Compassion & Democracy
This short talk should resonate far and wide. John Ralston Saul presents a historic and unique look at compassion from the perspective of foreign policy, democracy and war. Saul is the husband of Adrienne Clarkson, a now retired Canadian journalist and stateswoman who... Read more
Nature In Pause: Liz Charsley’s ‘Fermata’ Opens at Gage Gallery
Liz Charsley’s new art exhibition, “Fermata”, opens at Gage Gallery, capturing the stillness of Vancouver’s natural landscape through charcoal.
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Café Books: Rx for Hope
I have begun to think of Café Books as more of an apothecary than a bookstore. You can send them a prescription for almost any kind of moral dilemma, philosophical contradiction, scientific ambiguity, urgent mental uplifting or any other ailment of spirit that you... Read more
Take Action: Stop Canada Post’s Sweeping Service Cuts
Canada Post has been given the green light by the Federal Government to move forward with sweeping service cuts to the public post office. Proposed cuts include: Ending door-to-door delivery in favour of community mailboxes; Closing rural post offices; Changing... Read more
Seeking Input on Saanich’s Draft Zero Waste Strategy
The District of Saanich is inviting residents to read the newly drafted Zero Waste Strategy and share feedback before the final plan goes to Council. Find the draft Strategy and survey: Saanich Draft Zero Waste Strategy Survey Developed through research, data... Read more
Will You Help Put Comfortable, Affordable Homes Within Reach for More Canadians?
A House of Commons petition is calling on the government to make energy efficiency a nation-building priority. We’re asking the federal government to set double the rate at which we improve energy productivity, and to end energy poverty. The benefits of... Read more
Is This the Way the World Ends?
ChatGPT has been all over the media, and none of the news is good. The mother of a Tumbler Ridge shooting victim is suing OpenAI (the mother company) for culpability in the mass killing. And a recent article in The Guardian expressed the deep concern of academics who... Read more
It’s Not Just the Ecosystem; Our Economy is Socially Unfit, Too
Last week, I discussed a couple of recent global-level reports that identify serious problems with our current economic system. In particular, the UN Environment Programme, in its 2026 report…
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Yes, There is a Problem With Our Economic System
In a recent article in the Hill Times, I noted that while Prime Minister Mark Carney was right to identify a rupture in the world in his Davos speech, he focused on the wrong rupture. The rupture he focused on — the geopolitical state of the world — is a minor inconvenience compared to the drastic impact…
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How Contemporary Art Is Reimagining the Climate Crisis
Vancouver Art Gallery’s upcoming exhibition “Future Geographies: Art in the Century of Climate Change”, is set to unveil the visual, and often misconceived, reality of global warming through contemporary art.
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Lots of people are analyzing BC’s Budget Speech. I just watched this webinar – BC Policy Solutions – Making Sense of the BC Budget 2026 (text also at https://bcpolicy.ca/2026/02/17/bc-budget-2026/). The first two speakers from BC Policy Solutions were... Read more
Sustainable Living in Seniors Homes
One Planet Saanich and OneEarth Living, in partnership with the District of Saanich presents the Sustainable Living in Seniors Homes Action Guide – created specifically for 55+ stratas, independent living, and care homes – provides achievable ideas to... Read more
Volunteers Needed for Wild Animal Care
If you are passionate about wild animals and their welfare, want to invest 2-4 hours a week from April to September, and don’t mind cleaning up the odd animal mess, you may be exactly what the BC SPCA’s Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC) in Metchosin, BC... Read more
Open Letter to David Eby
