On a sunny evening in late August, about 60 people are gathered in Karen Reed’s East Vancouver backyard. They sit in chairs – around tables on the patio and on the grass in tight circles – and stand near the open…
Welcome the Stranger: Refugees Becoming Neighbours. That was the theme of a gathering October 26 at Olivet Church in New Westminster: “An interactive evening of stories from Canadians who have welcomed individuals who have lived the refugee journey.” A perfect complement…
The Walk for Reconciliation this Sunday (September 24) will overlap with many church services, but there will still be lots of church-goers in attendance. Many will skip their normal services, but some churches, especially around the downtown core, are fitting the…
We have just entered the fall season, so we have also entered the Alpha season – dozens of local churches, probably more, are beginning Alpha Courses this month. The appeal of Alpha endures. Nicky Gumbel seems ageless, and is still at…
Peter Biggs of The Light Magazine is researching one Metro Vancouver / Fraser Valley municipality each month, and producing a four page feature. The September issue features Surrey. The Semiahmoo, Katzie and Kwantlen First Nations People have lived in the region for thousands…
Karen Giesbrecht coordinates several community meals at churches around Vancouver. Some of the participants struggle with addictions, and she is concerned with the implications of easier access to marijuana promised by all levels of government. On a recent Monday evening,I…
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is celebrating its 40th anniversary this summer by bringing in a very strong line-up of musicians, including the likes of Billy Bragg, Joe Henry, Shawn Colvin and Jim Kweskin. Some of our best local musicians…
These are exciting times for the A Rocha community in south Surrey. At their recent Barn Raiser gala, president Markku Kostamo announced that A Rocha is launching a $10.5 million fundraising campaign – and that they have already reached the $6.4 million mark. Kostamo…
It seems ironic, to me at least, that the last time I was at Jacob’s Well, long-time activist Jean Swanson was making an impassioned presentation about gentrification – describing the way that uncaring governments and business forces were tearing apart the Downtown Eastside…
Mission Possible is an innovative community economic development agency operating in the Downtown Eastside. It runs two social enterprises, MP Maintenance and MP Neighbours, which employ an average of 50 individuals per year in transitional jobs. They are the subject of a…