The inaugural TEDxChilliwack event was held on February 27 at the historic Chilliwack Museum & Archives

Watch the Talks

Steve Anderson

**Hmm, Let’s Get the Big Ones Helping the Little Ones**
Steve presents the idea that perhaps intergenerational education may be a good thing, and discusses the possibilities of a hands on program of psychology at a high school level. Possibilities of connection, competence and development.

Darren Blakeborough

**They're Not Scary: Media and Aging**
Darren takes us on a brief examination of the common media stereotypes inherent in our media. He challenges us to see beyond these narrow and often demeaning perceptions to explore the possibilities of understanding aging in a fully contextualize world.

William Butler

**Seeing Into The Invisible Realm**
William combines many of his interests, ranging from art, language and mathematics to detect hidden patterns and make them manifest. In this talk, Bill will inspire you with a small array of diverse ideas that cast light on the invisible world surrounding our daily lives, from the ephemeral to the numinous.

Rhonda Cochran

**Self-Doubt: What is it All About?**
Rhonda explores the power of self-doubt. It's capacity to cripple, it's tendencies to terrorize and how it convinces people to give up on their dreams. And, ultimately, how to transform that self-doubt into a powerful catalyst for change.

Denise Cunningham

**What Would Love Do Here**
In her talk, Denise shows how shifting your perception about the bad things that have happened in your life, can create miracles. Learn how to find hope in any situation.

Steven Esau

**Am I Good Enough Yet?**
Steven asks us to challenge the concept that medication is the answer to what ails our spirit. He presents the idea that modern counselling practices need to critically consider the possibility that it is no longer acceptable to be inadequate for the majority of patients, and that excuses and blame are no longer acceptable.

David Hobson

**How to IMPROV Your Life (Without Really Trying)**
While being funny is not the topic of this talk, improving your life and communicating better certainly is the topic. David discusses how simple IMROV theatre techniques can lead to powerful more meaningful exchanges with friends, family and co-workers.

Paula Martens

**How to Dance with Hope**
Paula Martens captivating and dynamic approach to self-healing and empowerment brings courage and optimism to those lost and in fear of change. She takes you on her journey of healing crystal meth addiction, choosing life, a diagnosis of incurable brain cancer, facing death and navigating all that entails along the way. Paula shares her practical and awareness tools for believing in herself, researching her life, trusting her choices and commitment to healing, all while dancing with hope.

Tim McAlpine

Teaching Financial Education Through Engaging Storytelling

Millennials face financial pressures that will jeopardize and limit their economic opportunities. This, combined with a lack of financial aptitude and overconfidence in financial matters, can be a recipe for a grim financial future for the largest generation since the Baby Boomers. Engaging over-confident, over-stimulated young adults in financial education has become the mission of Chilliwack’s Tim McAlpine. He’ll show you how his local company is helping prepare young adults from across Canada and the United States for a brighter future.

Scott McVetty

**How Racism Changed Cash Mob**
What does crowd funding look like? Really? Scott explores the idea of organizing a large group of people with the single purpose of spending money locally. "What benefits both tangible and intangible can be gained when people decide to physically gather in support of a local business?" is one of the questions that is examined in Scott's talk.

Martin Michael

**Changing How We Think, One Belief at a Time**
Why does our mind say start, but our bodies say stop? Why do some succeed why others fail? How come we struggle with mundane simple tasks while others fly through it with ease? The answer is simple and straight forward but it’s buried beneath layers of routines programmed into our brains. Through personal stories and anecdotes we’ll answer these questions and explore the untapped human potential.

Sean Morden

**Chilliwack, the Corn Town: What Do the Ears Hear?**
What you can see if you look past the glossy picture that we paste on the billboard; Chilliwack is not just what appeals to a tourist, but a wonderfully weird place that can be heaven or hell depending on where you fall. He will share stories of tragedy and ones of success, ones that make you question what Chilliwack truly is.

Mari Okazaki

**Speak Truthfully About Losing a Loved One to Suicide**
To bring more awareness for the need in supporting people who are grieving with suicide loss, she will be talking how her mother’s death by suicide impacted her life and how she now hopes to help reduce the stigma surrounding death by suicide.

Lynn Oucharek

**Building Our Superpowers Matters More Now Than Ever**
At a time when the world is facing more shifts than ever before we need to assist people in using their authentic talents as a place to stretch out from. It’s believing that our unique “Superpowers” are valuable in developing solutions, collaborations, and actions which will impact ourselves and our communities in outstanding ways.

David Parsons

**The Brain That Saves You**
The power of intuition and where it originates are the main topics of David Parson's talk. David directs us to consider the power and importance of our more dispersed 'brain.' This collection of nerves that span our bodies manifests in our conscious mind as an intuitive sense, and in many cases may be wiser then our rational brain.

Angelo Rae

**A Simple Set of Questions**
Have you ever had a desire to do something and you just don’t do it? Everyone has the desire and the passion to succeed. The only problem is getting there.

Simon Reilly

**How To Upgrade Your Core Personal Operating System**
We are well-versed with Smartphone Operating Systems and Upgrades to Android, Blackberry, iOS and Windows. When was the last time you upgraded Your Core Personal Operating System? Simon leads us in a discussion about the value of regularly looking at our own core values and challenges us to take on the responsibility of never settling for what we currently believe is of value, but to be open to new fundamental evaluations of what it is to be who we are.

Adrianne Roberts

**Lost In Reality: Hearing Voices**

Three years ago she believed she was specifically selected by God to hear voices and sense presences, which were able to talk to her. She thought it was a gift. She started hallucinating scenarios and different environments that no one else could see or were apart. A straight forward woman who has experienced some unusual things. She shares her insight and thoughts regarding mental health from a unique perspective.

Aryn Savard

**Rebel Heart: Empowered Soul**
Something was missing, women needed more. Aryn is excited to share how her search for something more has lead to a revolution in empowerment, self-acceptance and her desire to change the world, one authentic heart at time.

Dan Sawatzky

**It's Time To Retire**
Why wait to live your life? Why work to live life later? Dan describes his own journey to living life of retirement decades before others were ready. He redefines the idea of retirement and challenges the listener to retire, now.

Venerable Yin Kit Sik

**Meditation, Prison, and Us**
Sister Jessie leads us in a conversation about prison; it's purpose and nature. Through her experience working with the prison population of the Upper Fraser Valley, Sister Jessie invites us to reconsider our understanding of prison and those whom we consign to a fate of isolation and segregation.