By Lilly Lin Photography by Lilly Lin Originally published at The Colloquium on November 4, 2022 Why have we continued to fail to enact impactful and much-needed climate action and change? What are the hurdles that obstruct us from achieving global targets? International organizations such as the United Nations have held Climate Change Conferences each year since 1997. In 2015 the Paris Agreement was signed by 195 states and the European Union to collectively achieve “net zero emissions” by 2050, and aim to keep global warming to 1.5℃. But the 2022 Emissions Gap Report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) found that current policies “point to a 2.8℃ temperature rise by the end of the century.” It believes that a further 45% cut is needed to get on track to the 1.5℃ goal. Despite policies to shift globally to greener energy, select countries and corporations resist completely phasing out fossil fuels. Developing countries rich in oil, gas, and coal are keen on the economic growth provided by these resources, and feel unfairly penalized by the push to rapidly transition away from them. A report from campaigners at this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) “warned that oil and gas companies are planning production expansion that would result in 115bn tonnes of CO2 being pumped out.” Closer to home in British Columbia, four of its communities are under Drought Response Level 5—the highest response level—as of November 10th. EmergencyInfoBCclassifies this as “exceptionally dry and adverse” conditions where “impacts to socio-economic or ecosystem values are almost certain.” This comes a year after BC experienced heavy flooding in parts of south-western British Columbia. Mudslides damaged and closed highways, and numerous towns and districts including Merritt, Abbotsford and Okanagan-Similkameen were under evacuation orders due to rising water levels. While the challenges and impacts of climate change continue...

What would it mean if water had a spirit – or, if you can accept it, what does it mean that water has a spirit? Our guest speaker, Michael Blackstock, a Northwest Coast Gitxsan artist and independent scholar, shared Indigenous perspectives on reconciliation and a water-first approach to climate change strategies. He pointed to alternative paths for addressing “a blindspot” in Western science and creating a shift in our attitude. All of life is a spiritual experience.  An event recap including the recording of his presentation will be published soon. Stay tuned. Photographed by Alistair Eagle (community member of the KCCS Community Engagement...

By: Allan Chan Photo credit: Gracielene Ulu Originally published at The Colloquium on July 12, 2022 Gracielene Ulu Co-creation is defined as the development of new ideas as a result of collaboration between creators. It is characterized by the sharing of ideas between parties, as opposed to working individually. When I had first heard of the term “co-creation”, a blurry idea had formed in my head, but it was not until I had met with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) artist Grace Ulu that I would gain a deeper understanding of what co-creation was. I had previously been acquainted with Grace’s work with the David Suzuki Foundation in devising the native pollinator map of Vancouver. With this opportunity to meet her presented to me, I jumped on the chance to get to better know Grace and talk to her about her art and personal journey.  This story is entitled “co-creation” because Grace was an integral part of our team as we worked together on the Indigenous Story Circle project. Our project could not have been done without her participation alongside Gail Sparrow, former chief of the Musqueam Nation. Not only that, but Grace’s artistic journey and her process features the collaboration of her family and those around her every step of the way.  One of the first things I noticed about Grace was her smile. It was a warm smile. She was so full of life and kindness, and she knew how to bring a smile to someone’s face. During our interview, she would laugh and ensure each of us emerged feeling the same way she felt. Grace was such a busy person, balancing both motherhood, work obligations, and our project. The name Grace is short for Gracielene, a combination of her grandmother and grandaunt’s names, Grace and Arlene. Gracielene...

