Following her passion, Anna Bundschuh has embarked on a pathway she’s confident will see her giving back to a small community as a rural doctor.

As a student in the first ever Rural Pre-Medicine Program cohort, Bundschuh is part of a class with a diverse range of backgrounds and interests. At 36, the single mother of two is undaunted by the challenge of a 10-year journey that would culminate with graduation from medical school.

Rural Pre-Medicine student Anna Bundschuh at the Salmo River Ranch where she has helped her family organize the world renowned Shambhala Music Festival for the last 17 years. Bundschuh says it was time for a new challenge and her desire to explore a pathway into medicine could no longer wait.

“You only have one life to live, if you’re looking for change then you should just make it happen,” Bundschuh says. “My biggest concern is my children, but I have a great family and great support. We will all take this on together.”

Giving Up a Successful Career to Pursue Medicine

Enrolling in the three-year Rural Pre-Medicine Program meant giving up a successful career as the executive producer of the Shambhala Music Festival. The world renowned electronic music festival is run by the Bundschuh family and brings more than 10,000 people annually to their cattle ranch south of Salmo, transforming it into a small city for the four-day event.

“We have built up something really great and worked on it for a really long time, a lot of people were stunned that I wanted to go to Selkirk College and change up my life so much,” says Bundschuh. “But, I know my strength and capacity is for this area. I certainly know my passion for this field is there.”

A talented artist growing up, Bundschuh didn’t explore her zeal for science until several years after high school graduation.

“I have a total fascination with the sciences and how the body works,” she says. “It’s so dynamic and the solutions are not direct, the body is a pretty amazing thing.”

Having grown up on a farm and lived in rural British Columbia her whole life, Bundschuh is excited about the prospect of becoming a doctor in a small centre.

“All my experience with the festival has very much been about customer service and treating a guest a certain way,” she says. “I really want to bring that into my practice once I get there. It’s a privilege for a doctor to hold such an important role in society and help support people during what can be difficult times. I will treat people with that same importance from beginning to end.”

Learn more about the Selkirk College Rural Pre-Medicine Program and follow us on Twitter.

Selkirk College is inviting prospective students to come take a peek at what their future could hold.

The annual Open House at the Castlegar Campus goes November 4^th between 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Secondary students from across the West Kootenay and Boundary are invited to come to the campus to explore the more than 60 programs offered. Parents, high school teachers, career counsellors and all members of the public are also encouraged to check out what Selkirk has available.

Prospective Selkirk College students are invited to come to the Castlegar Campus on November 4^th to check out the wide array of opportunities that exist in more than 60 programs.

“When thinking about post-secondary options, it’s always important to get a first-hand look,” says Amy Byers, Educational Recruitment Specialist for Selkirk College. “Coming to the Open House is a great way to start or continue your exploration of what is available at all our campuses in the West Kootenay/Boundary.”

All Your Questions Answered

Selkirk College will have representatives from all programs on hand to provide information and answer questions. Programs from all eight campuses throughout the West Kootenay and Boundary will be featured.

Also attending the Open House will be admissions officers, financial aid,Aboriginal Services, counsellors and current Selkirk students who will act as tour guides. There will be interactive and informative displays set up in the Castlegar Campus “pit” for prospective students to browse. Faculty will be in attendance to chat about some of the amazing educational opportunities that exist.

“This is one of the highlights of our year at Selkirk College,” says Byers. “Getting to meet and speak with students from our region who want to take advantage of the outstanding opportunities available in their home communities is really important and at the heart of our overall college mission.”

There will important information provided about scholarships and financial aid which are available to students who study at Selkirk College. Understanding the daunting task ahead for those nearing the end of high school, there will also be help in filling out the college application.

Campus tours and free refreshments will be provided. There will be awesome prizes up for grabs including tuition certificates, gift cards and more.

The Open House will take place on Tuesday, November 4th between 4:00 pm and 6:30 pm in the main building on the Castlegar Campus.

Learn more about the Selkirk College Open House and join us Instagram.

Htoo Paw grew up in an entirely different reality than her life today on Selkirk College’s Castlegar Campus and she’s determined to ensure young women in Burma are not subjected to a similar plight.

With the assistance from the Nelson Refugee Committee, Htoo Paw arrived to the Kootenays in June, 2012 from Burma—also known as Myanmar—where she was living in a refugee camp. The move to Canada came after 10 years of living in challenging conditions on the border of Burma and Thailand where she fled as a teenager to escape violence in her small village in eastern Burma.

Htoo Paw will be speaking about her life at a Mir Peace Café on October 30 called Transformative Justice: Toward a Sustainable Peace in Burma which begins at 7 p.m. at the Mir Centre for Peace on the Castlegar Campus.

“Growing up we just thought it was normal for the Burmese troops to come into the village, kill the people, torture people and force people to do work for them,” Htoo Paw says. “That was our whole world and we had no idea that anything was different in other places.”

Htoo Paw will be speaking about her life at a Mir Peace Café on October 30 called Transformative Justice: Toward a Sustainable Peace in Burma which begins at 7 p.m. at the Mir Centre for Peace on the Castlegar Campus.

Turning Challenges Into Opportunity

Burma is located in Southeast Asia, bordered by India, China, Laos and Thailand. After its independence from Britain in 1948, Burma faced decades of ethnic strife and violent civil wars. Though the military dictatorship in Burma ended in 2011, the country Htoo Paw grew up in as a Karen ethnic minority was often brutal.

At her mother’s urging, Htoo Paw fled to the overcrowded refugee camps where hundreds of thousands of Burmese minorities lived in challenging conditions. It was in the refugee camp that Htoo Paw got involved in the Karen Women’s Organization and began to work towards improving life for young people inside and outside of the camps.

Burma is located in Southeast Asia on the border of Thailand, India, China and Laos.

“The young people need to become more aware of their rights so they gain more confidence to work for their freedom and human rights in the future,” Htoo Paw says of her motivation to get involved. “I realized that in order to work more effectively for the future I needed more academic skills. Women are not treated equally in Burma, so when you compare yourself to the male-dominated political movement you need lots of skills to get recognition.”

Though she was involved in important work, Htoo Paw realized if she was going to make a larger impact beyond the borders of the barbed wire enclosures where she spent a decade of her life, a change was needed. Applying for refugee status in Canada, it took three years before Htoo Paw was accepted.

“I decided that at some point in my life I want to live in a country where I won’t be in fear of being sexually abused or persecuted or killed,” she says.

