(These are FREE listings. Your submission must be emailed by Wednesday night in typed form. Please do not send posters. Email: EditorVoice@gmail.com)
Mahatma Gandhi Annual Student Award
The Mahatma Gandhi Annual Student Award was established at Simon Fraser University in 2007 through the generous contributions of the Institute for the Humanities at SFU, the Thakore Endowment, and the India Club. The purpose of this award is to recognize and honour those SFU students who, in the spirit of Gandhi’s work, have been active in voluntary community service in areas related to peace, justice, and human rights. For further information, contact Huyen Pham. insthum@sfu.ca. Website: http://gandhijayanti.com/
Stem Cell Swab Event
Joban Bal and the One Blood for Life volunteer group he oversees is running a stem cell drive on Saturday, July 29, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, 7050 120th Street, Surrey. The large stem cell swabbing table and tent will be located in the middle of the grass field. More than 80 volunteers, including winners from the Miss BC Pageant and directors with the Surrey School Board, will join the One Blood for Life group to encourage eligible residents 17 to 35 years of age to register as potential stem cell donors. Hundreds of Canadians require a donor for a stem cell transplant each year, and more than 75 per cent will rely on someone they don’t know to save their lives. Patients are also more likely to find a donor from within their own ancestral group. Currently, there are 37 South Asian patients in Canada searching for a stem cell match, but only six per cent of Canada’s adult stem cell registry includes registrants of South Asian descent.
Honda Celebration of Light
This year, the event features competing pyrotechnic teams from Japan, the U.K. and Canada on Saturday, July 29, Wednesday, August 2 and Saturday, August 5, respectively, and is set to host more than 400,000 individuals on the beaches of English Bay and Vanier Park in Vancouver.
Punjab Bhawan
Punjab Bhawan celebrates women’s achievements and their success stories by organizing a conference to empower women by generating awareness of their rights: Symposium on Naari Chetna Diwas on Saturday, July 29 at 12:30 p.m. at 15453 Fraser Highway, Surrey. The main objective of this event is to identify problems faced by women and to create a platform where these problems and issues may be discussed openly. The content includes discussion on protection, health, domestic violence, leadership and more.
Gian Singh Kotli’s Book Release
Punjabi poet and Sikh scholar Gian Singh Kotli’s 4th book of Punjabi poems “Dhan Likhari Nanaka” will be released at Punjab Bhavan at 15453 Fraser Highway, Surrey (Sukhi Bath Motors), on Saturday, July 29, 4-6 p.m. Contact J. Minhas at 604-880-2228.
Indians Abroad for Pluralist India (IAPI)
Indians Abroad for Pluralist India (IAPI) invites everyone to join them for a public forum on the case of Saibaba followed by a rally at the Surrey Central Library on Sunday, July 30 at 3 p.m. Delhi University Prof. GN Saibaba who is ninety percent disabled below waist continues to be persecuted by the Indian state for standing up for Dalits, tribals and religious minorities. Radical Desi invites everyone to participate in a public forum that starts at 3 p.m. in Room 405 at Surrey Central Library. The speakers will shed light on his case, while an award will be presented to a lawyer and an activist Amandeep Singh, who had drafted the petition seeking the release of Saibaba. Following this brief event, a rally will be held at 5 p.m. outside the library and next to City Hall against growing attacks on religious minorities and democratic forces in India. For more information, call Gurpreet Singh at 778-862-2454 or Parshottam Dosanjh at 604-512-8371
Surrey Libraries: Young Adult Writing Contest
Surrey Libraries’ Young Adult Writing Contest (YAWC) turns 30 this year. The contest is open to ages 12-18 and is free to enter. Cash prizes of $150, $125, $100 per category and age group are awarded. Teens can submit short stories, poems, or comics before July 31, 11:59 p.m. Winners will be acknowledged at an Awards Gala in the Fall. For contest rules, visit the libraries or https://surreylibraries.ca/services/teens/young-adult-writing-contest
Free Movies at Stanley Park
Fresh Air Cinema’s Evo Summer Cinema Series returning to the Grand Lawn at Ceperley Meadow by Second Beach in Stanley Park. Fresh Air Cinema will be running eight free shows this summer at sundown on Tuesdays in August: “Beauty and the Beast Sing-A-Long” (1991) – August 1; “Jaws” (1975) – August 8; “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (2002) – August 15; and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” (2017) – August 22.