Dear Premier Eby, Ordinarily I would be classified as a natural strong supporter of an NDP government, given the claim of the party to represent the interests of the working classes and those disadvantaged by the prevailing economic system and cultural biases. I had a... Read moreLessons from History on Tyranny, and Another Way to Promote Electoral Reform
This 10-minute video with actor John Lithgow is extremely timely and well-worth sharing: On a similar note, Peter MacLeod and Richard Johnson, the authors of Democracy’s Second Act: Why Politics Needs The Public, argue that the first act of democracy – anchored in... Read more
We are a Part of Nature
Secret #1: Humans are a cooperative species Secret #2: Self-Importance is the Enemy of Kindness Secret #3: We are a Part of Nature Every breath we take, every thing we feel, Every hope we hold, every wound that heals. Every birth that starts, every death that ends, We... Read more
We Are in This Together: Shifting from Me to We
One of the most beloved teachings of the Vietnamese monk and Buddhist teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, is his reflection on a simple piece of paper. If we look deeply, he says, we can see the clouds in the paper. Without clouds, there would be no rain; without rain, there... Read more
144 Names for a New Economy
Compiled by Guy Dauncey, author of The Economics of Kindness: The End of Capitalism, the Birth of a New Ecological Civilization Palgrave/Macmillan, Spring 2026 This list illustrates the deep, persistent desire by so many people to create a new kind of economy, one in... Read more
What is The Finkelstein Formula? – And How is it Destroying Democracy
Worth reading if you care about democracy! This info helps us see where politicians may be coming from. Good to know, and good to share with others. “You’ve noticed the pattern: politicians who never discuss their own policies but spend every breath demonizing... Read more12 Powers Meditation – Meditation for Health
Meditation for Health – meditation reduces stress by lowering cortisol levels and physically shrinking the amygdala, the brain’s fight-or-flight centre. It consistently improves focus, emotional regulation and sleep quality while lowering blood pressure.
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Electoral Reform Opportunity
The best chance of having a citizens’ assembly focused on how to make the system more proportional is if it is written into the BC NDP and BC Green Party agreement for 2026. They are negotiating it right now. Let your MLA know that constituents care about... Read more
Did You Know? Bill C-15
The government is pushing through Bill C-15, the 600-page Budget Implementation Act. Buried inside it is something called the Red Tape Reduction Act. It lets any cabinet minister exempt any company from any federal law (environmental protections, public safety... Read more
Science Alliance for Forestry Transformation Update
“SAFT is group of leading forest ecologists/forest practitioners advocating for both legislative/policy and forest practices changes in B.C. The forest industry to date has largely been one of unsustainable resource extraction and conversion of primary forests... Read more
Vancouver Island Duo Provides Free Pet Care for Owners in Treatment
The call would come in, a treatment bed ready, motivation high, everything lined up. Then the same answer, again and again. “I don’t have anywhere for my dog to go.” For Priya Sharma and Kayleigh Busch, it was one of the hardest…
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Twenty-Five Ways to Make Life Affordable for All
Robert Reich is right. In a recent Substack post he laid out how tariffs, monopolies, and corporate power are driving up the cost of living for ordinary people. Much of what we call “inflation” is not an economic inevitability, but the result of policy choices that... Read more
Why Become a UNESCO Urban Biosphere Region?
Largely lost in the flurry of pre-Christmas distractions was a Dec. 10 announcement from the Greater Victoria Naturehood that the Capital Regional District board had approved a staff recommendation to prepare nomination documents designating Greater Victoria a UNESCO urban biosphere region.
