B.C. EVENTS: For the week of Saturday, February 22

(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.)

Pacific Oral Health Centre: Community Dental Care Day

Community Dental Care Day in memory of Dr. Bud Sipko. The Pacific Oral Health Centre is out to change lives by offering free smiles to anyone who is in need of dental care. The Centre hosts 5th Community Dental Care Day on Sunday, March15, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.  The Pacific Oral Health Society is a registered non-profit organization whose mission is to provide affordable and accessible oral health care to financially disadvantaged individuals; to support and advancement of the dental profession with continuing dental education for oral health care professionals; to facilitate and provide funding for oral health, dental education and clinical research. The dedicated team of dentists and volunteers at the Pacific Oral Health Centre come together and help hundreds of people in need of dental work, treating patients in need of fillings, extractions, and examinations.  All patients are to register for this event prior to coming into the clinic by phoning 604-536-2700. No walk-in patients will be accepted. By appointment only. For more information, visit website at www.pohs.ca. Location: Pacific Oral Health Centre, #300 – 3rd floor 15850 24th Avenue, Surrey. Pacific Oral Health Centre is located at the corner of Croydon Avenue and 24th Avenue (beside The Brick). Free Examinations, X-rays, Fillings and Extractions. Limited to only one free procedure per patient.

Surrey: Family Fun Pass

Keep the entire family active over spring break at any recreation facility in Surrey. Use this flat rate pass to drop into indoor pools, arenas, gymnasiums and fitness centres between Friday, March 13 and Sunday, March 29. Family Fun Pass rates – on sale now: * Children and Youth (ages 2 to 18): $12.50 * Students and Seniors (ages 60-69): $18.75 * Seniors (ages 70+): $6.25 * Adults: $25. Highlights: * The pass is valid from Friday, March 13 to Sunday, March 29 * The price of the pass is prorated * The pass automatically expires at the end of the period.

Girl Guides of Canada

825+ Girl Guides exploring diversity and inclusivity at special Surrey celebration on Saturday, February 22, 1-5 p.m., at Surrey City Hall (Atrium), 13450 104th Avenue, Surrey, is a very special day for Girl Guides of Canada and friends around the world: World Thinking Day – the annual celebration of the diverse global sisterhood of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Celebrated since 1926, World Thinking Day is a day of international friendship. It is an opportunity to speak out on issues that affect girls and young women and be connected to all 10 million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 150 countries. At this weekend’s special event, organized by teenage members of Girl Guides, 825+ girls and women will: * Explore hands-on activities that encourage understanding of differences and how we are all connected to each other * Network with role models from Metro Vancouver organizations that provide support to newcomers to Canada, multicultural communities, LGBTQ+ families, people with different levels of ability, and offer other community services * Take action through a community service project, Period Promise (a campaign by the United Way), by collecting donations of menstrual products to ensure all people have equitable access to essentials

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 72nd 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.

South Asian Adults / Seniors: Playing Cards

Vedic Seniors Parivar Center of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian adults and seniors to come and play cards in groups of four to help preserve mental health, to make positive changes to the brain (memory)  and for socializing on Sunday, February 23, 2-3:30 p.m., at Shanti Niketan Hall of Lakshmi Narayan Temple, 8321 140th Street, Surrey. Tea & light snacks will be served after the game. Contact Surendra Handa, coordinator, at 604-507-9945 for further details.

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 104th 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.

Lohana Cultural Association of BC

Invitation to all on the occasion of Shree Jalaram Bapa’s Punya Tithi on Saturday, February 29 at Shiv Mandir, 5600 Dorset Street, Burnaby, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.. Bhajan Kirtan followed by  Priti Bhojan. For more info, call Vasant Lakhani at (604) 987-1925.

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)