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BCAD and GVAD Responsibility Clarification
Visual Description:
Two people are seated behind a brown wooden table against a plain white background. The man on the left has short reddish-blonde hair, a beard, and glasses, and he is wearing a black t-shirt. The woman on the right has long, dark, wavy hair and wears a black long-sleeved shirt. Both individuals look directly at the camera in a neutrally lit indoor environment.
Video Transcript:
M: Hi everyone, I’m Megan. I’m the current President of GVAD. And this is…
C: My name is Cameron, the current President of BC Association of the Deaf (BCAD).
M: What is BCAD?
C: BCAD is an organization that focuses on advocating at the provincial level for the Deaf community across BC. We also partner with different organizations in North Vancouver, Kelowna, on Vancouver Island. We collaborate with a variety of other organizations and support each other so we can host workshops and events. Together we succeed and grow!
M: When was BCAD reestablished?
C: BCAD was established in 2024, only two years ago! BCAD existed before, from 1998 to 2000, but it shut down shortly after.
M: So GVAD took responsibility for the Deaf community for many, many years until BCAD came back! Now BCAD can focus on the whole province, while GVAD can focus on serving the Greater Vancouver area, right?
C: That’s right! Now that BCAD is here, we need to figure out how to define the different roles and responsibilities of each organization here in British Columbia! A special thank you to GVAD for 100 years of significant support of the Deaf community.
M: Now GVAD’s bylaws will focus on the Greater Vancouver area, meaning those who live between Whistler and Hope. Those who live outside the Greater Vancouver Area cannot rely on our support. That’s why BCAD is here now! If you want to host or join other Deaf events, contact BCAD. Cameron, how can people contact BCAD?
C: People can contact us through email: info@bcadeaf.ca
C: So far BCAD has partnered with GVAD, but everyone across BC is welcome to partner with us too! We can provide support, resources, and service to support the success of your workshop or event. Not only organizations, but individuals too can contact us! If you have an idea for a workshop or event that can benefit the Deaf community across BC, contact us! We will try our best to support your idea! However, when you email us, please keep in mind that BCAD is led only by volunteers, which means we might not reply to your emails in a timely manner. Please be patient with us.
M: Wow! So that means BCAD services will support the whole Deaf community across BC, so people don’t need to depend solely on GVAD anymore?
C: That’s right.
M: I’m looking forward to seeing how BCAD grows moving forward. If you have any questions, please contact BCAD. However, if you live in Vancouver, go ahead and contact GVAD. I hope that was clear! I know there has been a long-standing confusion, and I hope it is clear now!
C: Yes, and if you have any other questions to help make the distinction clearer, feel free to email BCAD or GVAD and we will do our best to answer!
M: I’m looking forward to all the future collaborations across BC!
C: Yes! I’m so excited to support the provincial Deaf community! I know BCAD is new to you, but we are here to stay! I’m looking forward to seeing you around at different events and workshops.
C and M: Thank you!
HEARD Q&A on April 19 moderated by Pamela E. Witcher
GVAD is sharing this information:
Visual Description:
A person wearing a black shirt and glasses stands indoors, gesturing with their right hand flat over their left. The background features a white wall with three framed tree prints, an armchair, and a potted plant.
Video Transcript:
Hello! Tickets for HEARD, a documentary film by a hard-of-hearing (HoH) writer and director, Brian Ceci, have sold out for April 14, and are now selling for a follow-up screening on April 19. HEARD discusses the spectrum of Deaf and HoH, signed languages and spoken languages, and identities. The documentary chronicles Brian’s experience growing up with hearing aids to exploring what it means to be a person living through a HoH identity while searching for community as a Hard of Hearing person.
After the screening, there will be a panel discussion with documentary participants: Kelsie (signs, speaks, Deaf, wears cochlear implants), Laurie (signs, speaks, Deaf, wears hearing aids), Ruzzelle (speaks, HoH, wears hearing aids), Joseph (speaks, HoH, does not wear devices), and Brian (speaks, HoH, wears hearing aids, wants to learn to sign). The Q&A panel on April 14 is moderated by Gael Hannan (speaks, HoH, wears one hearing aid and one cochlear implant), and the Q&A on April 19 is moderated by Pamela E. Witcher (signs, Deaf, wears no devices).
The screening on April 19th will be at the RIO Theatre in Vancouver at 12:30 pm, doors at 12 pm.
The film will be open captioned and also in ASL-EN interpretation on site.
