From the Alps to the Rockies: Recent Episodes
Swiss Representations in Canada
Welcome to the podcast "From the Alps to the Rockies". The broadcasts will feature speakers from Switzerland and Canada, who will discuss various aspects of collaboration from the Swiss Alps to the Canadian Rockies. Episodes will focus on immigration stories, innovation, diplomacy and scientific collaboration. The podcast is presented by the Swiss Embassy in Ottawa and the Consulates General in Montreal and Vancouver.
Today, we step onto the theatre stage with Swiss puppeteer Jacqueline Surer. Jacqueline is a master in bringing objects to life and has been writing and producing puppeteering productions for over 20 years.
After having spent some years of her childhood in Canada, she returns to Nova Scotia and Ontario to further develop her skills and to exchange with fellow pupeteers in Windsor and Toronto. Join us for a glimpse into this unique and magical world!
SPECIAL SERIES: BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS FOR WOMEN IN STEM
On the occasion of Women's history month, we asked ourselves: how can we break down barriers for women in STEM? For the second episode of the special series, we met with Dr. Elena Baranova, Electrochemical engineer and Professor at the University of Ottawa. Discussing her time studying and working in Switzerland and Canada, Dr. Baranova shares what led her to choose the field of electrochemical engineering, great initiatives she encountered as well as what in her view, is needed to further break down barriers for women in STEM.
SPECIAL SERIES: BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS FOR WOMEN IN STEM
On the occasion of Women's history month, we asked ourselves: how can we break down barriers for women in STEM? For the first episode of the special series, we are joined by Dr. Maria Oreshenko, astrophysicist at the ETH Zurich. From mentorship programs to shifts in societal attitudes, we discuss positive strategies and the essential societal changes needed to achieve greater representation for women in STEM.
Join us on an adventurous journey with international correspondent and crime writer Bernadette Calonego. On duty as a correspondent, Bernadette has visited places that very few Canadians have seen, including a diamond mine or a trip to the Arctic on an icebreaker. Today, she devotes most of her time to writing thrilling murder mysteries that will send a chill down your spine!
BOOK DRAW
Bernadette is giving away a copy of her new novel "Missing in the Dark". In order to enter the draw, send us an email to vancouver.facebook@eda.admin.ch by March 17. Only the winner will be contacted.
Find out more about the author here: www.BernadetteCalonego.com
Let’s take a look into the future! The one where robo-advisors negotiate your mortgage or insurance, to get you the best possible financial product and save you a trip to the bank.
Join Professor Thomas Puschmann, the founder of one of the world's first fintech innovation research labs at the University of Zurich, and the Adjunct Professor at the University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC, for a conversation about financial industry trends.
In this podcast, he will give you the scoop on sustainable finance, key technological innovations impacting financial institutions, and provide you with a personal recommendation on simple ways to reduce your daily carbon footprint.
Join Teresa Hunkeler and Sonja Müller, co-founders of TourBird, a company which, through their website, offers self-guided digital audio tours online or offline, accessible on cell phones, without having to download an app.
In this 15 minutes podcast, they'll let you in on the secrets behind their innovative, multilingual tours. They'll also give you the scoop on upcoming tours, and show you that even in winter, getting out and about can be a source of discovery, while remaining invigorating and good for your health!
TourBird, une aventure citadine à pied!
Retrouvez Teresa Hunkeler et Sonja Müller, cofondatrices de TourBird, une entreprise qui, par le biais de leur site internet, propose des visites numériques autoguidées sonores en ligne ou hors ligne, accessibles sur téléphone portable, sans avoir à télécharger d’application.
Dans ce podcast de 15 minutes en anglais, elles vous livreront les secrets de leur entreprise qui propose des tours novateurs et multilingues. Elles vous offriront également, en primeur, les détails des promenades à venir et vous feront découvrir que même en hiver les sorties peuvent s’avérer source de découvertes, tout en restant revigorantes et bonne pour la santé!
FromtheAlpstotheRockies
"The new generation of dancers wants something else. They don't want these power games anymore," says Janyce Michellod, Swiss dancer and choreographer. Janyce is a pioneer in the area of ethics in improvisational dance. She has introduced a collective approach, where everyone contributes equally to the creative process instead of following a leader. We have interviewed Janyce Michellod during her research and teaching visit in Vancouver in September 2023.
Curious to see what her dance style looks like? Visit Janyce Michellod on Instagram.
A guide for stunning hiking trails along local micro breweries - that concept developed by Swiss publisher Helvetiq has become an international bestseller.
And since Canadians and Swiss alike appreciate a good hike as well as good beer, Helvetiq expanded to the North American market last year. So far, 3 books have been published for Canada with beer hiking trails in the Pacific Northwest, the Canadian Rockies and Québéc.
