The North Shore Writers Festival, taking place at the North Vancouver City Library, will feature a lineup of local authors and poets, including Kung Jaadee, Kevin Chong, Charlie Demers, Sarah Suk, and Sabina Khan. The two-day event includes a traditional welcome, literary trivia, memoir-writing discussions, poetry and cooking panels, and conversations on young-adult fiction and storytelling related to trauma and tenderness. Registration for the festival is free, with events scheduled for April 12 and 13.

Thames Water's sewage discharges in 2023 increased by 109% compared to the previous year, with 16,990 incidents reported. The Environment Agency's data revealed that these spills lasted for an average of 12 hours, with some, like the ongoing incident at Chesham Sewage Treatment Works, lasting nearly 700 hours. Thames Water acknowledged the issue and is committed to reducing untreated discharges, attributing the increase to above-average rainfall. Upgrades at various sites are planned to improve treatment capacity and reduce overflows. The River Chess Association criticized the lack of investment in addressing high groundwater issues. The Environment Agency noted the disappointing increase in spills but recognized the record investment from the water sector.

Damon Bradley Jang, a Chinese Canadian theatre artist, has been inspired by his experiences at the Stratford Festival to honor Asian Canadian stories through Fabulist Theatre's production of Dim Sum Diaries: Second Helping. The play, a series of one-acts written by various playwrights, explores Chinese Canadian perspectives and addresses the impact of recent Hong Kong immigration on Vancouver. The world premiere workshop is set to take place at the Nest in Vancouver. The production team includes Mary Littlejohn, Andy Sandberg, and Amanda Wing Chi Lam, with the latter also serving as a cultural consultant. The original play by Mark Leiren-Young, commissioned over 30 years ago, faced controversy for its portrayal of Chinese Canadian experiences. The revival aims to reflect on changes in societal attitudes, especially in the context of anti-Asian hate and discussions about empty homes in Canada.

Deciphers, an international dance collaboration by Toronto-based Naishi Wang and London-based Jean Abreu, explores the immigrant experience through movement and poetry. Both artists share similar backgrounds, having moved from their native countries to larger cities before immigrating to Canada and the UK, respectively. Overcoming language barriers, they succeeded in their adopted countries and united to create Deciphers, which incorporates elements of Chinese martial arts, Chinese folk dance, Brazilian salsa, and spoken-word poetry. The performance will premiere at the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival and will include works by poets Mark Strand and Fernando Sabino. The project was supported by the National Arts Centre and Canada Council for the Arts, with artistic residencies enhancing the collaboration.

Vancouver author Bong Serrano has written 'Batangas: My Sky and Earth,' a book celebrating his Filipino roots and sharing emotional stories from his childhood. The 426-page book, which took nearly eight years to write, includes a wide range of experiences and a glossary of Tagalog terms. It is dedicated to Serrano's late brother Boying and reflects on their family life in Batangas, Philippines. Serrano's parents, Crispina and Cayo, are central figures in the book, which also highlights the Filipino value placed on education. The book offers insights into Filipino life before the digital age and is intended for the diaspora, particularly Filipino Canadians. A portion of the book's proceeds will be donated to the Ateneo de Manila Scholarship Fund.

Consultant radiologist Dr Neil Graham was suspended for 12 months by a tribunal after being found guilty of sexual harassment in 2017. The incident occurred while he was employed by the Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which dismissed him in July 2020. The tribunal in Manchester reviewed evidence from 2017 and 2019, although not all allegations were proven. Tribunal chair Julian Weinberg declared Dr Graham's fitness to practise impaired due to his misconduct.

The author recounts their experience of getting an 'Open Water' diving certification. They chose P.A.D.I., the world's largest recreational diving membership, and found a local center, Saigon Rainbow divers. The author describes the extensive e-learning required before entering the water, emphasizing the dangers of diving. They detail their pool training with an instructor named Chris and the subsequent open water training in Nha Trang with another instructor, Stephane. The author struggled with some aspects of the training but ultimately succeeded. The article concludes with the author expressing the joy of diving and the newfound ability to dive with friends, specifically mentioning a dive with Jazz, a rescue diver who encouraged the author to get certified.