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ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, Lindsay Wong (author of Tell Me Pleasant Things About My Immortality), David Norwell (author of A Complex Coast), Lara Jean Okihiro (co-author of Obaasan's Boots), and Andrea Warner (author of Rise Up and Sing!) to reflect on books that have influenced or inspired them. These amazing authors have been part of this years Storied video series. This episode is basically amazing authors recommending great books on topics such as writing about family, combining fact and fiction in novels and short stories, and writing about the environment. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/ Storied videos: https://vimeo.com/showcase/11316134 ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Lindsay Wong is the author of the critically acclaimed, award-winning, and bestselling memoir The Woo-Woo, which was a finalist for Canada Reads 2019. She has written a YA novel entitled My Summer of Love and Misfortune. Wong holds a BFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia and an MFA in literary nonfiction from Columbia University. She currently teaches creative writing at the University of Winnipeg. David Norwell is an author, illustrator, and world traveller. He holds a BSc in Geography from the University of Victoria, and has worked for six seasons conducting biological and geological surveys In BC, Alberta, and the Yukon. His passion is communicating science in a way that accesses the human heart. David has visited thirty-three countries, sailed across the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, trekked over the Himalayas with a kitten, and hitchhiked over two hundred rides. He is dedicated to understanding the human experience and sharing his findings. When not working on books, he is volunteering at schools, studying Buddhism, and practising meditation. Lara Jean Okihiro is a writer, researcher, and educator of mixed Japanese Canadian heritage living in Toronto. Intrigued by the power and magic of stories, she earned a Master's (Goldsmiths College) and a Doctorate (University of Toronto) in English. Living abroad inspired her to learn about her family's experience of internment. Lara writes about dispossession, hoarding, social justice, and carrying the important lessons of the past into the future. Andrea Warner (she/her) writes and talks. A lot. She's the author of Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography and We Oughta Know: How Four Women Ruled the '90s and Changed Canadian Music. She's the co-writer and associate producer of the 2022 documentary Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On and co-hosts the the weekly feminist pop culture podcast Pop This!. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and Communications for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to David Norwell. David wrote and illustrated A Complex Coast: A Kayak Journey from Vancouver Island to Alaska, which was a finalist for the 2024 Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize. In their conversation, David talks about the push and pull of starting the kayak trip. He also talks about loneliness, and the role of awe and wonder. Visit BC and Yukon Book Prizes: bcyukonbookprizes.com/ About A Complex Coast: https://bcyukonbookprizes.com/project/a-complex-coast/ ABOUT DAVID NORWELL: David Norwell is an author, illustrator, and world traveller. He holds a BSc in Geography from the University of Victoria, and has worked for six seasons conducting biological and geological surveys In BC, Alberta, and the Yukon. His passion is communicating science in a way that accesses the human heart. David has visited thirty-three countries, sailed across the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, trekked over the Himalayas with a kitten, and hitchhiked over two hundred rides. He is dedicated to understanding the human experience and sharing his findings. When not working on books, he is volunteering at schools, studying Buddhism, and practising meditation. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and Communications for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, This Magazine, The Puritan, Untethered, and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on June 10. It dropped for free subscribers on June 17. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription. You can also subscribe to the free tier below:WhoBelinda Trembath, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Whistler Blackcomb, British ColumbiaRecorded onJune 3, 2024About Whistler BlackcombClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Vail Resorts (majority owners; Nippon Cable owns a 25 percent stake in Whistler Blackcomb)Located in: Whistler, British ColumbiaYear founded: 1966Pass affiliations:* Epic Pass: unlimited* Epic Local Pass: 10 holiday-restricted days, shared with Vail Mountain and Beaver CreekClosest neighboring ski areas: Grouse Mountain (1:26), Cypress (1:30), Mt. Seymour (1:50) – travel times vary based upon weather conditions, time of day, and time of yearBase elevation: 2,214 feet (675 meters)Summit elevation: 7,497 feet (2,284 meters)Vertical drop: 5,283 feet (1,609 meters)Skiable Acres: 8,171Average annual snowfall: 408 inches (1,036 centimeters)Trail count: 276 (20% easiest, 50% more difficult, 30% most difficult)Lift count: A lot (1 28-passenger gondola, 3 10-passenger gondolas, 1 8-passenger gondola, 1 8-passenger pulse gondola, 8 high-speed quads, 4 six-packs, 1 eight-pack, 3 triples, 2 T-bars, 7 carpets – view Lift Blog's inventory of Whistler Blackcomb's lift fleet) – inventory includes upgrade of Jersey Cream Express from a quad to a six-pack for the 2024-25 ski season.Why I interviewed herHistorical records claim that when Lewis and Clark voyaged west in 1804, they were seeking “the most direct and practicable water communication across this continent, for the purposes of commerce.” But they were actually looking for Whistler Blackcomb.Or at least I think they were. What other reason is there to go west but to seek out these fabulous mountains, rising side by side and a mile* into the sky, where Pacific blow-off splinters into summit blizzards and packed humanity animates the village below?There is nothing else like Whistler in North America. It is our most complete, and our greatest, ski resort. Where else does one encounter this collision of terrain, vertical, panorama, variety, and walkable life, interconnected with audacious aerial lifts and charged by a pilgrim-like massing of skiers from every piece and part of the world? Europe and nowhere else. Except for here.Other North American ski resorts offer some of these things, and some of them offer better versions of them than Whistler. But none of them has all of them, and those that have versions of each fail to combine them all so fluidly. There is no better snow than Alta-Snowbird snow, but there is no substantive walkable village. There is no better lift than Jackson's tram, but the inbounds terrain lacks scale and the town is miles away. There is no better energy than Palisades Tahoe energy, but the Pony Express is still carrying news of its existence out of California.Once you've skied Whistler – or, more precisely, absorbed it and been absorbed by it – every other ski area becomes Not Whistler. The place lingers. You carry it around. Place it into every ski conversation. “Have you been to Whistler?” If not, you try to describe it. But it can't be done. “Just go,” you say, and that's as close as most of us can come to grabbing the raw power of the place.*Or 1.6 Canadian Miles (sometimes referred to as “kilometers”).What we talked aboutWhy skier visits dropped at Whistler-Blackcomb this past winter; the new Fitzsimmons eight-passenger express and what it took to modify a lift that had originally been intended for Park City; why skiers can often walk onto that lift with little to no wait; this summer's Jersey Cream lift upgrade; why Jersey Cream didn't require as many modifications as Fitzsimmons even though it was also meant for Park City; the complexity of installing a mid-mountain lift; why WB had to cancel 2024 summer skiing and what that means for future summer seasons; could we see a gondola serving the glacier instead?; Vail's Australian trio of Mt. Hotham, Perisher, and Falls Creek; Whistler's wild weather; the distinct identities of Blackcomb and Whistler; what WB means to Vail Resorts; WB's Olympic legacy; Whistler's surprisingly low base elevation and what that means for the visitor; WB's relationship with local First Nations; priorities for future lift upgrades and potential changes to the Whistler gondola, Seventh Heaven, Whistler T-bar, Franz's, Garbanzo; discussing proposed additional lifts in Symphony Bowl and elsewhere on Whistler; potential expansion into a fourth portal; potential new or upgraded lifts sketched out in Blackcomb Mountain's masterplan; why WB de-commissioned the Hortsman T-Bar; missing the Wizard-to-Solar-Coaster access that the Blackcomb Gondola replaced; WB's amazing self-managing lift mazes; My Epic App direct-to-lift access is coming to Whistler; employee housing; why Whistler's season pass costs more than an Epic Pass; and Edge cards.   Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewFour new major lifts in three years; the cancellation of summer skiing; “materially lower” skier visits at Whistler this past winter, as reported by Vail Resorts – all good topics, all enough to justify a check-in. Oh and the fact that Whistler Blackcomb is the largest ski area in the Western Hemisphere, the crown jewel in Vail's sprawling portfolio, the single most important ski area on the continent.And why is that? What makes this place so special? The answer lies only partly in its bigness. Whistler is vast. Whistler is thrilling. Whistler is everything you hope a ski area will be when you plan your winter vacation. But most important of all is that Whistler is proof.Proof that such a place can exist in North America. U.S. America is stuck in a development cycle that typically goes like this:* Ski area proposes a new expansion/base area development/chairlift/snowmaking upgrade.* A small group of locals picks up the pitchforks because Think of the Raccoons/this will gut the character of our bucolic community of car-dependent sprawl/this will disrupt one very specific thing that is part of my personal routine that heavens me I just can't give up.* Said group files a lawsuit/formal objection/some other bureaucratic obstacle, halting the project.* Resort justifies the project/adapts it to meet locals' concerns/makes additional concessions in the form of land swaps, operational adjustments, infrastructure placement, and the like.* Group insists upon maximalist stance of Do Nothing.* Resort makes additional adjustments.* Group is Still Mad* Cycle repeats for years* Either nothing ever gets done, or the project is built 10 to 15 years after its reveal and at considerable extra expense in the form of studies, legal fees, rising materials and labor costs, and expensive and elaborate modifications to accommodate one very specific thing, like you can't operate the lift from May 1 to April 20 because that would disrupt the seahorse migration between the North and South Poles.In BC, they do things differently. I've covered this extensively, in podcast conversations with the leaders of Sun Peaks, Red Mountain, and Panorama. The civic and bureaucratic structures are designed to promote and encourage targeted, smart development, leading to ever-expanding ski areas, human-scaled and walkable base area infrastructure, and plenty of slopeside or slope-adjacent accommodations.I won't exhaust that narrative again here. I bring it up only to say this: Whistler has done all of these things at a baffling scale. A large, vibrant, car-free pedestrian village where people live and work. A gargantuan lift across an unbridgeable valley. Constant infrastructure upgrades. Reliable mass transit. These things can be done. Whistler is proof.That BC sits directly atop Washington State, where ski areas have to spend 15 years proving that installing a stop sign won't undermine the 17-year cicada hatching cycle, is instructive. Whistler couldn't exist 80 miles south. Maybe the ski area, but never the village. And why not? Such communities, so concentrated, require a small footprint in comparison to the sprawl of a typical development of single-family homes. Whistler's pedestrian base village occupies an area around a half mile long and less than a quarter mile wide. And yet, because it is a walkable, mixed-use space, it cuts down reliance on driving, enlivens the ski area, and energizes the soul. It is proof that human-built spaces, properly conceived, can create something worthwhile in what, 50 years ago, was raw wilderness, even if they replace a small part of the natural world.A note from Whistler on First NationsTrembath and I discuss Whistler's relationship with First Nations extensively, but her team sent me some follow-up information to clarify their role in the mountain's development:Belinda didn't really have time to dive into a very important piece of the First Nations involvement in the operational side of things:* There was significant engagement with First Nations as a part of developing the masterplans.* Their involvement and support were critical to the approval of the masterplans and to ensuring that all parties and their respective communities will benefit from the next 60 years of operation.* This includes the economic prosperity of First Nations – both the Squamish and Líl̓wat Nations will participate in operational success as partners.* To ensure this, the Province of British Columbia, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb and the Squamish and Líl̓wat Nations are engaged in agreements on how to work together in the future.* These agreements, known as the Umbrella Agreement, run concurrently with the Master Development Agreements and masterplans, providing a road map for our relationship with First Nations over the next 60 years of operations and development. * Key requirements include Revenue Sharing, Real Estate Development, Employment, Contracting & Recreational Opportunities, Marketing and Tourism and Employee Housing. There is an Implementation Committee, which oversees the execution of the agreement. * This is a landmark agreement and the only one of its kind within the mountain resort industry.What we got wrongI mentioned that “I'd never seen anything like” the lift mazes at Whistler, but that's not quite accurate. Vail Resorts deploys similar setups throughout its western portfolio. What I hadn't seen before is such choreographed and consistent navigation of these mazes by the skiers themselves. To watch a 500-person liftline squeeze itself into one loading ramp with no personnel direction or signage, and to watch nearly every chair lift off fully loaded, is to believe, at least for seven to nine minutes, in humanity as a worthwhile ongoing experiment.I said that Edge Cards were available for up to six days of skiing. They're actually available in two-, five-, or 10-day versions. If you're not familiar with Edge cards, it's because they're only available to residents of Canada and Washington State.Whistler officials clarified the mountain's spring skiing dates, which Trembath said started on May 14. The actual dates were April 15 to May 20.Why you should ski Whistler BlackcombYou know that thing you do where you step outside and you can breathe as though you didn't just remove your space helmet on the surface of Mars? You can do that at Whistler too. The village base elevation is 2,214 feet. For comparison's sake: Salt Lake City's airport sits at 4,227 feet; Denver's is at 5,434. It only goes up from there. The first chairlifts sit at 6,800 feet in Park City; 8,100 at Snowbird; 8,120 at Vail; 8,530 at Alta; 8,750 at Brighton; 9,000 at Winter Park; 9,280 at Keystone; 9,600 at Breckenridge; 9,712 at Copper Mountain; and an incredible 10,780 feet at Arapahoe Basin. Taos sits at 9,200 feet. Telluride at 8,750. Adaptation can be brutal when parachuting in from sea level, or some nominal inland elevation above it, as most of us do. At 8,500 feet, I get winded searching my hotel room for a power outlet, let alone skiing, until my body adjusts to the thinner air. That Whistler requires no such reconfiguration of your atomic structure to do things like blink and speak is one of the more underrated features of the place.Another underrated feature: Whistler Blackcomb is a fantastic family mountain. While Whistler is a flip-doodle factory of Stoke Brahs every bit the equal of Snowbird or Jackson Hole, it is not Snowbird or Jackson Hole. Which is to say, the place offers beginner runs that are more than across-the-fall line cat tracks and 300-vertical-foot beginner pods. While it's not promoted like the celebrated Peak-to-Creek route, a green trail (or sequence of them), runs nearly 5,000 uninterrupted vertical feet from Whistler's summit to the base village. In fact, with the exception of Blackcomb's Glacier Express, every one of the ski area's 16 chairlifts (even the fearsome Peak Express), and five gondolas offers a beginner route that you can ski all the way back to the base. Yes, some of them shuffle into narrow cat tracks for stretches, but mostly these are wide, approachable trails, endless and effortless, built, it seems, for ski-family safaris of the confidence-building sort.Those are maybe the things you're not thinking of. The skiing:Most skiers start with one of the three out-of-base village gondolas, but the new Fitz eight-seater rarely has a line. Start there:That's mostly a transit lift. At the top, head up the Garbanzo quad, where you can start to understand the scale of the thing:You're still not quite to the goods. But to get a sense of the mountain, ski down to Big Red:This will take you to Whistler's main upper-mountain portal, Roundhouse. From Whistler, you can see Blackcomb strafing the sky:From Roundhouse, it's a short ski down to the Peak Express:Depending upon your route down, you may end up back at Big Red. Ride back up to Roundhouse, then meander from Emerald to Harmony to Symphony lifts. For a moment on the way down Symphony, it feels like Euroski:Just about everyone sticks to the narrow groomers:But there are plenty of bumps and trees and wide-open bowls:Nice as this terrain is, the Peak 2 Peak Gondola summons you from all over the mountain:Whoosh. To Blackcomb in an instant, crossing the valley, 1,427 feet to the bottom, and out at Blackcomb's upper-mountain base, Rendezvous. Down to Glacier Express, and up a rolling fantasyland of infinite freeride terrain:And at the top it's like damn.From here, you can transfer to the Showcase T-bar if it's open. If not, climb Spanky's Ladder, and, Kaboom out on the other side:Ride Crystal Ridge or Excelerator back up, and run a lap through bowls and glades:Then ski back down to the village, ride Jersey Cream back to Rendezvous to connect to the spectacular 7th Heaven lift, or ride the gondy back over to Whistler to repeat the whole cycle. And that's just a sampling. I'm no Whistler expert - just go have fun and get lost in the whole thing.Podcast NotesOn the Lost Lifts of Park CityIt's slightly weird and enormously hilarious that the Fitzsimmons eight-seater that Whistler installed last summer and the Jersey Cream sixer that Blackcomb will drop on the mountain this year were originally intended for Park City. As I wrote in 2022:Last September, Vail Resorts announced what was likely the largest set of single-season lift upgrades in the history of the world: $315-plus million on 19 lifts (later increased to 21 lifts) across 14 ski areas. Two of those lifts would land in Park City: a D-line eight-pack would replace the Silverlode six, and a six-pack would replace the Eagle and Eaglet triples. Two more lifts in a town with 62 of them (Park City sits right next door to Deer Valley). Surely this would be another routine project for the world's largest ski area operator.It wasn't. In June, four local residents – Clive Bush, Angela Moschetta, Deborah Rentfrow, and Mark Stemler – successfully appealed the Park City Planning Commission's previous approval of the lift projects.“The upgrades were appealed on the basis that the proposed eight-place and six-place chairs were not consistent with the 1998 development agreement that governs the resort,” SAM wrote at the time. “The planning commission also cited the need for a more thorough review of the resort's comfortable carrying capacity calculations and parking mitigation plan, finding PCM's proposed paid parking plan at the Mountain Village insufficient.”So instead of rising on the mountain, the lifts spent the summer, in pieces, in the parking lot. Vail admitted defeat, at least temporarily. “We are considering our options and next steps based on today's disappointing decision—but one thing is clear—we will not be able to move forward with these two lift upgrades for the 22-23 winter season,” Park City Mountain Resort Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Deirdra Walsh said in response to the decision.One of the options Vail apparently considered was trucking the lifts to friendlier locales. Last Wednesday, as part of its year-end earnings release, Vail announced that the two lifts would be moved to Whistler and installed in time for the 2023-24 ski season. The eight-pack will replace the 1,129-vertical-foot Fitzsimmons high-speed quad on Whistler, giving the mountain 18 seats (!) out of the village (the lift runs alongside the 10-passenger Whistler Village Gondola). The six-pack will replace the Jersey Cream high-speed quad on Blackcomb, a midmountain lift with a 1,230-foot vertical rise.The whole episode is still one of the dumber things I'm aware of. There are like 80 lifts in Park City and two more (replacements, not all-new lines), apparently would have knocked the planet off its axis and sent us caterwauling into the sun. It's enough to make you un-see all the human goodness in Whistler's magical lift queues. More here.On Fitzsimmons 8's complex lineAmong the challenges of re-engineering the Fitzsimmons 8 for Whistler was the fact that the lift had to pass under the Whistler Village Gondola:Trembath and I talk a little about Fitz's download capability. Team Whistler sent over some additional information following our chat, indicating that the winter download capacity is four riders per chair (part of the original lift design, when it was meant for Park City). Summer download, for bike park operations, is limited to one passenger (a lower capacity than the original design).On Whistler's bike parkI'm not Bike Park Bro, though I could probably be talked into it fairly easily if I didn't already spend half the year wandering around the country in search of novel snowsportskiing operations. I do, however, ride my bike around NYC just about every day from May through October-ish, which in many ways resembles the giant jungle gyms that are downhill mountain bike parks, just with fewer jumps and a higher probability of decapitation by box truck.Anyway Whistler supposedly has the best bike park this side of Neptune, and we talk about it a bit, and so I'll include the trailmap even though I'd have a better chance of translating ancient Aramaic runes etched into a cave wall than I would of explaining exactly what's happening here:On Jersey Cream “not looking like much” on the trailmapBecause Whistler's online trailmap is shrunken to fit the same rectangular container that every ski map fills in the Webosphere, it fails to convey the scale of the operation (the paper version, which you can acquire if you slip a bag of gold bars and a map to the Lost City of Atlantis to a clerk at the guest services desk, is aptly called a “mountain atlas” and better captures the breadth of the place). The Jersey Cream lift and pod, for example, presents on the trailmap as an inconsequential connector lift between the Glacier Express and Rendezous station, where three other lifts convene. But this is a 1,230-vertical-foot, 4,647-foot-long machine that could, were you to hack it from the earth and transport it into the wilderness, be a fairly substantial ski area on its own. For context, 1,200 vertical feet is roughly the rise of Eldora or Monarch, or, for Easterners, Cranmore or Black Mountain.On the Whistler and Blackcomb masterplansUnlike the U.S. American Forest Service, which often fails to post ski area master development plans on their useless 1990s vintage websites, the British Columbia authorities have neatly organized all of their province's masterplans on one webpage. Whistler and Blackcomb mountains each file separate plans, last updated in 2013. That predates Vail Resorts' acquisition by three years, and Trembath and I discuss how closely (or not), these plans align with the company's current thinking around the resort.Whistler Mountain:Blackcomb Mountain:On Vail's Australian ski areasTrembath, at different points, oversaw all three of Vail Resorts' Australian ski areas. Though much of that tenure predated Vail's acquisitions (of Hotham and Falls Creek in 2019), she ran Perisher (purchased in 2015), for a year before leaping to the captain's chair at Whistler. Trembath provides a terrific breakdown of each of the three ski areas, and they look like a lot of fun:Perisher:Falls Creek:Hotham:On Sugar Bowl ParallelsTrembath's story follows a similar trajectory to that of Bridget Legnavsky, whose decades-long career in New Zealand included running a pair of that country's largest ski resorts. She then moved to North America to run a large ski area – in her case, Sugar Bowl near Lake Tahoe's North Shore. She appeared on the podcast in March.On Merlin EntertainmentI was unfamiliar with Merlin Entertainment, the former owner of Falls Creek and Hotham. The company is enormous, and owns Legoland Parks, Madame Tussauds, and dozens of other familiar brands.On Whistler and Blackcomb as formerly separate ski areasLike Park City (formerly Park City and Canyons) and Palisades Tahoe (formerly Alpine Meadows and Squaw Valley), Whistler and Blackcomb were once separate ski areas. Here's the stoke version of the mountains' joint history (“You were either a Whistler skier, or you were a Blackcomb skier”):On First Nations' language on lifts and the Gondola Gallery projectAs Whistler builds new lifts, the resort tags the lift terminals with names in English and First Nations languages. From Pique Magazine at the opening of the Fitzsimmons eight-pack last December:Whistler Mountain has a brand-new chairlift ready to ferry keen skiers and snowboarders up to mid-mountain, with the rebuilt Fitzsimmons Express opening to guests early on Dec. 12. …“Importantly, this project could not have happened without the guidance and counsel of the First Nations partners,” said Trembath.“It's so important to us that their culture continues to be represented across these mountains in everything we do.”In keeping with those sentiments, the new Fitzsimmons Express is emblazoned with First Nations names alongside its English name: In the Squamish language, it is known as Sk_wexwnách, for Valley Creek, and in the Lil'wat language, it is known as Tsíqten, which means Fish Spear.New chairlifts are given First Nations names at Whistler Blackcomb as they are installed and opened.Here's Fitzsimmons:And Big Red, a sixer installed two years ago:Whistler also commissioned First Nations artists to wrap two cabins on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola. From Daily Hive:The Peak 2 Peak gondola, which connects Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, is showing off artwork created by First Nations artists, which can be seen by mountain-goers at BC's premiere ski resort.Vail Resorts commissioned local Indigenous artists to redesign two gondola cabins. Levi Nelson of Lil'wat Nation put his stamp on one with “Red,” while Chief Janice George and Buddy Joseph of Squamish Nation have created “Wings of Thunder.” …“Red is a sacred colour within Indigenous culture, representing the lifeblood of the people and our connection to the Earth,” said Nelson, an artist who excels at contemporary Indigenous art. “These shapes come from and are inspired by my ancestors. To be inside the gondola, looking out through an ovoid or through the Ancestral Eye, maybe you can imagine what it's like to experience my territory and see home through my eyes.”“It's more than just the techniques of weaving. It's about ways of being and seeing the world. Passing on information that's meaningful. We've done weavings on murals, buildings, reviving something that was put away all those decades ago now,” said Chief Janice George and Buddy Joseph.“The significance of the Thunderbird being on the gondola is that it brings the energy back on the mountain and watching over all of us.”A pic:On Native American issues in the U.S.I referenced conflicts between U.S. ski resorts and Native Americans, without providing specifics. The Forest Service cited objections from Native American communities, among other factors, in recommending a “no action” alternative to Lutsen Mountains' planned expansion last year. The Washoe tribe has attempted to “reclaim” land that Diamond Peak operates on. The most prominent dispute, however, has been a decades-long standoff between Arizona Snowbowl and indigenous tribes. Per The Guardian in 2022:The Arizona Snowbowl resort, which occupies 777 acres (314 hectares) on the mountain's slope, has attracted skiers during the winter and spring for nearly a century. But its popularity has boomed in recent years thanks to growing populations in Phoenix, a three hour's drive away, and neighbouring Flagstaff. During peak ski season, the resort draws upwards of 3,000 visitors a day.More than a dozen Indigenous nations who hold the mountain sacred have fought Snowbowl's existence since the 1930s. These include the Pueblo of Acoma, Fort McDowell Yavapai; Havasupai; Hopi; Hualapai; Navajo; San Carlos Apache; San Juan Southern Paiute; Tonto Apache; White Mountain Apache; Yavapai Apache, Yavapai Prescott, and Pueblo of Zuni. They say the resort's presence has disrupted the environment and their spiritual connection to the mountain, and that its use of treated sewage effluent to make snow is akin to baptizing a baby with wastewater.Now, a proposed $60m expansion of Snowbowl's facilities has brought simmering tensions to a boil.The US Forest Service, the agency that manages the national forest land on which Snowbowl is built, is weighing a 15-year expansion proposal that would bulk up operations, increase visitation and add new summer recreational facilities such as mountain biking trails, a zip line and outdoor concerts. A coalition of tribes, meanwhile, is resisting in unprecedented ways.The battle is emblematic of a vast cultural divide in the American west over public lands and how they should be managed. On one side are mostly financially well-off white people who recreate in national forests and parks; on the other are Indigenous Americans dispossessed from those lands who are struggling to protect their sacred sites.“Nuva'tukya'ovi is our Mount Sinai. Why can't the forest service understand that?,” asks Preston.On the tight load at the 7th Heaven liftYikes:Honestly it's pretty organized and the wait isn't that long, but this is very popular terrain and the trails could handle a higher-capacity lift (nearly everyone skis the Green Line trail or one of the blue groomers off this lift, leaving hundreds of acres of off-piste untouched; it's pretty glorious).On Wizard and Solar CoasterEvery local I spoke with in Whistler grumped about the Blackcomb Gondola, which replaced the Wizard and Solar Coaster high-speed quads in 2018. While the 10-passenger gondy substantively follows the same lines, it fails to provide the same mid-mountain fast-lap firepower that Solar Coaster once delivered. Both because removing your skis after each lap is a drag, and because many skiers ride the gondola up to Rendezvous, leaving fewer free mid-mountain seats than the empty quad chairs once provided. Here's a before-and-after:On Whistler's season passWhistler's season pass, which is good at Whistler Blackcomb and only Whistler Blackcomb, strangely costs more ($1,047 U.S.) than a full Epic Pass ($1,004 U.S.), which also provides unlimited access to Whistler and Vail's other 41 ski areas. It's weird. Trembath explains.The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 42/100 in 2024, and number 542 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

