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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 five decades.

This Episode Features:

(07:23) Aaron Cully Drake is a BB-based author, former newspaper reporter and editor whose debut novel was longlisted for the Leacock Medal for Humour Writing. His new novel, When the World Was Twice as Big, is now available. Aaron joins the podcast to talk about using AI as a writing partner - not to write the story, but to critique structure, catch contradictions, and push you past the blocks that keep you stuck. "AI is not going to replace writers," he says. "But I think eventually AI will replace writers who don't use AI."

(30:30) Roy Forbes picked up a guitar at 14, and never looked back. Known in his early years as Bim, he spent more than five decades writing, recording, and performing across Canada, earning a place in the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame and a UBC honorary doctorate. He has been the host of Roy's Record Room on CKUA Radio for more than 20 years. Roy talks about opening for Santana as a young artist, writing songs after losing his sight, and the old $7 Stella guitar he used to make his album Edge of Blue — an album he describes as feeling like his first, even though it was his 14th. He'll be at Char's Landing in Port Alberni in May. This interview contains the song: More Than a Little Bit Blue.

Episode Quotes:

"AI is not going to replace writers. But I think eventually AI will replace writers who don't use AI." - Aaron Cully Drake

"I hope people can come in, maybe laugh and cry, laugh some more, maybe cry a little — forget their lives for a couple of hours, and become part of what's happening." - Roy Forbes

LISTEN: We've had the pleasure of sitting down with musicians from across Vancouver Island and beyond — explore more stories and interviews on our Vancouver Island Musicians page.

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Why You Should Listen to This Episode

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 extraordinary purpose — and the quiet, determined resilience that grows when you decide to turn your pain into something that helps others.

In this episode:

Alicia Nicholsen joins Cindy Thompson on A Resilience Project to share the deeply personal story behind The Resilient Mommy Blog — and how writing became a conduit for healing and a bridge for resilience as a mother.

Having experienced the loss of a child to miscarriage and a second child at 23 weeks, Alicia knows grief in a way few can fully understand. In this conversation, she opens up about how those losses shaped her, and how the act of writing — of putting words to experiences that often go unspoken — helped her begin to heal. What started as a personal space became something far larger: a community and a resource for women navigating some of motherhood’s most devastating moments.

Alicia is the author of The Resilient Mommy Blog, a space dedicated to the resilience of being a mommy. Since welcoming her daughter in 2020, she describes herself as being on an entirely new journey — one where grief and joy exist side by side, and where she continues to invite other mothers along the way.

The PULSE Community Podcasts can be found at: ThePulseCommunity.ca

Cindy Thompson’s website: cindythompsoncounselling.ca

Learn more about Alicia Nicholsen: theresilientmommy.com

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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 the band’s only Vancouver Island date this summer — the inaugural Rock the Range festival in Qualicum Beach. Two stories about longevity, passion, and what happens when you refuse to stop.

This Episode Features:

(06:35) Richard Brodeur spent 17 years between the pipes in the WHA and NHL, backstopping the Vancouver Canucks to their very first Stanley Cup final in the spring of 1982. What most people didn’t know was that he’d been painting the whole time — sketchpad on road trips, canvases set up at home until three or four in the morning after games, all of it kept secret from teammates in what he describes as a very macho era. The connection between goaltending and painting, he explains, is the same: preparation. Knowing where you’re going before the puck drops, or before the brush touches canvas. He speaks candidly about sustaining 13 concussions during his playing career, the depression that followed for 30 years, and how art — quite literally — saved his life. He’s also opening Gallery 35 in Parksville in partnership with his son, featuring eight professional artists and art classes. https://brodeurartist.com/

