This Voices In The City episode was recorded live on June 13 at the 2025 BC Leadership Prayer Breakfast. 

Our special guest was Anthony Robles, an American Wrestler who won the 2011 NCAA individual wrestling national championship in the 125-pound weight class, despite being born with only one leg. 

He is the author of the book 'Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion' that was made into a 2024 movie produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's production company.

Now an inspirational speaker, Anthony brought his message of reliance and hope to the approximately 1000 people gathered for the 2025 BC Leadership Prayer Breakfast. 

Michael Audain is a well-known Vancouverite who is a Canadian home builder, philanthropist and art collector. He is the chairman and major Shareholder of Polygon Homes, one of the largest multi-family builders in British Columbia and Canada.

Michael also serves as Chairman of the Audain Foundation, supporting the visual arts and wildlife conservation. Awarded five honorary doctorate degrees, Michael is an officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of British Columbia.

At the 24th BC Leadership Prayer Breakfast put on by City In Focus, Michael is interviewed by an old family friend and event MC Jai Kim, where we learn more about his impact and philosophy on the province of British Columbia.

He is married to Yoshiko Karasawa and is actively involved with his grandchildren and many dogs.

Yonah Martin is a Conservative Senator from British Columbia, appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2009. She is the first Canadian of Korean descent to serve in the Senate of Canada and the first Korean-Canadian parliamentarian in Canadian history.

Senator Martin is currently the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. She has been Co-Chair of the Canada Korea Inter-Parliamentary Group since 2009; and serves on the Executive of various inter-parliamentary groups. 

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Yonah Martin immigrated to Canada in 1972, and resided in Metro-Vancouver. She had a 21-year teaching career until her appointment to the Senate. She later co-founded C3 Korean Canadian Society, a non-profit organization that aims to "bridge communities". Currently, she serves as Honorary Patron of C3

She has been married to Doug Martin for over 25 years, and they are proud parents of a daughter, Kiana Mi-Sun. 

Today, City In Focus’s Tom Cooper is interviewing Lt. Colonel Jamie Braund, the director of the Salvation Army in BC.

Jamie is the director of the Salvation Army in BC. Moving back and forth between Ontario and British Columbia, Jamie has worked in a variety of leadership positions in the hierarchy of the 150-year-old Salvation Army.

He has been here as the Divisional Commander of the Salvation Army in BC since 2018, where he has initiated transformative and His old friend, Tom Cooper, interviewed him here on the present and the future of the Salvation Army in BC - and the important work they do here in our CITY.

Today, Tom Cooper is interviewing Casandra Diamond, founder of Bridge North, a Woman’s Mentorship and Advocacy service in Ontario that is dedicated to ending sex trafficking in Canada through direct service, public education, and advocacy.

Casandra Diamond is a survivor of sex trafficking in Canada, and is a nationally recognized anti-trafficking leader serving as a trusted advisor to many levels of gov’t.

Tom asks Casandra about her background, how she got into what she calls, ‘the life’, and how she got out of it. She has great advice for parents and her story is one of compassion for those women still caught in the same trap she found herself in.

Casandra’s strength and tenacity comes from her personal faith. She started Bridge North to come alongside others to help them in their journey.

If you’d like to reach out to Bridge North for help or to help sustain their work, please get in touch with them at their hotline - at 1-833-900—1010, or check out their website at bridgenother.org.

Sam Sullivan is a politician, community leader and advocate for the disabled and disenfranchised of the city and the country. 

Even though Sullivan became paralyzed after breaking his neck in a skiing accident at age 19, he’s been major force in Vancouver politics and advocacy over the last 30 years. 

Sam has been an MLA for Vancouver-False Creek, as well as the 38th Mayor of Vancouver and a Vancouver City Councilman of many years. He’s currently President of the Global Civic Policy Society, of which is was the founder.

He’s been inducted into the Order Of Canada, the nation's highest civilian award for community achievement in recognition of his tireless work with The Sam Sullivan Disability Foundation, improving the lives of those with significant disabilities. 

Innovative and creative, Sam has started numerous non-profits that have benefited the disabled of our city.

He’s funny, light-hearted and insightful in this conversation with his old friend Tom Cooper. Enjoy and be inspired!

In our 4th episode, we interview Dr. Will Johnston.

He is an assistant professor of family medicine at the University of British Columbia, the Chair of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, and still maintains a full-service family physician practice in Vancouver, B.C. In his words, “delivering babies, looking after people at the palliative end of life and caring for people with disabilities who are nowhere near dying.”

He was instrumental in starting Physicians for Life and has laid his career on the line as a stalwart defender of life for the unborn as well as being a leader in the campaign against medical termination of life with the elderly.

Born in BC, then migrating to the prairies, he returned in the early 80s, got married, had children, and had a profound Christian conversion experience clutching the steering wheel of his car on some nondescript road in New Westminster. 

Following his deeply held convictions he has fearlessly worked for the Pro-Life movement and the Canadian public on abortion and medically assisted dying, to illuminate both the truth and the heart of the issues.

He's known as a super caring, knowledgeable, courteous, and pleasant family doctor.

He resides with his wife Norah in Vancouver BC.

Jimmy Crescenzo started the East End Boys Club out of a desire to help the marginalized youth between the ages of 13-18 at the high school where he was a teacher. Having lost his own father at an early age, Jimmy had an empathetic heart for boys who were alone and struggling through difficult family circumstances. The East End Boys Club provides life skills training and emotional support for boys who could easily fall through the cracks of society.

City In Focus has come alongside Jimmy and his staff to raise bursaries for the boys continued education. Tom Cooper helps the boys through participation in CIF’s annual leadership prayer breakfast and provides business women and men to share their lives and faith with JImmy's weekly club meetings.

Join us in Episode 3 to hear from this amazing man and his capacious heart for others.

In our 2nd episode of Voices in The City, CIF president Tom Cooper is interviewed by friend and colleague Roy Salmond on the people and places that benefit from the work of City In Focus. 

City In Focus is a wide-reaching organization that fosters organizations and people that work in the city, for the city, and importantly, for the Soul of the city. People from various businesses and walks of life are helping the marginalized and needy of Vancouver.

Through CIF’s BC Leadership Prayer breakfast, the Saint Nicholas Fund and many other public endeavours, City In Focus reaches out to galvanize the business community to connect with the social movers and shakers that make a difference in our city.

Tom is rich and thoughtful with a light touch that anyone can understand and appreciate. Candid, forthright, and forthcoming, Tom challenges and inspires us to be the best version of ourselves in the service of others.

Hear how help happens - in this animated and enlightening conversation.

In the episode, CIF president Tom Cooper is interviewed by friend and colleague Roy Salmond and how City In Focus came into being.

It's a varied trip from Texas to New York City. Then to California and Washington State with England in between there somewhere, finally ending up in Vancouver with plenty of experience, acumen and a vision for the soul of the city.

Tom is rich and thoughtful with a light touch that anyone can understand and appreciate. Candid, forthright and forthcoming, Tom challenges and inspires us toward being the best version of ourselves in the service of others.

Join us for this animated and enlightening conversation.