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Helen Wong has found a way to blend community advocacy with greater environmental understanding. The environmental science student at Simon Fraser University (SFU) brought in over 20 volunteers to aid her undergraduate thesis project, which looks to learn more about the impact and extent of microplastics on Vancouver’s coasts. After winning a $1500 Ocean Actions…
What does it mean to be a woman leader today? That is one of the questions that DIVERSEcity Community Resources will explore at the Women’s Leadership Forum organized in partnership with local women’s advancement charity Minerva BC. For the second year in a row, the now sold-out event will gather “emerging and established” women leaders…
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17 annually, and every year people dress up in green and come together to join in this celebration associated with music, dancing and food. But for the Irish community in British Columbia’s Okanagan region, the celebration is much more than a mere party. It is tradition. “[It was]…
For over 50 years, the Vancouver Finlandia Club (VFC) has been an important point of cultural connection for the Finnish community in the Lower Mainland. Based out of the Scandinavian Community Centre in Burnaby, the VFC hosts year-round activities to bring the community together and celebrate Finland and Scandinavian culture. They also offer Finnish language…
The third and final piece in a series about art and disability in Metro Vancouver. Artist Deidre Blackmore opened a studio 23 years ago with the hope of giving artists with disabilities an opportunity to pursue their passion. Now operating out of a ground-floor studio in New Westminster, the PotteryWorks program, supported by the B.C.-based…
As a B.C. and Lower Mainland-based organization that has been providing Canadian newcomer-immigrants with settlement services for 45+ years, MOSAIC has had a long and storied history. Yet, the organization is still venturing to shuffle government priorities for improved support regarding immigrant welfare. On Nov. 17 2023, MOSAIC CEO Olga Stachova spoke to the House of Commons…
What started with two musicians looking to find a way back into music after suffering sports-related injuries, has become a foundation through which artists of all abilities are encouraged to create music. The Vancouver Adapted Music Society is a space where adaptive technology is used to give those living with disabilities the opportunity to learn,…
It’s important to clarify the real purpose of SOGI is to protect children, says Travers, a professor of Sociology at Simon Fraser University. SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) resources provide information with the intention of teaching children inclusivity. “Our goal is to keep children safe from sexual violence and sexual harm, and not talking…
Every February, people across Canada and the U.S. celebrate Black History Month to honour and uplift the legacies of Black communities. This year, advocacy groups, like Hogan’s Alley Society (HAS) and University of British Columbia’s Black Student Union (BSU), are not only highlighting Black voices, but also Vancouver’s history of anti-Black racism. Hogan’s Alley, from…
Sounds are all around us, from conversation to music to the noises of everyday life. Critically thinking about sounds and going beyond our conventional perceptions could help us better understand experiences different from our own and spark healing and creativity within and between communities. One such community is the Filipinx diaspora, whom the media, academia…
Part 1 in a series highlighting the intersection between disability and arts in Metro Vancouver. For almost four decades, Theatre Terrific has been pioneering inclusivity through performance art. Through classes, workshops and productions, the Vancouver-based theatre group leads an inclusive approach to theatre performance, not just for its audiences, but for performers with a range…
As the world considers what role mineral extraction will play in climate adaptations and a decarbonized future, deep sea mining (DSM) has caught the attention of private companies and many low-income countries as a source of critical resources and potential profit. However, ocean scientists, including Rashid Sumaila, a UBC-based lead author of a new report,…
SFU scholar Nawal Musleh-Motut wants to “will the impossible,” and she’s hoping her recently published academic book, Connecting the Holocaust and Nakba Through Photograph-based Storytelling can help make it a reality. The SFU fellow in Social Justice and Decolonization borrows the phrase from late Palestinian-American scholar Edward Said, referring to the bridging what often feels…