Building On Skills at Selkirk College

As part of her refugee claim, Htoo Paw indicated a desire to further her education. She started by enrolling in Selkirk College’s English Language Program where she excelled. Last September she took the next step and enrolled in Selkirk’s Peace Studies Program.

This past summer, Htoo Paw returned to Burma to visit her homeland and further build on her Peace Studies Program education by putting theories into practice. Since 2010, Burma has embarked on a series of reforms to direct the country towards a liberal democracy. With international eyes and aid part of the equation, the world is watching the process with interest.

Working alongside internationally recognized Karen leader Naw Zapporah Sein for two weeks, Htoo Paw had an opportunity to get a closer look at what has taken place in Burma since she left.

“It’s not getting better, even though in the eyes of the international community it might seem things are getting a little bit better because of the political dialogue and the peace process,” she says. “But on the ground nothing has changed much.”

In the workshops she led, Htoo Paw spoke about transformative justice. Using a systems approach, transformative justice is concerned with the root causes of crime and strife. Seeking solutions, transformative justice educates and seeks comprehensive outcomes. Transformative justice is ultimately about relationships, addressing injustices through leaning rather than through violence or punishment.

It was during these sessions that Htoo Paw found there was an opportunity to make a difference.

“We have lived under the criminal justice system for so long, we thought that was the only justice system,” she says. “I spent time speaking to the women about alternative forms of justice and also the injustice that women have faced under the Burmese government. When you talk to young women who have a lot of energy, it gives you hope. It really refueled my energy coming back for my second year of studies at Selkirk College.”

Ultimately the chance for real change will rest with political leaders, but Htoo Paw says dialogue at the grassroots level is where it begins.

“When you talk to the people in the villages, they have a complete different view than the leaders,” she says. “If the political leaders don’t come to speak with the communities, then the peace can’t become real on the ground. The process must be inclusive and the people’s advice must be heard, but they fail to recognize this.”

Creating Dialogue in the Kootenays

At the Thursday evening Peace Café, Htoo Paw will be speaking about her time spent in Burma this summer and the continued struggle towards peace.

“It’s not hopeless, it will get better,” she says. “When the community-based organizations become a little bit stronger it will make a big difference.”

When Htoo Paw completes her two year Peace Studies Program diploma, she plans to work towards her BA at the Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg where she will enrol in the Peace & Conflict Transformation Studies Program.

“Working for human rights is now part of my life and will be for the long term,” says the 31-year-old.

When she reflects on her life now, Htoo Paw says she will be forever grateful to the people who have been instrumental in this latest chapter of her journey.

“The people of the Kootenays have been very supportive of us and I am very appreciative,” she says. “It has been a good beginning for a life in Canada.”

All are invited to the Thursday Peace Café at the Mir Centre for Peace.

Learn more about Mir Peace Cafes and join us on Facebook.

Helen Sing Hui’s arrival to the Selkirk College Rural Pre-Medicine Program started a world away from the mountainous surroundings and tranquil setting of the Castlegar Campus.

Sing Hui grew up in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan and a city with a population of 2.7 million people. Two years ago her family attended an education fair that included a number of Canadian post-secondary schools including Selkirk College. Encouraged by what they heard, Sing Hui’s family decided it was time to relocate to Canada.

A long way from her urban roots in Taipei, Taiwan, Rural Pre-Medicine Program student Helen Sing Hui is embracing the opportunity to learn in the intimate surroundings of Selkirk College’s Castlegar Campus where she is working towards her dream of becoming a rural physician.

“It’s a big challenge for my family, but that was a big reason we chose this area because there are more English speakers and we can improve our English a lot quicker than in a place like Vancouver where I could use Chinese to get by,” says Sing Hui. “Here you have to speak English.”

Exploring a New Life in Canada

The oldest of five children, Sing Hui moved to Castlegar—population 9,000—in August, 2013 with her mother while her father remained in Taiwan to continue his work as a doctor. Enrolling in Selkirk College’s School of University Arts & Sciences, Sing Hui was bolstered by the enthusiasm of her instructors and the small classroom environment. That foundation empowered her to explore opportunities to take her Canadian education to the next level.

Sing Hui is one member of the first Pre-Medicine Program cohort that will spend the next three years preparing for entrance into medical school. Having the opportunity to work alongside other motivated students in an encouraging environment is another advantage Sing Hui relishes at Selkirk College.

“Becoming a doctor takes a lot of work, so I have to push myself,” she says. “Coming to a place where people are speaking my secondary language it might be more difficult for me than the other students, but knowing there is support at Selkirk College makes me confident I can succeed.”

Health Care Roots Planted Deep

She is up to the challenge and motivated by an upbringing where she watched her father split his time between serving patients in urban and rural settings.

“When I was little my dad sometimes brought me to the hospital,” says Sing Hui. “When I saw him helping patients, I felt that being a doctor is a noble and important job.  When he traveled to the rural areas in Taiwan I saw how important doctors are to people living in those smaller communities. Becoming a doctor is one of the dreams in my life.”

The ultimate goal of the Selkirk College Rural Pre-Medicine Program is to bolster the ranks of physicians outside Canada’s urban areas. Having grown up in a bustling metropolis, Sing Hui is working towards life in a world much different than her youth.

“The lifestyle in the Kootenays is something that I like and the people are very warm to each other,” she says. “In the big city people are indifferent and that’s not the case in rural Canada which is one of the most important parts for me.”

Learn more about the Selkirk College Rural Pre-Medicine Program and join us on Facebook.

Selkirk College has entered a partnership with leading post-secondary institutions from around the world in a project that aims to enhance prosperity in rural regions.

Brandon University was recently awarded a seven-year $2.5 million grant from the federal government’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to lead the project. The funds will be used to support rural policy innovations by creating the Rural Policy Learning Commons (RPLC) which will bring together multiple stakeholders around the themes of human capital and migration, natural resources, governance and infrastructure.

The Selkirk College component of the Rural Policy Learning Commons will be coordinated by Dr. Terri MacDonald, Regional Innovation Chair at Selkirk’s Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute (left) and Rhys Andrews, Dean of Applied Research at Selkirk College (right).

Important Opportunity for RDI

Heading up the Selkirk College component of the project is Dr. Terri MacDonald, Regional Innovation Chair at Selkirk’s Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute (RDI). The RDI is a regional research centre with a mandate to support informed decision-making by Columbia Basin-Boundary communities through the provision of information, applied research and related outreach extension and support.

The RDI is a partnership between Selkirk College and Columbia Basin Trust. MacDonald also serves as a co-investigator and co-lead on the natural resources theme team.

