It's been a minute...and a HALF! Rainbow Nation podcast took some time off since Fall 2023 but we are back in time for Pride 2025! Christine & Russel got the chance to interview "Inport Vinyl" crew, the entertainment team synonymous with a "Vinyl Night" at the Wheelhouse Brewing Company in Prince Rupert, located at 380 Bill Murray Drive, Prince Rupert, B.C. in the historic heritage building that used to be the CN train station building on the waterfront. It's the third  Pride event in the building, but Pride events are not uncommon in the Wheelhouse, from their original smaller location to the renovated expansive 2 floor establishment.  The Wheelhouse has made it very clear that their establishment is a safe space for 2SLGBTQIA+  most especially with Pride Nights with Inport Vinyl. Inport Vinyl is : Jamison Prystay, Timothy Younghusband & Craig Outhet, three friends that had a kooky idea to play vinyl records at the Wheelhouse (primarily) and it has grown significantly from there.  They have found some success in turning their vinyl hobbies into a community staple entertainment event.  Three staunch allies have been supportive to Prince Rupert's attempts at creating Pride nights and this interview is a peak behind the turntables to see what has inspired their vinyl collecting and playing to creating a niche event for Prince Rupert.  Have a listen and a laugh as Rainbow Nation dusts off their interviewing skills.   Happy Pride ! 

Hello!  This week we have been able to sit down with B.C. North-coast MLA Jennifer Rice.   Here is a biography of Jennifer Rice: Jennifer Rice was elected the MLA for North Coast in 2013, 2017 and re-elected in 2020. She was recently appointed to the role of Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health.  She has worked hard to improve safety for people travelling along the Highway of Tears (highway 16) delivering improved public transportation options such as BC Bus North, the community shuttle bus system and with improved cell service between Prince Rupert and Prince George.  Jennifer has recently secured $65 million dollars to help replace Prince Rupert’s water distribution system and secured  nearly $127 million dollars to replace Prince Rupert Middle school. She is married to her partner Andrea and is mother to almost  4 years-old Lua and new mom to almost 4 month old Theo. We had a great conversation in her office downtown Prince Rupert on a Sunday morning.  We talked about where she is from, how she chose Prince Rupert as her home and how she got into politics.  We also talked about the now infamous planned "roundabout" announcement for Prince Rupert and dissected what it will entail .  It was a great candid conversation about what is like  being LGBT in politics, in a small town and she gives some advice for anyone wanting to jump into the political realm as a profession. We talked about how the anti-sogi narrative is being perceived in today's increasingly political climate in not only being part of the LGBT community, but as an ally.  We feel it's a "Part One" to a longer conversation, so please take a listen and enjoy! Also - we missed you! we will keep in touch more! xo Editor's Note: * During our recording, Jennifer failed to mention her new MLA colleague, Joan Phillip (Who ran in former MLA Melanie Mark's riding and won. ) Jennifer means no disrespect to her colleague or indigenous people with her on air omission. 

Hello besties!We are back for a fabulous podcast on the eve of another Pride month with the lovely, super busy and all around doll - Havana Fisher.Havana is originally from Hartley Bay and enjoying her busy time with helping out at Prince Rupert Middle School (with the GSA - Skittles Club), as well as her space in Wap Sigatgyet (House of Building Strength), Indigenous Education Centre.   An artist and entrepreneur , Havana is going back to her education journey to become a full fledged certified teacher for her degree and bachelor's of education! We wish her well on her journey!  She talks about how her friends and family's support and dogs have carried her through her own journey of finding her authentic self as a woman.  Hartley Bay is her recharging space when things get to be too much and how after growing up with the challenges of an LGBT+ person in a small community has helped her carry herself today. Havana  has poured her creativity into her art (which she will showcase at the upcoming Seafest celebrations in Prince Rupert, with both the Skittles Club as well as her own line of shirts with her designs on it. It's a podcast that feels like it just flowed and how we can lost in conversation, but find out more about the guest in the process.   We missed you! Give us a listen, won't you?Happy Pride! 

