Fifty-six companies are involved in the making of my standard, late Tuesday night dinner: a can of chicken noodle soup. This almost laughably high figure is indicative of an increasing estrangement of human beings from their food. Much of what we eat is processed, treated, and injected with preservatives in some distant laboratory. It is shipped, often from thousands of miles away to the local supermarket where we, foragers of an urban landscape graze through linoleum pastures and fluorescent aisles; navigating a prepackaged terrain of endless food choices and rarely pausing in the process to wonder: where did this all come from?

Neighbourhood cafés are special. Not only because they are usually owned and managed by a local, but also because they are warm, welcoming, and friendly. In the heart of Kerrisdale, there is a place that has been refilling everyone’s cup of coffee for the last 20 years: Bean Brothers Café Bistro.

In the heart of Kerrisdale, the senior’s centre serves as a meeting place for the community, constantly filled with activity. Be it for a dance class or just conversation, locals over the age of 65 from all over the area gather in there to enjoy the company of their neighbours. It’s an open and friendly environment, the perfect place for Dr. Alex Cherkezoff to offer his expertise on the health-care system to any senior who might need a second opinion.

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything

Born on February 12, 1949 in Vancouver BC, Peter Ladner is a scholar, author, journalist, environmentalist, businessman and former politician. As a former Vancouver City councilor and Metro Vancouver vice-chair, Peter ran for the 2008 Vancouver mayoral election in which he competed against Gregor Robertson, the current mayor of Vancouver.

‘Patriotism is identification with others in the ongoing life of a political community. The patriot is someone who looks ahead into a future where she hopes her community will persist and prosper, and also behind into the past of her people, a past which, by virtue of identification with her fellow citizens, becomes integral to her own story as well.’

Community Centre board member, international relations guru, and fellow coffee shop explorer, Dr. Don Munton has made many significant impacts on his community. Born and raised in Vancouver, Don holds a Ph.D in International Relations with a focus on environmental policy, Canadian foreign policy, and international security. Don has recently retired from the International Relations program at the University of Northern British Columbia. Today, Don enjoys being an active board member at the Kerrisdale Community Centre dealing in particular with the community centre program, its fitness facilities, and the pool