“This project fits in well with our goals,” says MacDonald. “Having the opportunity to work with all these great thinkers to come up with policy innovations that move rural Canada and our Basin-Boundary communities forward is important work. This project is also important as it will help us to build our internal applied research capacity and elevate Selkirk College on the international stage in the eyes of fellow researchers and federal research funders like SSHRC.”

The aim of the RPLC will be to enhance Canadian prosperity by identifying and analyzing policy options relevant to rural and northern places. These options will be evaluated in the context of national and international policy innovations. The end goal is to build leadership capacity among rural and northern researchers, policy makers and practitioners.

On the Frontline of Innovation

Canadian partners in the RPLC include the likes of Concordia University, Memorial University (Newfoundland), University of Saskatchewan, Simon Fraser University and the University of Northern British Columbia.

“We are very excited to be working with institutions like Selkirk College since they are frontline contributors to education and innovation in rural and remote places.” says Project Director Bill Reimer, who is based out of Brandon University. “The partnership will facilitate collaboration among a wide range of educators, researchers, policy-makers and community members – just the sort of mix that is necessary to meet the complexity and opportunities of rural places.”

Selkirk College welcomes the opportunity to be involved.

“This is an important project for rural Canada,” says Rhys Andrews, Dean of Applied Research at Selkirk College. “We are very fortunate to be part of a learning commons that will shed more light on some of the challenges faced outside urban centres and to explore innovations that could benefit the communities we serve.”

MacDonald and fellow researchers at the RDI will work with project researchers in ways that advance the research priorities of the region by sharing international research with regional communities, connecting local students with research and learning opportunities, and engaging communities in discussions on the nature and process of rural-related policy development.

Another important part of the project will be the training of a new generation of analysts and rural policy specialists by developing a new Graduate Certificate in Comparative Rural Policy. The RPLC will also facilitate collaborative research and exchanges among international researchers and academic institutions.

“The end results of this project will be far reaching,” says MacDonald. “Participation in an international project of this magnitude is sure to bring learnings to our region that will benefit future generations.”

Learn more about the Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute and join us on Facebook.

Responding to specific needs in the region, Selkirk College has partnered with the federal and provincial governments in launching two tuition-free programs to get unemployed and under-employed residents the training they need to be job ready.

Starting in November, eligible individuals have an opportunity to enrol in Professional Driver Training (Class 1) or Safety in Resource Industry (Forestry Training).

Selkirk College is offering tuition-free opportunities for unemployed and under-employed residents to get the training they need for careers in the transportation and forest industries.

“The programs are intended to provide enhanced employability opportunities for participants,” says Gregg Neelin, Manager of the Selkirk College Community Education & Workplace Training department. “Our staff have been meeting with employers throughout the region and asking a simple question: Are you short of workers?  And, if so, how many do you need this year, next year, and in five years? The responses from employers have guided our training plan and we are encouraged by the support we have received.”

Transportation Industry Needs Drivers

Employers in the trucking industry report a need for more than 120 Class 1 drivers annually and have endorsed the Professional Driver Class 1 Training program which Selkirk College has offered for the past two years in partnership with Mountain Transport Institute. Employers are offering their support to mentor participants through the four-week work experience module of the training program and participate in job readiness training.

The new licensed drivers will benefit from the work experience, gaining confidence and applying their new skills and expertise in a safe environment.

“We see our participation in the mentorship and professional development portion of this program as a real opportunity to assist in bridging the current gap between becoming a newly licensed Class 1 driver and actually having the skills and experience it takes to be considered employable as a Class 1 driver,” says Brandon Cox, Human Resources Manager at Sutco Transport.

Forestry Training Opens Doors to Industry

Contractors in the forest industry have also reported a need for trained workers to fill more than 100 vacancies annually. To fill this need the Forestry Training program will provide skill set development, industry certification, and training needed by employers. The range of job positions available is considerable and trained workers will be able to pursue a wide range of employment opportunities regionally in the forestry and other resource sectors.

“I am in full support of this program and will continue to provide labour market data, help guide the training program development, mentor participants, provide quality assurance feedback and recruit workers from the program,” says Doug Harrison, owner of Apex Forest & Wildfire Services Ltd.

These life changing training opportunities, along with a training allowance and personal safety equipment, are available tuition-free to eligible participants. Funding for these programs has been provided through the Canada-British Columbia Job Fund Agreement.

If you are unemployed and not attached to EI, or under-employed, you may be eligible. For more information, visit selkirk.ca or email pbt@selkirk.ca.

You can also check out the following information sessions:

• Nelson Silver King Campus Room 16 November 6, 6:30 pm
• Slocan W.E. Graham School, November 20, 6:30 pm

Learn more about opportunities at Selkirk College Community Education & Workplace Training and join us on Facebook.

Taking an opportunity to leave an imprint on a senior provincial government minister, faculty and students from the Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre (SGRC) provided an impressive sketch of the research taking place at the Castlegar Campus.

As part of a tour of the region, BC’s Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services Andrew Wilkinson stopped by Selkirk College earlier this month for an introduction to the applied research being conducted by the SGRC and its community partners.

Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services Andrew Wilkinson stopped by the Selkirk College Castlegar Campus earlier this month to get a peek at the great work being done by the Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre (SGRC). Afterwards he posed for a group picture with Selkirk College staff and students that included (L-R): Selkirk College Dean of Applied Research & Innovation Rhys Andrews, student Barry MacLane, Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute researcher Lauren Rethoret, student Suzanne Fordyce, SGRC researcher Dana Diotte, Wilkinson, Regional Innovation Chair Terri MacDonald, SGRC Coordinator Ian Parfitt, student and Harrier Ariel Surveys owner Peter LeCouffe, Instructor Frank Zhang and SGRC researcher Justin Robinson.

“It’s a great chance for us to interact with people at a high level of decision-making and show them our best side,” said SGRC Coordinator Ian Parfitt. “We also took time to see if there are opportunities for the provincial government to help us do even more great things.”

Valuable Research Conducted in Our Region

The SGRC is a leading-edge research centre specializing in geospatial technologies to aid in solving critical issues pertaining to environmental and socio-economic problems. The application of geomatics to a variety of subjects creates information-rich products for making better decision-making. 

Peter LeCouffe—a Selkirk College student and owner of Harrier Arial Surveys—introduced his work with UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles more commonly known as drones).

Partnering with a wide range of regional and provincial partners, the SGRC has completed projects that include Avalanche Risk Management & Decision Support, Recreation Mapping, Urban Bear Movement Patterns, Employment Lands, and a Wetland Vegetation Inventory. Current research projects include the Digital Basin, the Columbia Basin Biodiversity Atlas, Fisheries Sensitive Watershed Assessment, and the Kootenay Spatial Data Partnership.