Tickets can be bought at https://riotheatretickets.ca/events/41193-heard-cast-q-a-screening
FoodSafe Level 1 in ASL with GVAD
Visual Description:
A promotional graphic on a dark green textured background framed by scattered basil leaves and a chef knife with garlic cloves in the upper right. The layout features a top center logo, a main headline space, three white rounded square panels containing red icons (calendar, map pin, dollar sign) overlaid on a horizontal red stripe, a large central white rounded rectangular panel below, and a red rounded button at the base.
We are hosting a FoodSafe Level 1 course taught in ASL. At our request, a certified instructor fluent in ASL will visit the Lower Mainland to lead the course!
Instructor: Darryl (ASL Instructor)
Location: Deaf Connect, 4445 Norfolk St, Burnaby, BC V5G 0A7
Date Options (choose one):
• May 30, 2026
• May 31, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM until completion (full day, 9 units)
$150 per person
Only 10 spots available per day. FoodSafe courses taught in ASL are rare. Register early to earn your FoodSafe Level 1 certificate!
Get your ticket: https://form.jotform.com/261036358158257
Questions? Contact us: events@gvad.ca
ASL Interpreted Performance on Festival 6
GVAD is sharing this information:
BEHOLD bonsai versions of each 10 Minute Play in the Or Festival 6!
Thank you to the playwrights for creating these beautiful posters to represent their shows!
Show Dates:
Wed, April 15th at 7:30pm – OPENING!
Thurs, April 16th at 7:30pm
Fri, April 17th at 7:30pm – Julio the Frog & Kentucky the Chicken shall visit the Or Festival!
Sat, April 18th at 2pm
Sat, April 18th at 7:30pm – ASL Interpreted Performance + addition of two Deaf-Led Plays to the program!
Venue: Jericho Arts Centre (1675 Discovery St, Vancouver)
“To be OR not to be?” We choose “Or”. The unexpected! The surprising! Every night, we present the WORLD PREMIERE of six original 10 minute plays, written, dramaturged, directed, and acted by local Vancouver artists, and on Saturday Night, we shall close the festival with the addition of two BRAND NEW 10 minute plays by Deaf and Hard of Hearing Artists from across Canada! Join us for the fun! The evening continues long after the last actor has left the stage!
The Burnaby School District is hiring a full-time ASL Interpreter
GVAD is sharing this information:
The Burnaby School District is currently recruiting for Casual On-Call and Temporary Full-time Sign Language Interpreters to work at the Burnaby School District.
The Sign Language Interpreter facilitates communication between deaf, hard of hearing and hearing students and staff by providing interpreting services in a variety of settings and activities. The Sign Language Interpreter adjusts to the signing, educational and communication levels required for students, parents, staff and community groups.
Pay Rate: $39.77/Hour
Job Requirements:
· Completion of Grade 12 or equivalent including grammar, spelling, arithmetic, reading, writing and understanding English
· Completion of an American Sign Language / English interpreter program plus two years’ related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience
· Working knowledge of adaptive technology related to work performed including TTY’s and computers
· Possess active membership status in CASLI and WAVLI (Westcoast Association of Visual Language Interpreters)
· Experience working in an educational setting is an asset
If you are passionate about helping support students to succeed and pride yourself in promoting an inclusive environment, we want to hear from you.
Qualified applicants should send their application, resume, and current references through Make a Future at https://buff.ly/glBJ126. Only those applicants considered for interview will be contacted.
This Sunday: HEARD at the Rio Theatre
GVAD is sharing this information:
HEARD, a documentary by Hard-of-Hearing filmmaker Brian Ceci, screens this Sunday, April 19 at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver.
The film explores life in the space between hearing and Deafness, following Brian’s journey to find community with others on the Hard of Hearing spectrum.
The screening includes open captions, ASL interpretation, and Auracast audio access. A Q&A with the cast follows.
Doors open: 12:00 pm
Movie starts: 12:30 pm
Ticket price: $15.00
Learn more: https://heard-film.com/
Tickets for Sunday: https://riotheatre.ca/movie/heard-world-premiere-cast-qa-screening/
ASL-Friendly Status Card Applications with FNHA
We want to share a helpful resource for Indigenous community members who need to apply for or renew their Status Card. ?
Tiara is now with the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) and is available in-person at their office downtown to assist with Status Card applications and renewals. She knows ASL, so if you prefer to communicate in ASL during your appointment, she is happy to accommodate that.
Please note she is not a certified interpreter, but she is there to support you through the process directly.
Availability: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: 701-1166 Alberni Street, Vancouver BC
Contact: tiara.sumner@fnha.ca
Availability may vary due to work travel, contact via email to book an appointment.
