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
Released this month, this handbook offers a practical path forward for provincial decision-makers to achieve universal water metering within the next decade. Universal water metering supports conservation, enables fair and transparent cost recovery, enhances overall... Read more
To offer insight on how British Columbians want to move into an increasingly uncertain water future, this brief analyzes trends over 10 years of surveys and polls on public attitudes on fresh water in B.C. The authors highlight three crosscutting takeaways and the... Read more
Victoria, B.C. lək̓ʷəŋən territory: New research from the POLIS Wildfire Resilience Project, based at the University of Victoria’s Centre for Global Studies, recommends a transformative shift within the provincial government to address the growing wildfire crisis in... Read more
The 2026 Climate Plan: 100% Renewable and Resilient Saanich will be presented to Saanich, BC Council on Monday, June 22nd for approval. Share your thoughts on the 2026 Climate Plan with Council, email council@saanich.ca. Attend the meeting in person or online (learn... Read more
In celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, it is essential to recognize the impact of Indigenous heritage in Vancouver. This can be achieved by exploring the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s “Places That Matter” project.
The Province of BC’s Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services is seeking written input as part of their Budget 2027 consultation process. The BC Alliance for Arts + Culture encourages British Columbians to contribute toward the consultation... Read more
Right now, the BC Government is consulting with people across the province on next year’s provincial budget. This is your chance to encourage the BC Government to invest in protecting nature. Protecting nature is key to thriving communities, healthy ecosystems, and a... Read more
The NDP Budget Committee is accepting written submissions for its 2027 Budget. What should we be asking for? You can make up to three recommendations, with an explanation for each. Participate by using the submission form HERE. We have set up a google doc to share... Read more
The Government of Canada is proposing major legislative changes that would make it easier for mega-corporations to profit while our communities and the planet suffer the consequences. Act now. See email template to send critical feedback to Prime Minister Carney and... Read more
Six First Nations, BC and Canada will preserve and steward a large chunk of the Central Coast. That means no pipelines. The area will be protected under Indigenous law, and known as Mia-yaltwa Ha’lidzogm hoon, pronounced “Me-ah-yall-twa Ha-lee-joh-gom hOH-own,”... Read more
Introduction If you think of capitalism as the global entanglement of everything financial and economic, then for sure, it feels like a pretty wild dream to imagine that we could disentangle it all and establish something different. It is a pretty wild dream, because... Read more
Connect with nature by enjoying some of these simple fun things to do outdoors with children, family and friends. Bird names might be half the fun, but the real joy of birding goes far beyond. There’s something deeply rewarding about slowing down, tuning in and... Read more
I’d like to shine a spotlight on one of the South Island Prosperity Partnership’s members: The Pacific Northwest Economic Region. (PNWER) Two years ago, I wrote an Open Letter to SIPP. In the letter, I asked them the following question: “SIPP’s membership includes an... Read more
