My blog has focused on Austrian, German & Swiss people, places & products since 2007. What started as a newsletter, evolved to a magazine, changed to a digital platform in 2019 and is currently trying to channel the defunct Pazifische Rundschau, the Kanada Kourier & the Deutsche Presse. What is new is my Tiktok Channel and my other website “DTM Marketing Solutions”. Sign up for the Westcoast German Newsletter to stay in touch and join us on July 19, 2023 at our inaugral positivity conference!
Elke Porter
Westcoast German News sagt Willkommen! Grüezi! Servus! Grüß Gott! Hallo!
Latest News
May 25, 2023BusinessVancouver, May 25, 2023 – DTM Marketing Solutions is thrilled to invite you all to the “Empower Engage Excel – The German Leadership Model” conference, taking place on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at the stunning Anvil Centre in New Westminster! 🗓️ 🌐 Join us for a full day of inspiration, learning, and networking, as we delve into the powerful strategies and principles of the renowned German Leadership Model. 🇩🇪✨ 📚 Our esteemed lineup of industry experts and thought leaders, including Marcus Schweighart from Ellerau (24 km North of Hamburg) and Christian Thiele from Garmisch Partenkirchen (Garmisch-Partenkirchen is an Alpine ski town in Bavaria, southern Germany.) will share their knowledge and expertise, providing invaluable insights into the German Leadership Model’s key tenets. From effective communication strategies to fostering a culture of innovation, we’ll explore the principles that have propelled German businesses to global prominence 🗣️ After a morning listening to the two keynote speakers, engage in interactive discussions, participate in thought-provoking workshops, and gain practical skills to enhance your leadership abilities. This is an incredible opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, exchange ideas, and build lasting relationships within a supportive and collaborative community. 👥🤝 Networking during a cocktail reception with two drink tickets per attendee provides the perfect setting for professionals to connect, engage, and build valuable relationships. As attendees mingle and enjoy their favorite beverages, the relaxed atmosphere fosters open conversations and facilitates meaningful exchanges of ideas and insights. The limited number of drink tickets encourages attendees to make purposeful connections, ensuring that every interaction counts. It’s an excellent opportunity to expand networks, discover potential collaborators, and leave a lasting impression in a convivial environment conducive to building meaningful professional connections. 🏢 The Anvil Centre provides the perfect backdrop for this transformative event. Located in the heart of New Westminster, this state-of-the-art venue offers a conducive environment for networking, learning, and personal growth. 🕘 Mark your calendars and plan to be with us from 9 am to 4 pm, as we dive deep into the German Leadership Model and its application in today’s dynamic business world. Don’t miss out on this chance to gain a competitive edge and make lasting connections! 📩 Secure your spot today by visiting https://www.eventbrite.com/e/empower-engage-excel-the-german-leadership-model-tickets-641585418257, where you’ll find more details about the conference agenda, featured speakers, and registration information. Spaces are limited, so act fast to reserve your place at this must-attend event. ✨ Join us at “Empower Engage Excel – The German Leadership Model” conference, and unlock the secrets to effective leadership that will propel your career forward! 🚀🌟 #LeadershipConference #GermanLeadershipModel #ProfessionalDevelopment #NetworkingEvent #NewWestminster #BusinessSuccess About DTM Marketing Solutions We are a marketing and communications agency that specializes in creating unforgettable experiences for our clients. Our team of experts provide fully integrated strategies that are designed to help premium and luxury lifestyle brands connect and thrive with their target audience. Our dynamic and innovative approach ensures that your brand is showcased in an eye-catching and memorable manner. Connect with us to learn how DTM Marketing Solutions can provide tailor-made planning and management of your marquee events and programs. Schwe [...]
May 19, 2023German Non-ProfitVancouver – May 19. 2023 – On Saturday, the Vancouver Alpen Club held their AGM Saturday, April 29th, 2023 at 2:00 pm in the Jaegerstube. Before that, starting at noon, all members were invited to come check out the keepsakes and memorabilia in the restaurant or upstairs in the ballroom, which were available to purchase by donation. As a member of the Alpen Club, I was excited to volunteer and brought home a whole box of goodies, which included items like a plaque from Expo ’86, a replica of a San Franciso Tram and other assorted things like that. Kecia, President of the European Festival Committee, member of the German Canadian Business Association and former Superintendent of the St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, was also there volunteering up a storm. During the AGM, Justin Hoffman, President of the Vancouver Alpen Club, introduced the updated building information and then I had to leave. While I was gone, the members voted for the incoming Board and I am excited to report that Steven Seewald is now a new member of the Board of Directors! I wouldn’t have been able to vote, as my status is still “Associate Member”, which you have to be for 5 full years before transitioning to a full member. Even though the physical building is going to be torn down, the Board is still hoping to find more member who will support the club by raising funds or volunteering at events, so if you are interested, contact Steven Seewald! Congratulations, Steven! This is the perfect opportunity to introduce the New board member and help you all get to know him. Where were you born, where did you grow up and where did you finish your education? I was born in Vancouver BC from Austrian parents as the middle son of three brothers. All my education was in British Columbia where I completed a trade qualification as a Carpenter Journeymen, a degree in Environmental Engineering, and continued on to study a Masters of Science in Environmental and Occupational Hygiene at UBC How did you get involved in the German Community as a child/teen/adult? Our family has always been involved with both the German and Austrian Community. I began to actively integrate into this community in the mid 1990 when I joined the German Canadian Business Association. Later, I joined the Austrian Vancouver Club and the Edelweiss Dancers (Schuhplattlers). In 2016 I assisted several dancers from the Edelweiss Dancers in transitioning over to the Vancouver Alpen Club where we remain and under-group still today. I continued my support to the Germanic Community by joining the Vancouver Westside German School as Secretary for the first year, then was elected President, a position that I hold for the last three years. I continue to support all of our clubs and associations, even when asked upon transform in to St Nikolaus on December 6 every year. What do you do for a living and where is your company? Employment wise, I am the President and CEO of ALARA Environmental Health and Safety Ltd., an environmental engineering and occupational hygiene consulting company that I founded in 2002. As an engineer, I have the unique ability to help clients resolve environmental liabilities and as an occupational hygienist, I assist in protecting people’s health in the workplace. When did you become a member of the Alpen Club and what do you especially enjoy about it? I initially began visiting the VAC in my youth and officially became a member in 2016. The VAC is a special place for me as it has been a constant in my life. It is and has been a unique and friendly place where I could experience the various different cultures from Germany and even relish their good food. What is your position at the VAC and what are some future goals you are hoping to realize? My current position in the Vancouver Alpen Club is the Leiter of the Alpen Plattlers Schuhplattler Subgroup and a Board Director in the overall Vancouver Alpen Club. My goals are to ensure that our club’s redevelopment will provide us a modern usable space that can effectively serve our community for the foreseeable future. What are some future plans, besides the Alpen Club in terms of the German Community? I have been working with the Deputy Consul General of Germany to create a Dachorganisation. Our hope is that the Dachorganisation will assist all German speaking organizations in promoting each other, the German language and culture. What is the best way for a member of the public to contact you? The best way contact me is through my personal email StevenBSeewald@gmail.com [...]
May 17, 2023German LanguageVancouver, May 17, 2023 – On Saturday, June 3rd, 2023, the Vancouver Westside German School will finally be holding their 30th Anniversary Celebration in the form of a fundraiser. This exciting event will take place in the Austria Club Vancouver, which is actually located in Richmond by Westminster Highway. Tickets or donations are gratefully accepted on Zeffy, the first and only zero-free fundraising platform. The school offers afternoon classes on Tuesday (Junior Classes) and Wednesday (Senior Classes) afternoons in the Prince of Wales Secondary School (PW School). It was founded in April 1992 by a group of parents, managed by Isolde Winter, the original principal and held in the Carnarvon Elementary School on the Westside of Vancouver until it moved to Lord Kitchener Elementary School and finally to where it is today. https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/2646cde2-fe1f-46f9-acaf-e334cb68332c This event will include a dinner (around $35), a silent auction, student presentations and a graduation ceremony. Perfect for those who are trying to decide whether or not to send their children to the Vancouver Westside German School. Perfect for family and friends of the graduating students and perfect for those who benefited from the high-quality German lessons and wish to pay it back. Supporting German Schools is a great way to ensure that there will still be German-speakers around for years to come. If there are any former board members, former teachers, former students or former principals who would like to say a few words, please e-mail me at admin@westcoastgermannews.com and I will ensure that your words get published. Congratulations to the Vancouver Westside German School! Covid really did a number on all of society and the German Community here in Vancouver was no exception. Many institutions and associations have closed forever, so we are grateful that you made it through. by Elke PorterFormer Assistant/Teacher at the Vancouver Westside German School About the Vancouver Westside German School VWGS delivers a widely-recognized and high-quality language after-school program for German as a foreign language and German as a second language. Their small class sizes and their culture of inclusivity, caring and respect enables us to create a strong community of students, parents, teachers, and staff that transcends beyond school hours and into the wider community. The school has been serving the Vancouver community for over 30 years. The school is governed by the VWGS Society, a registered non-profit organization represented by an elected board of directors (primarily parents), and managed by the School Principal and Administrator with the support of a team of dedicated, highly-qualified teachers and assistants. In addition to their school-related activities, The VWGS also organizes community events based on German-speaking cultural traditions such as the Lantern Festival/St Martin’s Day, Nikolaus or Fasching (carnival). Here is a flyer you can share with your friends or family: About the Austria Club Vancouver The Austria Vancouver Club was founded by 18 Austrian immigrants and was registered in Victoria, capital of British Columbia) on December 16, 1971 under the Society Act of British Columbia. They wanted a space to practice and uphold Austrian traditions and language and became an Austrian cultural club open to all visitors. Currently, the club is usually open Friday evenings for a casual family night, where the Schnitzels and beverages are prepared and served by volunteers of all ages. They are also open every second Saturday evenings for dances and other activities like celebrating the Anniversary of a cultural institution like the Vancouver Westside German School. [...]
May 4, 2023politicsGuest post by Ekkehard Goetting, Vice-President of the German Canadian Business Association in Vancouver. The Canadian continent as far as Germany is concerned is ruled from Toronto and Ottawa with very limited knowledge of the West. Canadians themselves are suffering from this syndrome for decades. For Germany, a generally insignificant partner in general, Canada on and off gains the status of “flavour of the month” when a global crisis arises, or primarily resource-based economies, such as Canada gain importance in shifting global interests. As a result, the “West” with its vast resources, became important to Germany during the 80’s energy crises, with the Minister at the time, Graf Lambsdorff, regularly visiting the Consul General in Edmonton, which had a Chamber Office and 18% of the population in Alberta of German descent. We are back at it again, following years of ambiguity, the new flavours of green hydrogen, fuel cell technology, clean resources and a “pacific nation” (gaining importance in Indo Pacific Strategies) now being relevant to Germany. At the same time, Vancouver no longer has a German Chamber of Commerce presence, no more Goethe institute, which are, next to a strong Consulate, the very basic support infrastructures to retain and possibly expand interest in German Business, Culture, Language. Exchange and complete reliance on a very much detached Eastern Canadian interest and also under complete ignorance of the existence of a German Community – generations struggling to maintain a relevance within an ever-changing society – as western Canadian businesses and society are becoming ever more diversified, it will need recurring flavours of the month to keep us on the radar of German interests. This is completely contrary to everything I have ever learned on building relationships that can withstand ups and downs. global alignments, etc. If we, German groups and interests in western Canada want to get anywhere, Ottawa, Toronto and Berlin, should be put on notice that, the decline of support of structures and institutions directed under local guidance and input cannot possibly be in Germany’s long-term interest. By the way, our American counterparts are suffering the same fate. New York rules, but with IT and AI on the radar for Germany the American West is the now the flavour of the month. Our infrastructure there? A five-person office in SF is responsible for everything in business for the entire West Coast plus southwest states. At least, next to the Consulates, there is a sponsored German business presence, as opposed to Canada, where volunteers are working hard to salvage a bit of a German Canadian business group and network. Interesting to note also that, the Steinmeier visit so far has not even been worth mentioning on Canada’s national news network evening summaries. [...]
