Flames on the Frontlines

Fire fighters are on the front lines of the climate crisis. These men and women were fighting several wildfires this past summer, the third worse season in British Columbia’s history. Ryan Moreside, BC Wildfire Service employee and member of the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) says in an interview – “It’s easier to work at night. There is less wind and the temperature is down, but we’re still chasing the fire.” I also talk to Darrel Peters, a Firekeeper and territorial patrol leader with the Skeetchestn Indian Band, a member of the Secwepemc Nation. He speaks of a reverence for the land in trouble, saying, “This land is our dinner plate, where the medicine is.” You’ll also get the most amazing peek into the working life of a “smokejumper,” Ingrid Pond, one of those brave souls who is parachuted into fire zones to help fight the fires. (See blog post below for a link to the full story.)

The full article is available on line and in print, at Our Times magazine (Winter, 2021) – link at https://ourtimes.ca/article/flames-on-the-frontlines

The Midwife: A day in the life of Nellie Yip Quong

by Janet Mary Nicol

I imagine a day in the life of Nellie Yip Quong, a midwife and caregiver in Vancouver’s early twentieth century Chinatown. Nellie was a white woman in a mixed race marriage, a rarity in a time of pervasive racial discrimination. When a female academic from Chicago pays her a visit, Nellie has lots to say. Watch for the story in the latest issue of BC History magazine (Winter, 2021).

Mr. and Mrs. Charlie and Nellie Yip Quong