In BC, there is no standardized provincial policy on how universities and colleges should address the toxic drug crisis. Guest: Lori Culbert, Reporter for The Vancouver Sun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seg 1: How do our brains sync with our kids? Healthy child development hinges on secure attachment bonds between parents and children, facilitated by coordinating their brains and behaviours during social interactions. Guest: Dr. Pascal Vrticka, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Essex Seg 2: Scott's Thoughts: Hackers and ransom London Drugs is the victim of a ransomware attack, and say they won't pay. Hackers are threatening to release Data on employees if they don't. What would you do? Guest: Scott Shantz, Contributor for Mornings with Simi Seg 3: View From Victoria: London drugs gets hacked for cash London Drugs gets put up for ransom of $25m after cyberattack by Russian hackers, could the BC government be next? Guest: Rob Shaw, Political Correspondent for CHEK News Seg 4: Is Canada doing enough to deter auto theft? The Insurance Bureau of Canada has praised the federal government's National Action Plan on Combating Auto Theft as “comprehensive and informed” but emphasized that its success will depend on effectively reducing auto theft. Guest: Liam McGuinty, Vice President of Strategy at the Insurance Bureau of Canada Seg 5: How safe is Facebook Marketplace? We all use facebook marketplace from time to time, and it's usually a great place to shop, but does it ever make you concerned about your safety? Guest: Konstantin Beznosov, Senior Researcher and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UBC Seg 6: How common is severe air turbulence? A British passenger died, and seven others were critically injured when a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore encountered severe turbulence. Experts have noted the increasing prevalence of clear air turbulence due to global warming. Guest: John Gradek, Aviation Management Professor at McGill University Seg 7: Are BC campuses adequately handling the overdose crisis? In BC, there is no standardized provincial policy on how universities and colleges should address the toxic drug crisis. Guest: Lori Culbert, Reporter for The Vancouver Sun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on April 16. It dropped for free subscribers on April 23. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription. You can also subscribe to the free tier below:WhoSteve Paccagnan, President and CEO of Panorama Mountain, British ColumbiaRecorded onMarch 27, 2024About PanoramaClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Panorama Mountain Village, Inc., a group of local investorsLocated in: Panorama, British Columbia, CanadaYear founded: 1962Pass affiliations:* Ikon Pass: 7 days, no blackouts* Ikon Base Pass: 5 days, holiday blackouts* Mountain Collective: 2 days, no blackouts* Lake Louise Pass: view details hereClosest neighboring ski areas: Fairmont Hot Springs (:45), Kimberley (1:43), Kicking Horse (1:54) – travel times will vary considerably depending upon road conditions and time of yearBase elevation: 3,773 feet/1,150 metersSummit elevation: 8,038 feet/2,450 metersVertical drop: 4,265 feet/1,300 metersSkiable Acres: 2,975Average annual snowfall: 204 inches/520 centimetersTrail count: 135 (30% expert, 20% advanced, 35% intermediate, 15% beginner)Lift count: 10 (1 eight-passenger pulse gondola, 2 high-speed quads, 2 fixed-grip quads, 1 triple, 1 double, 1 platter, 2 carpets – view Lift Blog's inventory of Panorama's lift fleet)Why I interviewed himU.S. America is making a mistake. In skiing, as in so many other arenas, we prioritize status quo protectionism over measured, holistic development that would reorient our built environments around humans, rather than cars, shrinking our overall impact while easing our access to the mountains and permitting more people to enjoy them. Our cluttered and interminable western approach roads, our mountain-town housing shortages, our liftlines backed up to Kansas are all the result of deliberate generational decisions to prioritize cars over transit, open space over dense walkable communities, and blanket wilderness protection over metered development of new public ski areas in regions where the established businesses - and their surrounding infrastructure - are overwhelmed.I write about these things a lot. This pisses some of you off. I'm OK with that. I'm not here to recycle the broken ideas that have made U.S. skiing into the mess that (in some fundamental ways, in certain regions) it is. I'm here to figure out how it can be better. The skiing itself, mind you, tends to be fabulous. It is everything that surrounds the mountains that can spoil the experience: the cost, the hassle, the sprawl. There are better ways to do this, to get people to the mountains and to house them there, both to live and to vacation. We know this because other countries already do a lot of the things that we ought to be doing. And the most culturally similar and geographically cozy one is so close we can touch it.U.S. America and U.S. Americans are ceding North American skiing's future to British Columbia. This is where virtually all of the continent's major resort development has occurred over the past three decades. Why do you suppose so many skiers from Washington State spend so much time at Whistler? Yes, it's the largest resort in North America, with knockout terrain and lots of snow. But Crystal and Stevens Pass and Baker all get plenty of snow and are large enough to give most skiers just about anything they need. What Whistler has that none of them do is an expansive pedestrian base village with an almost infinite number of ski-in, ski-out beds and places to eat, drink, and shop. A dense community in the mountains. That's worth driving four or more hours north for, even if you have to deal with the pain-in-the-ass border slowdowns to get there.This is not an accident, and Whistler is not an outlier. Over the past 30-plus years, the province of British Columbia has deliberately shaped its regulatory environment and developmental policies to encourage and lubricate ski resort evolution and growth. While all-new ski resort developments often stall, one small ski area after another has grown from community bump to major resort over the past several decades. Tiny Mount Mackenzie became titanic Revelstoke, which towers over even mighty Whistler. Backwater Whitetooth blew upward and outward into sprawling, ferocious Kicking Horse. Little Tod Mountain evolved into Sun Peaks, now the second-largest ski area in Canada. While the resort has retained its name over the decades, the transformation of Panorama has been just as thorough and dramatic.Meanwhile, in America, we stagnate. Every proposed terrain expansion or transit alternative or housing development crashes headfirst into a shredder of bureaucratic holdups, lawsuits, and citizen campaigns. There are too many ways to stop things, and too many people whose narrow visions of what the world ought to be blockade the sort of wholesale rethinking of community architecture that would make the mountains more livable and accessible.This has worked for a while. It's still sort of working now. But each year, as the same two companies sell more and more passes to access a relatively stable number of U.S. ski areas, the traffic, liftlines, and cost of visiting these large resorts grows. Locals will find a way, pick their spots. But destination skiers with a menu of big-mountain options will eventually realize that I-70 is not a mandatory obstacle to maneuver on a good ski vacation. They can head north, instead, with the same ski pass they already have, and spend a week at Red or Fernie or Kimberley or Revelstoke or Sun Peaks or Kicking Horse.Or Panorama. Three thousand acres, 4,265 vertical feet, no lines, and no hassle getting there other than summoning the patience to endure long drives down Canadian two-laners. As the U.S. blunders along, Canada kept moving. The story of Panorama shows us how.What we talked aboutA snowmaking blitz; what happened when Panorama joined the Ikon Pass; how Covid savaged the international skier game; Panorama in the ‘80s; Intrawest arrives; a summit lift at last; village-building; reviving Mt. Baldy, B.C.; Mont Ste. Marie and learning French; why Intrawest sold the ski area; modernizing the lift system; busy busy Copper; leaving for Kicking Horse; Resorts of the Canadian Rockies arrives; who owns Panorama; whether the resort will stay independent; potential lift replacements and terrain expansions; could we ever see a lift in Taynton Bowl?; explaining those big sections of the trailmap that are blocked off with purple borders; and whitebark pine conservation.Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewIt wouldn't be fair to call Panorama a Powder Highway sleeper. The place seems to be doing fine as a business, with plenty of skier traffic to support continuous expansive infrastructure upgrades. But with lower average annual snowfall totals than Revy and Whitewater and Fernie and Red, Panorama does tend to get fewer shout-outs through the media and social media megaphones. It's Northstar to Palisades Tahoe, Keystone to A-Basin, Park City to the Cottonwoods: the less-snowy, less-intense neighbor that collects families in wholesome Build-A-Bear fashion.But Panorama is wrapping up its second full season on the Ikon Pass, and its second winter since Canada finally unlocked its Covid-era borders. What impact, if any, would those two developments have on Panorama's famously uncrowded slopes? Even if Colorad-Bro would never deign to turn his Subaru north, would Kansas Karl or North Dakota Norman load the kids into the minivan for something farther but less annoying?Not yet, it turns out. Or at least, not in great enough numbers to wreck the place. But there is another angle to the Panorama story that intrigues me. Like Copper Mountain, Mountain Creek, and Whistler, Panorama once belonged to Intrawest. Unlike Winter Park, Steamboat, Stratton, and Snowshoe, they did not remain part of the enterprise long enough to live second lives as part of Alterra Mountain Company. But what if they had? Our big-mountain coalitions have somewhat ossified over these past half-dozen years, so that we think of ski areas as Ikon mountains or Epic mountains or Indy mountains or independent mountains. But these rosters, like the composition of sports teams or, increasingly, leagues, can fluctuate wildly over time. I do wonder how Whistler would look under Alterra and Ikon, or what impact Mountain Creek-as-unlimited-Ikon mountain would have had on the megapass market in New York City? We don't really know. But Panorama, as a onetime Intrawest mountain that rejoined the family through the backdoor with Ikon membership, does give us a sort-of in-between case, a kind of What If? episode of skiing.Which would be a fun thought experiment under any circumstances. But how cool to hear about the whole evolution from a guy who saw it all happen first-hand over the course of four decades? Who saw it from all levels and from all angles, who knew the players and who helped push the boulder uphill himself? That's increasingly rare with big mountains, in this era of executive rotations and promotions, to get access to a top leader in possession of institutional knowledge that he himself helped to draft. It was, I'm happy to say, as good as I'd hoped.What I got wrongI said that Panorama was “one of the closest B.C. ski areas to the United States.” This is not quite right. While the ski area is just 100 or so miles from the international border, more than a dozen ski areas sit closer to the U.S., including majors such as Kimberley, Fernie, Whitewater, and Red Mountain.Why you should ski PanoramaLet's acknowledge, first of all, that Panorama has a few things working against it: it's more than twice as far from Calgary airport – most skiers' likely port of entry – than Banff and its trio of excellent ski areas; it's the least powdery major ski resort on the Powder Highway; and while the skiable acreage and vertical drop are impressive, skiers must ride three lifts and a Snowcat to lap much of the best terrain.But even that extra drive still gets you to the bump in under four hours on good roads – hardly an endurance test. Sure, they get more snow in Utah, but have you ever been in Utah on a powder day? Enjoy that first untracked run, because unless you're a local who knows exactly where to go, it will probably be your only one. And lapping multiple lifts is more of a psychological exercise than a practical one when there are few to no liftlines.And dang the views when you get there:There are plenty of large, under-trafficked ski resorts remaining in the United States. But they tend to be hundreds of miles past the middle of nowhere, with 60-year-old chairlifts and little or no snowmaking, and nowhere to sleep other than the back of your van. In BC, you can find the best of America's Big Empties crossed with the modern lift fleets of the sprawling conglomerate-owned pinball machines. And oh by the way you get a hell of a discount off of already low-seeming (compared to the big-mountain U.S.) prices: an American dollar, as of April 16, was worth $1.38 Canadian.Podcast NotesOn IntrawestPanorama, as a former Intrawest-owned resort, could easily have been part of Alterra Mountain Company right now. Instead, it was one of several ski areas sold off in the years before the legacy company stuffed its remainders into the Anti-Vail:On Mont Ste. MarieMont Ste. Marie is one of approximately 45,000 ski areas in Quebec, and the only one, coincidentally, that I've actually skied. Paccagnan happened to be GM when I skied there, in 2002:On Kicking HorseIt's incredible how many U.S. Americans remain unaware of Kicking Horse, which offers what is probably the most ferocious inbounds ski terrain in North America, 4,314 vertical feet of straight down:Well, almost straight down. The bottom bit is fairly tame. That's because Kicking Horse, like many B.C. ski areas, began as a community bump and exploded skyward with an assist from the province. Here's what the ski area, then known as “Whitetooth,” looked like circa 1994:This sort of transformation happens all the time in British Columbia, and is the result of a deliberate, forward-looking development philosophy that has mostly evaporated in the U.S. American West.On the Powder HighwayPanorama lacks the notoriety of its Powder Highway size-peers, mostly because the terrain is overall a bit milder and the volume of natural snow a bit lower than many of the other ski areas. Here's a basic Powder Highway map:And a statistical breakdown:On the Lake Louise PassI already covered this one in my podcast with Red Mountain CEO Howard Katkov a couple months back:Katkov mentions the “Lake Louise Pass,” which Red participates in, along with Castle Mountain and Panorama. He's referring to the Lake Louise Plus Card, which costs $134 Canadian up front. Skiers then get their first, fourth, and seventh days free, and 20 percent off lift tickets for each additional visit. While these sorts of discount cards have been diminished by Epkon domination, versions of them still provide good value across the continent. The Colorado Gems Card, Smugglers' Notch's Bash Badge, and ORDA's frequent skier cards are all solid options for skiers looking to dodge the megapass circus.On Panorama's masterplan:On Mt. Baldy, B.C.Paccagnan helped revitalize a struggling Mt. Baldy, British Columbia, in the 1990s. Here was the ski area's 1991 footprint:And here's what it looks like today – the ski area joined Indy Pass for the 2023-24 ski season:On Panorama's evolutionPanorama, like many B.C. ski areas, has evolved significantly over the past several decades. Here's what the place looked like in 1990, not long after Paccagnan started and before Intrawest bought the place. A true summit lift was still theoretical, Taynton Bowl remained out of bounds, and the upper-mountain lifts were a mix of double chairs and T-bars:By 1995, just two years after Intrawest had purchased the ski area, the company had installed a summit T-bar and opened huge tracts of advanced terrain off the top of the mountain:The summit T ended up being a temporary solution. By 2005, Intrawest had thoroughly modernized the lift system, with a sequence of high-speed quads out of the base transporting skiers to the fixed-grip Summit Quad. Taynton Bowl became part of the marked and managed terrain:On Whitebark Pine certificationA bit of background on Panorama's certification as a “whitebark pine-friendly ski resort” – from East Kootenay News Online Weekly:The Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada has certified Panorama Mountain Resort as a Whitebark Pine Friendly Ski Area, the first resort in Canada to receive this designation.The certification recognizes the resort's long and continued efforts to support the recovery of whitebark pine within its ski area boundary, a threatened tree species that plays a critical role in the biodiversity of mountain ecosystems. ,,,Found across the subalpine of interior B.C., Alberta and parts of the U.S, this slow growing, five needle pine is an integral part of an ecosystem that many other species depend on for survival. The tree's cones hold some of the most nutritious seeds in the mountains and sustain Grizzly bears and birds, including the Clark's nutcracker which has a unique symbiotic relationship with the tree. The deep and widespread roots of the whitebark pine contribute to the health of watersheds by stabilizing alpine slopes and regulating snowpack run-off.Over the past decade, whitebark pine numbers have fallen dramatically due in large part to a non-native fungal disease known as white pine blister rust that has been infecting and killing the trees at an alarming rate. Since 2012, the whitebark pine has been listed as endangered under the Government of Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA), and was recently added to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service's threatened species list.Panorama Mountain Resort has collaborated with the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada to facilitate restoration projects including cone collection and tree plantings within the resort's ski area.The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 31/100 in 2024, and number 531 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

Welcome to UnSpun - your current events podcast and YouTube show. Every week, Jody Vance and George Affleck unspin the latest news in local, provincial, and federal politics, and much more. This week, homes for everyone! Well, in theory that is what the federal government is proposing but is realistic and what's the alternative. In BC drug decriminalization and the safe supply system are creating a whack-a-mole situation for police and local residents and debate is heating up politically in Victoria of their efficacy. But you know … It's an election year, everyone. And finally, app-gate in Ottawa, are the ArriveCan hearings more political theatre or a real issue that needs to be resolved. Tune in for that and so much more on UnsSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck Find out where to watch and listen at UnSpunPodcast.com

In BC, Thousands of families struggle to put food on the table and hunger can set a child back for life. Backpack Buddies is tackling childhood hunger in BC by putting food directly into the hands of those children who need it most. Guest: Emily-Anne King, Executive Director, Backpack buddies & Sarah Dubios Phillips, Executive Director, CKNW kids fund Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JD is the founder and owner of Canadas Freedom Biker Tours. Doing guides motorcycle vacation tours. In BC and the Canadian Rockies and the east coast of Canada. If you're interested in checking in to this check website. https://www.freedombikertours.com/. And as always thank you for following The Vtwin Life. Want to help support the channel check out my social media pages and follow there as well

De Clarke/ Cortes Currents - FOCI launched their new ‘Create, Connect Conserve' series on February 3rd at Linnaea Farm, with workshops on coexisting peacefully with wildlife. Bob Hansen of WildSafeBC explained the effectiveness and correct use of bear spray. In the course of the presentation, he shared several interesting statistics and exploded a few common misconceptions. Bob showed a WildsafeBC video, and also gave a live demonstration; attendees learned the mechanics of ‘laying down a wall' of spray to keep wildlife at a distance, or directly targeting the animal's face. In a brief lecture on bear behaviour, he explained why bears attack, how often this happens, ways to avoid attacks, and what to do if a bear does attack you. Fortunately, bear attacks are uncommon — the average North American is more likely to be killed by a lightning strike than by a bear. In North America there are fewer than three fatalities due to bears each year (versus 20 due to lightning strikes). In BC over the last 40 years, there has been one fatality every three years for black bears, and one every five years for grizzlies. Given the number of people out exploring and adventuring in the bush every year, bear attacks are quite rare; our culturally-reinforced fear of bears is somewhat exaggerated. Nevertheless, a close encounter with a bear can be dangerous — and it's best to be prepared if you spend time in the bush. Bob explained the benefits and proper use of bear spray.

What stands in the way of the future of sustainable forest management? There are many answers to this question, but the deepest answer may be colonialism. The very structure of our governing bodies and institutions have made it very difficult to try new things. It is possible that our colonial system of organization and decision making now stands in the way of progress. Organizations have to fight against the system to make new decisions, and move in new directions. The first thing we have to do is recognize the problem. ResourcesIra SutherlandDynamics in the landscape ecology of institutionsSponsorsWest FraserGreenLink Forestry Inc.Quotes1.27.55 - 1.28.02: “Can we really transform these systems into something generally sustainable if we cannot transform ourselves first?” TakeawaysSustainability (10.00)Ira defines sustainability as a dynamic process of constant learning. Institutions are meant to be constantly monitoring changes in the environment and adapting and evolving in response. Institutions (18.51)Institutional processes are the activities conducted on the land base which provide feedback for monitoring to the institutions.Power (21.55)The arrival of the provincial colonial government became the main decision-making authority for all lands in BC. From the 1970s to the 1990s, environmental NGOs began having some say with international boycotts against BC timber products. Since the 1970s, First Nations ancestral rights have also been recognized through case law in BC.Wise use (24.10)In BC, many areas were protected as forests and wasteful early timber harvesting practices were modified to prevent wildfires and ensure more resources for future generations. Sustained yield (28.17)Sustained yield forest management in 1948 formalized the goals BC had for its forests, and it sought to have a continuous or even perpetually increasing supply of timber. Intention vs. outcome (30.15)Ira highlights that early institutional functions in BC did not consider Indigenous land rights and the needs of the Indigenous people and it led to the 1990s pine needle epidemic and fires since. The forest practices code (34.25)The forest practices code was introduced in 1995. 11 different values have to be managed alongside timber, such as biodiversity. Timber bias (36.56)Ira laments that even though new policies have been created, they are layered on top of the old ones, but it doesn't remove the emphasis on sustained yield in forest management in BC. Change (44.50)BC has restricted converting forest to regulated stands to 15% of the land, elevated First Nations decision-makers in the area and created new types of conservation zones. Social values (59.40)Ira's research paper measures biophysical structures within the forest and uses that as a proxy to estimate the capacity of a given forest and provide multiple ecosystem services. Multi-dimensional approach (1.03.15)Ira opines that better data on multiple ecosystem services and a structured decision-making process need to inform forest management practices. Polycentric forest governance (1.11.11)Managing the forest locally is the top recommendation in Ira's paper to effectively monitor changes, understand local values and make management decisions that reflect those. Forest management recommendations (1.14.30)The second recommendation in Ira's paper is to maintain and restore complex landscapes, with heterogeneity at the stand and landscape scale for ecologically resilient landscapes. The third recommendation is to help institutions adapt through reflective processes.

