(These are FREE listings. Submit your event / announcement at EditorVoice@gmail.com in typed format as early in the week as possible. No posters please.)

South Asian Seniors: Bingo

Vedic Seniors Parivar Center of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian adults, seniors as well as non-members to come and play bingo for the sake of entertainment and make some new friends, on Sunday, February 16, from 2-3:30 p.m., at Shanti Niketan Hall of Lakshmi Narayan Temple, 8321 140^th Street, Surrey. Bring only $2 with you for two games. Members will explain the game to you. Each winner of three horizontal lines will get a gift card of $10 for Tim Hortons, 1^st full house will get gift card of $10 for Tim Hortons and 2^nd full house will get a fuel gift card of $15. The 3^rd full house winner will get a free dental check-up and free x-ray (approximate cost $200). Tea and light snacks will be served. Contact Surendra Handa, organizer, at 604-507-9945 for further details.

South Asian Studies Institute, UFV

Closing day of “We Are Hockey” exhibit at the Sikh Heritage Museum, National Historic Site, Gur Sikh Temple, 33089 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford on BC Family Day on Monday, February 17 from 1-4 p.m. Free event – open to all. The event will include: * Hockey lessons and on outdoor game led by Robin Bawa, the NHL’s first South Asian descent player * Live-on-location by Sportsnet 650 (Reach Deep’s Randip Janda and Dan Riccio) * Documentary film screening of ‘Breakaway’ with Director Jenny Lee-Gilmore * Meet and greet with Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi Edition Commentators * Hockey related games and activities for children *         Refreshments following the event at the gurdwara across the street (Khalsa Diwan Society, Abbotsford)

Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Surrey

Shivratri Celebrations at Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Surrey, on Friday, February 21. The Board of Directors and Council Members of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society of BC (VHCS-BC) are organizing Shivratri Celebrations 2020 on Friday, February 21 with all the South Asian community in B.C.  Come with your family and friends at 8321 140^th Street, from 5-9 p.m.

Free Family Caregiver Series on Alzhemier

Coming to Surrey, starting on February 22 for three consecutive Saturdays, the free Family Caregiver Series offered by the non-profit Alzheimer Society of B.C. provide basic information about the disease for family members who are caring for a person living with dementia. The sessions offer practical techniques and strategies that caregivers can begin using immediately. Sessions also offer insight into planning for the future and self-care for caregivers. The series run February 22 and 29 and March 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Guildford Seniors Village, 14568 104A Avenue. Pre-registration is required by contacting 604-449-5000 or info.southfraser@alzheimerbc.org. If you are living with dementia or have questions about the disease, visit www.alzheimerbc.org and call the First Link Dementia Helpline at 1-800-936-6033 (English), 1-833-674-5007 (Cantonese and Mandarin) or 1-833-674-5003 (Punjabi).

Punjabi Language Celebration                                                                                                                    

Punjabi Language Education Association’s (PLEA) in partnership with Deepak Binning Foundation and Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU): 17th Annual International Mother Language Day on Sunday, February 23, 1:30-4 p.m. Location: Spruce Building Atrium – KPU, 12666 72^nd Avenue, Surrey. Discussions: Ongoing efforts to promote Punjabi Language education in BC. * Young Punjabi learners will share poetry, songs and stories. * PLEA will honour individuals for their important role in promoting Punjabi language education. * PLEA invites everyone to come and be part of the annual celebration of our mother tongue Punjabi. Free event with refreshments. For more information, contact: Balwant Sanghera at 604-836-8976, Sadhu Binning at 778 – 773 – 1886 or Paul Binning at 778-889-8255.

Surrey Board of Trade: Surrey Police Transition Update

With Keynote Speaker, Wally Oppal, Chair of the Surrey Police Transition Task Force. With a Provincial Task Force in charge of the proposed Surrey police transition, Surrey’s business community will hear a progress update on Wednesday, February 26, 7:30-9:30 a.m. (Program begins at 8 a.m.) Location: Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel, 15269 104^th Avenue, Surrey. Pre-registration required for admission. To register for this Surrey Hot Topic Dialogue, go to  https://business.businessinsurrey.com/events/details/february-26-2020-surrey-police-transition-update-10881 or call the Surrey Board of Trade at 604-581-7130.

ESSW Program MOSAIC

The ESSW is a unique program available for vulnerable newcomer immigrant women living in the Surrey area. Sometimes, the settlement process can be hard on families, and newcomer women may find themselves faced with challenges and/or in an unhealthy relationship. A Woman’s Support Worker can provide: * Basic counselling support, information and orientation * Monthly educational workshops * Information on rights * Referrals to Community Services Call if: * You are a newcomer woman in the Surrey area * You want to learn about your rights in Canada * You want to increase your ability to function in the community. Weekly Sessions for Women – Every Tuesday 1- 2 p.m. Educational and Informative Weekly Sessions for Women by ESSW: * Information on Rights in Canada * Relationship Dynamics * Settlement Support * Safety Planning * Building Confidence. Monthly Workshops: deliberately designed workshops for women with guest presenters: * March 12, Thursday, 12:30- 2 p.m.: Family Law and Legal Advice. * April 8, Wednesday, 12:30-2 p.m.: MCFD: Role and Support. For registration, call or e-mail Shivani at 778-591-9334, ext.193 / sraheja@mosaicbc.org. Location: #200-7134 King George Boulevard, Surrey.

Free Journalism Workshops for New Immigrants

At MOSAIC, March 14, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. New Canadian Media (NCM) will be offering free journalism workshops to new immigrants interested in learning how their stories can be published in Canada’s ethnic and mainstream media outlets. These free professional development workshops will be offered in Vancouver on March 14. Each workshop will feature three sessions facilitated by seasoned journalists from an immigrant background and will consist of a lecture combined with class discussion and an opportunity to get some mentoring. The lectures will focus on the following topics: * What Makes Canadian Journalism Different. * Giving Voice to the Voiceless: Advanced Reporting * Moving the needle through commentary: Advanced Opinion writing. To register for workshops go to https://newcanadianmedia.ca/events/ncm-the-walrus-professional-development-series-for-immigrant-journalists/. As part of the registration process, you will be required to submit a story pitch on one of the following themes, examining them through an immigrant lens: * Family reunification * Political engagement * Canada: Preserving bilingualism + advancing multiculturalism * Settlement agencies /integration * Foreign credential recognition. For enquiries, email events@newcanadianmedia.com.

(For more events, visit the “Events” section of our website at voiceonline.com)