If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
The final report of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry is significant because it will likely inform how future investigations are carried out. Importantly, particularly for those of us interested in ending violence against women and girls, this is a critical opportunity to observe the inner workings of a formal state response to this violence, which in turn, better prepares us for engaging the Canadian state on this issue.
There has been a lot of media attention lately surrounding the use of foreign trade workers in our province. What we need to keep in mind is that our province needs skilled foreign workers to mitigate a labour shortage that is putting our economic growth at risk, and we must not allow gut reactions to specific cases dictate public opinion or guide public policy decisions with far-reaching, future implications.
Too many of us are showing our indifference about local government by not voting. If Vancouver's mayor aspires to increase public engagement, he should take on the problem of low voter turnout head on. These 10 recommendations are a good place to start.
Paint My Cat, created in Vancouver, is a new app that's creative, artistic, educational, and great family fun. This sure isn't what my kids had for coloring books. It's created by a dad who sees a really big picture.
Positioning themselves as "the purveyors of unreasonable business" Vancouver's Institute B is about as far from the typical accelerator as one can imagine. Far from espousing the traditional business school playbook, everything about this team is unreasonable. With a mandate of proving to the world that by incorporating societal benefits as an equal priority to generating profits, more abundance will be created for shareholders and stakeholders alike -- they're a team assured of flunking out of any MBA school.
At 15, being called Fagboy on the football field happened. Ironically enough, it was a straight kid with immaculate gaydar who gave me that name in high school. I was thankful that the moniker never lasted more than that year, but those words 'Fagboy' have stuck with me ever since. It would take a few handfuls of girlfriends, over two decades of denial and seven full years of hiding on the other side of the planet -- in China -- before I learned to let go of my fear, my shame and the idea that being gay was wrong.
Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK) is an event where technical talent and good intentions converge. It provides a chance to be part of a global movement of tech for social good. From ending poverty to connecting women peacebuilders, the Vancouver RHoK event pulls in local tech talent to donate valuable skills and time to worthy causes.
Hearing "Hey Jude" live? How can that not be on your bucket list? Is there another song anywhere in the universe that begs the same effect, or comes with the same aura, when its played to people who've paid to see and hear it? On Sunday night, Paul McCartney had his way with 60,000 Canadians.
The biggest complaint I hear from my 30-something friends is that they just want to go some place where they can dance, order from a proper wine and cocktail list (sans Jager shots) and be surrounded by people in our demographic. A seemingly tall order these days, but if you're looking for a good night out in Vancouver I recommend the following...
A stimulating evening in Vancouver recently provided an excellent snapshot of a startup community that's starting to grow up. It comes as the city improved on its ranking of the world's top startup ecosystems. This week, the Startup Genome Project updated its list, placing Vancouver ninth in the world, compared to its 16th showing on the previous list.
The digital world is being used to bring amazing art to anyone that has a computer or mobile device. Google Art Project is a platform through which the public can access high-resolution images of artworks. The platform now features more than 32,000 artworks from 46 museums. This is amazing when you consider that people can now access the world's most important visual cultural heritage from anywhere.
If voters were under the impression that it's only provincially in B.C. where corporate and union bucks talk tough, think again. Consider how much each candidate running for a mayor's chair in various Lower Mainland municipalities had to raise for their campaign in last year's local elections.
With the NHL currently locked out, there is one player that's using the off-time to make a fashion statement of sorts. Alexandre Burrows, star Left Wing for the Vancouver Canucks, is also the face of Canadian retailer RW&Co's new Perform Your Best campaign.
Vancouver's Bixi public bike-share program may sound like good public policy but in the end, it will be taxpayers who will get taken for a ride. Why are they paying for bikes when the car shares have proven transportation co-ops and businesses can be sustained without taxpayer dollars?
I sat down with Justin Hull, participating Mo Bro and founding member of the MOfficials, to discuss his team's involvement. The group is comprised of linesmen and referees from the Western Hockey League who have joined forces in an effort to raise $47,700. Their goal matches the number of Canadian men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2011 and 2012.
The City of Vancouver has plans to take down the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts and transform the area into more green space and housing, as well as improve traffic. It is hard not to compare similar plans in Sydney, Australia where I lived for 15 years before moving here.
