Meet a library champion

Submitted by the Vancouver Public Library Meet Shu Ming Chen:  Doctor, recent newcomer to Canada, and proud library champion. Her mission: Support her community and help immigrants discover their local library and all that it offers. Q: Why did you become a library champion? A: When newcomers have just landed, they feel isolated and anxious…

Fun fact about B.C. – neon

Adapted from The Province by Nila Gopaul Neon signs are electric signs. They contain neon and other gases. The signs are made of glass tubes. These tubes are bent and made into interesting shapes with different colours. In the 1950s, Vancouver had 19,000 neon signs. This means that there was one sign for every 18 people!…

Polar swim – 2015

The Polar Bear Swim – 2015 Adapted from The Province by Nila Gopaul The Polar Bear Swim is a tradition. It happens every year on New Year’s Day. Some people dress in costumes. Others wear bathing suits or shorts. Brave people jump into the ice-cold water. They scream. They laugh. They have fun.

B.C. says sorry

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and The Province by Nila Gopaul Listen to the story– Level 2 Reading by Corey Muench The year was 1864. B.C. was a British colony. Gold was discovered in the Cariboo. And there was conflict. Men died. The B.C. government wanted to build a toll road to the Cariboo. The government…

B.C.’s best buildings

The Architecture Foundation of B.C. had a contest. The foundation asked people to vote online to find the top 25 buildings in four areas of B.C. People voted from around the world. Click here to see the top four winners: The Marine Building in Vancouver got the top award – in southern B.C. Seabird Island School in…

Get to know BC: islands

“Get to know BC” is a new occasional feature with fun facts about the province. Did you know BC has about 40,000 islands? There are islands of many different sizes. The largest is Vancouver Island. Some are mid-sized islands, like Salt Spring Island. Ivory Island and Entrance Island are very small islands. Some islands are for sale….

Dorothy Arey, a champion for 23 years

Level 3 Adapted from the CBC website For 23 years, Dorothy Arey was a CBC radio announcer-operator. She worked in a town called Inuvik, which is in the western Canadian Arctic, in Canada’s North. Arey helped people keep in touch. The main language in Inuvik is English. But Arey was a champion of her own…

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…

Doorknobs are changing

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 1 The City of Vancouver is changing the building code. The new rules start in March 2014. They are changing how we open doors. All new door handles will be levers. The round doorknob will disappear. Read the PDF and do the exercise Doorknobs are changing Visit the link…

Driving the Coquihalla in winter

Adapted from The Province Level 2 The Coquihalla is a highway in British Columbia. The highway runs from Hope to Merritt. It is also called Highway 5. The highway runs through the mountains. It goes over high mountain passes. The Coquihalla is a dangerous highway in the winter. Read the PDF and do the exercise Driving…

People with disabilities are good workers

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 Scott Fattedad works two days a week. Fattedad works one day at the Thrifty’s. He works one day at Starbucks. Thrifty’s hired him 11 years ago. Fattedad has Down Syndrome. He is friendly. He likes to chat with customers. He does his job very well. He gets awards for…

Safe outdoor ice-skating in BC

Outdoor ice-skating is healthy and fun! It is important to skate only where it is safe. Vancouver Parks Board is warning the public to stay off frozen lakes and ponds. The ice is not thick enough. Here are some links to safe outdoor ice-skating areas. You can add your favourite place to skate in the…

Libraries help newcomers

Level 2 Ten libraries in the Lower Mainland are part of a new project. The project is called NewToBC. The NewToBC project helps newcomers feel at home in BC. The NewtoBC website is helpful and easy to use. The website is www.newtobc.ca. The library staff can help immigrants. They can help you find what you…

Thousands of people walked to honour survivors

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 2 It was raining. Everyone held umbrellas. Seventy thousand people walked to honour First Nations people. The walk ended a week of events. The events celebrated Aboriginal heritage. Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. Truth & Reconciliation Walk Visit the links: Dr. Bernice King talked to the large group…

Stanley Park is 125 years old

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 Stanley Park opened on Sept 27, 1888.  It was a big forest. People lived in the park area. Most moved away by 1931. One person lived in the park until he died in 1958. His house was torn down. Read the PDF.  Try the Exercise. Stanley park is…

Volunteers help people

Level 1 April 2010 Many people volunteer in Canada. Volunteers do not get paid to work. Volunteers help people in many ways. For example: Some volunteers help newcomers with their English. Other volunteers help children learn a new sport. Volunteers sometimes work in a store such as a thrift shop. Read the PDF.  Try the…

Roundabout rules

Level 2 October 2010 Adpated from The Vancouver Sun by Nila Gopaul Approach Slow down. Yield Yield to cars coming from the LEFT. Yield to pedestrians (walkers). Read the PDF. Roundabout rules-PDF Enter When it is safe, enter to your RIGHT. Exit Signal RIGHT when you plan to exit. Special rules If you miss your…

Water safety

Water safety Adapted by Nila Gopaul Level 3 June 2010 Each year in BC, about 43 people drown. You drown if your lungs fill with water and you cannot breathe. Where do people drown?   In swimming pools, in natural waters such as rivers, lakes and oceans, and in bathtubs. Always have an adult watch babies…

Farmland disappears

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and www.youtube.com Level 2 I interviewed Harold Steves in 2009. Harold is an interesting man. He and my father were both at U.B.C. They both studied Agriculture. Both men became teachers. Visit the links: B.C. Agricultural Land Commission Harold’s family history Many people know about the Steves’ family. The town…

A human library

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and The Province Level 1 A library is a place. It has books, music, movies and other things. Many towns and cities have libraries. People go there to read books and newspapers. People enjoy reading at the library. A library is a quiet place for reading. Library cards Many people…

Aging in a changing world

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nancy Carson Level 2 In October, more than 750 people met in Vancouver. These people study gerontology. Gerontology is the study of old age. These people talked about how people grow old. They also talked about the problems of old people. Visit the links: Dream On Seniors Wish Foundation: information,…

They love Mud!

Information courtesy of Mudgirls Natural Building Collective website Level 3 Who are the Mudgirls? They are a group of women on the west coast of B.C. And they build whatever you want.  They use local, natural and recycled materials for their projects.  They say, “We love mud!” They build cob cabins, ovens for outdoors, and…

Save the next dance for me

  Adapted from the Mission City Record Level 3 Lee Kwidzinski wanted to help her father.  Since she is a dance teacher, she decided to teach him to dance.  Later, when he moved into the Pleasant View Care Home in Mission, she decided to teach the other residents as well. Visit the links: Watch a…