All posts by Kim

About Kim

Kim is a Youth Services Librarian at Pierre Berton Resource Library who sometimes reads books for grown-ups.  |  Meet the team

10 Different Ways to Celebrate Canada Day 2020 in Vaughan

, , , , ,

Photo of a Canadian flag

July 1 marks Canada’s 153rd birthday (or at least, 153 years since Confederation in 1867). This year’s Canada Day celebrations will look a lot different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are still plenty of things to do at home and online. Here are ten ideas to celebrate Canada Day 2020:

 

1. Check out the City of Vaughan Virtual Canada Day Celebration

City of Vaughan Canada Day celebration bannerThe City of Vaughan will host a free virtual Canada Day celebration from 5:00 – 8:00 pm on July 1 to allow Vaughan residents the opportunity to celebrate safely and comfortably from home. The featured performers will be beloved Canadian band the Barenaked Ladies! Additional entertainment will include musical performances by the pop group Mini Pop Kids and pop/R&B band The Free Label, a cirque-style LED performance with Spin Starlets and electric violinist Dr. Draw, a comedy performance by Susan Stewart, and a dance lesson from Kreative in Dance Styles (K.I.D.S.). There will be an official welcome from Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua and members of Council, as well as videos from community members sharing what Canada Day means to them. The event will be hosted by Ashley Greco from 104.5 CHUM FM and is presented by Greenpark Group. Check the City of Vaughan’s website for up-to-date information.

Continue reading →

Love and Travel

, , , , , , ,

Photo of Santorini, GreeceFor the last few months, many people, even the most avid readers, have been having trouble picking up a book and getting through more than a few pages before their minds start to wander. My colleague Kasey wrote about this recently and I can certainly relate.

One way that I have been coping with the anxiety of these uncertain times, besides my weekend stress baking, is reading more romance novels. Romance is often considered an escape. It tends to be about regular people living their lives, and you know there will be a happy ending, whether it’s happily ever after or happy for now. There’s something comforting about that, and even the predictability of the story lines can be reassuring – you know what’s likely to happen but you get invested in the characters and you continue the story to its satisfying conclusion. Continue reading →

Canadian Authors to Read for Asian Heritage Month

, , , ,
Government of Canada Asian Heritage Month poster

© Government of Canada

Did you know that May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada? Heritage months can be a controversial subject — after all, shouldn’t we be celebrating the achievements, history, and culture of these groups all year? We should, but unfortunately, we often don’t. For some, the heritage months help to draw attention to the accomplishments of minority groups, while others fear that heritage months send the wrong message — that this history can be forgotten about after the month is over. Certainly, it’s not a perfect solution to making our knowledge of Canadian history less white male–focused, but it can help shine a light on people whose achievements haven’t received the recognition they deserve. To that end, the City of Vaughan holds the annual InSpirit Festival in May, offering arts and cultural programming. This year the festival has gone virtual, and will include Cantonese music on May 28 with Natalie Wong and Eric Laurent and a Bolly Concert on May 31 with musical duo Hasheel and Tej Hunjan. More details can be found on the City’s website. Continue reading →