We are very excited to share a discussion we had with Dr. Rakel Kling from Northern Health, about MonkeyPox.   We asked listeners to submit questions for Dr. Kling and she was kind enough to sit with us over Zoom to answer them. There is a lot of information out there, true and untrue.  Dr. Kling gave us some resources to be better informed and to share: the Northern Health  website is a good start with links to other sites for more information.  She detailed what the virus is and how it's transmitted, what people can do when they think have the virus and how to prevent it.  We are grateful for Dr. Kling's time and have our door open for any further discussions in the future.  Take a listen, friend.  “Dr. Rakel Kling is the Northern Interior Medical Health Officer. She has been a Medical Health Officer for Northern Health for four years. As a Medical Health Officer, her role is to promote and protect the health of the public and communities”

Sheila Gordon-Payne is running for Prince Rupert City Council this upcoming election, and we wanted to sit down with her and get to know her a little better.  Sheila works in healthcare and is an avid traveller.  She's been a long time resident of Prince Rupert and is passionate about seeing the city flourish in collaboration with the residents.  Lots of topics covered here from housing, homelessness, small businesses and the growth of Prince Rupert.  Carrying on with the blueprint of "Prince Rupert Vision 2030", the goal orientated and timeline structured of "Redesign Rupert" Sheila is excited to have the opportunity to see them through.   Not her first time on Prince Rupert City Council, Sheila talks of her experience previously and what a diverse City Council can look like and achieve.  Take a listen ! Thanks for stopping by. 

Today Christine & Russel got a chance to sit down with one of the mayoral candidates for the upcoming municipal election in Prince Rupert, Chrystopher Thompson.  Chrystopher has worked in education for 13 years and presently is an Indigenous mentor at Pacific Coast School (PCS).   A new face to the political arena, we wanted to get to know Chrystopher a little better, who is he and what he stands for , on the evening before the first All Candidates Forum for the public to do the same. We asked: what lead him to both his current field and what made him want to run for mayor, what  his approach is to being accessible to the public as well as how to deal with confrontational voters and what it means for his private life. There is a lot to unpack.  Welcome! 

Hi Gay, Happy Pride month! < / corporate rainbow washing >  It's a great day to be queer and an even better day to get to talk to Out & Queer teacher from Charles Hays Secondary School,  Danielle Dueck! Dueck (it's ok, I can call her that), is also helping with the Gay Straight Alliance at CHSS and has been one of the key people in having the Pride float in the latest Seafest parade in Prince Rupert.  If you know Prince Rupert, this is a BIG deal.  Christine & Russel talk all things Pride - the good, the bad and the nasty (we are looking at YOU, PostMates!) , Dueck's foray into her FIRST Pride in Vancouver later this summer and so much more. It's a lot of laughing , discussion and Q U E E R things on this podcast.  (It's really good, take a listen). Happy Pride to all! 

Happy National Coming Out Day! Christine and Russel take a minute to catch up with each other's busy lives over a rainy weekend in the RUP. Lots of suggestions for entertainment shows to binge on for hibernation season.   Music wise, Adele's upcoming release upon us is giving us life! It's the first episode we got to be in the same space again face to face for quite some time! Have a listen to some oversharing and inappropriate insights! 

