Valentine’s Day

In ancient times, Romans held a feast day in February. The day brought people together as couples. Why is it called Valentine’s Day? Valentine was a Roman priest. The Roman emperor wanted young men to be soldiers and not marry. Valentine helped people marry in secret. Valentine was caught and killed on February 14. People…

Keep children safe on Halloween

Halloween is on October 31. Children will be going out in costumes at night for candy. B.C. Children’s Hospital has these tips to keep children safe: Safe costumes Use face paint, not masks so children can see better. Costumes should not drag or trip. Stick together An adult should always be with children. Hold hands…

How to French tuck or half tuck

Do you tuck in your top or leave it untucked? Before, people either tucked in a shirt, or they didn’t. But now, some people tuck in only part of the shirt. There are two ways to do this: the French tuck and the half tuck. These are casual looks. Use loose, lightweight tops and mid-to-high…

Top word of 2022

Merriam-Webster.com is an online dictionary. Every year, the dictionary chooses a top word of the year. Gaslighting was the top word of 2022. The number of times a word is looked up in the dictionary helps decide the word of the year. Searches for ’gaslighting’ increased 1,740 per cent in 2022. What is gaslighting? Gaslighting…

Difficult returns

December is a busy time for shoppers. Some people like to buy gifts for their friends. Others like to take advantage of the many sales. But, sometimes, people buy things and regret it later. If a person doesn’t want a purchase anymore, they might try to return it. Some returns can be difficult Stores have…

B.C. Day in August

B.C. Day is the first Monday in August. On this public holiday, people celebrate living in British Columbia.  Many people use the long weekend to travel, enjoy nature or relax with family and friends. According to the United Nations, “B.C. is the best place in the world to learn, live and play.” A few facts…

Park has a new name

Belcarra Regional Park is in Metro Vancouver. It has a new name. It is called təmtəm.xʷtən/Belcarra Regional Park. There was a ceremony on October 8. Members of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Metro Vancouver officials attended. Why was the name changed? The name was changed to recognize the park as part of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. It…

Good and bad omens

Some people believe in omens. An omen is an event that predicts the future. It is a sign that something good or something bad is about to happen. Here are some good omens: A butterfly flying into your home brings good news or an important guest. A bird pooping on you is good luck. Itchy…

Still time to complete Census 2021

It is census time in Canada. Statistics Canada collects data on Canada’s population.  The information helps make decisions about programs like employment, education and health care. The census happens every five years. Count every person. You must complete a census form.  It is the law. The deadline to complete the online census form was May…

New Year’s Eve

Canadians celebrate New Year’s Eve in many ways. Here are some of the most popular traditions. Countdown People count down to midnight. They count from 10 to zero. At midnight they wish each other “Happy New Year!” Many cities set off fireworks at the end of the countdown. People go outside and bang pots and…

Virtual Canada Day

Many regular Canada Day celebrations are cancelled. They are cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.   This year, there are new ways to celebrate Canada Day.     In Victoria, the city will hold neighbourhood gatherings. The gatherings will be small so people can practise social distancing.     In Trail, the city will have red lights on the Victoria Street Bridge. The lights will be red to honour…

Vancouver’s first Indigenous poet laureate

Christie Charles is a spoken word artist. Spoken word poetry is read aloud. Poets use their voices and sometimes music to perform their poems. Charles dances and sings her poems. Sometimes she sings in the Salish language. She plays the drums. Sometimes she raps. Her poetry performances are lively. One of her poems says: Charles…

Preparing for a job interview

Job interviews can be stressful. If you prepare for your job interview, you will be more confident and relaxed. There are many ways to prepare for a job interview. Practise your answers before going to the interview Many interviewers ask the same questions. They will ask about your work experience. They might ask you about…

Pink Shirt Day

Pink Shirt Day is on the last Wednesday in February. On this day, people from around the world wear pink clothing to school and work. Why do we wear pink? In 2007, a boy wore a pink shirt on his first day of school in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The other students made fun of him….

Landlord rights

Mei is a landlord. She rents out her parents’ old house. One day, Mei does a routine inspection of the house. It is very dirty. There is a hole in the wall. The cabinets are broken. There is water leaking on the floor. Her tenant has a cat. The lease says “no pets allowed.” Mei…

Tenant rights

Amare and Stephanie rent an apartment. The rent is affordable. They are happy. One day, their landlord visits. He tells them he will raise their rent by $200 per month. Amare and Stephanie are worried. They check their bank accounts. They look at their bills. They cannot afford the rent increase. The landlord says that…

Cold remedies

You can catch a cold at any time of the year. Some people try to fight the cold before it starts. If they can’t, people want to get rid of the illness as quickly as possible. Remedies to fight a cold before it starts Some people try to fight a cold as soon as they…

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.

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…

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…

Puppets Casey and Finnegan

Puppets Casey and Finnegan alive and well on Hornby Island Adapted by cbc.ca by Nancy Carson Level 2 Listen to Casey and Finnegan– Level 2 Reading by Jessica Heafey For 27 years, a little child and a dog made many Canadian children very happy. Casey, the child, and Finnegan, the dog, were puppets. They were part of…

B.C. man’s harpsichords

B.C. man’s harpsichords used around the world Adapted from The Northshore News by Nancy Carson Level 3 Craig Tomlinson was 16 and living in Coquitlam. It was the 1960s and folk music was very  popular again. Many folk musicians played the dulcimer.* Tomlinson looked everywhere for one. *dul-si-mer Never gave up Tomlinson said, “You could…

Aboriginal veterans honoured

Adapted from The Province and CTV News by Nila Gopaul On Sunday, November 8, about 100 people marched through Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The marchers sang and beat on native drums. The event was the city’s 10th annual National Aboriginal Veterans Day March. The march started at Carnegie Centre and ended at Victory Square. At Victory Square,…

Diamond Poems

We are a class of LINC 4 students with the Immigrant Welcome Centre in Nanaimo B.C. Every month we study The Westcoast Reader, and we noticed that there was a poetry contest last month. We would like to submit some poetry of our own done in the ‘diamante format’. These poems are in the shape of…

Movember is here!

