The Pulse

Dave Graham & Peter McCully
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Arts

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!

  1. 13h ago

    Nearly 6,000 Bikes for Island Kids with Greg Nowik & Fall Garden Prep with Debora Gurrad

    "Send us a text about this episode!" Why You Should Listen to This Episode: Greg Nowik tells how a dozen unclaimed RCMP bikes in his mother-in-law's garage in Cedar grew into Bikes for Kids, a volunteer program closing in on 6,000 refurbished bikes for kids from Nanaimo to Port McNeill, and why it is short on 24-inch bikes right now. Certified Master Gardener Debora Gurrad explains why you should leave the leaves, what a super El Niño could mean for next summer, and when to plant spring bulbs, move shrubs and divide crowded perennials. This Episode Features: (24:00) Greg Nowik moved to Nanaimo with his wife, Cindy, in 1998 and founded the Nowik Mortgage Team, but many Islanders know him for Bikes for Kids. The program began in 2017, when a dozen stolen and unclaimed bikes from the Nanaimo RCMP were fixed up in his mother-in-law's garage in Cedar. Run entirely by volunteers, with help from DBL Disposal, Canadian Tire and the Nanaimo Brain Injury Society, which supplies helmets, it is closing in on 6,000 bikes for kids from Nanaimo and the Cowichan Valley to Port Alberni, Lasqueti Island and Port McNeill. Greg explains how a donated bike gets from a DBL drop-off to a school assembly, why you should register your own bike with Garage 529, and why 24-inch bikes for kids aged 9 to 14 are the program's biggest need right now. www.bikesforkidsvi.ca (05:07) Debora Gurrad is a certified Master Gardener with the Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association and a retired teacher who presents gardening workshops from Campbell River to Nanaimo. Back on the podcast for fall, she explains what a super El Niño could mean for a dry spring and summer, which fall veggie transplants will survive the winter, and why you should leave the leaves on your garden beds. She also covers chop and drop in the vegetable garden, planting spring bulbs after Halloween, moving shrubs and dividing perennials while they are dormant, and the trees and shrubs that bring colour to a winter garden, from ginkgo and red twig dogwood to the Seven-Son Flower. www.vimga.org Episode Quotes: "Just making sure that every kid that needs a bike gets a bloody bike, and every adult who needs a bike gets a bike." - Greg Nowik, Co-founder, Bikes for Kids "Your fallen leaves are a valuable source of nutrients for your garden, as well as a wonderful mulch layer to protect your garden beds from soil compaction from the pounding winter rains." - Debora Gurrad, Certified Master Gardener, Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association  The PULSE Community Podcast is a weekly Vancouver Island podcast hosted by Peter McCully and Dave Graham, featuring conversations with musicians, authors, actors, athletes, business leaders and community builders from Vancouver Island, British Columbia and beyond. The PULSE Community Podcast is part of The PULSE Podcast Community. You'll find all episodes of The PULSE Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, TikTok, YouTube and ThePulseCommunity.ca. Episode Sponsors: Ian Lindsay & Associates, Fireside Books & Tablet Pharmacy Check out Skookum Kid's Stories on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio and YouTube. Sign up for our weekly newsletter and stay up to date on the latest podcasts, guests and contests. Check out the Vancouver Island Podcast Directory: Vancouver Island Podcast Directory is a free public resource curated by The PULSE Community, helping listeners discover podcasts produced on Vancouver Island and the surrounding coastal islands. #BikesForKids #GregNowik #DeboraGurrad #VancouverIslandMasterGardeners #LeaveTheLeaves #FallGardening #Nanaimo #VancouverIsland #ParksvilleQualicum #VancouverIslandPodcasts #ThePulseCommunityPodcast Support the show

