Save the Old Growth Event – Bus Ride Available
We are organizing a luxury tour bus which has a washroom for Saturday’s event; there is plenty of luggage space to accommodate bikes, camping gear and supplies etc. Please let your friends know that the bus can pick up donations at the pick up points. The cost is $20... Read more
What Happened in Kamloops Was Part of a National Crime
Some may find this column disturbing, as it is about the deaths of Indigenous people a century or more ago. Moreover, in quoting from a 1922 report, some of the words used then (e.g. Indians) are not acceptable today. But it is important to quote verbatim. I am grateful to Andrew Nikiforuk, whose June 2 article in The Tyee reminded me of this story.
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The New Morality and Ecohumanism
THE ISSUE DEFINED Humanity is facing an existential emergency unparalleled in the history of life on earth. Major ecosystems are on the verge of collapse, due to human activities. Citizens are increasingly coming to the realization that human beings are not the centre... Read more
Ending Chronic Homelessness
We can end chronic homelessness in Victoria. It’s going to take the same focused effort that so many have put in over the past year. If close to 600 people can move inside in one year, in the middle of a global health pandemic when everyone is already stretched and stressed, surely we can focus on the people remaining outside and set our sights as a community on what’s known as “functional zero”.
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My Heart is Hopelessly in Love with Everything
As we draw near the Summer Solstice the Sun God is at the height of his virility and the Earth Goddess swells with life. It is a time when we are hopelessly in love with Everything.
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Biggest Issue Since WWII
The more I follow the good things which are being done by various highly focused and well intended groups and individuals in BC and all of Canada, including – but not limited to the Creatively United, it is obvious that there is NO FOCUS ON OVERALL TARGETS for our... Read moreEnlightened Communications – Making All Voices Matter
Season 3 concluded with an all-star panel, featuring bestselling author and award-winning public relations professional, James Hoggan. A tireless advocate for ethics in public discourse and Chair of the David Suzuki…
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Reverie at Wagg Creek
Forest Bathing is a powerful way to connect with Mother Earth and to feel her blessings showering upon you! The next time you are on your favourite forest walk give thanks for all the blessings you have been given by Mother Earth!
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Fostering Behavior Change Minute: How to Select a Behavior to Target
Many of the behaviors that we would like to promote have no outward visibility in our communities. When behaviors such as getting vaccinated are not visible to others, we weaken the likelihood that the action will become normative. Unlike vaccinations, wearing a mask... Read more
Get Growing, Victoria!
Learning to grow food at home contributes enormously to food security and our community resilience, and the City of Victoria is responding to a renewed interest in learning to garden. Get Growing, Victoria! provides food seedlings and garden materials to citizens in... Read more
Harvest & Volunteer Coordinator
LifeCycles is seeking a staff person to support harvest coordination, distribution and volunteer training for the LifeCycles Fruit Tree and Farm Gleaning Projects as well as manage volunteers for the broader organization. The successful candidate will work as part of... Read more
Greater Victoria Naturehood
Greater Victoria NatureHood, a Nature Canada initiative, has launched Nature in the City: Guide to Many Adventures map! The map’s design tells stories of urban habitats, captivating species and local parks to explore. Detailed environmental information is woven... Read more
Artist Brings Personal Social Justice Stories to Light
I was recently gifted a copy of Olga Campbell’s multi-award winning book, A Whisper Across Time, a stunning tribute to her family’s story of the Holocaust told through a sumptuous collection of prose, art and poetry. Olga is a Vancouver writer and artist whose... Read more
Creating Well-Being, from the Personal to the Planetary
In 1948, the World Health Organization defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.” I find it a good and simple definition. One of its strengths is that it fully recognises both mental and social well-being, with the latter inevitably bringing in our relationships with others — our families, communities and society as a whole.
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Children of the Trees – An Essay
Children of the Trees engages with language, naming, chopping trees, disappearing words, and what might be a better stance to engage with living beings. Love as methodology. The call for saving old growth trees and forests is growing in BC. Join the fight.