Richard Harvell, head of North American publishing at Helvetiq, joins us to talk about the origins of the book idea and shares some highlights for beer hiking in Canada.
Meet Caroline Bishop, a British-Canadian journalist and author living in the canton of Vaud. In this 20-minute recording, she talks about her book “The Other Daughter”, which tells the story of two women working in Switzerland 40 years apart. Sylvia travels to Switzerland in 1976 to cover the feminist revolution that takes place after women gain the right to vote. Jess arrives in Lausanne in 2016 with a mission of her own.
Retrouvez Caroline Bishop, journaliste et auteure canado-britannique résidant dans le canton de Vaud. Dans cet enregistrement de 20 minutes en anglais, elle vous parle de son livre The Other Daughter, qui raconte l’histoire de deux femmes travaillant en Suisse à 40 ans d'intervalle. Sylvia se rend en Suisse en 1976 pour couvrir la révolution féministe qui se déroule après que les femmes aient obtenu le droit de vote. Jess arrive à Lausanne en 2016 avec une mission bien à elle.
Meet Miriam Jordi, a passionate sheet metal worker from Alberta and advocate for Women in Trades. She created the 'Alberta Women in Trades' Facebook Group, a network that offers opportunities for support, mentorship and exchange among craftswomen in the province. Miriam Jordi also serves as a board member on the Alberta Board of Skilled Trades. Today, she tells us about her efforts and successes to make construction sites a more inclusive place and how her Swiss heritage played into her choosing a career in trade.
Are you a tradeswoman in Alberta? Join the group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AlbertaWIT/
Arnold Witzig is the co-founder of the Arctic Inspiration Prize that awards CAD 3 million for projects in Canada’s North. In today’s podcast, learn about Arnold Witzig’s amazing life journey from a small farm in Switzerland, across the seven summits on all continents, as well as the North Pole and South Pole, and find out how a successful Swiss businessman turned into a highly recognized philanthropist.
Arnold Witzig est le cofondateur de l'Arctic Inspiration Prize qui attribue 3 millions de dollars canadiens à des projets dans le Nord canadien. Dans le podcast d'aujourd'hui, découvrez l'étonnant parcours d'Arnold Witzig, qui est parti d'une petite ferme en Suisse, a traversé les sept sommets de tous les continents, le pôle Nord et le pôle Sud, et découvrez comment un homme d'affaires suisse prospère est devenu un philanthrope très reconnu.
Rencontrez Charlotte Grütter, patineuse canado-suisse ayant gagné l’or avec son équipe Les Suprêmes-Montréal aux 2022 Championnats du monde de patinage synchronisé de l’ISU. Cette discipline spécialisée met en vedette plusieurs patineurs exécutant des jeux de jambes et des éléments complexes ensemble sur de la musique. Rejoignez-la ici pour un programme artistique de 20 minutes.
Meet Charlotte Grütter, Montreal-based Swiss-Canadian skater who won gold with her team Les Suprêmes - Montreal at the 2022 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships. This discipline features several skaters performing footwork and intricate elements together to music. Join her here for a 20-minute program (in French).
The tenure of Salome Meyer as Ambassador of Switzerland to Canada comes to an end in September 2022. The podcast team found this an opportune moment to invite her to reflect upon the highlights, challenges and fun moments she has experienced in Canada during the past three and a half years. Find out what she will take with her to the nxt posting in Austria in our new podcast edition.
Today, Professor Lorenz Lüthi, a Swiss historian at McGill University in Montreal, talks about his path to become a Cold War historian in light of his parents' fascinating experiences during the mid-20th century, his new book "Cold Wars" and current events in Eastern Europe from a historical perspective.
20.05.2022 - C'est la Journée mondiale des abeilles et l'heure du BALADO! Aujourd'hui, Jean Porret, apiculteur suisse résidant à Valcourt (QC), vous emmène à la découverte du monde des abeilles. Rejoignez-le ici pour un éco-voyage de 30 minutes.
Pour en apprendre davantage: http://lafleurenpot.blogspot.com/
eco-agir #abeilles #miel #balado
05.20.2022 - It's #Beeday and PODCAST DAY! Today, Jean Porret, a Swiss beekeeper living in Valcourt (QC), takes you to discover the world of bees. Join him here for a 30-minute eco-journey [in French].
#eco-act #bees #honey #podcast
Rencontrez l’artiste de cirque multidisciplinaire suisse, Jessica Arpin, dans ce balado de 25 minutes. Elle se rend à Igloolik au Nunavut afin d’y donner des ateliers de création dans le cadre de Artcirq – Inuit Performance Collective. Ce regroupement a pour mission d’unir les traditions culturelles des Inuits avec les pratiques artistiques contemporaines dans le but de créer des œuvres significatives et marquantes au travers des arts de la scène et de la musique.
