As Canadian society reals back and forth, in reaction to the unmarked graves at Canada’s residential schools, I feel it necessary to make some clarifications. Most residential school survivors and the generations that came before them, and after them, have experienced what is called Intergenerational Trauma. Some people may think that the residential school system was the main … [Read more...] about Indigenous Voice: Intergenerational trauma
Community
Creating community; belonging, connecting and supporting one another, celebrating the joys, and facing and overcoming the challenges in our common life together.
Celebrating 100 years of St. Margaret’s / West Coast
Metro Vancouver has many good churches and, over the years, many good pastors. But few are as widely known as St. Margaret’s Community Church (now West Coast Christian Fellowship), or its leader for 25 years, Pastor Bob Birch. The church has been serving its East Vancouver neighbourhood, just south of the PNE, for 100 years, and the congregation recently celebrated that fact … [Read more...] about Celebrating 100 years of St. Margaret’s / West Coast
Celebrate National Manners & Character Month
Good news! October is National Manners & Character Month! Who ever thought we’d need a whole month to be reminded to live with good manners and to be kind and to be civil? National Manners Month was first celebrated in 2003 in Abbotsford and then in 2009, Vancouver City Hall proclaimed October as National Manners Month. Let’s come together and celebrate the 19th … [Read more...] about Celebrate National Manners & Character Month
Caught in between indigenous and non indigenous
I used to be a binge drinker, but I’m happy to say I quit drinking 20 years ago. Back when I used to party in high school, some of my friends used to say, “Don’t give Stelter any hard liquor because he’ll turn Indian.” At the time it didn’t bother me because I was too busy having fun and not caring. Later in life, when I connected with my biological family, for the first time. … [Read more...] about Caught in between indigenous and non indigenous
Binding our digital tongues – Bill C-11
The pandemic made one thing clear. Many Canadians don’t trust the government to control the truth of what they hear through their digital media feeds. Ottawa is now pushing to allow the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to regulate the internet and to determine what qualifies as Canadian content. Again, we see a stab at fundamental … [Read more...] about Binding our digital tongues – Bill C-11