Beyond 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…
Read moreNew Youth Climate Podcast
Greetings friends, Claire here, the Social Media and Community Manager at The Starfish (a youth climate charity dedicated to celebrating and lifting the voices of Canada’s top youth environmentalists). We recently got funding to produce an eight-episode long... Read moreWalter Russell – Revelations Reimagined
This article was submitted, but not written by, Jon Sun Tan. The original author is unknown. In May 1921, American polymath Walter Russell entered a 39-day coma-like state, during which he claimed to have accessed “the source of all knowledge.” Upon awakening, he... Read moreMajor Media Columnists are Calling for Proportional Representation
Globe and Mail columnist Andrew Coyne took questions and advocated for proportional representation. You can also read Coyne’s recent column in the Globe and Mail, “Canada is not as divided as some claim – or as its electoral system makes it... Read more
Gene Miller: Turn Centennial Square Into A World-class Park With Sequoia, Fountain
Gene Miller is the only person we can think of who could write such a biting, funny and true article about what it would mean to Victorians if the city goes ahead with cutting down this beloved tree. “It’s worth wondering how our electeds and our urban design... Read more
Indivisible
This film is a must see: Watch Bad Faith (2024) – Free Movies | Tubi The good news is there’s hope with an organization called www.Indivisible.org, including a local Kauai chapter Indivisible Kaua’i Read moreOne People – Global Peace Anthem by Morry Stearns
In honour of Earth Day/Week/Month, Creatively United for the Planet Society presents this timeless anthem by Morry Stearns, a world renowned Victoria, BC based singer/songwriter/musical producer extraordinaire. We also give thanks to Sabina Petitt of Pacific Essences... Read moreScreen The Interceptors for free for Earth Day 2025
The Interceptors, a story about a community-driven, technology-enabled network of people converting mountains of surplus food into meals that nourish their community, all while reducing greenhouse gases produced by diverting food from landfills. Follow... Read more
With Cruelty Reigning to the South, Canada Needs to Keep Flame of Kindness Burning
Back in the late 1980s, the first President Bush expressed a wish for a kinder, gentler nation. A joke going around at the time, I recall, was that he had found it — it was called Canada and now he was going to buy it. Fast forward almost 40 years and the U.S. has a president whose whole approach seems…
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Election 2025: Deliver Door Hangers for Proportional Representation!
With all the challenges facing Canada, it’s never been more important to fight for proportional representation in our Parliament! Our archaic, non-proportional voting system could hand 100% of the power to a party with 39% of the vote. To make matters worse,... Read more
I Love Canada
A bumper sticker or bike sticker that’s a love letter to Canada. Please feel free to use the design for whatever you choose: stickers, t-shirts, hats etc.
Read moreWorld Water Day Resource Fair, Film Screening & Expert Dialogue in celebration of UN World Water Day 2025
Our celebrations will begin with a Water Sustainability Resource Fair in the Student Union Building. Then, we’ll gather at Cinecenta for a screening of the new film The Spirit Who Swims (2024). Immediately following the film, Laura Brandes (Communications... Read moreWhere the Liberal Leadership Candidates Stand on Proportional Representation
First, we want to say a huge thank you to the thousands of supporters who registered as Liberals during the federal Liberal leadership race to send a strong message to the candidates about proportional representation. Over the past six weeks, you chipped in for a... Read more
Simple Everyday Ways to Talk to Your Kids About Giving
Courtesy of Charitable Impact What You’ll Discover in This Blog: Everyday moments are opportunities to talk about giving. You don’t need to be an expert—parenting is about learning as you go, and conversations about generosity can happen naturally in daily life. Car... Read more
2025 Point in Time Count – Call for Volunteers
The Community Social Planning Council (CSPC) and Volunteer Victoria are recruiting volunteers to take part in the biennial Point in Time Homeless (PiT) Count, which consists of conducting surveys with people experiencing homelessness in Greater Victoria. The PiT Count... Read more
BCCIC’s 2025 Booklist: Pathways to Planetary & Collective Healing
A microscope reveals what was always there. As more people become personally affected by crises, they are looking at issues once seen as distant and distinct now coming into sharp focus as deeply interconnected. With rising food insecurity, femicide, wildfires,... Read more
And The Gods Breathe Æther
In the beginning was the word and the word was of GOD and that word was LOVE. And so LOVE is the You•niverse of harmonious oneness. And the frequency of LOVE creates the sound of LOVE that propagates through the æther; a genderless medium giving rise to the polarity... Read more
Let’s Force the City to Re-Examine Retrofitting the Crystal Pool
Replacing the Crystal Pool is a wasteful, uncreative solution to problems that could be addressed through a less costly retrofit. FINALLY, on New Year’s Eve I was able to do my one-kilometre swim again at the Crystal Pool after its 6 weeks of maintenance. I miss the... Read moreWhy I’m Voting NO in Crystal Pool Referendum
On Feb 8 the city of Victoria is asking residents to vote YES or NO to borrowing $189 million to replace Crystal Pool and for your preferred location: the current pool site in Central Park (NORTH) and right next to it over top of the Steve Nash basketball court,... Read more
Crystal Pool Referendum — Vote YES! to a Retrofit, Vote NO! to a Replacement
Some of the reasons to say NO to the demolition of Crystal Pool: With 25% tariffs coming, the Globe & Mail (Jan 30, 2025) cautions, “Now is not the time to borrow.” To demolish the pool, the City is asking to borrow over $160 million. Building materials, such as... Read more
Submit to Ripples Youth Art Zine
Learn more about Ripples, a youth arts zine released annually for World Water Day! Ripples is brought to life by works of art, poetry, and photography, created by kids and youth (between the ages of 6-25) from across BC.