Pour en apprendre davantage:
sur Artcirq www.artcirq.org
sur Jessica Arpin www.jessicaarpin.com
Meet Swiss multidisciplinary circus artist Jessica Arpin in this 25 minute podcast [in French] . She travels to Igloolik, Nunavut to give workshops as part of Artcirq - Inuit Performance Collective. The mission of this group is to unite Inuit cultural traditions with contemporary artistic practices in order to create meaningful and impactful works through the performing arts and music.
To learn more about:
Artcirq www.artcirq.org
Jessica Arpin www.jessicaarpin.com
Although pastry chef Andie Pilot was born in Calgary, Canada, she is a true expert in Swiss cuisine! Andie is the chef behind the food blog "Helvetic Kitchen", bringing traditional Swiss recipes to an English-speaking community. What started as a website for her friends in Canada quickly became a popular source for people all around the world looking to try some of the typical dishes from Switzerland. Join us for a 30-minute journey across the Swiss culinary landscape.
Looking for Andie's recipes? Visit www.helvetickitchen.com
Pamela Farrell is the Executive Director and Founder of the charity GROW Community Food Literacy Centre in Niagara Falls. In this podcast episode, she will describe her journey from Switzerland to Canada and her highly unconventional educational career, which in turn was strongly driven by her interests in food literacy and the practical work with people in need.
Parli Svizzero?
Italian is one of Switzerland's four national languages. But Swiss Italian has its own characteristics and expressions that are unique, astonishing and often quite different from standard Italian spoken in Italy. Sergio Savoia, Ticinese and radio host, has co-written a book called "Lo Svizzionario" on the particularities of Italian spoken in Switzerland. In today's episode, he takes us on a linguistic journey through the South of Switzerland.
To learn more about "Lo Svizzionario", visit https://svizzionario.ch.
This episode is part of the Settimana della lingua italiana nel mondo 2021.
Découvrez Matteo Oppizzi, jeune et talentueux cycliste de catégorie U19. Il vous parle ici de son parcours, de sa passion pour le cyclocross et le vélo de montagne, ainsi que de son secret pour concilier ses études et ce sport de performance.
Discover Matteo Oppizzi, a young and talented U19 cyclist. In this podcast, he talks about his journey, his passion for cyclo-cross and mountain bike, and his secret to effectively balance studies with this performance sport.
Do you prefer to drive your own car, ride your bike or are you an avid public transport user? Has your mode of transportation changed since the pandemic started?
In today’s episode, Sandra Phillips, founder of movmi, an agency specialized in Shared Mobility Architecture, talks about how she set up car sharing services in Vancouver, Calgary and the Middle East, how the use of transport has changed during the pandemic and the future of mobility.
If you are an avid climber, skier or mountain enthusiast in Canada, you have probably followed in the footprints of the Swiss Mountain Guides! In today’s episode, Dr. Ilona Shulman Spaar will take us back to 130 years ago, when the first Swiss Guides arrived in the Rocky Mountains. Hear how they shaped Canada’s mountain culture that is so famous today.
If you wish to receive access to the documentary film "Swiss Guides in the Canadian Rockies - Beyond Adventure" or the catalogue by Dr. Ilona Shulman Spaar, please contact us at vancouver@eda.admin.ch.
In today’s episode, hear from tourism expert Pascal Prinz what Canadian travelers are looking for when they go to Switzerland and how you can discover the country by way of “Swisstainable Travel” now that pandemic-related travel restrictions have been lifted.
Please note that the travel requirements mentioned in the podcast can change, so we urge you to consult the most up-to-date entry requirements to Switzerland on our
website: https://www.eda.admin.ch/ottawa
In French: https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/canada/fr/home/representations/ambassade-a-ottawa.html
Science and Adventures in Canada’s North
Our new podcast episode with Dr. Martin Raillard, the Scientific Director for the Arctic at Parks Canada, presents fascinating adventure stories, a dramatic encounter with a muskox and lessons for successful research in the Canadian Arctic. The conversation with the Swiss scientist delineates his fascination with Canada’s North and puts a spotlight on trends in Arctic research.
For the next 20 minutes, listen to the story of Nathalie Richard, one of the most successful Canadian rally competitors in history! Inducted to the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame, Nathalie Richard has had an amazing career. Discover her exceptional path and follow her into her passion!
Au cours des 20 prochaines minutes, vous entendrez le fabuleux récit de Virginie Egger, illustratrice suisse au Canada !
