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…
Share what’s meaningful to you and your community
Seeking Rental Space for Our Tibetan Bon Buddhist Centre in Comox Valley
“Heal yourself Heal the Planet. Finding Peace through the Sacred Tibetan Bon Buddhist Teachings.” Geshe Yongdong Losar
Community safety is a wicked problem with no simple solutions
While community safety is about more than crime and violence, it is nonetheless where people’s minds often go. They are greatly assisted in that by the attention paid to crime and violence by the media, often amplified by what we might call the “law and order” brigade, for whom the answer is more and better policing.
Sanctuary Recording Studio
A new family-owned recording studio has recently opened located on beautiful Salt Spring Island, BC. What started mid-pandemic in 2021 as a project between friends to create a beautiful, uplifting and relaxing recording space secluded in the woods has blossomed into…
The October 15th Local Elections
2022 Local Government Elections – Climate Champions Registration Are you a climate champion who is running for council, school board or regional government? We are here to support you, and connect you with a climate group in your municipality. Use this form to…
Local Climate Solutions Papers
On October 15th, candidates from all across BC will be elected to local councils, school districts, and regional districts. The urgency of the climate crisis is such that we need to elect a majority of climate champions on every council, in every regional district,…
Urge the UBCM to Support the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty – Write today, no delay!
On Thursday, September 15th the Union of BC Municipalities will vote on whether to ask the Province of BC to enact a GHG emissions cap for natural gas utilities, and support the objectives of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. A strong YES vote would be a…
Community safety is about more than crime
One issue we are likely to see a focus on in the upcoming municipal elections is community safety, often focusing on crime and violence. But important though that is, community safety is about much more than that. I recall, as a consultant working on the Healthy Cities initiative with the World Health Organization in the 1980s and 1990s…
Don’t blame Victoria for other governments’ failures
There is a concept in health promotion called victim-blaming — blaming smokers for their habit, for example, when in reality they are the victims of a sophisticated marketing campaign. The same concept applies to the tendency by many to blame the City of Victoria for problems such as homelessness, mental health and addictions problems, park camping and crime and violence.
Vancouver Island Pilgrimage
The Pilgrimage is a communal walk over four days from the Cowichan Valley to Metchosin to consider our place in the biosphere and connect with nature and spirituality. Details of the walk are here- Vancouver Island Anthropocene Pilgrimage. You are welcome to join the…
Decline and collapse unpalatable, but not implausible
One of my professional roles throughout most of the 1980s and 1990s was that of a health futurist. Often that involved working with scenarios of plausible alternative futures. In addition to helping people understand the implications of past, current and future actions, these scenarios are useful in exploring their values…
The world is not ending, but humanity has a problem
Even the human species is probably not at risk, although we should remember that, over time, pretty much all species become extinct. But we are a highly adaptable and tough species, able to survive and indeed usually thrive in habitats as diverse as the Arctic, equatorial jungles, deserts and high altitudes.
Let’s Talk About BC Salmon – Why Are They Important?
Why are they important? What is threatening them? What can you do? • There are 5 species of pacific salmon in BC: Sockeye, Pink, Chum, Coho and Chinook • Salmon are keystone species in BC, meaning that many other organisms along BC’s coast rely on salmon to sustain…