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City Needs to Rethink Priorities
Two death knells for any city are the loss of urban trees/green space and the arts. People are attracted to Victoria, BC’s downtown area because of its inherent natural and architectural beauty and the vibrancy of the wide variety of art-based programming... Read more
Save Our Neighbourhoods in Central Saanich
Hovey Road development in Central Saanich that violates the Official Community Plan Zoning. Do you live in Central Saanich and are concerned about uncontrolled development?
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Why Women Are Key To Solving The Climate Crisis
There’s no denying women are leading the fight to save our planet. In every society worldwide, women and girls are responding more effectively in times of crisis and actively working towards creating a more just and sustainable future for all. Yet, gender inequalities... Read more
Towards A Well-Being Society and a Healthy One Planet Community
Throughout my career I have focused on the well-being of people in our communities and around the world, and on the state of the Earth’s ecological systems, which are the bedrock of our well-being.
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How to Reduce Holiday Waste: 50+ Eco-friendly Tips
As someone who has been involved in the world of social media storytelling for environmental causes for over a decade, there is one piece of content that I always look forward to seeing circulate at this time of year: an image from Toronto artist Sarah Lazarovic... Read more
The Little Town That Could
It is the year 2019. The skies are clear with white low clouds. A climate emergency has been declared in the small town of View Royal, but little did the town know that it would lead the way for climate actions across British Columbia in the years to come.
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Save Harewood Plains
by Wylie Thomas, conservation biologist Please send a message to BC’s new Minister of Water, Lands, and Resource Stewardship, Randene Neill, to let her know how important it is to protect Harewood Plains in the Nanaimo area on Vancouver Island (and please cc the... Read moreDesire for Better Public Policy Sparked Early ‘Green’ Parties
In my concluding major paper for my master’s degree at the University of Toronto in the late 1970s, I identified two major principles that have guided my career ever since. The first is ecological sanity…
Read moreCorporations Out In Force at Biodiversity, Climate Conferences
It’s global conference season, and once again the corporate sector is spending huge amounts of money — money that comes from us when we purchase their products and services — to lobby for their own…
Read moreWhat a Trump Presidency Might Mean for the Planet
Thanks to tens of millions of Americans who just voted to turn the American Dream into the American Nightmare, we now have to deal with the consequences of a second Trump presidency. Let’s be clear: Donald Trump is not only a fascist who is a threat to democracy in America, as two former generals…
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November Concatenations
This month of November has witnessed an especially abundant series of worrisome events, from local to global. These include billions of dollars of catastrophic damages from newly emerging wildfires, flooding, and storms. Warfare is on the increase, not only in the... Read more
We Are More Than Just An Economy, Stupid
We awake this morning to a Trump world. This, despite his lies, his racism, his hatred, his divisiveness and complete disregard for democratic ways and institutions. He has already declared his intention to become a dictator, stating there will be no need for further... Read more
Have Your Say on the City of Victoria’s 2025 Draft Budget
Each year, the City of Victoria’s financial planning process provides an opportunity for Council to set service levels and approve an annual budget. You are invited to provide feedback on the City’s 2025 Draft Budget to help inform Council’s budget decisions. The... Read moreEvent Recap: Movement Building and Justice with Judy da Silva
“I try to speak for the water. Not just for Grassy people, but for future generations, for the kids not born yet. That’s why we do this work.” This statement is the key point that Judy da Silva kept returning to during her talk, Movement Building and Justice, held... Read moreWe Need a Government That Cares About the Well-Being of the Planet
Last month, Planetary Boundaries Science, an international partnership of Earth scientists based out of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, published the first of what will be an annual Planetary Health Check. It makes for grim, if unsurprising, reading.
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