If you had asked me what I thought ‘craft beer' was when I first moved to Vancouver, back in 2009, my answer would have been something vague about its ‘higher quality'. Fast forward to today, and layers of experiences, flavours and perspectives add nuance and understanding to what the beer sector signifies.Market capitalization and interest usually peak when something new captures the scene, with entrepreneurs racing to make their mark and carve out their niches. In BC, R&B, Storm, Red Truck, Phillips, and Driftwood are a handful of the early success stories; then came 33 Acres, Strange Fellows, Parkside, and Brassneck (to name a few), who shepherded an exciting crew of businesses with exceptional beers and inviting tasting rooms. The people came, and a new way of socializing formed: fewer corner pubs and more family affairs. Kids and dogs littered patios as parents sipped on unique IPA styles.Soon, there were upwards of over 200 craft breweries in the province. Craft beer seemed here to stay… Then came a pandemic, rising interest rates, changing consumer habits, and the rise of non-alcoholics and RTDs – each a new challenge for breweries. As of late 2023, the news wasn't good: some are closing, and others may follow suit; reports from the CBC and Global News paint a possible stark environment for 2024.To gain a better comprehension of the situation from the inside, I've rounded up three friends and prominent brewery owners – Sam Payne (co-owner and operator of Parkside and Rewind ), Nick Black (co-owner and operator of Strange Fellows), and Adam Henderson (owner of Superflux) – to share their knowledge and personal narratives, and discuss the state of the craft brewery market today, how they see it evolving, and the challenges ahead…Trouble brewing? Canadian beermakers foresee closures amid economic challenges - CBCBeer industry says looming tax increase latest blow to tapped out sector - CBCCOVID loan repayments a brewing crisis for B.C. craft beer sector, industry warns - Global NewsA Missed Opportunity— Did The Craft Beer Industry Lose Their One Chance To Grow Their Market Share? - Track and FoodIf you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email at trackandfoodpod@gmail.com

This week saw the end of the fall sitting of the NS Legislature, with long sitting days, and a few pieces of legislation passed, as the PC government passes the halfway point of its mandate. The trial of Cameron Ortis, the former Director of the RCMP Operations Research group, a high level intelligence unit, brings to mind what would happen if Ethan Hunt or James Bond were brought to trial. Ortis is alleged to have shared secret information with money launderers, while he claims to have been trying to root out moles in the upper echelons of the RCMP. At the same time, the National Security and Intelligence Committee is looking to change the way the RCMP is structured. It is not clear that anyone with the power to make those changes is paying attention. In BC, a husband in a highly acrimonious divorce was convicted of voyeurism after his wife found a hidden camera in their bedroom. In NS, two cases involving large amounts of money stolen - in one, former investment advisor Quinton Sponagle is at risk of going to jail if he does not pay back $1.1 million stolen. In another, Dawn Ellis-Abbot is found to have stolen $3.2 million from Millbrook First Nation. Finally, I look to the appeal of the stay of proceedings involving Dr. Fashoranti, a doctor in Amherst who had been accused of sexual assault against three patients. This case raises serious question about the conduct of the crown prosecutors on the case.

Welcome to UnSpun - your current events podcast and YouTube show. Every week, Jody Vance and George Affleck unspin the latest news in local, provincial, federal politics, and much more. This week, Jody and George get into the power of bad press and why some politicians handle it and others get buried by it. In BC the annual convention of BC municipalities is over … and and and … well not a lot. No goodies from the Premier. No big controversies. And in Vancouver — view cones. Say what? Ya, somehow it's part of the housing solution. Ok. Sure. All that and more on the fastest 30 minutes in BC podcasting — UnSpunpodcast.comNeed to find the audio version, go to unspunpodcast.com or search for us on your favourite audio channel. Need to reach out, email info@unspunpodcast.comStay updated!Jody Vance https://twitter.com/jodyvance George Affleck https://twitter.com/george_affleck UnSpun https://twitter.com/unspunpodcast #vanpoli #bcpoli #cndpoliInterested in sponsoring? Email george@curvecommunications.comJody Vance is a born and raised Vancouverite who's spent 30 years in both local and national media. The first woman in the history of Canadian TV to host her own sports show in primetime, since 2011 she's been working in both TV and radio covering news and current affairs.George Affleck is a former Vancouver City Councillor, retiring in 2018 after seven years and two election wins. He has also owned his marketing agency, Curve Communications, since 2000 and works with a variety of clients in the private and non-profit sector. George can also be seen writing columns for Vancouver is Awesome, and a guest host on CKNW. A published author, CBC journalist, and comedy writer, George is also an avid traveler, having lived in Sweden, Denmark, the UK, Taiwan, and Israel.Theme song: Piers AffleckProduced at: https://curvecommunications.com/

In BC, Bill 36 will fine and imprison doctors or  nurses deemed to be spreading medical misinformation. Which would be great... except we all know how that will be used, comrades... ----- Million March for Children: https://millionmarch4children.squarespace.com/ Get Tickets for Dr. James Lindsay: In Edmonton: https: https://www.takingbackalberta.ca/dr_james_lindsay_protect_our_children_edmonton In Calgary: https://www.takingbackalberta.ca/dr_james_lindsay_protect_our_children_calgary Tell me what you thought of the show! Text me at: (587)206-7006 Get you copy of "Consciousness Reality & Purpose" on Amazon.com TODAY: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS5FWLBK Subscribe to the Social Disorder Substack: https://thesocialdisorder.substack.com/ This episode is made possible by: BioPro+: https://bioproteintech.com/product/biopro-plus Higher Healths: https://www.higherhealths.com/ and DrewJitsu Online academy Sign up to get 2 week FREE to a library of over 550+ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Technique videos taught by your host - Drew Weatherhead! Hit the link below to get started today! https://drewjitsuonline.com/orders/customer_info?o=43849

Ever not been able to work because of wildlife on or near the job? In BC a bunch of firefighters had to stop because of bears, and listener Eric told us about trying to work around camels and locusts!

Go ahead and call me a conspiracy theorist if you must..These are my honest thoughts around the current fires happening on Maui and In BC. Some things simply are not sitting right with meBUT I think the WHY behind all these fires actually doesn't even matter while they are STILL burning. My heart goes out to those impacted.  And our energy is best served holding space and compassion and not trying point fingers at this timeThis episode feels a bit edgy for me because I'm not even clear on my own beliefs.   What I say/feel/think today might be completely different than what I think tomorrow and that's ok!  In this episode, I attempt to process some of what I've been feeling in response to the massive fires happening on Maui and across British Columbia and the NWT I also share a bit of my own uncertainty within my business, which listening back feels like peanuts compared to the rest of the weight I'm feeling. At the end of the episode, I share some tangible strategies I'm trying to implement to help ground and nourish me in these confusing times. I've carefully chosen certain organizations to donate to that disperse funds/resources DIRECTLY to families in need, I'll share them below if you feel called to donate with me! Click here for Maui Click here for Kelowna As always...  You can connect with me on IG (@nicolepasveer)If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast...   Fill out this formIf this show has inspired, transformed or made your life a tinyyy bit better in anyway and you've been searching for a way to say thank you, and support me in producing more episodes, you can now buy me a donut

The majority of us have lost the connection between us and the earth and there are powerful benefits to reconnecting to it. How do we do this? Through grounding and earthing and I promise it's much easier than it sounds. Standing in the grass barefoot for example is a great way to ground yourself and reap the benefits including reducing inflammation and pain, improves blood flow and energy, and more! I'll explain more benefits and how to easily start!   Time Stamps:   (0:25) In BC for a Family Reunion (1:15) Talking Grounding/Earthing (4:45) Why Modern Shoes Keep Us From Grounding (5:23) Benefits of Grounding (10:46) How to Start ---------------- Follow Me on Instagram! - https://www.instagram.com/laceeiskk/ ---------------- We have helped over 800 women transform their mind and body and become the best version of themselves. Want to be next? Click Here to Apply! - https://form.typeform.com/to/WKxPkc

In BC and other northern climates, we generally aren't running much over the winter. As spring comes and you get back to running the inevitable calf tightness can range from “Oh that's tender” to “Holy fuck I can't walk”. Listen in to a simple tip to prevent this! @drmattwarddc @hardyardsperformance ------------------------- Wanna be ready for any hunt this season? Join the BTK Mountain Hunter training program so you can build the strength, durability, grit, and endurance, to handle multi-day expeditionary hunts. Train smart. Be Ready.

Anastasia Avvakumova/ Cortes Currents - On Sat. Jan. 28, Cortes Community Forest Cooperative (CCFC) public meeting succeeded in providing a "local knowledge download" for the external consulting team, who are now working on a plan for CCFC to keep more of its cut wood on island, simultaneously creating jobs through tapping the value-added wood products sector. The meeting was held at the Klahoose First Nation's Multi-Purpose Building. The Nation is a strategic partner with the non-indigenous side of the island in holding and guiding development on approximately 3,869 hectares of Crown land that makes up the Forest's tenure. The event began with a presentation by consultant Rami Rothkop, a co-founder of Herrop-Procter Forest Products (HPFP) in the Kootenays region, which has over a decade of experience creating the thriving model of local economy that CCFC is pursuing. Unique in today's logging industry in British Columbia, HPFP prioritizes creation of local jobs and selling its products as locally as possible, as well as emphasizing value-added wood products—which is defined as anything produced from a cut tree beyond its raw log state, from milled lumber to highly intensive labour products like furniture. Typically, the more labour is involved in the end-product's creation, the higher its value, which is heralded by eco-minded perspectives as the best way to honour the precious commodity of BC's forests. "In BC's industrial forest operations, there's very few jobs for volume of wood cut. So if initiatives can be created that focus much more on value-added, creating more jobs with less wood and the goal is to have employment, you need less wood to create more jobs for people," said Rothkop. His business partner Oliver Scholfield then led the approximately 50 people in attendance through small-group discussions of various questions that asked to identify the opportunities and barriers for expanding Cortes Island's economy with CCFC's timber.