  2. 15h ago

    Atlanta Falcons, Week 6 Fantasy Surprises & Lemon Pepper Wet Wings

    "Send us a text about this episode!" BONUS RECIPE: Download Chef Jonathan Frazier's Recipe for Lemon Pepper Wet Wings: https://bit.ly/S2EP06FootballRecipe The NFL season is underway, and F3 is back with another episode of football, fantasy and food! This week, Jonathan and Erin head to Atlanta for the final team in their 32-team NFL series. They break down the biggest stories from Week 6, check in on Erin's fantasy football lineup and explore Atlanta's Southern food traditions, finishing with a game-day favourite: lemon pepper wet wings. In This Episode: The biggest stories and surprises from NFL Week 6 Erin's frustration with the Seattle Seahawks and Sam Darnold Houston's close win over Jacksonville in London The Los Angeles Rams' disappointing start to the season Fantasy football standouts, including Kenneth Walker and Drake Maye Erin's fantasy lineup, Bryce Young and Jared Goff's bye week The history of the Atlanta Falcons and their Super Bowl record Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons' potential under Kevin Stefanski Southern food traditions, including fried chicken, peach cobbler and shrimp and grits The F3 Food Pick of the Week: Atlanta lemon pepper wet wings Looking ahead to the next phase of F3, with more NFL analysis, fantasy football and food Special Thanks to Our Sponsor: Thrifty Foods Parksville for supporting ThePulseCommunity.ca. The F3 Podcast is a weekly Vancouver Island podcast hosted by Erin Haluschak and Chef Jonathan Frazier featuring conversations about NFL Teams and tailgate recipes from Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The Football & Food Podcast is part of The PULSE Podcast Community. Sign up for our weekly newsletter of new podcast releases and contests! Check out the Vancouver Island Podcast Directory: The Vancouver Island Podcast Directory is a free public resource curated by The PULSE Community, helping listeners discover podcasts produced on Vancouver Island and the surrounding coastal islands. #F3Podcast, #PulseCommunity, #VancouverIslandPodcast, #NFLFootballPodcast, #FantasyFootball, #AtlantaFalcons, #LemonPepperWings Support the show

    Atlanta Falcons, Week 6 Fantasy Surprises & Lemon Pepper Wet Wings

  3. 16h ago

    Shelley Buck & Kathy Curtis - Leave Your Light On

    "Send us a text about this episode!" On this episode of The Resilience Project, host Cindy Thompson sits down with Shelley Buck and her lifelong friend Kathy Curtis, co-authors of “Leave Your Light On.” Shelley and her husband, Academy Award-winning director Chris Buck (“Frozen” and “Frozen 2”), had just watched their 22-year-old son, Ryder, beat cancer. The family finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, only a few months later, Ryder died after being hit by a car. Rather than turn away from her grief, Shelley chose to follow it, with vulnerability and courage, into unfamiliar places that revealed deep insights about love, loss and what it means to keep living. Along that healing journey, she was inspired to write about Ryder's larger-than-life spirit and the legacy he left behind. With the help of Kathy, those memories became “Leave Your Light On,” a book that is both beautifully tragic and truly inspirational. The Resilience Project is a Vancouver Island podcast hosted by counsellor Cindy Thompson, featuring conversations with authors, health professionals, community leaders and everyday people whose stories of resilience, healing and personal growth offer hope, encouragement and practical life lessons. The Resilience Project is part of The PULSE Podcast Community. The PULSE Community Podcasts can be found at: ThePulseCommunity.ca Cindy Thompson's website: cindythompsoncounselling.ca You'll find all episodes of the PULSE Community Podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, TikTok and YouTube. Episode Sponsor: Tablet Pharmacy Check out Skookum Kid's Stories with downloadable colouring pages on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, and YouTube. Sign up for our weekly newsletter of new podcast releases and contests! Check out the Vancouver Island Podcast Directory: The Vancouver Island Podcast Directory is a free public resource curated by The PULSE Community, helping listeners discover podcasts produced on Vancouver Island and the surrounding coastal islands. #ShelleyBuck #KathyCurtis #ResilienceProject #VancouverIsland #ParksvilleQualicum #ThePulseCommunityPodcast #CindyThompson #VancouverIslandPodcast Support the show

    Shelley Buck & Kathy Curtis - Leave Your Light On

  4. Oct 14

    The Dark Crystal - A Hollywood Property Master Breaks Down Jim Henson’s Puppet Magic

