Feel-good Friday: Global BC’s highlights of the week

Each week at Global BC we highlight our stories to bring a bright spot to your Friday and into the weekend.

Here are the five stories we want to share:

‘My hands went into this’: Community makes regalia ahead of Father’s Day powwow

Powwow regalia is expensive. A handmade jingle dress, grass dance outfit or fancy shawl can run you hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars, making this aspect of culture difficult for many to connect with or force most to break the bank.

It’s a gap the Vancouver Aboriginal Health Society (VAHS) saw and knew it needed to address ahead of its first annual Honouring our Fathers, Grandfathers and Sons powwow.

“We have a lot of families that were interested in dancing and making regalia but the cost of living is just so expensive that it’s not in their price range,” said Rosemary Stager-Wallace, executive director of VAHS. “We really wanted to give people low-barrier access to their culture.”

Maple Ridge resident reunited with cats after massive fire rips through apartment building

Carolyn Zerr managed to escape from her Maple Ridge, B.C., home Friday night with her phone, iPad and the clothes on her back.

She is one of hundreds of residents displaced from her home after a massive fire broke out near Brown Ave. and Edge Street.

Her two cats, Cookie and Oreo, remained behind but firefighters were able to rescue both of them Monday afternoon.

“I’m so happy I’ve got my cats,” Zerr said after the rescue.

“This is the best possible outcome.”

B.C. firefighters save kitten trapped under Surrey floor for days

Firefighters had to cut through an exterior wall of a home in Surrey, B.C., to rescue a kitten trapped under the floor for four days.

Mark Vosper, regional manager of animal protection with the British Columbia SPCA, says a resident reported last Friday that a cat had been heard crying for days, although the animal couldn’t be seen.

Vosper says when an SPCA officer realized a kitten had somehow become trapped between the foundation and the framing of the home, the landlord agreed to use “whatever means necessary” to free the animal.

Ukrainian refugee finds home in B.C. orchestra

When Alina Herasymenko fled from her home in Ukraine last year with only her cello, her computer and a small amount of food, little did she know she’d soon be playing in an orchestra in Vancouver.

Herasymenko was born in the Donetsk region where she experienced first-hand the savagery of open conflict and its impacts. She said in 2014, shells rained down on her community for weeks, prompting a move to Western Ukraine with her family. They lived there for nine years.

Fast forward to 2022: Herasymenko was living near the Ivano-Frankivsk airport when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. Bombs fell right outside of her apartment, which led to her fleeing the country.

After arriving in Canada, the gifted cellist was invited to perform the cello for this specific composition with the Ukrainian Folk Orchestra in Vancouver.

“Performing this piece feels like destiny,” she said.

“From the moment heard it, I felt a deep connection. It was as if the music had been waiting for me. I knew it was meant to be.”

Flair Airlines adds two aircraft to meet summer passenger demand

Flair Airlines says it has added a pair of new aircraft to its fleet as it increases service during the busy summer months.

“I think it’s going to be a fantastic summer of travel,” said Flair chief executive Stephen Jones in an interview at Vancouver International Airport, as he announced the arrival of a Boeing 737 Max 8 from the Boeing factory in Seattle.

The 189-seat aircraft are leased from SMBC Aviation Capital, the world’s second-largest leasing company.