April 30, 2023ArtistsVancouver, April 30, 2023 – A few days before opening night of the world famous “The Flying Dutchman” production, I was contacted by Cynnamon Schreinert, Publicist – Media and Influencer Relations for Vancouver Opera to share news about this a German-language opera, with libretto and music by Richard Wagner, on my blog. In return, I was awarded two tickets in Row #20 to watch this production with my own eyes. For my guest, I invited my 21-year old daughter, who had only seen one short Opera in Grade 4, which she could barely remember. In order to help introduce the topic, I was also given the opportunity to talk to Brian Deedrick, the Director of this Vancouver production, to ask him a few questions and find out more about his dreams, visions and goals. Buy tickets here: https://www.vancouveropera.ca/whats-on/flying-dutchman/ ©Photo by Natalya Porter It was an amazing night. To introduce this play, I will share parts of the synopsis as written by Director Deedrick in the show programme: “The legend of the great ghost ship, the “Flying Dutchman”, and its accursed sea captain, forced to roam the seas until Judgement Day unless saved a women’s devotion, appears frequently in 19th Century literature. There is no question that the Dutchman is a wanderer, at odds with society and challenging all norms as he strives for acceptance. At the same time, it may be argued that the entirety of the story is played out fully in Senta’s mind, begging the question as to whether she or the Dutchman is the central character in the opera, and which of the two is the true outside. ©VancouverOpera Richard Wagner conducted the premiere at the Königliches Hoftheater Dresden in 1843. He had taken inspiration from a tale written by Heinrich Heine, German poet, writer and literary critic. “The tale of the Flying Dutchman is no doubt familiar to you. It is the story of that doom-laden ship which can never gain the shelter of a port and which has roamed the seas since time immemorial … A timbered specter, that dreadful ship bears the name of its captain, a Dutchman who once swore by all the devils in hell that he would round some cape or other (the name of which escapes me) in spite of the most violent storm that was then raging, even if he had to keep on tacking until the Day of Judgment. The devil took him at his word, and he is forced to roam the seas until the Day of Judgment, unless he can be saved by a woman’s fidelity. Fool that he is, the devil does not believe in women’s fidelity, and so he allowed the doomed captain to go ashore once every seven years to marry and in that way seek his salvation.“ From an article: The Wild Hunter, the Wandering Jew, and the FlyingDutchman: The Hunt In Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer by J. Drew Stephen Brian Deedrick had done “The Flying Dutchman” twice before the one that he produced for Vancouver Opera, and so he turned to the original score from 1841 that was available for sale in Dussmann – das Kulturkaufhaus, a bookstore offering books, musik, musik sheets and movies in the center of Berlin last August. In between the walking tours that Director Deedrick offered to tourists in Berlin, he spent 6 months trying to come up with a new vision that would suit a Vancouver audience and the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Since it was my first Opera (besides Phantom of the Opera), I had nothing to compare it to, but apparently the background was very modern and not like other productions. My daughter loved it, especially the mesh curtain that gradually turned opaque, showcasing the very beginning scene with Senta sitting in a chair. She felt this character was very “bad-ass” and powerful, although the Marjorie Owens didn’t say (or sing) a single word, but just got up and walked across the stage with grace and power. A former member of the Sächsische Staatsoper in Dresden and a Grand Finals Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, soprano Marjorie Owens projected her voice so well that everyone one of the guests in the 2, 765 seats were filled with the glory of her song. @VancouverOpera UBC Professor J. Patrick Raftery gave a pre-show talk called “Haunted by sea” at 6:30 pm in the Mezzanine, where he introduced us to the haunting world of The Flying Dutchman and provides unique insights into Wagner’s massive musical constructions that challenge both singer and orchestra. Director Deedrick was born in Lacombe, a small city in central Alberta in between Calgary and Edmonton. Even though it was a small place, they still had a Gilbert and Sullivan Society, a Lacombe Research Centre (Brian called it an “experimental farm”) that attracted scientists from London, New York and other places in the world that established a flourishing arts scene that inspired him. When he was in Grade 3, he wrote, directed and starred in a production of Romeo and Juliet and when he was in high school he was involved in musicals. As a young man, Deedrick spoke English, German, Italian, a little French and some Swedish. After graduation, Deedrick decided to persue fine arts and to get a teaching degree, but he soon decided to major in theatre at the University of Alberta and get a Masters Degree in directing. He wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but as he put it at some point the “phone began to ring” and soon he learned he was in demand in places around the world. Being able to produce shows, explore cities, this was something he decided to dedicate his time and energy to. Rather than pursue a relationship with someone and establish a family, he decided to spend his life immersed in the “totality of art” – visuals, music, storytelling. The quintessential nomad; a wanderer, just like the Flying Dutchman. Since the Opera season covers fall, winter and spring, that left summer open for other pursuits and I was intrigued to learn that Brian Deedrick was a tour guide for the summer months in Germany’s capital city. “DER BESTE STADTFÜHRER ALLER ZEIT” (best tour guide of all times) is what one Facebook fan commented. Deedrick wanted to study at the Goethe Insitute in Berlin in 1992, and he inquired about families he could stay with. They billeted him with a kind couple and he still stays with him when he spends time in Berlin to this day. The husband is an actor and the wife a teacher, and they keep a room available for him at anytime. This is in the district of Berlin called Kreuzberg, home to students, artists and a large Turkish population. When staying in Vancouver, there are also some “beloved friends” on Commercial Drive, only a 20-minute walk to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. They are involved with the Theatre and Film Department at UBC, which is a perfect fit. His actual family still lives in Edmonton, where for years, he was the “Acting Teacher” of the Opera Nuova. Deedrick also plans a trip to Korea, Japan and Taiwan this year to “fill up, replenish and learn something new.” Travelling around the world for over 100 productions is more evidence of a nomadic, temporary lifestyle that seems to suit him, down to a T. Another thing is that Deedrick learned during the pandemic is that it “fits well” with his introverted personality He read 186 books, and got hooked on Bollywood TV Shows. He was attempting to set up the production of Carmen back in early 2020, but as one thing after another shut down, it was soon evident that the show could not go on. The final rehearsal was of one of the magnificant “fight scenes”, where they all attacked each other and then went out for the last supper afterwards. The great news is that Carmen, as begun during the pandemic is now going to be shown in the Spring of 2024, providing all goes well. Director Deedrick and I met in the lobby of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre during the intermission, where I was able to introduce him to Beatrice Schreiber, President of the German Canadian Business Association and we had a great talk. ©Photo by Natalya Porter for Westcoast German News When I asked Director Deedrick what his message to the audience would be, he stated “We all know that Wagner was a nasty, arrogant guy, who still managed to produce the most glorious music ever written. We need to look beyond his faults and failures as his music must be, needs to be and should be experienced. It is a story so beautiful, so intimate, a love story that can bring people to tears with a great composer and great storytelling.” He went on to say that if people are still talking about the Opera in an hour or two, or even days later, then he feels that he has been a success. ©Westcoast German News – Director Deedrick is wearing the “plum-coloured shoes” in the front row ©Westcoast German News – The German Fountain in the Queen Elizabeth Plaza with glorious sunshine ©Westcoast German News – Absolutely loved the fact that the Opera had Bavarian Pretzels – LOL So for my final statement, I was very surprised how quickly time passed while watching this Opera. It started at 7:30 pm and when they told us it was going to last 3 hours, I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to make it. But the time flew, as both my daughter and I were involved in the story. It was surprising to hear some of her feedback, as the whole night while talking to the people we met, they were pointing out that Opera is not appreciated by the younger crowd like it once used to be. There is just too much competition. But at the same time, the world has evolved and some of the concepts in the show were no longer acceptable. Professor J. Rafferty did give us a “trigger warning”, but while the Opera was magnificent in its production quality, had absolutely amazing sound quality with the live orchestra music filling the room down to your soul, the storyline was disturbing in the “me too” era. Poor Senta. She had to listen to all the men in her life who all wanted something from her. Her father wanted to marry her off to a rich man. Her lover was poor and didn’t care about her feelings and the position that she was in. Her “Flying Dutchman” that she was obsessed with insisted she be faithful unto her death even though he knew it was going to kill her. My daughter was particularly disturbed when the Dutchmen mentioned all the other women he had ruined over the years – hundreds?, thousands? – who had not been able to keep their promise of being faithful. The Metropolitan Opera states “Dramatic plot points that can seem questionable or discomfiting—or even downright offensive—to modern audiences show up all the time in works of art, and opera is no exception. Rather than shying away from discussions of gender roles in potentially off-putting stories like that of Der Fliegende Holländer, teachers should provide students with opportunities to engage with the uneasiness that these tales provoke and think critically about troubling or gray areas of representation.” I think this would help keep the generations of today more involved in the stories of yesteryear. Altogether it was a fantastic event! I am looking forward to the production of Carmen, and hope to go again. Learn more here: https://www.vancouveropera.ca/whats-on/2023-2024-season/ or get your tickets here: https://www.vancouveropera.ca/whats-on/flying-dutchman/ ©Westcoast German News – When eating at the Glowball, the woman at the next table also had her Wagner brochure and we spent a fun hour discussing the Opera! [...]
April 27, 2023AustrianVancouver, April 27, 2023 –Vienna House is an affordable rental housing pilot project for families, seniors and individuals with disabilities in Vancouver that will help BC Housing evaluate innovative building materials and designs aimed at tackling affordability, inclusion and climate change. The project is being led by the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Affordable Housing Agency with support and funding provided by BC Housing, and is planned as a 123-unit, six-storey building at the intersection of Victoria Drive and Stainsbury Avenue in East Vancouver. More than a Roof Housing Society will own and operate the project. The project takes its name from its unique place as a signature piece of a collaboration between the City of Vancouver and the City of Vienna, Austria, to explore new materials and approaches to building affordable housing. A similar project, called Vancouver House, will be built in Austria while Vienna House is underway. Vienna House will showcase innovative materials and processes designed to deliver high-efficiency energy performance with very low greenhouse gas emissions. This includes exploring prefabricated building components made from renewable materials and an integrated design process that brings all partners together at regular intervals to solve project challenges and maximize opportunities for efficiency. Vienna House is an affordable rental housing pilot project for families, seniors and individuals with disabilities in Vancouver that will help BC Housing evaluate innovative building materials and designs aimed at tackling affordability, inclusion and climate change. The project is being led by the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Affordable Housing Agency with support and funding provided by BC Housing, and is planned as a 123-unit, six-storey building at the intersection of Victoria Drive and Stainsbury Avenue in East Vancouver. More than a Roof Housing Society will own and operate the project. The project takes its name from its unique place as a signature piece of a collaboration between the City of Vancouver and the City of Vienna, Austria, to explore new materials and approaches to building affordable housing. A similar project, called Vancouver House, will be built in Austria while Vienna House is underway. Vienna House will showcase innovative materials and processes designed to deliver high-efficiency energy performance with very low greenhouse gas emissions. This includes exploring prefabricated building components made from renewable materials and an integrated design process that brings all partners together at regular intervals to solve project challenges and maximize opportunities for efficiency. The project has been developed since its inception around the Passive House standard. As a result, future tenants would use very little energy for heating and cooling and, in compliance with the City of Vancouver’s Zero Emissions Building Plan, the building would be designed to minimize climate pollution. Vancouver City Council approved rezoning and project design in March 2023, and construction is anticipated to begin in late 2023. ©Photo Provided by Media Relations| BC Housing Additional details can also be heard as a part of BC Housing’s Let’s Talk Housing podcast, which highlighted Vienna House during its second season. Listen here: Let’s Talk Housing: a Podcast by BC Housing: S2E8 – The Vienna House Project on Apple Podcasts The project has been developed since its inception around the Passive House standard. As a result, future tenants would use very little energy for heating and cooling and, in compliance with the City of Vancouver’s Zero Emissions Building Plan, the building would be designed to minimize climate pollution. Vancouver City Council approved rezoning and project design in March 2023, and construction is anticipated to begin in late 2023. The Vienna House project team went on a field trip to see what some of the mass-timber facilities in British Columbia have on offer. UBC’s Centre for Advanced Wood Processing and the University of Northern British Columbia sponsored the tour, with funding support from Forest Innovation Investment and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. ©Vienna Housing Project Website Details on this project, including renderings, can be found online here: https://viennahouse.ca/about-the-project/ Additional details can also be heard as a part of BC Housing’s Let’s Talk Housing podcast, which highlighted Vienna House during its second season. Listen here: Let’s Talk Housing: a Podcast by BC Housing: S2E8 – The Vienna House Project on Apple Podcasts [...]
April 26, 2023politicsVancouver, BC – April 26, 2023 – Yesterday on Tuesday, April 25th, UBC hosted German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, First Lady Elke Büdenbender, the happy-looking Minister of Education & Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger and Ms. Sabine Sparrwasser the German Ambassador to Canada, among others in the 70-member delegation as part of the President’s first official visit to Canada. ©Photo provided by UBC Media Relations Team President Steinmeier was welcomed by German Consul General in Vancouver General Marc Eichhorn. ©Westcoast German News The delegates were then welcomed by Dr. Walter Merida, applied science associate dean, research and industrial partnerships, who was excited to lead the tour of the “SHED” – Smart Hydrogen Energy District. This is an unique project developed by MeridaLabs, a research group within the faculty of applied science, and projected to open later this year. ©Westcoast German News The guests were shown the first and only working hydrogen fueling station in UBC, currently available for cars and busses. ©Provided by UBC Media Relations Team President Steinmeier was given a tour by the passionate Dr. Merida, who was very excited to explain the ins and outs of the soon-to-open hydrogen research platform. He also met faculty of applied science researchers working on clean energy and climate change solutions, including engineers collaborating with German research institutions, along the way. ©UBC Media Relations Team President Steinmeier and the First Lady , as well as other members of the large German delegation, greeted representatives of UBC including UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Deborah Buszard, Musqueam Indian Band Chief Wayne Sparrow and Researchers working in the UBC Faculty of Applied Science. The President had just come from a boat tour with the mayor of Vancouver Ken Sim and the Premier of BC David Eby, and luckily for them the weather had suddenly transformed into sunshine, after weeks and months of rain. ©Westcoast German News After all the greetings were over, and the SHED tour was finished, President Steinmeier and his delegation were able to attend the research showcase, with 7 projects relating to clean energy, digital manufacturing, quantum materials and smart energy storage held in the Pharm-Sci Building-Atrium on display. UBC is one of the few Canadian academic institutions with research partnerships with the three major German research institutions – Fraunhofer Society, Max Planck Society and Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, which includes the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) – as well as partnerships with leading German organizations including Siemens and BASF. ©UBC Media Relations Team ©Westcoast German News Below, left to right are: Dr. Andrea Damascelli, a Researcher for the Max Planck-UBC-UTokyo Centre for Quantum Materials, Valentin Zimmermann, who recently received a prize of the Faculty for Physics and Mathematics at the University of Stuttgart for his MSc degree in Physics, Rafael Haenel, Joint PhD Candidate, University of British Columbia & Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research and Dr. Anoush Poursartip, leading the DLR@UBC, a long-term German-UBC collaboration project on improving materials and structures for aeronautics and ground transportation. ©WestcoastGermanNews Says Rafael Haenel, a joint PhD student at UBC, the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research and the University of Stuttgart, “My program gives me the chance to experience a second academic environment. I get to meet interesting people and participate in cutting-edge research and collaboration between two institutes, two cultures.” ©Provided by UBC Media Relations Team Dr. Merida introduced the topic of international collaboration and why this is so important in the world today. “UBC applied science researchers excel at collaborating across large, multidisciplinary projects that lead to relevant, practical solutions to the complex challenges of climate change and clean energy,” said Dr. Mérida. “This work puts our faculty and students at the heart of what matters most in Canada and the global economy.” ©Westcoast German News @wWestcoast German News “We were delighted to welcome President Steinmeier to UBC and to showcase our commitment to sustainable energy and advancing research that addresses climate change,” said UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Deborah Buszard. “President Steinmeier’s visit underscores the importance of international collaboration in the field of clean energy and we look forward to continued partnership with German institutions.” @Westcoast German News Chief Wayne Sparrow talked about the importance of clean energy and leaving something behind for our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and everyone born in the future. Chief Wayne Sparrow Afterwards they presented the President with a beautiful piece of artwork by Coast Salish artist from Musqueam Susan Point and a blanket from the Musqueam Nation. UBC is situated on the ancestral, traditional and unceded territory of the Musqueam peoples. Canada welcomes several thousand German students every year and the German visit highlights how these students can tap into opportunities to engage in top-tier research, particularly at UBC. The visit ended with a photo opportunity with the President and the First Lady on either side of Chief Sparrow. Other projects included: UBC Orbit is a satellite design team led by UBC engineering students and advised by electrical and computer engineering professor Dr. David Michelson, who are building a training satellite that can assist in disaster mitigation and response A research group led by Dr. David Wilkinson, Canada Research Chair in clean energy and electrochemical technologies, is developing advanced electrochemical methods to produce clean energy and clean water with minimal carbon emissions Dr. Mohammad Arjmand, Canada Research Chair in advanced materials and polymer engineering, leads a team that is embedding enhanced properties into next-generation nanomaterials for applications that include improving defence capabilities DLR@UBC, a long-term German-UBC collaboration led by Dr. Anoush Poursartip, involves 30-plus scientists working together on eight projects including improving materials and structures for aeronautics and ground transportation About this Visit: Althought it was very exciting to be that close to the President Steinmeier, it would have been nice to also formally be able to introduce myself, as his wife and I share the same first name. Apparently protocol prevented this from happening. The other disappointing aspect of this event is that the President of the German Canadian Business Association was not directly invited, which I think is a significant loss. This event was highlighting business connections, educational opportunities and collaboration projects between Germany and Canada and Beatrice Schreiber – who received the Federal Order of Merit, awarded to domestic and foreign citizens for political, economic, social and intellectual achievements – would have been able to share some of the experiences she has gathered in her last 30 years as a German Canadian Board Member for Businesses in Canada. What I did enjoy was the well-organized flow of events for the media. We had a media briefing led by Erik Rolfsen, Senior Media Relations Specialist, which thoroughly explained protocol, projects, introduced professors and let us know the order of events. We were allowed to take pictures, but they also provided us with pictures from the UBC Media Relations Team, which was very helpful. They were thorough, professional and made it easy to attend the event and then write about it afterwards. Kudos to the The Media Relations and University Affairs team, UBC Faculty of applied science, the UBC Researchers who answered my basic questions patiently and most of all to the kind member of the UBC IT Team who let me borrow a smartphone cord, since mine broke and my battery was only at 23% at the time. Thank you so much! About President Steinmeier: Frank-Walter Steinmeier was born in Detmold (Lippe district) on 5 January 1956. He has been married to Elke Büdenbender since 1995. They have one daughter. In 1998, he was appointed State Secretary at the Federal Chancellery and Federal Government Commissioner for the Federal Intelligence Services. He also served as Head of the Federal Chancellery from 1999. Frank-Walter Steinmeier was appointed Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2005 and was also Deputy Chancellor from 2007. In 2009, he won a directly elected seat in a constituency in Land Brandenburg and became a Member of the German Bundestag. The parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Party of Germany in the German Bundestag elected him as chairperson. Four years later, he became Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs for the second time, and served in this role until January 2017. Frank-Walter Steinmeier was elected as the twelfth President of the Federal Republic of Germany on 12 February 2017 and re-elected for a second term of office on 13 February 2022. [...]