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Deadline for Public Input on $35 Million Loan
The Township of Esquimalt is proposing to take out a loan for $35 million in order to construct a new Public Safety Building. In these challenging times, when funding is required for better access to public services and the need for climate education, mitigation and... Read more
Tuesdays for Trees Campaign
Tuesdays for Trees is a campaign devised by the Climate Action Research Team of Greater Victoria Acting Together. The idea is to have something happen every Tuesday to raise public awareness and pressure decision makers regarding the importance of trees and forests in... Read more
Share Your Concerns with Key Government Officials
The squeaky wheel gets the grease and that’s particularly true when governments are also faced with corporate pressures. Here is a list of some of the key people to share your concerns with: Find your MLA’s email here:... Read more
Celebrating Mothers of the World
We enjoy thanking our mothers on Mothers’ Day, but on the second Sunday in May we can also celebrate more than our own mothers; we can give thought to all the women – many anonymous – whose mothering has benefited humanity as a whole.
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How do we evolve a regenerative bioregional culture in the Salish Sea? – May Day Murmuration
I am in Olympia, Washington and my personal focus is on local government reform and restoration infrastructure to support the evolution of regenerative bioregional culture. I’d like to work with you on the development of a network of Public Interest Science and Design... Read more
Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM)
Some thirty years ago, I coined the phrase “community-based social marketing” to describe a merger of knowledge between the fields of psychology and social marketing. I elected to call this amalgamation community-based social marketing for several reasons.
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Reform To Transform Campaign Launch
Climate Education Reform BC has just launched our official Reform To Transform Campaign!! We are a student-led organization advocating for a justice-driven Climate Change Education in British Columbia’s K-12 system. We are presenting the BC Ministry of Education 6... Read more
We’re More Powerful Than We Think
Reading this I was reminded of a dance protest that I was in a few weeks back in front of the Legislature protesting the Fairy Creek issue as well as old-growth forest logging in the province. Fifty people, all six feet apart and masked, danced a specific routine to... Read more
May All Our Words and Actions be Shaped Like Compassion
When we give a tree all our attention, when we listen intently, there is much we can learn about living in community and caring for one another.
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Memo to John Horgan: Don’t Blow it for the Next Generation
I was struck by the immense irony of John Horgan’s recent exhortation to young people not to blow it for the rest of us with respect to COVID. The irony, of course, is that he and his government are blowing it for the younger generation by continuing to treat the environment as a resource for industrial activity and failing to protect species at risk.
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Earth Week 2021 Events Roundup
Since 2012, more than 10,000 people have attended Creatively United’s live zero-waste Earth Day events. Now, every day is Earth Day on CreativelyUnited.org’s free community solutions sharing hub where people can post and see events, information, resources,... Read more
Meaningful Action for Earth Day
Why have a special day to celebrate and care for the Earth? Shouldn’t we do that every day? Well, as organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970 realized, it’s an opportunity to raise awareness about climate issues, get on the political agenda, and create... Read more
Sooke Rally – Protect Fairy Creek & Support Blockades – Sat. April 17
Hats off to all who attended last Saturday’s Sooke rally. And thank you to Rene and Jane for being safety peeps and Wow to banner makers! yes!! We can support the Rainforest Flying Squad and help protect Fairy Creek… We will rally to defend Fairy Creek and... Read more
Metchosin Wilderness Camp Update
As a new step in Metchosin’s response to concerns with subdivision of the Metchosin Wilderness Camp, community members have initiated a Go Fund Me campaign, to assist in bringing professional legal knowledge in the practice area of non-profit and charity law, into the... Read more
Petition in Support of Farmer’s Market Program
With the support of MP Gord Johns of Courtenay – Alberni, the BCAFM is bringing a petition forward to the House of Commons asking the Government of Canada to help expand the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program (FMNCP) across the country. The FMNCP connects... Read moreEnergy, Housing & Transportation Matters
Knowledge Powers Action What specific actions can we all take to lower our carbon footprint and save money? We explore answers to this question and many others. Learn practicable and achievable actions that can move us along…
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REFORM to TRANSFORM: Climate Education Reform BC Action Toolkit
As youth who grew up unaware of the magnitude of the looming Climate Crisis, our team’s concern arose knowing how complacent our governments and the educational system has remained amidst the downfall and unnecessary destruction of our natural world.
