75 German-Speaking Influential People in Western Canada

Vancouver— August 29, 2020 —Today Elke Porter is announcing “75 German-Speaking Influential People in Western Canada” is available as a print or digital download from the popular “Magcloud” Platform.

“There is a bit of work involved for my readers, as they will have to sign up to Magcloud,” said Elke Porter, author and publisher. “MagCloud allows users to distribute professional-quality print publication or digital options for mobile and online viewers, but the good news is that the printed book can be shipped directly to their address even if they live in Europe or the USA.”

“75 German-Speaking Influential People in Western Canada” is a book that shares the personal stories and accomplishments of Austrians, Germans & Swiss who immigrated to Western Canada in search of a better life in the last century. It also shares stories of the many associations, charities, festivals, nonprofits & societies.

Elke Porter was able to gather the information needed for this book after utilizing the 20 years of research gathered to generate content for her newsletters, blogs and magazines. “Westcoast German News” is a local Vancouver blog that shares information about German-speakers in the English language that she founded in 2007. Elke Porter is also an active member of the German Canadian Business Association.

The book is now available for sale, though as soon as the lockdown is over, Elke Porter would like to hold a book launch at a German Venue in Vancouver, where she will be available to sign copies of the book or help you order them from the MagCloud Platform. She is also willing to order books for anyone who is not computer savvy for $75 CAD. This includes the book plus delivery fees, although this option is only available for people who reside in Vancouver. For those who order 10 or more copies, you can receive a 15% discount from Magcloud. If you order 50 or more, it is a 20% discount and for 100, you will receive a 25% discount. Order yours today!

Who is Elke Porter?

From the book in a chapter called \”About the Author\” – My parents immigrated to Canada in 1956 (mother) and 1961 (father) and met and married in Toronto, Ontario. This is where I was born.

we arrived in “Beautiful British Columbia” in 1972, my parents
immediately started attending a German Church in Vancouver, BC called
Bethel Church. They also took us to the Vancouver Alpen Club once a
year on Mother’s Day. After moving to Surrey we attended another very
small Baptist Church, also called Bethel, and we were enrolled in the
Surrey Language German School under the leadership of Frau Berndt
in 1976. A highlight of the German School was the summer student
exchange with the Karl-Friedrich-Gauss Schule near Hannover in 1985.

When I moved to California,we only stayed 10 months. After moving
to Kitsilano, we started attending Immanuel Baptist Church, which had
been built by hand by Germans in the 1950’s. My summer jobs included
working at the Bavarian Restaurant in Kitsilano, opening mail at Teldon
and working at a motorhome company in Richmond that catered to German tourists. When I married, my husband and I moved to Australia, where I started working at the Johannes Gutenberg Deutsche Schule as Preschool Supervisor.

Back in Vancouver, we were blessed with our first child, and in staying home with her I started the first of a series of German Playgroups. When Kecia Boecking reached out to me, we began a Monday morning playgroup that still exists today. Life became busier with a second child, but we still continued to attend the St. Marks Playgroup. Gradually, I became more involved with the Germanfest Society 2005, German Canadian Congress, the DKV Society, the European Festival, the Swiss Society, the German Canadian Business Association, the Westside German School and the German
Canadian Heritage Plaza. I enjoy working with Beatrice Schreiber, the President of the German Canadian Business Association, who I consider my mentor. During my time at the Westside German School, under the leadership of Christine Spreter, I was able to use music and songs as tools to teach the German Language. When I attended the Surrey German
School back in the 1970’s and ‘80’s, we had “singing” for the last half-hour, with a teacher Frau Schmidt, who had a different hair colour each week. This was always a highlight for me.

The Westcoast German Newsletter was then first published in 2007 as “German Voices Vancouver” and is still around as a blog today. In 2019, I started the “European News” website and set up a German Business Directory with the intent of providing listings for German, Austrian and Swiss companies in western Canada. During this time, ff you want
to join my directory, it is only $25 a year for a regular listing and $50 for a featured listing. Please contact me at info@ europeanneww.ca

My goal in writing this book was to bring the past to life and to give credit to the many Germans who contributed so much to Vancouver, and British
Columbia and to Canada as a whole. Thank you! Danke schön!

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