Events

Two Inspiring Tales From SheTalks YVR 2017

Pictured Above: SheTalks Founders Natasha Raey and Barinder Rasode at SheTalks YVR 2017

When a woman can make choices in a safe environment, her power multiplies. As I enjoyed the SheTalks talks at Centre Stage at Surrey City Hall accompanied by two 19-year old young ladies, I knew that each woman’s story was empowering my teens in a unique way. They heard stories of getting past sexual abuse and partner abuse; of success in career against all odds, of fighting cancer or lupus doggedly; of living the life of a transsexual; of addictions in loved ones; and of making choices through strife. Vani Guglani and Sona Singh felt inspired to make their own life choices in the face of adversity, and so did I.

The SheTalks morning began with Mayor Linda Hepner’s address on Audiovisual, and then took off to each of the 16 stories of empowered women.

In one of the three food and drink breaks as I talked to one of the speakers, I realized – these ladies needed to be heard as much as we the audience of 200 women (and occasional men) needed to hear them. I couldn’t possibly fit all 16 stories here, so I chose to write two stories chosen by my teenage daughter here.

1. Jen Marchbank

Jen Marchbank

Jen Marchbank, well-known feminist and Professor Gender Equality at SFU Surrey, was fostering for years when she decided to go against the proverbial tide and become a biological mother. “Consider my situation: I was 33, single, with endometriosis, and a lesbian. Not the usual set of ‘how to get pregnant’ factors,” she says.

Jen made us laugh as we followed her journey of grit and faith. She chose to go through artificial insemination for two years, chose to deny invasive tests (amniocentesis) during pregnancy, and brought her baby son into her feminist world by following through her choices. Women must make choices themselves to make sure an environment exists within which other women can make choices. “I got to choose because of my own set of knowledge but also because generations of women have worked to ensure that an environment exists within which other women can make choices.”

2. Ish Rasode

Ish Rasode with me at SheTalks YVR 2017

13 year old Ish Rasode, cofounder Barinder Rasode’s daughter, concluded the day with her personal story of how she handled bullying. “The she talks committee comes to my house on Sunday mornings at around 9 or 10 and most often I come down with bed head and my pajamas on,” Ish laughs.
One Amazing Mom that Barinder is, she helped Ish survive the upshot of her mayoral campaign. Kids would call Ish ugly, annoying, a witch or a white wash (whatever that means). Ish made that username to her spam account – “Life of a white wash” or a white girl dipped in brown chocolate.
“I have never heard my mom say anything bad about anyone, She does not gossip and she always asks me to look at how the other person is feeling. Sometimes people take advantage but she says that is on them. At the same time she has taught me to be strong,” Ish says about her powerhouse mom.

“SheTalks has really changed me to see how many women feel and that no matter what no one is alone. There’s always someone,” says Ish. While I can’t write all 16 stories we heard on March 4, I can tell you that each of the 16 stories were superbly inspiring. My teen daughter and her friend came back inspired to live their choices and fight negativity with all we have in us. It was one amazing Sunday.

Published

5 years ago

16 Mar, 2017

Ritu Guglani

Pictured Above: SheTalks Founders Natasha Raey and Barinder Rasode at SheTalks YVR 2017

The SheTalks morning began with Mayor Linda Hepner’s address on Audiovisual, and then took off to each of the 16 stories of empowered women.

1. Jen Marchbank

Jen Marchbank

2. Ish Rasode

Ish Rasode with me at SheTalks YVR 2017

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Ritu Guglani

Ritu loves plain language - the kind you would use in a well-informed conversation with friends. Her writing engages and informs while respecting readers’ time and intelligence. She loves the challenge of making a story come alive. Grow a following of people who talk about your business and recommend your products and services with informative marketing stories to convey your unique ideas to new audiences. Contact Ritu Guglani at guglaniritu6@gmail.com

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Events

There could be another music festival coming to Surrey this fall

Published

1 week ago

17 Sep, 2021

Surrey604 Staff

The FVDED in the Park music festival last weekend was just the beginning. Music lovers in Surrey can get geared up for another festival coming their way — the Contact Winter Music Festival.

The Contact Festival pulled off an epic show in Vancouver earlier this year. In February the show took place on the roof of BC Place Stadium. Fans were able to watch virtually and enjoy live music to beat the pandemic blues.

