Vital Victoria Podcast

Apr 16 2024 1

Vital Victoria Podcast artwork

We have amazing people in our community, and we want you to hear their stories.
The Vital Victoria Podcast, hosted by Lucky Budd, spotlights people who are working to create a vibrant and caring community for everyone in Greater Victoria and beyond. From wellness experts to performers and business innovators, to champions for causes that matter, and more, this monthly podcast captures the stories of wonderfully diverse, passionate people and the missions that drive them all. During each conversation, host Lucky Budd pulls in stats from the Victoria Foundation’s Vital Signs program to dive deeper into the states of wellness in our region, and how Victoria’s vital people are working to address challenges so everyone can thrive.

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Growing the community through a farm-to-table food hub

Apr 16 2024 35 mins

The Victoria Community Food Hub is a crucial organization in a giant sustainable food ecosystem working to put farm-fresh grub in the bellies of all Greater Victorians. This month, host Lucky Budd chats with Laura Gair and Colleen Popyk – two outstanding people who are working tirelessly on Food Hub initiatives that bring good food to the capital region’s most vulnerable, whil

Jess Gibbard on helping the trans community find its true voice

Mar 12 2024 38 mins

For the last few years, Victoria's Jess Gibbard has been passionately working to help trans and non-binary people find their true voices, be it from her private home studio or through charitable initiatives. After transitioning herself, she learned there's large gap in BC and all over the world for gender-affirming voice training. Often, voice coaches are expensive, unavailable, or

‘Winning hearts’ through a family-run mobile food bank

Feb 07 2024 36 mins

Fateh Care means “winning hearts by caring.” And that’s exactly what Harjas Singh and Navneet Kaur Popli aim to do by delivering food, clothing and other necessities to people in need, through their family-fun mobile food bank called the Fateh Care Charity. When the Poplis immigrated to Canada in 2020 on the last flight from India before COVID shutdowns, they found themselves

Victoria Police's Del Manak on fostering leaders and inspiring youth

Jan 16 2024 35 mins

Chief Constable Del Manak of the Victoria Police joins host Lucky Budd to talk about his life in the public service, and how the police are connecting with community through their non-profit and related work. Chief Manak reflects on his childhood in Victoria, his inspirations for leadership, and his vision for the future of police work at a time when more community members feel les

Changing lives by providing hope and dignity through hygiene

Dec 05 2023 37 mins

Anne McIntyre says while there are services that provide food and shelter to those in need, hygiene products can often be more of an afterthought. Tune in as Anne joins host Lucky Budd on the Vital Victoria Podcast to share the story of her journey building Soap for Hope Canada – one of the country’s only nonprofits dedicated solely to personal hygiene. Soap for Hope collects g

How Victoria’s Filipino community centre connects generations through arts, food, and passion

Nov 07 2023 36 mins

Laila Pires joins host Lucky Budd on the Vital Victoria Podcast to tell the story of one of Canada’s first Filipino-owned community centres, and how it continues to create space for Victorians of all backgrounds to celebrate Filipino arts, food and culture.Laila, the treasurer and a founding member of the Bayanihan Cultural and Housing Society, has won numerous awards for communi

Boosting literacy skills for a more confident and democratic Victoria

Oct 24 2023 33 mins

This month on the Vital Victoria Podcast, host Lucky Budd joins Janine Hannis, the Head of the Greater Victoria Alliance for Literacy (GVAL), and Christine Bossi, the Executive Director of the Victoria Literacy Connection, to talk about the community’s work to boost literacy skills in people of all ages. They discuss the community’s most pressing literacy needs today, how to ta

Destigmatizing addiction and fostering mental wellness in the construction industry

Oct 10 2023 35 mins

This month on the Vital Victoria Podcast, Rory Kulmala, the CEO of the Vancouver IslandConstruction Association (VICA), joins host Lucky Budd to talk about mental health andaddiction issues that many are facing in the construction industry. They talk about howVICA has been educating workers about harm reduction, connecting them with localresources to help, and reducing the stigma a

A voice of Victoria and why local journalism matters

Sep 05 2023 36 mins

Host Lucky Budd welcomes Jack Knox to the Vital Victoria Podcast. Recently retired from the Times Colonist in Victoria, B.C., Jack shares his story on how he got his start in journalism and the first story he ever wrote covering a dead cow on the road in Kamloops. He talks about his start at the Times Colonist, from copy editor to columnist, and how his column started with a piece

From Vancouver Island to the Olympics, talking sport and culture

Jun 08 2023 36 mins

Host Lucky Budd welcomes Micah Zandee Hart, a member of the Canadian Women’s National Hockey Team. Growing up on the Saanich Peninsula, Micah talks about her journey from playing minor hockey with the boys on the Peninsula to becoming the second sophomore to wear the ‘C’ when she played at Cornell University. She talks about the culture and work ethic playing for Team Canada,