Many years ago, I developed an unhealthy bond with one of my favourite cars. It was a 25 year old BMW but I loved it immoderately! I always took it to a third generation local car repair shop called Tremblay’s…
The Bell: God and the mechanic
Tag: city of vancouver
Vancouver will no longer host prayers; BC Humanists drop lawsuit
The BC Humanist Association (BCHA) reported June 3 that you can indeed beat city hall, even without prayer. BCHA Executive Director Ian Bushfield said, “We’re feeling vindicated today that the City of Vancouver recognized the issue we and others had…
When Transgender Day of Visibility falls on Easter Sunday
On Good Friday, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation honouring “the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans” for the Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, which was also Easter Sunday. Negative reaction was swift. Republican Speaker of the…
The goose, the plan and the dissenting opinion
This week while making my way to UBC I came to a brief but dangerous standstill on 41st Avenue. In the approach to Cambie a driver had straddled two lanes and was stopping, starting, then stopping again and again. What…
Around Town: Covid responses, Better Together, fined for feeding homeless . . .
While most denominations and churches implemented Dr. Bonnie Henry’s new COVID-19 guidelines for last Sunday’s services, at least one did not. Last Thursday (March 10), Dr. Henry said churches could immediately return to full capacity and that face masks were…
Around Town: Mapping the City, Small Grants, St. Augustine, Makoto Fujimura
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t seem to have heard much about the Vancouver Plan lately. I hadn’t heard a peep about the second stage of the process – ‘Envision the Future’ – which apparently began last October and…
Around Town: Nora Hendrix, Business As Mission, Project Oikos, Southern Cross
One of the streets being created around the new St. Paul’s Hospital complex will be named after Nora Hendrix – a founder of the Black community’s first church (and grandmother of Jimi Hendrix). Vancouver City Council approved the proposal from…
Speaking of Islamic History Month, let’s look at Armenia / Nagorno-Karabakh
On the evening of October 1 the north face of Vancouver City Hall was lit up with green lights, to kick off Islamic History Month celebrations. A couple of days later, Vancouver’s online opening ceremony featured several Indigenous welcomers and…
Around Town: Hi Neighbour; Hello, Church; Westside; Maundy Café . . .
United Way of the Lower Mainland is making a special effort to find out how church communities are doing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and offering support for churches/people who want to help out in their communities. Many churches have organized…
Around Town: Urban Shalom, Overdose, Jesus Cristobal-Esteban . . .
One highlight at last weekend’s Missions Fest was hearing from a couple of city officials about how Christians, and faith groups in general, can have a better rapport with their city. The How Can We Inspire City Officials with God’s…