Now it appears that the Contact Festival may take place in October at Surrey’s Holland Park.

There haven’t been a lot of details released to confirm the event, nor tickets on sale, however Stay Happening has announced that the festival will take place from October 8 to 10, 2021.

Contact Festival & The Organizers

The Contact Winter Music Festival has been running since 2012, and normally takes place inside BC Place, hosting 36,000 people. The music played and presented is the best in EDM (electronic dance music). The 2-day festival highlights up-and-coming Canadian artists.

This event normally takes place in December, but was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. Event organizers then put together a virtual performance that was broadcasted live from the roof of BC Place.

Now there are murmurs of the festival taking place in Holland Park this October, perhaps to a smaller degree.

FVDED in the Park just wrapped up on September 11 at Surrey’s Holland Park, and this festival is brought on by the same event organizers, BluePrint. FVDED also brought together technical and electronic music, with headliners such as DeadMau5.

BluePrint operates venues like Celebrities Night Club on Davie Street, Venue on Granville Street and the Fortune Sound Club on East Pender, all in Vancouver.

Holland Park

Holland Park is a popular park in Surrey’s City Centre and is located beside Central City. The park is huge, covering 10 hectares. Although it isn’t the largest park, it is often referred to as the “Central Park” of Surrey.

One of the main draws for Holland Park is its ability to host events. There have been numerous events and festivals organized at this park over the years.

Fans are excited to learn more details about the Contact Festival in hopes that Surrey’s City Centre will get another major event.

Events

Internationally awarded youth led Surrey based organization puts on successful online conference in-spite of COVID

Published

10 months ago

18 Nov, 2020

Srusti Subash

Pre-COVID Spark group photo

SPARK Foundation Canada has hosted their, first of many, fully virtual conference Leaders Today! SPARK foundation is a non-profit organization made up of 16-23 year old leaders empowering the next generation through in person, and online life education: workshops, camps and community programs. They also work towards accomplishing the United Nations sustainable development goals: Quality Education, Sustainable Cities & Communities, Climate Action and Peace Justice and Strong Institutions!

The live event took place on Sunday November 15, with guest speakers Anjali Dhaliwal and Abhay Sachal. The audience hailed from all over the lower mainland ranging from students as young as 13 to 21.

Sarah Cheng, Volunteer Engagement Lead & Srusti Subash, Marketing Lead along with the efforts of Rochelle Prasad, CEO/ Co-Founder of SPARK Foundation, have meticulously organised this conference for youth in High School and University. It centered around an idea to inspire youth to engage in their communities amidst the pandemic despite the restrictions imposed on traditional volunteering opportunities.

Anjali Dhaliwal, CEO of Youth Helping Youth, was the first speaker introducing the importance of personal branding. She spoke intimately of personal experiences that led to her growth and success encouraging the conference attendees to explore new things and find their passion.

Abhay Sachal, spoke about his journey to the Arctic that incited the urge to create an international organization advocating for climate justice where he became Co-Founder of Break The Divide. Through various activities connecting with their audience, both speakers were exceptional in delivering their thoughts and empowering those watching.

The conference ran for 2 and a half hours with a fun activity midway through where participants were placed in breakout sessions and given the prompt: if your team owned a cookie shop, what would they name it? This activity brought about a variety of responses developed from imaginative or analytical points of view.

When the audience was asked what they thought of the event, responses were overwhelmingly positive. Viewers spoke on how the conference impacted them where they’ve realised “Climate change has inequitable impacts on marginalized and minority communities. Leadership requires truly genuine passion for building a better community, nation, and world because we want to make everything better than how we found it.”

Aside from this conference, SPARK Foundation has provided youth across Canada volunteering opportunities through their General Ambassador Program which focuses on media and marketing, a skill set that has become extremely important to this generation.

SPARK Foundation has also contributed to their communities by organizing several Covid Relief Projects by delivering over 300 care packages of essential items to low income families and over 200 meals to essential workers in Surrey, BC.

