The Pulse
LISTEN UP! Whether you're a longtime local or just discovering our corner of paradise On Vancouver Island in Parksville Qualicum Beach, Nanoose, Arrowsmith Coombs or Lighthouse Country - tune in to the Pulse. The Pulse Community Podcast tells the stories of the people and places that make our coastal communities unique. SIGN UP! Subscribe now to catch every episode!
Episodes
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Why You Should Listen to This Episode: Ethan Askey has carried a harmonica in his pocket for the better part of 30 years - from campfires on the Alsek River to festival stages in Europe, from Junior Wells' living room in Chicago to the studio in Kimberley where his new album Outside the Lines was born. He is a storyteller who found the blues by digging backwards through his dad's record collectio...
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If you or someone you love has ever felt like an outsider in a world that wasn’t built for the way your mind works, Santiago Dominguez speaks directly to that experience. Diagnosed with high-functioning autism, Santiago opens up about the exhausting daily effort of navigating school, building relationships, and searching for a sense of value in a world t...
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Why You Should Listen to This Episode: Matt Sager brings a 1940 Ford five-window coupe and a classroom full of students to turn a rescue car into a raffle that could raise a million dollars for the kids at Cowichan District Hospital. Sam Wiebe has spent a decade building one of the most compelling crime fiction series in Canadian literature, and his sixth Wakeland novel takes the detective out of...
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Recorded live at the AVICC convention in Victoria, this episode of Non-Partisan Hacks brings a remarkable guest to the mic. Joel Grenz and Sean Wood sit down with Marianne Meed Ward - Mayor of Burlington, Ontario and co-founder of ElectRespect - to talk about the growing crisis of harassment, abuse, and threats facing elected officials at every level of government.
Marianne has received deat...
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If you've ever wondered what it takes to break a cycle - of trauma, of violence, of generational pain, this episode is for you. Henry McKay speaks with a clarity and courage that only comes from having lived through the very things he now works to prevent.
In this episode:
Henry McKay joins Cindy Thompson on A Resilience Project to share a story of intergenerati...
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Why You Should Listen to This Episode: Kyle McKearney stopped chasing what the industry told him to be, went home, made the record he wanted to make, and had it mixed by the same engineer behind Chris Stapleton and Beyonce. Eva Hilborn decided at 95 that she wasn't done yet - and built a literacy charity from scratch that now puts free books in the hands of 500 children every month. Two guests wh...
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What does it take to face the person who shattered your world? Carys Cragg was 11 years old when her father was murdered. Decades later, she chose to correspond with - and ultimately meet - the man responsible. Her story is not about forgiveness on demand. It is about what happens when you decide to walk toward your greatest fear, and what you find on the othe...
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Why You Should Listen to This Episode:
Sean Thomas was 17 years old when he began producing Debbie Gibson's comeback album - the same year he was learning to drive a car. He then took his talents to Las Vegas as her music director, toured with New Kids on the Block and New Edition, and is now releasing his own music entirely on his own terms. Sarah Ronald turned a heritage village courtyard into a...
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Recorded on location at the AVICC (Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities) Conference, this episode of Non-Partisan Hacks brings a familiar face to the mic. Joel Grenz and Sean Wood welcome Parksville City Councillor Amit Gaur — their colleague at the council table since the 2022 election — for a candid conversation about what local government actually looks like from the...
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If you've ever felt undone by circumstances that seemed, on the surface, ordinary - this episode is for you. Lynnsay Scollon speaks with remarkable honesty about how a series of seemingly small events converged into a perfect storm during her first year at the University of Victoria. Her willingness to name what many students quietly endure makes this episode ...
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Why You Should Listen to This Episode: Jeff Vircoe walked into a meeting on February 22nd, 1986, and hasn’t had a drink since. Today he’s president of Forward House - the Parksville-based nonprofit marking 25 years of steady, quiet service to people navigating mental health and addiction recovery. Bonnie Bartlett, Forward House’s public relations director, brings her own lived s...
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Why You Should Listen to This Episode:
If you've ever wondered what it looks like to say yes to a calling — even when it means leaving everything familiar behind - this episode is for you. Karen Huebert-Sanchez and Ricky Sanchez bring an energy and warmth to this conversation that is utterly contagious. Their story is one of extraordinary commitment, hard-won resilience, and the kind of purp...
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Why You Should Listen to This Episode: Ajay Friese grew up on Vancouver Island, spent five years auditioning before landing Lost in Space, sang Bob Marley on screen, moved Laura Linney to tears with his debut single, and just released his first album - all before turning 30. Debora Gurrad gave up the classroom but never stopped teaching: as a certified Master Gardener she travels Campbell River t...
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In this episode of Nonpartisan Hacks, Joel Grenz and Sean Wood welcome back BC political reporter Rob Shaw - host of Political Capital and co-author of the bestselling A Matter of Confidence - for the “Criterion Edition” of his rant on first reading at the BC Legislature. They unpack what first reading actually does, why the NDP government’s growing habit of blocking opposition ...
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What happens when you’ve achieved everything you set out to do - and it still isn’t enough? Rob de Toni, a litigation lawyer, and Heather Emmerzael, a Registered Nurse, both built successful careers and found themselves in full burnout. Their story is a powerful reminder that resilience isn’t about pushing through - sometimes it’s about...
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Why You Should Listen to This Episode: Chris Buck has written 500+ songs in Nashville, earned a gold record, and just cracked the top 40 as an independent artist - all while staying unmistakably Canadian. Jim Moroz and the Seaside Cruisers have built a Father's Day tradition that draws 20,000 visitors, 500 classic cars, and gives back to local charities every year.
This Episode Features:
(19:...
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If you are a parent, grandparent, caregiver, or teacher — or anyone who cares about the emotional wellbeing of a child — this episode is essential listening. Dr. Kirk Austin brings years of experience working with complex trauma in children and youth to a conversation that is as practical as it is profound. His framework for resilience isn't abstra...
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Why You Should Listen to This Episode: Author Aaron Cully Drake has a provocative and practical take on AI in the writing process — not as a ghostwriter, but as a structural editor that never lets a contradiction slide. And Roy Forbes, Member of the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame and CKUA Radio host, has been writing songs since Grade school and performing across Canada for more than f...
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If you’ve experienced loss in motherhood — or love someone who has — this episode is for you. Alicia Nicholsen speaks with the kind of honesty that only comes from having lived through the unimaginable. Her story of losing a child to miscarriage and a second child at 23 weeks is one of profound grief. But it’s also one of extraord...
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Why You Should Listen to This Episode: Richard Brodeur backstopped the Vancouver Canucks to their first Stanley Cup final in 1982 — and spent the next four decades quietly building a second remarkable career as a painter. Now he’s soon opening Gallery 35 in Parksville, bringing eight professional artists with him. Brad Merritt, co-founder and bassist of 54–40, joins us ahead of ...
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