Balancing a fair refugee system and public safety are especially topical subjects with the current global debate on immigration. Halagonian Mary Vingoe’s play, Refuge, reminds us that even a country as diverse as Canada has been touched by class, culture and sectarian violence as well as blemishes in our treatment of refugee claimants. A powerful and…
Tag: history
Six String Nation Guitar connects Canada
Recently I had the privilege to listen to Jowi Taylor tell the story of the Six String Nation Guitar, a truly unique piece of Canadiana. Nicknamed Voyageur, the guitar is a symbol of national unity, the idea came to broadcaster and writer Jowi Taylor on the eve of the 1995 Quebec Referendum that threatened to…
Miss Shakespeare at Firehall Arts Centre
The award winning musical, Miss Shakespeare is onstage until November 26th at the Firehall Arts Centre. Although it’s set in the 1600s, the story was topical for the current political situation, telling the story of a strong woman fighting against a male dominated industry and her attempt to break through the proverbial glass ceiling. Judith Shakespeare…
Take a Step Back at Yale Historic Site
On the scenic Fraser Canyon Highway #1, Yale Historic Site takes you back to the boom years during the Fraser Gold Rush. In its heyday, Fort Yale was one of the largest cities west of Chicago and north of San Francisco. With its influx of Gold Rushers, Yale gained a reputation as for it’s wild ways,…
Cross the Canyon at Hell’s Gate Air Tram
Staring down from the upper terminal at Hell’s Gate Air Tram, it’s easy to see why in 1808 Simon Fraser wrote in his journal “no man should ever pass through here it was truly like passing through the Gates of Hell”. Located on Highway 1, in the scenic Fraser Canyon between Boston Bar and Spuzzum, BC,…
BigMouth at The Cultch York Theatre
Until February 21st, The Cultch presents BigMouth a one-of-a-kind spoken word show at The York Theatre. A hit at the famed Edinburgh Fringe Festival, BigMouth is directed and performed by Belgian writer/actor Valentijn Dhaenens the show appears to be a one man show but it has over two dozen voices. BigMouth is a curated collection…
O Christmas Tree
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Your branches green delight us! If you’re gathering around the Christmas Tree on this Christmas Eve, I thought we’d take a look at the origins of the Holiday greenery. The origins of the classic Christmas Carol, O Christmas Tree come from the German folk song O Tannenbaum, which wasn’t originally…