Community Stories
An Open Letter from Elder Bill Jones
As the NDP government and the forest industry continue to clear cut on unceded Pacheedaht lands and wildfires rage throughout BC and Canada, Elder Bill Jones calls again for the protection of the old-growth forests he calls his cathedral.
Towards a Drought-Ready British Columbia
Drought Ready analyzes the last decade of droughts and drought management in B.C. and offers practical guidance to move away from reactive crisis response and toward proactive drought planning. The authors focus on the provincial government’s foundational role in…
Petition Launched: That the CRD be Fully Transparent in Regard to Its Felling of Trees by Elk/Beaver Lake:
Readers of CRD Watch or the Creatively United for the Planet blog, will likely be familiar with recent articles about the felling of trees by the CRD in Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park. Like Wooden Tombstones: The Latest Tree Decimation in Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park…
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National Tree Day 2025
Celebrated annually on September 24, National Tree Day is a holiday dedicated to recognizing the importance of trees in our lives. Initiated in 2011 by Tree Canada, this day serves as a tribute to the beauty, resilience, and crucial role of trees across Canada’s…
Let’s Have a Conversation About the Future We Want for this Region
Last week I suggested we need a national People’s Well-being Commission to craft a new vision for Canada, one focused on how we become a society committed to equitable health now and for future generations while living within planetary boundaries.
Beyond the Curb: Recycling Simplified
Let’s keep recyclables out of the landfill! Victoria’s new Beyond the Curb pilot program makes it easier to recycle flexible plastics, foam packaging, and small appliances and electronics. Visit Victoria’s weekend recycling hub at 1234 Yates Street on Saturdays and…
Cougar Sculpture Blocking Logging Trucks in Upper Walbran Valley
Press Release: Defenders Call for Protection of one of BC’s Last Intact Old-Growth Watersheds August 25, 2025 — Upper Walbran, Tree Farm License 44 —A 15-foot tall cougar sculpture has been erected to block logging trucks on Monday morning from actively logging in the…
Let’s Talk About Becoming A Well-Being Society
Last month I noted a growing recognition that the many challenges we face, from environmental degradation to concentration of wealth, structural inequality and exclusion, are a product of the economic and other societal systems we have created.
Saanich Community Gallery Program
Do you have a story to tell, a message to share, or a creative project that reflects the impact of your community work? The District of Saanich invites local non-profits, grassroots groups, and community organizations to apply for free exhibition space at Saanich…
Petition that the District of Saanich Phase out Highly Polluting Gas Landscaping Equipment
A new petition for the District of Saanich, calls for the municipality to take the crucial action of immediately deciding to phase out highly polluting gas landscaping equipment.
Stand Up for SELE₭TEȽ (Goldstream Park)!
We are writing to ask for you and your organization’s support for W̱SÁNEĆ community members and allies who are protecting SELE₭TEȽ (Goldstream Park) along the Malahat Highway from a “highway improvement project” Our request is that you write a letter from your…
Callout for Goldstream
Dear Elders for Ancient Trees, Big appreciation to Victoria area Elders for your willingness to turn up to protect Goldstream Park. We’re hoping to build ongoing support that is manageable, given our busy lives. We are proposing the following schedule for Elders for…
The Rider and the Horse
History shows us there is a fast and slippery road from the loss of freedoms into authoritarianism. If we allow our rights to be stripped away, we lose far more than we gain. Something incredible happens to humans when we go through hard or tragic experiences together…
Biochar From Human Waste Could Solve Global Fertiliser Shortages, Study Finds
Charcoal made from human waste could help solve fertiliser shortages as well as reduce pollution and energy use, a study has found. Biochar is a form of charcoal made from organic matter treated at high heat…
An Industry BlowIng Smoke—10 Reasons Why Gasification, Pyrolysis & Plasma Incineration Are Not “Green Solutions”
CRD’s “Biosolids Reactor”—Bring on more cancer, neurological, and lung disease. Bring on the heavy air-born metals please. Envelop us in an invisible by deadly film of sewage-treatment-remaining toxins that need to stay UN-burned to stay out of our bodies