Avec sa technique unique de collage de photos découpées fusionnées à la peinture et à l'encre, Virginie Egger, illustratrice de renom fascinée par la diversité humaine, a fait sa place au Canada. A travers ses dessin, elle exprime la multiplicité des cultures, des formes et des couleurs. Elle aborde les sujets les plus divers avec des idées originales et des compositions fortes, assaisonnées d'humour ! À la fin de votre écoute vous vous surprendrez sans doute même à voir l’illustration sous un angle nouveau.
As part of their Double Master’s Degree at Carleton University in Ottawa and the University of Lucerne in Switzerland, Arta Tahiraj and Sukhi Dhaliwal spent several months living and studying in Switzerland in 2019. During the next 25 minutes, they will talk about their first impression of Switzerland, snowshoeing in the Swiss mountains and what the Canadians can learn from the Swiss people!
Allegra! Bun di! Viva!
What do you know about Switzerland's 4th national language, Romansh?
This month, it has been 83 years since Romansh has been recognized as an official language in Switzerland. We take this anniversary as an opportunity to talk (about) Romansh and to learn a few words along the way. Here to help us is native Romansh speaker Fabia Leoni.
Our new podcast episode with Michael Zaugg, the Swiss conductor and artistic director of the professional choir Pro Coro Canada in Edmonton, presents a captivating artistic journey from Switzerland to Scandinavia and Canada. The renowned and innovative maestro also compares choir traditions in Switzerland and Canada, discusses current trends in staging concerts and sheds light on the specific measures a choir has to take to rehearse and to perform while using new technologies.
From Filles du Roi to Artificial Intelligence
Today’s podcast will feature Prof. Vincent Mooser, a Swiss pioneer in using genomics-based tools and datasets to develop new target-based therapies to improve human health. His fascinating work at McGill University links historical settlers in French Canada, such as the Filles du Roi, and their rare disease heritage with Montreal’s cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence capacities of today.
Swiss Abroad, Johann Roduit, wears many hats - he is an entrepreneur, innovator and organizer of TEDxAbbotsford. We talked with him about what brought him to Canada, the impact of the global pandemic on his work, the Swiss speaker at TEDxAbbotsford and his plans for the coming year.
Le consulat général de Suisse à Montréal s'est entretenu avec le photographe canado-suisse Thomas Guignard au sujet de son exposition au Goethe-Institut de Toronto. Il reprend la salle de presse du Goethe pour explorer les questions relatives aux centres de lecture et aux espaces architecturaux.
The Consulate General of Switzerland in Montreal talked to Swiss-Canadian photographer Thomas Guignard about his exhibition at the Goethe Institut Toronto. He takes over the Goethe Media Space to investigate questions about reading hubs and architectural spaces.
It is the first Swiss feature film that made it onto Netflix: "The Awakening of Motti Wolkenbruch" by Swiss author Thomas Meyer.
The Consulate General of Switzerland in Vancouver had the absolute pleasure to talk to Thomas Meyer in an online film discussion.
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Podcast “From the Alps to the Rockies”. Today we talk to Swiss Abroad Chantal Achermann who owns the Rogers Paradise Lodge in Northern BC together with her husband Roger. She told us about her search for the perfect lodge, her first winter in the north and her new neighbours - the wolves and bears.
Today, two preeminent researchers discuss Swiss and Canadian responses to COVID-19 and future challenges. The experts are: Professor Marcel Tanner, member of the Advisory Board of Switzerland’s National Covid-19 Science Task Force and President of the Swiss Academy of Sciences and former Director of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel. He is joined by Professor Peter Jüni, recently appointed Scientific Lead of the new COVID-19 Science Advisory Table of the province of Ontario, and current Director at the Applied Health Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and Full Professor at the University of Toronto in clinical epidemiology of chronic diseases.
Today`s broadcast will present Swiss-Canadian polar research activities and collaborations in the Arctic. It features two outstanding scientists with Prof. Stephan Gruber, the Canada Research Chair for Climate Impacts/Adaptation in Northern Canada at the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University in Ottawa and Prof. Koni Steffen, who is the director of the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL and Scientific Director of the Swiss Polar Institute.
In this very first episode, Elizabeth Semmelhack tells us about the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, from its origin by compatriot Sonja Bata to today’s role in society.
Welcome to the podcast 'From the Alps to the Rockies', a new podcast hosted by the Swiss Embassy in Ottawa and the Consulates General in Montreal and Vancouver. Join us in July for our first episode. The broadcasts will feature speakers from Switzerland and Canada, who will discuss various aspects of collaboration from the Swiss Alps to the Canadian Rockies.
More updates will follow on our Social Media channels!