The goal of GermanBC is to build community. Eventually it will be the resource that has a link to every German, Swiss or Austrian club, church, company or business association. We are relying on you, the members, to help build this website. We are excited about your articles, your events, your letters to the editor, your feedback and more.

In the meantime, January is a good time to get involved with German-speaking business groups and associations in British Columbia. Starting with our very own group Business to Business on GermanBC. Here is your opportunity to learn, grow, share within the confines of this website. There is also the German-Chamber of commerce, the Swiss Chamber of Commerce, the German-Canadian Business Association, the Austrian Trade Commission, and finally the German Business Centre North America founded in 2001.

As far a churches go, the largest German congregation is still the St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in East Vancouver. There is also the Zion Lutheran Church in Cloverdale which offers a German Service and afternoons of coffee/cake with hours of singing in German, accompanied by accordions and keyboards once a month. Finally, the two Baptist Churches Bethany and Immanuel still offer a small German service early on Sundays.

Clubs where German is spoken are the Swiss-Society, the Vancouver Alpenclub on Victoria Drive and the Austria Club in Richmond. Each of these clubs is looking for ways to get young people more involved and to recruit more families with young children. The Alpenclub started two German playgroups last September for younger and older children, and tries to have children’s activities at least once a month. There was a lantern festival, the Christmas party, a brass band, a puppet show from Germany and more. The restaurant in the basement also offers a deal that for every adult that orders a meal, one child gets eats free.

This Spring there will also be the annual European Festival that has 29 countries, as well as Austria, Germany and Switzerland involved. This year, the event will take place on May 29th, 2010 from 10 am to 6 pm. In the evening, there is a dance for those interested. The Festival has one cultural tent where each country has a table representing their country, a marketplace tent to sell crafts/goodies from their countries, a children’s tent, a beer tent and a food tent. There is also non-stop entertainment on the stage, where both children’s groups and adults dance, sing and parade in traditional costumes. It all starts May 9th with Europe Day.

Spring is also a good time to sign your child up for German School in one of the 6 Schools in British Columbia: The biggest is still the Surrey German School at Johnston Heights Senior Secondary. Then there is the Westside German School in Carnarvon Elementary in Kitsilano. German Kids Richmond takes place in the Steveston United Church. The North Shore German School is still in the Lucas Centre and the Vancouver German School in East Vancouver takes place in the Vancouver Technical School on East Broadway. The Victoria German School takes place in Camosun Collage on the Lansdowne Campus in central Victoria. I myself attended the Surrey German School for 9 years back in 1976!

If you get involved with at least one or two of the above, the German-speaking community will have a chance to grow in 2010.