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The Pulse

The Pulse

By: Dave Graham & Peter McCully
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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!


© 2026 The Pulse
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Episodes
  • Sun Fest Founder Greg Adams & Dr. Anne Herdman Royal from Oklahoma to Nanaimo
    Apr 7 2026

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    This Episode Features:

    (30:35) Greg Adams, founder of Lake Town Ranch and Sun Fest joins the podcast The undrafted NHL defenceman who played 545 games across a decade-long pro career talks about growing up in the Cowichan Valley, playing alongside Mark Messier in Edmonton the year after Gretzky was traded, and the Tampa festival in 1999 that made him turn to his wife Judy and say: Why don't we have this at home? That question became Sun Fest - hosting world-class country and rock acts. Greg reveals the next big phase for Lake Town Ranch: an RV park, park model homes, water slides, a splash park, a bistro, and a gym, with the full build targeting fall 2027. He also reflects on the Crofton mill closure and the Lake Town Benevolent Society's milestone of over a million dollars donated to community causes. https://sunfestconcerts.com/

    (08:03) Dr. Anne Herdman Royal, pathologist at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, is one of more than 400 American healthcare professionals who have relocated to British Columbia in the past year. On June 1st, 2022, she watched a mass shooting unfold at her Tulsa, Oklahoma hospital, killing four people. She went home that evening, told her husband they had to leave, and applied for a job on Vancouver Island the next day. Anne explains what a pathologist actually does, walks through the two-and-a-half-year immigration process, and describes the ferry crossing to Nanaimo where she and her daughter were practically jumping up and down with excitement. She offers a candid comparison of the Canadian and American healthcare systems — including why access to care in the US is far less universal than most Canadians assume — and talks about the American doctors and nurses now asking her how to make the same move. Nanaimo will be welcoming visitors the weekend of April 24th, 2006 at Tod’s Nanaimo Infusion.

    Episode Quotes:

    “I remember asking a security guard who was on stage doing the sound check. He said, 'I don't know, some guy called Prince — but boy is he ever good.'” - Greg Adams

    “It is the best thing we've ever done as a family. Vancouver Island is incredible — it's got to be one of the most beautiful places on earth.” - Dr. Anne Herdman Royal

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    You'll find all episodes of The PULSE Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, TikTok, YouTube, and ThePulseCommunity.ca

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    Episode Sponsors: Ian Lindsay & Associates, Fireside Books & Society of Organized Services (SOS)

    Check out Skookum Kid's Stories on Apple, Spotify,

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    56 mins
  • So You're Thinking of Voting in an Election
    Apr 7 2026

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    In this episode of Nonpartisan Hacks, Joel Grenz and Sean Wood go full civics class -the fun kind - on what it actually means to be a thoughtful voter. From the difference between local, provincial, and federal elections to party slates, candidate vetting, and whether politicians actually lie, Joel and Sean break down the mechanics of democratic participation with the candour of two people who've sat on both sides of the ballot.

    Prompted in part by the current BC NDP leadership race, and with a municipal election on the horizon, this is the episode they wish existed before they ran for office themselves.

    Listen for:

    Why 99% of local government across Canada is nonpartisan — and why that matters

    The real role of party vetting, and what happens when it goes sideways

    Why voting for promises might actually incentivize politicians to lie

    What to look for instead: character, resume, trust, and your gut

    Why voter apathy costs everyone — and why an imperfect vote still beats no vote

    Sean's challenge to every armchair critic with opinions but no nomination papers

    Visit the NonPartisan Hacks website: https://nonpartisanhacks.com/

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    You'll find all episodes of The PULSE Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, TikTok and YouTube podcasts, as well as PULSECommunity.ca.

    Special Thanks to Our Sponsor - Ian Lindsay & Associates.

    Check out Skookum Kid's Stories on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube Podcasts, as well at SkookumKids.com.

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    Click here to learn how to Support the show

    "Like, Share & Listen!"

    #PulseCommunityPodcast,#publicengagement #ThePulseCommunity #SeanWood #JoelGrenz #ParksvilleQualicumBeach #NonPartisanHacks #ParksvilleNews #VancouverIslandNews

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    34 mins
  • Karen Peters - Parenting Within Interracial Adoption
    Apr 7 2026

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    Why You Should Listen to This Episode

    If you’ve ever thought about what it truly means to be an ally — not just in words, but in the daily, lived work of parenting — this episode will stay with you. Karen Peters and her husband Chris chose to grow their family through adoption, and what followed was an eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and ultimately beautiful journey of learning. From actively dismantling their own white privilege to celebrating and instilling Black culture and identity in their daughters, Karen speaks with honesty and courage about what it means to love without limits — and to keep learning.

    In this episode:

    Karen Peters, Registered Clinical Counsellor, opens up about the decision she and her husband Chris made to grow their family through adoption — and what that choice revealed about themselves. Karen shines a light on the profound and sometimes painful experience of parenting interracially, including the work they have done to actively dismantle their white privilege while celebrating and instilling Black culture and identity in their daughters. She also shares the unexpected gifts that came through maintaining an open adoption and nurturing an ongoing relationship with the birth families of both girls.

    You’ll find The PULSE Community Podcasts at ThePulseCommunity.ca

    Cindy Thompson’s website: cindythompsoncounselling.ca

    Learn more about Karen Peters: my.thrive-life.ca/parenting-in-the-trenches

    Episode Sponsor: Tablet Pharmacy — tabletpharmacy.ca

    You’ll find all episodes of The PULSE Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, TikTok, YouTube, and ThePulseCommunity.ca

    Check out Skookum Kid’s Stories on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.

    Sign up for our weekly newsletter of new podcast releases and contests: bit.ly/PulseNewsletterSignup

    “Like, Share & Listen!”

    #KarenPeters #ResilienceProject #VancouverIsland #ParksvilleQualicum #ThePulseCommunityPodcast #CindyThompson #InterracialAdoption #Adoption #OpenAdoption #ParksvilleNews #VancouverIslandNews

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    53 mins
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