Please know registration is now closed.
We hope you reserved your seat for this fantastic event!
We are proud to announce an attendance of more than 200 members and guests!
We’re honoured to welcome Sarah McLachlan to the Rotary Club of Vancouver on Monday, June 1, 2026, in recognition of her extraordinary philanthropy and lasting impact on our community. A Canadian music icon, Sarah has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide and earned 3 Grammy Awards and 13 Juno Awards. Beyond her remarkable career, her legacy includes Lilith Fair, a groundbreaking festival that helped reshape the music industry and support the creation of the Sarah McLachlan School of Music.
Today, the School continues to provide free, high-quality music education to children and youth facing financial barriers.
This special luncheon will feature an intimate fireside chat with Sarah, along with a live performance by a School’s alumn.
This event is proudly co-sponsored by:
&
Thank you to our Rotary Members Jason Boudreau, of Vela Wealth, and Navid Morawej of Acorn Early Education for their generosity
Who do you know that is remarkable?Someone whose story or expertise would captivate a room full of experienced business and community leaders?
Do you know anyone from this Top-Speaker List in Vancouver?
Think thought leaders, change makers, or trailblazers in business, sports, innovation, public service, or philanthropy.
Take a quick scroll through this list & your LinkedIn connections. You might spot someone you haven’t thought about in a while who would be perfect.
If someone comes to mind, please connect with Bill Davidson at billd@davidson-co.com
Date: Saturday, July 18, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM Location: Ladner Memorial Park, 5010 47 Ave, Delta, BC
This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow Rotary members, relax, and enjoy a great summer day together. There will be something for everyone—delicious food, family-friendly activities, and plenty of time to catch up with friends old and new.
We’re also excited to welcome a special guest, Rotary International Director Marty Helman, who will be joining us for the celebration as part of her cross-country Impact Tour.
Bring your family, bring your Rotary spirit, and be part of a memorable day in District 5040!
We know it is a challenge for Rotary members from outside the Lower Mainland to attend this event. Many of you travel to Metro Vancouver for business, family, and personal reasons. We hope you will be able to plan to join us on July 18th .
We look forward to seeing you!
Thank you for all you do for Rotary and your community,
PDG Chris Offer, Event Chair
PS – Look at the special Event Swag – Rotary-branded clothing for this event!
The Rotary Ride for Hearing is coming up on June 14, and we are excited to share a wonderful opportunity for our members to help promote this important event throughout Vancouver.
Peter Clarke, owner of Clarkes Recognition Products in Burnaby, has very generously donated lawn and garden signs for members to display at their homes and properties leading up to the Ride for Hearing. We are extremely grateful for Peter’s ongoing support and community spirit.
We encourage all members to participate by placing a sign in their yard or garden to help raise awareness for the event. Increased visibility across the city may help encourage more people from the broader community to join the ride and support this meaningful cause.
The Ride for Hearing raises thousands of dollars each year in support of hearing implants through the St. Paul’s Hospital Hearing Foundation, making a life-changing difference for many individuals and families.
Members interested in displaying a sign are asked to please confirm their willingness by emailing Peter directly, peter.rotary@gmail.com or pick one up at the meeting on June 1.
Thank you to everyone for helping spread the word and support this outstanding community initiative.
Our Rotary Ride for Hearing Plus Festival is just three weeks away on June 14, and momentum is building. We’re already at around 170 riders, with room for more participants, volunteers, and festival-goers to join in the fun and support hearing initiatives in BC.
1. Be a Rider
Main Ride – Stanley Park Loops
Early start between 5:30–6:30 am at Spanish Banks
Package pickup the day before at the Terminal City Club (plate and rider kit)
Flexible distance: ride one loop or up to nine loops of Stanley Park (up to 100 km)
Emphasis is on participation and community, not competition – “this is not the Olympics.”
Family Ride – For All Ages & Abilities
Starts at 9:00 am
7.5 km scenic route along Spanish Banks and Jericho Beach
Kids under 12: $10; babies ride free (helmets and tiny riders warmly welcomed!)
2. Be a Volunteer
We still need a few more volunteers, especially:
Route marshals / “supportive cheerleaders” to help direct riders and keep spirits high
Early morning set-up volunteers (you can go home for a nap and return for the festival!)
3. Enjoy the Festival
Even if you’re not riding or volunteering, you can:
Cheer riders, socialize, and enjoy a full community festival
Listen to two live bands: Meet May and The Revolving Doors
Visit the Steamworks-sponsored beer garden and burger truck (with fries and popcorn)
Enjoy lawn games, a kids’ corridor, and a wellness tent with 10-minute massages
Take part in a raffle, 50/50 draw, and awards viewing
The Ride for Hearing is becoming much more than a bike ride – it’s a celebration of community, fun, and Rotary’s impact in supporting hearing health across BC.