Happy Pride!  Prince Rupert has had its first Pride event thanks to the fabulous couple, Angelo Octaviano & Kyle Hill.  Angelo sent out an invite to a small group of friends for a gathering at the Rainbow Bridge in Cow Bay in Prince Rupert, British Columbia to celebrate Pride on Saturday June 19, 2021.  There was a lot of music, dancing and fabulous support from cars that honked as they drove by. Christine & Russel were lucky to be invited and also be able to ask some of the guests "What does Pride mean to you?".  It is fantastic to see the support to friends and family of all members across the rainbow spectrum.  It was a quick celebration with some trivia games and prizes as well.  A fabulous little bird has said it may not be the only event like this in Prince Rupert this year.  Keep an eye out for any announcements .   Happy Pride! xo 

Samuel Brennan is a teacher at the Prince Rupert Middle School that teaches French Immersion.   He helps out with the "Skittles" group (gender / sex alliance) while Lori Leighton is taking a bit of a much needed break.  Sam is originally from Ottawa and moved to Prince Rupert late last year during the pandemic and our 9 feet of rainfall.  He has yet to fully be present as we are all still in the pandemic and keeping to our small bubbles for social activity (staying home).  We talk activities to keep busy while staying in our bubbles and keeping our sanity during the rainy months in Prince Rupert. Which series to binge watch, how to stay in touch with family over such long distances and what he hopes for the summer (think camping and exploring more of the outdoors on the north coast or British Columbia).  In Sam's own words: "New teacher, nature-lover, 2nd best RBF in Prince Rupert ”.  (We talk what RBF is in the podcast) . Christine and Russel talk Quending with the Elliot Page interview with Oprah Winfrey as well as the power of Twitch TV and how it has evolved and brought so many people together with video games, arts and crafts, music and being creative.   Take a listen won't you? 

Welcome to season 3 episode 2 with Mr. Braden Etzerza.  Braden is a young queer returning Rupertite / Ts'msyen  that has a degree in Environmental Science.  He is currently employed with the Metlakatla Stewardship Society as the Climate Action Coordinator.  He is extremely passionate about food security & sovereignty as well as finding renewable energy sources among other exciting duties with his nation.  When he isn't working, he is out in nature with his dog Copper, connecting with the calm that our beautiful landscape can provide.  One of his other items on his wishlist is to share some much needed Queer spaces with the local LGBT population on the North Coast.   Apologies ahead of listening as the introduction that Mr. Etzerza provided in his native tongue, was not recorded.   The beginning of the podcast was recorded on March 17, 2021 during the mass vaccination clinic held in Prince Rupert.  The follow up was recorded on the following weekend.   Residents that haven't received their first COVID-19 vaccination shot are still able to call the Prince Rupert Community Health Clinic to book their appointment - (250) 622-6380.   Enjoy the podcast and thanks for listening :) 

Season 3 ! Recorded in late January, we were able to catch up with one another over Zoom, musing on the transition of political leaders to the south of us and what that means for LGBTQ and the world. We interviewed Pastor Diana Edis, from St. Paul's Lutheran Prince Rupert Church about her work in the community and the new book club Queers the Word. Our discussion included her passion for reaching out to the community, accessibility of faith, and how to stay connected during Covid. We are excited to share this podcast in different formats, coming soon!  Take a listen, stay home and stay safe

Teacher, artist, creator and 80's movie aficionado, Alana Rice is a teacher and one of Christine's colleagues. She captures art 🖼 in the Northwest and her pieces can be viewed and purchased at: https://alanariceartist.com   You can view the pieces, email her directly if you have any questions, and learn some of the background for each piece.  Alana came to us with an interesting premise to talk all things 80's movies.  Apologies to Alana if this didn't go as planned, but I think it's a testament to the chaos that has been the year 2020.  We may have to have a re-do in the future with 90's movies (90's horror movies? yes please!). Quending is Christine talking up the CBC series "Schitt's Creek" and Russel reflects on the pessimistic social media cycle that is easy to fall into.  It's a wrap for 2020 and season 2 of Rainbow Nation podcasts.  We look forward to the New Year and the new season of podcasts and possible exploration of video podcasting.  If you take anything into the next year, let it be this: "Be kind, be calm and be safe," - Dr. Bonnie Henry.   

