.…
The online Language Sciences flash talks at the University of British Columbia features the diverse research done on language sciences by several leading members of the UBC faculty. Everyone is welcome to attend the May 19, 1 p.m. presentations. “The event features three Language Sciences members, from different research themes, who will each give a…
With no plans in place for a 2020 BC Buddhist Festival, Vesak celebrations – the annual holiday of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death – may have to take place from home this year to adapt to the measures in place to deal with COVID-19. The BC Buddhist Festival usually draws large turnouts for the celebration…
When Vancouver’s Mayor Gregor Robertson and the city council headed off to Chinatown on April 22, 2018 to deliver a formal apology to the Chinese Canadian community for Vancouver’s history of exclusionary laws and legalized racism, it left a legacy. The apology itself was symbolic as Vancouver’s leaders left their seat of power at city…
Chilean-Canadian bilingual writer Carmen Rodríguez has been nominated for the YWCA Women of Distinction Award this year under the Arts, Culture & Design division for her trailblazing work in the field of literature. Rodríguez spent her early childhood in both the southern Chilean city of Valdivia where she was born in 1948 and in the…
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been a watershed event for the world. It has brought drastic changes to all aspects of people’s lives, some temporary, some permanent. A new study, launched by UBC health psychologists Anita DeLongis and Nancy Sin, aims to provide some insights on the impacts of COVID-19 on people’s mental and physical…
The United Nations celebrates one of its six official languages, Chinese, on April 20th. Chinese Language Day marks the contribution of the Chinese language and culture to world culture. Jia Fei, PhD, a senior lecturer teaching Chinese language and culture at Simon Fraser University (SFU) feels that the Chinese language is special and she hopes…
As nearly everybody in the country adjusts to social distancing, and isolation continues to interfere with careers, relationships and spiritual communities, newer Canadians and non-citizens face an extra layer of challenges. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, those arriving in Canada are under mandatory 14-day quarantine, private gatherings are under heavy restrictions, and borders have…
