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Heritage Hour | Fall 2027
Heritage Hour | Fall 2027
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VHF’s Heritage Hour (formerly Evening Lectures) are a series of talks focused on local heritage. Join us at University Women's Club at Hycroft this fall from 7 pm to 8:30 pm to enjoy fascinating pieces of Vancouver’s history with a selection of local speakers.
Ticket sales for each event close the day prior to the event at 5pm.
Tuesday, September 22nd | 1910: The Uncovering - A Film Screening and Talk
For many years the only transportation link across Canada was one railway line. This tenuous ribbon of steel was built through high, snowy, and unpredictable mountains. In March of 1910, a tragic avalanche occurred at the Rogers Pass summit that remains Canada's deadliest avalanche. 58 railway workers, majority of whom were Japanese died while attempting to clear a snow slide from the tracks when another larger avalanche struck from the other side in the middle of the dark night.
This Heritage Hour will include the screening of the 30-minute documentary film, 1910: The Uncovering. The film explores the legacy of the Rogers Pass avalanche through the lives of two unlikely friends, a downtown Vancouver businessman, and a Japanese-born ski guide brought together by their need for purpose, healing, and their passion for researching the mysteries and injustices of this event.
After the screening, Director and Co-producer, Chad Townsend, and one of the film subjects and its Executive Producer, Morgan Brewster, will speak about the film. Graphics for this 27-minute film were supported by the 2024 Yosef Wosk Publication Grant. It premiered at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival in the historic Rio Theatre and won the Audience Choice Short at the 2026 Salt Spring Film Festival.
About the Speakers:
Chad Townsend is a Director, Co-Producer who is a experienced visual storyteller, researcher and project manager. He is passionate about corrective/untold human stories throughout history and respectfully shares these often-overlooked narratives. He studied at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and produced a short film that premiered at the Banff Mountain Film Festival. He then found film success directing the Internment impact awareness film Nomoto - a BC Tragedy. The film was selected for numerous festivals and Community events and is now streaming on Knowledge Network.
Chad Townsend is a Director, Co-Producer who is a experienced visual storyteller, researcher and project manager. He is passionate about corrective/untold human stories throughout history and respectfully shares these often-overlooked narratives. He studied at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and produced a short film that premiered at the Banff Mountain Film Festival. He then found film success directing the Internment impact awareness film Nomoto - a BC Tragedy. The film was selected for numerous festivals and Community events and is now streaming on Knowledge Network.
Morgan Brewster is one of the Film Subjects & the Executive Producers of the film. He is the great grandson of career Canadian Pacific railroaders who were based in Revelstoke. He is the managing partner of CMSI Pacific in Vancouver, and an advisor to developers and investors, with a focus on multi-family residential construction. Morgan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Calgary and a Canadian Investment Manager designation. Prior to joining CMSI, he was an investigator for the BC Financial Services Authority.
Tuesday, November 24th | 'Real Enough: the Unlikely Story of Doug and the Slugs'" A Night with Aaron Chapman and Simon Kendall
In celebration of their new book, “Real Enough: The Unlikely Story of Doug and The Slugs”, join one of the bands founding members Simon Kendall and historian Aaron Chapman in an entertaining discussion of Doug and the Slugs' career over the past 5 decades featuring readings from the book, music, mirth and much besides…
About the Speakers:
Simon Kendall has spent over 45 years composing, performing and producing an eclectic array of music for concert performance, theatre, television, radio, cinema, and dance. A founding member of ‘Doug And The Slugs’ since 1978, he’s spent 15 years as the band’s music director and goofy gargantuan keyboardist. They released 4 gold albums and performed from New York to the North Pole as one of the decade’s premier Canadian touring acts.
Simon has spent time in film and theatre, music-directing plays and composing for film and TV, and since 1994 he has enjoyed a freelance career performing and recording with numerous artists. He’s played on over 100 albums and currently divides his time between producing, recording, performing and composing.
Aaron Chapman is a writer, historian, and musician with a special interest in Vancouver's entertainment history and crime history. His books include Vancouver after Dark: The Wild History of a City's Nightlife, and Live at the Commodore, a history of the Commodore Ballroom, both of which have won the Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award. He was also one of the co-writers of Vancouver Confidential (Anvil Press). In 2020, he was elected as a member of the Royal Historical Society. He lives in Vancouver, where he has been a Doug & the Slugs fan since he was a Slugling.
For in-person events, we are unable to provide refunds or credits for cancellations received less than four (4) weeks prior to the event. For additional information on VHF's policies, please visit our Policies page prior to registering.
If you would like to make a donation in addition to your registration, the amount will be tax deductible and you will receive an official tax receipt for donations of $20 or more. Our Registered Charity number is 891765968.
GST# 89176 5968 RT0001
Location
University Women’s Club at Hycroft