April 25, 2023politicsVancouver, April 24, 2023 – The Honourable Federal President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, came to Canada from April 23 to 26, 2023. He was joined by Mrs. Elke Büdenbender, his wife, as well as Bettina Stark-Watzinger, the Federal Minister of Education and Research. During their visit, the President and Mrs. Büdenbender will visited Ottawa, ON on April 23 and 24th, will travel to Vancouver, BC on April 25th, and Yellowknife and Tuktoyaktuk, NWT on April 26th. The President will be joined by ministers, Members of Parliament and business leaders from the German Chamber of Commerce. Westcoast German News could not attend this event, as we are not an accredited news outlet by the standards of Berlin. The German Canadian Business Association was also not invited to join in this event, even though it specifically mentions “Discussion with representatives of the German and Canadian business community.” So far, I have also not seen any mention of CETA, which is the “the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, a free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Canada. I am curious to hear what happens tomorrow. The Prime Minister and the President will meet to further advance joint efforts to build the resilience of German and Canadian democracies, economies, and environment. With his trip to Ottawa, Vancouver and the Arctic, the Federal President is paying tribute to the close partnership between Canada and Germany, as well as the cooperation between two liberal democracies, which are tackling the challenges of our time together: from security policy and resilience to the energy transition and climate change. The Federal President is accompanied by Bettina Stark-Watzinger, the Federal Minister of Education and Research, and a delegation composed of members of Parliament, as well as representatives of the business, academic and cultural communities. This is the Federal President’s first visit to Canada in his political career. They plan to work together on common issues like climate change and clean energy resources, including secure access to clean hydrogen and critical minerals and strong policies like pollution pricing. The leaders will also highlight our strong trade ties, which are growing our economies and creating good, middle-class jobs in both countries, as well as the close ties between our peoples. This visit will build on the progress made during last year’s visit from Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, to strengthen the close relationship between Canada and Germany in areas including advancing clean energy. At this critical time, when the world and our people are facing a series of challenges, ranging from a high cost of living to energy and food insecurity, our two countries remain united by our shared values. As like-minded friends and allies, they need to keep working closely together – now and into the future. Germany has set an economy-wide emissions reduction target of at least 65% by 2030 and at least 88% by 2040, compared to 1990 levels. The country aims to reach climate neutrality by 2045 (five years earlier than the EU target) and achieve negative greenhouse gas emissions after 2050. The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act , which became law on June 29, 2021, enshrines in legislation Canada’s commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The Act ensures transparency and accountability as the government works to deliver on its targets. On 25 April, the Federal President will travel on to the port city of Vancouver on Canada’s West Coast to learn more about Canada’s Pacific orientation. To that end, he will join the Premier of British Columbia on a tour of the port and speak to representatives of the local business community. During a guided tour of a fuel cell manufacturer and a visit to see smart energy systems at the University of British Columbia, the focus will be on economic and technological cooperation between the two countries. Tuesday, 25 April 10.00 a.m. , Cellcentric Fuel Cell CanadaVisit the fuel cell manufacturer 1.00 p.m., delegation hotelDiscussion with representatives of the German and Canadian business community 2.00 p.m., harbourBoat tour of the harbour with David Eby, Premier of British Columbia 4.30 p.m., University of British ColumbiaTour of a pilot for smart energy systems and presentation of research projects by students from various faculties In the afternoon, President Steinmeier and other members of the delegation will tour UBC’s Smart Hydrogen Energy District (SHED) – a soon-to-open hydrogen fuelling station that showcases integrated energy generation for smart cities. He will also speak to leading-edge researchers working on challenges relating to clean energy, digital manufacturing, quantum materials and smart energy storage. “Canada and Germany are close friends – united by our shared values and common interests like upholding democracy, defending human rights, fighting climate change, and making life better for people in our countries and beyond. I look forward to welcoming President Steinmeier to Canada to keep building on our close friendship and partnership.” — The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada “Our countries, Germany and Canada, have so much in common. We are both dedicated to our shared values and convictions such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law. We share the goal of a fairer and more inclusive society in which everyone has the same opportunities, regardless of gender, background or faith. And we maintain very close, even very personal, political ties. Germany and Canada are united by a partnership that is more important than ever, especially in this time of war, crisis and upheaval. We always knew that we liked each other – now it seems that we also need each other in today’s world. In Germany, we have a saying that the best is yet to come. I think that is the only logical explanation why your country, why Canada, is the only liberal democracy that I had never visited. I actually saved the best for last…” Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier PS. Photo is from the website of the Official Office of the Bundespräsident [...]
April 24, 2023BusinessVancouver, April 24, 2023 – Vancouver Opera is thrilled to be ending their Vancouver Opera 22-23 season with The Flying Dutchman at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. This is going to be a new production for their company and something we believe the German Community would enjoy. Traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations – Vancouver Opera (VO) will complete its successful 2022-2023 season with The Flying Dutchman. Written by one of the world’s greatest operatic composers, Richard Wagner, this production will delight opera enthusiasts and casual fans alike. In a stunning new production conceived by director Brian Deedrick (Turnadot) for Vancouver Opera, The Flying Dutchman features the magnificent music of Wagner performed by a stellar international cast, the Vancouver Opera Orchestra & Chorus led by maestro Leslie Dala (Orfeo ed Euridice). Based on a European maritime legend, The Flying Dutchman tells the haunting story of a man cursed to wander the seas for eternity, and a woman whose self-sacrifice is his only chance at redemption. This tragic love story is the composer’s first masterpiece. “Having a new interpretation of one of Wagner’s most dynamic works ending our season is very fitting,” said Tom Wright, Vancouver Opera General Director. “This season we have delighted our audiences with compelling productions. The theatre has been filled with returning opera fans and our productions have engaged a new generation of operagoers. The creativity going into this production is sure to entice fans of Wagner and those seeking an operatic adventure. Our creative team, being led by Brian Deedrick, is building a magical and fantastical world through projection, costumes and lighting.” Cast in the role of The Dutchman is Greg Dahl, last seen at Vancouver Opera in Cavalleria Rusticana and Otello. Making their Vancouver Opera debuts are Marjorie Owens as Senta, Richard Wiegold as Daland and Wookyung Kim as Erik. Last seen at Vancouver Opera in Faust, La Bohème and The Merry Widow, Scott Rumble is Steuermann. Last seen as Buttercup at Vancouver Opera’s in H.M.S. Pinafore, Megan Latham is Mary. “A feast of music, sight and sound, there is absolutely nothing like Wagner’s early masterpiece (and my favourite), The Flying Dutchman,” said director Brian Deedrick. “My third time out, I’m really excited to be working with a whole new team of designers and singers to bring this wildly-different new production to Vancouver audiences. Longing, love, obsession, death, destruction and hints of the supernatural, all wrapped up in some of the most glorious music ever written—I mean, how can you NOT fall in love with DUTCHMAN? And whether it’s you’re first or fifty-first time, what with the big stories, big pictures and big music, how can you not fall in love with OPERA!” The creative team for The Flying Dutchman includes projection designer Wlad Woyno, lighting designer Gerald King, costumer designer Erik Teague and scenic designer Craig Alfredson. The team is joined by assistant director Sawyer Craig, assistant lighting designer Jamie Sweeney, and Women in Musical Leadership Participant Assistant Jennifer Tung. Sets and props were created and built by Vancouver Opera. Costumes are courtesy of Glimmerglass Opera. Single tickets for The Flying Dutchman start at $50 and are available now through the Vancouver Opera box office online or at 604-683-0222. For more information about the 2023–2024 Vancouver Opera Season, and to subscribe, please visit vancouveropera.ca. The Flying Dutchman is sung in German with English SURTITLES™ projected above the stage. Vancouver Opera has the continuing support of The Canada Council for the Arts, Government of Canada, the BC Arts Council and BC Provincial Government, the City of Vancouver Cultural Services, and Vancouver Civic Theatres. Vancouver Opera’s season sponsor is BMO. The Flying Dutchman production sponsor is Vancouver Opera Guild. Ticket Centre sponsor is Mission Hill Family Estate. ABOUT VANCOUVER OPERA Vancouver Opera creates extraordinary experiences that engage, inspire, and entertain the community through voice, music and theatre. Vancouver Opera is the second largest professional opera company in Canada and is regarded worldwide for its fine mainstage productions, country-leading education programs, and innovative community programs. Learn more at www.vancouveropera.ca. [...]
April 17, 2023ArtistsMonday, April 17, 2023 – Vancouver, BC – 2023 JUNO-Winner (and Fulbright Scholar) Florian Hoefner Trio, featuring Andrew Downing on bass and Nick Fraser on drums, came to Lions Bay to perform a repertoire of originals from their 2023 JUNO-Winning “Best Jazz Album-Group” album “DesertBloom” and 2021 JUNO -Nominated “FirstSpring” at the Village Hall on Sat, Apr 15, 2023 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM PDT. What made this concert uniquely special in that it was an “electric” performance, very unique stunning one-off, with the NORD Fender-Rhodes sound. All other performances are are usually done on an acoustic Steinway piano (per the recording). So the band was hearing this for the first time, in this style, too. So we were very lucky in that regard to be part of this ephemeral experience.
by MC Tamara Leger Born and raised in Germany, trained in New York City on a Fulbright Scholarship and now based in Newfoundland Canada, jazz pianist and composer Florian Hoefner draws from a myriad of influences that culminate in his unique Award-Winning brand of modern jazz. Florian initially began his musical studies in Bavaria, where he played the trumpet and accordion, in addition to piano. After obtaining his first degree in jazz piano from the University of Arts in Berlin, he was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to complete a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City where he studied with Jason Moran, Dave Liebman, and Garry Dial. I was so happy to be invited to this concert as Westcoast German News and Germans in Vancouver. It was my first time in the Lions Bay Village Hall. Tamara Leger, a Community Engagement Consultant, began organizing “Lions Bay House Concerts” in 2015, established to promote community and personal connection through remarkable and unique shared experiences. She wanted to get folks out of their silos and create an active social environment where newcomer could easily mix with the old-timer and connect, or reconnect, in new ways. “House Concerts” means the production of musical events staged in private residences within the Village of Lions Bay and also includes any events staged in Broughton Hall and any Eat Together events in Lions Bay Beach Park. Tamara started the event with an icebreaker asking people where they volunteer and asking them to describe 3 separate projects they have worked on. After discovering that several people in the audience spoke German, she asked them to stand in front of the crowd and personally welcome Florian Hoefner, German artist, in his native language. There were even a few other members of the audience who spoke German! What is an event without art? Below are Rain Senra-Francois (left), Elizabeth Cross (middle) and Arega Grigoryan (right) who were all from Art Vancouver – Canada’s western most prestigious art fair that brings the international art world together at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. It features reputable galleries and artists from across Canada and around the world. Art Vancouver Founder Lisa Wolfin curated the artist display (info@artvancouver.net) that added that special touch to this already amazing event. All of the pictures seen above are on sale, but two of my favourites were: The Florian Hoefner Trio are a Canadian jazz trio from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Since 2018, Hoefner has been working with his trio, which features Andrew Downing on bass and Nick Fraser on drums. Their Juno-nominated debut album First Spring focuses on Hoefner’s arrangements of folk tunes from around the world. Their 2023 Juno-winning follow-up album, Desert Bloom, includes original compositions that showcase Hoefner’s hallmark lyricism. Some snippets of this concert have been placed on my TikTok channel. https://www.tiktok.com/@elke.pr Beatrice and I are standing with gold sponsor Thyra McKilligan of Re/Max Masters (middle), who has been a North Shore resident for over 25 years, but her specialty is Lions Bay. Once a musician herself, she actively supports the arts and live events that help create a sense of community. Selling or buying a home in Lions Bay, call her. Other realtors do! https://www.thyramckilligan.com/ MC Tamara Leger (left in the picture below) also wanted to be a launch pad for seriously talented musical artists who were passing through and perhaps looking to pick up an extra gig in an exquisite environment. So, every month she invites culture lovers to gather and have an absolutely marvellous time sharing delicious food, unique music and showcase local famous and emerging artists. All of these events are also 19+. Her experience as an innovator, entrepreneur, and Director of Special Projects reflects her enjoyment of launching new products and translating vision into action. Florian found her online and contacted her back in 2021 to talk to her about touring in BC and after the pandemic finally lifted most restrictions, this concert has finally taken place! Lions Bay Councillors Marcus Reuter (German-speaking), Neville Abbott, Michael Broughton presented the three artists with flowers. Elizabeth Cross has a website that can be found here: http://www.elizabethcross.ca/. Rain Senra-Francois has a website rainsenrafrancoic.com/ This event brought culture lovers of all ages together. If you would like to see more about this artist, you can visit her Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/aregagrigorya/ All good things must come to an end. If you missed this concert and really wanted to hear some live jazz music, you could see Florian Hoefner in Nanimo on Monday, April 17, BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, April 18, or in Kelowna on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Other concert dates can be found here: https://florian-hoefner.com/live-dates/ If you would like to know a little more about the German Canadian Business Association (GCBA), who has a mission to promote cultural, business & professional interests in the German-speaking Community in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, visit https://www.germancanadianbusiness.com/ Finally, if you would like me to attend an event and write a story like the one above, please fill in a contact form and we can arrange a time for a discussion over Zoom, Whatsapp or on the phone. MORE ABOUT LIONS BAY HOUSE CONCERTSFounded in 2015, Lions Bay House Concerts was created to present world-class music + art and community events in local settings. In the past 8 YEARS, over 4800 Attendees have enjoyed 120 Concerts and Events FEATURING 300 National and International Touring Musicians, in 36 UNIQUE private homes and public spaces. The series is supported by longtime sponsor, local realtor Thyra McKilligan of Re/Max Masters, and grantors like West Vancouver Foundation – Neighbourhood Small Grants. We often collaborate with other community-based organizations, like Art Vancouver to enrich the artist and attendee experience. Contact Information: Tamara Leger |778-928-7071 Founder |LionsBayHouseConcerts Music + Art. Experience [...]
