SFU Public Square

SFU Public Square SFU Public Square is situated at 312 Main, a centre for social and economic innovation in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

SFU Public Square holds space for SFU and its communities to learn together and work towards equitable and sustainable solutions to our world's complex challenges. We work across all of SFU’s campuses, supporting faculty, students, staff, alumni and diverse communities to convene accessible, innovative and inclusive programming that brings people together to find ways to meaningfully contribute to the issues that affect our lives. Every year, we collaboratively program dozens of workshops, debates, public conversations, discussion panels and other gatherings. These spaces encourage different perspectives and ways of knowing to collide and influence each other. The experience is transformative, inspiring deeper conversations, igniting networks, building capacity and catalyzing curiosity and concern into advocacy and action.

The limits on government spending aren’t always what we think they are. At The Economics of What’s Possible, economist D...
10/02/2026

The limits on government spending aren’t always what we think they are.
 
At The Economics of What’s Possible, economist Dr. Stephanie Kelton offered a different perspective on what constrains government spending, emphasizing the role of available resources rather than money itself. The conversation also explored how this perspective can be applied to broader economic and social priorities in Canada. 

We would like to thank Dr. Stephanie Kelton, Joy Johnson, and Elder Graunty Terri Mae Galligos for their thoughtful contributions, which brought depth and nuance to the conversation, and to those who joined us with an open mind. 

Keep an eye out for more conversations to come! 

10/01/2026

The room may have changed from empty to full, but the bigger transformation was in how we think about what’s possible. 💭 

Last week, we were joined by Dr. Stephanie Kelton for a thought-provoking evening that challenged familiar ways of thinking about the economy and sparked a broader conversation about the role of public spending and the choices behind it. 

There’s more to come! Subscribe to our General Newsletter to stay in the know about upcoming events and opportunities. 

🔗 Sign up now through our website 

AI data centres are expanding rapidly across Canada, but what will its growth mean for our climate, environment, and com...
09/25/2026

AI data centres are expanding rapidly across Canada, but what will its growth mean for our climate, environment, and communities? 

Join us for an expert panel discussion tackling the challenges and opportunities of Canada’s AI data centre buildout and asking what conditions, if any, determine its social license to operate. 

You’ll hear from Paris Marx, Sean Mullin, moderator ISAAC PHAN NAY, and more. 

Co-presented with support from The Tyee, SFU Climate Innovation, the Dialogue on Technology Project and the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICSClimate), the evening will include a moderated audience Q&A. 

📅 November 19, 2026, from 6:30pm – 8:30pm 
🎟️ Indigenous, Student & Senior Ticket: $5.00 | General Admission: $10.00 
📍 The Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema & Online 
🔗 Link in bio 

09/24/2026

The best part of the office isn’t the coffee ☕️

Behind every busy workday are the people who make it a little more fun.

Tag someone who makes your day a little better 👇

09/23/2026

Vancouver’s mayoral candidates want your vote – but first, they have to earn it. 

Join us and for the Mayoral Mixer, a lively election event tackling the biggest issues facing the city. 

Politics podcaster Mo Amir and Tyee city reporter Jen St. Denis will put the candidates on center stage with sharp questions about housing and development, public safety, drug policy, AI data centres, infrastructure costs, city finances and more. 

Confirmed candidates include Greens, TEAM, Vote Vancouver and Vancouver Liberals, with more to be announced. 

The in-person event is sold out, but free livestream tickets are still available! 
 
📅 October 5, 2026, from 7:00pm – 8:30pm 
🔗 Register at the link in bio 

09/10/2026

How do we decide what Canada can afford, and what we can’t?

Join Dr. Stephanie Kelton on September 24 for a conversation that challenges how we think about money, public spending and what’s possible.

🎟️ Register now! https://ow.ly/w0jx50ZMnX7

🎤 Meet the Speaker: manuel axel strain | The Sorceress of Sky Serpents Book Launch An artist from the lands and waters o...
09/03/2026

🎤 Meet the Speaker: manuel axel strain | The Sorceress of Sky Serpents Book Launch

An artist from the lands and waters of the Musqueam, Simpcw, and Syilx peoples, Strain centers Indigenous ways of knowing – drawing on the lived experiences and teachings of their family and ancestors.

In September, they will join acclaimed author Eden Robinson and Julian Brave NoiseCat (Julian Brave NoiseCat) for a celebration of Robinson’s new book. The evening will begin with a welcome from Strain, followed by an engaging discussion on Indigenous mythology and storytelling, an audience Q&A, and a post-event reception, where Robinson will sign books.

This event is supported by Random House Canada, SFU Library, SFU LIVE, CapULibrary, and Talking Stick Festival.

A signed copy of The Sorceress of Sky Serpents is included with the purchase of a Book Ticket.

📅 September 28, 2026, from 6:00pm – 8:30pm
📍 Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
🔗 Link in bio

A full room doesn’t always tell the whole story. So, what actually makes an event worth showing up for? After years of b...
08/28/2026

A full room doesn’t always tell the whole story.

So, what actually makes an event worth showing up for?

After years of bringing people together through public programming, we’ve learned that attendance is only one part of the picture. The events that stay with us are the ones that spark a new idea, start an unexpected conversation, or make us feel more connected to the people around us.

From the speakers who bring complex ideas to life to the small details that help people feel welcome, the most unforgettable events tend to share a few common threads.

We’re sharing 3 things that can turn an event into a memorable experience in our latest blog. Link in bio 🔗

What if the stories we tell about money shape not just our economy, but our collective sense of what's possible? On Sept...
08/21/2026

What if the stories we tell about money shape not just our economy, but our collective sense of what's possible?

On September 24, join internationally renowned economist Dr. Stephanie Kelton for a fireside conversation exploring how our ideas about money, debt, scarcity and government spending quietly shape the choices we make as a society.

Drawing on her bestselling book The Deficit Myth: Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth of the People's Economy, Dr. Kelton will challenge conventional wisdom about what we can and can’t afford, and consider what becomes possible when we start to rethink our resources and economic choices.

The evening will include an audience Q&A and light refreshments before the event.

🎟️ General Admission: $19.99 | Student & Senior Ticket: $9.99
📍 The Vancouver Playhouse
🔗 Link in bio

🎤 Meet the Speaker: Julian Brave NoiseCat (Julian Brave NoiseCat) | The Sorceress of Sky Serpents Book Launch A writer a...
08/18/2026

🎤 Meet the Speaker: Julian Brave NoiseCat (Julian Brave NoiseCat) | The Sorceress of Sky Serpents Book Launch

A writer and filmmaker from the Secwépemc and St’at’imc nations, NoiseCat is the first Indigenous North American filmmaker nominated for an Academy Award. His national bestselling book, We Survived the Night, explores themes of Indigenous identity, family and history.

In September, he will be joining author Eden Robinson for a conversation on the role of storytelling as a vessel for culture, identity, and resilience, with manuel axel strain opening the evening with a welcome. The evening will also feature an engaging audience Q&A, post-event reception, and book signing.

This event is supported by Random House Canada, SFU Library, SFU LIVE, CapULibrary, and Talking Stick Festival.

A signed copy of The Sorceress of Sky Serpents is included with the purchase of a Book Ticket.

📅 September 28, 2026, from 6:00pm – 8:30pm
📍 Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
🔗 Link in bio

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Vancouver, BC

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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+17787829442

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