Author Archives: Dominika Kwiatkowska

Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week

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The Indigenous peoples of Canada have had a troubled history under the persecution of the Canadian Government.

One example of this is that under the Indian act, indigenous people were not allowed to wear their traditional regalia off the reserve without the permission of an Indian agent until the law was changed in 1951.

In modern times, Indigenous  and first nations people have been taking back their culture and strengthening their communities through events like the Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week.

This festival was started in 2017 by indigenous model Joleen Miskinahk, who saw that many indigenous brands were doing well abroad but were not getting the recognition they deserved in their homeland.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ckt6Fv_P3yj/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

It came back for a second year in 2019 and is finally back again in 2022 for a third year.

This years festival runs over four days, each day hosting a different runway event. Each day has a different theme or concept:

November 28th – Red Dress: this is the opening night of the festival, paying respects to and commemorating the memory of all the missing/murdered indigenous woman.

November 29th – All my Relations: Mixing tradition with the contemporary, a show featuring both new and well-known indigenous designers.

November 30th – Indigenous Future: Mixing Indigenous designs with some futurism with the intention of taking back sovereignty.

December 1st – Spirit of the West Coast: the last night of the festival closes with a spotlight on designs with a distinctly west coast influence

The festival will also boast 40 different Indigenous vendors between the runway shows, with the intention of encouraging appreciators of indigenous art and design to buy directly from the source: “If you love Indigenous art, honour those who create it by being in direct relationship with them.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck4E58dSEGy/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Fun Facts about Canadian Candy

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Growing up in Canada, there’s always a sense of being overshadowed by the bigger, grander, louder United States.

But if there’s one area where Canada has it better than our friends south of the border, it’s gotta be our snacks.

Ketchup and all dressed chips, Poutine, soap flavoured gum… wait a second. One of these is not like the other.

I feel like I may too young to have experienced this, but apparently soap flavoured gum was a big thing in this country? It’s sold under a brand called Thrills, which actually first started making this gum in London, England, and was owned by the O Pee Chee company before being bought by Nestle in 1980.

Turns out the gum wasn’t actually soap flavoured. The brand sold three different flavours: peppermint, spearmint, and… Cachou? What the heck is a cachou? Is that an alternate spelling of cashew?

Apparently not. The original Cachou flavour was supposed to taste something like rosewater and liquorice, but I guess that didn’t exactly translate.

Now that the company is owned by nestle, the only flavour Thrills makes is the Cachou flavour, except they don’t call it that anymore, it is literally called soap flavour now, it even says it on the package!

Thrills

Moving on to something perhaps a bit more savoury, did you know that the first ever wrapped chocolate bar was invented in Canada? Take that Americans!

This tasty chocolate bar is named the Pal-o-Mine and was invented by Arthur Ganong, who started the Ganong Candy Company in 1873, the oldest candy company in Canada.

Ganong candy, NB

Ganong even opened a chocolate museum in the same town where his chocolate factory was located: St. Stephens, New Brunswick.

As a chocolate fanatic, that is definitely going on my bucket list.

Ganong being the oldest candy company in Canada and still going strong today, they have made some other… interesting… creations over the years.

For example, they sold candy called “chicken bones,” starting in 1885 that were a combination of cinnamon and dark chocolate. Why they were called chicken bones I couldn’t tell you.

Chicken bones

I think I’ll stick to eating Maltesers and Smarties.

What’s your favourite Canadian candy?

The History of the Famous Christmas Ballet, The Nutcracker

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It’s not officially the Christmas season until a production of the nutcracker is playing in your hometown, is it?

I’ll admit, I haven’t seen a production of the nutcracker since I was 9 years old, but as a young ballerina at the time, I remember how in awe I was at the effortless grace of all the performers as they seemed to float across the stage, portraying the powerful story without even the use of words.

NC-7

Almost everyone knows about the nutcracker ballet, but what about its history? When did this famous ballet get its start and why?

The nutcracker Ballet was actually adapted from a short story written by the Prussian author E.T.A Hoffman. It was called The Nutcracker and the Mouse King and was published in Berlin in 1816.

The story follows the adventure of a young girl, Marie Stahlbaum, as her   beloved Christmas toy, the nutcracker, magically comes to life and takes her away to a land whose inhabitants are life-like dolls.

It then took 76 years for the story to be made into the ballet we know today. The ballet debuted a week before Christmas in St. Petersburg in 1892 after it was commissioned just a year before by the director of Moscow’s Imperial Theatres.

The musical suite, written by Tchaikovsky, was instantly a success, but the ballet itself did not become quite as popular until the next century!

