Vaclav Smil is currently a Distinguished Professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. He completed his graduate studies at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Carolinum University in Prague and at the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences of the Pennsylvania State University. His interdisciplinary research interests encompass a broad area of energy, environmental, food, population, economic, historical and public policy studies, and he had also applied these approaches to energy, food and environmental affairs of China. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Science Academy) and the first non-American to receive the American Association for the Advancement of Science Award for Public Understanding of Science and Technology. He has been an invited speaker in more than 250 conferences and workshops in the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia and Africa, has lectured at many universities in North America, Europe and East Asia and has worked as a consultant for many US, EU and international institutions. Webcast sponsored by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and hosted by St. John’s College.
Right: A Gallery Exhibition of Emily Carr University community projects class: The Red Tent Campaign
Facebook Page
A page designed and up kept by the participants in Community Projects: The Red Tent Campaign.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lift-C-304/206081312736361
Tumblr Page
A Tumblr blog by Leslie Zacharkow and Tyler Scholl documenting their journey though Community Projects: The Red Tent Campaign. This site also showcases their final works shown in the Right exhibition.
http://liftbill.tumblr.com/
External Website
Created by Tom Fowle a student in Community Projects: The Red Tent Campaign.
http://www.livingwallstudio.com/redtent/project1.html
Pivot’s Website
Gina Botelho & Artists – Creative Outlets
Image Credit: Gina Botelho & Artists
Gina Botelho and Artists presented the photography exhibition Creative Outlets, a combined vision of six Vancouver artists whose photography transcends the traditional art with such images such architectural, pop art, nature and the evocative beauty of remote lands. This exhibition was featured in the Burnaby Now newspaper. This unique group of artist included:
Andrew Mok – Andrew began his career as a Telecom Engineer and studied photography in his native land, Hong Kong. Andrew stays close to his passion for photography by working as a professional digital editor. Henri Cartier Bresson, Alfred Stieglitz and Diana Arbus have paved his path of inspiration.
Gina Botelho – Gina’s inexhaustible life energy fuels her enthusiastic, creative imagination which clearly overflows into her beautiful imagery. She takes her photographs far and beyond the snapshot with her unique and creative digital transformations. This not only provides true self-fulfillment, but also the most intriguing visuals for her audience to enjoy.
James Yip – Appearances can indeed be deceiving. James’s driving force lies within his heartfelt love of birds. Photographing them in their natural habitat while being ever cautious to not disturb them is a true and fulfilling art to James. He is a man with a truly infectious personality and he seems to have the ability to take any idea and turn it into an artistically visual venture.
Marek Gronowski – As a professional photographer, Marek’s career focus is international hotel photo shoots for internet marketing and the travel industry. Accommodations around the entire world has become his commercial palette. However, his real passion starts after hours when he ventures into the exotic unknown darkroom of his mind… et voila another masterpiece comes to life.
Pennie Lou – Pennie is an original visionary thinker, always ready to embrace an opportunity to experiment with novelty. Her fresh approach is truly original which results in the most innovative and fascinating photographic imagery.
Ron Lee – Ron reveals his architectural mind in motion as it embraces all the finely balanced details, colours and elegant lines of his refined photography. He chooses to retain the inherent natural beauty of his subjects and tends to stay away from digital manipulation.
To see photos of this exhibition, please find here.
"The Implications of the Death of Osama Bin Laden" Special Lecture Webcast Online
Moderated by St. Johns College Alumnus, Asad Kiyani, this panel features experts who will discuss the global implications of the recent death of Osama Bin Laden. This panel includes Dr. Jon Beasley-Murray (UBC French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies); Dr. Maxwell A. Cameron (UBC Political Science); Ivan Somlai (Centre for Asia Pacific Initiatives, University of Victoria); and Alnoor Gova (UBC Education). This event took place at St. John’s College, Fairmont Social Lounge on Thursday, June 2, 2011. Webcast sponsored by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.
Generation One Closing Ceremonies and Reception at IKBLC
Featured Place at IKBLC: Skeena River
The Skeena River Room, room 317 in the Irving K Barber Learning Centre, is a group study room that is named after the Skeena River, the second-longest river entirely within British Columbia’s borders (the largest being the Fraser River). Six-hundred and twenty-one kilometers long, it flows south and west through the Skeena and Coast Mountains, reaching the Pacific Ocean at Prince Rupert.
Port Essington, Skeena River, 1888, BC124
For thousands of years, the Tsimshian (“People of the Skeena”) have lived along the river; the Coastal Tsimshian live near the lower part of the river and the Gitksan live on the upper part of the Skeena River. George Vancouver visited the mouth of the Skeena River in July, 1793, but it wasn’t until the 1860s and 1870s that persons associated with the Gold Rush and railway began to travel to and settle along the river. In 1876, salmon canneries were built along the Skeena River. Operating along the river from the late 1870s to the mid-1980s, at one time there were as many as 18 canneries along the Skeena.
In Rare Books and Special Collections, we have various records and plans of salmon canneries that operated in British Columbia, and in particular along the Skeena River. For example, in the Inverness Cannery fonds, there are plans, financial records and correspondence relating to this cannery constructed along the Skeena River in 1873. The J.H Todd and Sons fonds also contains records concerning the Inverness Cannery.
