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…
For the first time in its 34-year history, Missions Fest Vancouver will incorporate several mini-conferences, which organizers describe as “opportunities for you to learn from experts who are collaborating together to help you go deeper into a subject than can…
Vancouver is hosting the annual five-day (April 24 – 28) TED Conference (which organizers say is “at the heart of TED”), and so we also hosted Pope Francis earlier this week. Speaking on themes of hope, inclusion and tenderness, his TED Talk…
In Allan Twigg’s book Aboriginality, he tells of a meeting between three sovereigns – a king and two queens – that never happened. It was missed by inches. The year was 1939. The place, Vancouver. The occasion, England’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth’s…
The annual Downtown Eastside Women’s Memorial March takes place this Sunday (February 14) at noon. Some Christians will be there for the march; others will be there in spirit. One encouraging example of that willingness to engage with the situation…
While Ottawa will be the major focal point for truth, reconciliation and First Nations issues this Sunday, activities around a downtown Vancouver intersection will raise awareness regarding those issues on the west coast. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) will…
Every year I enjoy scanning the roster of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival for signs of faith. While I love the diversity of musicians – there’s no better way to get a taste of world music in Vancouver – I…
The recent screening of a film that reveals through disturbing eyewitness accounts the horrors of the residential school system could become a catalyst for healing between First Nations people and Asian evangelicals. “People have been working hard at that already,”…
Any week called Reconciliation Week has got to be a good one. We’ll start with what that’s all about, and then look at some other highlights around town in next few days. Reconciliation Week The historic nature of the week…
It is surprising to many Canadians that 150,000 Aboriginal children were forced to attend Indian Residential Schools from 1831 to 1996 as part of Canada’s official efforts to assimilate Indigenous people. It is not surprising that many victims did not…