Conversations That Matter

Dr Rosalin Miles: Running toward Reconciliation

Ep 270

Guest: Dr Rosalin Miles

Rainforest Trail Run - a powerful antioxidant

 

Chief Dan George talked of “the beauty of the trees, the softness of the air, the fragrance of the grass, they speak to me… the trail of the sun and the life that never goes away, they speak to me. And my heart soars.”

 

The forest, according to Peter Wohleben, is a social network connected by a wood wide web. In his book, “The Hidden Life of Trees,” he says trees talk to one another, they share food, they take care of one another and they support each other. He says it’s no surprise that the saddest trees are those that have been enslaved in isolation in human-constructed systems. Those trees lose their ability to communicate and connect, the result is compromised health and a shorter life span.

 

So too with humans. We know the devastating impacts of isolation on babies. We know the devastating impact on communities that are cut off or worse intentionally isolated. Canada’s Indian Act isolated First Nations in a way that has compromised their health and life expectancy.

 

Dr Rosalin Miles thought, what better way to take a step towards better health and reconciliation than in a rainforest? Working with a wide range of health care and sports organizers and organizations, she launched the Rainforest Trail Run, a 5K event that celebrates First Nations cultures and promotes wellness through movement.

 

The inaugural event took place on Sunday the 29th of September 2019 and was immediately proclaimed a great success as an event, as a coming together and as a step towards reconciliation.

 

We invited Dr Rosalin Miles to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the healing power of a community in motion in the cradle of Mother Nature. 

 

Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs

BC Salmon in Crisis

Ep 269

Guest: Jason Hwang

The State of Salmon

 

More often than not, when we hear news about Pacific salmon, we brace yourselves for more bad news. Recently we learned that the Fraser River sockeye returns were the worst on record. Add in the Big Bar landslide, the impacts of ecosystem changes, like eelgrass depletion, algae blooms and the on-going debate over open-net pen salmon fish farms, and you can’t help but start to think it’s all bad news.

 

Luckily, Pacific salmon are remarkably resilient. They are still here and there are still many opportunities for us to do all we can to ensure their survivability and return to abundance. 

 

The Pacific Salmon Foundation is committed to the work of ensuring Pacific salmon survive. The organization funds a number of stream and habitat restoration projects along with scientific research. PSF works with Genome BC, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and a wide range of other agencies to develop science that will better inform decision makers on how best to save our salmon.

 

We invited the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s Vice President for Salmon, Jason Hwang, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the state of salmon. This episode of the show will also serve as the kickoff to a new series of “Salmon Matter” casts that can be seen on the Conversations That Matter channel each month starting in January 2020.

 

Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs

Brigitte Raye: Restaurateur Extraordinaire

Ep 13 Brigitte Raye

Restauranteur Extraordinaire

 

The statistics suck. Small independent restaurants have a survival rate that is so poor you can’t help but wonder how do any of them survive? Food costs are soaring, rental costs, taxes, wages are all pointing upward. How can anyone survive?

 

As someone who appreciates the unique dining experiences that independent boutique restaurants offer, I reached out to the owner and founder of one of my favorites, Orto which is in North Vancouver.

 

What makes it a favorite of mine starts with the owner who is always on the floor making sure that everyone who enters feels special. She really knows everyone’s name. So how in a place like Vancouver can she survive when so many don’t?

 

In this episode of Careers That Matter we meet the remarkable Brigitte Raye to share her life long passion for the food service industry and share a few insights into how to make it as an independent.

Dr Claire Fraser: You are not Alone

Ep 268

Guest: Dr Claire Fraser

You Are Not Alone

 

Your body has been colonized by bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viruses and microbes. There are so many of them that you amount for about half of you and the other half are all of the other bits of organic life that like to call you home. They are known as the microbiome and they possess 200 times more genes than you do.

 

Think of a part of your body and that’s where you’ll find microbes and bacteria and nowhere more so than in your gastrointestinal tract. Most of them live in perfect harmony with you when your body functions the way it was designed to work. When something goes awry... well, that’s when everything gets knocked off kilter and you can get sick, really sick.

 

Antibiotics that are designed to treat disease and infection also kill off enormous amounts of microbes and set up an environment that can and often leads to C-Diff, or C. difficile, which causes diarrhea and colitis.

 

Understanding the complex interplay between microbes, bacteria and the myriad fungi and protozoa in your GI is underway. One of the key elements in establishing a baseline in the on-going research has been the mapping of the human microbiome.   

 

Recently, Dr Claire Fraser, a leader in genomics who played a lead role in mapping the human genome, who used genomics to identify the source of the deadly 2001 anthrax attacks, has been instrumental in the NIH mapping of the microbiome project and is Genome BC’s 2019 Don Rix Distinguished Keynote speaker. She joined us for a Conversation That Matters about you, the organisms you are host to and your relationship with them. 

 

Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.

 

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs 

Tony McAleer - Life After Hate

Ep 267

Guest: Tony McAleer

The Cure for Hate 

 

To hate someone is a powerful emotional response that can easily escalate to violence. In his book, “The Cure for Hate,” former white supremist Tony McAleer takes the reader inside his life story. Born into an affluent Vancouver family, the events of his life lead him to join some of the most notorious neo-Nazi groups in Canada and the US.