While on campus, Wilkinson listened to presentations by co-op students Suzanne Fordyce and Barry MacLean who were involved in projects this past summer. SGRC researchers Dana Diotte and Justin Robinson provided information on web application projects they are spearheading. Lauren Rethoret from the Selkirk College-based Columbia Basin Rural Development Institute (RDI) also presented on a Digital Basin project that is part of a SGRC partnership.  Selkirk Instructor and SGRC researcher Frank Zhang explained his remote sensing research. The presentations were capped by Peter LeCouffe—a Selkirk College student and owner of Harrier Arial Surveys—who introduced his work with UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles more commonly known as drones).

“It’s great to come here as a representative of the provincial government just to see how vital things are on the research & development front  and with applied research here at Selkirk College,” said Wilkinson.

Taking a Message Back to Victoria

SGRC representatives took the opportunity to explain some of the limitations faced in conducting research, primarily the need for increased broadband technology and more funding for post-secondary applied research from Victoria.

BC’s Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services Andrew Wilkinson listens to presentations during his visit to Selkirk College's Castlegar Campus.

“I’ll take back the sense that things are happening at Selkirk College and we’ve got a bit of catching up to do in terms of the backdrop services like data and broadband to keep up with you,” Wilkinson said at the conclusion of his visit.

Find out more about the Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre and join us on Facebook.

Award winning and internationally renowned author Lawrence Hill doesn’t shy away from the darker truths of Canadian history. His widely acclaimed novel TheBook of Negroes is case in point.

“When I toured The Book of Negroes, often I met with stupefaction because Canadians just didn’t know about this history,” says Hill. “Canadians were more likely to know more something about Abraham Lincoln or Martin Luther King or the US Civil War than they were to know about the history of slavery in our own country. I think we battle up against this notion that we in Canada are somehow morally superior to the Americans, which is a dangerous way to think because it prevents from really knowing who we are.”

Internationally recognized author Lawrence Hill will be Nelson on November 7 for a Mire Centre for Peace Lecture Series called Blood: The Stuff of Life.

Selkirk College will welcome Hill to Nelson’s Mary Hall on the Tenth Street Campus for a Mir Centre for Peace Lecture Series on Friday, November 7. He will be speaking about his latest non-fiction book Blood: The Stuff of Life, engaging those in attendance in a lively discussion and going back into our nation’s less traveled history.

“If you truly explore our histories, Canada’s history is just as sordid and painful and full of oppression as is American history,” he says.

One of Canada’s Most Respected Writers

Hill is the son of American immigrants—a black father and a white mother—who made the decision to come to Canada they day after they were married in Washington, DC in 1953. On his father’s side, Hill’s grandfather and great grandfather were university educated ordained ministers of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His mother came from a Republican family in Oak Park, Illinois and went on to become a civil rights activist.

Hill grew up in the predominantly white suburb of Don Mills, Ontario and was greatly influenced by his parents’ work in the human rights movement. Much of Hill’s writing touches on issues of identity and belonging.

Formerly a reporter with The Globe and Mail and a parliamentary correspondent for The Winnipeg Free Press, Hill attended the University of British Columbia and last visited Nelson in the 1970s when he stopped by as a student.

Hill is now the author of nine books of fiction and non-fiction. In 2005, he won his first honour for his work, a National Magazine Award for the article “Is Africa’s Pain Black American’s Burden?” which was published in The Walrus. Hill’s work came to the forefront with his third novel, The Book of Negroes which was published in 2007. The novel won several awards including The Commonwealth Prize for Best Book which came with a private audience with Queen Elizabeth II.

Hill Puts Focus on What’s In Our Veins

Hill’s latest offering, Blood: The Stuff of Life was published in September, 2013 and is a personal consideration of the physical, social, cultural and psychological aspects of blood.

“It’s about all the different ways we see our blood,” says Hill. “The ways we imagine our blood, I believe feeds profoundly into the sense of who we are and how we see ourselves.”

Hill drew from the book to deliver the 2013 Massey Lectures across Canada. The lectures were broadcast on the CBC Radio program “Ideas.”

Opening a Dark Chapter of Canada’s History

The Book of Negroes is based on the life journey of Aminata Diallo who is abducted as an 11-year-old from her village in West Africa and sent to live as a slave in South Carolina. Years later she forges her way to freedom by serving with the British in the Revolutionary War and registering her name in the historic “Book of Negroes.” Her journey takes her to Halifax, the jungles of Sierra Leone and ultimately freedom in England.

The impact The Book of Negroes has had on our deeper understanding of Canada’s past will soon be stamped on a broader audience. The book has been turned into a six-part miniseries that will air on the CBC early in 2015.

The Book of Negroes has been turned into a six-part miniseries that will air on the CBC in early 2015.

“It was a huge departure,” Hill says of having to adapt his book into a screenplay. “Half the reason you write novels is so you don’t have to collaborate with other people, you can sit in your pajamas and work alone at home. It was rare for me to work in that medium because suddenly I was working in group of people and not the one making all the calls. I quite enjoyed it.”

Hill hopes the miniseries—which stars Academy Award winners Louis Gossett Jr. and Cuba Gooding Jr.—will resonate with a larger audience that will have the opportunity to explore a piece of Canadian history that is not well told.

“Americans don’t shy away from their slave history, but we do in Canada,” he says. “I think we have a tendency to bury our heads in the sand about who we are and where we’ve been. That is one of the reasons why I wrote TheBook of Negroes, to shatter that and bring to light another story.”

The Mir Lecture Series event starts at 7 p.m. on November 7 at Nelson’s Mary Hall. Tickets are $16 for adults, $13 for students/seniors. Tickets are available at the Selkirk College Castlegar Bookstore, Otter Books in Nelson or by calling 250.365.1281.

Learn more about the Mir Centre for Peace and join us on Facebook.

Rural Pre-Medicine Program student Spencer Paolone’s preparation for the long journey to becoming a physician is intimate, heartbreaking and inspiring all at the same time.

At 15, the Rossland native was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma on the last day of Grade 9. Paolone bravely battled the cancer and won, but three years later watched his dad succumb to brain cancer at the age of 51.

Having survived Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 15 and then watching his father tragically lose his fight to cancer at a young age, Rossland’s Spencer Paolone is using his triumph and tragedy to fuel his desire to become the very best doctor he can be.

After taking a seven year break from post-secondary, this September Paolone joined Selkirk College’s first Rural Pre-Medicine Program cohort with hopes of turning his challenging past into a bright future. 

