the Social Ramp

On this podcast I chatted with Deputy Chief Constable Howard Chow from the Vancouver Police Department. We chatted about the changes in Vancouver since he started his career here and where this is all going. In 2014 he worked in District 2 which includes the Downtown Eastside, where he has seen so much dysfunction it is very difficult to see any end in sight. 

I asked him about all things "Police" in regards to how the public interacts and some personal questions as well. He was so gracious with his time and gave me the opportunity to ask anything I wanted. He really is one of Vancouver‘s treasures. I hope you enjoy this just as much as I did making it.

His bio link is here - https://vpd.ca/about-the-vpd/executive-team/

On this podcast I spoke with Mayoral Candidate Colleen Hardwick. Her Party TEAM is looking to grab a majority at city hall in this upcoming election on October 15th 2022. She is clearly experienced in every aspect and detail of any topic you discuss with her. She really cares about the city and what is going on here and really wants to make an impact. She has spent the last number of years as a Councillor in City Hall and has had to endure the tenure with the current mayor and watch the city slowly rip apart at the seams.

We discussed the following topics:

Vancouver livability
The DTES problem
Housing affordability
The structure of City Hall
Vancouver tourism

https://www.voteteam.ca/
She can be found on Twitter @CllrHardwick

On this episode of Jonathon and I talked about PR and how it works. He shared his story of how he got to Vancouver and what he does  now at Mid Meld PR. Then we got into what we both think about our shared experience of living in Vancouver. We agreed on many things like the dysfunction of City Hall, the people living on the street with mental health, the acceptance of drug use everywhere and how our society has a general absence of a social framework we can all adhere to. Jonathon is a very bright guy with a very dry sense of humour, I really enjoyed talking to him and hope to do it again as we progress through these podcast episodes.

https://www.mindmeldpr.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/jnarvey

On this episode had a discussion with John Clerides about the state of downtown Vancouver in regards to the open drug scene / homelessness situation that has become a lawless free-for-all for criminal activity, dysfunction, and a direct threat to public safety.

We talked about different models in the world who have a dress the same issue and what we can learn from them and how we got to this point. As you listen through this episode you’ll soon discover that the current approach to this problem is simply inhumane and must be recalibrated.

John is very active on Twitter so if you have any questions for him you can comment on a post or ask for a direct message (DM).

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jclerides

Today on the podcast I chatted with John Coupar about his platform  he is running on to become Mayor of Vancouver in the next civic election in October 2022. We talked about the safety of our streets, homelessness and drug addiction situation, housing affordability and woke culture. We also we learned a little bit about him growing up in Vancouver, his past and what he plans to do in the future.

He is running under the party known as NPA which has had a long-standing of Mayors and Council Members in the past.

John can be found on Twitter
https://twitter.com/johncoupar

And his website
https://www.npavancouver.ca

Today on the Podcast I chatted with Ken Sim the Mayoral candidate representing the ABC PARTY (A Better City) for the 2022 race. 

We got to know Kens background being born and raised in the city, why he wants to become mayor, and  what he plans to do once he does get into the Mayors seat. 

He also talked about what is meaningful to him and what issues he thinks will be important to the base in Vancouver during this election cycle.

Ken can be found on Twitter
https://twitter.com/kensimcity

And his website
https://www.kensim.ca/

And the ABC Party website
https://abettercity.ca/

Today on a podcast I am doing the beginning of a five part series joined by Dallas Brodie who is, as you know one of my favourite lawyers and a super smart cookie. The first of these five episodes is focused on cancel culture, its effects, and just how destructive it is to society in general. We talked about systemic problems, current issues here in Canada, and also what the overall effect of all this is. So if you’d like to be entertained and someone informed at least we think then give it a listen!

On todays podcast I spoke with Leanne Pederson/Chan who discussed the issue of the anti-asian hate epidemic that is plaguing North America, and more locally, Vancouver. We chatted about cultural history, the diverse set of countries that encompass the term asian, and the difference between them. We got into social behavioural dynamics and how simply understanding each other can break down barriers. It is important to note that this ignorance and hate must be understood and eliminated by all as a collective to ensure that Canada is a place of peace and friendliness.

On the Podcast, I had the pleasure to chat with Frankie Sharp, the new actor singer songwriter who has just released her first single. We chatted about her upbringing and the path as an actor from LA to Vancouver. She has been on recurring roles on The Flash, 90210 Reboot, Supernatural, and Hit the Road with Jason Alexander. Later in the podcast we were joined by local musician Colin Holyk of the band H-O-T-E-L where we chatted about Frankie's sense of music, the process of songwriting, and the live music scene. This was a really great time.

