Also in Vancouver for a short while, any speaking practices happening? L
Helo Luke,
Would either of these upcoming events be of interest? Although COVID still affects regular social events at the Cambrian Hall, these will likely attract a number of members of the Vancouver Welsh Society so there would be a chance to practice with some fluent speakers 
ââŚYou are invited to attend a great multicultural event (https://bridgefestival.ca/) in Ambleside Park, West Vancouver and support the Vancouver Welsh Society. We shall be at the Welsh table in the United Kingdom tent on Saturday June 4th; let me know if you can join us for a spell as a volunteer in the tent.
Another great festival for our membersâ enjoyment! This will be held on the green in Town Centre Park, Coquitlam. As part of the Celtic diaspora (https://scotfestbc.com/), we will be there on Saturday June 18th ready to give information and publicity about Wales and our Welsh Society, to the visitors at our tentâŚ.â
Also, there are members of SSiW who regularly join sessions on Slack, so it is worth your asking there if any would be around during your stay.
Fingers and toes crossed,
Hwyl,
Mari
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Helo again Luke,
Here is something from the VWS tomorrow for you, with plenty of chance to practice your Welsh in VancouverâŚ
âThe weather forecast isnât great for our beach walk tomorrow ( Monday 16 May) , but it does seem the showers will stop late morning, so I think we should go ahead and bring a raincoat in case thereâs a shower.
The walk will start at 11:00 am . Weâll meet at Spanish Banks East Concession , where thereâs plenty of parking.
(There are wash rooms available and leashed dogs are allowed. If youâd like to, please bring a snack to eat at the end of the walk.)âŚâ
I cannot go unfortunately, but have fun if you can make it!
Hwyl,
Mari
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Diolch Mari!
Managed to be a bit slow on both of these but thank you.
Will email the Welsh society too to see if they have any speaking sessions.
Luke
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No worries Luke,
Hereâs another opportunity for you to âwalk and talkâ with members of thr Vancouver Welsh Society:
Our first walk (in bright sunshine) was a great success, with ten members attending. Future walks will take place every two weeks, on Mondays at 11:00 am.
The location for our second walk is Steveston Dyke (see poster). Thereâs plenty of parking at Garry Point Park, where weâll meet, and there are public washrooms.
After walking for about an hour (there are lots of benches along the way!) weâre planning to have a fish and chip lunch at Pajoâs.
Please RSVP so that we will know whom to wait for at the meeting point, especially if youâre joining us for lunch.
Directions: Coming south off the Arthur Lang Bridge, continue south on Russ Baker Way. Continue on when Russ Baker Way becomes No. 2 Road. Keep going on No. 2 Road, then turn right at Chatham Street and drive to the end. You will see the parking lot facing you.
In the event of a bad weather forecast, we will cancel the walk and reschedule it for 13 June.
Hope youâll join us!
If you are interested in this next walk Luke, just let me know and I will pass on your name, then rustle-up a map for you.
Hwyl,
Mari
Hi @MarilynHames and @luke-penny! Iâve given this a separate topic from the general âAnyone here?â thread so that people interested in knowing whatâs happening in Vancouver will be able to find it more easily.
It sounds like the Vancouver Welsh Society is very active and organises interesting events, so it would be good for more people to know about them.
This is the link to their Facebook page, for people who use Facebook:
Vancouver Welsh Society | Facebook
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Diolch yn fawr iawn Deborah!
Before the pandemic, the Vancouver Welsh Society had many regular events that celebrated the Welsh language, culture and traditions, offereing: free Welsh classes; conversation and special interest groups; a book club; âchapelâ services; plus great social events in its own Red Dragon pub and hall.
With COVID still a concern here, outdoor events such as walks are bringing out members, and when the weather warms up, hopefully our own folkgroup the âRed Cardigansâ will entertain people on the beach again this summer.
Croeso i bawb!
Hwyl,
Mari
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Hi Mari,
I am so glad to see things starting to happen for the VWS. It has been a struggle to find people to practice Welsh speaking in this neck of the woods. I will certainly participate in the walks. Unfortunately I canât make the next one on May 30. But I will take in the Ambleside Park event âbridges eventâ.
I am new to sirad Cymraeg and on Level 2 challenge 7. But beginning to struggle so looking forward to the meetups.
Hwyl,
Chris OâByrne
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Gary Point is a little far for me as I am without a car! Iâm in Mt Pleasant. Pretty close to Cambrian Hall, will keep an eye out for events closer.
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Hi Mari,
I responded to your Ambleside event but didnât realize I had to hit âreplyâ to your SSi message, so hopefully you saw my response. Sue Gerryts and I will be stopping by the VWS table as Ambleside is ten minutes away. 
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Good for you Christine! Llongyfarchiadau!
It takes persistence, passion and huge effort to reach where you are, but if you ever find your energy flagging, you will find plenty of encouragement from folk at VWS. Not everyone speaks Welshâthere are learners at every level, fluent speakers, and Anglo-Welsh. However, what we all share is enthusiasm for our heritage, and a friendliness that is the hallmark of the Welsh, wherever they are, (to which some might add a passion for rugby, hymn-singingâor both, or at least, for belting out the best anthem in the worldâânot that I am biasedâ 
).
And who are theyâthe Welsh? The most inclusive definition includes anyone who loves Wales, its people and cultureâas interpreted in the broadest sense to include the historical, evolving, and creative.
From what I have read about the ancient Welsh Laws, all it took was support and loyalty to be adopted into the Cymruâno matter where a person was born. Gwych! Now thereâs a message of hope and recipe for peace, eh? Love it!
So to you, and everyone reading this âCroeso from the VWSâ.
Hwyl,
Mari
Please keep checking the VWS website Lukeâhopefully, you will find an event that is easy for you to reach soon. Pity COVID has been affecting our programmes, but with summer coming (they say), that bodes well for outdoor gatherings too.
All the best,
Mari
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Itâs exciting to learn a bit about the Vancouver Welsh Society. In your neighbor to the South in Gig Harbor, Washington.
Dw iân dysgu siarad yr iaith Cymraeg achos dw iân caru Cymru a Dw iân moyn iaith Camraeg barhau.
Dw iân hanner Cymraeg neu fwy.
Mae fy nhaid yn hanu o Donypandy ac ymfudodd a 1888.
If you know of any Welsh societies in this neck of the woods, please share!
Diolch!
Edie