Episodes

  • T’esóts’en (Patrick Kelly) on a life of strengthening Indigenous relations

    T’esóts’en (Patrick Kelly) on a life of strengthening Indigenous relations
    Dec 13 2024
    On the final episode of the Vital Victoria Podcast, host Lucky Budd discusses uplifting Indigenous cultures with T’esóts’en (Patrick Kelly), a member of the Leq’a:mel Nation and longtime resident of Victoria. For over 40 years, Patrick has been bridging cultures in his many roles as Indigenous relations advisor, board member, and volunteer. This year, he was awarded the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal for a lifetime of selfless work advancing reconciliation in Canada. Tune in for Patrick’s inspiring story, and the wisdom that comes from decades of relentless optimism and a passion for bringing people of all backgrounds and cultures together.
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    51 mins
  • Capital Bike and the benefits of commuting on two wheels

    Capital Bike and the benefits of commuting on two wheels
    Nov 26 2024
    Greater Victoria is quickly becoming a region known for its cycling infrastructure. There’s no doubt that pedalling comes with benefits, such as boosting your physical and mental health, and saving money on transportation costs. But what is the community doing to encourage active transportation? And what more needs to be done to keep the roads safe and accessible?

    This month, host Lucky Budd interviews year-round cycle commuter Niki Sutherland. Niki is the Chair of Capital Bike, a local non-profit dedicated to making cycling an easy and fun transportation option in the region.

    Tune in and get inspired to pump up those tires!
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    36 mins
  • Why you should make volunteering an important part of your life

    Why you should make volunteering an important part of your life
    Nov 5 2024
    Lisa Mort-Putland has her fingers on the pulse of volunteerism in Canada, and especially here at home in Greater Victoria.

    From learning essential skills to building community relationships, volunteerism has a pivotal role to play in strengthening the region's vital services while boosting the wellbeing of volunteers, themselves.

    This month, host Lucky Budd chats with Lisa Mort-Putland, Executive Director of Volunteer Victoria, about how to make an impact through volunteering, its pivotal purpose in our community, and how we can keep it alive!
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    37 mins
  • Russell Books: How a family’s literary legacy is building community

    Russell Books: How a family’s literary legacy is building community
    May 10 2024
    Andrea and Jordan Minter, the managers of Victoria’s renowned Russell Books, chat with host Lucky Budd about their family's story of building one of Canada’s largest independent bookstores.

    For 28 years, Russell Books has been inspiring reading enthusiasts, and bringing the community together through regular literary events, while proudly supporting non-profit literacy initiatives and schools throughout the capital region.

    Tune in to learn more about a bookstore that isn’t just a bookstore, but a hub of creativity, knowledge, history, philanthropy, and community connection!
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    39 mins
  • Growing the community through a farm-to-table food hub

    Growing the community through a farm-to-table food hub
    Apr 16 2024
    The Victoria Community Food Hub is a crucial organization in a giant sustainable food ecosystem working to put farm-fresh grub in the bellies of all Greater Victorians.

    This month, host Lucky Budd chats with Laura Gair and Colleen Popyk – two outstanding people who are working tirelessly on Food Hub initiatives that bring good food to the capital region’s most vulnerable, while feeding our robust local food economy.

    The South Island FarmHub is an online farmer’s market that connects Victorians with boxes of fresh produce from local farmers, and it runs the Farm Bucks program to help subsidize this great food for charities and schools.

    Kitchen Connect is a food business incubator and processing facility open to anyone wanting to learn how to start a business and process their food to be sold in stores.

    Tune in for a lot more on these incredible initiatives, the faces behind them, and how you can get involved!
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    36 mins
  • Jess Gibbard on helping the trans community find its true voice

    Jess Gibbard on helping the trans community find its true voice
    Mar 12 2024
    For the last few years, Victoria's Jess Gibbard has been passionately working to help trans and non-binary people find their true voices, be it from her private home studio or through charitable initiatives.

    After transitioning herself, she learned there's large gap in BC and all over the world for gender-affirming voice training. Often, voice coaches are expensive, unavailable, or, in certain parts of the world, non-existent.

    On this episode, Jess tells host Lucky Budd the story of finding her own voice and her passion for helping others do the same, on top of her studies to become a speech pathologist. She talks about the necessity for affordable and accessible voice lessons in a time when more people than ever are discovering who they truly are.
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    38 mins
  • ‘Winning hearts’ through a family-run mobile food bank

    ‘Winning hearts’ through a family-run mobile food bank
    Feb 7 2024
    Fateh Care means “winning hearts by caring.” And that’s exactly what Harjas Singh and Navneet Kaur Popli aim to do by delivering food, clothing and other necessities to people in need, through their family-fun mobile food bank called the Fateh Care Charity.

    When the Poplis immigrated to Canada in 2020 on the last flight from India before COVID shutdowns, they found themselves housebound, without jobs, and in need of a food bank to provide for their family. A year later in Victoria, they set their hearts on creating a charitable delivery service of their own that could bring items to those who aren’t as mobile.

    Since 2021, Fateh Care Charity has been filling bellies, feeding souls, and creating heartfelt connections in Greater Victoria. Tune in to an inspiring conversation with the Poplis and host Lucky Budd, about selflessness, faith, and a love for community.
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    36 mins
  • Victoria Police's Del Manak on fostering leaders and inspiring youth

    Victoria Police's Del Manak on fostering leaders and inspiring youth
    Jan 16 2024
    Chief Constable Del Manak of the Victoria Police joins host Lucky Budd to talk about his life in the public service, and how the police are connecting with community through their non-profit and related work.

    Chief Manak reflects on his childhood in Victoria, his inspirations for leadership, and his vision for the future of police work at a time when more community members feel less safe overall. He also discusses the new Greater Victoria Police Foundation, which offers youth camps and one-on-one mentorships between young people and police officers, to inspire confidence, leadership, and community engagement.
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    35 mins