    "Send us a text about this episode!" Host Olen Vanderleeden of the Comox Valley and Gen X co-host Matthew Stockton welcomed Millennial panelists comedian Will Cory and self-described “huge puppet fan” Anthony to weigh in on Jim Henson’s 1982 all-puppet fantasy epic, The Dark Crystal - the first live-action film ever made without a single human character. Joining the panel was special guest Brad Elliott, a veteran property master whose resume runs from The Muppets and Team America: World Police to Batman v Superman, Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Avatar sequels. The reactions split fast. Will admitted the plot lost him completely - he compared it to “a bad mushroom trip” - while Anthony and Matthew found real depth in the film’s themes of division, integration and a world that has to heal itself. Brad, watching with a professional’s eye, couldn’t get past the astonishing in-camera craft: layered puppets running from background to foreground within a single shot, three puppeteers choreographed like dancers behind one character, and a full-scale practical model of Aughra’s orrery built - and destroyed - for real.  The trivia round did not disappoint. Nine tons of rubber went into the film’s puppets and costumes. The Dark Crystal was banned in several countries over content deemed sacrilegious, and David Bowie was reportedly a huge fan. At the box office, it finished 16th for 1982, edged out by Porky’s and First Blood, but it beat Conan the Barbarian, Tron and Blade Runner - on a $15 million budget, it pulled in roughly $44 million domestically and an estimated $250 million lifetime, and was the top release of 1983 in France and Japan.  “The craft of that film is just art, every frame.” - Brad Elliott, property master (The Muppets, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Avatar) “It’s strange, beautiful, grotesque, and sincere, but that sincerity is why it lasts. It doesn’t look like anything else, sound like anything else, or think like anything else.” - Matthew Stockton Too Old or Movie Gold is a Vancouver Island movie podcast hosted by Olen Vanderleeden, where classic films meet modern audiences through conversations about timeless movies, memorable performances and the stories behind some of cinema’s greatest productions. Too Old or Movie Gold is part of The PULSE Podcast Community. You’ll find all episodes of The Too Old or Movie Gold Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart, TikTok, YouTube, and ThePulseCommunity.ca Sponsor for this episode is Fireside Books. Check out The PULSE Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, iHeart and YouTube podcasts, as well as ThePULSECommunity.ca https://thepulsecommunity.ca/ Sign up for our newsletter for the latest podcasts and contests! Check out the Vancouver Island Podcast Directory: The Vancouver Island Podcast Directory is a free public resource curated by The PULSE Community, helping listeners discover podcasts produced on Vancouver Island and the surrounding coastal islands. #TooOldOrPureGold #TheDarkCrystal #MoviePodcast #JimHenson #PuppetryArt #GenXvsMillennial #ThePulsePodcast #ThePulseCommunity #VancouverIsland #80sMovies Support the show

    The Dark Crystal - A Hollywood Property Master Breaks Down Jim Henson’s Puppet Magic

  5. Oct 14

    Touring Vancouver Island: Michelle Wright’s Great Canadian Roadtrip & Ron James Rocks the Apple Cart

    "Send us a text about this episode!" Why You Should Listen to This Episode: Canadian Country Music Hall of Famer Michelle Wright takes us from a farm in Merlin, Ontario to the Grand Ole Opry stage, where she sang Snowbird with Anne Murray sitting right down front, and explains why The Great Canadian Roadtrip with Jason McCoy and Doc Walker feels like hanging around the kitchen table. Comedian and author Ron James swaps Cape Breton roots with Peter, remembers sharing the makeup room with the SCTV cast at Second City, and makes the case that a comedian's job is to rock the apple cart. This Episode Features: (26:40) Michelle Wright is a Canadian Country Music Hall of Famer from Merlin, Ontario, whose 1992 hit Take It Like a Man carried her from southern Ontario clubs to Nashville. She grew up around parents who played country music, soaked up Motown from Detroit radio, sold vacuum cleaners door-to-door at 16 and played clubs six nights a week before opening for George Strait, Alabama and Kenny Rogers. A longtime World Vision ambassador who recently travelled to Zimbabwe with Jason McCoy, she is back on the road with McCoy and Doc Walker for The Great Canadian Roadtrip, with Vancouver Island stops this October. Contains the song The Great Canadian Roadtrip Rides Again. www.michelle-wright.com (05:30) Ron James was born in Glace Bay, Cape Breton, grew up in Halifax and studied history at Acadia University before heading to Toronto and Second City in 1980. After three years chasing the sitcom dream in Los Angeles, he came home, launched his solo career with Up and Down in Shaky Town, created the series Blackfly and went on to nine record-breaking CBC specials and The Ron James Show. The author of the national bestseller All Over the Map: Rambles and Ruminations from the Canadian Road is bringing new material to Courtenay, Campbell River, Nanaimo, Duncan and Victoria. www.ronjames.com Episode Quotes: "Going to Africa changed my life. I came back from that trip and I thought I needed a new couch. I kept that couch for another 20 years." - Michelle Wright, Canadian Country Music Hall of Famer, The Great Canadian Roadtrip "The whole point of laughter or stand-up comedy, for me anyway, is to try my best to process the daily trauma and chaos in the language of laughs." - Ron James, Comedian and Author, All Over the Map The PULSE Community Podcast is a weekly Vancouver Island podcast hosted by Peter McCully and Dave Graham, featuring conversations with musicians, authors, actors, athletes, business leaders and community builders from Vancouver Island, British Columbia and beyond. The PULSE Community Podcast is part of The PULSE Podcast Community. 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. You'll find all episodes of The PULSE Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, TikTok, YouTube and ThePulseCommunity.ca. Episode Sponsors: Ian Lindsay & Associates, Fireside Books & Thrifty Foods Parksville Check out Skookum Kid's Stories on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio and YouTube. Sign up for our weekly newsletter and stay up to date on the latest podcasts, guests and contests. Check out the Vancouver Island Podcast Directory: Vancouver Island Podcast Directory is a free public resource curated by The PULSE Community, helping listeners discover podcasts produced on Vancouver Island and the surrounding coastal islands. #MichelleWright #RonJames #TheGreatCanadianRoadtrip #CanadianCountryMusic #CanadianComedy #VancouverIsland #ParksvilleQualicum #VancouverIslandPodcasts #ThePulseCommunityPodcast Support the show