 

My initial reaction to reading his book and interviewing him was one of great hesitation. I did not want to give voice in any manner to the ideas of hate and xenophobia.  With trepidation, I opened the book to discover the story of a lonely young man attempting to find his place in the world – a world that did not understand his emotional needs – and subsequently every action and reaction to him was another push into an unimaginable life.

 

Once isolated from mainstream society, McAleer only had his new found community to bond with: a community that provided him with the sense of belonging he desperately wanted. Not to paint a picture of poor Tony, because as he freely admits, he made decisions that firmly placed him in that world, saying, “I am not offering excuses and I accept responsibility for what I did.”

 

Along the way, his beliefs changed. The journey away from hate was a long and arduous one that lacked compassion and understanding. Most certainly there was very little love, yet it is love, radical compassion that McAleer says he and others must have to overcome hate.

 

His book breaks down stereotypes and offers piercing insights into how regular people are drawn to hate and violent extremism. Most importantly, “ The Cure for Hate” offers insight into the long and challenging path out of that world.

 

We invited Tony McAleer, one of the founders of Life After Hate, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about his mission to help people leave hate groups. 

 

Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Morris J Wosk Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.

 

Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs 

Paul Dragan: Big Wheel at the Bike Shop

Ep 12 Paul Dragan

Big Wheel at the Bike Shop

 

As a young lad Paul Dragon was given his first bicycle which gave him the freedom to explore the world. First in rural Nova Scotia, then as a road racer in Europe and onto a life an entrepreneur.  Paul loves bikes, everything about them, wheels, spokes, tires, tubes and value stems to name just a few of the many parts of a bicycle.

 

He also loves being in business, being in control of his day, his destiny. Negotiating leases, designing new equipment for bikes, embracing new technology, marketing, customer relations and working with staff.

 

In this episode of Careers That Matter we meet a remarkable man who is helping to re-shape urban transportation.

Jonathan Manthorpe - A Career That Matters

Ep 8 Jonathan Manthorpe -MP3

International Journalist, Commentator, Author

 

The author of “Claws of the Panda” has been reporting to Canadians since 1965. His career has taken him around the world, interviewing and telling stories that affect Canadians. He is widely respected as a thoughtful and insightful reporter. 

 

He digs deep; he finds the elements of the story that matter when others either don’t have the time, the resources or the inclination to find information or identify trends that tell meaningful stories – stories that provide readers, listeners and viewers with insights that allow them to make informed decisions.

 

Jonathan Manthorpe shares his career path with us and provides us with a glimpse into the world. 

Dr Alessio Fasano - Careers That Matter

Ep 9 Dr Alessio Fasano

1. Allan Walker Chair in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition

Massachusetts General Hospital 

 

Dr Fasano was born and raised in Italy, where he studied pediatric gastroenterology. He was determined to cure diarrhea – an elusive goal, one he failed to achieve. However, that failure led him on a path to new research that revealed zonulin, which regulates intestinal permeability. 

 

Then, in 2003, he published the results of an epidemiological study that demonstrated the scale of celiac disease in the United States. His work also includes the pathophysiology of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. 

 

Alessio Fasano shares his remarkable career in this episode of Careers That Matter.

Dr Valentina Zharkova, PhD, Solar Scientist on Careers That Matter

Ep 10 Dr Valentina Zharkova, PhD

Solar Scientist

Professor: Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering

 

Dr Zharkova’s work in examining the sun as it moves into a solar minimum in the late stages of solar cycle 24 and into solar cycle 25 has captured the interest of an international audience. Her work suggests the long range forecast for the sun in the next two or possible three solar cycles will lead to a dramatic decrease in the volume and intensity of solar radiation in our solar system.

 

The reduction in solar intensity has already allowed for an increase in cosmic rays entering our solar system and earth’s atmosphere. 

 

How does someone become an expert in solar polarity? How do you develop the skills to interpret solar activity with Parker’s two layer solar dynamo model as well as pattern recognition and classification?

 

Professor Zharkova shares her career path in this episode of Careers That Matter.

Amanda and Jeff Lee - Bee Keepin is the life for me

Ep 11 Amanda and Jeff Lee

Bee Keepin is the life for Me

 

Amanda and Jeff Lee were a Vancouver BC power couple, both key members of the Vancouver Sun and Postmedia newspaper group. Then one day, Amanda took a “Science of Fear” challenge put on by one of her clients. That challenge was to experience what is known as a “bee beard” – that’s where the queen bee was placed on a string around her neck and thousands of worker bees were released to climb up her throat and onto her face.

 

That was the beginning of an incredible journey that transformed her and Jeff’s lives. Goodbye newspaper business. Goodbye big city. And in the words of Green Acres theme song, “Farm Living Was the Life for Me” – bee keepin’ as a career is the place to be, land spreadin’ out so far and wide, Keep Vancouver, just give me that countryside. It was and is an adventure in agriculture and entrepreneurialism.

 

Amanda and Jeff share their career path in this episode of Careers That Matter.