August Biniaz is the Co-founder and COO of CPI Capital. CPI Capital is a Real Estate Private Equity firm with its mandate to acquire Multifamily and BTR-SFR assets while partnering with passive investors as Limited Partners. August was instrumental in the closing of over $208 million of multifamily assets since inception.  August educates real estate investors through Webinars, YouTube shows, Weekly Newsletter and one-on-one coaching. He is the host of Real Estate Investing Demystified PodCast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/real-estate-investing-demystified/id1650186768 In this episode we talked about: August's Background and how he Found his Niche in Private Equity Nuances and Differences between Investing in the US and Investing in Canada Single-Family Rental Deals Syndication August's Geography of Deals Syndication Structure Limited Partnership Syndication VS Joint Venture Difference between Funds and Syndication State of the Economy Overview Advice to Newcomers Resources and Lesson Learned   Useful links: Books: “Best Ever Apartment Syndication Book” by Joe Fairless “Raising Capital for Real Estate: How to Attract Investors, Establish Credibility, and Fund Deals” by Hunter Thompson https://www.linkedin.com/in/august-biniaz-23291460/?originalSubdomain=ca https://www.cpicapital.ca/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBliV4We30bjaKqmqri8jQg Transcriptions: Jesse (0s): Welcome to the Working Capital Real Estate Podcast. My name's Jessica Galley, and on this show we discuss all things real estate with investors and experts in a variety of industries that impact real estate. Whether you're looking at your first investment or raising your first fund, join me and let's build that portfolio one square foot at a time. Ladies and gentlemen, my name's Jessica Galley, and you're listening to Working Capital, the Real Estate Podcast. Our guest today is August Biaz. August is the co-founder and c o of c p i, capital c p i.   Capital is a real estate private equity firm with its mandate to acquire multi-family and B T R S F R assets, and we'll get into what that is shortly while partnering with passive investors as limited partners. August has been instrumental in the closing of over 208 million of multi-family assets since its inception. August educates real estate investors through webinars, YouTube shows, weekly newsletter, and one-on-one coaching. He is the host of real estate investing demystified podcasts. August. How you doing?   August (1m 1s): Great, man. We're doing much better now that I'm here with you, brother.   Jesse (1m 4s): Beautiful. Well, I'm glad that we finally were able to do this. There's a little back and forth I was traveling, but you look great. You always look sharp for those that are listening full suit and tie, so I'm excited to to chat today.   August (1m 17s): Absolutely. You gotta stay in character, right? When you're in private equity, you just gotta be in character all times. Yeah,   Jesse (1m 23s): The August avatar, So August, you know, for those that don't know, we, we did have a conversation, I think it was the beginning of 20, or the end of 2021. Time flies. I can't believe we're gonna be in 2023 very soon here. But we chatted a little bit of, a little bit about multi-family investing, the economy, and you know, I tell guests if I haven't talked to them in over a year that, you know, nothing really of, of substances happened since we last talked, so I'm sure that, I'm sure we'll have nothing to talk about today.   But yeah, I mean, for those that don't know you August, why don't you give a little bit of a background about, of how you got into real estate in general, and then maybe how you kind of found your niche in, in private equity.   August (2m 7s): Absolutely, yes. I've, I've spent the majority of my professional career in real estate. Started out as a real estate agent 17 years ago, and I wasn't the best at being a real estate agent, but I was great at finding deals and, and putting deals together. I I started doing small fix and flips, started my own general contracting company, and then I started building single family homes more on the luxury side, both spec and custom, always wanted to scale a deal. Came across my desk, which was a five single family home land assembly that the, that we could, we were, we were able to rezone and build townhomes.   We were able to build Tony Townhomes. I syndicated that deal before I even knew what this concept of syndication was, was basically I found a deal. I I, I went to some investors and brought on some JV investors and basically purchased that property. My experience was ma mostly in single family. So I brought on the experts, I brought on AR architect, I brought on a gc, and we, we started processing, we started building that project. And I fell in love with this model, with this concept of finding the deal, finding the investors, bringing all the experts on, and then, you know, being compensated relative to the performance of the project, the performance of the asset.   And I wanted to learn more about the space, how real estate private equity worked, how the world of syndication worked. And most of the content was coming from the us. You know, syndication wasn't very common and still, it still isn't very common here in Canada, but in the US it seemed to be very common. A lot of podcasts, YouTubes a lot of books, and I'm happy to go over that in a moment. And I realized about us multi-family, particularly the value add business model, and fell in love with that model. Wanted to initially duplicate that model here in, in Canada to be able to buy apartment communities.   There was some hurdles and pain points I faced early on the rent to value ratios. You always hear a complaint in Vancouver or in Toronto that rents are very high, but rents relative to the value of the properties are actually very low. The rent to value ratios, you know, in the US are much higher. In some cases they have a 1% rule where one month's, one as properties, one month rent equals to 1% of the asset value. And here in Vancouver, if you do the same ratio, you're at 20 basis points.   So the rent to value ratios weren't there. And, and also in the US they were, you know, a lot of groups, private equity firms were investing in the Sunbelt because the apartment buildings were garden style and two story, three story. We didn't really have that here in, in, in Canada and really we're not really a, a, a renter's nation like, like the US are. So that was the really the impetus for me to look at the us. And then when I looked at the landscape across Canada, I didn't re, you know, there were very foreign and few groups that were actually investing in US real estate that were syndicating deals here.   So the competition wasn't there. And when I compared that to being a builder here in Vancouver, or being a real estate agent in, in our province, there's over 23,000 real estate agents, and that's a bit of a historic number over 8,500 licensed builders. And when I looked at our space of what syndicating US multifamily deals, there were less than a handful of teams doing it. That was really a start to co-found c p capital with partners with our mandate to purchase US multifamily.   Jesse (5m 34s): Yeah, and I think listeners will know, like we, we try to do on this podcast is I, I try to talk both to US and Canadian investors. You know, being a Canadian myself, I, I experienced the same pain points that you did in terms of the education. I started investing in 2000, 2008, and we've, we've gone light years ahead of where we were even back then in terms of the resources, whether, you know, you're on a bigger pockets forum or you're just on YouTube, but 100%, you know, a lot of talk about the irs, a lot of talk about LLCs and you know, for the Canadians listening, you know, all those pieces have little bits of nuance and it's almost more dangerous when you do have people talking about real estate and you're getting informed, but dangerous in the sense that everything is so close that you kind of get fooled to a certain extent.   Or you can, you can think you're doing something correctly and, and in fact you're doing something that is, you know, abiding by u US law, for example, and, and not Canadian. So, yeah. Can you talk a little bit about that process of, you know, education and some of the differences and nuances between investing in the states as opposed to investing in Canada?   August (6m 47s): Absolutely. And you said it perfectly. I mean, it's, it sounds very similarly, sounds the same. Some of the words are really interchangeable, but they're not. So for example, a term offering memorandum. Offering memorandum is usually a package that a real estate agent in the US puts together and gives to buyers when they wanna buy commercial real estate. And offering memorandum in Canada is an exemption you could use through securities commissions to raise capital. So they sound the same, they look somewhat similar, but they're totally different. And then you talk about, you know, LLCs, limited liability corporations or companies in the US and LLCs are very fashionable.   It, they're a hybrid entity. We don't have LLCs in Canada. We either got corporations or we got limited partnerships. We don't have this hybrid that they do in the us which is very fashionable to use when you're structuring deals. But if LLCs are used in the US to purchase and structure, you know, the, the acquisition of a project, that entity, that structure is not tax efficient for Canadian LP investors. Which, which is a case where they get double tax, they pay their taxes on the US side, but when those funds are repatriated, they have to pay their taxes here in Canada as well.   And in most cases, they're taxed close to 70% of their profits goes to taxes on both sides. So yeah. Now as far as a syndicator, as far as a fund manager, as far as someone raising capital, and now you have to abide by, you know, the regulatory framework on both side of the border. You have in the US the S E C in Canada, you have securities commissions in every province you have certain rules and regulations that are national instruments where it's across the board, but every province has their own rules and regulations.   For example, in in Ontario you have sophisticated investors, you have non-accredited, sophisticated and accredited. In BC you only got accredited and non-accredited. So there's nuances there. You know, when we first started our company, our company was Canadian passive investing because we wanted to cater to Canadian investors and bring us investments for Canadian investors. As soon early on we noticed that a lot of American investors were reaching out to us as well. That's what was, without doing any marketing in the us. So we were like, you know what, know what, let's make the company brand a name, you know, to be able to, you know, service both Canadian, US investors and we change the name to CPI Capital, but now we have to abide by laws on both side of the border.   So if you're syndicating a deal and raising capital from Canadian investors and US investors, this structure has to be tax efficient. The structure has to be compliant. The, the exemptions we're using to raise capital has to abide by regulations on both side of the border. So, yeah.   Jesse (9m 25s): Yeah, and I, I think on that piece too, a lot of what is involved in the marketing of, of these deals is very specific on what you can and can't do. And some of the nuances between the states and Canada are important. You know, the, the nuances in general are important, but you gotta be very careful that you're, you're on side of, of, you know, of the law and of the rules. Yes.   August (9m 48s): I'll touch on that briefly quickly here on as far as the, the, the marketing side. So it, you know, with the securities commission, they're not their educating, there is a lot of content there. Most people that work for security commissioners are actually lawyers. When you look at the names of people that working, they're mostly lawyers. So they're there to sue to basically for bad actors and stop fraudsters. And that's understandable. But also they're, they're, they're not there educating you, so you have to get that education through, you know, speaking with, with attorneys and, and, and, and accountants and legal counsels and what have you.   So for example, as far as advertising in the US is very pretty black and white, not as black and white here in Canada. So in the US if you're using the Regulation D offerings and you're, you're raising capital, so you can most probably either using a 5 0 6 c C for Charlie or 5 0 6 B for Bravo, if you use a private 5 0 6 , you can't advertise the moment that you advertise the deal outside of your own network, you're triggering having to now switch to 5 0 6 , which is only accredited investors.   And 5 0 6 you're allowed to have non-accredited investors. I invest with you up to 35 non-accredited investors. But here in Canada is, is a bit more vague. So it, it doesn't go by any kind of trigger that is at the moment that you advertise, it goes by the exemption that you're using to raise capital. So if you're using the offering memorandum exemption, for example, or the accredited investor exemption, you can advertise as much as you want. You can put it on Facebook, wherever you want, obviously, depends what you're saying. If you're, you gotta make sure that you know, the promises you're making or any claims of guarantees are not there, so on and so forth.   So again, that is another situation, whereas far as fund managers or anyone's looking to start a fund or syndicate a deal, they have to be very careful and follow their guidelines by their Canadian and and US councils.   Jesse (11m 34s): Yeah. And for, for the Canadian side, the, like you said, it's a little bit more vague. And for those, I mean, if anybody's having trouble sleeping and wants to, wants to take a look at this stuff, if you Google National instruments in Canada, that's kind of our version of these exemptions. So I think it's National exemption 1 0 5, 45 1 0 5 45 1 0 5, 1 0 6.   August (11m 56s): Yep.   Jesse (11m 57s): Yeah. You'll see exactly. Friends, family, and you'll see kind of an outline of, you know, what, what that means, those definitions. And you know, in, in, you see, well, part of the reason in the states you see that you get put on an email list and there's conversations that happen is because there has to be a substantive relationship for, for you to kind of get into, I believe it's the 5 0 6 world, right?   August (12m 19s): B, b B for Bravo,   Jesse (12m 20s): B Bravo, yes. But yeah, I mean all those, all these pieces are important when you're, when you're doing these deals, but you know, that's why you hired the lawyers and you, and you make sure that you're, you're abiding by those terms. But I would always caution us, you know, Americans being careful when stuff is coming out of Canada in terms of educational content and then vice versa, Canadians being careful of what they're hearing in the states. And always make sure you talk with your accountants and, and obviously your lawyers when drafting these type of documents. Now, in terms of, you know, the actual fund stuff, when you get to acquiring real estate, we talked about this new asset class and it's built, built to rent single family rentals and it's, you know, we talked before, it's a newcomer asset class that you, you guys really like.   So maybe first you could describe what it is to listeners and we can chat a bit about, you know, why it's an appealing asset class.   August (13m 10s): Absolutely, yes. Yeah. So B T R S F R built to rent single family rental is a newcomer asset class at a commercial real estate umbrella. It's, it's an asset class that really started in post gfc when the foreclosure on homes it was, was, was, you know, tremendous amount of homes were being foreclosed and Wall Street got involved and they came on purchasing single family homes and swats of single family homes. And they, they started purchasing these single family homes in the, in, you know, buying these things, pennies on the dollars in the hopes of selling them when the market turn turned around.   But while they were holding the asset, they started renting them out. So they realized that this, the asset class be built to rent single family rental homes in a portfolio or in the community. They actually behave just like multi-family by the way they're managed and, and and rented. And actually they, the, the type of tenant demographic and the stickiness of the tenants is actually better than multi-family. So they actually started to be more involved in this asset class. And by, you know, 2015 when the market had completely turned around, they, they couldn't purchase these homes pennies on the dollar no longer.   So they started actually partnering with developers, and this is Blackstone and other kkr, other large private equity firms, they started actually partnering with developers and building purpose-built rental communities. These are single family homes built, you know, approximately 1500 square feet, you know, 3, 2, 3 bedroom, two car garage in a community of single family homes, purpose-built rental. So the plan is to rent it. And yeah, it was the start of this new asset class and now you have groups like us that are syndicating these deals.   There's a sweet spot for us, the non-institutional groups, which is kind of the 60 to hundred single family homes in a community. And, and yeah, it's, it's, it's a tremendous asset class. I really believe in it, especially post covid. A lot of people rather live in a single family home, have their own privacy, not have somebody living next to them, above them have ha have their own, you know, two car garage independence. And also they're, but even though they're living in a single family home, they're not living in a community when they're, when they're one of the only renters, everybody else in the community is also renters.   So they get, you know, they're part of the same similar demographic and you know, they don't have to live in a neighborhood where, you know, they're, they're, they're, they're kind of the, oh, this person rents or what have you. So they're with others who rent. So yeah, it's a very interesting asset class and we're looking at it very closely. And yes.   Jesse (15m 46s): So with the, with the bill to rent, when you're saying that you're syndicating for these deals, what, in terms of the scope, are you syndicating the actual construction of them? Are you purchasing existing and you're being part of the equity, equity and debt at that point? How, how does that structure look?   August (16m 4s): Great question Christian. There's really three main ways to get involved into B T R sfr as the syndication group. You can either purchase a piece of land, partner with a developer or hire a developer to build these single family homes. You syndicate the project in different tranches, the first tranches to fund the capital needed for entitlement and rezoning and putting, putting the project together. And then the next tranche is to fund the construction. And then at stabilization, you're refinancing and paying back your investors.   However, you, you, you structure it. So it's getting involved early on. And the other way is to buy and already build project and you're taking lease up risk, basically bringing it, you know, from zero vacancy to full occupancy. And then there is, the other way is to, to, to buy an already stabilized BTR community and then going in there if, if it's a few years old, you can utilize the value add model. If, if a developer had just finished building it and just occupied it with tenants that they could just to be able to bring the occupancy up to 90% so they could sell to a buyer at that time, your business plan is just to go in and bring those rents back to up to market and bring the occupancy higher.   So there's different really stages that you get involved, depending on your, the, the firm's risks appetite, depending on their LPs, risk, appetite of where they want to get involved. Some LPs don't want to take any entitlement rezoning or construction risk. So in that case, the syndication group buys the asset when it's already stabilized. So it really depends on the group and their investors.   Jesse (17m 42s): And you mentioned a little bit about having US investors contact you in terms of finding deals. So this, in terms of geography, where are you looking at these properties or projects and, you know, maybe where, what are some examples of, of projects that you've done and, and where they are geographically and, and perhaps even the scope of them?   August (18m 2s): Our, our focus, our mandate is the US sunbelt. So the Sunbelt state, if you look at this, the, the, the southern part of us is, is like a smile. So you have Nevada, Arizona, Texas, north and South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama is, it's in our, you know, state that's doing tremendously well over the last few quarters. So that's somewhere we're looking at as well. We currently own assets in Orlando, Florida, Charleston, South Carolina, Houston, Texas.   Our BTR project that we were working on for a few months is in Tucson, Arizona. So we're very sunbelt focused, somewhat agnostic when it comes to these regions as long as certain key metrics are visible are available. So rent growth, population growth, income growth. And yeah, the sunbelt, again, they're mostly red states. They're very business friendly, they're very landlord friendly, they're no rent control laws.   So that, that's our focus. Yes.   Jesse (19m 5s): So in terms of the, these assets, we talked a bit about structure being different with Canadian versus US real estate, Canadian versus US investors. Let's, for the purposes of, of, you know, our conversation here, let's just assume that there's a Canadian investor that wants to invest in a syndication and it's US syndication. How are you structuring those syndications and maybe what are some of the things to, as a Canadian to, to look out for and and to make sure that you're doing properly?   August (19m 35s): Yeah, so the first advice here is if you're a Canadian LP looking to take advantage of, you know, great returns that are available in the US and us multi-family in general, and you want to invest in syndication syndicated deals and you're looking across the border to invest, investigate a US syndicator, the, the, the, the, the rule is do not invest in a deal that is structured in a llc no matter if there is a limited partnership in between as a conduit that doesn't make a difference if the deal is structured in the LLC is not tax efficient.   And keep in mind that us syndicators there are watching their their own back, they just wanna make sure they are compliant and they're tax efficient. You know, they're, they're not looking long term in what, what happens to the Canadian investors coming on board. So you gotta watch for that. There's been a lot of examples of Canadian investors that have invested directly with us syndicators and the, there, there was issues there also. The US indicators, majority of their, their investors are American. So in my conversation with US investors who do cater to Canadian investors, less than 5% of their investors come from Canada.   So they're not there educating themselves about structures needed and what have you. So if the deal is structured in, in, in a llc, do not invest as far as how we structure our deals, we utilize a fund to fund model. So we create a project specific fund here in Canada, which is a limited partnership. We abide by the rules and regulation to raise capital for that particular syndicated investment. So for example, let's say we use the offering memorandum exemption or the accredited investor exemption.   So we, that's, those are the guidelines, those are the, that's the exemption we use to raise capital for our investors. And then we create a project specific fund in the us That fund is the entity that owns the asset on the US side. Our US investors invest directly into that US-based fund and our Canadian investors, the Canadian fund invests into the US fund as just another investor. So look at the Canadian fund, which is comprised of multiple investors as as just one investor investing into the, into the US fund.   And it also, you know, there there's other bells and whistles that goes with the structure that we have, which alleviates our Canadian investors from having to file US taxes. It's stressful enough dealing with the CRA not having to deal with the IRS every year as well. It could be cumbersome and cause some attention. So the structure we've, we've, we've, we've put together is a structure that the Canadian investors don't need to file us taxes. The, the entity will file the taxes on their behalf.   Jesse (22m 16s): So if I understand that correctly, it's there, there would be a u s LP involved, the Canadian LP involved, and the Canadian LP would be investing in the S LP as a limited partner. Is that right? Ex   August (22m 27s): Exactly.   Jesse (22m 27s): Okay. And in terms of, cuz we talked a little bit at LLCs and you know, caveat we should, you know, we always say is, you know, for any of this advice, you know, don't, don't take our word for talk to your professionals, but in terms of the, in the US side of the equation, a lot of times you see that there's still an LLC used as title to the land and it might be a 0.0 1.001% ownership in the limited partnership. I, is that still done in these deals? We're we're titled to the property will still be in the llc even   August (22m 59s): Very, very, very, very sophisticated question and you're definitely someone who has got a lot of experience. So, so depends where that vice is coming from. So this concept of disregarded entity that you speak of, which is that US LLC that holds a title which comes into effect because a lot of us lenders want the, the, the entity that holds a title to be a single member entity, which is a disregarded entity. And then the, the limited partnership is actually used as, as the entity that syndicates the deal.   But because of the source of where the asset is held is still LLC that could cause problems. It could most probably cause problems in a case of an audit. So advice that we've got from multiple, not CPAs, not just random accountants, but tax lawyers that, that that practice on both sides of the border. Not just a Canadian lawyer who specializes in US tax law, but Canadian lawyers that specialize in both laws.   That vices that is not a tax efficient structure even though that structure is, has been used commonly because of the source of, of, of, of the ownership of the entity is still llc be it a single member entity, be it a disregarded entity because the source is still there. It could, could cause problems depending on who, who the auditor is, depending on who it is. So the advice was against that. So there are ways to get around it to be able to convince the lender that the entity owned asset cannot be llc.   But that's a conversation that groups need to have and yeah,   Jesse (24m 39s): So yeah, that makes sense. I think what's important is that you, you make sure that you understand these structures. So in terms of the, the actual syndication itself, why don't you, for listeners you hear a syndication JV joint venture. What's the difference between the two?   August (24m 54s): It's a joint venture is when two parties or multiple parties come together to, to, you know, execute a business plan and, and get together to do complete adventure. And, and there are, they're partners, their, their names, the level of liability is there. They're, they're either, you know, the, the, the the, the debt is on the liability exists as far as debt for all members and all partners involved.   So it's more of a partnership where everyone is active, they're active partners. A syndication really talks about when there is two different types of partners. Some partners are silent, they're limited partners, they have limited liability. Their, their liability really stops at the amount of capital they've invested. They have no li debt liability, they have no liabilities in regards to, you know, damages or things going wrong at the asset. And then you have the general partner that, partners that manage the project where they have unlimited liability and all the liabilities on them.   That is really usually used to differentiate between the JV and a syndication. Jv all partners are active in a syndication. There are different types of partners. Now keep in mind in certain JVs, I I know, I know individuals who, who incorporate corporate companies and within the company shareholder agreements, they write that certain partners are just putting the funds, but the way that the, the S E C or the security commissions look at, as soon as your partners are silent and they're only putting the capital that is, they're looked at as a, as a syndication.   So you gotta keep that in mind as well. And then it could triggers issues, same thing on the US it could trigger issues as well. Individuals can't just be investing capital. If they're investing capital, they're passive and that triggers certain compliance and regulatory guidelines that they have to follow. So that's really the differentiating between JV and syndicate investments.   Jesse (26m 56s): Yeah, and it's important to, to make sure that that's ironed out again at the beginning and understanding that the different roles have different consequences cuz you can call something a partnership, it doesn't mean it's a partnership and, and vice versa. So I think it's, you know, one of those things that you kind of outline who, who has which responsibilities and partnerships. Something that you know, you, you got, you want to build that good base before you go into these investments. When it comes to syndications, you hear, you know, a lot of different structures when it comes to syndications.   So when we talk about say a co syndicator or you have a cog p what is that and, and is it something that you employ in the deals that you, that you do?   August (27m 39s): Yeah, no, tremendous question. So these syndicated deals, they're, they are very, they're they're somewhat sophisticated because again, you have the structure. Like for example, in our case, if you look at our org chart, you have US entities, Canadian entities, you have US investors, Canadian investors. But the, the great thing about syndicated in investments is that the structure can really be designed depending on the need and of the syndication group. So a lot of times you hear this phrase that real estate is, you know, real estate syndication or real estate investing is a team sport because, you know, to, to put together the perfect syndication, you have three main components.   You have the equity, which is investor relations, raising capital, the capital needed for the project. You have the acquisition, which is sourcing the deal, underwriting the deal, you know, physical due diligence. And then you have the asset management, which is basically executing the business plan, making sure the project is operating the correctly and the value add is conducted readily if there's value add involved. When partners come together, depending on what their contribution is to the partnership, they can play those roles and syndications can be really put together.   So you could have three partners. One of the partners great at raising capital, one of the partners is great at sourcing deals and one of the partners is great at executing the business plan and asset managing. And they can come together and they can play those parts within the syndicated syndication group. But then you also have lead sponsors. Lead sponsors are are groups that source the deal. They source majority of the capital, they execute the business plan. They, they have asset management in-house, but at times they might need assistance in capital raising and some other duties and responsibilities.   That's when they open a door for this concept of co syndication or co-sponsorship where the other groups come in and join them and they partner together to be able to close on larger deals. So you are syndicating the LP investors bringing tens or hundreds of investors to invest with you and all put in, you know, a certain amount of investment. But then you also have other groups who are coming in there with their own investors, with their own expertise, with their own contribution into the deal. And that's what creates really co syndication.   And it's, it would be my advice to any group who's looking to syndicate deals here in Canada or the US would be try your best to do your first deal as a co syndication partner with a lead sponsor who's done this multiple times before, who understands the structure, particularly cross-border. And yeah, we, we, that's what, that's one of the strategies we utilize. So we partner with other sponsors, other syndicators who come on board with us, us being the lead sponsor and they partner with us. And early on when we did our first few deals, we did the same thing.   We joined a lead sponsor and we were able to close on much larger deals that we could have done ourselves.   Jesse (30m 35s): Yeah, we see a lot of benefit when it comes to, especially if there's a new geography or if your, you know, if your cog p is has some area of expertise that you don't have. So for instance, if you know they're a developer or there are a somebody that can source deals, like you said, you know, maybe they find the deals and then your component is raising capital, and then just like if you were partnering with somebody on an individual basis, these more sophisticated structures very similar. It's just that the, you know, the deals are a little bit more complex and the structures are a little bit more complex, but ultimately, you know, it's the same thing as if you had a couple buddies putting together a deal.   Not everybody's most likely. And the the partners aren't good at every single aspect of the deal. So you'll have the asset manager, you'll have the person that can raise capital development if it's construction project. Now, how does that differ from your point of view from going into the funds? So maybe not specifically just the fund of funds model, but funds in general as opposed to syndication. Obviously you're gonna need more deal flow, but there are nuances between funds and syndication and there is a, you know, this idea of having that capital and deploying it because you know, o oftentimes you'll, you'll have a drag if you're not getting a return on that capital.   So could you talk a little bit about the difference between syndications and funds?   August (31m 58s): Yeah, absolutely. So if you look at syndications, see a syndication as a project specific fund. So you're have one deal, you put that deal under contract, you create your marketing material, you follow the regulatory guidelines to raise capital, you present that deal to your investors, you raise the equity needed for that project. Investors know exactly what they're investing into. They know exactly what the business plan is, they know exactly what the exit strategy is and so on and so forth. A fund is more of a, a basket of multiple investments.   So a fund could be, for example, let's say, you know, CPA capital starts a fund, which is a 50 million fund, which is mandate to buy us multi-family assets. C p a capital will continuously raise capital for, you know, for foreseeable future. And depending on how much capital they raise, they then deploy that capital and purchase assets and put it into, put, put those assets into the basket. So you're continuously raising capital until you hit your, you know, your what, what your goal was in your, your your, your total funds raised, and then you're continuously purchasing assets at the same time.   So that's really the fund model. The other differentiating factor is the, the, the, the fund funds usually yield lower, somewhat lower returns to investors because your investments is aggregated amongst a group of investments. Some deals might be doing really well, some deals might not be doing so much. So you have that you, you get that average aggregated number back and returns back. And also the cost of managing funds are higher than, you know, there's usually audited financials, annual audited financials and what have you and fund management softwares that are needed.   Whereas the syndicated investments, that's not, not in need. So it's lower cost of management. But overall, I would say as, as as investors who LP investors are looking to invest into commercial real estate passively, I would say diverse of our portfolio is probably the best way to go. So some of your investments should be in syndicated deals, some of your investments should be in funds and deals that are structured in funds and yeah, that's basically the main differences between funds and great that you bring that up, is that because of the difficulty and cumbersome process in putting these syndicated deals in cross-border multiple syndicated deals, we're actually looking to, we're in the process of starting our first US Canadian, US multi-family fund.   And actually I was gonna book a call with you. We were, I was gonna discuss to see get you, get you on there as board of directors as well. So that's a phone call you're gonna be getting from me soon here to discuss the fund. There   Jesse (34m 37s): You go. We're in real time. I like it. No, it makes sense because again, it goes back to this idea of there's a lot of information and it doesn't really matter if you're an American or Canadian because you can have, you know, you can have information that comes from the states and you're, you live in the states, you're American citizen and it's still not be correct. So it's always important to understand, you know, what the nuance is. There's a lot of great stuff on YouTube, but you know, a lot oftentimes there's, there's some misinformation. So it's, it's important that you, you know, you look into this stuff as you're making these decisions because for most people it's, it's, it's a lot of money.   It's a, it makes a large, it's a large percentage of the portfolio that you're, they're usually dealing with and you know, I love my real estate brothers and sisters, but we tend to be very asset specific too. So when we go into these deals, it's important that we understand them. I want to switch gears a little bit August and be mindful of the time, but you know, something that's absolutely topical right now is the economy. We're in a place right now where interest rates have gone up more than we have seen them in quite some time.   I remember when I started investing, I was saying oh 8 0 9, you know, five and a half, 6%, that was kind of the norm for five year fixed, you know, we got down very low and now we're kind of heading back up and there's a, I think a very big question mark of what 2023 has in store for us. So I guess put simply loaded question, but you know, what is your view on the state of the economy and, and what we're gonna be kind of looking at as you know, we kick off January in 2023.   August (36m 17s): Yeah, absolutely. So I definitely have a dog in the race because I'm in the real estate investment world. So we, we, you know, the, to keep the cop company operational, we have to close on deals, but we also have to be very vigilant of our, our investors' capital and be very opportunistic over the next couple quarters here. So we're very vigilant on the deals that we we're gonna be doing. Overall speaking about the economy, I personally believe that the economy is not sick. It is not a situation where it was in oh eight and in gfc I think what's happening is we're just paying for the residuals of covid where, you know, you have trillions of dollars that were printed by central banks and it really created so much liquidity into the economy and were really paying that back and that that's really what created inflation.   And, you know, the, the fed was, was, was a bit late, but they came back in and they've been very aggressive, very hawkish fastest increase in interest rates over 300 basis points in the shortest time since I believe the, the eighties they'll continue to raise. So investors have to really, really be careful in this, in these situations because when you are in an increasing interest rate environment, everything changes, doesn't matter what is it being increased by, but as, as the Fed and central banks are increasing those interest rates, it creates a lot of tension when it comes to lenders, when it comes to properties.   But there's also opportunities that can be found. For example, one of our strategies over the next couple of quarters is looking at deals in situations where either syndicated groups or other groups were overleveraging themselves. Maybe they didn't purchase a rate cap or maybe the, the rate cap that the purchase is coming due and now they have to repurchase it, which is a huge amount that they have to pay for the new rate cap they have to purchase. So there are opportunistic investments available and, you know, to, to watch out for.   There's also deals where you could do consumable loans, basically take over a loan, which it matures in, in, in the next three years. So over the next two quarters, at least till Q3 of 2023, I would, my advice is for investors to be very cautious, only get involved in deals that have a certain opportunistic component in them and from, but, but moving from there, I feel that at some point, obviously the, the Fed will stop raising rates, they will taper off and probably most probably start, you know, lowering rates sometime either at Q4 of 2023 or early in 2024.   They have a huge debt, they have 33 million of debt that they're paying and, and if the interest rates stay as high as they are, the premium they're paying on their own debt is so high that will cover most of their, their budget. So they don't want race to stay high themselves. So, but yes, that's, that's kind of overall how I feel about the economy and also, again, talk about those nuances. You've got the Canadian economy, you've got the US economy, you got the, you know, bank of Canada, you have the, the Fed raising rates at, at, you know, depending on how they want to control inflation in their own countries.   So yeah, the get as much as content and information out there, keep stay up to date of what's happening and be very careful over the next couple quarters.   Jesse (39m 35s): All right, August, so we're gonna kick off the, the final, final questions here. So if you're ready I'll send them, send them at you.   August (39m 42s): Ready?   Jesse (39m 43s): Okay. For younger people in our world in real estate, real estate investing, what advice would you give them?   August (39m 51s): Ooh, let's see. That advice I would give to people starting us. So don't be afraid of large numbers. Syndicating a deal that's is a duplex in a suburb of Ontario is just as easy as syndicating a hundred unit apartment communities. So don't be afraid of large numbers. The other other advice is really the golden rules of real estate. Don't be highly leveraged and exceed the business plan that you had from day one. And educate yourself, you know, eat, sleep, live, breathe this business and educate yourself and be a student of the game.   Jesse (40m 21s): What's one thing that you learned in the beginning of your career early on that, that you wish you knew back then that you know now?   August (40m 30s): Syndication. I wish I knew that you could syndicate deals and, you know, partner with others and to be able to close on larger deals.   Jesse (40m 39s): All right. Any resources, podcast books, shows, anything you are, you're taking in right now that you could recommend to our listeners   August (40m 48s): Podcast shows? Yeah, let me see. I watch Great Capital. It's pretty sophisticated stuff, but great capital. They have great podcast. The guys there, Spencer Gray and his team, that's a, that's a podcast that I listen to religiously. Other resources, books. Do you have a, do you have a book question coming up or   Jesse (41m 9s): No, no, that's, that's part of it. Yeah. Media, books, shows, whatever, whatever you're taking in right now. Yeah,   August (41m 13s): If you're looking to start a fund, if you're looking to start syndicating larger deals, I would recommend two really. The two Bibles of Syndications are the best ever apartment syndication book by Cho Fer, and then Raising Capital for Real Estate by Hunter Thompson. One of them is about raising capital, the other one about really syndicating multi-family deals. So they're both, like I said, they're bibles of syndication that you have to read and educate yourself.   Jesse (41m 40s): Yeah, and I'll just shout out to, to Hunter as well. He is got a great podcast, so check that out. You can, I, I, I don't want to get the name wrong, so just Hunter Thompson Real Estate, you could check that out. But that's also yeah, an absolute great book. And Joe Faris, I mean that really is the Bible when it comes to Ba of Investing. August. For those that want to connect with you, what's the best place that we can, we can send them,   August (42m 8s): I'm very active on LinkedIn, so you know, August Penny as on LinkedIn cpa, capital on LinkedIn. Get in touch with me. Send me a message. You, you're looking to start your own fund or syndicate deals. More than happy to chat about co syndication, our website, CPA capital.ca, YouTube and podcast Real Estate Investing demystified August Biaz, Google it. A lot of stuff will come up. I'm easy guy to get ahold of.   Jesse (42m 34s): My guest today has been August Bins. August, thank you for being part of Working Capital.   August (42m 39s): Thank you for having me.   Jesse (42m 48s): Thank you so much for listening to Working Capital, the Real Estate podcast. I'm your host, Jesse for Galley. If you like the episode, head on to iTunes and leave us a five star review and share on social media. It really helps us out. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram. Jesse for galley, F R A G A L E. Have a good one. Take care.   ...  

Today, we are joined by special guest, Meredith Cushing, RD (Registered Dietitian). Sandra and Meredith have known each other for twenty six years, since they were interns together in Vancouver, BC. Meredith currently works in pediatric nephrology at BC Children's Hospital. For the past decade, she has been working with children with renal disease and kids who are on kidney dialysis. To help guide her patients and their families, Meredith helps direct people to community resources in the Food Rescue arena for healthy, whole foods. In Canada, it's 'Waste Reduction Week' (Oct 17-23), and this topic is timely, as there's a growing and urgent need to reduce food waste for a number of reasons. It's estimated that in the U.S. a family of four will waste (throw out) ~ $1500 worth of food over the year. In BC, 25% of the food people buy is thrown away and ends up in the landfill, which contributes to methane gas emissions. With food waste, nobody wins. "If food waste was a country, it would be the third largest green house gas emitter globally, after US and China" United Nations quote. In Vancouver, there are some initiatives to help with food rescue and re-distribution to those who need it. Meredith walks us through some of her favourite local services as well as some helpful apps. We'll also discuss some ways to help reduce food waste at home. Join us for this interesting and informative discussion. Organizations: Food Stash www.foodstash.ca PEKO - started by two University of British Columbia students to help address food waste and food insecurity www.pekoproduce.com Apps: Flash Food Too Good To Go For more info on this topic you can read the blog article here "Rescued and Redistributed Food" Enjoying the show? Consider donating , leaving a 5 star review (if you loved it!), and/or sharing this episode with your friends and family :) Don't forget to visit our social media pages as well. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube Your support helps fuel the stoke and keeps the show going strong every week. Thanks! Website: www.mywifethedietitian.com Email: mywifetherd@gmail.com

This week on Legally Speaking with Michael Mulligan:Non-pecuniary damages are compensation for personal injury losses that have not required the outlay of money. The purpose is to compensate injured people for pain, suffering, disability, inconvenience, and loss of enjoyment of life. They are also referred to as compensation for pain and suffering. Such damages are distinct from pecuniary damages for things such as lost income, the cost of care or special damages for things like the cost of medication or medical equipment. In 2002 the BC Court of Appeal, in a case called Brisson v. Brisson, decided that juries shouldn't be given instructions from the trial judge with respect to what range of non-pecuniary damages should be awarded. The idea was that this should be left for the jury to decide based on the evidence rather than having judges influence this. When a judge is deciding on the amount of non-pecuniary damages, they would consider how much has been awarded in previous cases to achieve some measure of consistency. Another factor is that, in 1978, the Supreme Court of Canada, in a series of cases often referred to as the trilogy on damages, capped non-pecuniary damages at $100,000. The purpose of the cap was to reduce the cost of car insurance. The cap has increased in accordance with inflation but remains in place. The maximum amount that can be awarded in catastrophic cases is now approximately $400,000. Because juries are given no instructions about the cap or what has been awarded in previous cases, it is not uncommon for there to be appeals when a jury award is higher than in similar cases or above the cap. In the case discussed on the show, a jury awarded a single mother who was injured in a car accident $350,000 in non-pecuniary damages as a result of injuries that persisted for at least ten years, which caused ongoing pain, the loss of ability to physically care for her children or run a daycare business. On appeal, two of the court of appeal judges hearing the case reduced the award to $250,000. A third judge would have reduced the award to $200,000 while criticizing the lack of guidance provided to the jury. The public policy question this all raises is who should decide how much compensation is appropriate: juries or judges. In BC, because of the change to ICBC no-fault insurance, there is no longer any compensation for pain and suffering at all. Someone who is injured would only receive reimbursement for financial losses. Had the injury in the case discussed occurred now, the badly injured mother would have received no compensation other than for her pecuniary losses. Also, on the show, another split decision from the BC Court of Appeal is discussed. In this case, the court was reviewing a trial judge's decision in a sexual assault case not to permit evidence about prior sexual activity to be considered. The case involved a married couple who were in the process of separating after the husband told his wife that he was having an affair. The wife claimed that the husband sexually assaulted her when they were living in separate bedrooms in the home. She told the police that they had engaged in consensual sexual activity the day before the allegation. At trial, she claimed that there had been no sexual activity for two weeks prior to the assault.One of the Court of Appeal judges found that the accused husband should have been permitted to ask questions about the inconsistency. Two other judges disagreed. As a result of the split decision, the husband will be allowed to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Follow this link for links to the cases discussed.