By Keiko Honda Photography by Noriko Nasu-Tidball We continue to ask ourselves: how can cultural differences and unique heritage benefit everyone? How can we utilize these cultural differences as a multigenerational and multicultural force for good? Going a little further, what do you know about Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) or Indigenous knowledge? I want to begin by acknowledging that we live, work, and play on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam people.  The Kerrisdale Community Centre sits in the heart of the Musqueam’s traditional land and was once an ancient Musqueam village site. One of the important things for us all to remember, one of the reasons that we wanted to be here at the Story Circle is to celebrate the unexpected unfolding of life. For instance, I would not be here doing what I’m doing [facilitating the event], if Gail Sparrow, the former Chief of the Musqueam Nation, did not stop to talk with a stranger – me – on Dunbar street 10 years ago, shortly after I moved to Vancouver from NYC. Despite the vastly different histories and experiences, there are many things that connect us. Empathy, for example. That is what Gail shared with me back then and thereafter. I’ll never forget our chance encounter and the many beautiful shared memories, but these are stories for another time. I met Gail Sparrow, the former Chief of the Musqueam Nation, 10 years ago. Back then, I interviewed her shortly after I joined the board of the Kerrisdale Community Centre. When we preserve stories in stable forms such as recordings, people from different times and places can access them year after year. And, stories become part of who we are, what we believe, and how we see our future. The reason why...

By Keiko Honda (Chair, Community Engagement Committee) Ann Monahan, a former and long-time Senior Council member welcomed the new addition to the Senior Centre. She has been instrumental in creating the Pop-Up Library through her steadfast support. The Indigenous Pop-Up Library, as part of the Kerrisdale Community Centre’s Community Engagement Committee (CEC)’s newest initiative, has finally been unveiled and accessible to all visitors throughout the year.  With the blessing and messages from the former Musqueam Chief, Gail Sparrow, who serves as our Guiding Elder, the pop-up library is located in the sunfilled lobby area of the Senior Centre and features excellent Indigenous resources recommended by our Indigenous and non-Indigenous community partners to support teaching and learning. These resources include Indigenous books and articles, original take-home activity sheets, and more. CEC will plan to update the Pop-Up Library semesterly (Summer, Fall/Winter, Spring).   Kicking off and commemorating June, National Indigenous History Month in Canada, the Pop-Up Library is introducing the following seven Indigenous books:  Non-fiction: Oceaness by Michael Blackstock (Author)Our Story: Aboriginal Voices on Canada’s Past (Contributions by Thomas King, Tantoo Cardinal and, Tomson Highway)  Poetry: Native Poetry in Canada: A Contemporary Anthology by Jeannette Armstrong  (Editor), Lally Grauer  (Editor) Fiction: The Strangers by Katherena Vermette (Author)Neekna and Chemai by Jeannette Armstrong  (Author), Barbara Marchand  (Illustrator): Recommended for ages 9-12 Son of a Trickster Paperback by Eden Robinson (Author)   Collection: Tekahionwake: E. Pauline Johnson’s Writings on Native North America by  E. Pauline Johnson  (Author), Margery Fee  (Editor), Dory Nason  (Editor) It is important to note that the honour system has been in place, so books are not to be borrowed but to stay on the shelf as display copies, while activity sheets are available for the public to take home. Please come check them out and...

The Kerrisdale Community Centre, located in the heart of the Musqueam’s traditional and unceded territory, was once an ancient Musqueam village site. The Kerrisdale Community Centre Society is committed to seeking relevant cultural sources to inform and guide our approach to reconciliation. We seek new ways of interpreting local places and opening our hearts – ways that include Indigenous perspectives and values. We want to make this new and old knowledge accessible to more people, including the next generation of emerging leaders. Accordingly, the Community Engagement Committee, together with Former Chief Musqueam First Nations Gail Sparrow, is launching the Kerrisdale-Musqueam Story Circle in late Spring, 2022.  In part, this initiative involves building a pop-up library of Indigenous readings in the Senior Centre’s Lobby for our visitors to read throughout the year. We will also organize a spoken-word event at Centennial Park during the summer.  Our New Logo Beyond the library and summer event, we will establish a safe and collaborative space, under the guidance of Gail Sparrow, to learn our collective history and understand our future potential. In this space, we will examine our beliefs about ourselves in relation to the communities where we live and people with whom we interact, to develop a sense of self as part of something larger. “My grandfather was the one that worked with the settlers here in Vancouver and opened up the roads. The roads were logged by the First Nations and Asian communities. We did a lot to build this area, Kerrisdale,” says Gail Sparrow, who is a former Musqueam Chief.  She continues, “Kerrisdale Community Centre could open up more and integrate Indigenous learning approaches in their programs.” In addition to the Musqueam Nation, we have consulted with the Park Board’s Decolonization, Arts, and Culture Department...

