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…
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.
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... Read more
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…
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.
I’m a bit concerned about the recent missing middle article posted on Creatively United. It frames the proposed missing middle policy as an attack on trees and there are several reasons this is factually untrue. The missing middle policy has a max 40% site... Read more
This summer, Capital Bike makes exploring by bike more rewarding than ever. Now in its third year running, the Sticker Challenge has over 60 organizations participating. The guiding principal: the more places you visit by bike, the more prizes you can win. Capital... Read more
Please find below a draft design for a system of boardwalks at Cattle Point prepared by well-known landscape architect Paul de Greef and commissioned by the Greater Victoria NatureHood. The design was donated to the District of Oak Bay as a contribution towards... Read more
Please consider filling out this survey below (use a computer rather than a phone to be certain to save your answers). Aysha Emmerson is a brave young student at Harvard doing ambitious undergraduate research. Her invitation: Hello! My name is Aysha Emmerson. I am... Read more
Should we be paying more attention to the cumulative loss of privacy resulting from widespread CCTV surveillance? Privacy is a civil liberties issue. Are we vigilant enough about surveillance-creep, and its threat to privacy rights?
I was just complaining yesterday that no media had taken up my press release regarding the mural. I had really hoped that the concept would be shared more widely in the mainstream press: “The characters are from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, says... Read more
This week, I will begin to explore our “Five Big Ideas” in more detail, from the perspective of human wellbeing and its achievement within the Earth’s ecological boundaries. These ideas are intended to provide a balanced and holistic perspective and be implemented together. We want to create a city-region that…
In November 2021, the City of Ottawa completed the process of revising its official plan. My attention was drawn to Ottawa’s plan through a recent news posting by the Canadian Public Health Association, which focused on the role of public health in the development of the new plan.
I have had it with letters to the editor that seem to be trying harder and harder to be nastier and nastier about people who are, for whatever reason, down on their luck and living on the street. Too often, recently, I have seen references to such people as “bums,” or worse, “undesirables.”
For those that missed the One Planet Celebration Event, please check out the recording! We profiled some of the amazing work that you are all doing, featured and awarded the winners of our One Planet Student Challenge, and heard congratulatory remarks from the... Read more
I wish to offer that two great societal forces seem to be cancelling each other out in terms of moving society forward during this critical moment. The first of these forces are those of hope and gratitude and promise for a better future; and the second those... Read more
The 2022 Community Canvas Mural Project aims to add vibrancy to Saanich this summer with three mural opportunities in public parks. Find more information on the project website: 2022 Community Canvas Mural Project | District of Saanich Information on the Call to... Read more
Question: Is there room for hope in the modern world? I’m a Delta, BC resident who writes poetry as a way to explore and understand myself and the wider world. My love of trees, the environment, poetry and the written word continue to inspire me.
The Artist in Residence program gives a professional artist the opportunity to work collaboratively with the community, City staff, and the Art in Public Places Committee to identify and develop an art plan over a two-year term. The program is open to mid-career... Read more
Pacific Opera, in collaboration with Creatively United and the Gail O’Riordan Climate and the Arts Legacy Fund, are presenting a series of free outdoor performances in a variety of Greater Victoria parks during the month of June. Experience nature and live... Read more
We’re All in This Together… Now What?, the final webinar of Creatively United’s Climate and Artists fourth season, explores how we can collectively reduce our carbon footprint by 40% by 2030 and transformatively shift to healthier…
How to deal with Freedom of Speech and Liars I am a dual citizen, born and raised in New England, the son of French Canadian grandparents and, since 1980, I am a Canadian citizen living on beautiful Vancouver Island. I love my dual heritage, warts and all. I am... Read more
MPs from across most of the political parties have come together to organize a National Day of Action to End Fossil Fuel Subsidies on Tuesday, May 3rd. For context, MP Laurel Collins introduced a study on fossil fuel subsidies at the Environment Committee and wants to... Read more
All of us can contribute to a healthy environment in our communities. CENiC—the Citizens’ Environment Network in Colwood—is celebrating the efforts of some of the community leaders who are showing the way. Colwood residents Abby and Roger St. Pierre were recently... Read more
Do you feel paralyzed when you can’t see a solution or a way forward with the seemingly endless bad news? Creatively United’s founder and webinar host, Frances Litman, is dedicated to showcasing and sharing positive solutions that offer transformational... Read more
The 10 year anniversary of Creatively United for the Planet’s first Earth Day event was celebrated with an incredible panel of youth voices that featured five young Canadian changemakers working in creative ways to help amplify youth voices…
We are seeking more volunteers, especially for our Monday markets at Gorge Park! Volunteering is a great way to get involved to help develop a more sustainable food system and help create a vibrant farmers market and community gathering space. We could always use... Read more
Thank you to everyone who has lent their support, time, and talent to Creatively United over the years! It takes a village! Photos by: Matthew Davies, Mo Parker, Melawend Photography, Daniel Etiene, and Frances... Read more
Right now, globally, we have experienced global warming of about 1.1 C, and we saw last summer here in B.C. what that can mean. Two recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change paint a grim picture.