The 2022 federal budget doubled down on Canada's commitment to make all light-duty vehicles and passenger truck sales fully electric by 2035, with a considerable amount of money allocated to getting Canadians behind the wheel of an EV. Daniel Breton, President and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada joins us to discuss whether the real concerns about a shift to EVs are being addressed. From pricing models to helping rural, northern First Nations and Inuit communities, there's still a lot to be done.    Related links LinkedIn, Daniel Breton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-breton-b8a3b1a4/ LinkedIn, Electric Mobility Canada: https://www.linkedin.com/company/electric-mobility-canada/ Electric Mobility Canada: https://emc-mec.ca/   --- To subscribe using Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinkenergy/id1465129405   To subscribe using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wFz7rdR8Gq3f2WOafjxpl   To subscribe on Libsyn: http://thinkenergy.libsyn.com/ --- Subscribe so you don't miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/user/hydroottawalimited   Check out our cool pics on https://www.instagram.com/hydroottawa   More to Learn on https://www.facebook.com/HydroOttawa   Keep up with the Tweets at https://twitter.com/thinkenergypod   Dan Seguin  00:06 This is thinkenergy, the podcast that helps you better understand the fast changing world of energy through conversations with game changers, industry leaders and influencers. So join me, Dan Seguin and my co host Rebecca Schwartz, as we explore both traditional and unconventional facets of the energy industry.  Hey, everyone, welcome back. Are zero emission vehicles the answer to a stronger economy, cleaner air, a healthier environment and good jobs? The Government of Canada certainly thinks so. And they're not the only ones.   Rebecca Schwartz  00:50 EV enthusiast owners, experts and advocates have been mobilizing like never before. They're being driven on a renewed commitment and mandate by the Canadian government to make all light duty vehicle and passenger truck sales fully electric by 2035.   Dan Seguin  01:05 A look at the 2022 Federal Budget shows that considerable money has been earmarked to get more Canadians into the driver's seats of an electric vehicle. According to the government's projections, at least 20% of all new passenger vehicles sold in Canada will be zero emissions by 2026. To give some perspective, last year in 2021, the percentage of zero emission vehicles sold in Canada was 5.2%. That gives five years for the government to reach its targets-doable?   Rebecca Schwartz  01:48 Well, since there's a rising trend in the demand of electric vehicles, many companies have actually gone out of stock. Automobile makers are experiencing a shortage in their EVs, and thus putting customers on waiting lists because of this high demand. Some manufacturers aren't even taking new orders for the foreseeable future because they just can't keep up.   Dan Seguin  02:08 So here's today's big question. Despite the momentum, are the real needs, issues and concerns by EV enthusiasts, owners, experts and advocates being addressed and setting the stage for success?   Rebecca Schwartz  02:25 Our guest today is Daniel Breton, the President and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada, one of the oldest associations dedicated to the electrification of transportation in the world.   Dan Seguin  02:37 Electric Mobility Canada members include vehicle manufacturers, electricity suppliers, universities, tech companies, environmental NGOs, and many more.   Rebecca Schwartz  02:50 Daniel's background includes serving as the ex-Minister of the Environment, Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Parks. He was also the first elected official to oversee a government strategy for the electrification of transportation in Canada in 2012.   Dan Seguin  03:06 Daniel, thank you for joining us on the program today for what's a very busy week for you. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about Electric Mobility Canada, its mandate, and what drove you to the organization?   Daniel Breton  03:25 Well, EMC's mandate, EMC being one of the oldest organizations in the world dedicated to electric mobility. Its mandate is basically to accelerate electric mobility of all sorts. So we're not just talking cars, but we're talking buses, we're talking trucks, we're talking off road, marine. So we have a growing diversified membership. So now we do have bolt makers and bus makers and truck makers and mining companies and research centers and tech companies. So So that's it. So our mission is really to accelerate electric mobility in all forms and shapes. I would say that electric mobility is growing really fast these days around the world. And we also want to make sure that while we want to accelerate electric mobility, to lower greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, we also want to make sure that we create jobs in the process. So to me, we want to make sure that we have an EV supply chain that's made in Canada, and that we don't just end up extracting critical minerals in Canada to send elsewhere in the world like we have done so many times in the past. We want to develop our own industry. And this is happening right now. And, obviously, we do a lot of networking but amongst members, and we have our conference, you know, happening from September 27 to 29th. And we talk a lot to federal government, provincial governments, cities, some of which are members. And you're a member being City of Toronto [Ottawa]. So yeah, so that's what I do on a full time basis. That's what I've been doing for decades, actually. And we have a growing team; growing membership. So we're, it's really exciting, actually.   Dan Seguin  05:33 What's been the most significant event, innovation or policy that you think has changed the future trajectory for mass EV adoption? For the better?   Daniel Breton  05:46 Well, I think there's not one thing in particular, you know, that may have made it possible, I would say that's a growing, or it's a number of things. So obviously, battery technology has evolved quickly, over the past 10, 15, 20 years. Just to give you an example, between 2008 and 2020- volume density of battery has grown eight fold. So when you look at batteries, today, you have, you can have a lot more capacity, and a battery now than you had five years ago, 10 years ago, and it's going to keep growing as time goes by a lot of people seem to think that if you have let's say, a 60 kilowatt hour battery, it's going to be four times the size than a 15 kilowatt hour battery from let's say, 2010. Actually, it's not the case at all. It's just that is has more capacity, and the smaller volume per kilowatt hour, meaning that actually weight has not increased as fast as capacity. So to me, that's very important. The other thing is that infrastructure, infrastructure deployment and infrastructure, evolution has made a big difference. Just to give you an example. 10 years ago, the average electric car had 120 kilometers of range. Now it's 450. So in 10 years, it's quadrupled. At the same time, 10 years ago, if you wanted to charge your electric car, there was hardly any fast chargers on the road. So for example, when I was working in Montreal that I had to go to the National Assembly, I could not buy an electric car, I had to buy a plug in hybrid electric car, because there was no fast charger petrol between Montreal and Quebec. That's 10 years ago. Now, if you go five years ago, a fast charger had a 50 kilowatt charger. So that meant that we went from charging 120 kilometers of range in about four or five hours to charge charging 120 120 kilometers of range in about half an hour. And now with new fast chargers, you know, weighing you know going from 50 kilowatt to 150 kilowatt, 250 kilowatt and even 350 kilowatt, you can charge 120 kilometers of range in 10 minutes. So so things have accelerated regarding the technology of infrastructures as well. Education is making a big difference because more and more people are interested in EVs. There's still a lot of work that needs to be done. I'm often surprised to hear the same questions I was being asked 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago regarding battery life, for instance. But I still do get those questions on social media and even sometimes on regular media.   Rebecca Schwartz  08:55 On the other hand, what do you consider to be the most significant setback or barrier to the mass adoption of electric vehicles? Feel free to speak to Canada in general, and more specifically, right here in Ontario?   Daniel Breton  09:08 I would say it's education and training and supply. So that's the three the three things the three issues the roadblocks, first of all, supply. I mean, most EVs nowadays you have to wait between six months and three years to get your hands on one. So that's a real issue. We are supporting the federal government, and its will to adopt a federal ZEV (Zero-Emission Vehicle) mandate to make sure that we have more and more supply of electric cars across the country, but in Ontario in particular- I don't know if you remember this, but 11 years ago, the federal government and the Ontario government announced joint support for the assembly of the Toyota Rav4 EV. So both of them gave $70 million to assemble the Rav4 electric in Woodstock, Ontario, because there was no regulation no mandate in Ontario or in Canada for that matter, but because there was a mandat in California. And you have to keep in mind that back then there was a rebate of up to $8,500 in Ontario, even with the rebate 100% of these Toyota Rav4 EVs were sent to the US. So you could live two kilometers away from the plant, you could not buy one. So considering that now, the federal government and the Ontario government have invested billions of dollars into the assembly of either vehicles, or batteries, or cathodes or anodes across the country. We think that ZEV mandate is really, really super important for Ontario citizens. Because it would be a shame that we yet again, we would assemble electric vehicles and in Ontario, but because there are ZEV mandates, and 15 US states plus two Canadian provinces, while most if not all, of these electric vehicles assembled in Ontario would be sent elsewhere. So that's the first thing. The other thing is education, there's so much work that needs to be done. I mean, there's so there's so much disinformation or bad information, you know, going around in regular media, I mean, I read regular media on a daily basis about electric vehicles in English Canada, and I'm stunned to see how many bad articles written on electric vehicles. It's really bad. I mean, it used to be like that in Quebec, not so much anymore. There's a lot of work that needs to be done, and training, training for people to work in the auto industry. I did some training last year, for a car manufacturer, whose name I won't mention, but I was surprised to see how little they knew not only about the ecosystem, I mean, the chargers, the apps, the networks, but about their own product. I mean, I was teaching engineers at this manufacturer about their car. So to me, it shows how much work that there is still to do. Regarding the EV ecosystem- I often say when we're talking about electric vehicles, that when someone drives a gas car and wants to go to electric car, it's like saying, I've never owned a boat, I'm going to buy a boat. But there are a lot of different regulations when you are on the water because it's a different world. Well, it's a bit the same when you're talking about electric cars, because there are new things you need to learn about, in particular range, the way you use them on a daily basis. Winter driving, charging, obviously. So yeah, so education and training, I think is super important. And it's a roadblock right now.   Dan Seguin  13:12 Now, Daniel, what is your opinion of the adoption rates so far in Canada, which provinces or territories, or even companies are doing the best job at building an EV movement?   Daniel Breton  13:30 Well, I would say that provinces, obviously BC and Quebec are ahead of the curve. When you look at the Q1 EV sales number for Canada. While in Canada, we were at 7.7%. EV sales, according to Statscan. And BC, they were at 15.5%. So that's twice the national rate. And in Quebec, they were at 12.7%. At the meantime, Ontario was at 5.3%. So that shows that you need to have rebates. I think rebates are important, which you don't have anymore in Ontario, but you have to have mandates as well. Let me give you a perfect example of that. In BC, the rebate is up to $4,000 and Pei and New Brunswick it's $5,000. But because they have no mandate there, they have no supply so their their EV sales are below 5%. So I think it's very important to have both rebates and mandates regarding companies obviously Tesla is driving the charge. I mean, it's obvious. If you look at if if things keep rolling out like we are seeing today, the Tesla Model Y will be the best selling gas or electric vehicle in the world next year. I mean, this is no small feat. But so yeah, so Tesla is making a huge difference Tesla's a member of EMC, by the way, but we are seeing that some Korean manufacturers like Kia and Hyundai, are coming up with very interesting products. And I'm stunned to say this, but I think that the Japanese are being left in the dust, by even the Americans. And this is something I would have never predicted five or 10 years ago, we are seeing that there seems to be a lot of resistance on the part of Japanese manufacturers. And to me being old enough to remember, it looks to me a bit like what I saw in the 80s and the 90s, when the Japanese came really strong to the market, and they left the American manufacturers behind. So I think the Japanese manufacturers, not all of them, but most of them are going to have to wake up because right now they're really lagging behind.   Rebecca Schwartz  15:56 So we recently had Loren McDonald on the show, and he talked about how consumers need to shift the way that they think about EVs. He said that EVs are more like a smartphone that you charge every night and less like a traditional gas car that you head to the pumps for. Do you agree with that? And if you have a story or anecdote that you'd like to share, we'd love to hear it.   Daniel Breton  16:19 So well. I mean, obviously, EVs are becoming more and more like regular vehicles, because if you go back five or 10 years ago, as I mentioned, you know, a regular EV that was not $100,000, EVs had between 120 and 150 kilometers of range. So it was a very different story, then, my girlfriend still drives one of those EVs, I mean, she drives us a Smart Fourtwo electric, it has 100 kilometers of range, it doesn't even have fast charging. So so when she goes on the road, she she's aware of the way that this vehicle behaves, and the range that she can have winter or summer. But keep in mind that most Canadians, most families have more than one car nowadays. So I would say that the first EV, which would be like the family EV, which can be either a car or an SUV, or even a pickup truck is the one that you're going to use when you go traveling when you go on a trip when you go to see the family. And that one is the one that you drive every day because you use it every day. The second one, if you have a second car, it can be a smaller EV, or a plug in hybrid electric vehicle. And, and I always suggest to people not to buy two big cars with two big batteries. I think it's a waste from an economic point of view, and environmental point of view. So, so if you want to talk about anecdotes, I remember when my girlfriend first got her car. I mean, I remember the second or the third night we went to drive in movie. And the range were the range that she had left was about 25 kilometers. And you have to, to plug the vehicle you have to connect to the radio to hear the movie. And she was honestly she was freaking out because she said, I'm not gonna have enough range to go back. We can't watch all of the movie. So we did not we ended up going back home before the end of the movie. It took her was, say, a couple of weeks before she got used to the range of her vehicle. Keep in mind that it doesn't have a lot of range. Now that she knows how the car behaves, she's not stressed anymore. One thing that happens to all of us is at one point we forget to charge a car or to plug the car at night. You know, it happens to us once or twice, but most of the time, then you remember it's like your phone, you know one night you'll come back home, you're tired. You don't plug the phone the next morning say oh my god, I have no, I have no capacity. There's there's no range. So that's the type of thing that you learn from. It happens to you a couple of times and then you know, I would say. What do you think are the biggest social drivers for the recent uptick in EVs? Is it really the high price of gas? Or is it connected to something bigger? I think it's a few things I think first gas prices have made a huge difference. Because people are seeing that there's a really it's really interesting to buy an electric car with those gas prices. But more than that, the fact that there are more and more child choices of different models and shapes of EVs You know with the new F150 lightning coming to market, you know the Kia EV6, the Hyundai Ioniq 5. These are really appealing vehicles. So I think that choice and and price is making a big difference. I mean, I'm sure you saw that but a couple of weeks ago, GM announced that they were coming up with their new Equinox EV starting at $35,000. And I don't know if you know this, but I just saw the price for the base Honda CRV. It's $36,000. So now, if you look at small SUV, electric, small SUV gas. Without the rebate, the small SUV the CRV is even more expensive than the base version of the Equinox EV? So even though people say prices of EV keep going up and up and up. It's not necessarily true. It depends on the model. Yes, some people do want more expensive electric car. But let's be honest here. You know, many people who buy the base model of any vehicle, gas or electric, it doesn't happen. It just doesn't. So I would say that prices of vehicles have gone up way up actually gas or electric. But we are seeing at the same time. So I'm very competitive models in on the EV side, especially from GM and I have to salute them for that.   Dan Seguin  21:29 I've got a follow up question here for you. What are some of the overall benefits as a nation when we reach 100%, EV passenger sales by 2030 and all other vehicles by 2040?   Daniel Breton  21:44 Well, I would say that the first benefit is lower emissions is going to make a hell of a difference. Because you know, a lot of people say that GHG emissions from transportation represent 24% of Canada's total GHG emissions. But that's only downstream emissions. When you add upstream emissions, it's 30%, meaning that transportation is the number one source of GHG emissions in Canada. But that's GHG emissions, so lowering them by I would say 50 to 80%. Because you have to keep in mind that you have GHG emissions from electricity production, although it's getting much better. I mean, the last coal plant is going to close next year in Alberta. And and Nova Scotia intends to go I think it's 80% renewable by 2030. So as time goes by electric vehicles become cleaner and cleaner because the grid is becoming clearer and cleaner. So that's one thing. But the other thing, which is super important, and people seem to forget, is that according to Health Canada, they released a report on the impact of air pollution last year, the economic cost of air pollution is estimated at $120 billion, not millions, billions 120 billion from air pollution. And that's 15,300 premature deaths, which is eight times the death toll of car accidents. So if we bring more electric vehicles on the road, it's going to lower significantly air pollution, whether it's from light duty vehicles, or medium or heavy duty vehicles. So it's going to save billions of dollars to Canadians, help our healthcare system and save 1000s of lives. I mean, this is not insignificant. This is very important. And this is something I think that needs to be said. And last but not least- jobs. I've been talking about this, believe it or not, I've been coming to the House of Commons because from where I am, I can see the House of Commons right here because I'm in Gatineau this morning. I've been I started to talk about the EV industry about 15 or 16 years ago to the federal government saying that we need to transition our automotive sector from gas to electric because that's where the industry is going. So there was really not much of any interest for years. But now the federal government has really caught on I have to salute Minister Champagne for his leadership on this particular issue to make sure to attract EV assembly battery assembly battery manufacturing, critical minerals strategy. So we are seeing a real shift I mean you have to keep in mind that between 2000 and 2020 light duty vehicle production in Canada has been going down and down and down time and time again. We went from fourth biggest manufacturer in the world, to not even be the top 10 in 2020. Now, because the federal government, the Ontario government, the Quebec government and other Canadian governments are investing more and more on the EV supply chain in the EV industry, we are seeing a revival of the automotive sector in Ontario. And to me, this is significant. And if we hadn't done this, there will not be an automotive sector by 2030, or 2035. So this is huge.   Rebecca Schwartz  25:33 Electric Mobility Canada recently launched a 2030 EV action plan with the goal of highlighting how we get to an EV future by 2030. So what is this and what was involved in its creation?   Daniel Breton  25:48 Well, most members of EMC were involved with the creation of the 2030 EV action plan. So it meant, you know, manufacturers, it meant infrastructure providers, utilities, research centers. So I mean, we have a large pool of very qualified experienced people, or either staff or on our board, or our GR Committee on our MHD working group, or battery working group, our utilities working group, so all of these minds come together to say, this is what we recommend for the future of Canada regarding e-mobility. So so yeah, so it was a broad consultation amongst ourselves to see what kind of policies we could put in place to accelerate EV adoption. And I would say that the result has been significant, because we have seen a lot of interest from the federal government, amongst others. Regarding our recommendation, whether it was for- I'll give you an example, at the end of July, I was invited by a Minister Alghabra's Cabinet to be at his announcement for their new medium and heavy duty vehicle incentive program. Because we basically wrote the program, we sent it to them, we had some exchanges, and they said, this does make sense. And we learn from other programs elsewhere in the world or elsewhere in Canada. So I mean, it is significant. We're talking about more than half a billion dollars to accelerate EV adoption regarding any medium and heavy duty vehicles. Obviously, the infrastructure deployment program, almost a billion dollars is something that's going to make a big difference to accelerate EV adoption. This was also part of our recommendation and 2030 action plan. And but we're not stopping there to us that 2030 Action Plan was was an important, I would say, moment and EMCs history. But we are coming up with newer updated revised recommendations, new documents being published. So this is a, you know, this is a work in progress.   Dan Seguin  28:15 Okay, great. We're going to discuss the six pillars of the plan today, which I think covers a lot of the issues and concerns raised by many Canadians. Let's dig into pillar number one, light duty EV; consumer adoption. Some of the highlights under this pillar include price parity, with gas cars, some clever incentive proposal and removing caps for taxis, and ride sharing companies to move fully electric. Can you talk to some of these and what your ultimate goal with this pillar is?   Daniel Breton  28:58 Well, this pillar is to not only encourage EV adoption, but discourage gas guzzler adoption, because we have what we call, you know, the fee based system that we recommend. I've been talking about this for more than 10 years. Because, while people are buying more and more EVs at the same time they're buying more and more light trucks, gas light trucks. And this is an issue because we see that, you know, what most manufacturers offer now is more and more SUVs, pickup trucks and crossovers. So cars are less and less bought by Canadians because there are less and less manufacturers by OEMs. You know, if you go to a Toyota dealer, there's no honda fit anymore. There's no Yaris anymore, but there's more and more of those SUVs. So so for us a fee based system, I think is a recommendation that's important, but it's not an easy one to adopt. We have not seen anyone in North America I'd love the feedback system yet. We it has shown to be very effective in Europe. But it's it's an issue. And you know, in North America and Canada and Canada in particular when one thing that I'm really focusing on is the fact that for us, it doesn't make sense that, you know, car sharing companies, car hauling companies would have a cap of 10 vehicles that can get the federal rebate. Because not only do we want to encourage the transition to EVs, but especially in downtown areas, we want to make sure that if people don't know don't need to buy a car, and they can use a car sharing service, well, they should be encouraged to do so. And the car sharing services should be encouraged to electrify their fleet. So for us, this cap has to go. This is something I've been discussing with people in the federal government. And we are coming up with more data and information, you know, explaining why we need this. Other than that, no, you're we're talking about evey rebate for for used vehicles. This is actually in one of the mandate letters. And it has been in the mandate letters for a number of years now at the federal level, the program has still not been put together. So we are anxiously waiting to see what's going to happen with this. And last but not least, I don't know if you know about this. But in California, there is a particular rebate on top of the regular rebate for low income individuals and families who want to buy an electric car. So we think that this is something important for people who have, you know, we're not as affluent to be able to buy an electric car.   Rebecca Schwartz  31:52 So Daniel in pillar two you discuss medium heavy duty and off road fleet electrification and a number of rebates, tax credits, and offsetting costs for electrical infrastructure. What are some of the key takeaways? And what about the tools and restrictions for large polluters? Can you speak to that a little bit?   Daniel Breton  32:13 Well, I would say that what we are seeing because of this very important announcement from Minister Alghabra, this summer, what we are seeing now is that the main issue or the main challenge is infrastructure. Let's say you are a transit agency, and you want to buy a whole fleet of electric buses, you have to charge them. And the garages that we have in Canada have not been planned this way. So we have to really either adapt them or build new garages. But this is something that can be done. I mean, right now, there's less than 1000 electric buses in Canada, closer to 600. and China, they have more than 600,000 electric buses. And I was I was told a few years ago by someone from a trade transit agency whose name I won't mention that, because in this particular city that this person worked in population density made it harder for them to electrify buses. So I couldn't help but reply that, yes, because China, as we all know, does have a lot of people. So so to me, that was it was not an argument. I mean, if you want to plan this, you'll find a way. I mean, this, you know, there's the saying, you know, if if you want to do it, you find a way if you don't want to do it, you find an excuse. So to me, this is really a challenge regarding, you know, transit fleets, we're talking about trucks. Well, depo charging is going to be very important. But right now, this is not something that's been planned or budgeted in the federal government's programs. So we are looking to try and recommend to the government that we put together a particular program for medium and heavy duty vehicle infrastructure, this is something that we that needs to be done. And regarding off road vehicles, so off road vehicles is a different issue because a lot of people seem to think that if you buy a snowmobile, or Sea-Doo or a side by side, that it's just for fun, but a lot of people work with these snowmobiles and see those and side by side because they work in a park that they work at a ski station, work on a construction site. So keep in mind that our regulars, modern snowmobiles, it pollutes as much talking about air pollution here as 40 modern cars, gas cars. So from an air pollution point of view, it's a big win for people to adopt electric off road vehicles. So that's why we are pushing for that as well. Not to mention the fact that some of the companies making those side by sides and snowmobiles are Canadian companies. So it's not only good for the air pollution, but it's also good for job creation as well. And expertise. I mean, after all, I mean, where else then in Canada, should we have electric snowmobiles to start with I mean, it should be starting here. And it is starting here.   Dan Seguin  35:47 Okay, at least 1/3 of Canadians live in multi unit residential buildings today. Under pillar number three, you go into some details about the national EV infrastructure deployment plan. What are the targets and recommendations you believe are needed when it comes to public charging and making condos and apartments EV ready?   Daniel Breton  36:15 Well, there needs to be some regulation put together either by provinces or cities to accelerate EV adoption and merge, you know, multi unit residential buildings. Actually, I learned just a few days ago that the city of Laval, Quebec has put together an EV ready regulation that says something we are seeing in BC. And this is something we should see across the board across the country. Because it's not just about, you know, incentives for people to install EV chargers in condominiums, because some, some condo owners and all their their syndicate. They simply don't want that they don't allow for that to but to be able to, you know, for people to install them. So we think that there needs to be regulation so that, you know, there should be a right to charge. And this is something very important. We are asking the federal government but other governments as well, to make sure that at least we have at least a million chargers by 2030 across the country. We think it's very important because yes, public charging is key. But let's face it 80 to 90% of charging happens where? At home or at work. So if we have both public chargers and verb chargers and home chargers, this is the only way we're going to be able to reach our targets regarding EV options.   Dan Seguin  37:50 Okay, here's a follow up question for you, Daniel. Where do you see utilities playing a role in the 2030 EV action plan?   Daniel Breton  38:01 They will play a big role. I mean, they have so much to win from EV transition, that it's really surprising that some utilities don't see the interest. I wouldn't say that Canadian utilities don't see the interest, I would say that most of them do. Most utilities in Canada are members of EMC, we have a utilities working group, they are looking at ways to help this transition it both from a technological point of view from a planning point of view, and from a regulatory point of view. So they do play a big role. But I was part of a discussion last year with people in the Ontario government. Because a lot of people in government were saying how much is this infrastructure deployment going to cost? You know, people in Ontario and utilities. And I said, I asked this question to a person from the Federal from the Ontario government. I said them, you know how much it costs you to import oil to make diesel and gas in Ontario on a monthly basis? And that person said no. So I looked at how much Ontario cars and trucks consume on a monthly basis. And I made a calculation that's $60 a barrel, which was lower a year ago, you know, and back then it added up to $1.2 billion a month. So if you take that $1.2 billion a month that just flies out of Ontario because Ontario is not a province that produces oil, and you bring it back in and you put that money into infrastructure and jobs and electricity production from Ontario utilities. It's a lot more money that stays in Ontario $1.2 billion a month is a lot of money. So that means that we, Ontario does have the means to electrify its fleet and to update and yeah, to update its grid.   Rebecca Schwartz  40:10 Next, what are the benefits to the government launching a national 2030, EV strategy and regulation? And why is this so important?   Daniel Breton  40:19 Well, that's something that we are seeing already, you know, with the very important announcement that have been made by Prime Minister Trudeau, Minister Champagne, Minister Wilkinson, because keep in mind that when we're talking about create job creation, and and the EV sector, it's not just about car assembly or truck assembly or bus assembly, it's also about infrastructure, manufacturing, you know, whether we're talking about level two chargers, you know, the main sponsor of our e 2022. Conference is Grizzly, which is a company based in Ontario, and they make residential chargers, but they're going to start making public chargers, and they're doing it in a way that's very efficient. So that's show creation as well, where we're talking about construction jobs for those infrastructures, where we're talking about mining jobs, and processing jobs. So there was a report released by the International Energy Agency a few days ago, that said, that stated that right now, in Canada, we are right now about at 50/50 when we're talking about the percentages of job, and fossil fuel versus renewables, and electric mobility, and that's 2022. But we all know that between now and 2030, the number of jobs created, and renewables and green mobility is going to be much higher than in fossil fuels. So this is very important. We're talking job creation, you know, from the whole spectrum. We're going from mining to mobility.   Rebecca Schwartz  42:06 Okay, so a quick follow up for you, though, a couple of items under the fourth pillar that we found to be interesting was the Green SCRAP-IT program and your recommendation to help rural northern First Nations and Inuit communities? Can you briefly talk about those and the rationale?   Daniel Breton  42:26 Well, the Green SCRAP-IT program is inspired by stuff that we are seeing that we have seen in Quebec and BC, because of what we're seeing is that for people who drive older vehicles, whether it's for individual cars, or old buses, for instance, because some of those buses have been on a roll for a long time, and their pollution levels are through the roof. So we want to help either it's companies, individuals, or transit authorities, school boards, to transition to electric vehicles, whether it's, you know, cars, trucks, buses, school buses. But it's a way for us to make sure that we do accelerate the transition, but it regarding individual vehicles, what we are saying is that we should accelerate scrappage program. But what some people are saying in the industry is that should people should, you know, just get rid of the old car and be able to buy a new car, and it could be a gas car. So we don't agree with that. But not only that, when people let's say somebody gets rid of his or her Honda Civic, and decides to buy a brand new Honda CRV, well, air pollution is going to be lower, but GHG emissions is going to be higher because it's a bigger car. And GHG emissions are directly linked to fuel consumption. So it's not because you buy a new car that necessarily it's that good for the environment. So that's why we're saying our SCRAP-IT program should be linked either to the purchase of electric vehicle, but it can also be a transit pass. It can be an electric bike, it can be car sharing service, carpooling service, because, yes, electric mobility is a key ingredient in the solution to lower GHG emissions, or we're talking about transportation, but it's not the only one. So that's why because I've been working at this for decades. I know that we have to also encourage, you know, collective transportation, active transportation, car sharing, carpooling, commute work. All of this is part of solution when we're trying to find not only ways to lower GHG emissions but to lower traffic congestion as well. Regarding First Nations and remote communities, I live in the country. I don't live downtown Montreal for though because we hear that very often, you know, oh yeah, electric cars are only good for those who live in the city and try, you know, a commute around the city. While actually when you look at the Cape, the Quebec data 75% of EV owners in Quebec live outside of Quebec and Montreal, why? For a very simple reason, because they have either a garage or a driveway, it's a lot easier to plug your car, when you have garage or driveway, than when you live in a suburb. I'm sure you know this as well as I do. But for those who live further down, you know, let's say you live in northern Saskatchewan, or in northern Ontario. And you say, well, it's going to be really hard for me to be able to have access to electric car, or to drive the long distances that we need to drive we live in, we live far away? Well, first of all, there seems to be some misconception about the fact that Canada is a big country, and therefore we drive a lot. We do a lot of mileage. That's just not true. Okay? The average driving from Canadians on a daily basis to go to work and back 80% of Canadians drive 60 kilometers or less to go to work and back. So what that means is that, no, it's actually 80 kilometers and back 80 kilometers to go to work and back. So. But this is very important, because most Canadians don't drive that much. I mean, the average driving habits of Canadians from the latest data, which is not new by any means, because the latest data that we found from the federal government was 2009. Believe it or not, this is so outdated, I can't believe it. But anyway, we were at 17,000 kilometers approximately. So 17,000 kilometers, is not that much driving. I mean, I because I travel a lot for my work, I drive more than 50,000 kilometers a year. So having an electric car and driving a lot is no issue. What we need is to make sure that remote communities have access to chargers, fast chargers, in particular, when you get out of the 401, the 417, the 15 the trans Canadian when you go more up north, it is an issue for many regions in Canada, especially when you live in the prairies. I've heard some people, you know, look for chargers didn't know where they were because no one explained to them, where to plug the vehicle, there were only level two chargers. So infrastructure is a real issue. For those who really live, you know, outside are most of the grid, you know, when you live in Nunavut, or Nunavik are, you know, you count the Northwest Territories. There are more and more chargers being deployed, then very often people who live there buy SUVs or pickup trucks. So now that we're seeing more and more SUVs and pickup trucks coming to market, it's becoming less of a challenge, but they do need to get them delivered over there. That's the first thing. The second thing for those who would be, I would say, more anxious about the fact that when it's minus 30 minus 40. You know, you lose up to 50%. And rage, worse comes to worse, you can always buy a plug in hybrid electric vehicle. Mean, meaning that you know, you're going to have some range, especially in the summer. In the winter, not so much. So, but but the truth of the matter is that, you know, I've been driving EVs for I've been driving partial and full EVs for 23 years now. So I know that even at minus 20, I've been going to Saguenay they actually were organized an EV day, and Saguenay in January at minus 25 minus, minus 30. We're 20 of us from Avec. I was with Avec back then we drove all the way up there. And no one had an issue. You just need to have the infrastructure and that's an issue. Right now. In Northern Ontario. It is an issue. And we are seeing that in northern provinces. We're in BC and Quebec I would say.   Dan Seguin  49:07 When it comes to federal leadership with respect to EVs in your sixth and last pillar, what is the government doing right? And what are your recommendations for improvement?   Daniel Breton  49:21 Well, I would say that what the government is doing right for EV adoption at the federal level, is that they are helping more and more departments by EVs. So to me, this is this is key, but we need to install a lot more chargers in federal buildings and federal parking that we have right now. As I mentioned, you know, I'm right across the river from the House of Commons. And I think that I see like less than 10 chargers at the House of Commons. To me this is far from being enough. When I was in Norway in June, we went to a city called Arendal, about 300 kilometers away from Oslo. And it's a small city 40,000 people. And there was an underground parking over there that could accommodate about 150 cars. There were 70 chargers. So, so we have a lot of catching up to do. Let's put it that way. And on that topic, I have to mention this. When I was in government, in in my government plan for the government of Quebec, 10 years ago, we had a plan to electrify ferries. So when we lost our election, you know, the the electrification of ferry fell, you know, in the cracks. When I was in Norway in June, I learned that there's 825 ferries in Norway, eight wto five 825 ferries in Norway. 400 of those 400 of those ferries are already electric. And the largest electric ferry in Norway can accommodate 600 people and 200 cars. So I think that if the Canadian government wanted to electrify its ferry lines, it would be a great opportunity for the marine industry in Canada to develop a new skill and create all you industry actually.   Rebecca Schwartz  51:33 So something that I thought was fascinating in this pillar was the zero emission zone in downtown Ottawa. Can you tell us what that is and why you recommended it or called out Ottawa specifically?   Daniel Breton  51:45 Well, I think it's because it's the symbol. I mean, Ottawa is the capital of Canada. So if we have a zero emission zone in Ottawa, I think it will send a strong signal that people could not drive gas or diesel vehicles in that particular area.   Dan Seguin  52:01 Okay, Daniel, we always end our interviews with some rapid fire questions. And we have a few for you. Are you ready?   Daniel Breton  52:11 Go ahead.   Dan Seguin  52:12 Okay. Here's number one. What are you reading right now?   Daniel Breton  52:17 Oh, my God. That's funny, because, you know, I used to read a lot of novels when I was younger. Now all I read is sports. I need that I read battery reports and I need books and I read everything related to electric mobility. The oil industry energy transition. So basically, most of the reading that I do is scientific or economic. That's That's my bedtime reading. Yeah.   Dan Seguin  52:48 Okay. What would you name your boat? If you had one?   Daniel Breton  52:54 I don't have one because I'm an old time windsurfer. So I live, I mean, my house is by the St. Lawrence River. So I windsurf in my backyard. So and I don't intend to have a boat. But I I keep windsurfing. Even though I turned 60 this year. I want to die windsurfing. Want to wind surf until I die. So yeah.   Dan Seguin  53:18 Moving on to the next one who is someone that you admire?   Daniel Breton  53:23 I admire a lot of people. It's hard to tell. Because I mean, so many people that I admire, I mean, believe it or not my I said my girlfriend but my wife because I got to wait three weeks ago. Thanks. She met with the Dalai Lama a few years ago, because she used to be a member of parliament and she was the only Buddhist Member of Parliament. So she met with the Dalai Lama. So that's a person that I really admire. Nelson Mandela, I really admire obviously, being from Quebec and native and you have to keep in mind that there and Ivanka has done a lot. For those who are in Ontario. You know, a lot of people think about independence, but when I think about going to the bank, I think about metal she knew when he was natural resources minister, and, and they held the referendum election of the nationalization of electricity 1962 And that helped propel Hydro Quebec from a small company to one of the biggest forces in the world regarding electricity production, and cleaning, electricity production for that matters. There's not a size and a need Ivanka are really important in my mind, I would say and even though he is controversial, I would say Elon Musk, you know, I mean, he's done so much. And he is such a leader and and you ways of doing things, but I don't always agree with him. But I have to say that when you work in electric mobility, it was what if it was not for him? We will not be there today.   Dan Seguin  55:10 What is the closest thing to real magic that you've witnessed?   Daniel Breton  55:15 That's a good question. Real closest thing to real magic, I would say is that it was the night that I saw an aurora borealis. It's very spectacular.   Dan Seguin  55:28 Okay, let's move on here. What has been the biggest challenge to you personally, since the pandemic began?   Daniel Breton  55:36 To me personally, I mean, a lot of people close to me, I've got COVID, my mother's got COVID, she's been very sick. So many people close to me, either, were really sick. A friend of mine, you know, fell in a coma for almost 20 days. So I thought he was going to die. Another friend of mine, 52 years old, died from COVID. So so this is at, you know, this hit home really hard. For me as see point of view, keep in mind that I started at EMC on March 9 2020. And, and the first thing that I did as CEO of EMC, was to cancel a conference. So my first decision was to cancel a very important event for EMC for its members. And I remember, I cancelled it like March 15, like a week after I had come in. So people were really not sure about what I was doing, because it was this new guy canceling the conference. Is he nuts, but I was just, you know, in front of the curve. So it was complicated for us. Because since I would say that I was pretty much the only one to cancel an event of any big event or conference in 2020. I had a lot of issues with hotels and people that we paid for, because they said, not gonna happen. What you're saying doesn't make sense, these events will happen. We don't want to reimburse you. So we had to fight for months and months to get our money back. Because at one point, everybody came to the conclusion that there was no other way around this. But it was a couple of months that were really very hard. I can tell you that.   Dan Seguin  57:27 We've all been watching a lot of Netflix or TV lately. What's your favorite movie, or show?   Daniel Breton  57:37 Right now? I watched a series called the Casa de Pepe. It's a Spanish TV series. It's super weird, but it's very interesting. And, and the other one that I've been watching recently, because keep in mind that my wife is Vietnamese. So it's a short call, I think career plan or something like that about an Asian woman who was a lawyer. And it's it's served career and it's her path in life. And my girlfriend is a career woman, she has been very successful. So this is something that we watch together.   Rebecca Schwartz  58:17 Okay, lastly, what's exciting you about your industry right now?   Daniel Breton  58:21 Oh, my God. I would say that it's just this- listen, I've been talking about EV and EV adoption and EV industry for decades now. So for for many years, I felt like I was, you know, this nut case, you know, that walks around, you know, the cities, you know, repent. The end is near, you know, I felt like because I was talking about I was talking about, you know, climate change, because I studied and climate change. That's what I studied in when I was in university. So to me at one point around 2005 or so, I said, we have to talk, we have to stop talking only about depressing stuff and start talking about solutions. And that's when in 2005 I said I have to make it a goal of mine to find ways to accelerate EV adoption. That was 17 years ago, I created MCN 21 back then; wrote books on the subject. I've written many books on the subject. But still until five years ago, I mean, there were only a few of us. Now that we are seeing car manufacturers, truck manufacturers, plane manufacturers. You know, jumping and jumping on the bandwagon of electric mobility. It's very exciting. And I mean, I didn't even take a vacation this summer because there was so much job so many consultations, so many reports. So much stuff to do. So at one point I said that to federal employee I said you know oh, well, I mean, I would be nuts to complain, because I have too much work because I've been asking for this for many years. But I would say the most exciting thing is just the vibe. You know, it's just, it's just that. I mean, it's a hot topic nowadays. I mean, just two years ago, because I've been, I've been, I'm well known in Quebec, a lot of people know me, people. I know, people, people know me. I'm all over the media. But in the rest of Canada, it was not such a hot topic to talk about electric mobility until maybe a year ago, two years ago, the most. But now every week, you know, I'm not the only one. But a lot of people now do interviews about electric mobility, electric cars, and the chargers. And some of those articles, as I mentioned, are really bad. But I mean, we are talking more and more about this. So the old excitement, you know about this transition, I think is is is very encouraging. And I know that all of us will have worked for decades to come, because this is only the beginning.   Rebecca Schwartz  1:01:07 All right, Daniel. Well, that's it. We've reached the end of another episode of the thinkenergy podcast. But before we go, if our listeners want to learn more about you and your organization, how can they connect?   Daniel Breton  1:01:19 Well, they can go to our website you know and find a contact. We have a growing growing team now. So we have more and more people working at EMC so they can connect with us. They can send me an email info@emc-mec.ca. I'm always reachable.   Dan Seguin  1:01:39 Again, Daniel, thank you so much for joining us today. I hope you had a lot of fun. Cheers.   Daniel Breton  1:01:45 Oh, I did. I thanks a lot. Very, very interesting conversation. I really appreciated that.   Dan Seguin  1:01:53 Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the thinkenergy podcast. And don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review wherever you're listening. And to find out more about today's guests or previous episodes, visit thinkenergypodcast.com I hope you will join us again next time as we spark even more conversations about the energy of tomorrow.

