BC Day is the first Monday in August

BC Day is the first Monday in August. On this public holiday, British Columbians relax with family and friends. Many people travel on this long weekend or camp and enjoy nature. According to the United Nations, “BC is the best place in the world to learn, live and play.” A few facts about B.C. 1. Aboriginal people have lived in the…

Wildfires in BC every summer

Level 3 We have about 2000 forest fires every summer in BC. Forest fires are also called “wildfires”.Many hectares of forest are lost every year. Sometimes homes are lost, too. The wildfire season starts when the forest gets dry in the spring.The fire season ends when the forests get wet from rain and snow in…

Summer outdoor markets are open in BC

  This summer visit a farmers’ market. Some markets are night markets. Some are only open during the day. For a list of farmers’ markets in BC, visit the BC Farmers Market website.

What do you know about Canada?

July 1 is Canada Day. July 1, 2017, is Canada’s 150th birthday! Look for parades, fireworks and events in your community. Monday, July 3 is a national holiday. Happy Canada Day!!!! Try our Canada Day quiz. Canada Day Quiz Photo: PixabayClick here for 150 things to do to celebrate Canada’s 150 birthday.

Summer jobs for youth 2017

Level 3 The Summer Jobs Program helps students get summer jobs. The Summer Jobs Program is part of the Youth Employment Strategy. Read on to find out: What the program does Who can participate How students and youth can get help finding a job What does the program do? The Summer Jobs Program helps youth:…

B.C. Votes 2017

Resources for BC Votes 2017. Visit these links Find out more about elections in B.C. Digital and printable maps of B.C. Electoral Districts Interactive Electoral Districts Map Register to vote on-line Learn more about identification and vouching  

Happy Lunar New Year!

Adapted from article written by Nila Gopaul, originally posted to The Westcoast Reader, February 2015 Every year, during Lunar New Year, many cities and towns in B.C. are filled with red banners. Sometimes there are lion dances, parades and crowds. Restaurants are filled with many people. Around the world Lunar New Year celebrations last for 15 days. Vietnamese, Chinese…

Recipe for French toast

LEVEL 1 This recipe feeds four people. Visit the links: How to make French Toast Recipe reprinted from The Westcoast Reader newspaper, September/October 2016  

Zen helps Hoshi get around

LEVEL 1 Hoshi is blind. He is 12 years old. Hoshi is a big dog. He is an American Eskimo dog. Hoshi has a friend. Find out more. Read the whole story. Try the exercise Zen helps Hoshi get around Listen to the story Zen helps Hoshi, Reading by: Patty Bossort The two dogs have accounts…

Popular baby names

Level 2 What did parents in British Columbia name their babies in 2015? Find out more. Read the whole story. Try the exercise Popular baby names Listen and read with Global News: The world’s most popular baby names for 2016   Story reprinted from The Westcoast Reader newspaper,  November 2016  

Fun activities to help children learn

Level 2 Literacy begins at home Are you a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, older brother or sister? Here are fun activities to do with young children. These activities can help them become successful learners. You can find more activities to do with young children in the Learning Together Every Day series of booklets. Get started…

Remembrance Day

Lest we forget November 11     Remembrance Day Level 3 November 11 is Remembrance Day in Canada. On this day we honour Canadians who fought and died in wars. Many communities have special events and parades on Remembrance Day. Watch this Remembrance Day ad from the Government of Canada Red poppies Sixty thousand Canadians died…

Protect yourself from colds and the flu

Level 3 In Canada, many people get colds and the flu (influenza) in the winter. Viruses cause colds and the flu. These viruses pass easily from person to person. Learn more about colds and the flu: How to protect yourself How to protect others What to do if you have a cold or the flu…

Can we save the ocean?

Level 3 Boyan Slat says, ”Yes, we can!” Who is Boyan Slat? Boyan Slat is 21 years old. He lives in the Netherlands. Boyan started thinking about how to clean up the ocean when he was 16 years old. His family was on vacation near Greece. He liked to swim in the Mediterranean Sea. He…

LINC students help the people of Fort McMurray

LEVEL 2 Carolyn Moi was sad. She watched the news. In May, a huge wildfire burned Fort McMurray. People lost their homes. Carolyn had an idea Carolyn is a teacher for the Burnaby School District. She teaches an adult LINC 1 class. Carolyn’s class wanted to help the people from Fort McMurray. At the same…

Writer lives at a lighthouse

Level 3 Caroline Woodward lives at a light station near Tofino, B.C. The lighthouse is on Lennard Island. The lighthouse is very important. It has lights that guide ships along the rocky shores of the Pacific coast. Caroline and her husband, Jeff, have lived and worked at more than 12 lighthouses along the B.C. coast….

