CEED Centre in Maple Ridge is launching a podcast.
CEED Pod will be aired once a month, and feature a diverse team of hosts ranging in age from 14 to 70 years old, explained Christian Cowley, executive director of the CEED Centre Society.
“We’d like to be a mix of environmental, social and economic issues that challenge life here in our area,” Cowley said.
The non-profit – formed in 1984 as the Fraser Information Society – is dedicated to educating the community on environmental and development issues.
Cowley is hoping to highlight some of the personalities in the community, including those in the non-profit sector, who have interesting tales to tell, and unique perspectives.
For instance, “you can be working alongside somebody, and not realize they are an incredible saxophone player,” he said.
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So far, he has a team of six including: two students in Grades 9 and 11; a young female entrepreneur who runs a speaker accelerator program called Shine Bootcamp; and Jack Emberly, a retired teacher, environmentalist, and columnist for The News.
Cowley is looking to present an Indigenous perspective as well.
They are working in partnership with Simon Fraser University’s faculty of communication, arts, and technology, which has provided them with communications grads with podcasting experience who are currently mentoring them.
The group is still learning how to edit, he said.
Cowley expects the podcast to be launched in March.
Episode zero will be an introduction podcast where his team will be telling listeners about themselves, in addition to a synopsis on what it expects to tackle.
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Episode one has already been planned out, Cowley noted, and will focus on salmon stocks in Alouette Lake and the Shine speaker accelerator program.
Each episode will be in a conversational style – typically two hosts talking about an issue with a third person brought in as the guest – with two-to-three segments each episode.
The most challenging thing about putting the podcast together, said Cowley, has been organizing the team.
He doesn’t anticipate running out of topics, or people to feature, and has already put together a list of about 20 people he would like to see interviewed.
“Our major goal is to bridge some of the divides we are seeing in the general society,” added Cowley, referencing the separation between conservative and progressive thinkers.
“We want to tackle some of those complex issues, bringing multiple viewpoints,” explained Cowley.
When launched, CEED Pod will be available on any platform where podcasts are available.
cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
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