TW: Drug Use, overdose, homelessness, addiction, mental health, police brutality Fentanyl. It's been the street drug of choice for the past number of years. It's been known to contaminate other substances. In BC alone, it has vastly increased the death rate in the opioid epidemic. But what is being done about it? A new documentary - Love In The Time of Fentanyl - looks at support workers and volunteers at safe injection sites in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside; one the most notorious area codes in Canada. Colin Askey is the director of documentary Love in the Time of Fentanyl and his joined in the interview by a few of the film's subjects - Norma Vaillancourt, Dana McInnes and Ronnie Grigg. Subscribe: Apple, Spotify, Anchor, Amazon, Pandora, Deezer Social @EndeavoursRadio --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dan-mcpeake/message

In BC, approximately 1 in 6 youth engage in self-harm. Self-harm, also referred to as self-injury, is a behaviour used to cope with bigger, underlying emotions – and is also a behaviour that many parents and other caring adults are understandably concerned about. In this episode, we speak to a youth, Ciara, who has lived experience with self-harm; and a clinical counsellor, Kim Leifso, who has supported many youth who have self-harmed. Walk away from this episode with a greater understanding of why youth self-harm and what parents can do to support their child. This episode is a collaboration between BC Children's Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre and FamilySmart. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Legally Speaking with Michael Mulligan:Unlike criminal cases, where there is always a next appearance date scheduled in court until a case is completed, civil cases are generally moved along by the plaintiff. The case discussed on the show involved a civil claim resulting from an apparently defective drop-side crib. The issue was identified in 2009 and resulted in the crib manufacturer recalling the cribs. Several proposed class actions were also filed in different provinces.In BC, a proposed class action was filed one day after the recall of the cribs was announced. A couple of years after the BC case was commended, the plaintiff asked the court to be replaced as the proposed representative plaintiff because of family and work time commitments. The judge managing the case denied the application to change plaintiffs, in part because the original plaintiff still had the crib, which the defendants wanted to have examined by an engineer. Approximately 8 years then passed without any meaningful steps being taken by the plaintiff to move the case forward. The defendant crib manufacturer eventually applied to have the case dismissed for “want of prosecution”. The test when this kind of application is made involves consideration of the length of the delay, explanations for the delay, an assessment of whether the defendants suffered prejudice and finally the judge deciding if the balance of justice requires the action to be dismissed. The case discussed was dismissed both because of the amount of time that had passed and the fact that the crib in question had inexplicably been lost, before it was examined by the defendants. Also, on the show, the lawyer for an accused person in a criminal contempt prosecution relating to the alleged blocking of a driveway at a “tank farm” in Burnaby, contrary to an injunction prohibiting interference with the Trans Mountain Pipeline, asked the judge to take judicial notice that the activity occurred on “unceded indigenous territory” or “indigenous territory”. In criminal cases, ordinarily, evidence of an alleged fact needs to be called if a party wants a judge to take it into consideration.  Judges can, however, take judicial notice of facts that are clearly uncontroversial without requiring evidence.To take judicial notice of something a judge must be satisfied that a fact is either: 1) so notorious or generally accepted as not to be the subject of debate among reasonable persons or 2) capable of immediate and accurate demonstration by resort to readily accessible sources of indisputable accuracy. While the judge agreed that it's obvious that indigenous people occupied some parts of BC before Europeans arrived, the assertion that the driveway in question was either “unceded” or “indigenous territory” was not a notorious fact. The judge rejected the claim that the territorial acknowledgements often used by politicians could be the basis for taking judicial notice of the alleged fact: “In any event, I hardly think that statements by politicians, which may be made for any number of reasons and not for the purpose of court proceedings, can be taken as a readily accessible source of indisputable accuracy.”While it's unclear that the claim the driveway in question was unceded indigenous territory will have any relevance to the criminal contempt trial, if the defendant wishes to rely on this assertion, they will need to call evidence to establish it. Finally, on the show, courts in BC have announced that many of the COVID safety protocols that were put in place at courthouses will be removed as of April 11, 2022. Follow this link for a transcript of the show and links to the cases discussed

In BC in 2019, things were already wrecked; January was well above seasonal, February then went brutally cold and as for March, it was threatening to rewrite the record books for drought. One of the hottest spots in the province was in Pitt Meadows as they hit a staggering 19.5C.; and that broke a record that had stood for 7 decades!! In Chilliwack, an almost 125-year-old record was erased! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today's episode…. 1.       In response to the crisis in Ukraine, LifeWorks has opened a free 24/7 hotline to support individuals dealing with the unfolding events: LifeWorks opens mental health support crisis line for those impacted by the events in Ukraine 2.       Canada is taking immediate measures to support Ukrainians and their families in Canada, including workers: Canada announces additional measures to support Ukraine | Prime Minister of Canada (pm.gc.ca)3.       In Quebec the mandatory teleworking order is over. The government recommends that businesses promote a hybrid work model. In BC the guidance to work from home is no longer in effect. Current and forthcoming measures in Québec (quebec.ca).4.       Hiring appetite is ramping up again, according to Indeed Hiring Lab. Canadian Job Postings Through February 18 (hiringlab.org)5.     Employees and leaders have different views on mental health supports for depression available in the workplace. Workers' and managers' perspectives on workplace supports for depression (iwh.on.ca)6.       The Ontario government plans to introduce new privacy legislation that would require employers to tell their workers if and how they are being monitored electronically. Ontario Requiring Employers to Disclose Electronic Monitoring | Ontario Newsroom 

Friends, Welcome to Everybody Speaks Music (Bonus Edition). It's Mojo Kemp and I'm alongside Kris Schulz.  In BC today, it's Family Day so we decided to take a day off and actually just hang out together. I had the privilege; everybody, Kris texted me and said, Hey, I'm taking the girls for a long walk if you want to come." Me and the wife, we jumped in the car and BAM! We were with the stars of Follow up Friday.

