Renfrew-Collingwood Community News

News stories from the Renfrew-Collingwood community in East Vancouver

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Guacamole for justice

Join the Renfrew-Collingwood Food Security Institute on Thursday, September 21 for a screening of Min Sook Lee’s 2016 film Migrant Dreams, a documentary that explores the experiences of seasonal agricultural workers in Canada.

Guacamole for justice

Making the guacamole. Photo courtesy of the Renfrew-Collingwood Food Security Institute

BY EMMA WARNER CHEE

On August 23, 2017, the Renfrew-Collingwood Food Security Institute partnered with the Migrant Workers Dignity Association to offer a workshop called Guacamole: A Cooking Lesson for Justice. The Migrant Workers Dignity Association is a non-profit that supports migrant workers in learning and advocating for their rights, as well as in educating the public about the injustices faced by migrant workers.

Through an interactive, theatrical cooking lesson, the group made guacamole and learned about the injustices facing temporary farmer workers who grow our food, such as having to work long hours without overtime pay, being unable to access medical care and working in unsafe conditions. After the workshop, workers answered questions from participants and share some of their personal experiences.

The Food Security Institute aims to provide space for critical conversations about food systems. Join the institute on Thursday, September 21 for a screening of Min Sook Lee’s 2016 film Migrant Dreams (distributed by Cinema Politica), a documentary that explores the experiences of seasonal agricultural workers in Canada. A facilitated discussion will follow the film.

Please see the blog rcfood.wordpress.com or pick up an activity schedule from Collingwood Neighbourhood House for more information about this and other great events!

Emma Warner Chee is the urban agriculture assistant and summer student with the Renfrew Collingwood Food Security Institute.

Copyright (c) 2017 Renfrew-Collingwood Community News


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September 2017 issue of RCC News is here

September 2017 RCC News

This issue of the Renfrew-Collingwood Community News is full of the many wonderful people, events and programs happening in our neighbourhood!

Get your latest issue of the RCC News at your local coffee shop, grocery store, library and community centre.

Or click on the cover image to view the new issue.

In this issue:

  • Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival, Saturday, September 30
  • September a good time to move beyond work-life balance
  • New exhibit at Il Museo: The Venetian Ghetto
  • Easter Seals Camps make a difference
  • Collingwood Corner: Check out Nostalgic Vancouver Facebook
  • Banana Grove grocery celebrates 25 years
  • Guacamole for justice
  • Logan the goat chews up Renfrew Ravine native plants
  • Plus Collingwood Neighbourhood House fall recreation programs

Do you have a local story to tell or an event to share? We’d love to hear about it! Email rccnews-editorial@cnh.bc.ca.

The deadline for the October 2017 issue is September 10. We welcome story submissions from 300 to 400 words long. Accompanying photos must be high resolution in a jpg file at least 1 MB large and include a photo caption and the name of the photographer.


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Read On: Many reasons to love Renfrew-Collingwood

Renfrew Ravine Labyrinth

In Renfrew-Collingwood, there are many quiet areas, like the Renfrew Ravine labyrinth, where you can just sit and think. Photo by Julie Cheng

BY TONY WANLESS

I have been living in Renfrew-Collingwood for 13 years. Before that, I lived in more central locations such as the Cambie Street and downtown areas.

I have also lived in other cities in Canada, the United States and Europe.

R-C, as Renfrew-Collingwood is often called, seemed different at first. It was more Asian. Life seemed to move at a different rhythm than in other parts of Vancouver.

But now I would not live anywhere else.

Why? That is simple: It has everything I like.

This includes:

Many people. I like people – the way they look, the way they act, the way they talk, the way they eat. So I want to be around them most of the time. They make me feel like I belong to a group, or a big family.

Space. Although I like to be with people, there are times when I want to be alone with nature. I can do that in R-C. There are many quiet areas, like the Renfrew Ravine, where I can just sit and think.

Variety. Residents of Renfrew-Collingwood come from many different parts of the world and from many different cultures. This gives the neighbourhood an international feel that appeals to my wandering spirit and desire to learn. Every day, I can feel, for a few moments, like I am in China, Korea, Japan, Manila or Mexico.

Language. Renfrew-Collingwood is what is known as a “polyglot” neighbourhood. That means it is home for many different languages. I am originally Dutch, but my main language is English, and like many Canadians, I am also familiar with French, and less so, some knowledge of other European languages. Probably, because of that, I enjoy hearing and trying to learn other languages.

In Renfrew-Collingwood, I can pick up bits of Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean or Tagalog. Sometimes I hear other languages as well.

It is like travelling the world without leaving home.

Why do you love living in Renfrew-Collingwood? Please let us know. Email rccnews-editorial@cnh.bc.ca.

Copyright (c) 2017 Renfrew-Collingwood Community News