April 14, 2023BusinessVancouver, BC April 14, 2023 – Mission: The Non-Profit Braun Foundation sees itself as a mediator for the needs of schools, universities, businesses and exchange organizations, and a facilitator for the intercultural education of (future) applicants, the further education of internationally placed employees, as well as supporting individuals and organizations in other related areas. Vision: We would like to contribute towards a mutual understanding between cultures, and develop and promote different educational and economic systems. To this end, the foundation facilitates crucial exchanges and meetings at an international level. Values: Tolerance, Integration and intercultural communication are very complex terms. The Braun Foundation brings these principles to life, and through an operational and supportive foundation business, incorporates them into our daily lives and our society. To reach our goals and fulfill our vision we cooperate, support and interlink colleges, high-schools, state and private universities, Language Schools and Exchange organisations, NGOs, NPOs, private companies and State Organizations. Together with the extensive and diverse Braun Foundation network we have established the International Exchange Service of the Braun Foundation (PESIE) and the International PESIE Student ID Card (IPSC). The project “Preparation Colleges in Germany” complements the Foundation’s main purposes and activities. Here is the website: https://www.braun-stiftung.org/ The foundation developed a portal solution called pesie.org (portal of expert services for international experiences) in cooperation with universities, associations, exchange organizations and companies. Also connected with: Memberships AASAP – Assoziation Amerikanischer Study Abroad Programme in Deutschland e.V. Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft DSZ – Deutsches Stiftungszentrum DAAD – Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst EAIE – European Association for International Education ELSA – European Law Students Association FORUMEA – Forum on Education Abroad NAFSA – Association of International Educators [...]
April 13, 2023German SportsVancouver, BC – April 13, 2023 – Vancouver and Berlin have been named as host cities for the Laver Cup in 2023 and 2024 respectively, following an intense bidding process. The Laver Cup will now be held at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC from September 22-24, 2023 while the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin will host the Laver Cup from September 20-22, 2024 in Germany. The Laver Cup is a competition between Europe and the rest of the World. Each team is made up of six players, and led by a team captain, who is a legend in the world of tennis. The captain for 2023 of “Team Europe” is Swedish Bjorn Borg, and the captain of “Team World” is John McEnroe, born in Germany, as a US Citizen. The Laver Cup honors Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, the only person in the world to win two calendar-year Grand Slams. It is impossible to know who the six people will be, as the top 3 ranked players for Team Europe and top 3 for Team World, based on singles rankings after Wimbledon (July 17, 2023), will receive an automatic invitation to represent their teams at the Laver Cup. Background History Laver once played an exhibition match with fellow Australian John Newcombe at the Stanley Park tennis courts in 1970. He returned to Vancouver in 1972 to compete in the Rothmans Canadian Open. As a little aside, my grandmother always volunteered at the Stanley Park tennis courts since arriving here in 1972 and most likely met Rod Laver in person! Played on a black indoor court, the Laver Cup debuted in Prague in 2017 and has since been held in Chicago in 2018, Geneva in 2019, Boston in 2021 and London in 2022, when Team World won the title for the first time! Newsletter Sign-Up For information about ticket on-sale dates, fans are encouraged to register here for regular updates According to Laver Cup CEO Steve Zacks each of these two cities will provide a perfect destination for this dramatic event. “We’re delighted to bring the Laver Cup in 2023 to Vancouver, a beautiful city which is renowned for hosting major sporting events. It will also be our first time coming to the West,” Zacks said. “And then in 2024 we look forward to staging the event in Berlin, one of the coolest cities in Europe.
CEO Steve Zacks “Both cities are exceptional, progressive destinations with incredible facilities and a rich cultural heritage, along with thriving tennis communities. We look forward to making more Laver Cup history in Vancouver and Berlin.” The tournament’s sixth edition will be played at Rogers Arena from September 22-24, 2023 as some of the biggest names in tennis compete as teams in both singles and doubles matches, forming pairings that have never been seen before,. The fast-paced scoring format and unique presentation keeps fans on the edge of their seat until the very last moment. Exciting news is that Roger Federer, who was actually one of the key founders of the Laver Cup, is coming to Vancouver for the first time next year. Ticket Information and Links Multi-Session Ticket Packages are available for purchase via Ticketmaster as of March 3 at 10:00 AM PST. Click HERE to find out more. Multi-Session Hospitality Packages are now also on sale via the Laver Cup website and are handled directly by the Laver Cup hospitality sales team. Click HERE to what hospitality packages are available and to inquire about availability. Click HERE and register to receive Laver Cup event updates and ticket on sale information. Visit LaverCup.com for more information about the event. Rogers Arena is home to the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks hockey team. The multi-purpose arena, located at 800 Griffiths Way in the downtown area of Vancouver, stages some of the biggest concerts and shows in Vancouver, BC, the third largest city in Canada. Merchandise You can pre-order online at Vanbase.ca for pick-up before the show or delivery to your door. Fan Services Please contact Fan Services at 604.899.7440 or fanservices@canucks.com to enquire about specific events. Where to Stay Finding an Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.ca/a/stays/Vancouver–British-Columbia–Canada?mlamenities=true&c=.pi0.pk355652324_24884004404&localized_ghost=true&gclid=CjwKCAjw0N6hBhAUEiwAXab-TSWJYPm-tewb-_mXYF6LDYg2wowSmeVX64OZ76SQfpVF5EEr66i2IRoCQqYQAvD_BwE Finding a hotel: (expedia link) https://www.expedia.ca/Hotel-Search?regionId=4106&locale=en_CA&siteid=4&semcid=CA.UB.GOOGLE.DT-c-EN.HOTEL&SEMDTL=a111848848694.b1114449593839.g1kwd-11344041.l1.e1c.m1CjwKCAjw0N6hBhAUEiwAXab-TXgSyHO2yodb3sFiWrBspuZBhPV5G4exleTOq4YlgH9IrCArkbiMdBoCNeMQAvD_BwE.r19bdf1087ae13caf6b9da93380f3cbb1a7de406dbd08d35912662847b2258d835.c1WLcVc1EhTY_m-iMxymi2iA.j19001558.k1.d1486366111244.h1e.i1.n1.o1.p1.q1.s1.t1.x1.f1.u1.v1.w1&gclid=CjwKCAjw0N6hBhAUEiwAXab-TXgSyHO2yodb3sFiWrBspuZBhPV5G4exleTOq4YlgH9IrCArkbiMdBoCNeMQAvD_BwE [...]
April 13, 2023EmploymentSharp Lines Painting, an established commercial and residential painting company in Vancouver/Lower mainland is hiring and they are seeking a German-speaking, experienced house painter to run the team. Located in Vancouver, Canada, they are looking for a painting foreman/boots on the ground lead painter! Requirements: proficient English in speaking / writing – you have a vehicle that can carry staff, ladders/tools/equipment (Compact, SUV, mini van, truck) – drivers license class 5/clean record – full time work permit/Permanent resident or Canadian citizen – you have sufficient painting experience to perform all painting work and guide others (1-3 years minimum preferred) – spray painting experience is an asset – communication skills over text/phone is crucial – able to manage a team of 1-5 – knowledgeable about painting products in Vancouver – boom lift, fall training certifications preferred If this sounds like you, DM Paul Gohler at 604 348-6564 or email your resume to info@SharpLinesPainting.com Benefits: -Starting rate of pay is $23-28 per hour depending on experience. -Extended health after 3 months (dental, health, vision) -Opportunities for advancement -Training opportunities in specializations (epoxy work etc) -8:30-5:00 Monday to Friday work schedule -overtime opportunities And more! Experience with Interior. Exterior. Residential. Commercial. Strata. preferred. They service the whole Lower Mainland. [...]
April 9, 2023Cultural EventsVancouver, April 8, 2023 – Germany welcomes researchers, especially from Canada. Germany & Canada are celebrating 50 years of science and technology cooperation which have helped solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since the 1971 signing of the Canada-Germany Science and Technology (S&T) Agreement it is estimated more than 1000 joint research projects have materialized, including in priority areas such as space technologies and earth observation, fuel cells, sustainable energy, nanotechnology, photonics, metrology, ocean science, health and genomics, and Arctic science. “Research in Germany” is the central marketing of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for Germany as a location for research and innovation. The aim of the initiative is to make Germany even better known and more visible as an attractive country for education, research and innovation. They make it easy for Canadian scientists to apply The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Fraunhofer Society and the DLR project management agency implement the initiative and carry out global communication measures and events. “Research in Germany” is a partner of “Kooperation international” and regularly publishes information about events promoting Germany as a research location. If you are a Canadian researcher hoping to spend some time in Germany, here are some places you can turn to: University of Bonn – Established in October 1995, the German-Canadian Centre is the result of a successful collaboration of the North American Studies Program at the University of Bonn, the German-Canadian Association (DKG), and the Canadian Embassy which has generously supported the centre ever since. The German-Canadian Centre acts as a forum for the discussion of current cultural, political, and economic issues involved in German-Canadian relations while at the same time aiming to intensify German-Canadian relations through its contacts to a variety of Canadian institutions and partner universities. In part by way of its cooperation with the German-Canadian Association we encourage an interested public from outside the university to engage in this particular intercultural and transatlantic exchange.: https://www.nas.uni-bonn.de/research/german-canadian-centre Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – (International Collaboration) Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft – An agreement between NSERC and the German research foundation, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), has been concluded to establish a formal mechanism for supporting a bilateral training program that involves an exchange of students between Germany and Canada. To be considered for this opportunity, Canadian candidates should follow these steps: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/professors-professeurs/grants-subs/create-foncer_eng.asp German-Canadian Herzberg Network – The Herzberg Network is an online community and resource hub for researchers, academics, research institutions, industry members, and innovators in Canada and Germany. By facilitating German and Canadian networking opportunities and providing a platform for sharing critical information and resources, we aim to support members’ development within their fields of study and industries across disciplines. https://canada.diplo.de/ca-en/vertretungen/generalkonsulat2/-/2482478 NFERC & DFG – Canada and Germany enjoy long-standing cooperation in science and technology. Recognizing the importance of international collaboration in promoting scientific discoveries, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on research cooperation. The MOU provides an overarching framework to enhance opportunities for collaborative activities between Canadian and German research communities and sets out the principles for developing jointly supported activities: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/innovate-innover/DFG-DFG/index_eng.asp German Canada Hydrogen Alliance – The Participants will advance collaborative bilateral and multilateral Research, Development, & Demonstration (R, D&D) efforts that will support hydrogen production, infrastructure, and supply chains, based on the existing, long-lasting collaboration networks in R, D&D between both countries in energy- and hydrogen-related research: https://www.bmwk.de/Redaktion/EN/Downloads/J/joint-declaration-of-intent-on-establishing-a-germany-canada-hydrogen-alliance.html Clean Energy Process – The topic of hydrogen is prominently represented at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), especially in research-related courses of study in the Department of Chemical and Bio-engineering. Starting in the winter semester 2021/22, new English-language bachelor’s and master’s degree courses in Clean Energy Processes (CEP) will be offered. Studies will focus on the sustainable production, distribution and use of renewable energy for the chemical industry and on changes in chemical processes: https://www.cep.study.fau.eu/ Hydrogen and Nuclear Energy Technology – The department of Hydrogen and Nuclear Energy Technology (WKET) at Dresden University of Technology (TU Dresden) offers elective modules on hydrogen as an energy carrier. Students of the diploma course in energy technology can expand their knowledge of nuclear energy technology, including dismantling power plants. The production and application of hydrogen as well as safety issues relating to hydrogen technologies are a second focus: https://tu-dresden.de/ing/maschinenwesen/iet/wket/studium?set_language=en Renewable Energies – Wind, water, sun: energy-efficient technologies of the future play an important role at the Institute for Regenerative Energy Systems (IHRES) at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences. The bachelor’s degree course in Renewable Energies teaches which technologies are available and how they can be integrated into energy supply networks. Hydrogen technology is a compulsory module in the 5th semester: https://www.hochschule-stralsund.de/reb/ International Renewable Energy Agency – The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international co-operation, acentre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy. IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy, in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity: – Research Units – Research Units funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) bring together specialists from various disciplines to work on a common research project, and often contribute to the creation of new areas of investigation and new research collaborations: https://www.dfg.de/en/research_funding/programmes/coordinated_programmes/research_units/index.html Institute of Oceanography – The Institute of Oceanography (IfM) is part of the Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), which was founded in June 2011 and has the objective to promote research in the earth system and sustainability fields, expand interdisciplinary cooperation and to connect research with education. Our institute is also part of numerous national, European and international research projects and an essential element of the KlimaCampus Hamburg, which was funded with the beginning of the DFG Excellence Initiative Integrated Climate System Analysis and Prediction (CliSAP): https://www.cen.uni-hamburg.de/ Exzellenzcluster Cliccs – „CLIMATE, CLIMATIC CHANGE, AND SOCIETY (CLICCS)“ ist ein Exzellenzcluster der Universität Hamburg, an dem gemeinsam mit starken Partnerinstitutionen geforscht wird. Er wird von der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) gefördert. CLICCS ist ein zentrales Forschungsprojekt am CEN und wird vom CEN koordiniert: (https://www.cliccs.uni-hamburg.de/) There is also a University in Saarland that has set up a “Forum Canada” – Scholarly inquiry focuses on comparative perspectives on Canadian culture, operating with a transnational consciousness that offers a global perspective on Canada. In particular, the researchers in Forum Canada examine specific literary, historical, political, geographic, and cultural conditions of Canada’s multicultural society. Research and teaching activities pay attention to relations between Canada and Europe, focusing on the mutuality of the relations and their embeddedness in a global, hemispheric and transatlantic context with a strong focus on regional studies. Finally, here are some links that could be useful for researchers from Canada: Further vacancies German Federation of Industrial Research Associations Alexander von Humboldt Foundation German Academic Exchange Service German Research Foundation Fraunhofer Association Helmholtz Association Max Planck Society Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft Leibniz Association [...]