You can see Frankie's video here on youtube.
https://youtu.be/z_dfDmtFvYU

And listen to her song on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/track/0wXeY0uKRLxrBAxnNlQ69x?si=yaNenLxqQPGMRE_fh9ybNA

On the podcast I chatted with Agnes about the story of how she recovered her daughter from the grips of diagnosed autism. It was a crazy and trying time for her family, but she did her research, turned over rock after rock and found a way to bring Kylie back to normal. Her perspective is definitely controversial but nevertheless, she wants to help others who are in the same situation. She now has a successful supplement business and her an Kylie are in good shape.

On this episode of the podcast I chatted with Justin Ault, the mastermind behind Hapa Izakaya restaurants. At one point he had Six Hapa's going at once from four corporately owned, to two other partnerships across Canada. His story of learning the craft of running an Izakaya is truly  fantastic. The path of his life has been one perfectly aligned stepping stone to another.

https://hapaizakaya.com/

On this SPECIAL EPISODE, Dallas Brodie talks about the drug addiction migration and epidemic that is sweeping through Vancouver. We chatted about the proposed new injection site 200 yards away from a children's park and the proposed conversion of the Jericho Hostel in Point Grey into a homeless shelter. Although there is compassion of the hardship that addiction brings to people, there must be a more effective and measured approach that residents can all agree on and fund.

https://www.saveourcityvancouver.com/

On the podcast I spoke with Sam about his re-election for the riding of False Creek Vancouver. He is deeply concerned about the safety of downtown Yaletown, a community and environment not only doe he love, live and work in, he envisioned and helped shape. He is Mr. Yaletown.

On this podcast I spoke with Nisha Kharé, a very impressive woman who came from the small town of Prince George with her 4.0 GPA to take on the counselling profession in Vancouver. She has a ton of experience in mental health and trauma related stress and dysfunction. Today she works with her husband at the Human Biography and also works with the Stigma Free Society, who advocates for the normalizing of mental health issue within our mindset and culture.

On the podcast I chatted with Jigme Love, who I have to say, is one of the most special characters I have met. We talked about her early days as a writer for the Canadian government and how she made her foray into being a successful entrepreneur. She has been all over the world, from living the high life in the South of France and Monaco, to now living in Venice Beach California. She is now the president of a national beverage company and is living in her Zen state and loving the Cali lifestyle.

Today on the podcast I had the pleasure to chat with an impressive woman who has recently been in the news cycles being interviewed about the organization that is taking a stand on the proliferation of people from the downtown east side into the southern end of downtown Vancouver. 

She is one of the outspoken public figures of the Group Safer Vancouver represented on Facebook and safervancouver.org. She is a lawyer from a prominent Vancouver family who went to Princeton and has worked in legal aid for in-prisoned youth to working with the tenancy act in bc. 

Before you listen to this keep in mind we are not experts in many area of discussion but merely, like you concerned citizens having a conversation. So please don’t take snippets of our conversation and take them out of context. Thank you :)

safervancouver.org

On the podcast I chatted with Sharad Kharé from the film company Human Biography. He is a fascinating guy who is living his dream telling stories about great people and documenting them for those who want a legacy media asset which captures a life in history. He has interviewed some of the most famous people in the world, like Meryl Streep, Susan Sarandon, Helen Mirren, Chip Wilson, the Dalai Lama. I really enjoyed chatting with him and watching his journey to success over the years. His website is https://humanbiography.com

On the Podcast I chatted with Louise Johnson. Author of the popular blog divorcedanddatingat30.com, her writing style is hilarious and here stories are a must read for the single girls in Vancouver. He new book "Lou Who" is about her opinion and stories about her dating life. We talked about the man and women differences and how she has worked on herself to place of great happiness. She is making things happen from Edinburgh to Canada. 

Website - https://www.louisejohnsonauthor.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/louisejohnsonauthor
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_louise_johnson_/

On the podcast, I chatted with Kerry Gold a born and bred Vancouverite, and knows her city well. In a profile of Vancouver, the New York Times once referred to her as the city's "unofficial night owl."

She has written for the Globe and Mail’s real estate section since 2007, covering B.C.’s dynamic and often controversial housing market.

In her 20-year career, she’s interviewed big personalities, such as Lou Reed, Ray Charles and Richard Branson. She’s authored four books, including Michael Bublé’s bestselling memoir Onstage, Offstage.

Kerry got her start at the Vancouver Courier in 1994, where she covered city politics and community news. She joined the Vancouver Sun in 1996, where she spent 11 years as music critic.

She’s also written regular business stories for MSN, and has contributed to Yahoo, Vancouver magazine, BC Business, Best Health, Marketing Magazine, MoneySense, Variety, LA Weekly, and numerous other publications.

She's not quite so proud of the fact that she popularized the word "cougar," to describe women of a certain age. It's earned her a mention in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

- Bio Ref - Globe and mail - https://www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/kerry-gold/