ASL Slam Event April 25th
GVAD is sharing this information:
Dear Deaf Community,
We are excited to share that an ASL Slam event will be taking place on April 25 as a fundraiser for the Youth Canada Tournament for Deaf Youth (YCTD), which BCSD will be hosting in May 2027.
The ASL Slam will celebrate ASL creativity, storytelling, and performance while helping raise funds to support this important national event for Deaf youth across Canada.
If you are planning to attend, please:
Complete the registration form, and
Send an e?transfer to jennifer.zuvic@burnabyschools.ca
Your support—whether by attending, sharing the event, or contributing—helps us begin building a strong, successful YCTD tournament.
Thank you for your continued support of our students and Deaf community
Workshops with ASL interpretation: Lines into the Air – Writing Across Disciplines
GVAD is sharing this information:The Capilano Review is pleased to present Lines into the Air, a year-long series of interdisciplinary writing workshops that take up the communal practice of writing as an urgent means of being and thinking together — across boundaries, fields, and forms.
Highlighting the myriad ways in which writing practices not only exist but flourish outside of disciplinary and institutional bounds, this series brings together facilitators and participants from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise to reposition creative writing as expansive community inquiry, offering, and exchange.
Each generative, two-session writing workshop will take place either online or in-person across a number of venues located throughout Vancouver’s Lower Mainland.
Online workshops will be supported by closed captioning and live ASL interpretation will be available by request for all in-person workshops. Workshops are open to writers of all experience levels.
The $45 registration fee includes a one-year complimentary print subscription to The Capilano Review.
Registration is now open for our Spring 2026 workshop season.
Full workshop and registration details link:
GVAD & BCAD Host: Town Hall on Deaf Housing Accessibility Challenges
Visual description:
Flyer for a virtual Town Hall titled “Deaf Housing Accessibility Challenges” on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, from 7:00–9:00 PM, presented by Gary Malkowski. Red and teal design with sections on removing housing barriers (apartments, houses, condos, senior and public housing) and inviting community questions and experiences. Includes Zoom details, a free registration link, a QR code, and the contact email: lisa@gvad.ca. The link to sign up is: https://bit.ly/bcdeafhousingaccess
Town Hall: Deaf Housing Accessibility Challenges
Join us for an important community conversation focused on removing barriers in housing for Deaf communities.
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
7:00 – 9:00 PM (PT)
Presented in ASL by: Gary Malkowski
Online via Zoom
We’ll be discussing accessibility across:
• Apartments
• Houses
• Condominiums
• Senior Housing
• Public Housing
Your voice matters.
Ask questions and share your experiences to help shape what builders, landlords, and housing providers need to improve accessibility.
Free to attend – registration required:
https://bit.ly/bcdeafhousingaccess
Questions? Email: lisa@gvad.ca
Let’s work together toward barrier-free housing!
Van Slam FINALS ft. GC Vasquez
GVAD is sharing this information:
Don’t miss this event out in Vancouver, BC. April 6Van Slam Finals ft. GC Vasquez
April 6 | Enabling Arts
Doors 7:30 | Show 8pm
$8 Advance | $10-15 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Van Slam Finals! This invitational slam will feature 8 poets who have competed all season, collecting points towards their chance to be the Vancouver Poetry Slam Champion! The winner goes on compete at the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam as part of Verses Festival of Words April 23-May 2, 2026.
Van Slam Finals will follow this format:
3 slot Open Mic
Feature Poetry Performance
Slam – 3 rounds: 3 min. × 1min. x 3min. poems*
*only the top 4 scoring poets move on to the third round, which is winner-take-all
ASL Interpreters will be on hand for this eventth at 7pm!
ASL Interpreted: 2026 Black Entrepreneurship and Research Symposium
GVAD is sharing this information:
Join us for the second edition of the Black Entrepreneurship and Research Symposium, presented by RADIUS SFU and the Black Entrepreneurs and Businesses of Canada Society (BEBC).
When? Wednesday, March 25 | 1 to 5 pm (Doors open at 12 pm)
Where? Surrey City Hall
Cost: Free event
Our Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub’s three-year-research report and knowledge gathered at our 2025 symposium highlight the need for greater visibility and mentorship, as well as addressing bias and systemic barriers within policy and funding decisions.
This symposium moves the research recommendations into action.
? Everyone is invited: We need entrepreneurs, government and policymakers, funders, social impact and community organizations, and researchers for real, meaningful economic inclusion.
