After the devastation of a forest fire, the first plant to grow back is fireweed. A vibrant wildflower from the Pacific Northwest, it symbolizes hope, resilience, and adaptability -- things we could all use a little more of right now. Because the clock is ticking on big issues like climate change, social justice, accessibility, and cybersecurity. Not to mention the fact that we’re trying to recover from a global pandemic.
Adaptability is now seen as a critical skill by leading employers across the country. But the trick is: we need to adapt in the right ways. Ways that will help us move forward, together. That’s why this diverse and inter-generational podcast, brought to you by BCIT, tells stories that embody the never-ending human potential to adapt to change. Hosted by BCIT alumna Maria Vinca, the show features guests from in and around the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, interviewing academics and industry leaders, people from business and tech who are working to create resilient systems – all built to handle change.
Meet people with vastly different experiences who have demonstrated their ability to grow and adapt to whatever challenges life throws at them, and -- like the fireweed -- come back stronger than ever.
How Do We Make Flight Sustainable?
We are on the move again. We live where we want, we work where we want, and for many of us, that means more time on the tarmac. But how can we reconcile all the jet-setting with the realities of the airline industry’s impact on our environment? What alternatives to traditional flight are emerging?
In our episode Fly Right: How do We Make Flight More Sustainable? Bianca – who has struggled with a lifetime fear of flying – speaks with Nathan Zvi, self-described “recovering aerospace engineer” and host of The Net Zero Life podcast. She also chats with Dr. Eric Saczuc, who integrates his environmental research with adventurous travel to off-the-beaten path destinations, and oversees the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Hub at BCIT.
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29 Nov 2022
Cannabis
Debunking the Myths
Recreational cannabis has become ubiquitous, and with it, an entire encyclopedia of products and terms. Vapes, edibles, carbonated beverages, THC, CBD, terpenes — there’s a lot of lingo out there.
In our episode Cannabis: Debunking the Myths, Bianca speaks with Michael Chan and Hazrah Moothoo of the BCIT Natural Health and Food Products Research Group to get a vocabulary lesson and a better sense of how the plant is being studied and brought to market. Then she’s joined by Josh Beckett – a Master Grower from Magi Cannabis on Saltspring Island –for a conversation about where this high-growth industry is headed next.
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15 Nov 2022
Not a Contest
Building Resilience at School and Work
Our approaches to school and work are changing. Success isn’t just about masochistically pushing yourself beyond your limits anymore — it’s about nurturing sustainable relationships with your studies and your career. At the same time, nobody said it was meant to be easy.
In our episode Not a Contest: Building Resilience at School and Work, host Bianca Rego speaks with BCIT’s Gurleen Bhatia and Laura Vail, experts who are evolving our learning and working environments to be more human-centric. Next,she’s joined by Diosa Femme -one half of the hard-working podcasting duo behind Locatora Radio – to talk about “multi hyphenate careers” and avoiding burnout.
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1 Nov 2022
Blow Your House Down
Building Climate Resilient Communities
We’re already living with the devastating impact of climate change. Wildfires, torrential rain, and heat domes in British Columbia have caused billions of dollars in damage in just the last couple of years. But British Columbians aren’t going down without a fight. Cities are setting a new standard for climate resilient housing. Vancouver has promised to become the “greenest place on the planet,” partly by passing a new building code that says every new home must be a passive home. In conversation with BCIT’s Alexandre Hebert, host Bianca Rego finds out what a passive home is and how it can help cut green house gas emissions. And she gets a first-hand look at the passive home that Mike Cairns built for his family in Langley, B.C.
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18 Oct 2022
Share the Wealth
How Gen Z is Redefining Real Estate
Ziggy and Kate Linklater are both 27 years old and they’ve just achieved the impossible dream — owning their own home in one of the world’s most expensive cities. Surveys show that most Canadians under 30 have given up on the dream of home ownership. Host Bianca Rego talks to Ziggy about how he and Kate managed to purchase a 1,000 square foot condo without any financial help from family and friends.
Finally, BCIT alumni Steve Jagger from Addy Invest talks about why he thinks real estate crowdfunding platforms can help Gen Zers buy their own place to live. Just a note — BCIT doesn’t endorse any investments or investment companies – but it sure makes for an interesting conversation.
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4 Oct 2022
Start Me Up
Career Connected Learning
How do you know what you REALLY want to be when you grow up? And how do you make the jump from training for that career to actually doing it? One way is to check things out through “career-connected learning.” It allows you to test the waters of different jobs related to your field while still at school, so you can be workforce-ready the day you graduate.
In this episode, Joan Pascual, Program Head of BCIT’s Centre for Workplace Education, tells Fireweed host Bianca Rego how a good career-connected learning program helps both students and employers. And BCIT grad and Air Canada aircraft maintenance engineer Jenny Tung gives us a tour of her workplace.
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15 Sept 2022
Give More Than You Take
Regenerative Travel
Travel is back! As Generation Z heads out to explore the world again, they’re looking for ways to travel greener, smarter, and with less impact. In this episode, host Bianca Rego learns about regenerative travel — the movement that encourages travellers to leave their destination better than it was before.
