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The Pulse

The Pulse

By: Dave Graham & Peter McCully
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LISTEN UP! Whether you're a longtime local or just discovering our corner of paradise On Vancouver Island in Parksville Qualicum Beach, Nanoose, Arrowsmith Coombs or Lighthouse Country - tune in to the Pulse. The Pulse Community Podcast tells the stories of the people and places that make our coastal communities unique. SIGN UP! Subscribe now to catch every episode!


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Episodes
  • Singer-Songwriter Sean Thomas & Parksville Museum Curator Sarah Ronald

    Singer-Songwriter Sean Thomas & Parksville Museum Curator Sarah Ronald
    May 19 2026
    "Send us a text about this episode!"Why You Should Listen to This Episode:Sean Thomas was 17 years old when he began producing Debbie Gibson's comeback album - the same year he was learning to drive a car. He then took his talents to Las Vegas as her music director, toured with New Kids on the Block and New Edition, and is now releasing his own music entirely on his own terms. Sarah Ronald turned a heritage village courtyard into a concert venue, dreamed up Parksville's longest hopscotch course, and is building a storytelling festival from scratch - because she believes a museum, like a library, has to keep evolving to stay alive. This Episode Features:(28:06) Sean Thomas is a 24-year-old Vancouver-born singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and voice actor who started playing piano at five, founded a charity that raised over $100,000 for BC Children's Hospital at age 11, and co-produced Debbie Gibson's first album in two decades while finishing his Berklee College of Music degree. He has since worked as a music director, writer, mixer, and producer for Joey McIntyre, New Kids on the Block, and New Edition. His debut single "Better" - written, recorded, produced, and mixed entirely himself - features over 100 stacked vocal layers built in his home studio. Sean is now preparing an independent EP and exploring live performance opportunities later this year. https://www.seanthomas.ca/(06:08) Sarah Ronald is the manager and curator of the Parksville Museum at Craig Heritage Park, overseeing eight heritage buildings, a rich regional archive, and a rapidly expanding calendar of community events. After 18 years as a theatre coordinator for the City of Port Moody, Sarah arrived in Parksville in spring 2024 and has since launched an artisan market, a concert series every Thursday in July, a juried art exhibit exploring repetition, and a multi-week storytelling festival for June featuring theatre, literary artists, spoken word, and workshops. She also drew Parksville's longest hopscotch course - all 300-plus hops of it. https://www.parksvillemuseum.com/Episode Quotes:"When I'm in a writing session or doing a production for something, I'll often just take a backseat or keep asking questions until they bring it out themselves - because when it comes from them and it's an idea they thought of, it's more inspired." - Sean Thomas"A lot of the items in here in some regard were precious to somebody, and you can tell. You can see these stories." - Sarah RonaldLISTEN: We've had the pleasure of sitting down with musicians from across Vancouver Island and beyond - explore more stories and interviews on our Vancouver Island Musicians page.Voice message The PULSE and be part of the podcast!You'll find all episodes of The PULSE Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, TikTok, YouTube, and ThePulseCommunity.caClick here to learn how to Support the showEpisode Sponsors: Ian Lindsay & Associates, Thrifty Foods Parksville & Fireside BooksCheck out Skookum Kid's Stories on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube.Sign up for our weekly newsletter of new podcast releases and contests! https://bit.ly/PulseNewsletterSignup"Like, Share & Listen!"#SeanThomas #VancouverIslandMusic #DebbieGibson #ParksvilleMuseum #CraigHeritagePark #VancouverIsland #PULSECommunityPodcast #VancouverIslandPodcast #ParksvilleNews #VancouverIslandNewsSupport the show
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    55 mins
  • From the Ground Up: Amit Gaur on Three Years at the Council Table

    From the Ground Up: Amit Gaur on Three Years at the Council Table
    May 19 2026

    "Send us a text about this episode!"

    Recorded on location at the AVICC (Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities) Conference, this episode of Non-Partisan Hacks brings a familiar face to the mic. Joel Grenz and Sean Wood welcome Parksville City Councillor Amit Gaur — their colleague at the council table since the 2022 election — for a candid conversation about what local government actually looks like from the inside.