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Growth, Grace, and Social Justice
An excerpt from Eclosion: An Artist’s Path to Power and Peace. Often, those of us who care deeply about justice shut people down for not being as far along on the spectrum of unlearning and relearning. We forget that it is a journey for all of us— that not so long... Read more
City of Victoria Draft Budget Missing Important Details – Public Comments Open Until Jan. 23rd
In response to the City of Victoria offering public input (until Jan. 23) on their draft budget, Creatively United has drafted this response. The public is encouraged to use this information to let the City of Victoria know that natural solutions, like trees, are an... Read more
The Undoing of the Islands Trust
Fifty years ago, BC took a bold step to save our islands from “exploitation by real-estate developers and speculators,”* passing the Islands Trust Act, with its famous mandate “to preserve and protect” the Trust Area. Most islanders know that... Read more
Climate Ready Communities – A Toolkit for Local Governments
How can communities in B.C. grow and create new housing options while maintaining public safety and quality of life in the face of climate change and the biodiversity crisis? How do we create climate-ready housing and climate-ready neighbourhoods that are resilient to... Read more
Neighbourhood Associations Band Together to Pursue Solution
Dozens of neighbourhood associations from across British Columbia have banded together to form the British Columbia Alliance of Neighbourhoods (BCAN). BCAN is the first platform of its kind that connects, coordinates, and amplifies voices of neighbourhood groups and... Read moreIf the Owl Calls Your Name
I have watched the film If the Owl Calls Your Name and have been watching the people from the film speak over the last few days. It is profound. And it is about us – Canada. It even talks about the protest for the forest and the pipeline. It is not like many other... Read more
Support Lowering the Voting Age To 16
There is a crucial vote coming up in the Senate for lowering the voting age, S-222, the Vote16 Act. This is the second reading and there is a chance of winning this vote, which would be historic. They are asking for letter writing to Senators. vote16.ca/action Here is... Read more
Carney Offers 20th-Century Responses to 21st-Century Challenges
It is said that, during the First World War, French prime minister Georges Clemenceau remarked that generals always prepare to fight the last war. Regrettably, it seems that this also applies to governments trying to manage our society.
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International Peace Charter Petition
This Victoria, BC based non-profit initiative just launched. Green Party MP Elizabeth May is willing to bring this forward to the House of Commons. Only 500 signatures are needed. Please sign the petition at InternationalPeaceCharter.org Read moreBeyond VIMY Débuts in Sidney – CBC Interview with Show Producer Frances Litman
Beyond VIMY is a multi-platform production, featuring the Juno award nominated band The Fugitives, which will be débuting at the Mary Winspear Centre on October 25th. We spoke with producer Frances Litman on why she created the show to honour the Canadian National... Read moreElectoral Reform Committee Consultation Results Are In – 93% for Proportional Representation!
RESULTS ARE IN! 93% of submissions to the BC Democratic and Electoral Reform Committee committee called for proportional representation. Please share now! Dear Frances, The BC NDP and BC Green Party’s “Cooperation and Responsible Government Accord” included an... Read moreThe Problem is Income Inadequacy, Not Affordability
Food Banks Canada just released its annual report on poverty in Canada. Its key findings are that one in 10 Canadians are living in poverty, over 40 per cent are paying more than 30 per cent of their income…
Read moreDraw The Line – Sept. 20 Global Day of Climate Action
Communities are mobilizing across the country, demanding that Prime Minister Carney and the Canadian government pick a side: injustice, violence, and climate destruction— or a just and safe future for all of us. Find your local event here Prince George,... Read more
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... Read more
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.
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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.
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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... Read more
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... Read moreGonzales Community Map
The Gonzales Community map features all remaining Garry Oak in the neighbourhood, the location of all little libraries, the history of the community including heritage houses, covenants and the original trolley line amongst other things.
Read moreBC Old Growth Forest Update
Dear friends and forest protectors, The Oceanspray (or Ironwood), KÁȾEȽĆ in SENĆOŦEN, is just past its full bloom. It’s strong and enduring. Like us. Strong and enduring and just past our bloom. We are still here, still loving the forests of this land, still working... Read more
Improving Victoria’s Well-Being
This presentation highlights gaps in Victorian wellbeing that a group of Victoria youth have decided could be improved. The 3 suggestions aim to improve nature, transportation, and healthcare. Our group consists of 4 people, Ethan Lin, Beatrice Sharpe, Sebastien... Read more
Metamorphosis in the 2025 Emerging Local Authors Collection
Creatively United for the Planet Society is delighted that Metamorphosis: A Healing Journey book has been chosen by the Greater Victoria Public Library as part of its 2025 Emerging Local Authors Collection. Metamorphosis: A Healing Journey is a feast for the eyes and... Read more
Canada Could Learn From Nordic Countries About Well-being
What can Canada learn from other countries about achieving well-being, happiness and a good quality of life? As the 2023 World Happiness Report noted, people “increasingly think of well-being as the ultimate good,” and…
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