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For the third year, one of BC's premier interfaith and intercultural galas returns—and you're invited!<figure id="figure-ndhpu535pfmm2zz4wu"><img id="ndhpu535pfmm2zz4wu" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/cLp7U04l1SBXtWst5v7ZseWfhepSUQuQYhA9WYPO9WbDlYon4si7PFgDnAx0akPr.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/cLp7U04l1SBXtWst5v7ZseWfhepSUQuQYhA9WYPO9WbDlYon4si7PFgDnAx0akPr.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;"></figure> Our Society of Our Grandmother Earth (SOGE) is co-sponsoring this event once again, welcoming folks from all walks of life, seeking to embrace diversity and unity through interdisciplinary engagements among community leaders, mobilizers, educators, artists, social justice activists, journalists, policymakers, and entrepreneurs, etc.<figure id="figure-jcvwha6vscmm2znn0m"><iframe id="jcvwha6vscmm2znn0m" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3ONgGG0g1rk" class="w-full bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" data-url="https://youtu.be/3ONgGG0g1rk?si=YwhHKJ2J8nXsjko7" data-corners="default" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3ONgGG0g1rk" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></iframe></figure>Video: SOGE founder and president, Norm Leech’s keynote address from last year’s BBBBBreaking Bread, Building Bonds has become one of the province's most anticipated gatherings where faith leaders, community builders, frontline workers, policymakers, and changemakers come together to break bread, share stories, and build the connections that heal our communities. This year's focus: Mental Health &amp; Self-Care &nbsp;When: Monday, March 9, 2026, 5:00–9:00 PM &nbsp;Where: Fraserview Banquet Hall - 8240 Fraser St, Vancouver, BC V5X 3X6 <a data-mce-href="https://bit.ly/BBBB3-2026" href="https://bit.ly/BBBB3-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;&gt;&gt;Registration Link (RSVP)</a> Why This Year Matters More Than Ever? Right now, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental illness in any given year. Stress, anxiety, and grief are showing up everywhere—at kitchen tables, in classrooms, and on night shifts. Too many of us wait too long for care, and young people carry more worry than ever. All of these stresses, fears, worries and griefs contribute to complex trauma. But here's what we know: connection heals faster than isolation. Year 3 aims to bring together 1,000 leaders, helpers, and hope-makers from every corner of our province—across faiths, cultures, and sectors—for one powerful night of learning, healing, and action. What Makes This Event Unique? Interfaith &amp; Intercultural by Design – Where else do Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jews, Indigenous leaders, and civic changemakers share a meal and build real partnerships. &nbsp;Voices That Matter – Invited speakers include dignitaries, experts like Norm Leech (Indigenous wellness), potentially Dr. Gabor Maté (trauma &amp; healing), and those with lived experience. &nbsp;A Communal Iftar Dinner – Breaking fast together isn't just symbolic—it's transformational. &nbsp;Tools You'll Actually Use – Walk away with practical mental health strategies, direct connections to service organizations, and a network you can lean on. As well as land-based tools and teachings to change the way we relate to the many traumas we face every day. &nbsp;Real Conversations – Guided table discussions on Indigenous approaches to wellness, harm reduction, digital resilience, navigating polarization, and beating burnout.We extend this invitation out to anyone who may be interested in attending!<a data-mce-href="https://bit.ly/BBBB3-2026" href="https://bit.ly/BBBB3-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;&gt;&gt;Registration Link (RSVP)</a><a data-mce-href="https://foundation4ward.org/blog/breaking-bread---building-bonds-2--truth-and-reconciliation--vancouver--b-c" href="https://foundation4ward.org/blog/breaking-bread---building-bonds-2--truth-and-reconciliation--vancouver--b-c" target="_blank" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">Learn more: 2025 - Breaking Bread, Building Bond- Truth and Reconciliation</a>