“I struggled with the idea going into medicine because of all my experiences,” says Paolone. “I didn’t know whether it would be even more emotionally challenging, but I think I am stronger for what I have been through. I think it will make me a better doctor.”

A Heavy Burden for a Young Man

Adolescence is a struggle at the best of times, but when you are faced with a potentially life-threatening disease, the stakes are raised considerably. Not surprisingly, when Paolone’s family doctor gave him the news about his Hodgkin’s lymphoma, his life was turned upside-down.

“I feel I have always been relatively mature for my age, but I think it’s the same for anyone of any age,” he says. “The word or idea of cancer is terrifying, but as soon as it happened I went into the mindset of: what are you going to about it? I knew my chances were good, I knew I was healthy otherwise, and the support that I had made me feel comfortable that I was going to be okay.”

With a twin sister and the youngest of six children, Paolone had the support of a tightknit family and a tightknit community. Having a team of dedicated local doctors and top-notch care at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, Paolone underwent radical chemotherapy for eight months and then followed it up with two months of radiation treatment. By March the cancer was in remission and the most difficult hurdle of his young life was cleared.

As Paolone was completing his final year of high school in Rossland, the family was delivered the devastating news in January that his father had a brain tumor and an aggressive form of cancer. He passed away four months later.

Dealing With Loss and an Uncertain Future

Before their dad got sick, Paolone and his twin sister Carly were both planning on attending the University of Calgary where they would take Kinesiology. After the life-altering tragedy, both decided to stay close to home and enrolled at Selkirk College.

Though his sister went on to complete the Selkirk College Nursing Program, after one year of taking courses in the University Arts & Sciences Program, Paolone took a break. He spent time living in Toronto, Victoria and Calgary, working and figuring things out. This past spring, Palone found out about the new Rural Pre-Medicine Program at Selkirk College and his passion for learning was sparked.

“Medicine was always pretty important to me,” says Paolone. “But after high school I struggled a little bit with because it was too much of a conflict for me at that point. I planned on taking a year off and it turned into seven years. But when I heard about this program and the fact it was being offered at Selkirk College, it really was a great opportunity.”

Understanding Medicine on a Different Level

Though the class of 17 Rural Pre-Medicine Program students is early in their three-year journey of preparation for the MCAT exams, Palone already feels a strong connection to his studies.

“We’re all keen on medicine and that is why we are in the program,” he says. “But now that we’re actually in class, I realize how much knowledge I have gotten just from my experience alone.”

Having witnessed the medical system on such an intimate level, the 25-year-old feels he already has many tools in his kit.

“It will make me a better doctor,” says Paolone. “I have seen a lot of doctors and seen a lot of different doctor-patient interactions. It helps me understand what kind of doctor I want to be based on the better doctors I have been with. In terms of interaction with patients, I hope to be friendly because that’s who my heroes are. They became my friends and they helped me through it.”

He may be a long way from helping patients of his own, but Paolone is sure of what makes those on health care’s frontlines even more special.

“A great doctor is one who has compassion,” he says. “You have to turn off certain emotions when dealing with terminal patients, it’s hard to deal with people who are dying. I think a great doctor is one who can be sad for the situations they experience. When my dad died, the doctors felt sad for him and sad for us. I respected that and appreciated it.”

Find out more about the Rural Pre-Medicine Program at Selkirk College and join the program on Facebook.

Selkirk College will showcase student talent and celebrate community partnerships at the annual Gala 2014.

This year’s gala theme is Partnerships in Success and the college is inviting all its supporters to join in the special evening at Nelson’s Mary Hall on November 22.

“Selkirk College is built and maintained on partnerships,” says Joleen Kinakin, Selkirk College’s Donor Services Coordinator. “From support in the business community to co-op programs for students to community organizations across the West Kootenay-Boundary, the college would not exist without these important bonds.”

The Selkirk College Gala 2014 will be a showcase of the impressive talents of students in a number of programs, including the Professional Cook Training Program which prepares the four-course meal.

A Stellar Showcase of Student Skills

The annual event is an important opportunity for students to host a night of amazing food, great entertainment and top-notch service. Students enrolled in the Professional Cook Training Program, Resort & Hotel Management Program and Professional Music & Technology Program all play a key role in making the fantastic evening come alive.

“This is an exciting night for students,” says Kinakin. “They are what this event is all about and every year they offer an impressive dinner and evening of music that’s one of the highlights of the school year.”

The crew of Resort & Hotel Management Program students who helped put on Gala 2013.

The gala includes a tantalizing four-course meal prepared by the Professional Cook Training Program students and served by the Resort & Hotel Management Program students. The dinner will be followed by a dance that includes music form the Contemporary Music & Technology Program students.

Another important element of the evening is the silent and live auction. This year’s auction is being coordinated by the Selkirk Saints hockey team and will include more than 100 items donated by community supporters.

“We’re pleased to have the Saints play an important role in this year’s gala,” says Kinakin. “These young men are tremendous ambassadors of our college and our region. They provide a source of pride with their winning ways and their outreach in the community.”

Tickets for Gala 2014 are $70 per person or $520 for a table of eight. You can reserve your seat by emailing events@selkirk.ca or calling 250.365.1360. The Saturday, November 22 event begins at 6 p.m. at Nelson’s Mary Hall on the Tenth Street Campus.

All proceeds from the evening go towards enhanced programming at Selkirk College.

Learn more about the Selkirk College Gala and join us on Facebook.

An annual visit to Nelson by tourism industry leaders helped Selkirk College faculty and students connect with the current trends and future opportunities.

Based out of Nelson’s Tenth Street Campus, the Resort & Hotel Management Program (RHOT) is a vital training ground for those eyeing a career in a dynamic industry. The nine-member committee spent two days on campus in late-October as part of an annual event that helps solidify the program’s role as a leading producer of top-notch recruits.

Ryan Martin, manager and part owner of Nelson's Hume Hotel and Best Western Baker Street Inn, was one of the RHOT advisory committee members who sat with students during an annual session that connects industry leaders with Selkirk College.

“The advisory board is important to keep the college informed and connected to what is happening in the industry,” says RHOT Instructor Harry Pringle. “They are also able to look at curriculum and advise us on trends and changes in focus. They provide a view of what career paths are available and what has to be done for success.”

Staying Connected with Industry Insiders

Members of the committee include Ken Cretney who has been on the Advisory Committee for more than a decade and is currently the general manager of the Vancouver Convention Centre. Prior to his current position, Cretney was the general manager of the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle, the Delta Whistler Conference Centre and the Banff Rimrock Hotel. Cretney holds a Honourary Diploma from Selkirk College.  