Housing is fundamental to health. That should not be a surprise, especially in a country with Canada’s climate. The health impacts of being homeless or living in poor-quality housing are well understood, and must be obvious to anyone. But it is not just homelessness that is a concern — there is a much larger problem of affordability. Lack of affordable housing can markedly affect people’s physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Join Christine Lowther, Tofino’s Poet Laureate for the launch of Worth More Standing: Poets and Activists Pay Homage to Trees Anthology. About this event The launch of Worth More Standing: Poets and Activists Pay Homage to Trees will open at 12:30 p.m. and the... Read more
Housing That Heals the Future features nine inspiring interviews on a wide range of projects that are charting the future towards healthier, happier communities. This information rich webinar also includes the incredible new six-minute film, The Animal Forest Campaign... Read more
A few weeks ago, before Russia invaded Ukraine and began committing war crimes that have shocked the world (in a way that should have but, to our shame, did not shock the world when Russia did the same thing in Chechnya and Syria), I was writing about inequality and health in the context of creating a wellbeing society.
Seed the City is a program for high school students where they can gain work experience in gardening and farming, earn credits towards graduation, and become part of the local food movement in their city. During this 8-week summer program, students build community and... Read more
The CRD’s Regional Parks Strategic Planning process is underway and the need to ensure biodiversity is the primary objective in our parks can not be understated. The CRD’s current public survey (due April 4th) is open to interpretation and written in a... Read more
Join us for the Global Climate Strike on Friday, March 25, 2022 as we demand policymakers and world leaders to prioritize #PeopleNotProfit! The catastrophic climate scenario that we are living in is the result of centuries of exploitation and oppression through... Read more
BCers are invited to join a virtual group of 6-10 people who will come together for 28 days to take daily action on personal sustainability and community engagement. Participation is free and groups are supported by experienced facilitators. We’ll use the... Read more
This is a short poem to remind us about all the little things that make our hearts sing, a short poem to encourage us to reflect on what we can say and do to leave a better world for all the little things that make our hearts sing.
We welcome all grade 6-12 students in Greater Victoria to participate in the One Planet Living Student Challenge. Thanks for sharing this information with students or teachers in Greater Victoria. Students can enter one of two categories (video or illustration) – to... Read more
In this toolkit, you will find template emails, shareable graphics, quick links and template social media posts to amplify the response from Gidimt’en Checkpoint. WET’SUWET’EN HEREDITARY CHIEF’S MET WITH RBC In this toolkit, you will find template emails, shareable... Read more
I write my weekly columns a week or so before they are published, and submit them five days ahead. So when I wrote my column last week, while there was always the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine, there was still some hope that the Madman of Moscow would not actually do so.
CRD Parks is NOW seeking public input on a proposed vision, values, mission statement and priorities for our Regional Parks. Recently there has been pressure on the CRD Board to ‘balance’ recreational use with conservation. At a time when biodiversity is globally... Read more
At the event, the “Ministry of Just Transition” will present a 3-year update on what it has accomplished since its inception in 2022. The climate champions leading the charge will share progress updates on the new programs and institutions they have created by the... Read more
The topic of rewilding will be discussed at a forum to be hosted on Zoom by the Highlands District Community Association (HDCA) on March 15 starting at 7:00 pm. As part of the HDCA Speakers’ Series, the Rewilding Forum will feature two local conservation and... Read more
Given the well-documented relationship between high levels of inequality and poor health and social outcomes in high-income countries, which I discussed last week, high levels of inequality cannot be tolerated. But as I also noted last week, the World Inequality Report 2022 states simply: “Inequality is a political choice, not an inevitability.”
This song is the result of the convergence of various aspects of my life: a forty-plus-year career in forest fire research, dabbling in writing song lyrics, a love of music and collaborating with others. The lyrics for Tree of Life came about in response to a challenge from a friend to write about a topic I know well: BC’s old growth forests. A local songwriter, Sian Elen, agreed to set the lyrics to music…
Close to 600 artful solutions to the climate crisis by participants from Victoria, British Columbia and abroad will be displayed in The Postcard Climate Show at Gage Gallery, Victoria, BC, from February 22 until March 6, 2022.
I’m a Métis singer/songwriter from Victoria/Vancouver BC. Recently, I’ve been blessed to spend 60 days in my car feeling and learning about homelessness and have now become a humanitarian and advocate for many causes! I recently met a lady in a wheelchair at the... Read more