She talks to two Davids — BCIT instructor David Tikkanen and David Leventhal from the Regenerative Travel group of resorts — about how travelling can help make the world a better place. And she meets Randy Louie, a cultural guide at the Klahoose First Nation Wilderness Resort on B.C’s Sunshine Coast.
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30 Aug 2022
Welcome To Fireweed Season 2
Fireweed is the very first flower to grow back after the devastation of a forest fire. The quintessential British Columbian plant, fireweed represents resilience and adaptability—as do we.
Fireweed is a podcast from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, created in collaboration with Vancouver-based podcast agency JAR Audio. Adaptability is now seen as a critical skill by leading employers across the country. But the trick is, we need to adapt in the right ways, ways that will help us move forward, together.
In this podcast, host Bianca Rego (a BCIT broadcast journalism grad), interviews students, academics and thought leaders from business and tech who are working to create resilient systems, built to handle change. Launching September 20, 2022, Season 2 of Fireweed is aimed at encouraging lifelong learning and resiliency.
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29 Nov 2021
Where to next?
We’re already living in the future -- the future of transportation, that is! Many of us are now opting for electric vehicles, but it’s still not the easiest choice. Plus, as more EVs come online, how will our infrastructure adapt to meet the demand?
We talk to BCIT’s Clay Howey about the future of our power grids and the challenge of generating enough renewable electricity. We also speak with Mark Zacharias from Clean Energy Canada about when we’ll reach the tipping point for EVs….meaning when will choosing an EV become a “no-brainer”?
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15 Nov 2021
The classroom is everywhere
Technology in the classroom is nothing new, and it’s always evolving. Innovators like UBC’s Claudia Krebs are using technologies like Virtual and Augmented Reality to really bring course content to life.
In this episode we hear from BCIT’s Associate Vice-President, Education Support and Innovation, James Rout who believes students and learning outcomes deserve to be ahead of technology - for technology’s sake.
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1 Nov 2021
Career changes and shapeshifters
Microcredentials and smaller “just in time” training options are helping workers upgrade their skills or switch careers entirely, without the need for a degree or diploma.
Host Maria Vinca talks to Ryan Chynces from Hootsuite’s Online Education program about how their practical and quick courses help potential employees stand out. She also speaks to Tom Roemer, Vice President Academic from BCIT about the institution’s “agile learning” model that allows students to get the education they want, when they need it.
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18 Oct 2021
10 billion attacks a day?
Cybersecurity experts and IT departments warn us about it, but how seriously do we really take our online security? More time online means more time at risk...or does it? Host Maria Vinca speaks with Derek Manky, Chief of Security Insights & Global Threat Alliances for Fortinet about the dangers of doing business in our hyper-connected world, and ways in which industry is fighting back against cybercrime and fraud. Maria also explores a personal story of fraud first hand with Digital Cyber Crimes Investigator Steve Wilson, who shares tips on how to protect ourselves online.
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4 Oct 2021
Ecocities beyond the eco
Building cities has traditionally meant altering or destroying the natural environment, but it doesn’t have to be like that. Cities along the Cascadia Corridor, like Vancouver, British Columbia, are setting a new standard in which people and nature can coexist, proving to have a beneficial relationship. We hear from Christina Olsen from the BCIT Centre for Ecocities about her vision for healthy urban centres, and from international rivers expert and founder of World Rivers Day, Mark Angelo, about why it’s vital to protect and restore the natural features within our urban limits.
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20 Sept 2021
It's more than a parking spot
Ryan Straschnitzki knows, first hand, what it’s like to adapt - he’s a survivor of the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, in which many of his Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club teammates were badly injured, or lost their lives. We talk to Ryan about life after the crash, learning to navigate a world that wasn’t built for him in a wheelchair.
We also speak with Brad McCannell of the Rick Hansen Foundation about creating meaningful access in the built environment, and adaptive technology pioneer Jaimie Borisoff about his research designs that make everyday activities better for people with mobility issues.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
8 Sept 2021
Welcome to Fireweed
After the devastation of a forest fire, the first plant to grow back is fireweed. A vibrant wildflower from the Pacific Northwest, it symbolizes hope, resilience, and adaptability -- things we could all use a little more of right now. Because the clock is ticking on big issues like climate change, social justice, accessibility, and cybersecurity. Not to mention the fact that we’re trying to recover from a global pandemic.
Adaptability is now seen as a critical skill by leading employers across the country. But the trick is: we need to adapt in the right ways. Ways that will help us move forward, together. That’s why this diverse and inter-generational podcast, brought to you by BCIT, tells stories that embody the never-ending human potential to adapt to change. Hosted by BCIT alumna Maria Vinca, the show features guests from in and around the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, interviewing academics and industry leaders, people from business and tech who are working to create resilient systems – all built to handle change.
Meet people with vastly different experiences who have demonstrated their ability to grow and adapt to whatever challenges life throws at them, and -- like the fireweed -- come back stronger than ever.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
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