Member Spotlight: Gerry Glazier – A Rotary Journey of Service
Long-time member Gerry Glazier joined us and shared a heartfelt reflection on his Rotary journey. Jerry first became a Rotarian in Aurora, Ontario, around the launch of PolioPlus, and just a few years later found himself serving with Rotary in Jakarta. One of his most powerful memories is personally administering an oral polio vaccine to a young Indonesian baby – a moment that confirmed for him that Rotary was an organization he deeply wanted to be part of.
Jerry and his wife Marlene now live in a retirement community in Parksville, which makes attending meetings more challenging. Gerry acknowledged that he can’t do as much as he once did, but emphasized how meaningful it was to be back among friends at the club. What he had thought might be his last visit has instead inspired him to try to come back when he can, reminding us all of the lasting bonds and purpose that Rotary creates.
Rotarian Marla Brock shared how Gerry and Marlene Glazier played a pivotal role in her decision to join the Rotary Club of Vancouver. Gerry – whom she fondly calls “Uncle Gerry” – is her husband’s uncle, so she has known him and Marlene for many years.
During the COVID years, Marla was looking for a way to become more engaged in Vancouver’s business community while also finding a meaningful avenue to give back. Watching Gerry and Marlene’s longstanding commitment to Rotary and service showed her exactly what that could look like. Their example ultimately led her to Rotary and to our club.
Marla shared that, when she’s unsure what to do next, she often thinks:
“What would Uncle Gerry want me to do?”
That simple question even motivated her to get on her bike and ride to the meeting that morning. She closed by expressing heartfelt gratitude for everything Gerry and Marlene have brought to the club, including bringing her into the Rotary family.
New Member Spotlight: Dr. Iqbal Ahmed – A Life of Medicine and Service
Our new member spotlight featured Dr. Iqbal Ahmed, an experienced respirologist / sleep medicine specialist whose career has spanned Canada, the UK, and international humanitarian work.
Iqbal shared that his family is originally from Uganda, and that he completed his schooling and medical training in the UK, studying medicine in Manchester and later working as a “chest physician” in London.
Concerned about the future of the NHS and drawn to Canada, he responded to an advertisement for a respirology fellowship at the University of Alberta. What was meant to be a one‑year fellowship turned into a new life: he stayed on in Edmonton, obtained immigration through his position, and later fulfilled a long‑time dream by moving to Vancouver.
For many years, Iqbal practiced respirology in Richmond, and in recent years he has focused on sleep medicine at the UBC sleep lab, working with patients who have breathing disorders during sleep.
He also spoke warmly about his family: a daughter who became an economist with the IMF in Washington and a son who works in finance in New York after beginning his career in Calgary.
Beyond his clinical work, Iqbal has been deeply involved with the Ismaili community and its institutions, serving in healthcare and communications roles at regional and national levels, and working with FOCUS, a humanitarian assistance organization active in Asia and Africa. His humanitarian work has taken him to places such as Tajikistan, where he supported projects on the ground.
He closed by reflecting on how much he has learned through service and by expressing how pleased he is to bring this experience and passion to the Rotary Club of Vancouver—even if it means giving up his usual Tuesday bridge games to join us.
Weekly Program Portion:
"Talk Shop Tuesday: The People Behind the Name Tags, Lessons from our own"
This week’s program, was all about deepening connections within our club. Rather than hosting an outside speaker, we turned the spotlight inward and used structured table conversations to learn more about one another’s lives, values, and journeys.
Joan guided members through two key questions:
“What’s one thing you’re actively working on right now—professionally or personally—that matters to you?”
“What is one (or two) of the best decisions you’ve ever made in your life?”
Around the room, members shared:
Current projects and passions—from community food programs in BC schools to launching new ventures, travel plans with family, and major volunteer commitments like the upcoming Rotary Ride for Hearing and an international soccer championship role.
Life‑defining decisions—such as moving overseas with teenagers and watching a struggling son flourish at an international school, learning a new language that opened a global career and life abroad, choosing to step back from work to be present with children, and taking courageous leaps into new careers or countries.
A recurring theme was that the best decisions often involved risk—moving, changing direction, or saying “yes” when the outcome wasn’t guaranteed. Members reflected on how a single decision (to learn a language, to accept an assignment abroad, to join Rotary) can change the entire trajectory of a life.
“Talk Shop Tuesday” reminded us that our club’s greatest resource is our own members—their stories, experience, and hard‑won wisdom—and that by taking time to listen, we strengthen both our fellowship and our shared sense of purpose.
Closing Remarks
The meeting concluded with a toast by President Joan Posivy:
"To Philanthropy—a reminder of the generosity at the heart of Rotary and of all the service, events, and partnerships our club is building together."
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