Home | Fraser Valley Focus

Lessons of a Life In Professional Sport, with Shoshauna and Will Routley of Healthy Hooch

For any parent that has stood shivering in the rain on the sidelines of a soccer field, and told themselves they were doing something great for the kids, well, it turns out, you were absolutely right! Sports teach us a […]

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Writing During the Pandemic with Alison Tedford

In the last year, I’ll bet you’ve adopted some new hobbies, like perhaps knitting, baking sourdough, or rearranged your furniture for the ten thousandth time? Or, maybe you’re one of the many who took advantage of this time to get […]

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Hyper-local Foodie Tourism in the Fraser Valley, with Lise of Chew On This Tasty Tours

It’s the PERFECT week to talk about this, don’t you think? Like you, I was not surprised to hear Dr. Henry and Minister Dix ask us not to travel outside of our health authorities. But instead of seeing that as […]

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Exploring Italian Culture Through Food, with Mamma Marzia

Do you dream of lasagna? Cannelloni? Pasta e fagioli? (I sure do.) And I’m sure I’m not the only one. I mean, everybody loves Italian food. Everybody! Even if you don’t consider yourself a cook, I’m sure you can throw together a little penne and olive oil once in a while. There’s so much to know about Italian culture: the geography, the climate, the ancient history, the religion, and of course, the shoes! And today we’re going to explore that through talking about food with someone who teaches and writes about authentic Italian cuisine, right here in the Fraser Valley.

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Classical Music in the Fraser Valley, an Interview with Dr. Calvin Dyck, Concert Violinist, and the Director of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra

I know you miss live music. The romance, the atmosphere, the bounce of sound around a large room, the dedication of the performers showing in every draw of the bow or pluck of an individual string. Don’t worry, we will […]

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The PUPPY Episode! With Liz Gaige of Fuzzy Buddy

If you have even been thinking about adopting a dog during this past year, or if you already have a fuzzy buddy to love, this is the episode for you. We’re going to talk about training, improving your relationship with your dog, and more.

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Avoiding Digital Overwhelm With Angela Crocker

Has this year been just a little too much about social media? How about keeping track of all your documents? And what about all those photos that are so tough to organize? Is it becoming difficult to find that one […]

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Making Art In Tough Times, An Audio “Paintalong” with Freda Lombard of Zealous Art in Surrey

Today, I’m thrilled to be creating something with someone who has become well-known not only in the Surrey and Langley area, but beyond. Freda Lombard has been conducting painting classes for years, but when the pandemic hit, she decided to take her classes online! Since March 16th, 2020, she has been offering weekly painting classes – FREE classes – on Tuesday nights via Facebook live broadcasts! And this week, on Tuesday March 16th, she is doing her 100th free class on the one year anniversary!

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Reducing Your Plastic Consumption with Salina Derish of Pick Eco Zero Waste Grocery Store in Chilliwack

While some plastic use is absolutely necessary and saves lives, such as in the medical field, others are totally optional. What if you could reduce your plastic use by 20%? 50%? What if our ultimate goal was over 90%? Here to talk to us today about this very real possibility is a woman who puts her money where her mouth is. With her husband, she’s the owner of a new retail store that not only offers refillable packaging on things like bulk foods, but also things like shampoo, household cleaners, coffee, and much more. They also own and operate a commercial composting company that picks up from stores and residential developments. Please welcome the owner of the ZERO-WASTE grocery store “Pick Eco Refills” in Chilliwack, Salina Derish.

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Interview With Fraser Valley-Based Hip-Hop And Spoken Word Artist Saint Soldier

There are not many things that are more representative of our Valley than our music. My Guest today Saint Soldier, is, like many of us, an immigrant to Canada, originally from India. His work is collaborative, beautiful, and both soft and energetic at the same time. Leaning more towards smooth grooves than the American influences of the big name hip-hop artists, he has carved out a niche for himself that has broad appeal, while staying true to his culture and his roots. His lyrics are thoughtful, grateful, and positive. He has also taught the art of spoken word poetry in local middle schools, to kids of all cultures.

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Scholarships, And So Much More: The Abbotsford Community Foundation, with Wendy Neufeld

Supporting a community happens in so many ways, both large and small. Perhaps it’s about fostering education through scholarships and grants, perhaps it’s about sharing our heritage stories, and let’s not forget supporting programs for youth, including sports, nutrition, camps, and so much more. The people behind many of these community building programs in the City of Abbotsford is the Abbotsford Community Foundation. This one organization funds a truly surprising number of programs all across the spectrum of things for kids from one day to one hundred, and more!

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Suicide Prevention and Education, with Danielle Morrison and Anne-Mari Morrison of the BeMorr Society

Every year, more than 4000 people take their own lives in Canada. One is too many, of course. And suicide leaves so many of us with self-doubt, trauma, and so much more to cope with. One family is working hard to offer better access to support services for families and individuals, with the aim of suicide prevention without the obstacles of cost, or accessibility. The Morrison family of Abbotsford has founded the BeMorr Society to provide education, peer support, and funding for access to mental health care in the Fraser Valley, and beyond.

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