The ballet did not even reach North America until 1944 when it was performed by the San Francisco Ballet, and then it finally became a hit after George Balanchine’s version hit the stage in New York in 1954.

Dance of the Toy Soldiers

A fun fact about the music Tchaikovsky wrote for the ballet, he was challenged by a friend to write a melody with the notes of the scale in order, either ascending or descending, as long as they followed in sequence. Tchaikovsky did succeed in doing this, and you can hear it in the Grand pas de Deux of the second act where the main character Clara dances with the magical nutcracker.

Now that you know the history of this spectacular Christmas ballet, why not go see it with a new sense of appreciation at the Orpheum, presented by the renowned Vancouver Symphony Orchestra!

The show debuts on November 17th, so make sure to grab your tickets here and start the holiday season off right with an adventure through the classic story of the nutcracker.

What is a Pantomime? And where you can Participate in one in Vancouver

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What is a Pantomime? And where you can participate in one in Vancouver

As someone who is mostly unfamiliar with the language of theatre, I was intrigued, but altogether clueless when I was searching the web and came upon the word “pantomime” as a description for a theatre play.

So, what is a pantomime?

According to my favourite friend Google, a pantomime is “a theatrical entertainment, mainly for children, that involves music, topical jokes, and slapstick comedy and is based on a fairy tale or nursery story, usually produced around Christmas.”

Alright, sounds fun. But I was still left wondering, why is this a Christmas thing? What is the history behind this type of theatre production?

Apparently, the origins of the pantomime can be traced back to ancient roman times and the winter festival of Saturnalia which would traditionally start on the 17th of December and sometimes span over several days.

Some less than savoury spectacles would take place during this event, at least compared to modern standards, as the event would usually kick off with a sacrifice at the temple of Saturn … yikes. That is not kid friendly.

Roman Saturnalia & Winter Watch Parades (14th Dec 2017)

Above: a modern day celebration of Saturnalia, no human sacrifices involved

After the rather gory start to the holiday, there would be games, a large feast, and basically all conventional rules and laws would be thrown out the window for the duration of the festival. It was a kind of “opposite day” where masters would serve the slaves, men would dress as woman, woman would dress as men, and even gambling, which was normally prohibited, was allowed.

So, the concept of the Pantomime came from this festival, where plays would be put on where the men would play the woman’s roles and vice versa. It was meant to be funny and whimsical and audiences would be encouraged to join in and participate in the merriment.

nowadays, pantomimes aren’t always done in this way, but the general idea is that audiences have a participatory role in this type of stage production and it’s meant to be lighthearted and fun.

Pantomime

Above: A pantomime performance, notice that men are playing woman

If you’re interested in experiencing a pantomime this season, Vancouvers East Van Panto is putting on “The Little Mermaid” at The Cultch theatre.

Putting a distinctly modern day Vancouver spin on this classic Disney fairytale, you’ll see Ariel “busking with her girl band at New Brighton beach” amongst other fishy adventures.

The preview is on November 16th and the official opening night is November 18th, with shows throughout the rest of November and December, and the last show falling on January 1st.

Ready to experience your first pantomime? You can buy tickets here  

This Award Winning Musical is Coming to Vancouver

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Come see the story of one of the most famous people of all time played out on the stage! Jesus Christ Superstar, the epic rock opera of  the life of Jesus’s Christ is hitting Vancouver from November 15th to 20th at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Time Rice, the play was actually first released as an album in 1970 when they were unable to get enough funding to turn it into a theatre production. Upon the success of the album, they were finally able to hit broadway in 1971 and then did an 8 year run in London from 1972-1980, the longest running west-end play until it was taken over by Cats.

For those unfamiliar with the Gospels, This is a modernized, rock-ified version of The Passion, the final period of Jesus’s Life. There is a heavy focus on his relationship with Judas, and the play dives into the psychology of each character, keeping it fresh and contemporary with modern day slang and references to 21st century life. So, If you need to brush up on your biblical knowledge, this is probably the most fun and entertaining way to do it. Even those who are not religious will love this dramatized account of Jesus’s life.

And especially for all those classic rock fans out there, you will not want to miss this show with its critically acclaimed soundtrack. Surprisingly, the original studio  album Jesus Christ Superstar has been kind of forgotten, despite the fact that it was what made the widely popular stage production a possibility. A bunch of famous musicians made an appearance on the soundtrack, most notably Deep Purple’s Ian Gillian as the voice of Jesus.