Fun things to do with your children outdoors

LEVEL 2 It’s healthy for children to spend time outdoors. It’s good for their physical and mental health. They get better at: thinking moving creating Children need help learning how to play outdoors. What do you need to do? Stay nearby and keep the children safe. Let the children play on their own. Play with them…

The Summer Jobs Program

In March, Prime Minister Trudeau announced more money for the Canada Summer Jobs Program. The Summer Jobs Program helps students get summer jobs. The program is part of the Youth Employment Strategy.

Fort McMurray is on fire

Level 2 The forest around Ft. McMurray is on fire. Large parts of the city are on fire. Ft. McMurray is Alberta’s fifth largest city. This is the largest wild fire in Alberta history. This is the largest evacuation in Alberta history. Map of the fire zone It all happened in a few days. The…

2016 Canada Census

Level 2 What is the census? The census is information about who lives in Canada. The information is gathered by Statistics Canada. What do I have to do? You will get an envelope in the mail. Follow the directions in the envelope. You can answer the census questions in two ways: You can fill in…

Surprise! We saw bears

LEVEL 2 Newcomers to Canada enjoy learning about camping and wildlife. Last year we went camping. We camped in a national park. We woke up very early. We went bird watching. We didn’t see any birds. We saw a black bear and her cubs! We were very surprised. The bears were far away from us….

Tips to keep your brain healthy

Story adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Patty Bossort LEVEL 1 You can keep your brain healthy. Five simple ways to keep your brain healthy: Reading by: Patty Bossort Listen “Tips to keep your brain healthy

Brother and sister cook up sauce

Level 2 Story adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Patty Bossort Skylar and Chloe Sinow run their own business. They make and sell pasta sauces. They wrote a cookbook. Their business is called Kids Can Cook Gourmet. The sauces They make three kinds of sauces. One hundred and thirty stores in Alberta and B.C. sell…

Ducklings need help

Adapted from The Province Level 2 Sometimes baby ducks are orphans. An orphan is a child without a parent. A baby duck is called a duckling. People find the orphaned ducklings. They take the ducklings to the Wildlife Rescue Association. The Association takes care of them. Read the PDF and do the exercise Ducklings need help…

Meet a cat for coffee

LEVEL 1 Come in. Drink a coffee. Pet the cats. Take one home. Meet the cats at the Catfé This café is in Vancouver. It’s called the Catfé. Michelle Furbacher owns the café. Michelle wants cats to live in the café. She wants people to come and enjoy the cats. Read the story and do…

Retired football player swings an axe

Level 3 Shea Emry always wanted to be a lumberjack. A lumberjack is a person who cuts down trees and cuts them into logs. Shea Emry’s great-great-grandfather was a logger. Most of the men in his family worked in the forest industry. Emry likes to swing an axe. Emry says swinging an axe is better…

April Fools’ Day is fun

Many countries celebrate April Fools’ Day on April 1. Sometimes the day is called All Fools’ Day. On this day people play harmless tricks or pranks. The tricks can be played on friends, family, or coworkers. Often newspapers, TV stations and websites play tricks. No one knows the exact date of the first April Fools’…

Seven steps to a healthier life

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 It is simple. Eat less and move more. Lose weight and feel healthier by doing these things. Read the PDFs. Try the exercises. Seven steps to a heathier life Your Health is part of an e-book on healthy living from Best of the Reader Visit the links: Best of the…

Wildlife returning to the city

Story adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Patty Bossort LEVEL 2 Black-tailed deer left Vancouver 30 years ago. Elk disappeared from the False Creek area a century ago. The last cougar in Vancouver was shot in Stanley Park in 1911. People in Vancouver did not want large wild animals to live in town. Parts of…

Prime Minister Trudeau in Washington

  LEVEL 3 Americans are excited about Prime Minister Trudeau. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the President of the United States. He stayed for three days. This was the first official visit of a Canadian Prime Minister to the United States in 20 years. Hundreds of people greeted Prime Minister Trudeau at the White House…

New country, new babies

LEVEL 2 2016 is a year of new beginnings for many Syrian families in Canada. The Ktifan family is from Syria. They arrived in Vancouver on January 7, 2016. Amjad and Wadaa Ktifan left Syria with their children. They fled to Jordan. Now they are in Canada. They are refugees. New babies On February 29…

Raise Your Hands Against Racism

LEVEL 2 Spice Radio Vancouver 1200 AM is asking people around the world to raise their hands. They want you to show your hands in colour. They want to show that skin colour should not define or separate us. Shushma Datt started it Shushma Datt and friends started the event in 2015. The Hindu festival…

Baseball treasures found in the attic

Story adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Patty Bossort                           LEVEL 1   Edward Bradford loved baseball. He liked to save things. He was a “packrat”. Download the story Baseball treasures found in the attic Listen to “Baseball treasures found in the attic” Reading…

