Curtis Brick’s tragic death raises the issue of systemic racism
Curtis Brick died last month after lying in the sun at a Vancouver park on one of the hottest days the city had seen all summer. Curtis Brick was a homeless aboriginal man. Though the park was filled with people, he lay for seven hours until an aboriginal outreach worker intervened and called 911. Now questions about the way Curtis Brick was treated by emergency personnel has advocates calling for a coroner’s inquiry. (more…)
The British Columbia Medical Association has called for a full continuum of care for addictions in B.C. A policy paper released earlier this year also recommends that addiction be officially recognized by government as a chronic illness.
We speak with Dr. Shao-Hua Lu, the paper’s lead author and chair of BCMA’s Council on Health Promotion.
Block Party underscores importance of connection, citizenship, locality
On Saturday August 8th, 2009, members of Nanaimo’s Diver Lake Community, and other neighbours, were invited to a block party called Neighbours Being Neighbours. It was hosted by Columbian Centre Society along with a large group of community and business partners including the Nanaimo Theatre Group and Surfside Recovery House. (more…)
Vancouver Island University’s Clemente course preps for fall
The Clemente Course in the Humanities, first offered at Bard College in the U.S., grew out of the disturbing fact that many low-income residents have had limited access to college education and no opportunity to study the humanities. Since its introduction to Vancouver Island University, the course teaches literature, philosophy and art history to people at risk of homelessness, physical and mental illness and addiction. The Clemente concept is based in part on the belief that the humanities are key to fostering citizenship. (more…)