If you’re not sure you’ll be into this play, take a listen to the studio album for a bit of a preview before deciding to buy tickets, which are available at vancouver-theatre.com

Environmental Activists Target Emily Carr Painting

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The trend of bringing attention to environmental causes by covering famous paintings with soup or other edible liquids of choice has made it’s way to Vancouver.

stop fracking

A pair of climate activists put a Canadian spin on the trend first started in the UK by pouring maple syrup on an Emily Carr painting “Stumps and the Sky” at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday.

A post of the two activists with their hands glued to the wall under the painting was shared to a twitter account called “Stop Fracking Around.”

The goal of this stunt was to stop the construction of the coastal gaslink pipeline which is going through traditional wet’suwet’en lands.

To those art enthusiasts worried about any damage done to the painting, it was being kept behind protective glass and no real damage was done, other than the sticky residue left behind on the glass. Perhaps a nice snack for other visitors?

This trend doesn’t seem to have any end in sight, but why have climate activists chosen artwork as a target for their demonstrations?

What does a beautiful painting by Emily Carr have to do with stopping pipelines from being built?

One explanation is that it doesn’t – it’s just a way to get peoples attention by doing something outrageous. And I will admit, it does work. We hear of and see climate protests all the time, but even with thousands of people attending these types of events, nothing seems to change.

System change, not climate change

It’s just not impactful enough.

A tweet by @Elis969962  on twitter states that disruption is “the best way to cause change in society. If they hadn’t done this you wouldn’t even have heard their message.”

Another way to look at it is to see the hypocrisy of our ways – how we protect cultural artifacts like art but refuse to see the environment as an important cultural artifact to protect and preserve.

Because the land is part of our culture. It has determined how we live, what resourced are available to us, how we get around, and so much more.

It is not just something to be bought and sold, to be built upon, to be destroyed.

It should be given the same respect as a Van Gogh or an Emily Carr.

Maybe instead of being shocked that some maple syrup was thrown on a painting, we should be shocked at the way we have treated our land.

COVID-19 Still Impacting Sports Broadcasters

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For most of us it pretty much feels like COVID is over. We’ve gone back to our jobs in person, no more mask or vaccine mandates, and no more social distancing required. But some industries still continue to be impacted by the virus.

In Sports Broadcasting, it seems that some radio crews have been asked to keep doing broadcasts remotely, which was a necessity during the height of the pandemic when travel restrictions prevented the possibility of doing shows on the road.

In the NHL, for example, even though 95% of all the broadcasters were back to doing road games in-person according to the NHL’s senior executive vice president of communications, radio broadcast crews for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, and the Vancouver Canucks are still doing remote broadcasts for road games.

Vancouver Canucks

The situation is similar in the NBA. Most teams have gone back to normal, with a few exceptions like the Orlando magic that are keeping up with the remote broadcasts.

It seems puzzling that some crews are still deciding to call games remotely, especially when it’s no longer necessary. Fans are being assured that they are still getting the full experience, but the truth is that not being there in person means less accuracy.

Paul Romanuk, who has called games for the Raptors, done Olympic coverage, and more, gave a comment to Vancouver is Awesome: “You can’t look down at the bench and see if a player is hurting after he blocked a shot … you can’t see if the coach is walking down to have a word with a player… you miss all of that.”

Many broadcasters who have been left stranded echo the same sentiments. The ability to convey the atmosphere and the electricity of a fast-paced hockey game, with the cheers of the crowd and the bustle of all the coaches and employees just doesn’t come across when you aren’t actually there.

At this point, it looks like for some teams, it’s a matter of cutting costs rather than of any concern for safety, which is a shame. That has definitely been one major down side of the changes society has faced post-pandemic.

Montreal Canadians Verses Toronto Maple Leafs!

Corporations, schools, and broadcasters realized that they saved a lot of money by going remote, and have decided to keep it that way even at the expense of the quality of the product.

I think it’s time these entities stop using COVID as an excuse for their laziness. Let the broadcast crews get back to doing what they do best.

A French-Canadian Community in Greater Vancouver?

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There are many cultural groups that have settled in the greater Vancouver area. The most prominent are European, Chinese, and south Asian, with many other smaller groups completing the constellation that makes up the culture of Vancouver that we know today.

Although it is obvious that the greater Vancouver area is a multi-cultural place, many people don’t know that there is actually an area in this region that is home to the largest francophone centre west of Manitoba!

When you think of Vancouver you just don’t really associate it with being French. Compared to eastern Canada, there is a negligible number of French speakers who live here.

Nevertheless, the small French community of Maillardville in Coquitlam has thrived since it’s founding in 1889.

Mackin House Museum -- not my photo

This neighbourhood situated on the south slope of Coquitlam started as a lumber mill opened by Frank Ross and James McLaren. The town was named after Father Edmond Maillard, a French oblate.