Friends, Welcome to Everybody Speaks Music (Bonus Edition). It's Mojo Kemp and I'm alongside Kris Schulz. In BC today, it's Family Day so we decided to take a day off and actually just hang out together. I had the privilege; everybody, Kris texted me and said, Hey, I'm taking the girls for a long walk if you want to come." Me and the wife, we jumped in the car and BAM! We were with the stars of Follow up Friday.

This week on Legally Speaking with Michael Mulligan:More than 400 people are being prosecuted for criminal contempt arising from alleged breaches of an order from the BC Supreme Court that prohibits people from obstructing logging at Fair Creek.  This has resulted in some logistical issues with large numbers of accused people requiring legal advice prior to entering pleas and fixing dates for trial or sentencing. Following the Stanley Cup riots, Legal Aid BC developed a mass arrest policy to facilitate the provision of legal advice to large numbers of accused people. Both the initial court appearances and the provision of summary legal advice are occurring by phone or video connection because of COVID. For accused people who qualify for legal aid, Legal Aid BC has suspended choice of counsel and is assigning cases to one of a team of lawyers who are defending groups of people, based on the day they were arrested. The Rainforest Flying Squad has apparently been using donated money to pay for lawyers only for accused people who are black, indigenous, or people of colour. Other accused people, who can't afford a lawyer, are being left to seek help from Legal Aid BC. Trial dates are being set for 5 days each and will be comprised of all the people arrested on each day. This will permit common evidence concerning what occurred each day to be heard by the judge once for the relevant group of accused people. In BC there are a substantial number of prior criminal contempt sentencing cases because of previous unlawful protest activity. Based on factors that influenced prior cases, Crown Counsel has developed a formula for what kind of sentences they will ask for if an accused person pleads guilty. While the judge will ultimately decide what sentence to impose if someone pleads guilty, the Crown sentencing position is determined by factors including: 1)When the person engaged in criminal contempt. In this regard, previous cases have made clear that sentences are to increase over time until compliance is achieved. 2)When someone pleads guilty. In this regard, the Crown's position on sentence increases as time passes to encourage people to plead guilty earlier. There may be some issue with the approach being taken by Crown in this regard because the rate at which their suggested sentence increases is more than what courts would ordinarily engage in. 3)Whether the person used a device to avoid being removed from the road and how complex the device was. Earlier cases have indicated this is a factor in sentencing.While, in the past, protests that have constituted criminal contempt largely people standing passively on the road, 84% of the Fairy Creek accused were using devices of various kinds to make their removal more difficult for police. This has resulted in the Crown seeking jail sentences for many more accused. Many of the accused people have been surprised to learn that they may be facing jail sentences as they were led to believe this wouldn't be the case. Also on the show, a defamation case, from Port Alberni, is discussed. The case involved the director of a non-profit literacy society defaming two employees of a non-profit society that assists homeless people.After being served with notice of the civil claim, the defendant director only appeared in court briefly, once, and didn't otherwise show up or hire a lawyer to defend the case. This resulted in a $345,000 judgment.The defendant non-profit society was unsuccessful in its application to set aside the judgment.Follow this link for a transcript of the show and links to the cases discussed.  

Ch.1: There has been a breakthrough in Coutts, Alberta yesterday as truckers agreed with Mounties to clear one lane at the border between the Canada US Border. Guest: Jim Willett, Mayor of Coutts, Alberta. Ch.2: O'Toole's time as leader of the Conservative Party has come to an end. As the Conservatives look to select a new leader for the party, things are up in the air on what direction the party is going. Guest:  David Akin, Global National Chief Political Correspondent. Ch.3: In BC one of the hardest things to come by is a covid-19 test.  But beware! There are covid testing appointment scams making the rounds to get your personal information. Guest:  Simone Lis (Lees), President and CEO of Better Business Bureau of BC Ch.4: Vancouver Real Estate Association says that sales will drop Guest: Dane Eitel, Founder and Lead Analyst at Eitel Insights. Ch.5: Microdosing is regularly ingesting small amounts of a psychedelic substance. But is it good for you? An experiment done by scientists in Edmonton would say ‘yes' Guest: Dr. Trevor Hamilton, Associate professor in the Department of Psychology at MacEwan University.  Ch.6: Have you ever felt like a word sounds how it should? Like ‘woof' for a dog barking? You might remember from grade 9 English class, that the phenomenon is called ‘onomatopoeia' – where the word matches the sound we hear. Guest: Raji interviewed Márton Sóskuthy, a Linguistics Professor at UBC Ch.7: Will the IOC accept the First Nations led bid for bringing the Olympics back to Vancouver? Guest: Bruce Kidd - Professor Emeritus, Sport & Public Policy of University of Toronto, Scarborough and former Olympic track athlete

This week on Legally Speaking with Michael Mulligan:The approval of COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 – 11 has resulted in family law disputes between separated parents who disagree about getting their children vaccinated. A number of these cases have now been litigated, across Canada, and the consistent outcome has been for court orders permitting the children to be vaccinated, despite the objection of one parent. On the show, one of these cases is discussed which involved two children, aged 10 and 12. The mother of the children wished to have the children vaccinated, while the father objected based on information he had gathered from the internet. The father had been providing age-inappropriate information he had collected from the internet to the children to persuade them that the COVID-10 vaccine was not safe.  Because judicial decisions require a reasoned analysis, and explanation for how a decision has been reached, these cases afford an objective assessment of evidence concerning the safety and efficiency of COVID-19 vaccines for children. Legal disputes of this kind are determined based on an assessment of what's in the best interest of the children. This judge in the case discussed ordered that the mother was free to get the children vaccinated, despite the objections of the father. The father was ordered to stop providing the children with the material he was collecting on the internet claiming that the vaccine was unsafe. Also on the show, provisions of the BC Emergency Program Act and the COVID-19 Related Measures Act, that limit liability for spreading COVID-19 are discussed. Ordinarily, people and organizations owe a duty of care to avoid acts or omissions that could cause harm to others. The standard of care that a person or organization owes would be assessed based on what a reasonable person would do. If a person or organization fails to act reasonably, they can be liable for damages that result based on their negligence. The BC acts discussed limit liability for acts or omissions related to COVID-19. They exempt the government, and others, from liability for action or inaction related to COVID-19 except in cases of “gross negligence”. Gross negligence is a legal term that has been interpreted by the courts to mean conduct that is a very marked departure from the standard of a reasonable and competent person. The standard of care implied by gross negligence can be modified where the standard of care is very high. In BC the provincial government has made vaccination for government employees mandatory. Those who chose not to be vaccinated for COVID-19 have been placed on unpaid leave and will eventually be terminated if they do not get vaccinated. Despite clear legal authority to require the same of teachers, they were exempted from this requirement, and it was left to the school boards to mandate vaccination. Various school boards have decided not to require teachers and staff who are interacting with young children to get vaccinated. Because COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11 were only made available at the beginning of December, and because an eight-week delay between first and second doses was decided on, almost no children under age 11 in BC have been fully vaccinated. As a result, teachers or school staff who decide to keep working without being vaccinated, as well as school boards and the provincial government, may be liable for the transmission of COVID-19 to school children and their families if their conduct is found to constitute gross negligence. Follow this link for a transcript of the show and links to the cases and legislation discussed. 

Big box companies are discriminating against their unvaccinated employees and customers. Bribing employees with cash rewards to get the jab, and punishing those who don't. In BC grocery stores are allowed to turn away the unvaccinated customers. It's coming here. Stop the tyranny.

This week on Legally Speaking with Michael Mulligan:The MV Zim Kingston lost 109 containers, near Vancouver Island, containing everything from yoga mats to car parts and chemicals. Some of the containers, and their contents, have been washing up on Vancouver Island beaches. One of the legal issues raised by this is the legal right to salvage material.With thanks to Darren Williams, an expert in marine law, the legal status of the shipping containers is discussed on the show. The starting point is that the shipping containers are personal property. This does not change because they fell off the ship as the owners haven't abandoned the property.   In addition to the potential hazard, opening or entering a container could amount to a tort referred to as “trespass to chattels”. There are circumstances where a shipping container could be “salvaged” by someone who located it. Before attempting to salvage a wreck, however, the salvor must contact the owner before touching the property or, if the owner is unknown or can't be contacted, the Receiver of Wreck must be contacted. The Receiver of Wreck has authority pursuant to the Canadian Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act.The concept of salvage involves saving a vessel or cargo from loss, rather than just taking something that is on the breach. Where a person engages in the salvage of a vessel or cargo, they may be entitled to reasonable costs and expenses for the salvage. If the Receiver of Wreck is unable to find an owner of the vessel or cargo, the person who salvages it may be awarded the wreck or the money from its sale. Returning to the containers that fell off the MV Zim Kingston, someone who locates one should call the Canadian Coast Guard at 1-800-889-8852. Also on the show, October 27 was the first National Duty Counsel Day recognizing the important work performed by Duty Counsel.In BC, Duty Counsel are private lawyers who are retained, for a modest fee, by the Legal Services Society, to provide summary advice and assistance to people with criminal, family, or immigration law issues, who cannot afford a lawyer and who would otherwise be in court on their own. They can be found at Provincial Court locations around BC on days when recently arrested people or those with family or child protection matters are first attending court. Duty Counsel can't conduct trials but can help with bail hearings, guilty pleas, efforts to negotiate family law issues, or the provision of summary advice. Information concerning the availability of Duty Counsel is available by calling 1-866-577-2525.Finally, on the show, a Supreme Court Judge granted a statutory injunction ordering a restaurant to close because of repeated failures to check the COVID-19 vaccination status of customers, as is required by a Public Health Order.The restaurant had been fined, on multiple occasions, and had its business licence revolved, for failing to comply with the Public Health Order.As a result of the injection, the police will ensure that the restaurant remains closed. Follow this link for a transcript of the show and links to the cases discussed. 

Today on Episode 6 of Cherry Picking with Alexia Benn, we dive into a quick but incredibly important conversation about voting. With the upcoming federal election coming in fast on September 20th, it can be difficult to figure out how to make the most of your vote. In BC, only 52% of eligible voters aged 18-24 voted in 2019.  We can't use the excuse that it's simply too complicated. Tune in today to figure out how to see your riding, view your candidates, and learn how to use the information available to you to your greatest advantage. Let's be smart about this! Stalk your candidates the same way you stalk your old grade 10 boyfriend's new girlfriend. 

In cities across Canada, housing has become a crisis. In BC, the home of unaffordable housing, a movement has taken shape to fight for renters rights. Rent. Strike. Bargain. is building power through solidarity between tenants and labour, with the ultimate goal of winning the right for renters to collectively bargain & form tenant unions. We're joined by organizer, Ben Ger to learn about the campaign and what we can do in the fight for fair, safe, and affordable housing for all. Support this podcast