Read moreCircles and Doughnuts – Towards a One Planet Economy for Our Region
The economy – linked to equity – is one of the 10 principles of Bioregional’s One Planet Living framework. But what sort of local economy do we need that respects both ecologically sustainable and socially just development. A number of different models are being... Read more
Esquimalt’s Active Transportation Network Plan
Have your say in developing Esquimalt’s first Active Transportation Network Plan! Get involved There are multiple ways to share your feedback! You could check out: Complete the survey to help us better understand the existing barriers, issues, and opportunities... Read moreHeart Brain Solution for Positive Change
About 30+ years ago, neurobiologists discovered that the human heart has a brain that has many characteristics and capabilities distinct from the cerebral brain with which it communicates. For a quick look at some amazing properties of your heart, watch this short... Read moreTruth Matters: Media and the Science Behind Truth
Why do people reject the science of climate change; what are the consequences of accepting misinformation and what role does psychology and the media play in overcoming this resistance? This webinar features internationally…
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Creating Communities Fit for the 21st Century
Last week, I noted three ways proposed by Prof. Graham Smith to reform our democracy to safeguard the future, and dealt with two of them: re-shaping legislatures and constitutions and bringing an independent voice to decision-making.
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Old Growth Forest Rally
So great to see such a fantastic turnout for the old growth forest rally at the Victoria Legislature. Thank you to everyone for taking a stand for our forests. Here’s a letter, complete with email addresses to share: Subject: A call for a New Forest Framework in... Read more
Opportunities to Help Protect Nature
Two opportunities to help nature are coming up soon. You may not be aware that in BC, there is less than 1% of the biggest old-growth trees left. Keeping these forests standing is among our best tools for mitigating climate change. Yet government and industry still... Read more
Controversial Developments
Focus Magazine wants people to let them know about any controversial developments in Greater Victoria. “Are you concerned about a particular development in Greater Victoria? Keep Focus posted and we’ll add it to our coverage. Email focusedit@shaw.ca or use... Read more
The Nanaimo Area Land Trust is Calling all Interested Wetlands Stewards!
The wetlands of Nanaimo are a precious ecological resource. To understand their natural values they need to be properly mapped, classified and monitored. This wetlandkeepers course will give you the tools to help steward our local wetlands. Sign up now for the 2021... Read more
On Time and Water
Café Books is very good to me. When they see books in catalogues that they think might interest me, they order them in and then put them aside for me to consider them. One such book is the translation from Icelandic of a new book by Andri Snaer Magnuson entitled On... Read more
They’re your venues, have your say. Email your recommendation to create a Regional Arts Facilities Service by March 10th!
Please show your support for the arts, and write an email to the Capital Regional District Board in support of the recommendation to create a Regional Arts Facilities Service. Please encourage your arts loving friends to do the same! A decision will be made at the CRD... Read more
Fundraiser for Anti-Racism Education and Book Giveaway!
This book is a powerful reminder of the Holocaust and of our ongoing need to fight racism in all its forms.
Read moreMen, Masculinity and Learning
A discussion of the oppressions of men and boys. What traps us and keeps us from happiness, satisfaction and feeling loved?
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Is Langford Following Best Practices?
Fairway Neighbours Unite for a Livable Langford While Langford appears to be following the letter of the law, they are certainly NOT following Best Practices for keeping their citizens informed: – Releasing plans and architectural drawings on the Friday... Read more
Langford Is About to Change
A lot has happened in our community in the past few years: entire mountainsides clearcut and blasted, residents unable to adequately access council meetings during the pandemic, residents of Danbrook, and Tri-way mobile home park displaced, all in the pursuit of... Read more
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: City of Victoria Advisory Committee
The City of Victoria has a range of advisory committees. We’re currently looking to fill up to 12 positions for a two-year term on our Active Transportation Advisory Committee. Candidates should have an interest and passion for sustainable transportation... Read moreSeeing Beyond the Obvious – Artists as Changemakers
Join three incredibly talented and well-established visual artists: Roy Henry Vickers, Roberta Pyx Sutherland and David Ellingsen for an insightful look beyond the obvious, hosted by multi-media artist Frances Litman….
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