The Kerrisdale Community Centre Society is always looking for members to join Board committees. These interesting volunteer opportunities require a smaller time commitment than is required by the Board of Directors. The time has never been better for people of all backgrounds to consider joining the Kerrisdale Community Centre Society (KCCS) board which is more dedicated than ever to finding new members with a wide range of experiences. Many individuals join a board as a way to give back. KCCS can provide an excellent opportunity to positively affect change or support community groups working towards a cause they are passionate about.  How to Apply Complete an Application Form and accompanying material at least 10 days prior to the Annual General Meeting on February 16, 2022. Please attach a short resume describing your community interests and any other board experience. You should include any past experience in teaching, fundraising, promotions, legal work, finance or administration etc. Applications and supporting materials can be sent digitally through the form on this page, or can be submitted by email to kerrisdaleccsociety@gmail.com or can be dropped off in person at the Kerrisdale Community Centre front desk. Interviews will be held to review the role of Directors in the operation of the community centre and the Society’s expectations of Directors and to answer any questions you may have. You will also be asked how your experience and qualifications would be of benefit to the Board and to the community centre.   Please note that the Kerrisdale Community Centre Society Conflict of Interest policy precludes staff, instructors, and employees of the Vancouver Park Board from serving on the Society Board of Directors. In order to limit potential Covid-19 exposures, all interviews will be held either online or by telephone.   For more information contact Alison at kerrisdaleccsociety@gmail.com. Thank you...

                                  Image from Creative Commons by Eileen Chen Having a life while being in medical school sounds a bit like a paradox, but first year medical student Joshua Yoon is here to prove that it can be done. While studying as a full-time student, Joshua also serves as the chair of the Kerrisdale Community Centre (KCC) Youth Committee. He began volunteering for KCC as a youth leader since he was in high school and says that the community is “dear to his heart.” The original Youth Leaders in Action program that he participated in emphasized leadership, professionalism, and interpersonal skills, and involved collaborative event planning for various holidays and special occasions. Today, the Youth Committee still runs several community events in spite of COVID-19, such as an intergenerational tech workshop that pairs high school volunteers with seniors in the community. Joshua was initially surprised by the level of interest shown by both seniors and high school students to return to these events after the pandemic put it on hold. They followed strict COVID-19 protocols for masking and distancing, and have had several successful sessions this summer. “There are more avenues for intergenerational dialogue now, whether digital or remote or not,” said Joshua. The seniors in the program have always been more than willing to divulge experiences beyond laptop and smartphone trouble-shooting, and the pandemic has only highlighted the importance of social interaction in a time of physical distancing. Joshua notes that intergenerational dialogue isn’t emphasized by most school curriculums, which makes these community activities especially valuable to the youth. Even as a medical student, interpersonal skills are indispensable. During practicum at the Vancouver General Hospital, Joshua has to...

by Keiko Honda “We’re going to the Opera Zone!” said Helen, an elegant senior with silvery purple long hair and silver bangles on each wrist, sitting by her husband in the Handydart that I shared one rainy Sunday afternoon. “I think a lot of people have been waiting for this day,” said Helen. I instantly replied to her, “Truly!” After closing for 21 months due to the pandemic, the music concert was finally returning to its home, the Kerrisdale Community Centre (KCC). Although I, too, was full of anticipation, as an “ex-organizer”, I was afraid that we wouldn’t have any audience today. We were still in the midst of the pandemic and the weather was gloomy — Vancouver’s typical November of rain and gusty winds. What’s worse, we started advertising the event only two weeks in advance, mostly by word of mouth. Alas, I imagined the empty seats. During pre-COVID times, we had at least 80 guests in the audience each time, and sometimes even had a full house of 100 guests. The Opera Zone was conceived in late 2015 from a casual conversation between myself and Gerard Satamian, an Armenian composer and piano teacher who taught my daughter at the time. Gerard secretly fostered a burning passion to sing opera songs for the public, while I, as a community engagement committee chair of the KCC Society, was looking for new ways to develop an open space for inclusive cultural exchange within the community, one that took place at the centre and was free of charge. The seed idea became reality thanks to support from the board and staff members, as well as many like-minded musicians who came forward to share their gifts like Gerard. Ever since January of 2016, The Opera Zone had...