For future events or more information visit www.sparkfoundation.ca

Events

2020 Vancouver Queer Film Festival Shifts to Digital Platform

Published

1 year ago

17 Jun, 2020

Surrey604 Staff

Out On Screen Announces Interim Executive Director, Festival Dates, Gala Films, & Creative Design Tickets on Sale July 13 at queerfilmfestival.ca

(Vancouver, B.C.) – Out On Screen is proud to present a virtual Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) this summer from Thursday, August 13 to Sunday, August 23, 2020. Announced today, VQFF and Out On Screen as a whole will be guided by the leadership of new Interim Executive Director, Brandon Yan. Brandon has served as Out On Screen’s Deputy Executive Director and was previously the Director of Education for Out In Schools.

“I am more than delighted to continue to be of service to Out On Screen and the communities I so deeply care about,” says Yan. “In times like these, the importance of art and storytelling is even more apparent. We must remain committed to being a platform to uplift and celebrate the LGBT2Q+ stories at the margins.”

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 32nd annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival has adapted to an online format in order to offer at-home audiences the best in independent queer cinema along with workshops, artist Q&As, panels, parties and – most importantly – the feeling of gathering with friends and kin.

Out On Screen is working hard to ensure this year’s Festival is accessible and safe for community members who are immunocompromised or part of another vulnerable sector. Tickets for VQFF 2020 will be available to the public on July 13 at www.queerfilmfestival.ca. Tickets range in price from $10 to $14 with a special COVID19 access pricing ranging from $2-$5.

Curated by Artistic Director, Anoushka Ratnarajah, the theme of this year’s Festival is “Still Here”. “VQFF is on this August, and will feature films and interdisciplinary programming from queer filmmakers and artists whose work shows the many ways we fight for the fullness of our lives, for what and who we love, and for our shared futures,” says Ratnarajah. “Our theme this year is ‘Still Here’, because our survival is an inevitable miracle. Nothing can stop us from taking root; we will always reach for the light and sky.”

Illuminating and celebrating LGBTQ2+ lives in all their dimensions and complexity, VQFF is Vancouver’s second largest film festival and the largest queer arts event in Western Canada. Welcoming its presenting sponsor RBC once again, this year’s Festival will open on August 13th with a soon to be announced Opening Gala film and a virtual celebration of our local queer community.

The Festival’s Centrepiece Gala film is Lingua Franca, an ambitious feature film that follows a trans Filipina migrant as she navigates being undocumented in a Trump-era America. The film is written, directed by and stars trans actress Isabel Sandoval, who will join audiences virtually to discuss the film in a digital Q&A.

VQFF will once again feature a variety of youth focused programming, including a Youth Gala screening of the inspirational documentary Changing The Game, which follows three boundary-breaking young trans athletes changing the face of sports in their communities and across the United States.

The Festival will continue to celebrate B.C.’s most standout emerging and established filmmakers with Festival favourite, The Coast is Queer – an evening dedicated to local talent. Finally, this year’s VQFF will close with the heartwarming queer Muslim romantic comedy, Breaking Fast, directed by Mike Mosallam.

The 2020 VQFF program will be available online at www.queerfilmfestival.ca on July 13, 2020.

For more information, please visit the following platforms:

Website: www.queerfilmfestival.ca
Instagram: www.instagram.com/queerfilmfest
Facebook: www.facebook.com/VancouverQFF
Twitter: www.twitter.com/queerfilmfest (#VQFF2020)

Events

3 Way to Celebrate Father’s Day this weekend!

Published

1 year ago

17 Jun, 2020

Surrey604 Staff

OPTION 1

Why not crack a cold one & fire up the grill with dad, and serve up a feast with Stanley Park Brewing’s do-it-yourself BBQ Kit? They’ll prep all the ingredients and you’ll do all the cookin’. And they’ve partnered with Filson to add a little something to keep your dad’s beer cold on Father’s Day. Receive one insulated stainless-steel can cooler with your kit. *While supplies last.

Order your Father’s Day BBQ Kit here: https://stanleyparkbrewstore.com/products/fathers-day-bbq-kit-with-filson-gift. Kits are available for 2, 4, and 6 people. Depending on the size of kit, you will receive a mix of the following at different quantities: lemon and herb marinated chicken, 8oz steaks, burgers with all the fixings (6 person kit only), Sunsetter baked beans, child lime roasted corn, sweet potato salad, coleslaw, and homemade cornbread.

Finish off your order by adding on a 6-pack of your choice. Our recommended beer pairing would be Stanley Park Brewing’s new Waypoint Hazy Pale Ale!

