3M has reached a US$7.35-billion settlement agreement to resolve approximately 115,000 to 120,000 personal injury claims related to exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) used to fight fuel fires, marking another major development…
Court documents show that CPPIB is trying to throw out a climate lawsuit launched by young Canadians – by denying that it has a fiduciary duty to its contributors and beneficiaries. Toronto, ON | Traditional territories of the Wendat, Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee,... Read more
In the spirit of remembering how precious and fragile peace, democracy and autonomy is, and in honour of the innumerable lives lost in defence of these values, we express our immense gratitude. It’s been a year since Creatively United had the opportunity to... Read more
Bill C-30 Pest Control Products Act allows Ministers in the government to override scientific decisions on the use of pesticides previously banned by Health Canada. This marks the most significant setback in Canadian pesticide regulation in over a generation,... Read more
Surveying the political scene after the recent provincial election, it seems to me there is a lot of discontent and unease out there. We saw the NDP ejected in favour of a relatively unknown, inexperienced and potentially fragmenting alternative, the newly minted B.C. Conservative Party. I am not so sure…
This book is quite astonishing. Over the past ten years I have read some 600 books on economics and economic history, and Sven Beckert’s book stands head and shoulders above them all. For Thomas Picketty, it’s “monumental, a must read.” Yes, it is 1,100 pages long,... Read more
This report features credible scientific research with findings from 28 people who had their blood analyzed, including Margaret Atwood, actor Fran Drescher and Victoria Pruden of the Metis National Council. Read the report here. Read more
Hundreds of Canadians turned up to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s (CPPIB) public meetings across the country this past October to ask how their retirement savings are being invested. But despite people lining up at the microphones…
After nearly four years of work, a new evening bus pilot is finally running in B.C.’s Columbia Valley, giving residents another way to get around after regular transit service ends for the day. The Late Bus runs from Edgewater in the north to Canal Flats in the... Read more
Seniors across Canada have a loud climate message for Members of Parliament: Later Is Too Late. The Carney government is falling short on meeting the needs of this moment, including electrification and renewables. Renewable power, energy efficiency, and climate... Read more
A new podcast series exploring what it means to use music as a form of resistance. Music Without Borders founder and director, Laura Hassler, speaks to inspirational musicians about their art and activism. Listen here Read more
BC Conservatives receive 69% of the seats with 48% of the vote. BC voters cheated by first-past-the-post and pushed further towards a two-party system. The election results did not reflect what voters said with their ballots: The BC Conservatives got 69% of the seats... Read more
Every evening, Vancouver’s skies fill with crows as they fly across the city at sunset. Whether you are a resident or new to Vancouver, this natural marvel has a way of sparking curiosity.
OPPORTUNITY for Indigenous artists to create art for the entrance to Sooke Region Museum. Artwork created by Indigenous artist(s) from the local communities of T’Sou-ke, SC’IȺNEW̱, and Pacheedaht located at the Museum entrance.
The Issue We the signed residents of British Columbia, call upon the Province of B.C. to repeal (or amend) BC Bill-44 (2023), in order to restore public hearings and municipal powers over zoning, which are being taken away by the bill. We do so, because Bill 44 is: 1.... Read more
Review the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and the final report from the National Inquiry on MMIWG2S’s 231 Calls for Justice. Read a book written by an Indigenous author and watch CreativelyUnited.org’s Listening Once Again to Our Great... Read more
On October 26, 15 young Canadians will attend Federal Court in Vancouver to ask the court to order Canada to produce a real, science-based Climate Recovery Plan – not just the legislated 2050 target, but a plan with actual mechanisms behind it. The trial is... Read more
Everyone is applauding Mark Carney for standing up for Canada in the face of Donald Trump’s assault on us. And of course we need to do that. But Carney’s strategy — doubling down on “a series of nation-building projects in energy, in trade, critical minerals, transport, data, and beyond,” as he noted in an April address…
Use this easy letter-writing tool from Endangered Ecosystems Alliance. Question local candidates before the Oct 24 election Do you support ending the logging of old-growth forests within an established time frame, and will you advocate for this in your party? Will you... Read more
If you appreciate Saanich’s new active transportation infrastructure and want the network completed, please make sure you get out and vote on October 17, 2026. The District of Saanich, has been building much-need active transportation (AT) infrastructure,... Read more
Creatively United for the Planet Society, the Gorge Waterway Action Society, Esquimalt Climate Organizers (ECO) and Esquimalt United Church’s Social Justice Team hosted a Municipal All-Candidates event on Monday, October 5th to an overflow crowd at Esquimalt... Read more
Creatively United for the Planet was honoured to take part in a recent Summit on Peace & Social Justice outdoors at the Victoria Legislature lawns. Dozens of affiliated groups were represented, fabulous presentations were made, and a number of leading peace and... Read more
The expansionary actions of the fossil-fuel industry, governments and private and public-sector investors, in Canada and around the world, amount to ecocide. While not yet technically a crime, their actions are morally unacceptable.
