Heritage Lunch and Learn | Fall 2026

VHF’s Heritage Lunch and Learn series continues virtually this fall from 12pm to 1pm. Learn about the state of heritage and conservation projects in Vancouver today with experts in architecture and design, conservation, city planning and other related fields.

Since 2021, our Lunch and Learn series have been hosted online via Zoom. These informative sessions feature heritage professionals, architects, and engineers who offer a closer look at tangible and intangible heritage projects in Vancouver. For this virtual event, you will need a steady internet connection and speakers/headphones to access the webinar. The webinar is best viewed on a desktop or laptop computer.

Our Heritage Lunch and Learns are offered by donation. Suggested donation amounts for each event are $15 for one attendee, $30 for a household of 2+ viewers and $9 for students. Please note that by donation events do not qualify for charitable tax receipts. If you would like to make a larger donation ($20 minimum for a tax receipt) or become a monthly donor, please contact the VHF office at 604-264-9642. Thank you for your support.

Friday, September 18th | The School Room: Digital Storytelling through Podcasting at the Chinese Canadian Museum

Podcasting has become an increasingly popular medium for educational programming by museums. Not only are they a low-cost way to engage and expand museum audiences across the globe, but they can serve as repositories for oral history and primary source research. Dive behind the scenes of 'The School Room' podcast with producer Rosalie Gunawan and learn about how the Chinese Canadian Museum is using podcasts for digital storytelling.

This virtual Lunch & Learn is part of Culture Days, Canada’s largest cross-country celebration of arts, culture, and heritage.

About the Speaker

Rosalie Gunawan is a museum educator and cultural worker of mixed Chinese-Indonesian and white heritage. She currently serves as the Education and Public Programs Manager at the Chinese Canadian Museum, where she oversees the development of school field trips, public tours, public programming, and the production of CCM's podcast, The School Room. Rosalie holds a Master's degree in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, as well as Bachelor's degrees in International Studies (Northeast Asia) and Languages (Japanese) from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Promotional Photo Credit: Corkboard MediaWorks, courtesy of the Chinese Canadian Museum

Thursday, October 8th | Mapping Industrial Heritage

From canneries and mines to company towns and Indigenous industrial landscapes, industrial heritage tells the story of how people, industry, and place have shaped one another, as well as how those relationships continue to influence communities today.

Join us and Heritage BC’s Maria Paula Arias to explore the story behind the development of the Industrial Heritage Places map and Places that Matter Community History Resource. By delving into the collaborative process used to identify and interpret sites, and the opportunities and challenges of documenting industrial heritage through a community-driven lens, these projects create opportunities for critical conversations about economic development, community building, colonization, environmental change, and evolving social values. Participants will also learn how the maps can be used as a resource for research, education, heritage planning, and public engagement.

About the Speaker

Maria Paula Arias is the Program Manager at Heritage BC, where she leads provincial initiatives that connect people with British Columbia's diverse heritage. Her work focuses on developing collaborative programs and community engagement resources that support heritage conservation and interpretation across the province.

Thursday, November 12h | Caring for the Archive, Shaping the Future at Western Front

Join Western Front’s Executive Director, Susan Gibb, and Archivist, Anna Tidlund, for an in-depth look at the organizational strategies that support both the preservation of its history and the development of its future. For over 50 years, Western Front has provided a platform for artists working across music, media art, visual art, performance, and literature, generating a rich record of contemporary artistic practice at local, national, and international levels.

This session explores how that history is actively documented, interpreted, and sustained through archival practice. From artist files and audiovisual recordings to born-digital materials, Western Front's archives function as a significant repository of contemporary art history. Grounded in a foundation of artist self-determination, the conversation will address artist agreements, records management, digitization, digital preservation, and access initiatives, as well as the internal and external partnerships that steward a living archive and connect archival practice to programming, governance, and long-term sustainability.

About the Speakers

Susan Gibb, Executive Director, joined Western Front in 2019, driven by a commitment to supporting experimental, collaborative artistic practice across disciplines. She brings extensive international experience, having worked in curatorial roles in Australia and the Netherlands to develop and present innovative projects in performance, moving image, exhibitions, and arts publishing. She has also taught curating and performance at the Dutch Art Institute and the School for New Dance Development.

Anna Tidlund has been the archivist at Western Front since 2019. Tidlund holds a Master of Archival Studies from the University of British Columbia, and has worked as a researcher, archives consultant, and archivist since 2015. She is also the archivist at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, and has previously worked for the estate of Wayne Ngan.

This event is presented virtually through Zoom. Please ensure you enter a valid email address when registering. Details on how to join the Zoom webinar will be sent to registered participants in the confirmation receipt and reminder emails. If you have not received the Zoom webinar link before the event day, please check your spam folder or contact us at mail@vancouverheritagefoundation.org.

Please review our cancellation policy here before registering.

All donations are tax deductible. Please note that by donation events do not qualify for charitable tax receipts. Our Registered Charity number is 891765968.