Category: Uncategorized

Building homes together for a better future

Persis Ahrestani, CPA, CGA
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Habitat for Humanity

Tuesday, February 18, 2025
2:00 – 4:00 pm
at the
Kiwanis Garden Village – Great Hall
975 – 21st St, West Vancouver
(Parking at WV Recreation Centre, entrance off Gordon Ave)
Everyone welcome to this free event

Persis Ahrestani, CPA, CGA, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Habitat for Humanity, will share the role that Habitat for Humanity plays in building stronger, more inclusive communities. Leading Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver has been both challenging and rewarding, and she is inspired daily by the resilience of the people she works with and the families they serve.

Business in Vancouver recognized Peersis Ahrestani as one of Vancouver’s top Forty Under 40,

To those who support Habitat:  Persis thanks you for your unwavering belief in their mission. Together, we are building homes, hope, and opportunities for a better future.

You are invited to hear Melanie Knight, Program Manager who will share the origins, intent, and successes of this program.

Have you ever had the unique experience of observing southern resident killer whales in our coastal waters and then wondered what is being done to protect them? Join us to hear from the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s ECHO ((Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation) Program Manager Melanie Knight who will share the origins, intent, and successes of this program which began in 2014.

Today the program coordinates one of the world’s largest and most successful voluntary efforts to reduce the impacts of underwater noise on at-risk whales –– in close collaboration with advisors from across government, the marine transportation industry, Indigenous communities, and environmental groups.

Join us to learn more about this important program.

Valerie Jerome, author of RACES: The Trials and Triumphs of Canada’s Fastest Family

Valerie is an Olympian in her own right and sister of Harry Jerome, a bronze medalist at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. Valerie is an educator and political activist raised in North Vancouver who will speak about some of those childhood experiences and their influence on her life.

The title for this talk is DARE TO BE AN ANNABELLE.  And that is all Valerie will say about that for now.

Valerie was born in Winnipeg Manitoba in 1944. Her family moved to North Vancouver in 1951.  

She is a graduate of UBC and taught school in Vancouver for 35 years – retiring in 2001. 

From 1988 until 2000, Valerie ran in civic, provincial and federal elections for the Green Party and worked for  both Swedish and Swiss Green Parties during their election campaigns. 

Valerie competed in track and field for Canada in Commonwealth, Olympic and Pan American Games and worked as a Track official for 30 years after her own career ended.

Valerie has one son Stuart Parker.

You are invited to hear a behind the scenes approach to the upcoming programs and how the VSO reaches new audiences.

Jamshed Colah is the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and VSO School of Music’s new Senior Director of Major Gifts.

An assembly of CFUW members, friends, and supporters of Peace will gather on Parliament Hill with a display of hundreds of colorful panels calling for Peace in our troubled world. Panels were crafted by individuals in all provinces of Canada and will be presented as Pieces4Peace.

Women and their families are deeply affected by conflict, but their voices are too often lost in the noise of combat. Panels represent the silent voices of women from regions across Canada who want to be heard at the negotiating table. Their firm belief is that fighting is cruelly destructive and damaging to all sides. On the other hand, calm negotiation permits constructive possibilities for resolution while minimizing harm. We Stand for Peace.

No special funds were used to create the panels or organize the assembly. This is a personal plea from women and their families to recognize the power of quietness and calm to move forward and resolve the distress of conflict. More details about this project are available on this website
https://cfuwkanata.ca/Pieces-4-Peace

The Honourable Justice Randall (Bud) Wong is a pioneer in Canadian law. He served as the first Chinese Canadian provincial Crown Counsel, a BC Provincial Court judge, and was the first Chinese Canadian federally appointed judge to the British Columbia County Court. Bud’s talk begins with his early third-generation Chinese-Canadian Family roots in Vancouver. He will describe his experiences as a young lawyer during the 1960s and 70s. He will also tell courthouse stories about BC lawyers and judges, especially the emergence of feminist women in law. Finally, he will reveal his hope and predictions about the future of the legal profession.

Our Panelists:  

• Ulwiana Mehta-Malhotra,
• Lia Che and Jin Chen,
• Eva Grdina
• Isabel Rodriguez Rojas,

are students at Mulgrave School and the University of British Columbia and will cover topics such as:

Fast Fashion – a detrimental footprint but with positive industry innovation, Food Security and Waste, Environmental Change and its impact on wildlife species and Dietary Choices and the Health of the Planet

Our Panel Moderator is Glenys Galloway, President of the Canadian Federation of University Women – West Vancouver Chapter.

This is a free Community Event to hear, recognize and support the interests of our Youth in Climate Change. Please contact [email protected] if you require further information.

Please join us. Everyone is welcome.

Daphne Hales is a Founding Member and Director of Lighthouse Park Preservation Society. She will speak about the establishment of the volunteer-run charitable society to preserve the environment of the park’s forest and describe highlights of its work.

Photo by Harshil Gudk

Joseph Fall, B.Sc, MRM
Capilano University

Computational science defines the thread of Joseph Fall’s career. Fall’s primary research interests lie in ways to improve teaching and learning. He will provide a brief history of AI technologies discussing what it means for an algorithm to “learn” and anticipated uses of AI in our daily lives.

Monday, November 20, 2023
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Zoom login email: [email protected]

Guests welcome