April 5, 2023German ProductsApril 5, 2023, Vancouver, BC – The “Strandkorb” has graced German shorelines for many decades. It was invented in 1882 by a German basket weaver for a customer looking for shelter from wind and sand gusts. The reclineable beach chairs are used at most German seaside resorts where they are available for rent by vacationers. This cultural icon has made its way from the Northern and Baltic Sea beaches into the hearts of its owners. Trusting that Canadians will appreciate the mini cabanas as well, SunHaus Designs Inc. is importing them from a German manufacturer. The unique outdoor furniture is being sold in Canada under the name “SunHaus”. These high quality models are made from sustainable hardwood and recyclable wicker. They feature cushioned seating for two and can be partially or fully reclined to a luxurious lounger position. The pull-out foot rests and height adjustable neck pillows add to the comfort. The hand woven wicker canopy allows protection from sun and wind as desired. Two integrated cocktail tables offer convenient space for drinks or snacks. With two throw pillows included this ultimate piece of furniture has to be experienced to be believed. Where does the SunHaus come from and how long will it take to arrive? The SunHaus is imported from Germany and therefore has an extended delivery time, however, we do carry inventory in our warehouse in Mississauga, ON. www.sunhaus.ca President Thomas Seidel can be reached for inquiries: ts@sunhaus.ca 905-747-3315 History of the Sun Haus: In the summer of 2019 the founder’s wife inherited a German outdoor furniture icon called “Strandkorb” from her cousin. The two were like sisters and, although separated by the Atlantic, the two visited each other regularly. They spent much time together in the “Strandkorb” chatting and chilling. It became a little oasis on the cousin’s balcony. Earlier that year, she passed away after a short battle with cancer and left the unique chair to the founder’s wife. The “Strandkorb” was transported to the family weekend home in Wasaga Beach, Ontario. Once there it created much interest amongst family and friends due to its unique character and features. Since this premium piece of outdoor furniture was not available in Canada, the founder decided it was time to bring the “Strandkorb” under the name “SunHaus” to our shores and lakes. [...]
April 3, 2023ReligionVancouver, April 3, 2023 – Dr. Christo Obreschkow is currently operating a private television station «Die Neue Zeit TV» together with some idealist volunteer friends, focusing on the teachings of the unique spiritual teacher Gabriele who has been revealing unfathomable truths for the past 50 years in Germany. In order to make their program available to as many people as possible, they developed an APP for smartphones which everyone can download for free. Wherever in the world you have access to WLAN (WIFI) you can hear and see «Die Neue Zeit TV» in the original language and listen to Gabriele in her teachings, meditations, revelations and much more. Particularly in this turbulent time, we would like to offer this APP to all German speaking people worldwide so that they can tune in to «Die Neue Zeit TV». Apple App-Store or Google Play-Store Sie können die Sendungen des TV-Senders Die Neue Zeit TV europaweit 24 Stunden am Tag empfangen. über die App im Apple App-Store oder Google Play-Store: Das seit vielen Jahrzehnten dominierende Informations- und Unterhaltungsgerät, das klassische Fernsehen über Antenne oder Satellitenschüssel, gerät in unserer zunehmend digitalisierten Welt immer mehr in den Hintergrund. Sogar das qualitativ stabilere Kabelfernsehen zeigt Anzeichen von sinkender Popularität, da die Mobilität eingeschränkt ist und Lizenzkosten für den Empfang bestehen. Mit unserer TV-APP „Die Neue Zeit“, die Sie kostenlos vom Play Store auf Ihr Smartphone oder Tablet herunterladen können, erlangen Sie uneingeschränkte Mobilität beim Empfang unseres Senders «Die Neue Zeit TV», und zwar überall auf der Welt, wo WLAN besteht. Damit sind Sie weder an ein Fernsehgerät noch an einen Computer mehr gebunden, wenn Sie unser umfangreiches 24/7 Programm mit seinen einzigartigen Sendungen sehen möchten, z.B. auch auf Geschäftsreisen oder im Urlaub. Über kurze sogenannte Push-Nachrichten informieren wir Sie im Telegrammstil auf Ihrem Empfangsgerät über kurzfristig anberaumte aktuelle Sendungen, Programmänderungen und/oder neue Produktionen mit Zeitangabe, damit Sie auch wirklich nichts verpassen. Gehen Sie in den PlayStore – schreiben Sie in die Eingabezeile: die neue zeit tv app – installieren Sie die App nach dem Download auf Ihrem Gerät – fertig! Und schon sind Sie auf Empfang bei «Die Neue Zeit TV». Wir wünschen Ihnen einen guten mobilen Empfang! Der leuchtende Stern am Himmel von ASTRA Digital Der TV-Sender DIE NEUE ZEIT TV läutet die neue Zeit ein. Menschen können wieder zu einer höheren Ethik und Moral finden und entsprechend handeln – und dies in allen Lebensbereichen: im Beruf, in der Kindererziehung, im Umgang mit Natur und Tieren, in Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und Politik, sowie im täglichen Miteinander. Sie finden bei DIE NEUE ZEIT TV eine Vielzahl von Sendeformaten: Aktuelle Gesprächsrunden und Lesungen zeigen die verschiedenen Aspekte Urchristlicher Ethik und Moral auf. Schulungen zur inneren Weiterentwicklung und zur Bewusstseinserweiterung geben wertvolle Hilfen zur Lebensbemeisterung. Tier- und Naturreportagen lassen die Würde der Tiere und Pflanzen sichtbar und lebendig werden. Vegetarische Kochkurse zeigen Ihnen neue schmackhafte Rezepte – sowohl in der Volksküche, als auch in der gehobenen Gourmet-Küche des italienischen Sterne-Kochs. Kindersendungen am Nachmittag und auch am Abend vor dem Einschlafen bieten den Kleinsten stimmungsvolle Geschichten und Erzählungen zum Nachdenken und Lernen. Nachrichtenformate und aktuelle Gesprächsrunden beleuchten das Weltgeschehen mit kritischen Kommentaren – und viel Interessantes mehr. über Satellit: ASTRA digital 19,2 Grad OstTransponder: 15Polarisation: horizontalFrequenz: 11.421 MHzSymbolrate: 22.000FEC: 5/6Position: 19,2° OstKodierung: unverschlüsselt Über KabelIn Baden-Württemberg, Hessen, Nordrhein-Westfalen sowie in einigen großen Städten Bayerns (z.B. München, Augsburg, Würzburg, Aschaffenburg, Regensburg usw.) ist Die Neue Zeit TV auch über Kabel zu sehen. Bitte informieren Sie sich bei Ihrem Kabelnetzbetreiber auf welcher Frequenz Die Neue Zeit TV zu empfangen ist. Technische VoraussetzungenSie benötigen für den Empfang auf Ihrem Fernseher:– eine Satellitenschüssel, die auf ASTRA ausgerichtet ist– einen digitalen Sat-Receiver, mit dessen automatischem Suchlauf (oder manuell) Die Neue Zeit TV programmiert wird Hinweis:Das ASTRA-Programm beinhaltet eine Vielzahl von TV-Kanälen und Radiostationen aus ganz Europa und benachbarten Staaten, auch viele deutsche TV-Sender. Bewegen Sie deshalb Ihre Lieblingssender auf die ersten Kanalnummern Ihres Empfängers und löschen Sie Sender, die Sie nicht interessieren. So behalten Sie den Überblick. Technische Reichweite:SAT:– ca. 21 Mio. Haushalte in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz– ca. 151 Mio. Haushalte in ganz Europa Kabel:– 3,1 Mio. Haushalte in Kabel Baden-Würtemberg, Hessen und Nordrein-Westfalen (Kanalplatz 224, Unitymedia) [...]
March 29, 2023ArtistsMarch 29, 2023 – Vancouver, BC – 2023 JUNO-Winners (and Fulbright Scholar) Florian Hoefner Trio, featuring Andrew Downing on bass and Nick Fraser on drums, are coming to Lions Bay to perform a repertoire of originals from their 2023 JUNO-Winning “Best Jazz Album-Group” album “DesertBloom” and 2021 JUNO -Nominated “FirstSpring” at the Village Hall on Sat, Apr 15, 2023 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM PDT. Born and raised in Germany, trained in New York City on a Fulbright Scholarship and now based in Newfoundland Canada, jazz pianist and composer Florian Hoefner draws from a myriad of influences that culminate in his unique Award-Winning brand of modern jazz. Having just recently played the National Arts Center, it is an absolute dream to host them here in Lions Bay for an intimate concert gathering, in Lions Bay at the Village Hall on Saturday, April 15, 2023 (2:00pm – 5:00pm) Get your ticket here: Ticket Link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/florian-hoefner-trio-tickets-596284993467 This will be an incredible intimate afternoon, and a chance to mingle and meet jazz greats! INDOOR INTIMATE CONCERT in Lions Bay @Lions Bay Village Hall. Seats are very limited. We hope YOU can come. POTLUCK IS BACK so bring your favourite drink and appetizer to share. See you there! PLEASE NOTE :: This is a 19+, POTLUCK food + drink, INDOOR seated concert event. ARRIVE EARLY to guarantee the best possible seating. Reserved seating is only available for VIP TICKET if requested in advance. Otherwise seating is general admission and conducted on a first come first serve basis. Assumption of Risk, Waiver & Limitation of Liability will apply for all Ticket Holders and Attendees entering the event. Please see your ticket for details. SEATING: Paperless “GuestList” Entry. GENERAL ADMISSION + VIP SEATING. Purchase tickets INDIVIDUALLY, or as group (names/emails for each attendee will be required so we may contact trace if necessary). Reserved seating is only available for VIP TICKET if requested in advance. Otherwise seating is general admission and conducted on a first come first serve basis. FORMAT: TWO sets; with intermission. Get your tickets here: Ticket Link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/florian-hoefner-trio-tickets-596284993467 CONCERT GOLD SPONSOR: Thyra McKilligan of Re/Max Masters has been a North Shore resident for over 25 years, but her specialty is Lions Bay. Once a musician herself, she actively supports the arts and live events that help create a sense of community. Selling or buying a home in Lions Bay, call her. Other realtors do! MORE ABOUT FLORIAN HOEFNER: An inventive creator and performer of exciting contemporary Jazz, Florian is a two-time winner of the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, Hoefner’s most recent jazz compositions have either won, or been nominated for, JUNO “Best Jazz Album of the Year – Group”. His arrangements can be heard on many commercial albums by artists including Till Brönner, Jasmin Tabatabai and Peter Fessler. His big band compositions have been performed by the New York Jazz Orchestra, the Lucerne Jazz Orchestra, the German Youth Jazz Orchestra and the DanJam Orchestra. Florian initially began his musical studies in Bavaria, where he played the trumpet and accordion, in addition to piano. After obtaining his first degree in jazz piano from the University of Arts in Berlin, he was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to complete a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City where he studied with Jason Moran, Dave Liebman, and Garry Dial. [...]
February 24, 2023Cultural EventsVancouver, February 24, 2023 – The Vancouver Visual Art Foundation is excited to host Sascha Westendorp and Claudia Wiebe at Art @Bentall Gallery. About the Artists: Sascha Westendorp is a renowned mixed media artist with over thirty years of professional experience. She moved from Germany to Vancouver in 1998 and hasn’t looked back since, mastering skills like silkscreen printing, desktop publishing, graphic design, and photography along the way. Her signature door paintings capture the imaginations of people who come across them, inspiring viewers to open up to new possibilities and paths in life. My art seeks to provide insight into life’s duality and depict the idea of stormy events bringing resolution. Each piece portrays a doorway, allowing viewers to consider potential paths and ponder their meanings. The photo transferred onto the canvas and blending with the abstract surroundings mirrors this message. Multiple layers of acrylic paint come together, creating a sense of peace in the turmoil. Claudia Wiebe is a self-taught artist who creates abstract paintings and mixed-media art with acrylic paints. Her paintings are inspired by the ever-changing complexities of love and loss, and joy and grief. Having faced many challenges in life, Claudia has learned to be open to new opportunities and has always had the desire to personally learn and grow. Originally Claudia is from Germany, and she has been living in Canada for over 30 years. Her home and her studio are in North Vancouver, BC. Join us on March 2nd, 2023, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., for the opening night reception, at Art@Bentall Gallery. Sascha, Claudia and members of the VVAF team will be in attendance to meet and welcome you to the gallery. You are welcome to dress up! Sascha and Claudia’s art will be on display at the Art @Bentall Gallery from March 2 to March 28, 2023. Sponsored by the Bentall Center. [...]
February 24, 2023BusinessVancouver, February 24, 2023 – HIPEX Corporation is a group of Professional Engineers that has experience in dealing with international manufacturers, primarily in the technical area. We offer guidance through the complex CSA/UL certification process, which is a prerequisite for any kind of presence on the local markets. We also provide support for promotion and distribution of the already certified equipment for the Canadian and US territory. With our OEM partners, HIPEX Corporation offers the CSA certified, client designed and custom-built electrical panels, enclosures, explosion proof instrumentation boxes and panels, PLC and VFD panels, Hydraulic Power Units with motor and VFDs, Smart Drive Buildings, E-houses, etc. Our advantage is in a high-quality assembly with a very attractive price structure, and for the multiple units that are repetitive in nature and with longer lead times. We believe that HIPEX Corporation can be a perfect fit for a variety of clients and projects and an attractive and reliable partner for the years ahead. Contact: President Aleksandar Pecuh, P.Eng., A.V.S. at apecuh@hipexcorp.com 780-974-8591 www.hipexcorp.com [...]