The town was quite small, with about two dozen homes, a post office, and a general store. But in 1909, Frank and James decided to hire 110 French-Canadian workers for the mill, and some 40 French families settled in Maillardville.

Also during the early 1900’s, many Punjabi immigrants settled in the area for farming, and a sikh temple was constructed in the town.

Today, Maillardville keeps it’s French tradition alive with the numerous schools in Coquitlam that have French immersion programs; the Société francophone de Maillardville, which “Provides Francophones and Francophiles in the area with various resources and practical services”; the place des arts cultural centre which hosts classes and events of all sorts, and the festival du bois which is an annual event that takes place during the spring to celebrate French Canadian history, arts, and culture.

[P366:291] Carré Laval, Maillardville

By the way, did you know that Lucille Starr, an inductee of the Canadian country music hall of fame actually began her career in maillardville? She started there with her band Les Hirondelles.

Now that you know about the history of this small French-Canadian settlement, you can one-up your friends next time you have a trivia night.

Don’t Ever Stop: The Inspiring Story of PrettyEastVan

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If you ask people what they think of East Van, you’ll get a mixed bag of answers. For many, it’s a tight-knit and vibrant community with a deep connection to the local arts and music scene.

For others, images of East Hastings Street come to mind, a place of relentless poverty, drug addiction, and crime; a place where dreams go to die.

But one East Van resident wants you to know that whatever situation you are in, even if you are homeless, living on the streets, or dealing with a dysfunctional family, you can make your dreams happen.

The owner and founder of one of Vancouvers newest fashion brands, PrettyEastVan, has opened up about the struggles in her life and how she ended up where she is today.

Coincidentally, she goes by the same name of her clothing brand.

PrettyEastVan (the person) is an indigenous woman that grew up in East Van and because of her broken family, ended up on the streets and homeless multiple times since the age of 12.

Throughout this horrible experience, drawing and art became an escape for her, a way to mentally get away from the addiction, violence, and poverty all around her. She was always drawing different outfits and designs, even when she was on the streets.

When covid hit, PrettyEastVan was already beginning to turn her life around, as she was going to school for social work. But the new challenges that came with the pandemic meant that she had to pivot.

Coming back to her passion for art and fashion, she started sewing and selling facemasks at the Aboriginal Front Door Society, where she sold about 600! This exposure was what connected her to a fashion designer who helped her get into the fashion business.

Below: a photo of PrettyEastVan with one of her T-shirt designs for Orange shirt day at SFU

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjN8osmJays/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Now, PrettyEastVan sells clothes with printed graphics that reflect her love of her community and the desire to bring the people of East Vancouver together. The Fashion Brand participates in community outreach programs and donates clothing to programs around the city.

PrettyEastVan especially wants young indigenous artists and creators to know that they should never stop trying.

The Longest Running Asian film Festival in Canada is Closing out this Weekend

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Asian culture and communities have long been a part of Vancouver, and are an integral part of its history and the culture of the city we know today.

Vancouver would not be the same without the contributions of individuals of Asian heritage, even though in the past, and even up to this day, many have been treated with contempt because of their appearance and cultural differences.

If you are interested in learning more about and spreading the word about Asian artists and creators in the film industry, then make sure not to miss the last two days of the 26th annual Vancouver Asian Film Festival.

VAFF

This is the longest running Asian film festival in Canada, with the first festival successfully put on in 1997 and with over 5,000 visitors each year.

The Vancouver Asian Film Festival aims to uplift Asian creators with talks from ambassadors in the industry, opening up about breaking into an industry that has often been hostile to inclusivity.

In their vision statement, VAFF writes: “ VAFF envisions a world where North American Asian actors and filmmakers have the resources and opportunities to shape mainstream culture in a powerful and positive way.”

As well as organizing different seminars and talks with Asian industry professionals, the festival has been hosting in-person and virtual screenings of Asian-American films in many different categories including short and animated films.

Below is a video clip about the film “incorrigible” which was screened at the festival this year:

This year’s festival will be closing out this weekend, November 12th and 13th,  with it’s industry insight series – a set of talks and seminars for writers, directors, working with visual effects, green screen, chats with film makers in the industry and more. There are in-person and virtual sessions, with in-person tickets costing 12 dollars and virtual sessions are free.

Then, on Sunday, attend the grand finale of the festival, the OVAsian awards ceremony! This snazzy event is hosted at science world, and tickets are 50 dollars. The event goes from 7:30pm-midnight with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and beverages. The dress code is “creative and playful.”

For more information on events and ticket prices click here.

Hope to see you there!