    Amit came to politics without a political background, nudged into running by fellow Councillor Adam Frass after years of attending meetings and raising community concerns that were largely met with silence. Three and a half years later, he reflects on the learning curve, the limits of local authority, and what it means to serve a community of 15,000 people with delegated powers and a tight budget.

    The trio cover the gap between public perception and council reality — the misinformation that fills the space when communication falls short, the power of advocacy as a primary tool of local government, and why being nonpartisan is a genuine strategic advantage. They also highlight wins from the term: the short-term rental exemption for Parksville’s Resort Row, the Volunteer First Responder Tax Credit, Amit’s environmental advocacy at AVICC and UBCM, and the Mobi mat beach accessibility project.

    Listen for:

    Why Amit decided to run — and the one councillor who encouraged him

    What local government can and can’t do, and why advocacy is the most powerful tool on the table

    How miscommunication breeds misinformation — and what councillors can do about it

    The short-term rental exemption win and why staying nonpartisan made the difference

    What to look for in a candidate when no one knows what the next term will bring

    Two priorities still in motion: the OCP revision and the drinking water sustainability study

    Text us about this episode: Send us a text

    Visit the NonPartisan Hacks website: https://nonpartisanhacks.com/

    Voice message: Voice message The PULSE and be part of the podcast!

    You’ll find all episodes of The PULSE Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, TikTok and YouTube podcasts, as well as PULSECommunity.ca.

    Special Thanks to our Sponsor Ian Lindsay & Associates for supporting ThePulseCommunity.ca.

    Check out Skookum Kid’s Stories on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube Podcasts.

    Sign up for our weekly newsletter of new podcast releases and contests! https://bit.ly/PulseNewsletterSignup

    Click here to learn how to Support the show

    “Like, Share & Listen!”

    #PulseCommunityPodcast #publicengagement #ThePulseCommunity #SeanWood #JoelGrenz #ParksvilleQualicumBeach #NonPartisanHacks #ParksvilleNews #VancouverIslandNews #LocalGovernment #AmitGaur

    Support the show
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    36 mins
  • Lynnsay Scollon - Finding Beauty in Vulnerability

    Lynnsay Scollon - Finding Beauty in Vulnerability
    May 19 2026

    "Send us a text about this episode!"

    Why You Should Listen to This Episode

    If you've ever felt undone by circumstances that seemed, on the surface, ordinary - this episode is for you. Lynnsay Scollon speaks with remarkable honesty about how a series of seemingly small events converged into a perfect storm during her first year at the University of Victoria. Her willingness to name what many students quietly endure makes this episode both necessary and deeply human.

    In this episode:

    Lynnsay Scollon joins Cindy Thompson on A Resilience Project for a vulnerable and authentic conversation about her experience as a first-year university student - and what she discovered about herself when the weight of it all became too much to carry.

    Navigating the pressures of a new environment, Lynnsay found herself facing the quiet, insidious nature of mental illness - and the way it can erode confidence from the inside out. She speaks candidly about how those experiences, though painful, became the very ground from which her resilience grew. Her story is a reminder that the hardest moments are often where we learn the most about who we are.

    Lynnsay brings a perspective shaped by lived experience and a genuine desire to reach others who may be facing similar walls. She reminds us that we are not alone on this journey - and that there is beauty, even in vulnerability.

    The PULSE Community Podcasts can be found at: ThePulseCommunity.ca

    Cindy Thompson's website: cindythompsoncounselling.ca

    You'll find all episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, and YouTube, as well as ThePulseCommunity.ca

    Episode Sponsor: Tablet Pharmacy

    Check out Skookum Kid's Stories on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, and YouTube Podcasts.

    Sign up for our weekly newsletter of new podcast releases and contests! https://bit.ly/PulseNewsletterSignup

    "Like, Share & Listen!"

    #LynnsayScollon #ResilienceProject #VancouverIsland #ParksvilleQualicum #ThePulseCommunityPodcast #CindyThompson #mentalhealth #studentlife #vancouverislandnews

    Support the show
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    48 mins
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