  6. Oct 14

    NFL Week 5 Surprises, the New York Giants & the Bronx Chopped Cheese Sandwich

    "Send us a text about this episode!" BONUS RECIPE: Download Chef Jonathan Frazier's Recipe for the Bronx Chopped Cheese: https://bit.ly/S2EP05FootballRecipe This week, Jonathan and Erin look back at a bizarre Week 5 in the NFL, break down the latest fantasy football results and turn their attention to the New York Giants. They also explore the food culture of New York, from neighbourhood bodegas to the iconic Bronx chopped cheese sandwich. Founded in 1925, the Giants are one of the NFL's historic franchises, and they sit near the top of the NFC East at 3-1-1 following a tie with the Washington Commanders. Then Chef Jonathan heads into New York's food scene, from bodega bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches and Jamaican beef patties to the Bronx chopped cheese - seasoned ground beef, onions and melted American cheese, cooked on a hot skillet, chopped together and served on a toasted roll. In This Episode The biggest surprises and upsets of NFL Week 5 The 49ers and Vikings' undefeated starts Drake Maye's five-touchdown breakout performance The Seahawks' close loss to the San Francisco 49ers Erin's fantasy football matchup and Jared Goff's second-half production The history and current season of the New York Giants The Giants' unusual tie against the Washington Commanders New York's neighbourhood food culture Bodega bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, Jamaican patties and knishes Halal chicken and rice and Italian sausage with peppers The Bronx chopped cheese sandwich and tips for making it at home Looking ahead to the Atlanta Falcons Special Thanks to Our Sponsor: Thrifty Foods Parksville for supporting ThePulseCommunity.ca. The F3 Podcast is a weekly Vancouver Island podcast hosted by Erin Haluschak and Chef Jonathan Frazier featuring conversations about NFL Teams and tailgate recipes from Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The Football & Food Podcast is part of The PULSE Podcast Community. Sign up for our weekly newsletter of new podcast releases and contests! Check out the Vancouver Island Podcast Directory: The Vancouver Island Podcast Directory is a free public resource curated by The PULSE Community, helping listeners discover podcasts produced on Vancouver Island and the surrounding coastal islands. #F3Podcast, #PulseCommunity, #VancouverIslandPodcast, #NFLFootballPodcast, #FantasyFootball, #NewYorkGiants, #ChoppedCheese Support the show

    NFL Week 5 Surprises, the New York Giants & the Bronx Chopped Cheese Sandwich

  7. Oct 7

    Shot in Vancouver with Sam Wiebe & Melanie Buggey’s Record-Setting Swim Across the Strait of Georgia