Also making the trip to Nelson was Tanya Stronig (vice president of Operations Prestige Hotels & Resorts), Michelle Shivak, (director of human resources at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel in Vancouver), Ryan Martin (manager and part owner of Nelson’s Hume Hotel and Best Western Hotel in Nelson), Amanda Robinson (general manager of the Copper Mountain Resort in Canmore) and Daniel Bibby (general manger of the Delta Grand Hotel Kelowna).

Students and instructors engaged in a round table discussion with the advisory committee members.

Three RHOT graduates sit on the committee, including Jennifer Horsnell (visitor services manager for Tourism Kelowna), Mike Truscott (director of operations at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle) and David Stevenson-Moore (front office manager at the Sheraton Wall Centre).

The committee spent the first half day meeting with faculty and administration to get an update on what Selkirk College is doing and have done. The guests took a look at curriculum to ensure the college is staying relevant.

Students Provide Insights Into Selkirk Education

The next day, student representatives presented a brief description of their classes and their impressions of the program. The students then answered questions from the committee about what they like and what they would like improved. Second year students also had the opportunity to talk about their recently completed work term placements. The half-day session included a discussion about what the new employee is and the committee talked about how they have changed to meet the needs of the modern worker.

The industry insiders then spent an afternoon engaged in round table discussions with the students who were put into small groups and spent 15 minutes talking and answering questions. 

Find out more about the Selkirk College Resort & Hotel Management Program and join us on Facebook.

Selkirk College is inviting you to view the earth in a whole different way.

GIS Day is an internationally recognized event that demonstrates the power and importance of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in our everyday lives. On Wednesday, November 19, the Selkirk College School of Environment & Geomatics is hosting a GIS Day event on the Castlegar Campus that will provide a closer look at the technology.

Peter LeCouffe from  Harrier Aerial Survey will be one of the presenters at the Selkirk College GIS Day event on November 19 on the Castlegar Campus. LeCouffe will present on drone technology which is an important tool in today’s mapping processes.

“We use GIS to analyze the relationships between animals and habitat, business and location, development and impact, and human health and health services,” says Selkirk College GIS Instructor Frank Zhang. “We gather data linked to locations (spatial data) using satellite imagery and GPS, cell phones and tables, drones and scanners, and road and stream networks.”

Also included in the field is the creation of visualizations in maps, 3D models and time change series dimensions.

“The field of GIS is gaining popularity at an exponential rate and for good reason,” says Zhang. “We’re using it to make sense of our big data, communicate important messages and ultimately make better decisions related to our planet.”

A Closer Look at GIS Programming at Selkirk College

The Selkirk College GIS Day event will provide a glimpse of what faculty, researchers and students are doing right here in the West Kootenay-Boundary. Those in attendance will get to see how Selkirk’s partners and sponsors are leveraging this important technology on a daily basis.

There will be exhibits, map and poster displays by Columbia Power, Harrier Aerial Survey, the Canadian Society of Remote Sensing (Kootenay Chapter), and current Selkirk College students who will all be coming together to promote data literacy and geography awareness in the province.

The keynote speaker for the day is Dr. Jon Corbett from the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO). Corbett is an associate professor in Community, Culture & Global Studies at UBCO and the co-director of the Centre for Social, Spatial and Economic Justice. He will be speaking on disruptive GIS.

Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre Coordinator Ian Parfitt.

“A disruptive technology is one that creates new values and markets and shakes up old ways of doing things,” says Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre Coordinator Ian Parfitt. “A new technology or innovation first displaces old methods and then sets the stage for unexpected opportunities, insights and cultural shifts.

“GIS are one such innovation. The old school hand-crafted methods of map making have been uprooted and replaced with digital systems that not only allow for the rapid development and reproduction of cartographic products, but also for the analysis of space and spatial relations. GIS has now infiltrated into previously unimaginable industries and crept into the everyday lives of users with new purposes.”

Corbett will be speaking between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Sponsors Play Important Role

The Selkirk College GIS Day is sponsored by Columbia Power, Harrier Aerial Survey, the Canadian Society of Remote Sensing (Kootenay Chapter), ESRI Canada, Geospatial Information Technology Association (GITA) Pacific Northwest Chapter, and MacDonald, Dettwiler & Associates Inc.

The event will run between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in The Pit on the Castlegar Campus (main building). Lunch is provided courtesy of the event sponsors and everybody with an interest in learning more about the technology is invited. Go to sgrc.selkirk.ca/gisday/ to register. For more information please contact GIS Instructor Frank Zhang at fzhang@selkirk.ca (250.304.6527) or Selkirk Geospatial Research Centre Coordinator Ian Parfitt at iparfitt@selkirk.ca (250.304.6524).

Learn more about the Selkirk College School of Environment & Geomatics and join us on Facebook.

Selkirk College will be shrinking the world at the Castlegar Campus on November 20 when students and staff celebrate International Education Week.

Canada will join more than 100 countries from around world in marking the week which runs November 17 to November 21. Selkirk College will be hosting its annual Intercultural Fair in The Pit on the Castlegar Campus between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Japanese students set up in The Pit last year and will be there again on November 20.

“The Intercultural Fair is an introduction about our country and culture,” says Cheng Liang (Len) Cheng, who is from Taiwan and participated in last November’s event. “We can get to know about different cultures. Also there is delicious food and interesting activities.”

The purpose of the event is for students, instructors and staff to learn more about some of the cultural groups that are studying at Selkirk College. It’s an opportunity for the international students to share where they come from with others.

“We get to tell about our culture with food and real things,” says Hwang Hui (Grace) Jeong, who is from South Korea. “Because everything is real, it is more interesting and people can see, taste and feel the real culture.”

International Enrollment Strong at Selkirk

Selkirk College has enjoyed an increase in international enrollment over the last few years. This year there are 311 international students studying a wide range of programs.

Last year Indian students brought cultural awareness alive through their dress.

“I thought people were very interested by our personal stories and seemed to enjoy knowing more about us,” says Kanako Suzuki, a student from Japan who took part last year. “This made us happy because we could feel there are many people who have an open mind for international students. Face to face conversation is the most effective way to know each other.”

There will be displays, food and activities organized by the different cultural groups over the two hours. All college staff and students are welcome to come and learn more about these unique cultures.

Learn more about Selkirk International and join us on Facebook.

If you ever wanted to take a closer look at the world of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) this is a great opportunity marked with a day full of interactive displays, information and a special guest speaker.