Education First Nations style

LEVEL 3 Eighty children go to a special school in Vancouver. They learn in First Nations style. The Aboriginal Focus School is the only one in Vancouver. Seventy of the students are aboriginal and 10 are not aboriginal. They have room for more students. The school helps students develop cultural pride. Students learn about the…

Employers are hiring more apprentices

Story adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Patty Bossort LEVEL 3 More employers are starting to hire and train apprentices. Hiring apprentices helps corporations get good workers. Working as an apprentice helps workers gain skills on-the-job. Why do we need more apprenticeship opportunities? Skilled trades workers “don’t grow on trees,” says one employer. Workers need to be…

Four female rowers rescued in Atlantic

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun level 1 Four women tried to row across the Atlantic. They were from England. The women planned to row over 4,000 km. They planned to row from Spain to Barbados. Read the story Four female rowers rescued in Atlantic

Eagles flock to the dump

Level 2 “They are all over the place. I don’t think you’re going to see any other place with this many,” says Albert Shamess. Shamess is the director of waste management for the City of Vancouver. “Anything that sticks out of the ground has an eagle on top of it.” Sometimes a dozen or more…

City of Richmond says signs in bus shelters must be in English

  LEVEL 3 Bus shelters are good places to advertise. Signs in bus shelters advertise real estate, toothpaste, credit cards, beer, entertainment and more. Most signs in bus shelters in Richmond are written in both Chinese and English. In 2015, 58% of sign permits were for “mixed language” signs. Recently, Budweiser put up an ad…

The Great Bear Rainforest becomes a park!

Story adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Patty Bossort LEVEL 2 The Great Bear Rainforest will become a park in the spring of 2016. People fought to make this area a park for over 20 years. It took 10 years to make a deal. The deal will protect the environment. It allows some logging and…

Family Day in British Columbia

Adapted from The Province by Patty Bossort Level 1 The first Family Day holiday in BC was in 2013. Family Day in BC is on the second Monday of February. Other provinces have their holiday on the third Monday of February. Change the day? A lot of people want BC to change the day. They want…

Building community in the Lunar New Year

Story adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Lunar New Year begins on February 8 this year. It is the same day as the BC Family Day holiday. The annual parade in Vancouver will be on February 14. It will start at 11:00 in China Town. Lunar New Year is also called Chinese New Year…

Wanted: More female bobsledders

Story adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Canadian women win gold Two women raced in the fastest bobsled. They won the gold cup in Whistler, BC. Kaillie Humphries was the pilot of the sled. She comes from Calgary. “It was a lot closer than I wanted it to be,” Humphries said. Humphries raced against eight…

A new totem pole for the Haida Gwaii

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 A totem pole is a carved log. The carvings tell stories and history. The new totem pole is 14 metres tall. Read the PDF.  Try the Exercise. A new totem pole for the Haida Gwaii-PDF Visit the links: Watch this video.  See the community set up the new…

Mini-farms sprouting at Delta schools

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Students in Delta schools are learning about farming. They grow, harvest, cook, preserve and distribute their own produce. Project Pickle makes pickles. Project Pickle started at Pebble Hill Elementary School in 2012. Their mini-farm was five raised garden beds. Students planted 200 cucumber plants in June. They harvested 35…

The outdoor car show season is here

Adapted from The Province Level 1 Owning an old car can be fun! Old cars are called classic cars. The car show season begins the first weekend in May. There are car shows almost every weekend until September. Show and Shine is a common name for classic car shows. Read the PDF and do the…

Edythe Culling shops for shoes

Adapted from The Province Level 1 Edythe Culling is shopping for shoes. It is a special shoe sale. The shoe sale happens every year. Read the PDF and do the exercise Edythe Culling shops for shoes Visit the link Look at these photos of the sale.

The Virgin of Guadalupe – Patron Woman Saint of Mexico

Submitted by Javier, Hastings Learning Centre, Hastings Racecourse, Vancouver The Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego for the first time on December 9th, 1531. She appeared on the mountain of Tepeyac when he was walking in the direction of the church to visit his uncle, Juan Bernardino, who was gravely ill and was not…

A logging family

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Spring comes to the Cariboo in June. The snow melts. The ground gets firm. The logging season begins. Derek Woollend is a logger. His father started logging in 1955. They work together. Read the PDF and do the exercise A logging family Visit the links Learn more about trees…

Today’s cheerleaders

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Cheerleaders are athletes. Cheerleaders can start training in elementary school. Cheerleaders train in dance, tumbling and gymnastics. The sport is dangerous. Read the PDF and do the exercise Today’s cheerleaders Visit the links View the photo gallery at Vancouver Sun.

The Sun Run is 30 years old

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 The Vancouver Sun Run is an annual event. It is held every spring. This year will be the 30th Sun Run. People walk and run 10 km. Thousands of people participate. There is food, music and fun for all. The BC Sports Hall of Fame is honouring the Sun…