    "Send us a text about this episode!" Why You Should Listen to This Episode: Award-winning author Sam Wiebe takes us on a tour of Vancouver Island's surprisingly deep film history, from a wartime propaganda set near Victoria's airport to Hatley Castle's many starring roles and the Ucluelet shoreline that played feudal Japan in Shōgun. Plus, Nanoose Bay marathon swimmer Melanie Buggey explains how she crossed the Strait of Georgia in a record 8 hours and 42 minutes, and why Ben & Jerry's was part of the plan. This Episode Features: (17:56) Sam Wiebe is an award-winning, bestselling author best known for his Wakeland crime novels. His new book, Shot in Vancouver: Adventures in Hollywood North, is a genre-by-genre history of movies and TV shot in BC, from wartime propaganda filmed on Vancouver Island to the Emmy-sweeping hit Shōgun. Sam explains "Shot in Vancouver Syndrome," why Hatley Castle at Royal Roads keeps getting cast as every evil family mansion, how Victoria played Racine, Wisconsin in Bird on a Wire, how Ucluelet's shoreline became feudal Japan, and why so much classic CBC programming, including The Beachcombers, is nearly impossible to watch today. www.samwiebe.com (05:04) Melanie Buggey grew up swimming with the Ravensong Breakers in Qualicum Beach and now lives in Nanoose Bay. This past summer, the 33-year-old marathon swimmer crossed the Strait of Georgia from Sechelt to Schooner Cove in 8 hours and 42 minutes, without a wetsuit, setting a new record. Melanie talks about the childhood ferry ride that planted the idea, bulking up on Ben & Jerry's to fend off hypothermia, a close call with a lion's mane jellyfish, and her training for the 2027 World Aquatics Masters Championships in Budapest. Episode Quotes: "BC filmmaking is a mess, but it's a beautiful mess. There's just so much more variety than anyone knows, and we should be proud of that." - Sam Wiebe, Author, Shot in Vancouver: Adventures in Hollywood North "I tried gaining weight the healthy way. It was not happening. And then I just said, 'To heck with it. Ben & Jerry's is gonna be my new best friend.'" - Melanie Buggey, Marathon Swimmer, Nanoose Bay The PULSE Community Podcast is a weekly Vancouver Island podcast hosted by Peter McCully and Dave Graham, featuring conversations with musicians, authors, actors, athletes, business leaders and community builders from Vancouver Island, British Columbia and beyond. The PULSE Community Podcast is part of The PULSE Podcast Community. LISTEN: We have had the chance to talk to many authors from across Vancouver Island and beyond - explore more stories and interviews on our Vancouver Island Authors page. You'll find all episodes of The PULSE Podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, TikTok and YouTube, as well as ThePulseCommunity.ca. Click here to learn how to Support the show. Episode Sponsors: Fireside Books, Tablet Pharmacy & Ian Lindsay & Associates. Check out Skookum Kid's Stories on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio and YouTube Podcasts. Sign up for our weekly newsletter and stay up to date on the latest podcasts, guests and contests. Check out the Vancouver Island Podcast Directory: Vancouver Island Podcast Directory is a free public resource curated by The PULSE Community, helping listeners discover podcasts produced on Vancouver Island and the surrounding coastal islands. #SamWiebe #ShotInVancouver #HollywoodNorth #MelanieBuggey #StraitOfGeorgia #MarathonSwimming #VancouverIsland #ParksvilleQualicum #VancouverIslandPodcasts #ThePulseCommunityPodcast Support the show

  8. Oct 7

    Oceanside’s Water Explained with Arrowsmith Water Service chair Scott Harrison

    "Send us a text about this episode!" Parksville City Councillors Joel Grenz and Sean Wood open Season 2 of Nonpartisan Hacks: Pulse Edition with the question everyone in Oceanside was asking this summer: if we live in a rainforest, why are we under a watering ban?  Their guest is Scott Harrison, two-term Town of Qualicum Beach councillor and chair of the Arrowsmith Water Service, the joint venture of Qualicum Beach, Parksville and the Regional District of Nanaimo that owns and operates the Arrowsmith Dam. Harrison explains how stages are set by the province based on flow in the Englishman River, not on how much water residents use, and that most of the water stored behind the dam is released for fish habitat. On whether growth is to blame, Scott offers a both-sides answer: "The problem is that both of them are right. And both of them are not quite right." The conversation also covers housing types and water use, a recovering Parksville aquifer, and what a possible super El Niño winter could mean. Listen for: • Why Parksville faces strict watering restrictions while Qualicum Beach stays at Stage 1 • How the province's operating rule ties restrictions to Englishman River flow, not water use • What new LiDAR data revealed about the Mount Arrowsmith snowpack • Why the Arrowsmith Dam spilled in early February, the earliest in its history • How housing type shapes household water use Nonpartisan Hacks is a Vancouver Island political podcast hosted by Joel Grenz and Sean Wood, featuring lively, independent conversations about local government, public policy and the issues affecting communities. Non-Partisan Hacks is part of The PULSE Podcast Community. Text us about this episode: Send us a text Visit the Nonpartisan Hacks website: 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. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to stay up to date on guests, contests and more: https://bit.ly/PulseNewsletterSignup Check out the Vancouver Island Podcast Directory: The Vancouver Island Podcast Directory is a free public resource curated by The PULSE Community, helping listeners discover podcasts produced on Vancouver Island and the surrounding coastal islands. #NonpartisanHacks #ThePulsePodcast #VancouverIslandPodcasts #ParksvilleBC #QualicumBeach #Oceanside #ScottHarrison #JoelGrenz #SeanWood #WaterRestrictions #ArrowsmithDam #EnglishmanRiver  Support the show

    Oceanside’s Water Explained with Arrowsmith Water Service chair Scott Harrison
See All (190)

About

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!

Information

  • Creator
    Dave Graham & Peter McCully
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    190
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Pulse
  • Show Website
    The Pulse

You Might Also Like