Agenda

• 10:00 – 10:45 Guest registration
• 10:45 – 11:00 Opening announcement
• 11:00 – 12:00 Keynote speaker, Dr. Jon Corbett (UNBC, Associate Professor in Community, Culture and Global Studies and the co-director of the Centre for Social, Spatial & Economic Justice) on Disruptive GIS.
• 12:00 – 1:15 Lunch break (provided) and poster session
• 1:15 – 2:30 Series of presentations: Peter LeCouffe, Bart Fyffe & Suzzane Ector
• 2:30 – 3:00 Free discussion, poster session and closing

Learn more and register for the event.

Sponsors

The Selkirk College GIS Day is sponsored by Columbia Power, Harrier Aerial Survey, the Canadian Society of Remote Sensing (Kootenay Chapter), ESRI Canada, Geospatial Information Technology Association (GITA) Pacific Northwest Chapter, and MacDonald, Dettwiler & Associates Inc.

Getting Here

View the campus map and Castlegar map for students and visitors, find more campus directions on Google Maps.  Ample free parking is available on campus

Learn more by reading the press release, check out Selkirk's School of Environment & Geomatics and join them on Facebook.

Legendary former Kootenay Studio Arts (KSA) instructor Santo Mignosa visited Nelson earlier this month to help celebrate the impact Zeljko Kujundzic left on our region’s creative community.

In early November, Touchstones Nelson Museum of Art and History partnered with Selkirk College in a special reception for KSA alumni, current students and faculty that closed the exhibition Zeljko Kujundzic and the early years of KSA. The “KSA Then & Now” event bought more than 100 people out to celebrate the work of the man who started the school that is now an important part of Selkirk College.

A very colourful character, Santo Mignosa had the crowd of more than 100 entertained at the Touchstones event earlier this month.

At the last minute, Mignosa decided to travel to Nelson to take part in the event that threw a spotlight on a man he said was more like a brother than a friend.

“Our approach to teaching was the same,” Mignosa said. “Zeljko accepted what I was doing and I was committed to what he was trying to accomplish.”

Finding Artistic Wings in Canada

Mignosa was born in Italy where he grew up in a small town in Sicily. He graduated in Painting from the Art Institute of Florence, Italy and shortly after made a decision to come to Canada where he had a sister living in Nelson.

Arriving in 1957, Mignosa didn’t speak English and traded in his brush for a broom. He worked as the night janitor at the Nelson Civic Centre where Canadian ways quickly made an impact.

Mignosa (right) came to Canada in 1957 from his home in Sicily.

“One thing I will never forget from my first year in Nelson was when I was cleaning one night in the evening,” he explained. “I saw a mother with a little boy, couldn’t have been no more than two years of age, she put the skates on his feet. He went on the ice and started skating… I thought a-ha, they start young with this in Canada. That is what was happening during the Renaissance in Italy, in Florence. The first thing children would do is learn how to sharpen a tool and create something at the age of two years of age. I thought, that’s the way you get excellence. That’s Canada.”

With a crash course in English under his belt, Mignosa moved to Vancouver where he began working at the ceramic studio at the University of British Columbia. It was there that he started to make a name for himself using clay as a medium. His work began to get featured all across North America and the world.

Making His Mark at KSA

Mignosa returned to Nelson in 1962 where he took a position teaching at the upstart Kootenay School of the Arts. It was at this time his bond with Kujundzic was cemented and the pair helped propel the school’s reputation as a centre of excellence.

“The mere fact that an arts school was established here speaks of the people of this region,” said Mignosa. “Without those people you have an average city.”

Mignosa encouraged KSA students to participate in the Annual Exhibition of Ceramic Arts in Frenza, Italy. In 1966, KSA won silver as the Best Overall School which was determined by a jury of seven European artists. The accomplishment added further credibility to skills being taught and honed in Nelson.

“It had recognition internationally, people would come here because of word-of-mouth,” said Mignosa.

Having played a major role getting students to thrive with clay, Mignosa said his approach with the medium has remained constant for decades.

“It’s important to understand what clay is,” he said. “It’s not just something you play with, but it is very responsive to the touch. Just like a pencil moving in one direction, clay is the same. Very few people understand that. They just take a chunk of clay and think they can do something with it, but clay is more than that. Whatever you do leaves a mark and that mark has the same kind of value as a mark left on a piece of paper. It speaks of the awareness to what the material is and how it responds. You play with it, not against it. People think clay is a dead matter, but that’s not true. Clay comes alive the way you touch it. If you have no energy, it has no energy.”

One of the Greatest

Mignosa took a leave from KSA in 1967 to study in Firenze, Italy. In 1969 he left for good when he went to pursue his MFA at Alfred University in New York state.

After his stint in the Kootenays, Mignosa forged an internationally recognized career in the creation and teaching of the arts. He retired as professor at the University of Calgary where he taught ceramics, sculpture, drawing and human anatomy.

At the Touchstones event, Mignosa was very gracious with his time and enjoyed telling stories about the old days.

In 2002 Kujundzic passed away in Osoyoos at the age of 82, but Mignosa has remained close to his family. When Kujundzic’s daughter Kate Enewold told Mignosa about the closing reception and celebration at Touchstones, he jumped at the opportunity to attend.

At the Touchstones event, Mignosa entertained those in attendance with a heartfelt speech about Kujundzic. Throughout the evening he circulated through the exhibition space looking at some of the best work from his good friend and speaking one-on-one with others who soaked in the appreciation for Kujundzic’s art.

“It’s quite an experience to get in touch with things that happened 50 years ago,” he said. “I was a young man at that time and I still have the same attitude towards life, nothing changes there. But to see this 50 years later is quite a pleasure and reward to see KSA still active and going strong. It’s beautiful and I am very happy.”

Find out more about Kootenay Studio Arts at Selkirk College and join us on Facebook.

Tickets

• Free entry for Selkirk students
• $2 per person for the public
• Tickets are available at the door

Email Amit at amitmadaan@edu.selkirk.ca or call 250.608.2411 for advance tickets and more information.

Schedule

• 4 pm to 5 pm - Talent Show
• 5 pm to 6:30 pm - Open Dance

Learn more about Selkirk International and join them on Facebook.

The conference is an opportunity for students to present the various projects they have been involved with in the hospital and community this semester.

It offers us an occasion to showcase the work of Selkirk Nursing students as well as to make connections with our very important community partners.

Learn more about Selkirk's Nursing Program and join the Nursing program on Facebook.

Join us for an occasion to showcase the work of Selkirk College staff and make plans for future applied research at the College as well as mix with the Nursing Leadership students who will be presenting 1-3 pm following this event.