Note: All orders must be placed by 3pm on Wednesday, June 17th. Packages are available for pick-up at Stanley Park Brewing Restaurant & Brewpub on Saturday, June 20th or Sunday, June 21st.

OPTION 2

Looking to take Dad out to celebrate? The Stanley Park Brewing Restaurant and Brewpub will be having a special dine-in only Father’s Day Feast Menu for $38 per person. You can also add a pint of flight of your choice for only $5.75 (happy hour pricing)! The menu includes: Pretzel with spicy mustard and Noble Pilsner beer cheese, half a pound of Chicken Wings, Halibut n Chips with coleslaw, and a Cheesecake by The Cheesecake Factory Bakery for dessert.

OPTION 3

Want to give Dad some TLC?

Filson and Fortknight Barbers, two Gastown staples, have teamed up to help you give dad a gift he’s going to love. We all need a little TLC as we re-enter the world after our little time-out and what better way than with a stylish professional haircut and a brand new Button up shirt. On top of that a very special gift from Stanley Park Brewing.

Here’s how it works:

01. Dad books a time for a haircut with Fortknight Barbers. Capacity is limited due to safety protocols, so please book this appointment first. Fortknight Barbers | 46 Alexander St | 604-620-7930

02. Call Filson to schedule a private shopping time either before or after your cut. They have set up the space in the back of the store just for private shopping and a sanitized fitting room will be reserved for you. Filson | 47 Water St |604-689-1836

03. Your shirt, along with any other purchases, will be steamed for sanitization and packaged along with your special gift of a 6-pack of Waypoint Hazy Pale Ale from Stanley Park Brewing. You can either take it with you from Filson, or they will deliver it to you at Fortknight once you’ve been all cleaned up.

This package is $140 including all taxes and is available for purchase through either the Filson or Fortknight Barbers locations. They will provide you with a certificate at time of purchase that will need to be presented at each establishment to redeem. While the Filson location will be open only for curbside pickup prior to Father’s Day, you can call ahead and pay for it and then they will hand you the certificate at the front door when you arrive, or they can mail it to you if you prefer.

This package is a great way to treat yourself, a friend, a dad or any guy you know that just needs a little pampering. Quantities are limited, so please order today.

Events

The Punjabi Market Goes Virtual for its 50th Anniversary

Published

1 year ago

21 May, 2020

Surrey604 Staff

May 31st, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Vancouver’s Punjabi Market
The Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective presents “PM50” on May 31st
“PM50” will be a virtual celebration, streamed on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram
The Punjabi Market Regeneration is a registered nonprofit organization that seeks to revitalize the Punjabi Market in Vancouver thus facilitating opportunities for cultural belonging and also economic success for business owners

Vancouver, B.C. – To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Punjabi Market, The Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective presents “PM50”, taking place virtually on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube on Sunday, May 31st, 2020. Hosted by Hockey Night in Punjabi’s Amrit Gill, the livestream will feature an interview with the Market’s first shop owner, Mr. Sucha Singh Claire, and performances by Shaan-e-Punjab, Nachiye, and Amarjeet and Baljit Singh.

The Punjabi Market runs along Main Street, from 49th to 51st, and is the oldest “Little India” in North America. In 1983, the Punjabi Market became home to the world’s first set of street signs written in Punjabi script outside of India. Michael Lee, MLA for Vancouver-Langara opined that “[the] Punjabi Market is an important part of the historical and cultural history of both the city of Vancouver and of my riding, Vancouver-Langara.

Since the first store opened in 1971, the Punjabi Market has been considered a place to support cultural identity as is demonstrated every year by the sheer number of upwards of 100,000 attendees at the annual Vaisakhi Parade through the Punjabi Market.”

The 50th Anniversary celebration will include an online shopping portal that aims to support business owners with recovery following the economic impact of the pandemic. In addition, the celebration includes a piece of public art by PMRC Creative Director, Jag Nagra, that will be unveiled closer to the date of the celebration. The event is a collaboration between the Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective, South Asian Arts Society, Indian Summer Arts Society, 5X Festival, Daily Hive, Westcoast Foundation, and the City of Vancouver.

PM50 Details

Date: May 31st, 2020
Time: 7:10 – 7:40 PM
Location: Facebook, Instagram, Youtube