It is also very interesting to consult the 1924 fire insurance plans of Skeena River salmon canneries in the collection of Plans of salmon canneries in British Columbia together with inspection reports on each, that are part of the records of the British Columbia Fire Underwriters’ Association. This collection includes the plans of 12 canneries that operated along the Skeena in the early 1920s: Inverness Cannery, North Pacific Cannery, Dominion Cannery, Sunnyside Cannery, Cassiar Cannery, Haysport Cannery, Alexandra Cannery, Balmoral Cannery, Port Essington Cannery, Carlisle Cannery, Claxton Cannery, and the Oceanic Cannery.
Fire insurance plans are detailed large-scale maps of cities, smaller municipalities, and industrial sites that were produced from the late 1800s to the mid-1960s. The object of these maps was to show the character of any insured building. These plans were compiled by the fire insurance underwriters to assist their agents in assessing and controlling the risks of fire. Various symbols and colours were used to indicate the following characteristics: the shape and size of a building; the type of construction used; the existence of fire protection facilities; and the use of the building (e.g., a restaurant, a laundry, etc.).
The fire insurance plan of the North Pacific Cannery is revealing for a number of reasons. In addition to documenting the number and types of buildings of this cannery originally established in 1889, the plan shows, for example, that in 1924, the Japanese, First Nations and Chinese cannery workers were housed in separate buildings:
Sheet 44, North Pacific Cannery, RBSC-ARC-1272:F9-8
Cross-posted at UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections.New Director for Learning Centre
Simon Neame, Director of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre (Photo by Martin Dee)
Simon Neame has been selected as the new Director of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. Simon began his library career after obtaining a Master of Library and Information Studies from the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies at UBC. He started as a Reference Librarian at Kwantlen Polytechnic University Library. From there, he joined UBC Library, first as a Reference Librarian at the Science and Engineering Division, and then in a variety of other roles, including Teaching Programs Librarian in the Information Services Division. While in Information Services, Simon participated in the development of the Chapman Learning Commons, located in the former Main Library.
In 2003, Simon joined the Learning Centre as Program Co-ordinator, and he became Assistant Director in 2009. During his time at the Learning Centre, Simon has provided strategic leadership for the Chapman Learning Commons, the development of learning spaces and programs for students, and the Learning Centre’s community digitization program. Simon has served as the Learning Centre’s Acting Director since Sandra Singh’s departure in December 2010.
The Director’s mandate is to provide strategic leadership for community engagement initiatives on and off campus, along with directing the Learning Centre’s physical facility, and its programs and services for students.
Featured Place at IKBLC: Hazelton
This week our featured place, and Irving K. Barber Learning Centre room name, is Hazelton. Hazelton, as well as New Hazelton and South Hazelton, is located near where the Skeena River meets the Bulkley River, northeast of Prince Rupert. The Hazelton area is the traditional land of the Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en First Nations.
The featured document is from the Social Planning and Research Council (SPARC) of British Columbia fonds. SPARC is a non-partisan organization that was founded in 1966 to “work with communities in building a just and healthy society for all” (from the SPARC website). The archives here at RBSC include files from 1966 to 1984 and contain a wealth of information on the history of social issues and programs in B.C., from youth, housing, health, aging, and much more. One such file is on the Hazelton Children’s Home. Founded by the United Church in 1967, the Hazelton Children’s Home appears to have run at least into the 1980′s. It is described in the file as “an extended care facility for mentally and physically handicapped children.” The files contain a request for funding written to the Skeena Health Unit in 1978. Information about the home is now scarce- the SPARC files as well as files at the Bob Stewart United Church Archives appear to be two of few sources.
Document from SPARC fonds
Cross-posted at UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections.Generation: 1 Art Exhibit Reception Photos
The opening reception and art exhibition tour of Generation One took place on May 5, 2011 to an audience of full capacity. A platform for local Asian artists to showcase their artworks in the community, this is the second year that Generation One has been hosted at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. This year Generation One is a collaboration between professional and emerging artists. From May 2nd to June 5th, there will be the First Wave of artists from Dimasalang III group and UBC’s Visual Art students displaying their artworks on the walls of the IKE’S CAFE. Starting June 6th to June 25th, the second wave of emerging artists who submitted their entry form prior to May 15th may also be able to participate in Generation One.
To view these photos, please click here.
For more information about the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Art Exhibits, please visit our website.
Photos by Leo Cunanan.Health Information Series webcast online
On May 14, 2011, the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, Surrey Public Library, and Woodward Library, co-hosted a talk at the Newton Branch library in Surrey, focusing on men’s health as part of the Health Information Series. Dr. John Oliffe, Suki Grewal, and Bindy Kang shared their expertise in this important area of health research. This webcast can be viewed here. (Talk is conducted in both Punjabi and English).
South Asian men—defined as men who were born in/originate from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal or Sri Lanka—are amongst the largest groups of immigrants in British Columbia, Canada. Little is known about their health behaviours; experiences of illness; or how they relate to, and engage with Canadian health care services. South Asian men’s groups (SAMGs) are naturally occurring groups meeting each week at various BC rural and urban temples and attract typically senior South Asian immigrant men. The SAMGs provided us with an opportunity to develop in-depth knowledge of a unique cultural milieu, and describe the connections between masculinity and older South Asian Canadian immigrant men’s health. John Oliffe’s work has been highlighted in UBC Reports.
For more information about the Health Information Series, please find here.