February 18, 2023SeniorsVancouver – February 17, 2023 – The Office of the Seniors Advocate is launching the second province-wide survey of the experiences of residents living in all 294 publicly-subsidized long-term care homes in B.C. and is calling on all interested British Columbians to join the survey team. IMPORTANT: Do you enjoy talking to Seniors? The office of the Seniors Advocate of British Columbia is looking for people like you! Train to become a Surveyor, listen to seniors living in long-term care. The Volunteer Surveyor is responsible for respectfully engaging with residents in a conversation about their experience living in care. The Volunteer Surveyor will conduct structured interviews using a standardized survey with residents. By working with a Care Home Champion, a Regional Engagement Lead, and the larger project team, the Volunteer Surveyor will ensure that interviews are conducted in a consistent, safe, and courteous manner. Please visit this page, scroll to the bottom and apply in the region you live in. They are especially looking for people all across British Columbia, like Squamish. APPLY HERE: https://surveybcseniors.org/volunteer/ You will need a time commitment and be able to attend the training sessions. Commitment 40 hours (including training) to be completed over a 6-8 week period. Availability during weekdays and day time hours. Volunteer shifts are typically 9 am – 12 pm and 1 pm – 4:30 pm. Volunteers will be reimbursed for pre-approved out-of-pocket expenses such as parking and mileage. Training Successful completion of comprehensive and interactive training: A combination of virtual and in-person training modules will be provided. Training will be provided in Zoom format and in numerous locations around B.C. Orientation and on-going support will be provided “In 2016/17, we conducted the most extensive study of residents’ quality of life in Canada. Over 800 caring and committed British Columbians volunteered to visit every care home in B.C. and gave voice to over 10,000 residents,” said B.C. Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie. “Five years later, we once again call upon those who want to be part of improving the quality of life of seniors in long-term care to volunteer and join the survey team. We know British Columbians care deeply about seniors, and through participating in this survey, you can help shape the future for people in residential care homes across the province.” Members of the survey team will include British Columbians from a wide variety of backgrounds who engage with the seniors as equals in a conversation about what life is like in the place they live. The surveyors are supported by health care professionals from the Ministry of Health, health authorities and individual care homes. Volunteers will be screened for suitability and participate in training sessions toprepare them for conducting surveys with a minimum of 10 care home residents during the survey period.Information about joining the survey team is available at www.surveybcseniors.org or by calling the Office of the Seniors Advocate toll free at 1 877 952-3181 or 2-1-1.The long-term care quality of life survey examines topics such as food, safety, comfort, respect and responsiveness of staff, personal relationships, medications and activities. Residents will be interviewed in person and their family members will be invited to participate by phone, online or via a written survey. The survey will be conducted at care homes across the province between June 2022 andFebruary 2023. A final report is planned for spring 2023.The 2017 final report ‘Every Voice Counts: Provincial Residential Care Survey Results’ made recommendations for system improvements including: increasing care hours and ensuring staffing levels are enforced and monitored by heath authorities; increasing flexibility of how and when care and services are delivered; examining opportunities to improve the mealtime experience; advising health authorities to administer a similar quality of care survey to care home residents and family members in 2019/20 and publish the results; increasing training focused on the emotional needs of residents; foster greater engagement with family members particularly in regard to family councils andvisitor handwashing; better physician care and increasing the role of nurse practitioners to improve care; increasing the range of activities, particularly in the evenings and weekends; and undertaking the survey again in five years. The Office of the Seniors Advocate is an independent office of the provincial government with a mandate of monitoring seniors’ services and reporting on systemic issues affecting seniors. The office also provides information and referral to seniors and their caregivers by calling toll free 1 877 952-3181, BC211, via email at info@seniorsadvocate.ca, Canada Post and the OSA web site https://www.seniorsadvocatebc.ca/. Quick Facts: In 2016/17, over 800 survey volunteers donated over 25,000 hours visiting every long-term care home in B.C. Over 10,000 residents and 10,000 most frequent visitors, who are usually family members, were surveyed. Volunteers will be screened and, if suitable, participate in a one-day training session; each will be asked for a commitment of a minimum of 40 hours over the survey period. Each volunteer surveyor will be assigned to a care home and responsible for surveying a certain number of residents. The 2022/23 survey will be offered in English, French, Punjabi, Chinese Simplified (Mandarin) and Chinese Traditional (Cantonese), German, Spanish, Korean, Persian, Filipino and Italian. Additional languages will be added when/if needed based on information from care home operators. To learn more, visit: 2017 ‘Every Voice Counts: Provincial Residential Care Survey Results’ report https://www.seniorsadvocatebc.ca/osa-reports/residential-care-survey [...]
January 19, 2023BusinessJanuary 19, 2023, Vancouver, BC: Currently there are no German restaurants in the City of Vancouver. My idea is to set up a 2-year German Pop Up Restaurant right here in Kitsilano, offering opportunities to share German food and culture with Vancouverites and other lovers of German food and drink. The question is: is there enough demand for this kind of business? Who would like to help fund it (4 investors donating $500,000 each for a 10% stake, for example). Who will attend the Opening Night Gala? And who will join the Alpen Haus Club (not to be mixed up with the Vancouver Alpen Club) Society (that is still being set up) for only $25. You don’t have to be German to join this project – just love German beer, German food or German pastries. Yum. To discuss these matters, I have set up a brainstorming session on Zoom next Wednesday at 11 am on January 25, 2023. If you would like to attend to join a volunteer board of directors, arrange to entertain using your artistic musical or other skills, invest in the project or just be a promoter to your circle of friends/acquaintences, please sign up on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alpen-haus-restaurant-introduction-session-tickets-517188945057 I am also willing to partner up with another type of cuisine to create the first hybrid restaurant of its kind: German/Japanese, German-Korean or German Chinese or Thai etc. Let’s get creative and make it happen! The only way this dream can come true is to make it happen through partnerships, sponsorship and plenty of local support. The first step is to find a good German-trained chef that we could build our brand around. The second step is to decide to rent or own. The third step is to find investors. Vancouver still needs a place where people can go to celebrate Fasching, Oktoberfest, Euro Cup Soccer, Christmas, Silvester (New Year’s) and more. They need a place to listen to accordion music, watch the local Schuhplattlers and eat a traditional Schnitzel with Spätzle. We also need pastry, Pastry for breakfast or morning tea. Pastry for afternoon Kaffee und Kuchen and Pastry for dessert at anytime of day. They need Gemütlichkeit, a Stammtisch and “Where everybody knows your name and they are always glad you came.” In short, let’s make it happen and bring a taste of Germany to Canada. MEDIA CONTACT Elke Porter 604 828 8788admin@westcoastgermannews.com [...]
January 10, 2023SponsorshipsThe Vancouver Westside German School is a non-profit organization and has been providing exceptional education to students in our K-12 classes since 1992 – 30 years and going strong! Over the last 30 years we have maintained a deep commitment to our students and community to promote the German language and culture. The school focuses on giving our students the tools to successfully complete the A1, A2, B1, DSD-I and DSD-II exams. Both the DSD-I and DSD-II exams are internationally recognized with the latter providing the necessary language proficiency credit for admission to any German, Austrian and Swiss University. In BC, students can obtain High School Language credits. We are reaching out to our community partners and our membership for sponsorships for our 30-Year Anniversary Celebration that will be held on June 3, 2023 at the Austria Vancouver Club in Richmond. For your sponsorship, our school would provide you with recognition on our website, social media, newsletters, and our 30-Year Celebration. We are providing recognition for Gold, Silver, and Bronze gifts at a value of $10,000, $4,000, and $1,000, respectively. We are also grateful for your company branded items such as coffee mugs, water bottles, etc. Alternatively, for corporate donations, we have dedicated a donation button on our website. Please note, donations are treated differently for tax purposes and do not allow for publication. A full tax receipt is issued upon donation. Thank you for your support and understanding. Steven Seewald, AScT, CRSP, EP, Ptech, P.L.EngPresident [...]
January 10, 2023Cultural EventsGuest article sent in by Patrick Young: <patrickyoung@ableusa.info Entrepreneurs just starting out may be familiar with the term “branding” but be unsure of what exactly that entails in terms of their business. While it can seem like a complex concept, branding essentially means what you want your business values to be and how you will convey them to potential customers. The German Canadian Business Association presents this guide to understanding branding and how to use it effectively for your business. How to Decide Your Brand Your business’s branding will be the backbone of many decisions you make as a business owner. To determine what your brand should be, Hotjar suggests thinking about the values that most define your business as you aspire it to be. Once you’ve decided what your ideals are, shape them into a set of values you can run your decisions through. For example, if your value set is “trustworthy, innovative, friendly,” the decisions you make about how you operate should reflect those values. How Professionals Can Help While it’s good to save a penny when you can, some parts of your business should be left in professional hands. Reaching your target market is essential to marketing a successful business. You can have the best products or services in the world, and if you can’t get them in the hands of the right people, you’ll never reach your business goals. It’s important to understand precisely who your target market is: their age, their location, how much your product is needed by them, and where they will likely try to access said product. You should also do some research into your competitors to see how they’re interacting with customers and to see if there’s anything you can do to draw more people to your business. Branding and Events Branding and events go hand in hand. If you intend to market your products or services using online events, for example, having excellent branding is beyond important. Without clear, concise branding, people could walk away confused by your branding or the intent of your company. Worse yet, they may not remember the name of your business once the event has come to an end. The goal is to have people walk away with a positive, lasting impression of what you do. Digital Marketing Experts Obtaining and analyzing that information can be overwhelming for someone who doesn’t have an intimate understanding of marketing. The good news is that, via online job portals, you can easily find freelancers that specialize in marketing, and it can be a highly effective investment for small businesses. Statistics cited by Drip show your customers are online, with 63% of shopping beginning on the internet. Digital marketing experts know how to ensure your business shows up in search engines, which is not as straightforward as you may think. They also know how to utilize social media as an efficient marketing tool, all while reflecting your company’s brand. Website or Graphic Designer Website design is another area where you need to have a professional touch. Your website is essentially your shop window for the internet age, and if it doesn’t look inviting and operate easily, your potential customers will simply take their business and go elsewhere. A graphic designer or web designer can create a website that is both easy to navigate and appealing to customers while making it representative of the branding of your business. Strong branding and marketing strategies can make all the difference to your company, including knowing when to outsource to experts like marketing consultants and branding pros. Develop a brand that is right for you and your business and integrate it into every aspect of your business. You’ll better establish your company and reach the customers you desire more quickly than you ever could without it. [...]
December 21, 2022EducationPublished with permission from Masters Student: Florie-Anne Guy UNIVERSITÄT REGENSBURGFakultät für Sprach-, Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft Masterarbeit im Studiengang Interkulturelle Europa Studien (IKE)LE MULTICULTURALISME CANADIEN COMME OUTIL DE RÉAFFIRMATION CULTURELLE :L!EXEMPLE DES IDENTITÉS GERMANO-CANADIENNES Identitätsfragen waren schon immer ein zentrales Thema der kanadischen Gesellschaft. Historische Fragen über die Zweisprachigkeit und die kulturelle Repräsentation zwischen Engländern und Franzosen haben die politische Bühne seit Ankunft der auswärtigen Siedler belebt. Als historisches Einwanderungsland ruft Kanada noch bis heute zur Einwanderung auf. So folgen Einwanderer aus der ganzen Welt, über Europa und Amerika, von Asien bis Afrika seinem Ruf. German Canadian Business Association Christmas Gala 2022 Im Herzen der englisch-französischen Kluft versteckt sich eine große, jedoch unbekannte Gemeinschaft: die Deutschkanadier. Nachdem sie im XVII. Jahrhundert nach Neufrankreich kamen, erwiesen sie sich als Loyalisten, mal gegenüber der französischen, mal gegenüber der britischen Krone. Die deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft Kanadas integrierte sich schnell in die beiden Mehrheitseinheiten, behielt aber ihre eigene Identität bei. Im gesamten Land wurden deutschsprachige Kirchen, Schulen, Institutionen und Medien gegründet, um diese komplexe Gemeinschaft mit ihren vielfältigen Ursprüngen zu vereinen. Mennoniten, Mährer, Lutheraner, Katholiken, Österreicher, Schweizer, Russen… Das deutsch-kanadische Mosaik ist auch heute noch ein Träger starker kultureller und sprachlicher Unterschiede. Surrey German Language School 2021 Um die Integration von Neuankömmlingen in seinem Hoheitsgebiet zu gewährleisten, hat Kanada eine weltweit einzigartige Politik eingeführt: den Multikulturalismus. Dieser Ansatz wurde in den 1960er Jahren entwickelt und zielte ursprünglich darauf ab, die Traditionen und Folklore jedes Einzelnen hervorzuheben. Nach und nach wurde der Multikulturalismus zu einem Instrument, um Gleichheit zu gewährleisten und Diskriminierung zu bekämpfen. Davon konnte auch die deutsch-kanadische Gemeinschaft profitieren. Denn diese hat während der beiden Weltkriege sehr unter der antideutschen Stimmung gelitten. Dieser Ostrakismus setzte sich nach 1945 fort: So zogen sich die Deutschkanadier weiterhin in einem Opferdiskurs zurück. Dank der Auswirkungen des Multikulturalismus in den 1970er Jahren versteckten sich die Deutschen in Kanada allerdings nicht mehr und ergriffenmediale und gemeinschaftliche Initiativen, um ihre Kultur wiederzubeleben. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wird der Prozess der Neubestätigung der deutsch-kanadischen Identität seit dem Aufkommen des Multikulturalismus in den 1970er Jahren beschrieben. Diese Reaffirmation bleibt jedoch differenziert zu betrachten. Die Generation, welche vom Multikulturalismus geprägt wurde ist gealtert und der Multikulturalismus ist somit in den nachfolgenden Generationen nicht mehr gesichert. Die deutschsprachigen Medien, welche vor drei Jahrzehnten mit Stolz gegründet wurden, erleben eine Kehrtwende, Gemeinden werden geschlossen und Kirchen verfallen. Die Treffpunkte der deutsch-kanadischen Gemeinschaft scheinen bedroht zu sein. Aber was, wenn wir in Wirklichkeit eine Neudefinition der Identität der Deutschkanadier erleben? Diese Arbeit untersucht daher, wie der Multikulturalismus die Karten der Repräsentation der deutschsprachigen Kultur auf kanadischem Boden neu gemischt hat.Tatsächlich führt diese Politik durch eine kulturelle und diplomatische Vertretung Deutschlands auf kanadischem Boden auch zu einer aktiveren Zusammenarbeit zwischen Ankunfts- und Herkunftsland der Einwanderer. Wenn sich Kanada als multikulturelle Nation versteht, gilt dies auch für seine Gesellschaft. Einwanderung ist Teil der kanadischen DNA und viele Kanadier möchten zu ihren Wurzeln zurückkehren. In einem Land, in dem sich fast 10% der kanadischen Bevölkerung als deutschstämmig bezeichnet, kann das wachsende Interesse an der Genealogie über neue digitale Tools eine Brücke zwischen den Generationen bilden. Elke Porter, Gründerin der Website Westcoast German News (WGN), ist Schriftstellerin und engagiert sich in Vereinen der deutsch-kanadischen Gemeinschaft. Sie ist eine Zeugin dieser Generationenlücke, welche sie durch neue, auf digitale Medien ausgerichtete Formate zu überbrücken versucht. Die deutsch-kanadische Gemeinschaft ist ein komplexes Gebilde, welches in seiner Art einzigartig ist. Sie ist sowohl alt und etabliert als auch fluktuierend und zögerlich. Es waren deutschsprachige dabei, als die ersten europäischen Expeditionen, den nordamerikanischen Boden betraten. Sie sind die Akteure des kanadischen Aufbaus, halten sich aber aus politischen und kulturellen Gründen im Hintergrund. Sie sind Arbeiter, Ingenieure und Unternehmer und helfen Kanada, sich zu entwickeln. Doch diese Anerkennung schwindet und die Deutschkanadier sehen sich mit einer antideutschen Stimmung konfrontiert: Die germanischen Sprachen und Kulturen finden keinen Platz mehr auf dem kanadischen Schachbrett. Der Multikulturalismus ist somit ein konsequenter Rettungsanker für die deutsch-kanadischen Identitäten. Diese Politik markiert zwar einen Wendepunkt in der Rückbesinnung auf diese Identitäten, ist aber ein zweischneidiges Phänomen: Es bringt die Deutschkanadier zwar zurück ins Rampenlicht, repräsentiert diese aber nicht wie zuvor. Nunmehr sehen sich die deutsch-kanadischen Identitäten durcheine einheitliche, moderne und auf Deutschland ausgerichtete Kultur repräsentiert. Isoliertere Gemeinschaften wie die Mennoniten bilden jedoch eine Ausnahme, da ihre Traditionen davon gestärkt und verteidigt werden, dass sie nach wie vor nach innen gerichtet sind. Die kulturelle Identität der Deutschkanadier hat Zeiten erlebt, in denen sie stark in Frage gestellt wurde.Hinter den Debatten zwischen Franzosen und Engländern versteckt und später für ihren Beitrag zur kanadischen Nation anerkannt, wurden sie während der beiden Weltkriege aufgrund ihrer kulturellen Nähe zum feindlichen Deutschland von der kanadischen Kulturszene verdrängt. Das Aufkommen des Multikulturalismus begleitet die Deutschkanadier somit auch bei ihrerkulturellen Neubesinnung. Diese macht jedoch Platz für eine Generation, welche vom Prinzip des Kanadier-Seins getrieben wird und trotz ihrer Zugehörigkeit zu einer bestimmten Gemeinschaft offen für alle Kulturen ist. Das deutsch-kanadische Erbe überlebt dank individueller und diplomatischer Initiativen. Der Multikulturalismus verankert Kanada in einer Einwanderungsförderung, die dazu beiträgt, dass weiterhin deutsche Einwanderer in das Land kommen. Im Laufe dieser Arbeit werden wir sehen, inwieweit diese Neuankömmlinge Vektoren für den Wiederaufbau neuer deutsch-kanadischer Identitäten sind. [...]
