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October 15 edition: Surrey’s harm reduction heroes

October 15 edition: Surrey’s harm reduction heroes

Plus: Inside Cirque du Soleil’s latest show

October 15, 2024

Hey there. I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving!

It feels like we’re bracing for the rainy season. But that means every time it’s sunny from now on will feel like a gift. Time to make the most of soup and warm socks and googling whether it’s still cool to talk about “hygge.”

— V.
Associate Editor

— FEATURE —

Tanya Talaga’s The Knowing tells the rest of Canada what Indigenous people already knew to be true

The Knowing is heavy going. On a personal level, it follows journalist Tanya Talaga’s attempts to uncover what happened to her great-great-grandmother Annie Carpenter after she was imprisoned in an asylum. On a societal level, it’s about the knowledge Indigenous people have about Canada’s horrific past—which settlers continually argue, ignore, or excuse. “I just wanted to write this story,” she tells us. “I needed to get the words on the page and the truth out.”

— CITY & CULTURE —

Surrey Union of Drug Users fights for better harm reduction

As the toxic drug crisis continues unabated, BC’s second-most populous city is woefully underserved by safe consumption sites. “There’s a lot of compounded grief,” says Surrey Union of Drug Users board member Gina Egilson, “and a deep desire for folks to want to change the system.”

PSA: Advance provincial voting is open now! Go vote!
Photos: The northern lights returned to Vancouver skies
Tŝilhqot’in Nation reclaims dozens of items from the Museum of Vancouver
Halloween events to check out around Metro Vancouver
WSX Championship is coming Oct 26! Don't miss this action-packed and unforgettable live sports experience for the whole family. Tickets on sale now.*
*sponsored listing

120+ authors in 85+ events: October 21–27

The Vancouver Writers Fest will host 120+ authors from across the globe in 85+ events during their flagship Festival, taking place on Granville Island and in schools across the Lower Mainland from October 21–27. Tickets are now on sale!

— ARTS —

Lumière festival returns to light up downtown Vancouver

Lights, camera, Lumière. Local writer and director Ana Valine is curating the installations in this year’s glowing lights festival.

Halloween shows to catch in Vancouver
Peep the Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival and the Vancouver Asian Film Festival programming
Jenny Scheinman, violinist for Lucinda Williams, Bill Frisell and others, performs tunes from her astonishing album All Species Parade with full band, Oct. 10, at BlueShore at CapU.*
Cirque du Soleil's ECHO weaves a tale of evolution and the symbiotic relationships that sustain life, bringing fresh twists to its Big Top experience. On now at Concord Pacific Place. *

*sponsored listing

Shadows Into Dawn | 33rd Annual Remembrance Day Concert

Immerse yourself in the soaring Chor Leoni sound at Shadows Into Dawn, the choir’s 33rd Annual Remembrance Day concert on Nov 11. Through folk, pop, and modern choral works, you’re invited to listen, reflect on the cost of war, and journey from the shadows of death to the dawn of empathy.

— FOOD & DRINK —

One Great Thing I Ate: The Northern Deluxe Burger from Northern Cafe

If you like classic comfort food, then getting lost in South Vancouver has a delicious reward once you find the elusive Northern Cafe.

PSA: Honest to Pete is a Mount Pleasant hidden gem
Five special foodie dinners to check out this month
These Halloween treats can be found around town

— ICYMI —

Photos: Rainbow proves fall in Vancouver isn’t all bad
Review: Cirque du Soleil’s Echo delivers mesmerizingly surreal stunts
The French Table isn’t closing after all
Eastside Culture Crawl is back, baby
We find out what makes Diwali Fest shine
Lamplighter is throwing a party for its big 100
Vancouver Michelin Guide 2024 winners are here
Your very Vancouver horoscopes for fall

— THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK —

BOOKS: Donate your old books, games, and discs to a good cause. (October 15 @ North Vancouver District Public Library, North Vancouver)

MUSIC: Get your goth on with the Sisters of Mercy. (October 15 @ Orpheum Theatre)

VISUAL ARTS: The Sound of Footsteps as Summer Walks Away by celebrated artist Geoffrey Farmer has its opening. (October 15 @ West Vancouver Art Museum, West Vancouver)

FILM: The Rocky Horror Picture Show sees the original Columbia come to town for the film’s 49th anniversary. (October 15 @ Vogue Theatre)

BOOKS: Cali Haan launches her debut comic essay collection, This Too Shall Passive Aggressive. (October 15 @ Vancouver Public Library Central Branch, Vancouver)

TALKS: Everything ends, as Ron Samworth explores in The Etiquette (and Rhetoric) of Dying. (October 16 @ Secret Lantern Society)

COMEDY: Finnish funnyman ISMO delivers cross-cultural comedy. (October 17 @ Vogue Theatre)

COMMUNITY: Megaphone magazine has its annual breakfast fundraiser. (October 17 @ Yaletown Roundhouse Exhibition Hall)

THEATRE: Have A Senior Moment Festival knows there’s no age limit on art. (October 17 to 20 @ Pal Studio Theatre)

Want to know what else is happening in Vancouver? Check out our events listings.

That’s it!

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