(25:16) Brad Merritt is the co-founder and bassist of 54–40, one of Canada’s most enduring rock bands. Their new album Porto, was recorded live off the floor at an all-analog studio in Portugal. Brad recalls the story of how Hootie & the Blowfish discovered “I Go Blind” at a Washington DC club in 1989 and eventually it became the third most-played song in the US that year. He confirms he’ll be bringing his golf clubs to Rock the Range, the inaugural festival at Qualicum Beach Memorial Golf Course, September 12th. Contains the tune "Running for the Fence". https://www.rocktherangeqb.com

Episode Quotes:

“If it wasn’t for my art, I wouldn’t be here today. That was my refuge — my place where I was happy, where I could find myself again.” - Richard Brodeur

“When the Rolling Stones quit, that’s our 20-year warning. We are still doing it. We still like it. We do it as well or better than we ever have.” - Brad Merritt

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Why You Should Listen to This Episode

What does it take to rebuild — not just buildings, but lives — after catastrophic disaster? Dr. Doug Walker knows firsthand. In this deeply moving conversation, he shares how surviving Hurricane Katrina in 2005 shaped his understanding of resilience and launched a career devoted to helping communities and children heal. If you’ve ever wondered what it really means to cultivate resilience — not as a fixed trait, but as a daily practice — this episode will stay with you.

In this episode:

Dr. Doug Walker, Registered Psychologist and Chief Programs Director of Mercy Family Center in St. Louis, opens up about the experience of surviving Hurricane Katrina in 2005 — and how that catastrophic event became the catalyst for one of the most significant mental health initiatives in New Orleans’ history. Dr. Walker is the founder of Project Fleur-de-lis, New Orleans’ largest school-based mental health program, developed specifically for students struggling emotionally and academically in the aftermath of the storm.

Central to Dr. Walker’s work is a simple but powerful question: “How’s Your 5?” Drawing from research into five key domains of human wellbeing, this question invites people to honestly assess where they are — and to recognise that resilience isn’t something you either have or you don’t. It’s something we build, together, every day.

In this episode of A Resilience Project, host Cindy Thompson and Dr. Walker explore what resilience looks like at both the individual and community level, how trauma can become a catalyst for meaningful change, and why connection — to others, to purpose, to community — is at the heart of human recovery.

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

Cindy Thompson’s website: cindythompsoncounselling.ca

Learn more about Dr. Doug Walker: facebook.com/HowsYour5

Episode Sponsor: Tablet Pharmacy - tabletpharmacy.ca

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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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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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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

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Why You Should Listen to This Episode: If you’ve ever wondered what it actually takes to make a small town’s business community thrive — not just survive — Daniella Novak has the answer, and she delivers it with the conviction of someone who grew up here, built a career here, and isn’t done yet. Then Laura Kelsey walks in and reminds you that creativity has no ceiling — a singer, songwriter, filmmaker, and poet who can tell you why fish sing and why a train crossing Canada might be the best writing retreat she’ll ever take. Two guests, two very different stories, that cover what makes mid-Vancouver Island worth talking about.

This Episode Features:

(23:11) Laura Kelsey is a Nanaimo-based vocalist, songwriter, filmmaker, and poet with a powerhouse voice shaped by years of performing across genres — from symphonic metal to folk, blues, and death metal that left her with vocal nodules she healed through exercise rather than surgery. Her debut full-length album Hidden Mountains, recorded at Canary Sound in Lantzville, is a journey into modern mythology. The album release event is April 18th at the Globe in Nanaimo. This interview contains the song: Crescent.

(07:04) Daniella Novak is the CAO of the Qualicum Beach Chamber of Commerce, a Qualicum Beach native who spent nearly 30 years in financial services before bringing that leadership experience home. She joins The PULSE to talk about what it means to be the voice of business in Qualicum Beach, why the benefit plan alone is worth the membership.

Episode Quotes:

“We want you to be successful doing business here. Whatever we can do to alleviate hurdles, perceived or otherwise — that’s the future of the Chamber of Commerce.” — Daniella Novak

“Each experience can be a setback, but at the same time it leads to better things.” — Laura Kelsey

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