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The dancer and festival director of the 19th Annual Coastal Dance Festival Margaret Grenier discusses what to expect this week (03-08 March 2026) at the Anvil Centre and the Museum of Anthropology, with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   The 19th Annual Coastal Dance Festival starts tomorrow (03 March 2026), which in stories, song and dance, honours the Indigenous cultures along the Northwest Coast, as well as across Canada and around the world. Joining me now is Margaret Grenier, who is the festival director, and a member of the award-winning group Dancers of Damelahamid, who will be performing a mountain goat transformation mask dance. I’ll ask Margaret about the festival, and the performance she’ll be part of, and the other highlights Tuesday (03 March 2026) at New Westminster’s Anvil Centre, and 04-08 March 2026 at UBC’s Museum of Anthropology. Among other highlights include a preview of Tasha Faye Evans’s full-length work Cedar Woman, as well as the Sámi singers Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska and Lawra Somby, who’ll present their traditional Sámi culture from Norway. The festival will also feature a film screening of the documentary So Surreal: Behind The Masks, a film by Neil Diamond and Joanne Robertson. Margaret Grenier has created and run the festival for 19 years now, and she continues the legacy of her mother, the late Elder Margaret Harris, who played an important role in the resurgence of traditional cultural practices among different Indigenous groups across the Northwest Coast. Visit www.damelahamid.ca for tickets and the full program. We taped this interview last week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Margaret Grenier; Ms. Grenier, good morning.  The post Margaret Grenier first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The musical theatre writer Adam Gwon discusses the new Original Cast Recording of his musical All The World’s A Stage (Joy Machine Records, 2026), with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   As I tell Adam Gwon, in the conversation that follows, it was the song “Fine” from his musical Ordinary Days that I likely first came across his work. It must have been one of the many performances that one can see on YouTube that introduced me to his music and lyrics. It’s an oft-covered song because it’s funny and it tells a story, like a lot of Mr. Gwon’s songs. Last spring, All the World’s A Stage had a run off-Broadway. It had been commissioned by Keen Company. Today, the full album of the Original Cast Recording is released by Joy Machine Records, and features songs from the show that the New York Times described as “disarmingly powerful,” and as “charming, specific and appealing.” I’ll ask Adam about the show that he also wrote the book for, that earned Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Lyrics, and Outstanding Orchestrations. The show is set in small-town America in the 1990s, where a gay high school teacher has to maneuver carefully depending on the wherever he finds himself at the moment. His carefully comparmentalised life starts to unravel, and the desire to make connections and yet be true to oneself in polarised times, makes the show timely and universal. Here’s part of one of the numbers in the show, “Saturday Night in a Small Auditorium,” that not only gives us a sense of Mr. Gwon’s work, but the scene that is set as the show begins. Adam Gwon is the acclaimed musical theatre writer whose works include Ordinary Days, The Boy Detective Fails, Cloudlands, Bernice Bobs Her Hair, Cakeoff, String, Scotland, PA, and Witnesses. Visit www.adamgwon.com for more. We spoke earlier this week with Adam joining me from New York City. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Adam Gwon; Mr. Gwon, good morning.The post Adam Gwon first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The academic, poet and writer Adrian De Leon discusses his new book Balikbayan: A Revenant History of The Philippine Homeland (University of Washington Press, 2026), with Joseph Planta. Balikbayan: A Revenant History of The Philippine Homeland by Adrian De Leon (University of Washington Press, 2026). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Balikbayan Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   One of the more fascinating books of the year, is the newest one from the academic Adrian De Leon, Balikbayan: A Revenant History of The Philippine Homeland. The title says a lot, but not all. The word ‘Balikbayan’ means to go back to one’s homeland. The word can also be used to describe the Filipino return migrant, and that’s taken different forms from the Illustrados, who were 19th century Filipinos who left to be educated in Spain or other parts of Europe, to the migrant worker who leaves the Philippines to work abroad, while sending remittances back. And the homeland they leave gets shaped and influenced by the various colonisers that arrive in the country, from the Spanish to the Americans, to the Japanese, and the Americans again. And today, while the Filipino living elsewhere looks at their roots as a place to visit, support, or stare at, the idea of homeland is reshaped again through those same eyes that left it willingly or unwillingly, like say those who were born elsewhere thanks to their parents migrating away. The book is highly readable even though it was largely written for an academic audience, because Adrian, who joins me now, thinks critically about the waves of migration away, as well as the political and economic development in the Philippines that are affected or even inspired by that migration. The life and work of Jose Rizal is also looked at critically, as De Leon revisits and reassess his place in the Philippine consciousness. Adrian De Leon is an award-winning writer, poet, critic, public historian, and an Assistant Professor of History, and co-chair of Sulo: The Philippine Studies Initiative at New York University. His previous books include Bundok: A Hinterland History of Filipino America (University of North Carolina Press, 2024), and barangay: an offshore poem (Buckrider Books, 2021). This new book is published by University of Washington Press. The website for more is at www.adriandeleon.ca. We spoke one week ago with Adrian joining me from New York City. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Adrian De Leon; Professor De Leon, good morning.  The post Adrian De Leon first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The writer and broadcaster Steve Burgess discusses his new book Cheapskate in Lotusland: The Philosophy and Practice of Living Well on a Small Budget (Douglas & McIntyre, 2026), with Joseph Planta. Cheapskate in Lotusland: The Philosophy and Practice of Living Well on a Small Budget by Steve Burgess (Douglas & McIntyre, 2026). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Cheapskate in Lotusland Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   Steve Burgess joins me again. He’s written a terrific new book, Cheapskate in Lotusland: The Philosophy and Practice of Living Well on a Small Budget. It looks at how we all view money and how we spend it. Some of us are spendthrifts, while admitting to wanting to be thriftier. Our habits are changing because of the inflation around us, but not quickly enough. Certainly not as fast as Steve, who seems to be ahead of a lot of this. He does some research in the book as to consumerism and our reaction to it. He’s looked at the price of things like food, and how manufacturers as well as the grocery outlets throughout the country make their money off of us.  Steve has lived well in his over three decades in Vancouver, without making a lot. And the book provides marvelous insight into how he’s lived, and sometimes it’s amusing, but there’s a lot of wisdom too. The hope as one reads the book is that readers will glean some practical advice that just might give us a little more financial security; and we certainly could use some nowadays. Steve Burgess is a writer and broadcaster, who has received two Canadian National Magazine Awards. He is a contributing editor at The Tyee, and an award-winning documentary director. His previous books include Reservations: The Pleasures and Perils of Travel, which was longlisted for the Leacock Medal, and Who Killed Mom? His work has appeared in such publications as Reader’s Digest, Maclean’s, and The Globe and Mail. This new book is published by Douglas & McIntyre. We spoke nearly two weeks ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Steve Burgess; Mr. Burgess, good morning.  The post Steve Burgess first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The Snuneymuxw artist Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun discusses the new exhibit he curated Every River Has a Mouth (14 February 2026 to 14 February 2027 at the Bill Reid Gallery), with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   Opening this Saturday, 14 February 2026 and running until Valentine’s Day 2027 is Every River Has a Mouth. It’s a major exhibition at the Bill Reid Gallery on Hornby Street, guest curated by my guest now, the Snuneymuxw artist Eliot White-Hill, Kwulasultun. Guided by the concept of the Fraser River as a physical and symbolic connector, the exhibit highlights the cultural, linguistic and artistic relationships between the Interior and Coast Salish peoples. The exhibit will feature sculpture, printmaking, textiles, painting, and mixed media. I’ll ask Kwulasultun about what’s to see at the gallery over the next year, and the different forms of art showcased. The work of leading Salish artists, such as Susan Point and Angela George will be featured, as well as eleven other established and emerging artists. I’ll also ask Kwulasultun about how Salish art has been regarded over the years. There was a time when it was largely marginalised and overlooked, especially when compared to the northern Indigenous art of the Haida and Tlingit. Visit www.billreidgallery.ca for tickets and information on Every River Has a Mouth, and visit www.Kwulasultun.com for more. We spoke three weeks ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Eliot White-Hill; Kwulasultun, good morning.The post Eliot White-Hall, Kwulasultun first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The poet Russell Thornton discusses his new collection Two Songs: Selected Poems 2000-2025 (Harbour Publishing, 2025), with Joseph Planta. Two Songs: Selected Poems 2000-2025 by Russell Thornton (Harbour Publishing, 2025). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Two Songs Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   Russell Thornton joins me again. He’s got a new collection out, Two Songs: Selected Poems, 2000-2025. It reflects a period of time in the writer’s life, as well as selections from poetry collections published over the last quarter century. You see the writer at his most perceptive, not just of places here and abroad, the sounds and smells that linger, as well as the memories of people past and present that evoke happy as well as sad memories. We see Russell write of Vancouver’s North Shore, where he lives, with a reverence that applies to other places he’s been, giving the reader new insights and new vistas to imagine themselves. I found the collection fascinating because it allowed me the chance to read between the lines, not just what Mr. Thornton has written, but oneself, one’s own memories; even people one hasn’t thought about in a while. I’ll ask Russell about writing, and whether he always wanted to write. I’ll ask him as to what growth he’s seen of himself as a writer and as a person. Russell Thornton is a Canadian poet with nine previously published collections. His 2013 collection Birds, Metals, Stones & Rain, which he first appeared on this program with, was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry, the Raymond Souster Award, and the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize. This new collection is from Harbour Publishing. He joined me from his home in North Vancouver last week. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Russell Thornton; Mr. Thornton, good morning.The post Russell Thornton first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The actor and director Anjela Magpantay discusses the show she’s performing in it is for when you meet me, a mainstage presentation at the Hold On Let Go Festival (04, 07 February 2026), with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   Anjela Magpantay joins me now. She’s created and will be performing it is for when you meet me, a mainstage presentation for the Hold On Let Go Festival. The two performances are Wednesday, 04 and Saturday, 07 February 2026 at the Russian Hall on Campbell Street. I’ll ask Anjela about the show, which looks at the Filipino cultural phenomenon of gift giving, pasalubong, especially from Filipinos abroad to relatives and loved ones back home. Anjela also looks at the ubiquitous Balikbayan box, the large cardboard box that is packed to the brim with toiletries, canned goods, clothes, towels and other sundries and shipped to The Philippines. The piece is an audience-interactive show. Visit www.holdonletgo.ca for tickets and information. Anjela Magpantay is a first-generation Canadian originating from the Philippines, who graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BFA in Theatre Performance. She has worked internationally as a performer and collaborator, and has worked as an assistant director. She was interim artistic director of rice & beans theatre in 2025. We spoke last week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Anjela Magpantay; Ms. Magpantay, good morning.  The post Anjela Magpantay first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The artistic director of Music on Main David Pay previews the Second Annual Big Bang Festival (Sunday, 15 February 2026), with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   David Pay joins me again. The artistic director of Music on Main is on to preview their Second Annual Big Bang Festival. It’s a great way to spend the Sunday on Family Day Weekend, 15 February 2026 in and around the Roundhouse Community Centre. I’ll ask David about what to expect, as there are free events, as well as ticketed events, those are $5. The turnout last year was good, and I’ll ask David to reflect on what there’s to do for kids and non-kids alike, all having to do with music and art. Visit www.musiconmain.ca for more. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, David Pay; Mr. Pay, good morning.The post David Pay first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The playwright and actor Mark Crawford discusses his play The Golden Anniversaries, which has its Western Canadian premiere at the Arts Club Theatre’s Granville Island Stage (22 January-15 February 2026), with Joseph Planta. Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   Opening tomorrow night, Wednesday, 28 January 2026 is the latest Arts Club Theatre Company production, The Golden Anniversaries. It’s the Western Canadian premiere of the comedy-drama by Canadian playwright Mark Crawford. He joins me now to preview the show, and the moving and humorous portrait of a couple celebrating fifty years of marriage, and what might he have wanted to impart to an audience as a result. In the show, starring Peter Anderson and Eileen Barrett, Glen and Sandy are about to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary, but Sandy has cancelled the party at the cottage, and kicked him to the curb. He wants to talk and as the show unfolds we’re witness to laughter, reflection, regret, tenderness, and an honest reckoning. Mark Crawford is an actor and playwright whose work includes the plays Stag and Doe, The Birds and the Bees, The New Canadian Curling Club, The Gig, and Boys, Girls, and Other Mythological Creatures. The website for more is at www.markcrawfordplays.com. The show at the Granville Island Stage has been in previews since last week, opens tomorrow, and runs until 15 February 2026. Visit www.artsclub.com for tickets and information. We spoke this past Thursday, with Mark joining me from his home in Stratford, Ontario. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Mark Crawford; Mr. Crawford, good morning.  The post Mark Crawford first appeared on thecommentary.ca.

The author Lindsay Wong discusses her new novel Villain Hitting for Vicious Little Nobodies (Penguin, 2026), with Joseph Planta. Villain Hitting for Vicious Little Nobodies by Lindsay Wong (Penguin, 2026). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Villain Hitting for Vicious Little Nobodies Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta: I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.   Lindsay Wong joins me again. She’s just published a new novel, Villain Hitting for Vicious Little Nobodies. It’s often funny, as well as horrifying in some parts. The book follows Locinda Lo, an MFA dropout living in Vancouver with six roommates and zero job prospects. She’s got a heavy debt load, and at the same time has to save her grandmother and sister. She might as well be dead, and to escape life, she’s signed up to be a corpse bride, to be sold to the highest bidder. She’s got training, which we follow her through, where she’s got to prepare for being a bride in the afterlife. The book looks at the ghosts, real and imagined. We can’t escape our past and that haunts a lot of the book, especially in how Locinda and the other characters comport themselves. I’ll ask Lindsay about the book, and the world of curses that she illuminates and illustrates throughout. It’s fascinating stuff to think one could curse somebody else, and what that could mean for oneself in the present and the afterlife. The burden on women especially is something that one reads about in the book, and it’s culturally imposed as well, which makes the writing of this novel subversive as well as engaging. Lindsay Wong is the author of the critically acclaimed, award-winning, and bestselling memoir The Woo-Woo, which was a finalist for Canada Reads 2019. It won the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize, which in full disclosure, I sat on the judging panel for. It was also longlisted for the Leacock Medal. In 2023, she published a short story collection Tell Me Pleasant Things About Immortality, which she first appeared on the program with, and was shortlisted for the Jim Deva Prize for Writing that Provokes. She’s also written a YA novel My Summer of Love and Misfortune. She holds a BFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia, and an MFA in literary non-fiction from Columbia University. She teaches creative writing at the University of Winnipeg. Visit www.lindsaywongwriter.com for more. The new book is published by Penguin. We spoke one week ago, with Lindsay joining me from Toronto. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Lindsay Wong; Professor Wong, good morning.The post Lindsay Wong first appeared on thecommentary.ca.