Community Stories
The Garry Oak in Autumn: Foliage, Acorns, and Conservation
Recognized as the only oak species native to British Columbia, the Garry oak is soon to make its mark on the beauty of autumn.
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Nature
There’s something quite satisfying about restoring nature and making a very tiny part of the world better. I suppose I’ve always known that, but it really struck home when we purchased the place we were going to retire to 15-years ago. We were still working fulltime,…
Learn About People’s Action for US Issues
The news is heavy, and that’s intentional. The US regime is trying to inundate us with chaos so we become overwhelmed, tune out, and stop paying attention. Instead of turning away, we’re turning to each other. The People’s Tea , a biweekly, hour-long, virtual…
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We Need To Change The Way We Farm and Eat
The first three of the five “great turnarounds” in the Club of Rome’s “Earth for All” report address different aspects of inequality. But the final two, to which I now turn, are concerned with two of the most fundamental determinants of our health: food and — next week — energy.
Artist, Speaker, Community Engagement Specialist
Get the tools you need to use collaborative art to ignite change in your communities! This virtual Masterclass explores the transformative power of art and how it can create change in your school, community, city, and beyond!
Good News for Preserving the Marbled Murrelet and its Nesting Habitat, Old Growth
We are an organization of concerned community members and scientists who have recently filed an Action in the Supreme Court of British Columbia to save the Marbled Murrelet (MaMu) and its nesting habitat, Old Growth trees.
Earth For All Requires The Empowerment Of Women
The report’s authors stress the need for improvement in “women’s access to education, economic opportunities and dignified jobs, and all life’s chances that these bring.” The education and empowerment of women and their involvement in the economy, they note, is strongly linked to reduced fertility rates and a reduction in population size.
A Quick Glance At Glacier Media’s Real Estate Connections
Glacier Media is the parent company of the Times Colonist. Both Glacier and the TC are paying members of the UDI development/Real Estate lobby and the TC is an open “Media Partner” with it, which has raised serious questions for many about its independence
News Is Blocked On Social Media in Canada… Now What?
Did you hear? Meta and Google are blocking news in Canada in response to the Online News Act (Bill C-18). It’s scary living in a time when companies have so much power over what news we take in online. We aren’t exactly sure what to do about it, but here are some…
Toward A Just Transformation To Earth For All
In the past few weeks, I have been stressing the need for a rapid transformation of our society if we are to ensure people around the world can have good lives within planetary boundaries. A recent article in a (British) Royal Society journal by Prof. Timothy Lenton, a leading Earth-system scientist…
Improving Urbanism in a Time of Climate Change and Housing Need
Renowned city planner, Brent Toderian, recently shared this insightful presentation to Langford. He has done a lot of work internationally in both large and small communities with a focus on the climate crisis. Here is the video (start at about the 7 minute mark).
Biosolids are Everyone’s Issue
Biosolids are the dried residual of sewage sludge generated from a waste water treatment plant, such as McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt, BC. Biosolids contain toxic chemicals and micro plastics which do not break down in the environment – hence their name, ‘forever…
BC is Burning – An Open Letter to Premier Eby
Eby Fiddles While BC Burns BC is on fire and you, Premier Eby, are busy fiddling while our forests burn. Your commitment to protect old-growth forest has gone up in flames just like 1.5 million hectares already burned this season. With more than 1,200 fires since…
The Great Transformation We Need Must Be Socially Just
Last week I looked at the 1977 Science Council of Canada report “Canada as a Conserver Society.” The report recommended “Canadians as individuals, and their governments, institutions, and industries, begin the transition from a consumer society preoccupied with resource exploitation to a conserver society engaged in more constructive endeavours.”
Advocating for People, Planet and Place Over Profit
I want to share my thoughts on the recent Community Amenity Contribution (CAC) and Inclusionary Housing Policy decision of July 17, 2023. This decision has reduced CACs by 60% (although it includes a review in 1 year) from what was presented to council in March 2023….