By Keiko Honda, Ph.D., MPH   What is the value in learning to draw portraits? This question goes, unexpectedly, to the heart of the shared roots of art and science. In this essay, I aim to fertilize the soil for growing a new dialogue on the role emotional engagement plays in the relationship between art and science. I have recently been watching YouTube videos on portraiture. It is fascinating to watch master artists create portraits out of a blank sheet of paper, with only a pencil or stick of charcoal. If done well, the artists can explore their own feelings about the human condition. I always wonder how these artists acquired their skills. “Open your feeling, Open your senses! The first step is the conversation,” says a passionate YouTube artist who teaches portraiture. At the instant he is rhythmically drawing a large, very loose shape on a blank sheet of paper, he exclaims, “This [his arm movement] is emotional engagement.” Right there, I paused the YouTube video I was watching and replayed that part again and again. There was some dissonance between what I heard and what I saw. I did not expect to harvest deep insight when watching a rudimentary shape being drawn on a large black sheet of paper by the artist I chanced upon on the Internet. What is he talking about? The YouTube artist explains, “Enjoy drawing. Rather than rushing into getting drawings done quickly, you need to take your time to know how to see and understand how abstract elements work together to create an art form,” Simultaneously glancing at his live model, he continues, “No need to do the proportions yet…… When you are working on composition, it is very important at the beginning to open your feeling...

By Keiko Honda It is not a coincidence that during the lockdown in the face of the pandemic, most of us looked for new ways to maximize the functionality of our home space, then found ourselves feeling more independent, competent, and comforted, despite the challenge. As many activities are happening in our homes and proximity, we have invested our practices and developed an emotional sense of deep connection with particular places – a sense of “rootedness”.  Place becomes an extension of the self.  That’s called place attachment, the concept which scholars in environmental psychology, sociology, anthropology, and human geography consider an essential element in understanding identity, human well-being and sociality, memory formation, community participation, and environmental responsibility and advocacy for the environment.   “Place makes memories cohere in complex ways. People’s experiences of the urban landscape intertwine the sense of place and the politics of space,” says architectural historian Dolores Hayden. Similarly, psychologists postulate that we lock ideas and objects by linking them to a place: integrating many stimuli together helps us remember something particularly important, called episodic memories. This pandemic has disrupted our physical connections to many familiar social places like offices, cafes, schools, gyms, restaurants, community centres, movie theaters and many more, keeping almost everyone, especially seniors and those who are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, at home for seemingly endless time (until the pandemic will come to an end).  How does supposedly immobilized life imposed by the pandemic affect the way we store memories and the way we create meaning in our lives? What do large groups of people remember – and forget? It is an intriguing question for future historians. Social memory is at stake and thus deeply pertinent here. As reminded by WHO’s Healthy Ageing, being...

  Dear Readers, Interdisciplinarity and co-creation are two philosophies we employ in programming the Kerrisdale Contemporary Arts Lab (K-CAL) series, which began working on art-based community development at the beginning of 2018. Setting the “art for its own sake” versus “art for social value” argument aside, I hope our effort and work will support individual creativity, connect people across cultural boundaries, and build the community centre’s capacities to innovate and express ideas.    What is the goal of the K-CAL initiative? Although my view may not be entirely representative of our board, I believe a community centre should nurture the arts in the communit not only for the sake of fostering creativity, but to spur synergies with its other activities in community development. Focussing only on a centre’s financial bottom-line can be short-sighted and detrimental to our cultural resources. Speaking of synergies, the latest K-CAL workshop, titled, “Synergy“, led by artist Judith M Atkinson, was an interesting experiment. “Loosen up, everyone! Let the free flow of expression keep going!” said Judith, during her provocative drawing workshop that successfully invited the participants tap into their creative potential. With some rhythmic background music and various drawing resources, including Chinese ink and tree twigs, all participants produced rather surprising artwork inspired by an installation (the point of departure), honeysuckle vines harvested from a community garden and dried by Judith.  I was personally amazed by how effective the music was in helping me loosen up. The most amazing surprise of all was the transformation of all participants. One particular participant drew figuratively at the beginning but became an abstract expressionist toward the end. Judith’s masterful and supportive critiquing, as well as the relationship building within the group, helped drive these transformations. The “Synergy” workshop was a successful affirmation of the K-CAL...