December 15, 2022ArtistsVancouver, December 14, 2022 – Steven Schwabl, with Austrian roots, plans to make a documentary about people with German backgrounds or cultures who were inspired to immigrate to North America by reading the books of Karl May. “This author has nothing but imagination.” Steven’s dad came from Austria as an 18-year-old in the 1950s looking for a life of adventure and riches that he had read about in May’s books – and he found and created that life here in Canada. He helped build dams and power stations in the wilderness, built and sold houses, and started gold mines. And he loved to share stories of “Old Shatterhand,” May’s purported identity in the Old West. “Your imperial majesty, should I as a cowboy or as a writer conduct the conversation with you?” Schwabl would like to meet and interview other people who were similarly inspired to come to North America, and find out what their expectations were, and what they discovered here. He would like to start by interviewing people in the Vancouver region, where he lives, and then travel to the Canadian North and the US South-west, to meet and interview others. While traveling, Steven will tell stories from May’s books, as well as his dad’s stories in the New World. About Stephen Schwabl Steven Schwabl is a filmmaker, stage actor, writer, and singer from Vancouver, recently reunited with the west coast after many years in Toronto. His most recent film, W, toured festivals internationally, winning prizes in Korea, Poland, and Italy. [...]
December 2, 2022ArtistsLeise fallen weiße Flocken aus dem weiten Himmelzelt, die Natur verwandelt sich fast uber Nacht,in eine schone Glitzerwelt. Ein kalter Wind weht um das Haus,mit Raureif bedeckt sehen auch die Bourne festlich aus.Nun ist es wieder mal soweit, Ein jeder freut sich auf die Weihnachtszeit.Weihnachtsmarkte laden zum Bummeln ein,alles erstrahlt im Kerzenschein. Tannenduft, Gluhwein, gebrannte Mandeln und noch vieles mehr,auch ein Pfefferkuchenherz muss her,das freut die Lieben zu Hause sicher sehr. Geschenke kaufen, was fur eine Qual für Jedermann,man steht davor und weif., nicht, was ein Jeder uberhaupt gebrauchen kann. Die Weihnachtsgans muss her, ein Tannenbaum mit vielen Ästenund möglichst gerade, so wars am besten. Ganz nach alter Tradition gehoren eine Stolle und Platzchen mit dazu, irgendwann beginnt dann endlich die Weihnachtsruh. Das Fest ist da und stimmt uns alle frohund nachstes Jahr ist ‘s ebenso. von R. Krause About Roswitha Krause Mein Name ist Roswitha Krause. Ich wohne in Pasewalk einer kleinen Stadt in Vorpommern. Seit einigen Jahren bin ich Rednerin. Nach Schulabschluss habe ich eine Ausbildung zur Kinder Krankenschwester absolviert und einige Jahre im Krankenhaus gearbeitet. Später als Erzieherin in einer Kindertagesstätte. Nach der Wende, wurde ich arbeitslos und suchte mir eine Beschäftigung in dem Verein, wo ich heute noch tâtig bin. Im November 2006 bekamen wir Räume zur Verfügung gestellt und ich hatte den Auftrag eine kleine Bibliothek einzurichten. Unsere Bücher sind Spenden von Firmen und Privatpersonen. Der Bücherbestand erhöhte sich kontinuierlich. Inzwischen sind es einige Tausend Bücher. Schon seit meiner Schulzeit liebe ich es, Bücher zu lesen, oder selbst kleine Verse zu schreiben. Nach dem Tod meines Mannes vor einigen Jahren wurde das Schreiben noch intensiver. Bald kam mir die Idee eine kleine Lesestunde durchzuführen; eine Art Literatur zum Kaffee. Ich lud einige Senioren ein und began mit dem Vorlesen von Gedichten und kleinen Geschichten, meine Lesestunde. Durch Mundpropoganda ist der Lesekreis auf über 20 Personen gewachsen und ist recht vielseitig geworden. Die Bücher könnten unentgeldlich ausgeliehen werden. Wir sind ein Verein, der sich um Menschen kümmert denen es nicht so gut geht. Roswitha Krause. [...]
November 25, 2022BusinessNovember 25, 2022 Vancouver, BC – To fund a new German “Pop-Up” Restaurant, Elke Porter, a Schnitzel and Bratkartoffel Fan living in Kitsilano, is hoping to bring a few investors together in this joint project of good cheer. The concept is simple. The Bauhaus, the Blenheim and the Deutsches Haus Restaurant in the Vancouver Alpen Club have shut down. Two out of three will most likely not return. The Deutsches Haus Restaurant, though is slated to be brand new and beautiful in 2025. What can we do in the meantime? Start a pop-up German Restaurant called “Das Alpen Haus.! Ironically, I noticed that the big tent at the Vancouver Christmas Market is also called “Alpen Haus”, but they are gone after Christmas is over. Our Alpen Haus could move into a space vacated by a pub or a restaurant shut down forever due to Covid and lockdowns and set up shop for 2 years until such time as the Deutsches Haus is back open. If things go well, the restaurant could stick around. If it doesn’t take off and become a runaway success, then that is OK, too, as long as it can bridge the gap. What kind of investors are we seeking? Two kinds. One are the proprietors of high quality German wine, beer and spirits and the other is those who provide high quality organic food. I am also hoping to connect with a high end luxury plant nursery to provide a constant stream of live foliage to provide the ambience we imagine when visiting the Alps with its flowery meadows and scenic vistas. Are there any artists who would just love to paint the summits and peaks of famous the famous Zugspitze Mountain or the Matterhorn as seen in Switzerland? Also, there would have to be very high quality chocolates on the menu for dessert, as well as Torte, pastries and spaghetti Ice-cream. Since this restaurant would have to provide a bit of everything, we could have one section that is more fancy than the other. Do you want to watch a soccer match with a crowd of friends in jerseys enjoying beer or would you prefer to listen to classical music while dining in style and enjoying a glass of Riesling recently imported from the Mosel region? With some Jägermeister or Underberg Bitters as your after-dinner drink. The new restaurant could have two sections! Also a place for kids to play while their parents eat or a big table where young people can eat all together, as well as live entertainment like accordions or Schuhplattler. Everything surrounding this project is only limited by our imagination, although also our budget. If you support this concept, it is time to contact your contacts. If each person that reads this blog post, shares this article with 5 people they know who would be interested and they each share it with someone who might be interested, it might not be too long before it ends up on the desk of someone who would be delighted to financially support and join in on a cool project like this. Recently I created a new e-mail just for this project and you can tell your friends/contacts/potential investors to send any correspondence here: alpenhausconcept@westcoastgermannews.com I also have a simple .pdf you can download if interested. Alpen Haus Project 2023 There is literally no competition for German food providers in the City of Vancouver and there is currently no place for fans of Germany to meet up that also includes German culture, German food, German beer and German entertainment. The closest place is the Jägerhof Restaurant in North Vancouver or the Old Bavaria House Restaurant in New Westminster. This is a wide open market just crying out for someone to pull this off. How much are we talking about? A lot of money. At least a cool million and maybe more. Is there potential to get a return on your investment and more? Of course there is. But crunching numbers is not my area of expertise. Every project needs the right people to make it happen and this is where you would come in. We would need the usual suspects: lawyer, account, top shelf restaurant manager, purveyer of wine & spirits as well as an architect just aching to get their hands on this project. My goal would be to work with a group of investors on perfecting the concept and eventually running the programming of the restaurant, as well as taking care of the plants. Of course, the serving staff are also highly important and harder to find these days. If you love German food and don’t mind wearing a dirndl or Lederhosen while you serve our guests, please send us a resume, although it would take a minimum of 6-9 months to truly get going. Potential opening date is anything from May to August, 2023. Thank you for reading this far and if you like this, you know what to do! Share! Support! Join a Volunteer Board of Directors! Please and thank you! The first meeting could be in January 2023 to learn and network with the team to build a solid project plan that will have us all moving in the right directions towards a financial, social, creative success! Bless you all and Merry Christmas! Elke Porteralpenhausconcept@porterprvancouver604 828 8788 [...]