George Mackie Library, Delta
Are you or do you know a newcomer to Canada? The George Mackie Library offers a number of programs or services. Punjabi / English Settlement Workers are available every second Tuesday from 1-5 p.m. (August 1, 15, 29) providing free and confidential services for immigrants, refugees and their families in BC as they adjust to their new life in Canada. * During the summer, staff is taking our Conversation Circle outside! Join Walk & Talk to practice speaking English while enjoying a walk in the open-air on Thursday evenings from 7-8:30 p.m.
PICS Annual Mega Job Fair and Business Expo
Opening ceremony of PICS’ 10th Annual Mega Job Fair and Business Expo on Thursday, August 3 at North Surrey Recreation Centre,10275 City Pkwy at 9:45 a.m. With more than 2,500 jobs to be filled and over 100 exhibitors, this year’s job fair is easily the biggest in Metro Vancouver. Almost all sectors are being represented at the fair including big box stores, Crown corporations, law enforcement agencies, colleges and universities, hospitality industry, retail industry, banking sector, entertainment industry and even the Vancouver Canucks.
Movies Under The Stars
We will be kicking off the month of movies on Saturday, August 5 with a showing of the “Lego Batman Movie” in Holland Park.. Don your superhero mask for the night. Come dressed up as your favourite superhero and strike a pose for a chance to win the costume contest. Also, stop by the crafts table to build your very own “Lego block” to take home with you. The event is free for all to attend and enjoy. Each movie will begin at dusk. We encourage attendees to come early to grab a good spot for viewing the movies. There will be entertainment and activities beginning at 5 p.m. to keep the crowd energized. All you need to bring is your lawns chairs and blankets for a night of entertainment that’s perfect for the entire family. We will also be showing “Sing!” On August 12, “Moana” on August 19, and Disney’s newest “Beauty and the Beast” on August 26.
Surrey Libraries: Kids’ Summer Reading Club
Parents, studies show that kids who keep reading all summer long do better when they return to school in the fall. A great way to keep kids reading during the summer months is to sign them up for the Summer Reading Club at Surrey Libraries. It’s free. This year’s theme is Walk on the Wild Side. Kids will receive a reading log to record their summer reading and can collect stickers, enter contests, win prizes, and attend great programs, all summer long. All for free. Kids who read for 49 days get awarded a special reading medal. Sign your kids up today at your local Surrey Libraries branch. www.surreylibraries.ca
MOSAIC Program
English Conversation Circles for Newcomers: Fridays, 6–8 p.m. until August 11. Contact Mona at 604-438-8214. MOSAIC Burnaby Centre for Immigrants, 5902 Kingsway.
Newton BIA: Newton Days
Throughout August, Newton Days will be taking over the Newton Grove on Saturdays from 12-4 p.m. Open to the community, everything will be free. Complete with a farms’ market, kid fun zone, face painting, food trucks, henna, photo booth and Science World demonstrations. Newton Days is a push to create a more vibrant community within the Newton Town Centre. Dates: August 12, 19, 26. Time: 12-4 p.m. Location: The Newton Grove, 13730 72nd Avenue, Surrey. More info: http://www.newtonbia.com/newton-days
PICS WIMI 45+ Program
PICS Society is providing an employment program called Workplace Integration for Mature Individuals (WIMI 45+), offering classes in the following: * Resume and cover letter building * Strengthen job search experience * Mentorship in pairing with local professional of your original profession * Job placement assistance and follow up support * Develop Work Action Plan and employer engagement. This program partners with local community and business employers who provide one to one follow up support, up to date employment trends, and follow up assistance for up to 9 months. Call now to reserve a seat for ongoing sessions in Vancouver and Surrey today: * Vancouver: 8159 Main Street, Vancouver. Ph: 604-324-7733 Ext. 230 * Surrey: #205 – 12725, 80th Avenue. Ph: 604-596 7722 ext. 117 and 124 or via email: kcchau@pics.bc.ca
Richmond Night Market
From a giant inflatable birthday cake to an 80-foot-wide fun map of Canada there’s lots to experience while you’re here. Check out the “Canada 150” display from the City of Richmond. The international food fair celebrates Canada’s diversity with more variety this year, with over a hundred vendors and over 500 food choices. There’s 200 retail stalls packed with fashion accessories, beauty products, electronic accessories, clothing, household items, etc. The entertainment stage will be sporting a “Canada 150” theme with lots of exciting live, local performances from singing and dancing to magic shows and stunts. The Magical Dino Park. There’s new rides including Bumper Cars, the Dino ATV Adventure ride, or the virtual Dino Hunter game. Weekend and holiday evenings from now to October 9. Gates open at 7 p.m. on the corner of Number 3 and River Road, just one block away from the Bridgeport Canada Line station. Go online at: www.richmondnightmarket.com
(For more events, please visit the “Events” section of our website voiceonline.com)