Story adapted from The Province by Nila Gopaul In November, men and women join together. They talk about men’s health. They call November “Movember”. Mo means moustache. Many men do not talk about health issues. Movember encourages* men to talk about issues, such as prostate cancer and depression. *encourages (en-KER-re-jez) – gives hope to someone

Canada has a new prime minister

Canada has a new prime minister Adapted from cbc.ca by Nila Gopaul Canada has a new prime minister. Justin Trudeau is the leader of the Liberal Party. Justin Trudeau’s Liberals won 184 seats of the 338 seats in parliament. The Liberals will form a majority government. The Conservatives will form the Official Opposition. Trudeau, 43, was a…

Father of Haida manga

Story adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nila Gopaul Level 2 March 2010 Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is a Haida artist. He was born in Prince Rupert, B.C. in 1954. But Michael was raised in Haida Gwaii The old name for Haida Gwaii is Queen Charlotte Islands*. Why did Michael start drawing manga? One day, some Japanese…

Residential Schools and Reconciliation Resources for teachers

Adapted from CBC.ca and The Vancouver Sun by Nila Gopaul Residential Schools and Reconciliation Resources Teachers from around B.C. are meeting at a conference in Vancouver. They are reviewing new material. The material is about residential schools and reconciliation. What are residential schools? The residential school system operated in Canada from 1875-1996. During this time, about 150,000 aboriginal…

Who’s speaking, please?

Who’s speaking, please? Biases can affect communication Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nancy Carson Level 3 Many people have stereotypes. A stereotype is a strong belief about a whole group of people and every person in that group. You feel that everyone in the group is the same in some way. Positive and negative…

Taijiquan – a martial art

Story by Bob Luo Taijiquan is a Chinese martial art (Wushu). The movements are gentle and slow. Each posture flows into the next without pause. Taiji has many movements. It has a 24,42,48,88, and other routines. Taiji is a good exercise. It has many health benefits. For example, taiji helps fight stress. Taiji also increases energy. People who practise…

VanDusen Garden – Festival of Lights

Adapted from City of Vancouver by Nila Gopaul Visit the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Garden. There are over one million lights decorating the garden. This year, the garden is celebrating its 30th Anniversary of the Festival of Lights. What to do Dancing Lights show  Schedule for modern set: 5:00pm, 6:00pm, 7:00pm, 8:00pm, and 9:00pm Schedule for classic set: 4:30pm, 5:30pm, 6:30pm, 7:30pm,…

The Choi Project

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nila Gopaul Level 2 In 1886, business started in Chinatown in Vancouver, B.C. For 100 years, most customers were Chinese-speaking. Now Chinatown is changing. Ken Lau says, “Some only speak English.” So Ken makes English signs. He puts them beside his vegetables. “Now business is getting better,” says Ken. The…

Osgemeos paint a monster mural in Vancouver

Did you know? “Monster” has several meanings, including: a) something large; b) a strange animal Vancouver is going to have new public art soon. Osgemeos is an artist duo from Brazil. Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo are twins. Together they paint giant murals and public art. They are going to paint six concrete silos on Granville Island. It…

Survivors Totem Pole

Skundaal is a carver. She is Haida and Coast Salish. She is carving a special totem pole. The log is 980 years old. It will honour survivors from the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. A survivor is someone who has had a difficult life but has remained strong. The totem pole will be raised in Fall 2014. There…

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…

Haida Gwaii wins 7-wonders of BC vote

Adapted from The Province Level 2 Readers of The Province newspaper named the Seven Wonders of BC. The Haida Gwaii won. Andrew Merilees is mayor of the Village of Masset. He says, “It’s an amazing place.” Read the PDF. Try the Exercise. Haida Gwaii wins 7-wonders Visit the WCR links: Learn more about the Haida…

Etiquette

Level 2 January 2011 What is etiquette? Etiquette* is a set of rules telling people how to behave. Different cultures have different rules. For example, there are rules about eating, using cell phones and greeting people. *(say: eh-ti-kit) Read the PDF. Etiquette-PDF Some rules in Canada are: Illustrations by: Nola Johnston

Greetings

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun Level 3 January 2011 Sarah Meli of Malta, Ziaul Hasan of India, and Zelius Kleefstra of South Africa came to Vancouver to study. All three UBC (University of British Columbia) students spoke about their experiences in Canada. Read the PDF.  Try the Exercise. Greetings-PDF Hugging Sarah says hugging is a…

Nelson Tagoona, hip hop artist from Nunavut, Canada

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Nancy Carson Level 1 Nelson Tagoona is nineteen years old. He is from Baker Lake, Nunavut. Baker Lake has less than 2,000 people. Nelson is a hip hop artist. But he is a different hip hop artist. Nelson learned something when he was little. He learned throat singing. Read the…

The sound of bells

Adapted from The Vancouver Courier Level 1 You can make music many ways. The handbell is an old way to make music. In the 1600s, two brothers made handbells in England. People today use them, too. Read the PDF. The sound of bells-PDF Visit the links: The Bells of Shaughnessy handbell choir tour in 2009…

Hallelujah for K.D. Lang!

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun and CBC Radio One Level 1 There is an award party on April 23, 2013. The party is in Regina, Saskatchewan. This party is called the Juno Awards. The Junos are Canadian music awards. On this night, a famous Canadian singer will be there. Her name is “k.d. lang”. Visit…