By Eileen Chen Photo courtesy of Eileen Chen, Kevin Wong *Permission to reprint granted by the Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society   “The location is the KCC Senior Centre, and you will probably hear our laughs when you come in,” said the founder of Kerrisdale Community Centre’s language exchange group, Kevin Wong, in his email to me. Sure enough, after my initial mistake of barging in on a group of pool-playing friends, I did find the small group through the sound of their laughter. There were about 8-10 people occupying one table in the lounge area. An elegant white lady, who later introduced herself as Paula, was reading a story about a little horse crossing a river in Mandarin. The little horse is told by an ox that the water is shallow but warned by a squirrel that it’s deep, and only discovers that the water is just shallow enough for it to cross when it steps into it himself. Paula’s accent was imperfect, yet oddly musical. Other Mandarin speakers at the table corrected her from time to time, and she enthusiastically translated the fable into English as she read along. As I learned later, the merry group meets every Monday to study English and Mandarin together. The learning methods range from reading stories to learning vocabulary and carrying out casual conversations, and members both strive to learn one language and offer their knowledge of the other in the same session. Some members find themselves learning both Mandarin and English. Kevin was originally open to having an exchange group for more than just two languages, but decided that focusing on English and Mandarin would be the most effective. The group has existed for a year in this form, and although some members come and go,...

By: Chloe Price Photo courtesy of: Chris Gatchalian *Permission to reprint granted by the Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society The relationship between politics and art has been a constant subject of debate, and we live in a time when this conversation is more relevant than ever before. With the birth of social media we have seen the advent of callout-culture, and a new method of holding individuals accountable for their words and actions. Additionally, the political polarization of Western society is peaking at the current moment, and the Internet serves as a limitless digital soapbox for people to present and argue about their vastly differing perspectives and outlooks on life. These factors have helped create a culture in which few works of art are exempt from being viewed through a political lens. When we sit down to speak, local writer Chris Gatchalian explains to me his own evolving view on the matter. “When I was younger, I used to think of art and literature as being these universal things that were apolitical, but I don’t subscribe to that belief anymore. I still believe art is transcendent, and I don’t want to get too spiritual, but it is connected to the Divine, I think, but I don’t think that precludes it from being political. To ignore politics is to ignore what’s going on in the world, and I don’t think art should ignore what’s going on in the world.” Gatchalian has just finished his residency at Vancouver’s Historic Joy Kogawa House. The building was once inhabited by renowned Canadian writer Joy Kogawa, who is perhaps best known for her book Obasan, which centered on the government’s persecution and internment of the Japanese in Canada during the Second World War. Kogawa and her family were sent to an internment camp in 1942, and today her childhood...

On April 8th, 2018, the Kerrisdale Community Centre held their 4th annual Sakura Walk,  a local tree history and identification series lead by professional forester Robin Clark. The participants left the community centre at 10 A.M. to follow a trail of trees that outline the parameter of the block inhabited by the Kerrisdale Community Centre. Robin classified various tree and shrub species found in our local Kerrisdale community, from oaks, to maples, and even some trees that were initially unidentifiable, which left us with the interesting project of distinguishing these trees after the walk. After our walk, we met back at the community centre for tea and snacks to discuss our findings and further questions we had about the trees. We learned a number of ways of identifying local trees, such as leaf and stem placement, leaf shape, and any identifiable berries or flowers budding on the branches. Participants were particularly interested in grafting, which Robin pointed to on a few trees we encountered on our walk. Other areas of interest for participants were how to identify the male and female parts of trees, and the mystery trees we found along the walk. Robin’s help with identifying and mapping these trees along our route showed participants how connected our lives are with the lives of local trees. Trees are an integral and beautiful part of our Vancouver landscape, and we are thankful to have someone like Robin to show us the unique and distinguished nature of local trees! (text: Grace McRae, Vancouver Arts Colloquium...