November 23, 2022BusinessVancouver, November 22, 2022 – Tyax was founded by Augustinus (Gus) Abel and Reiner Rothe. It all started in 1980 with Gus meeting his friend Reiner at the beach on a warm summer day at English Bay in Vancouver. Gus, a previous captain on the high seas, originally an immigrant from Tanganyika, East Africa, lived on Beach Avenue in Vancouver, and that day he told Reiner, originally an immigrant from Germany and then a lawyer living in West Vancouver, about having met with Mr. and Mrs. Bingham, the owners of a decaying small Lodge in the Chilcotin area of BC. The Binghams, an elderly couple, were no longer operating the Lodge as an ongoing business and intended to sell it. The natural beauty of the Lodge’s location inspired Gus, who enjoyed the outdoor and hunting, to enter into an initial time limited $5000 option to purchase the Lodge and the property it was situated on in the South Chilcotin Mountains near Pemberton. Reiner, who equally enjoyed the outdoors, being a hiker, avid skier, ski instructor at Whistler, lifeguard, and a lawyer in Vancouver, and Gus then together went to look at the old Lodge and to walk the land around it. The remote Lake along the shores of which the Lodge is situated was known to the natives as Tyaughton Lake” or the “Lake of the Jumping Fish”. In its prime, the Lodge used to be an old hunting and fishing camp in the 1920’s called “Tyax Fish and Game Lodge”. When Gus and Reiner arrived, the 275 acres of pristine, unspoiled Lakeshore wilderness had all the ingredients of turning it into something special. So they put their creative minds together and formed the vision of a destination wilderness resort lodge for visitors from around the world to experience and enjoy the true Canadian Wilderness. Back in Vancouver, Gus and Reiner met with the Binghams to discuss and negotiate details of a purchase. Following this meeting, Reiner met with the Bingham’s lawyer Russ Stanton at his office in Vancouver in 1981, which led to Reiner exercising Gus’s option to purchase and to Reiner making the required purchase price payments. Gus and Reiner then proceeded to work on a Development and Business Plan, in consultation with some of Reiner’s friends and acquaintances, a Vancouver architect, Simon Gould, to design and create a model of the new Lodge; Mick Matheusik, with Horvath Laventhol, a firm specializing in preparing feasibility studies, and Janos Hidi, the then Building Inspector responsible for the Tyaughton Lake and Gold Bridge area. With the concept quickly expanding and additional funds arranged by Reiner with the Federal Business Development Bank (FDBD) in Vancouver soon being exhausted, and with the banks not considering to provide financing for such a remote unknown wilderness concept, Reiner flew to Germany to interest potential investors to raise ongoing additional funds needed to continue the project. This led him to, amongst others, August Hess in Garmisch Patenkirchen in Bavaria (in the hotel and hospitality business), and his son Gerd in Cologne (in the marketing business). Not only did August and Gerd have an interest and confidence in the idea, vision and concept to invest additional funds, but both actually came to Canada to visit Tynaughton Lake and to work with Reiner and Gus to help turn the vision and concept into reality. With the concept thus continuing to develop and progress, August and Gerd both eventually needed to return to Germany. Reiner then flew to Europe again to seek and meet with new potential investors in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Having remained in close contact with August and Gerd, this trip included another visit to Garmisch Patenkirchen for a follow-up meeting with August, who, after his return to Germany, had also continued to promote Tyax with a view of finding new investors amongst his European business contacts. This led to the introduction of Urs Villiger to Reiner. Urs, a successful businessman and contractor/builder in Switzerland, expressed an interest in participating and investing in Tyax, provided his involvement could be combined with and facilitate his and his family’s interest in immigrating to Canada. One of Reiner’s areas of specialization in his law practice being business immigration, this led to further discussions and cooperation between them. Subsequently Urs became an investor in Tyax as an equal one third shareholder in Tyaughton Lake Wilderness Resorts Ltd. with Reiner and Gus. Urs’ and his family successfuly immigrated to Canada pursuant to the Federal and Provincial Entrepreneur Immigration Program. Being a successful contractor/builder in Switzerland and a now part owner of Tyax, Urs became involved, through his company Pacific Log Homes Ltd. in building the new Tyax Lodge based on the design and model created by the architect Simon Gould. In 1985, a local contractor and builder and long time resident of the area, Scott McKenzie, joined in the construction of the Tyax Lodge. It took 12 workers 7 months and 7 days to build the then largest free standing 34,000 square foot Log Lodge on the west coast of North America. The historic opening date was officially on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1986, at 4:30 pm. The province of British Columbia subsequently created and presented a formal slide show on Tyax, featuring Urs and his family as entrepreneur immigrants under the Canadian Business Immigration Program, as a successful example to other aspiring business immigrants to BC. In exchange for additionally required capital contributions by Urs, his share in equity holdings was subsequently increased to 60%, with Reiner and Gus retaining 20% respectively; Gus, being unemployed at the time, was then appointed general manager of Tyax and moved to the Lodge. The concept having been from the beginning that to financially succeed, Tyax would need to be an international four season destination resort, Reiner met with his friend Mike Jacobson of Whistler Mountain Heli skiing. This meeting resulted in the Whistler Heli Skiing operation being extended to Tyax, under the direction of Mike Jacobsen in conjunction with Whistler Heli Skiing, to add the still missing winter season component to Tyax. Abel opened TLH Heli-skiing in 1991 to serve skiers with nearly a million acres of some of the most incredible snow and terrain in the world. In 2010, TLH merged with Tyax Wilderness Resort & Spa to be known as the Tyax Lodge & Heliskiing by the numbers. With the increasing popularity and success of heli skiing at Tyax in the vast unspoiled Coast Range and Chilcotin Mountain ranges surrounding Tyax, and having established a separate company TLH Heliskiing, serving skiers and boarders with nearly one million acres of some of the most incredible snow and terrain in the world, George Rosset joined Tyax to integrate heli skiing with Tyax as its own entity independent of Whistler, under TLH heli skiing, along with Tyax Air operated by Dale Douglas out of Tyax and connecting it with flights to the Vancouver International Airport, Vancouver and Whistler. TLH heli skiing today is internationally recognized as one of the world’s best known successful heliski/boarding/hiking/mountain biking operations. TYAX and TLH have become a special attraction for the international tourist market around the world, catering to the international trend towards, and the increasing appeal of, adventure related four season activities including heli mountain, biking, alpine heli hiking in the summer and heli skiing and boarding and ice fishing in the winter, in the unspoiled, pristine wilderness setting of the Chilcotin and Pacific Coast Mountain Ranges. Urs, for personal health related reasons, having decided to sell his interest in Tyax and it has subsequently been taken over by its new and current owner, Nicholas Savares, who continues to share the founders originally conceived vision. As a result of Nichola’s acquisition of the Tyax, he became the sole owner, although he resides in Belgium. Sadly, Gus succombed to his lengthy battle with cancer. His wife Marita, who herself had become an integral invaluable part of Tyax, and their two sons now reside near Kelowna in the Okanaga Valley. Reiner, having looked after both his parents for many years until their passing, retired from the practice of law in BC to devote his time to look after his investments. He continues to reside in Vancouver, with Tyax always remaining a fond part of his memory, and its ongoing future success continuing to be closely tied to his heart. The main lodge still features 29 spacious guest rooms, a spectacular 114-seat lakeview dining room, western lounge, gift shop, fitness room, massage room, sauna, outdoor whirlpool, and meeting room. Within walking distance are four guest chalets, a beachfront campground, riding stable with horses, lumberjack area, tennis and volleyball courts. A lush, green lawn flows down to the sandy beach with boats, canoes, rowboats, paddleboats, motorboats, and sailboards. In 2017, following substantial renovations, the company updated their name and logo to further unify their family of tourism products. They integrated TLH Heliskiing with Tyax Wilderness Resort & Spa to officially become Tyax Lodge & Heliskiing, operated by Tyax Resort and Tyax Adventures. Tyax Resort is still the original Lodge with Tyax Adventures handling the bike/horse and hiking tours in the area. Tyax Adventures was owned by Dale Douglas and family. In 2022, the adventure company recognized as expert guides to the South Chilcotin and pioneers of floatplane accessed multi-day back country mountain travel were acquired by Blackcomb Helicopters to form their new adventure team tourism division renamed AlpX Expeditions. Blackcomb Helicopters is owned by the McClean Family. The magic continues, all thanks to the hard work and effort of Gus Abel, Reiner Rothe and Urs Villigier. For further details, visit: https://tyax.com/ [...]
November 18, 2022Cultural EventsNovember 18, 2022 Vancouver, BC – In Person: November 17–December 1, 2022Online: November 18–December 10 After a two-year hiatus as an in-theatre festival, the European Union Film Festival returns for a special hybrid edition that brings the latest in European cinema to your screen and, at last, ours too! Proudly presented with festival partners in Ottawa (Canadian Film Institute) and Toronto (EU Toronto Film Festival), along with the member states of the European Union and the Delegation of the European Union to Canada, this year’s festival features entries from all 27 EU members. Each film will screen theatrically at The Cinematheque, with a majority of titles becoming available to rent online at euffonline.ca in the days following their in-person presentations. (A new virtual title will be released daily, from November 18 to December 10.) The German Film this year: Niemand ist bei den Kälbern – (2021) – Sabrina Sarabi – ttps://thecinematheque.ca/films/2022/no-ones-with-the-calves The groundbreaking Berlin School group of filmmakers (including Valeska Grisebach and Christian Petzold), about to reach two decades of activity, is now established enough to have cast its influence over a new generation of directors. One candidate for this next wave is Sabrina Sarabi (who has also cited Andrea Arnold as a role model). “Sarabi draws one of the most vivid and complex female portraits of this year’s Locarno selection. Based on the homonymous novel by Alina Herbing, the film develops around the figure of Christin, a young woman who lives and works with her partner Jan in his family’s farm … finds herself in an environment she detests, overwhelmed by the incomprehension, boredom, and indifference of those around her. Saskia Rosendahl, who portrays this multifaceted character with absolute dedication, was awarded the Pardo for Best Actress” (Maria Giovanna Vagenas, Senses of Cinema). Screening Dates November 23 (Wednesday) 8:50 Streaming November 25 (Friday) through November 26 (Saturday) Austria Presents a few Options: Fuchs im Bau (2020) Arman T. Rihai – https://thecinematheque.ca/films/2022/fox-in-a-hole Set in a juvenile correctional facility, Fox in a Hole revolves around teacher Hannes Fuchs (Aleksandar Petrović), newly assigned to work at its school for troubled youth. In his late thirties with his own dark past and personal demons, Fuchs (whose surname translates as “Fox”) starts working alongside professor Elisabeth Berger (Maria Hofstätter, also seen in The Orchestra, Slovenia’s EUFF selection this year), whose unorthodox teaching methods seem to work but rub him the wrong way. Since this facility’s classroom is filled with troublemakers from all strata of Austrian society, Fuchs tries to instill a more structured, disciplined approach. His efforts are frustrated, however, by one particularly problematic student, a Bosnian girl named Samira (Luna Jordan). Incarcerated for putting her father in a coma, she seems ready to explode at any moment. As Samira and Fuchs develop an uneasy relationship, everything will change. But for the better? In German and Bosnian with English subtitles. Screening Dates November 21 (Monday) 6:30 Streaming November 24 (Thursday) through November 25 (Friday) In a show of solidarity with Ukraine, this 2022 edition of the EUFF includes a special presentation of the acclaimed Ukrainian film Klondike, organized in partnership with the Embassy of Ukraine to Canada. Proceeds from the Vancouver screening will benefit the Maple Hope Foundation, a Canadian not-for-profit organization committed to helping people suffering from the war in Ukraine. “The Cinematheque in Vancouver is proud to join our national partners in co-presenting, for a third consecutive year, this virtual version of the European Union Film Festival. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the EUFF at The Cinematheque (itself celebrating 50 years), and while we are thrilled to have the in-person festival finally return to our cinema after a two-year hiatus, we are delighted to know that our Canada-wide online audience will continue to enjoy the riches of contemporary European cinema as well. Whether at home, in theatre, or some convenient combination of both, we look forward to welcoming you to this first-ever hybrid edition of the always-popular festival,” says Shaun Inouye, Artistic Director of The Cinematheque. The Cinematheque is close to Helmcken & Howe in Downtown Vancouver: 580-1125 Howe St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K8 Visit their website here: https://thecinematheque.ca/ to order tickets or to learn more. [...]
November 18, 2022Cultural EventsNovember 18, 2922, Vancouver, BC: There are three opportunities to join the Vancouver Bach Choir for traditional seasonal choral music this December. First, the whole Vancouver Bach Family of Choirs returns to the Orpheum on December 4 for their annual Christmas with the Bach Choir. Back for the first time since 2019, this family friendly concert features all eight children’s and adult choirs, with 400 singers ages 5 to 85, joined by the Touch of Brass quintet and organist Michael Dirk, filling the Orpheum with the sounds of the season. Led by both Children’s Choir Music Director, Marisa Gaetanne and Adult Choir Music Director, Leslie Dala, the concert features traditional and contemporary holiday music including the beloved audience sing-along-carols throughout the concert. On December 10, the Vancouver Bach Choir is joined by members of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra at the Orpheum for Handel’s Messiah. Since The Messiah premiered in 1742, it has become an annual tradition and celebration of the pinnacle of choral music. The annual tradition of The Messiah returns to the Orpheum this year for the first time since 2019. The choir and orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Leslie Dala are joined by a stellar cast of Canadian soloists: Melody Courage, Marion Newman, Asitha Tennekoon and Clarence Frazer, for a holiday tradition beloved by new and returning audiences. New this season, the Vancouver Bach Choir performs a Christmas with the Bach Choir runout at the ACT Centre in Maple Ridge on December 11. The concert will feature soloists from the choir’s new professional core, as well as the Touch of Brass quintet and organist Michael Dirk. The Vancouver Bach Choir is delighted to be performing for the first time in Maple Ridge. Audiences can expect a variety of seasonal favourites, including excerpts from The Messiah, new and traditional carols, including sing-along audience favourites. The Vancouver Bach Choir’s Executive Director, Gillian Hunter-Gibbs says “Christmas with the Bach Choir and the Messiah at the Orpheum are Vancouver cultural staples which we hope if they aren’t already, will become your family’s kick-off to the Christmas season. We are delighted to be back to our full seasonal offerings after three long years of modified Christmas concerts. We are also very much looking forward to bringing the VBC’s magic of the season to audiences in Maple Ridge for the first time this year.” Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.vancouverbachchoir.com. About the Vancouver Bach Choir: The Vancouver Bach Choir (VBC), celebrating its 92nd season, is an award-winning symphonic choir committed to offering vibrant and culturally diverse choral experiences to its audiences. As one of the largest choral organizations in Canada, the Vancouver Bach Choir explores a wide range of repertoire from the past to the present with passion and commitment. With eight choirs ranging in age from 5 to 85, the VBC continues to pursue choral excellence at all levels and presents numerous concerts each year through the metro Vancouver region. Over the past eight decades, the choir has performed with numerous world-class musicians. Currently under the baton of Maestro Leslie Dala, the VBC continues its mission and tradition to share the beauty of new and traditional choral music with as wide an audience as possible. The Vancouver Bach children’s program, under the direction of Music Director, Marisa Gaetanne is one of the oldest and most established music outreach programs in the lower mainland. Since 1984, the Vancouver Bach children’s program has developed a unique, multi-tiered program that currently provides incredible choral training for over 350 singers from kindergarten to young adulthood. Auditioned from across the lower mainland, our young singers experience the joy of making music in the company of other like-minded young musicians. Listing Information: Vancouver Bach Choir presents Christmas with the Bach Choir December 4th, 2022, 2:00pm Orpheum Ticket Prices: $20-$70 Visit vancouverbachchoir.com for more details. Handel’s Messiah December 10th, 2022, 7:30pm Orpheum Ticket Prices: $20-$70 Visit vancouverbachchoir.com for more details. Christmas with the Bach Choir: Maple Ridge December 11th, 2022, 3:00pm ACT Arts Centre Ticket Prices: $29-$49 Visit theactmapleridge.org/bach-choir for more details. [...]
Greetings from Westcoast German News and Germans in Vancouver
Hi, this is Elke Porter with Westcoast German News! This year, I am the secretary of the German Canadian Business Association, a member of the Vancouver Alpen Club (under construction until 2025) author of “75 German-Speaking Influential People in Western Canada” working on Book #2 and also German media, public relations, promotions and publicity here in Vancouver. Need someone to record the story of your event? Invite me!
My blog has focused on Austrian, German & Swiss people, places & products since 2007. What started as a newsletter, evolved to a magazine, changed to a digital platform in 2019 and is currently trying to channel the defunct Pazifische Rundschau, the Kanada Kourier & the Deutsche Presse.
If you are interested in signing up to my newsletter or learning more about my new T-Shirt offerings, please click here: https://mailchi.mp/95c76577f839/new-german-t-shirt-store or click on one of these Amazon items below. You buy, and I make a little money! Win, win.
Mission
To keep the German-Speaking Community in Vancouver alive and well. Here you can find my latest blog posts and other interesting stories relating to the German, Austrian and Swiss Community in Western Canada.
NEW: I will now be writing on Vancouver topics, such as the upcoming municipal election, cancer, the World Cup, passive house building technology, local tourist spots, events, public schools, arts and culture, beaches and oceans, and anything else that comes up along the way.
Some of the Services We offer:
- Promote your business or service in the Business Directory
- Find employment opportunities or staff
- Purchase the book “75 German-Speaking Influential People in Western Canada”
- Find German products and services on my “shop” page
- Create Website-wide advertising or blog posts for you
- Represent Saarland in Vancouver – “Die Welt ist ein Dorf”
- Simple translation, preferably from German to English
- Tours around Vancouver – walking or driving
Please Contact me at: 604 828 8788
Let me know if there is any way I can help you with marketing, sales, PR and communication for your business, your event, your product or service.
Along with this blog, I am also connected to the German, Austrian and Swiss Community as:
- Secretary for the German Canadian Business Association: https://www.germancanadianbusiness.com/
- Helper of the German Canadian Heritage Plaza Committee: http://www.deutscherplatz.org/
- Former Teacher of the Westside German School: https://www.vwgs.org/
- Alumni of the Surrey German Language School: https://www.surreygermanschool.com/
- Former publisher of newsletters and magazines: Swiss Herald, Das Schwarze Brett, Westcoast German News
Interests are in sharing communication relevant to German-Speakers in Western Canada.
Returns Policy and Privacy Policy
Please check out our returns policy or privacy policy here.