• Hear about applied research projects here at the College
• Learn about supports and ethics
• Contribute to a strategic plan for Applied Research

Schedule

10 am – Noon (with snacks and mixing until 1 pm)

Learn more about the Teaching & Learning Institute and the Rural Development Institute at Selkirk.

The annual Kootenay Studio Arts (KSA) Winter Show & Sale is about more than just finding great treasures for under the tree. It’s about connecting with the artists and craftspeople that put their heart into the items they produce.

On December 5 and 6, Selkirk College is inviting the community to KSA’s downtown campus (606 Victoria Street) to browse and buy from the ultra-talented alumni and students who are taking part in the annual event. The Winter Show & Sale will feature 10 local artists from the disciplines of blacksmithing, ceramics, jewelry and textiles.

Kootenay Studio Arts at Selkirk College is hosting the annual KSA Winter Show & Sale at its downtown Nelson campus. One of the artists featured in the show will be Erin Murphy who has been busy putting the finishing touches on some of the items that will be for sale on December 5 and 6.

“I love it,” says KSA alumnae Erin Murphy, who will be set up with her Wobbly Pots ceramics. “When you send something to a store you don’t get to see who touches it or what their reaction is to it. I love markets, you get to chat with people, you get to see how people respond to it and they provide you feedback. It’s so cool to see someone respond to your work.”

Murphy will join fellow KSA alumni Kate Enewold (jewelry), Teyana Neufeld (textiles), Claire Wensveen (ceramics) and Hannah Jarvis-Lingard (ceramics). Current students featured in the show include Robyn Heney (textiles), Charles Harris (metal), Joshua Koss (metal), Stephen Huizenga (metal) and Georgia Suave (metal).

A Mixture of Rookies and Veterans

The talented mix of artists who have passed through the doors of KSA over the years is diverse and impressive. Those featured in the weekend Winter Show & Sale are a blend of craft fair veterans and rookies.

Hannah Jarvis-Lingard graduated from the Ceramics Program in 2013. The born-and-raised Nelsonite then took a year of academic courses at Selkirk College’s Castlegar Campus before returning to KSA this fall. Lured by the new Open Studio Program that offers working artists an opportunity to expand their knowledge and bolster their body of work, this will be Jarvis-Lingard’s first major craft fair as a working artist.

Hannah Jarvis-Lingard graduated from the Ceramics Program in 2013. She is back taking the new Open Studio Program which has afforded her the opportunity to expand her work and will be selling some of it at the KSA Winter Show & Sale.

“I’m excited about it,” says Jarvis-Lingard who will have her line of attractive porcelain products for sale on the weekend. “It’s going to be cool to see how people react to the work I have been doing. I definitely have items that I feel more strongly about, but it will be interesting to see what people are attracted to. I’m proud of what I’ve worked on this semester and looking forward to showing it off.”

Murphy graduated from the Ceramics Program the same year as Jarvis-Lingard and dove directly into setting up her own home studio. Murphy was also intrigued by KSA’s new Open Studio Program and in the fall took advantage of the 10-month experimental learning opportunity.

“There is such a wealth of knowledge here with the instructors, the other students in the studio program and even the students just starting out,” says Murphy, who started her education at the Alberta College of Art & Design in Calgary before enrolling in KSA to get a more hands-on education. “Everybody comes from such a wide array of backgrounds and having that creative energy around gets you jazzed!”

Murphy describes her line of ceramics as “heavily decorated, brightly coloured and chaotic in a well-designed way.” Though she still has to hold down a part-time job to help pay the bills, she has been selling her work in stores and craft fairs for more than a year.

Sales are the ultimate goal of the Winter Show & Sale, but Murphy says she is looking forward to what the weekend will do to further her understanding of her craft.

“One really cool thing about the art community in Nelson is that people are really willing to share their information, share their knowledge on how they sell, what markets to go to, tips on how to set up your booth, things they have learned along the way,” says the 25-year-old. “So many people are willing to say something that will benefit your future.”

The KSA Winter Show & Sale runs on December 5 between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., and December 6 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Included in the event will be a showcase of work being done by current students. The public is also welcome to tour the campus and watch students working in the studio spaces.

Learn more about Kootenay Studio Arts at Selkirk College and join us on Facebook.

It was a coming together of cultures in late-November on the Castlegar Campus as Selkirk College hosted its annual Intercultural Fair.

Hundreds of students, staff and special guests gathered in The Pit on November 20 to take in the sights, sounds, tastes and trivia of the many different cultures represented at Selkirk College. Put on by Selkirk International, the two hour lunchtime event featured food from around the world, colourful dance, demonstrations and interactive games.

Selkirk College international students brought their cultures to The Pit at the Castlegar Campus for a day of sharing. See more photos from the event in a gallery on Facebook.

“A day like this is important because we get an opportunity to meet the other students and find out more about their culture,” said Gurpreet Kaur, a student from India who is taking the advanced diploma in Nursing Gerontology. “It’s also important to show the Canadian students our culture, it’s helpful for others to see what kind food we eat and what kind of dress we have.”

Kaur arrived to Castlegar in March to start the two-year program.

“I was planning for an education in Canada and I searched it on Google,” she said. “ I found Selkirk College and saw that they were starting this program for the first time. It looked like a nice program and a nice place. I am a nurse graduate in India and have already worked one year in a clinical setting, so this is my post-graduation study. My main focus is to get an international education.”

An Exciting Sharing of Cultures

One of the highlights of the afternoon was a colourful and energetic dance performance by 20-year-old Japanese student Yu Matsuoka.

“The dance is called Yosakoi,” said Matsuoka, who is in taking the English as a Secondary Language Program. “I started dancing one and a half years ago. I’m very happy to preform it today because I wanted to spread my dance because it is an important part of Japanese culture.”

There was plenty of energy at the event and one of the highlights was a dance by 20-year-old Japanese student Yu Matsuoka.

Matsuoka has been taking in as much Canadian culture as possible over the last three months and said it was nice to share a little of her culture and explore others at the same time.

“It’s important because I don’t have class with Indian students,” she said. “Today I had an opportunity to see the Indian culture. It’s also important to talk to the many Canadian students too.”

Both students agreed that Selkirk College has been a great place to learn and get a better understanding of Canada.

“It’s a very nice place,” said Kaur. “I have many friends in Saskatchewan and Ontario who are doing the same thing and they tell me about problems they face. We face nothing here, it’s a blessing to be part of Selkirk College. The teachers are awesome… I used to have my favourite teacher in India and now I can say I have changed that.”

Find out more about Selkirk International and join us on Facebook.