David Eby has just called a snap election in British Columbia, just two years after voters last went to the polls. This opportunistic gamble is only happening because of first-past-the-post. With all the challenges facing British Columbia and democracy, it’s never... Read more
Climate and environmental groups across Greater Victoria and BC have prepared surveys for 2026 local election candidates that will appear on a new “Vote4Tomorrow” web site. Vote4Tomorrow.ca is an independent, non-partisan election guide showing where local candidates... Read more
Ecolens is a publicly accessible online platform where people can upload a photo or image and pair it with a short climate story. Together, these stories create a growing map of how climate change is affecting communities across British Columbia.
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,... Read more
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 community... Read more
How then should our society behave morally with respect to the inter-connected ecological, social, political, economic and ultimately ethical challenges we face? This was the underlying question behind this year’s Victoria Forum. The main themes were trust, justice and wellbeing, because “trust is eroding, injustice persists, and the world…
Thanks for joining us (or registering) for Protecting Our Communities in a World on Fire. There were over 400 of you who tuned in, and of those who took the poll at the start of the webinar, 96% indicated you had experienced some level of impact from the wildfires... Read more
We live in an era of polycrisis — defined as a situation in which “crises in multiple global systems become causally entangled in ways that cause major human harm,” according to the Cascade Institute at Royal Roads University. The institute identifies 14 global systemic stresses that create systemic risk, including “climate change, biodiversity loss…
As wildfires rage across Canada, Pacheedaht Elder is sounding the alarm to save Vancouver Island’s last ancient forests. In British Columbia, old-growth forests continue to fall to industrial logging, while authorities stand by. Let’s make Bill Jones’... Read more
The Haida Gwaii goshawk (Accipiter gentilis laingi) is facing a real threat of local extinction. At the same time, the American Goshawk (Accipiter atricapillus) is vanishing from the Skeena Natural Resource Region quickly because too much mature and old-growth... Read more
In June, I shared my thoughts on how we can end capitalism, and build for ourselves in its place a kind, green, cooperative economy. This invites the obvious question: how? We need to do so because capitalism is driving our world to chaos and collapse. Its selfish... Read more
This free downloadable e-book for parents of children age 0 – 12, is filled with creative activities, practical tips, nature activities and climate friendly solutions. It will spark environmental awareness, foster nature stewardship and make sustainable habits a... Read more
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization describes an agri-food system as encompassing everything from “field to fork.” Unfortunately, Canada’s new National Food Security Strategy fails to pay much attention to either the field or the fork end of the system.
The BC Forest Practices Board calls itself “BC’s independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices”. The Board is the BC public’s only avenue for holding logging companies and the government accountable when either transgress a narrow range of forest-related... Read more
Victoria at Dusk is inviting artists, designers, performers, community groups, and creatives to submit proposals for its winter celebration of light, art, and discovery. Taking place in downtown Victoria, the festival will feature a curated walking route of... Read more
Working collaboratively with members of the Peninsula Biosolids Coalition, Creatively United is happy to report that our collective efforts (see our biosolids video) have finally resulted in a big win for our region. The Capital Regional District (CRD) has just... Read more
“Nature Vancouver” introduces its upcoming event, “Birds and Butterflies: Yew Lake Trail Walk,” fostering enjoyment and conservation of the city’s natural environment.
The Carney government recently released its National Food Security Strategy. Unfortunately, the strategy only serves to show that the government doesn’t really understand food security, particularly when it comes to the environment and health…
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.
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... Read more
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... Read more
For generations, summertime in Canada has been defined as a season of play for children. However, what was once a formative part of childhood development is increasingly being replaced by “screen time.”
About the Strategy As mandated in the National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act, the federal government must publish the official Strategy by the end of 2026. The Strategy must: Identify and address environmental... Read more
I have noted several times recently in these columns that Mark Carney’s mandate letter to his cabinet a year ago does not identify the environment as one of the government’s seven priorities; indeed, the word ‘environment’…
Could Bill 16 help protect trees rather than remove them? Using 903 Admirals Road as a case study, this article explores how smaller building footprints, green infrastructure, and smarter site design could preserve urban forests.
The BC Heat Collaborative will officially launch at the end of this month, coinciding with the 5 year anniversary of the 2021 BC Heat Dome. The launch includes an event at Vancouver City Hall on Sunday June 28th, 1-2:30pm. More details on the Vancouver event here. How... Read more
