People First Media program archive
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Spotlight on food, urban farming

February 24th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Spotlight on food, urban farming)

Urban food production and sustainability challenge notions of private property and home ownership

Dirk Becker’s Vancouver Island urban farm was ordered shut down last year by the District of Lantzville after a neighbour complained about farming-related activities. Dirk and Nicole Shaw had spent five years creating the rich urban farm and selling produce at Bowen Road Farmers’ Market—but Lantzville’s home business bylaws didn’t include ‘agriculture’ among its regulations.

In the weeks following the story’s publication, Dirk Becker and Nicole Shaw were contacted by hundreds of supportive people—and the story was reported internationally. Local advocates for urban agriculture asked that steps be taken to review the bylaw and amend it to accommodate urban agriculture. The Lantzville mayor later confirmed that the District wished to modify its bylaws. (more…)

Just 7,000 miles away from home

February 24th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Just 7,000 miles away from home)

Patricia and Renato share cross-cultural experiences from Nanaimo in an online blog

Patrícia Melo and Renato Coelho left Brazil for Nanaimo a few months ago to attend Vancouver Island University. The couple, who are former journalists, are sharing stories about what they’ve been experiencing in their new culture on Vancouver Island. Their blogs, Just married, just enrolled! (in English) and Canada: There we go! (in Portuguese), track the experience of daily life in Nanaimo—which is predictably rather different than what Patrícia and Renato left behind in Sao Paulo, a city of more than 10 million people. (more…)

Nanaimo’s St. Paul’s marks 150 years

February 17th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Nanaimo’s St. Paul’s marks 150 years)

Church says it is part of the community—and it has been part of the community for a very long time

Nanaimo’s St. Paul’s Anglican church hosted a special service of thanksgiving on January 23rd 2011, the first event of several planned for the coming year as the congregation celebrates its 150th anniversary.

St. Paul’s is one of the oldest Anglican churches in British Columbia. There have actually been three St. Paul’s buildings over time—on land originally given by the Hudson Bay Company. 150 years later, the parish maintains a key role in the community and offers a range of ministries and activities in the downtown core of the city. (more…)

Youth focus on addiction prevention

February 17th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Youth focus on addiction prevention)

Nanaimo Addiction Foundation works with youth to create a forum for learning, raising awareness

Substance abuse among Canadian youth is a significant issue and can result in serious harm—including injury, overdose, car crashes and sexual assault. Young people are the most likely to use substances, to engage in risky forms of use, and to experience harms as a result. 60% of illicit drug users are 15 to 24 years old.

Prevention programs are often the first line of defence in preventing and reducing drug use among youth. When done well, they are the best investment that we can make. (more…)

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Psychiatric meds and health problems

February 10th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Psychiatric meds and health problems)

People using psychiatric medications can experience greater physical health problems

Linda Chamberlain knows eight people with mental illness who have recently died and she says that medications and nutritional issues are to blame. “Some of these medications are giving people diabetes,” she recently told the Toronto Star newspaper. Ten years ago Linda was taking seven medications to deal with her own mental illness, was overweight, and had developed diabetes. Linda made changes in her life and she now leads workshops on exercise and healthy living at a community health centre in Toronto. (more…)

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Leadership hopefuls challenged

February 10th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Leadership hopefuls challenged)

Faith groups ask that Liberal and NDP leadership candidates explain homelessness, housing positions

The Vancouver Interfaith Alliance to End Homelessness is calling on leadership candidates from B.C.’s NDP and Liberal parties to declare a commitment to end homelessness in BC by 2015. The Alliance is a non-partisan group whose members include over 60 diverse faith leaders representing community-based churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and spiritual centres from across Vancouver.

A letter delivered last week invited all leadership candidates to respond and make their positions clear. Responses to that letter will be made public this week. (more…)

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