Breaking Bread, Building Bonds 2026

Beatrice Elaine Silver's memoir Lexèywa: I pass the torch to you is forthcoming in a Chinese translation by Dr. Sung-ming Chow, with the Society of Nkukwa ta Tmucwa - Our Grandmother Earth proudly sponsoring its release.&nbsp;<figure id="figure-mtmru96p99mfhed3f6" class=""><img id="mtmru96p99mfhed3f6" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/7GHZ0sk1oxDLJIFS7rHtk6CwL6i4oTeKAgwu1nvwWiz0EE83AFCoQghZeXTtAnpg.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/7GHZ0sk1oxDLJIFS7rHtk6CwL6i4oTeKAgwu1nvwWiz0EE83AFCoQghZeXTtAnpg.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: center center;"></figure>Translating Indigenous stories into widely spoken settler languages is an essential step toward truth and understanding. Many newcomers to British Columbia rely on information in their first languages, yet too often encounter biased narratives that obscure Indigenous histories and struggles. By making works like Lexèywa available in Chinese, we open doors for deeper learning and authentic connection, ensuring that newcomers can better understand the province they now call home. It is with the hope that this effort will inspire other language communities to consider translating Indigenous stories into their own languages, so these truths can continue to ripple outward and reach even more hearts.The release of this translation comes at a meaningful time: September is the month we honour Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. These days remind us of the ongoing responsibility to remember the truths of residential schools, stand with survivors and their families, and commit to building relationships rooted in respect and justice.<img id="1unqigmo5mmfhctykk" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/fNeu8B7jsJS2ukqwarw3WMe388TiSay4mYcGoBtNO67vTeJ186z9atsLrdzUDTqB.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/fNeu8B7jsJS2ukqwarw3WMe388TiSay4mYcGoBtNO67vTeJ186z9atsLrdzUDTqB.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: undefined undefined;" style="border-color: rgb(229, 231, 235); --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-pan-x: ; --tw-pan-y: ; --tw-pinch-zoom: ; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-gradient-from-position: ; --tw-gradient-via-position: ; --tw-gradient-to-position: ; --tw-ordinal: ; --tw-slashed-zero: ; --tw-numeric-figure: ; --tw-numeric-spacing: ; --tw-numeric-fraction: ; --tw-ring-inset: ; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(62,172,255,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-blur: ; --tw-brightness: ; --tw-contrast: ; --tw-grayscale: ; --tw-hue-rotate: ; --tw-invert: ; --tw-saturate: ; --tw-sepia: ; --tw-drop-shadow: ; --tw-backdrop-blur: ; --tw-backdrop-brightness: ; --tw-backdrop-contrast: ; --tw-backdrop-grayscale: ; --tw-backdrop-hue-rotate: ; --tw-backdrop-invert: ; --tw-backdrop-opacity: ; --tw-backdrop-saturate: ; --tw-backdrop-sepia: ; --tw-transform: translateX(0) translateY(0) rotate(0) skewX(0) skewY(0) scaleX(1) scaleY(1); --tw-border-opacity: 1; --tw-filter: ; --tw-backdrop-filter: ; --tw-bg-opacity: 1; background-color: rgb(243, 244, 246); width: 640px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; caret-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); aspect-ratio: 1 / 1;">About Lexèywa: I pass the torch to you Leaving home to live at Indian Residential School was an inevitable event for young Bea Silver, a Sto:lo girl in Kilgard, Sumas. Attendance was compulsory for Native children like her and her many older siblings who had already been attending since before she was born. They never talked about the school, but her brothers prepared her for it when they taught her boxing! Bea tells what it was like.<figure id="figure-1csmmh2xv5mfhejxw7"><img id="1csmmh2xv5mfhejxw7" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/376oEIrRm4Zhl2izWaqvHIOJ2AtS6tmbtS1Z5U9rr1fMgK95X4nnb0cNYWB6u1UU.png" alt="A photo of translator Prof. Sung Ming Chow and author Beatrice" title="A photo of translator Prof. Sung Ming Chow and author Beatrice" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 rounded-sm md:rounded-md lg:rounded-lg" style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: undefined undefined;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="Left: Prof. Sung Ming Chow Right: Beatrice Silver (Photo Credit: MC So)" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/376oEIrRm4Zhl2izWaqvHIOJ2AtS6tmbtS1Z5U9rr1fMgK95X4nnb0cNYWB6u1UU.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: undefined undefined;"><figcaption class="body-normal text-gray-500 mt-2">Left: Prof. Sung Ming Chow Right: Beatrice Silver (Photo Credit: MC So)</figcaption></figure>About the Author:&nbsp;Beatrice Elaine Silver is an educator, organizer, and political leader. Former Chief of her home community Semath of Sto:lo, Ms. Silver started her career as a school teacher, the first in the Fraser Valley to have come out through UBC's Native Indian Teacher Education Program. She was later a Principal in Bella Coola, and District Principal in North Vancouver.In the past few years she has collaborated with former Residential School students to build the Sts’elemoqw Thrivers Society, hosting community healing events and amplifying Sto:lo cultural traditions. Last Fall she was awarded the Andrew Thompson Award by West Coast Environmental Law, recognizing her outstanding lifetime contribution to environmental protection and sustainability through law. Beatrice’s second book, Lexeywa, was published in 2018.&nbsp;About the Translator: Dr. Sung-ming Chow relocated to Vancouver two years ago due to the political situation in his home of Hong Kong. There, Dr. Chow specialized in sociology, social history and social policy, and brings these gifts to bear in his new translation of Beatrice Silver’s childhood memoir of Indian Residential School, Lexeywa.A lecturer of Hong Kong Polytechnic University and a social activist, selected publications include: Buying Brings Changes (2012), Sharing Cities (2014), Open Cooperativism (2017), Economics? I Can Do! (2022), as well as The Genealogy of Hong Kong in Cinema (2023), among others. Dr. Chow is a member of Vancouver Hong Kong Forum Society and the founder of <a data-mce-href="https://www.instagram.com/c_expo_mind/" href="https://www.instagram.com/c_expo_mind/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C^Mind</a> Cross Cultural Society, a think-and-do tank devoted to cross-cultural collaborations based in Vancouver.Learn more about C^Mind <a data-mce-href="https://www.instagram.com/c_expo_mind/" href="https://www.instagram.com/c_expo_mind/">here</a>Exciting News! Chinese translation of Lexéywa is now available at Iron Dog Books: &nbsp;2671 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC and Massy Books: 229 E Georgia St, Vancouver, BC&nbsp;

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Breaking Bread, Building Bonds 2026

Passing the Torch: Lexéywa in Chinese Translation