Teri Forster is a local nurse that is also a representative for all the nurses in the North West in the B.C. Nurses Union, representing workers with disabilities. She is an Ally to the LGBT community, helping organize events across the north west.  She is an avid Cos Play participant (Belle from Beauty & the Beast, Shrek, Queen of Hearts and others) and has competed provincially (Vancouver, Prince George) and in the United States (Comic Con [!] ) .  We talk fostering animals and of course COVID-19, and her advice on how to navigate through the new normal. Christine & Russel catch up over summer events and trips.  Quending talk leads to Squamish Pride, how Pride looks virtually, Canada's take on RuPaul's Drag Race and a follow up on some local news about Councillor Mirau's attention to an incident with the rainbow bench on a local trail.    

Blake is a former Rupertite that took time out of his extremely busy schedule to talk to Christine & Russel about his new project : opening his new restaurant in Canmore Alberta with his fiancé and business partner.  Blake talks about previous accomplishments in his culinary career and it is impressive to say the least! Quending is settling into a "new normal" for virtual Pride events and Christine has a fun give away for Pride ! 

Christine & Russel check in with each other from their separate spaces via Zoom and talk about what it's been like so far in the quarantine time in the world.  Discussion on how the world has slowed down, how people are being creative, creating and nurturing projects and how people are being kind to each other during these mentally and emotionally exhausting ties.  Some ideas from Christine on how to cope with quarantine ants in the pants and some Quending! 

This is definitely one of the longest podcasts we've recorded so far.  It would be great if this was a 'part one' to a longer conversation with Prince Rupert's current mayor, Lee Brain.  Lee offered up a bit of his weekend to sit down with us to talk about the exciting plans for Prince Rupert.  Lee talks extensively about the protocols, procedures and challenges to deal with before STARTING with a plan for the Raindrop, with Redesign Rupert.  The amount of information is staggering and it's impressive to have someone speak to it freely, patiently and with excitement, no matter how many times he may have talked about it.  We get a little glimpse of Lee's self care and talk about his future plans whether that is in a mayoral role or not with Prince Rupert.  Take a listen to our conversation with Mr. Lee Brain.  

Happy 2020 ! Lori Leighton is one of Christine's closest friends that she has known for a long time (close to 40 years!).  Lori works at Prince Rupert Middle School as an Indigenous Counsellor as well, she facilitates the "Skittles" group (a Gay / Straight Alliance group for middle school aged children). She counsels Grade 8 and French Immersion, she teaches Advisory Class as well as Storm 8 (that concentrates on resilience, managing stress and over all Life skills).  We talk how to crawl out of the Holi-daze hibernation period from  break to the New Year.  The influence of living in Prince Rupert as a local member of an Indigenous group on her work is something we talk about.  The work she's done with "Skittles" is amazing.   Lori is a fabulous Ally! Check it out! 

Recorded on November 11, 2019, Christine and Russel talk all things Remembrance Day, the fallout of fake news and Rainbow Poppies.  Quending is Drag Queen Story Time! The guest for this podcast is Mike Pucci, Manager - Administrative Services for DP World.  We get a brief history of the company (Dubai Ports) and talk Port expansion, the wonder and science of Wind Alarms and other future plans for the little port that could. The protocols and procedures would whet any programmer or baker's appetitive (it's all cake!).   We talk about inclusivity and diversity in the company.  It's a conversation worth listening to and we really barely scratched the surface.  It was definitely an eye opener for sure on what can happen in a tiny piece of land in your small north coast town.  

It was a good conversation with Mr. Jared Paolinelli in October, the day of the election.  We talked about all things Skeena Kayaking, the fun aspects of the Hospitality / Tourism industry in the small community of Prince Rupert. We talk travelling the world - the fun and challenges as a gay man in some corners of the world.  Jared shares some tips on buying mattresses, and sleep clinics and how to take care when choosing a mattress.  Quending is oral health care tips from Christine and some reflections on the Madonna era that was Erotica and reflections on the election that happened in Canada this fall.