Join us for:
An exciting community panel with Black leaders across the Lower Mainland, joining voices to advocate for greater space, visibility, and support.
Community marketplace showcasing Black-owned businesses
Community booths supporting entrepreneurs
Workshops for entrepreneurs, decision-makers, and Black community leaders
Networking and community connections
Light lunch from Wazobia Afrique Catering
Live musical performance by Lordnation
And more!
Emergency Alert Project Hearing Focus Group
GVAD is sharing this information:
Are you Deaf or Hard of Hearing? We would like to hear your opinions on whether the current emergency alerts work for you. Do you know when an alert is sent? Can you actually understand the information being shared?
If interested contact Harry Lew at the Neil Squire Society at harryl@neilsquire.ca.
Persons asked to take part in a two-hour focus group before the end of the month will be paid $100.
The Polyphonic Multilingual Creation Residency Showcase
GVAD is sharing this information:
Description: A showcase of excerpts of two new multilingual works-in-progress: “Human Acts” (featuring Mandarin & English) by Irene (Fan) Yi and “Mel & Ari’s Immigration Fund” (featuring Indonesian & English) by Mel Zaini and Ari Anindita, followed by a community discussion.
Date/Time: Saturday March 21st 2026, 7pm-9pm. Doors at 6pm
Where: Progress Labs Studio located at 1422 William Street.
Tickets: Pay what you want, LINK HERE.
https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/polyphonic-multilingual-creation-program-2026-showcase
Employment and Social Development Canada: Helping?older Canadians stay safe during?Fraud Prevention?Month
March is Fraud Prevention Month, and this year’s theme is “Fraud: The Hidden Crime.” This theme reminds us how fraud often remains out of sight, because it is under-reported and because it is hidden behind convincing technology, across borders, and within everyday online interactions.
Fraud continues to be one of the leading crimes affecting older adults, and scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods and tactics. Staying alert and supporting one another is therefore essential!
Talking about fraud can be uncomfortable or upsetting, and that’s completely normal. It’s important to remember that fraud can impact anyone regardless of their age, education or background. You are not alone in this fight!
Common scams targeting older adults and how to avoid them
Grandparent scam
Scammers impersonate a grandchild or relative in urgent trouble, claiming an accident, arrest or medical emergency. They pressure victims to send money immediately, while insisting they keep it a secret. Protect yourself by reaching out directly to the family member using a known phone number, and never send money under pressure.
Investment scam
Scammers promise high returns with little or no risk. They often use fake credentials and high-pressure tactics, presenting themselves with professional?looking materials to appear legitimate. Once money is sent, scammers disappear! Cryptocurrency scams have become prevalent, where fraudsters boast of successful investments to persuade victims, and use fake online trading platforms to convince individuals to send money or cryptocurrency.
Always do thorough research, verify registrations with provincial securities regulators, and never rush into an investment decision.
Romance scams
Scammers create fake online profiles on dating sites or social media to forge emotional connections with victims, ultimately requesting money for reasons such as travel expenses or medical emergencies. They may even offer to “coach” you on fake crypto investments. They typically avoid in?person meetings and provide inconsistent personal details. Protect yourself by being cautious?with relationships that move quickly and never send money to someone you?haven’t?met in person.
Bank investigator scams
Impersonating bank staff, law enforcement or security investigators, scammers claim that your account has been compromised and instruct you to withdraw or transfer funds to a “safe” account that belongs to the scammer. Remember, legitimate banks will never ask you to move your money. Always verify directly with your bank!
Recovery scams
Following a fraud incident, scammers may contact victims, pretending to be from police, government, banks or recovery services. They claim they can help recover lost funds for a fee, preying on the victim’s hope and urgency. Some victims may search online for help, but this can lead them to fake recovery company websites that exploit their vulnerability.
Remember that legitimate organizations do not charge for recovery services. Always verify the authenticity of any recovery service and seek assistance from trusted and established sources.
More ways to protect yourself and others
- Watch our short video
Learn about some of the most common scams targeting older Canadians: - Listen to our podcast
Gain insights from experts at the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre in our latest podcast: - Talk to your family and friends
Talking openly and without judgment helps everyone feel more prepared. Encourage loved ones to pause, verify and ask for help if something seems off. - Report fraud or suspicious contact
Report fraud or suspicious contact- Report here: https://reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca/
No matter what new technologies or methods scammers use, your best defence against fraud is to recognize, reject and report!
Stay safe, and share this message with your networks, friends and family.
Thank you for joining the fight against fraud!