SUMMARY If you're wearing a mask to hide mental health challenges, why not swap it for a superhero cape and brainpowers so strong they're sure to save the day! Sharon Blady, PhD (comic book geek, former Manitoba Minister of Health, founder of Speak Up: Mental Health Advocates) and Dr. Simon Trepel (a psychiatrist and member of Sharon's treatment team) openly talk about Sharon's multiple diagnoses, what's helping her heal, and how you, too, can embrace neurodiversity and load your mental health toolkit with superpower solutions. They also touch on the impacts of stigma and childhood trauma on mental health, the effects of COVID-19, the need for resilience, and the importance of strong doctor/patient relationships. TAKEAWAYS This podcast will help you understand: Personal experiences from a person with multiple mental illness diagnoses, and those same experiences from the vantage point of her psychiatrist An individual's experiences with post-partum depression, ADHD, OCD, Bipolar 2, and suicidal ideation Challenges and opportunities associated with multiple diagnoses Mental health “superpowers” and how they can help promote personal healing and support others Superhero Toolkit Benefits of neurodiversity (seeing that brain differences such as ADHD and autism are not deficits) Impacts of stigma (structural, public, and private) and reducing its negative effects “Resilience” from personal, professional, and community perspectives Impacts of COVID-19 on mental health Doctor/patient relationships and what makes them work   SPONSOR The Social Planning & Research Council of British Columbia (SPARC BC) is a leader in applied social research, social policy analysis, and community development approaches to social justice. The SPARC team supports the council's 16,000 members, and works with communities to build a just and healthy society for all. THANK YOU for supporting the HEADS UP! Community Mental Health Summit and the HEADS UP! Community Mental Health Podcast.   RESOURCES Speak Up: Mental Health Advocates Inc. Embrace Your Superpowers program Managing Multiple Diagnoses of Mental Illnesses The Importance of a Complete Diagnosis: Managing Multiple Mental Illnesses Neurodiversity in the Modern Workplace   GUESTS  Sharon Blady, PhD Sharon Blady is former Minister of Health and Minister of Healthy Living for the Province of Manitoba, an academic, and a comic book geek turned mental health superhero who empowers others with her fandom-based Embrace Your Superpowers program. Using her lived experience of multiple mental health and neurodiversity diagnoses, she helps others better understand and achieve improved mental health and well-being. Her diagnoses became a source of strength – Superpowers – which she harnessed and directed for personal, organizational, and community growth. Sharon's life experiences range from being a single mom on social assistance, to being responsible for a $6-billion health department budget. She is a survivor of domestic violence, cancer, and suicide, along with being a published author, entrepreneur, and public speaker. Email: sharon@speak-up.co Phone: 204-899-4731 Website: www.speak-up.co Facebook: @SpeakUpMHA Twitter: @SpeakUp_MHA & @sharonblady Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-blady/ & https://www.linkedin.com/company/speak-up-mha Simon Trepel, MD, FRCPC Simon Trepel is a child and adolescent psychiatrist with more than a decade of experience assessing and treating kids and teens. He is an Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba, where he teaches medical students, residents, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and family doctors. Simon is also a clinical psychiatrist with the Intensive Community Reintegration Service at the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Center. Simon is co-founder and consulting psychiatrist for the Gender Dysphoria Assessment and Action for Youth clinic, and consulting psychiatrist for the Pediatric Adolescent Satellite Clinic, where he primarily works with children and adolescents in Child and Family Services care.​ Simon has worked with Vital Statistics as well as Manitoba school divisions providing his expertise in child and adolescent gender dysphoria. He has spoken to audiences on a range of topics, including gender dysphoria, video game addiction, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, and neuroplasticity.​ Websites: https://matc.ca/ (Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Center) Email: sptrepel@gmail.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/simontrepel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-trepel-md-619a76b8/   HOST Jo de Vries is a community education and engagement specialist with 30 years of experience helping local governments in British Columbia connect with their citizens about important sustainability issues. In 2006, she established the Fresh Outlook Foundation (FOF) to “inspire community conversations for sustainable change.” FOF's highly acclaimed events include Building SustainABLE Communities conferences, Reel Change SustainAbility Film Fest, Eco-Blast Kids' Camps, CommUnity Innovation Lab, Breakfast of Champions, and Women 4 SustainAbility. FOF's newest ventures are the HEADS UP! Community Mental Health Summit and HEADS UP! Community Mental Health Podcast. Website: Fresh Outlook Foundation Phone: 250-300-8797   PLAY IT FORWARD The move from mental health challenge to optimal restoration becomes possible as more people learn about various healing challenges, successes, and opportunities. To that end, please share this podcast with anyone who has an interest or stake in the future of mental health for individuals, families, workplaces, or communities. FOLLOW US For more information about the Fresh Outlook Foundation (FOF) and our programs and events, visit our website, sign up for our newsletter, and like us on Facebook and Twitter.   HELP US As a charity, FOF relies on support from grants, sponsors, and donors to continue its valuable work. If you benefited from the podcast, please help fund future episodes by making a one-time or monthly donation. Sharon Blady, Dr. Simon Trepel Interview Transcript You can download a pdf of the transcript here. The entire transcript is also found below: RICK  0:10 Welcome to the HEADS UP! Community Mental Health Podcast. Join our host Jo de Vries with the Fresh Outlook Foundation, as she combines science with storytelling to explore a variety of mental health issues with people from all walks of life. Stay tuned! JO  0:32 Hey, Jo here. Thanks for joining me and my two guests as we conduct a brain tour that will take you on a journey of discovery, from mental illness all the way to mental health superpowers and superheroes. This great conversation is brought to you by the Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia. My first guest is Sharon Blady, founder of SPEAK UP: Mental Health Advocates Inc., and former Minister of Health and Minister of Healthy Living for the province of Manitoba. She knows firsthand how getting mental health or neurodiversity diagnoses means living with stereotypes and stigma associated with those labels. She also knows there's a way to reframe those stereotypes and define assets that empower us instead. Sharon's lived experience, combined with a lifelong love of comic book superheroes, successful treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy, and robust peer support, gave her the perspective and tools she needed to see her mental health challenges as assets or superpowers that she now harnesses and manages for better mental health and success. Helping us navigate Sharon's brain tour is Dr. Simon Trepel, a psychiatrist with more than a decade of experience assessing and treating kids and teens. He's an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, where he teaches medical students, residents, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and family doctors. He's also a clinical psychiatrist with the Intensive Community Reintegration Service at the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre, and co-founder and consulting psychiatrist for the Gender Dysphoria Assessment and Action for Youth Clinic. Welcome to both of you, and thank you for embarking on this journey of disclosure and discovery with me. SHARON  2:39 Thank you. It's great to be here, Jo. SIMON  2:41 Hey, Jo... yeah... thanks for having me as well. JO  2:43 I know the relationship between doctor and patient is sacred, so your willingness to help us better understand that connection is brave, and so very much appreciated. First, we're going to dive into Sharon's story, peppered with Simon's clinical perspective. I think this is going to give you a whole host of insights. Sharon, let's start with you. When we spoke to prepare for this episode, you talked about being born with quote, "different brain things," unquote. Can you tell us that story, starting with you being an energizer bunny and chronic overachiever right from the get-go? SHARON  3:27 Yes, that was my very articulate way of self-identifying, but that's how I felt as a kid... that there was just something different about me. And it wasn't just that I felt that way. I kept getting told that I was different, and not always in a good way. Sometimes I did receive positive encouragement in school and always did well. The first time my parents had to ever deal with the principal, and my being in the office, was because in grade three I had decided I wanted to drop out because I felt there was nothing more that they had to teach me because I was spending more of my time helping other students. And it all just seemed so boring. That's what would eventually get me into advanced programs and stuff like that. So, it was just that thing where I was always doing things and not intending to be one step ahead of things, but finding myself there and then kind of getting simultaneously rewarded and punished for it. So, it'd be like, yeah, there's a great grade, but then you get the side-eye from your classmates. And then I get my father. His tendency was to say that, on one hand, yes, you're my child, you're so smart. But don't think you're that smart... don't get too confident or cocky. So, there was never 100 percent security in it. It's the way I lived in terms of the university and how I was managing things. I remember a girlfriend and I… the joke was that no one would have thought of giving us mental health or neurodiversity diagnoses. More that the joke was made to zap us both in the butt with tranquilizer darts to slow us down so that everybody else could keep up. That was my childhood. JO  4:57 What were your teenage years like? SHARON  5:00 Oh, a roller coaster. I was always good in school, but I got into the IB (International Baccalaureate) program, and it was the first year that they had the IB program in school. So, I think in some respects, they weren't ready for us. We were that first class... 50 of us kids that were used to being chronic overachievers… outsiders… were all suddenly in one small school that only had a total of 350 students. I was, again, still doing well in school, but I found my own people and then went off in directions that had me going to The Rocky Horror Show and doing all of this wonderful world of exploration and finding like-minded people. That was when my second round of visits with the principals started to happen. But again, that weird place where it's like, how do you discipline the kid that's in the advanced program for doing a thing, because they're supposed to be there as a role model. And also, that thing, like the seven colors in her hair, might not actually be a disciplinary issue. It's just you've never encountered it before as a principal. So, I was all over the place. I was doing really well in school and was the very untraditional captain of the cheerleading squad where we cheered to punk rock songs like Youth Brigade. And then I was also in Junior Achievement and, in fact, was the president of the Company of the Year for all of Canada in my final year. Yeah, so again, chronic overachiever... energizer bunny. JO  6:25 What happened that triggered your first experience with mental illness? How was it treated? And how well did you respond? SHARON  6:34 It was actually a while after my first son was born. I was 25, I was a grad student, I was doing my master's degree. I had been going out with somebody that had been a classmate, but when he found out that I was pregnant, ran the heck away. Of course, he also ran the heck away, because the day I found out I was pregnant, I also found out he was cheating on me, and basically said, "Don't let the door hit your butt on the way out." So, I moved back to Manitoba from BC. I had my son, and didn't feel very well, and I couldn't figure out what it was. Because it was, "I've got this kid, I'm doing my master's degree, I've got support from my family," and then one day, I had... after feeling all of this up and down and trying to juggle everything... the overwhelming desire to drive my car off the side of a bridge. And was really the red flag, and something stopped me in the same moment that my wrist almost turned to do that. Another part of my brain went, "That's not the rational thought that you think it is, that's not going to save you or your child the way you think it is." And that's when I sought out help, and would end up with a postpartum diagnosis. And then that would go on to being diagnosed as chronically depressed, and then I spent some time on Luvox. The GP that was looking after me… I wasn't receiving any therapeutic care… I wasn't receiving any kind of counseling or supports that way… it was just medication. I was eventually on the maximum dosage, and it was making me physically ill, so I did a very unsafe thing and I went cold turkey. I was lucky to then connect with a psychotherapist that helped me and introduced me to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. And that's where my really first positive journey happened. But I have to admit, I probably lived the first three, four years, five years of my eldest son's life in a real, foggy, ugly place. That's where the journey started. And it's led to other things and seeking out care has been intermittent and based on things like addressing being assaulted by my ex-husband. Other basic traumatic events have triggered seeking out care. And it's now working with Simon that I've really had that opportunity to go back and dig through a lot of stuff and learn more about myself. And she's like a superhero geek kind-of-way retcons my narrative in the sense that I've realized my understanding of things has changed, especially as we've dug deeper and I've learned more about my brain and what my diagnoses are, as opposed to what I thought they were, and what others had told me they were in those shorter forms of treatment and care. SIMON  9:12 That might be a nice place for me to maybe step in a little bit if you guys don't mind. Sharon's covered a lot of things simultaneously… I'm going to try to have a foot in Sharon's side and to be preferential and biased in Sharon's behalf. But, I also want to take a bit of a meta sense, as well and take a look at what Sharon has said through the lens of maybe how people with mental health challenges or superpowers are sometimes treated by the system or by their families or even by themselves. So, we backed up a little bit to the beginning when you asked Sharon about her childhood. She talked about having lots of energy and being an overachiever. And she was told that she was different, which is an ambiguous message. “Difference” doesn't let a child necessarily understand that that's good or bad. And the child is left to struggle with, "Am I special? Yes. But do I fit in? No." That is the mixed message that a "different" label gives us as children, and we struggle as well to make sense of that. And we are, simultaneously, as Sharon mentioned, rewarded for our special features, our cognitive abilities, but at the same time it isolates or sometimes distances us from other connections that we can have in social circles and with peers and things like that. So, Sharon felt ahead of others, which then makes her feel separated from others, which then makes her aware of pure jealousy. And then she mentioned this mixed message from her father to be, “Hey, you're good, but don't become arrogant.” And I think that's a big understanding of Sharon's struggle to really understand, "Am I a good person or not?" And this is ultimately what leads us to struggling with our sense of self-esteem and sense of identity. You then went on to talk about the teen years and, again, Sharon is propelled to this academic special status of IB program. But you hear her own worries about the school's ability to contain and nurture that in a good way by her own misgivings about it being, quote, "the first year the IB program is in effect." And so again, the theme is, "I'm not sure the adults can handle us... I'm not sure the adults and the systems and the parents can handle us special kids." And you hear the same thing when she talks about getting in trouble, and the rebel phase of, I think it was, pink hair, and getting into trouble despite good marks. And she remarks, "Yeah, it was really tough for the principal because he'd never encountered it before." But he had, Sharon, many times. The principal had encountered many rebellious yet academically talented kids who weren't getting clear messages at home about who they were, and letting them shape a  foundation and identity that gets stable over time, then becomes something for them to fall back on in later years. When they struggle, or even fail at things, they're able to tell themselves, "Hey, that's okay, I'm good at stuff." But when you get a mixed message for so much of your life, and so many systems, you end up falling back on yourself, and you're not sure if you're going to catch yourself. So, you start to wonder if you're able to get helped by the adult authority or systems that are supposed to be catching us. And then we move on to university degree, and we hear Sharon talk about these awful experiences with a partner, and yet she glosses over it very quickly. And you hear the avoidance in her about talking about that very traumatic rejection and separation that happened abruptly at a time when she needed help the most. And see here, there's no ability to process that trauma. And so, when she gets home, all of a sudden, she wants to drive into traffic, and she doesn't understand why. But yet it's the lack of processing that trauma that sits in the basement of our mind and the sub-cortex and waits like a monster until we are at our lowest, and then it shows and rears its ugly head and attempts to take everything from us because we don't feel like we have anything there. JO  12:47 Sharon, I know that you have had multiple diagnoses with different mental health challenges. Can you explain to us how that unfolded? SIMON  12:59 How about, “Sharon, how you doing?” Because we talked about a lot of things just now. And I think an important part of doing these type of interviews where we are laying bare our souls and our histories is that we can go too far. And we can open up too much. And I took Sharon's lead from how far she went in hers. But I think at this point, I'd like to sort of check in with all of us because we've really unloaded some very heavy things. And we don't have to act like it wasn't heavy, Sharon? Well, it's not just for sharing. It's also for our host. JO  13:29 I love this back and forth. I think it's brilliant in that we combine lived experience with a clinical perspective of that lived experience. And I think that's very, very positive. And as you mentioned, Simon, it must be positive for Sharon as well. SIMON  13:48 Exactly. And when we unload things like this, we feel exposed. When we feel exposed, really, again, the sub-cortex of our brains, our basement where our amygdala (which is our fear and emotion center) sleeps beside our hippocampus (which is our library), and that retrieves our memories. And when those two get intertwined in the dance of trauma, they end up opening up these boxes again, when we're not always ready. And so, I always make sure whenever we're talking about traumatic events that I take the lead of the patient, but then when I do the step that seems like I'm being asked to do, we stop and we take a breath, and we reregulate our nervous systems, to make sure that we're still on the same page, and it still feels safe, because therapy doesn't always feel safe, but it should always feel caring and kind and make sure that you are checking back with people. So, you're walking together. And I hope I've given you some time now, Sharon to sort of articulate what it is that you want to maybe say at this point. SHARON  14:47 Thank you for the processing time. I want to thank Simon for how he picked up on how I had said things. And so that in that time to process what I recognized was, for example, that tendency to gloss over things or to say things quickly and sort of dismiss the traumatic aspect of it. And that I've kind of conditioned myself to just telling that story, and that sometimes it has left me raw and open and vulnerable. And that I would just keep moving on not recognizing that it was effectively taking a psychological or a mental scab, and leaving it open to possibly getting infected. And so that's one of the really interesting processes. SIMON  15:31 Oh, I like that. I like that metaphor. SHARON  15:33 Well, that's what I've loved about this process, and about being able to share this today here in this manner, because I've come to realize that so many things that I had taken as normal... they were my normal, they were my habits, they were my whatever. But they weren't. And they maybe got me through the thing at the time, but that they weren't the way things had to be... they weren't a mandatory default setting… that they could be changed. And that even some of the language that I use is, again, a process or part of that, again, what I had internalized. And so that's what I always love about feedback. And the support that I get from Simon is that recognition of, oh my god, am I still using that language? Oh, really? Okay. I thought I'd made some growth here. Yes, I have made some growth, but I'm still carrying around some baggage that I didn't realize I had. I thought I dropped that emotional Samsonite back two weeks ago, but somewhere along the line, I decided to pick up the carry-on version of it after all. And, so what can I do to process that... SIMON  16:35 I hate to interrupt you, Sharon at this point, but we often talk about again, in trauma, this idea of a win-lose or black-white, or yes-no. But when we get into this idea you are doing it again, you're selling yourself short when you say, "I thought I made some growth, but if I made a single mistake, I obviously haven't." SHARON  16:47 Again, and that's what I appreciate, because it's a black and white thinking that I've normalized. So, I'm enjoying the growth. I appreciate the reminders. Jo had the question about the different diagnoses, and I have to say that, because I've been given a variety of things over time, I didn't view them necessarily as negative. Some people will look at mental health labels and neurodiversity labels as negative and other, and I found ways of reframing that, but I still found them as identifying mechanisms or filters that I would run things through. And what I've come to realize in the time that we've worked together is that while those were, I guess you'd say, things that I could use to ground and navigate with. I think it's Maya Angelou that said, "You do the best you can, and then when you learn more, you do better. Some of the diagnoses that we've talked about that I ascribed to at one point, and then realizing that they were mislabelings. I'm glad that I had them for the time that I was there to get me through the thing. It's nice to go back, and that's where I use that term about retcon and go, "Oh, that wasn't really the thing that I thought it was. And now I can adapt to it differently having a better sense." And I would have to say that the one thing that I was most surprised to sort of learn about myself, was just how much of my own mental health has been shaped by trauma of all the different things that I've been dealing with. That is not one of the ones that I would have put near the top of the list or is having had the most influence. SIMON  18:26 That's powerful, and it's because we as a society demonstrate one of the symptoms of trauma, which is avoidance. In my clinical work, and in my everyday life, we are all desperately trying to avoid talking about traumatic things. And that's the reality. JO  18:41 Simon... a question for you. A few of the diagnoses that Sharon had were ADHD, OCD, bipolar two, PTSD. Do you often have patients with multiple diagnoses like that? And if so, isn't it incredibly difficult to diagnose if a person has more than one problem? SIMON  19:05 Well, yeah, but we're not textbooks. We are complicated things. And so, there's many, many reasons why somebody may or may not have a diagnosis at a certain time, and maybe why someone might look like something at one point, but they'll change over time. So, for instance, children, children to teenagers, teenagers to adults, our brains are qualitatively changing over that time, not just in size, but in how they work. A child is not a mini adult... a child is a qualitatively different animal, so to speak. I think that's first of all. So, really, what we're learning is that the brain undergoes incredible amounts of development over our lifetime. And we know that, for instance, in ADHD, while 7% of children are born with the psychological diagnosis of ADHD, according to our latest studies, by the time you reach 18 years old, we know that only 50% of people are going to have ADHD, which is about 4% of adults. And the reasoning for that is because we know as the brain develops and matures naturally over time, if given the right supports and the right conditions, and you will naturally develop the ability to regulate yourself in unique ways as you develop more skills, have good experiences, and accomplish things, and believe in your ability to manage yourself. And we see those things. You can be diagnosed as ADHD as a child, never having been treated or medicated and end up not having ADHD as an adult just by the power of development of the human brain and neuroplasticity. But there's also other things that happen. For instance, you might learn skills that allow you to be more organized, and so you no longer meet criteria for ADHD because you've learned skills that compensate for it, the same way maybe somebody with diabetes might learn how to regulate their diets. They don't have to rely on as much insulin. So, I think we're all regulating our chemistry in different ways all the time. And lastly, we're not in Star Trek or the Jetsons yet, so we don't have the ability to scan a human brain and say, "Okay, well, now we know exactly what this is." So, if somebody comes in talking about hearing a voice or feeling delusional, or being disorganized, and it looks like something called psychosis, well, psychosis is a really a general term that can be many, many things… anything from a bonk on the head, to paranoid schizophrenia, to somebody using math for the first time, to somebody having an autoimmune disorder that's causing an inflammation of the cerebral arteries in the brain. So, there's many reasons why we present the way we do, and sometimes it's not clear in the beginning. Lastly, PTSD and trauma is a great imitator, it can look like almost anything in medicine. We talk about lupus sometimes looking like many, many, many different types of disorders from many different areas. And I feel that in psychiatry, in particular, child, adolescent and young adult psychiatry, I see that trauma looks like many things before it finally gets figured out to be what it is. JO  21:52 Sharon, how did your understanding of the diagnoses and yourself change as your treatment with Simon unfolded? SHARON  22:01 I would have to say the greatest thing was that recognition of what he just explained about PTSD. And I love his comment about the societal avoidance of trauma. Because when I think about my childhood, or the way I used to think about it in terms of or even how well I was in it, it was that… well, you know, my folks are together, I live in a nice house, I've got my brother, I've got my cousins, I've got this, I'm doing well in school. I never would have thought of things necessarily as trauma... trauma was for somebody else that lived far away, that didn't have a stable roof over their head, that lived in a warzone, that kind of thing. So, it was again, not that eight-year-olds necessarily have the clinical or academic understanding of adverse childhood experiences, so the notion of trauma didn't really enter my life until I got to things like dealing with an abusive ex, dealing as an adult recognizing what I had experienced with my father, and what he considered discipline, was, in fact, abuse, and that it was both physical and emotional, psychological, that kind of thing. But that was like, again, in retrospect. So, I understand now exactly how the labels... I go, okay, that's the thing. If that's what I've got, at least I know what I'm up against, at least I know how to deal with it. And so, the understanding that there was something actual masquerading, and that my trauma responses, I think that's the other part, was things that I thought were other things were now like, "Oh, that's a trauma response. Okay, I didn't realize that. Well, that shines a whole new light on it." So, I have to say that's the one thing is that it's given me a lot more, or an ongoing sense of self-reflection. Not that I ever figured out, I never thought that I had it all figured out, but it's encouraged me to keep a growth mindset about my own mental health and neurodiversity. And that there are things that I can always learn about myself so that I can really learn better, healthier ways of coping and adjusting and just moving through life. JO  24:08 Simon, what are you learning about Sharon's unique brain during all this? And is her response to her trauma similar to other people's responses who have experienced similar trauma? SIMON  24:23 I'll take the second part first, if that's okay. What's really fascinating to me about trauma is that every single human being that's ever existed, has experienced something traumatic, but not all of it becomes something that we call PTSD, or a fundamental change in how your brain works after that event. And that's what separates it. We can be scared, and we can struggle by something for a few days, and then our brain essentially gets back to factory settings. Or we can have a really horrific event happen and our brain can then change. And they can do two different ways. And so often people think of trauma, like somebody has been to war or has been raped, really something we think about something truly savage has happened. And that is one type of trauma. And that is the classic type of PTSD you think about. But we are now becoming very aware, our eyes have been opened to another type of trauma called complex PTSD, where it doesn't have to be savage, at least not savage through the eyes of an adult, but is savage through the eyes of a child. So, for instance, if you are a harsh parent to a child, you are a big, much larger individual. And if you scare, intimidate, or otherwise terrorize a child in the act of trying to be a parent to teach something, you are actually in some ways putting that child through a savage event, and that can be scary. And when the person that lives with you scares you, that can easily become something we call complex PTSD, and it fundamentally changes how our brain works. And so that's something that has to be recognized. And it doesn't recognize that, as Sharon said, "I didn't realize how much trauma affects me," but it's like putting a lens over your reality from childhood. And so, you start to recognize that when we see this happen in other ways, for instance, in religion, or even in more severe things like cults, for instance, where children are very young or sort of shaped in a certain way, it becomes very difficult for them to disentangle themselves from those perhaps bias messages from their childhood, or perhaps healthy messages. I'm not going to moralize on these things right now, but my point is, what we learn early affects us, and sometimes it can affect us for a very long time. So, savage or harsh, either one can create trauma. And so that's the first message. The second one is Sharon's brain is unique, but I don't know where to start, actually, like we've already mentioned lots of things. And so, I honestly think that the most unique part of her brain is simultaneously the ability to experience everything she's been through, and then be able to look at it and really allow her to renegotiate who she is, again, looking back, which is the power we all have. And so, I really am honored about and privileged to work with somebody who is so strong and doesn't know it all the time, but is so strong, they're willing to walk back and say, "Let me look at my childhood, again, with my kinder eyes, with my more neutral, healthier eyes, with eyes that aren't afraid, in the same way anymore... and let me see what was truly there. And let me look in the shadows, then find out they're not as scary. Let me look into my eyes and see that I matter all the time, not just when my Dad's in a good mood." And these kinds of things become extremely powerful moments for anybody, but in particular, people willing to risk the discomfort of therapy with somebody who's willing to go there with them, but also take care of them along the way. And that's what Sharon and I have been able to create. JO  27:56 Sharon, what have been your biggest challenges along the way?  SHARON  28:01 Wow. I'd have to say that it's been breaking belief cycles and habitual cycles that reinforce the trauma behaviors. So, whether, like I said before, it's the use of language or the comparative competitive thinking, or even recognizing, as I'm recognizing my own strength, because I have to say that there's a lot of things where I would describe the situation or thing that I'd accomplished and kind of felt that it's like, well, anybody would do that under those circumstances, and not allowing myself to recognize the specialness, of maybe something that I had done or accomplished the uniqueness of it. And whether that was academically, politically, it was just oh, this is what I had to do at the time. Or, gee, anybody in my shoes could have done it. And so, I think the biggest challenge will be in that assignment. Okay Simon... I'm curious what you have to say, cuz you're always good at reminding me when... SIMON  29:02 Well, again, when you are putting yourself in the crucible of your own personal accomplishments, you have to remember that earlier on it was compounded into you that you can't get cocky. Yes. And so, what you end up keeping with you is that what seeming like an innocuous message from your father when you brought home 105% on that math test, and he said, "You know, don't get too full of yourself because no one likes an arrogant person," and you didn't know what to do with your accomplishment. And you see how long you carry that. And so, what I challenge you to do is to put that down and say, you don't have to worry about the backhand when you do a perfect forehand. Yeah, I just made that up. But that sounds great. SHARON  29:41 Yes, it does, I agree, and that's probably the biggest challenge right there is living in those things.  SIMON  29:48 Or maybe you should not have to worry, because that's not reasonable for me to suggest that you shouldn't worry when the person there perhaps is a vulnerable narcissist and needs to extract his self-esteem from you in some way. And as a child, we are unequipped to even imagine that as possible from the gods that we sort of worship. Right? Yeah, sorry to be so powerful. I'm just in that kind of mood today... loving it! JO  30:15 Sharon, you touched on your challenges. What have been your key moments of personal growth and resilience? SHARON  30:23 Well, it has been the aha moments like those and recognizing that I'm allowed to celebrate these things. And in fact, I should be encouraged to celebrate them. And that it's okay, and that I'm not being cocky and celebrating. Yes, I was the Health Minister dammit, and I was responsible for the $6 billion budget, and I think I did it well. People are allowed to have another opinion. That's their opinion and their business, but I don't have to diminish myself anymore around those things. Earlier on in my own experience, like I said, I've learnt to get through things by reframing them. And that came from experiences with my son and finding the assets. So, I have been able to go, "Yeah, you know what, you might say I have this thing, and that makes me difficult to manage or whatever. But I've also got this other positive aspect of it." So, it was that process of the reframing, which would turn into that superpower language that I use, because being the Energizer Bunny can be very useful and productive. And being somebody that gets told that they can't sit still, and they can't focus, also means that, you know, I pulled together pretty damn good master's theses, and I connected some really interesting dots in some other places, both in my academic and political life that other people hadn't got to. And that in some respects, I was surprised that, "Why is it taking me to do this? How come nobody else thought of this, because once I got here, this seemed really obvious.?” So that reframing is health. SIMON  31:55 Or, how about one ever talks about Steve Jobs and Elan Musk never sitting still. JO  31:59 Yeah, exactly. SHARON  32:03 Yeah, well, and that's the other part of it, too, is that some of it's even been gendered, in a way.  SIMON  32:08 In a way... some of it? All of it! SHARON  32:10 Yes. Yes, I was the Chatty Cathy doll that was a know-it-all and this and that... but I'm sure boys... SIMON  32:16 No, you weren't, you were a woman with an opinion. SHARON  32:18 Yes, but that's how I was... SIMON  32:20 ... like a human being. Yeah, exactly. SHARON  32:22 But that's how I was labeled when I was growing up was that it was... SIMON  32:25 ... no, that's the microaggression. SHARON  32:27 And that's the thing that has to be unlearned, because I'm watching my granddaughter right now, who's also recently been diagnosed with ADHD. And one of the messages that came home was that we need to get her to learn to be quiet, and to behave herself in class. And I was just like, "Oh, you do not tell a young girl who has got a voice and an opinion and is able to articulate thing well... you don't put baby in a corner.” SIMON  32:55 Particularly in 2021. SHARON  32:57 Yes, exactly. SIMON  33:00 I thought we just learned these lessons.  SHARON  33:03 This was it. So, it was like, we work with her on how to focus, manage, empower, but do not make her quiet, because that would be doing to her in 2021 what was done to me in 1971. SIMON  33:17 Well, yeah, talk about a replay. JO  33:20 So, what you might be saying, Sharon, is that your granddaughter... her ADHD may be a superpower for her. SHARON  33:27 Oh, it honestly is. Like this kid, it blows my mind, honestly, sometimes the things that we'll watch her do, and then process and be able to articulate back. When they went to Drumheller, guess who came back like the little dinosaur expert, and that she was, again, connecting dots and doing things. She's now a big sister, and I think one of the things that she's also got is a sense of compassion there, where she understands her little brother in a way that while he's not even two weeks old, I mean, she wanted to sit down and read all of these books so that she could be a good big sister, and she read some bedtime stories. And I think that there's a compassion that she's acquired because she knows what it's like to be treated particular ways, to make sure that she's going to be her little brother's defender. She's going to be a good big sister. SIMON  34:21 Let's not do that to her.  SHARON  34:22 Okay, that's a good point. Let her be her. SIMON  34:25 Let's not sign her up for a job without discussing it with her first, because we've got all sorts of great plans, but John Lennon had some song about that or something. I'd like to challenge us, as well, to circle back the last two minutes and let's reframe something. What is the school telling her by saying she needs to learn to be quiet… what are we actually missing in that message? Because, if we see it as a pure criticism, we might be missing some wisdom in there that is helpful for us to think about. Because superpowers... when you discover heat vision as a child, you don't make microwave popcorn for your parents, you burn a hole in their curtains is what you do. And so, we're not talking about that... we're acting like the superpowers are easy to handle, and the person who has them knows how to wield them. But I think what we're hearing the school say is that she has something cool that makes her unique, but it also interferes at times, and we don't want that to hurt her. JO  35:25 Before digging in deeper was Sharon and Simon. I'd like to acknowledge a major HEADS UP! sponsor... the Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia. SPARC BC is a leader in applied social research, social policy analysis, and community development approaches to social justice. The council's great team supports 16,000 members, and works with communities of all sizes to build a just and healthy society for all. Thanks yet again, to all of you great folks for your ongoing support. So, Sharon, let's circle back... we've been talking about superheroes and superpowers. And I'd like to hear the story of how that all got kicked off for you. SHARON  36:17 Well, I'm a comic book nerd. I fell in love with superheroes at about a year-and-a-half when the Spider-Man animated show came on TV, and I found myself fixed on the screen. And I just never broke away from that, and it's gone down into other different fandoms over time. So, I've got a whole bunch, I'll spare you the list, but what happened was in raising my kids, especially having two boys, we were surrounded by comic books and action figures and Marvel movies. So, it was just familiar. We had favorite characters, and this and that. And, so what happened was when my second son was born in 2003, I noticed some things about him very early on, especially once he started school, it became really obvious. He was not interested in learning to practice his writing, he would just scribble, he had a very strong auditory sense, like, go to a movie with his kid, do not ever try to debate script with him, because he will have picked it up. And he can come back, like literally with the phrasing, the cadence, the tone, that kind of thing. And that was his gift. But he was struggling in school, and he always had problems. He was told that he was daydreaming. He was having problems with reading and math. So, they would just send him home with more stuff, and he just was super frustrated. And as much as I'd asked for psychological assessments, I was told that he was too young and will get by. And they kept passing him from one grade to the next, where things just kept getting progressively harder and harder, because he didn't have the skills. And he was eight years old, and he just melted down one day and said, "Mommy, if you love me, you wouldn't send me to school anymore. Because I'm a failure, I'm broken. And I'm not going to do well there. And it's just it's not worth it." And I found myself saying to him, as he rattled off each of these different things that were wrong with him. I found the flip side. "Oh, so what you're telling me is that you think you're oversensitive to this and that, well, I see empathy there, I see caring, I see strategic thinking." And we flipped all the things and found assets. And I said, "Sweetheart, you're not broken... you're like an X-Man... you have mutant superpowers. And it's just a matter of figuring them out and figuring out how to harness them. So, we're going to do for you what Professor X does for the X-Men," and I use the example of Cyclops with laser vision. I said, "Think about Cyclops... you can blow up buildings and save his friends to do all these things and take down the bad guys, whatever. But if he doesn't put his visor down in the morning, guess who's gonna set his underwear on fire while he gets ready for school?" So, we use the example of Cyclops, and what I found myself doing at first I was like, "Oh my gosh, did I just blow smoke at my kid?" And then I realized how I had been coping and managing since that diagnosis of postpartum, and the different tools that I had been given intermittently, and what I had learned on my own... taking those tools and then researching and doing things further on my own,... was that I had been reframing, and I had been finding assets, and that actually previous to that diagnosis the thing is like the kind of thinking that I had with ADHD... well, that had been an asset. As long as I was checking off the right boxes and I was getting rewarded, that was an asset that was a spidey sense that I was hiding. And that why is it as soon as things helped out on me at a diagnosis of postpartum, that suddenly there was like, “Whoo, I've got a thing wrong with me… it's a diagnosis...  bad, broken.” And I saw that it's stigma, that kind of thing. That's what I started doing, and that's where we started really trying to Identify within our own family, what were the assets that we had. And it was things like hyperfocus, it was creativity, and that's just the language that we started using, because we also found that it was neutral. The superpower is inherently neutral... it's what's done with it. It goes to Simon's comment about burning the hole in the drapes or making the popcorn, right. It is what it is... now, am I going to be stigmatized and end up someone like Magneto, who becomes the antihero and become reactive and defensive? Or am I going to become someone that's more like a Professor X and the X-Men and use my powers for my own benefit, but also for the benefit of others. And that's where I realized that a lot of the things that I had been doing were about using those powers to help others. So that's where it came from. It was basically me trying to parent my little boy who was broken, and to help him build a toolkit until he could get proper clinical diagnosis and support. It was our way of getting through things. JO  41:06 How have you evolved that program? I know now that you're offering the toolkit, for example, to other people. Tell us about that. SHARON  41:15 I guess it's been about a decade now or so since that originally happened. I was using that language with my kids, which crept into my language at work. So, you want to see political staff, which have the minister in a meeting, use the word “superpowers.” That was on the list of words that the minister wasn't allowed to use. And also, not allowed to talk about neuroplasticity, or anything else that will get the opposition a front-page headline where they can call me quirky or a flake or something. And they tried, but it was a case of going through that and deciding that after coming out of office, and after working at another organization, that I wanted to share that, because as I encountered different people that went, "Oh my gosh, that's an interesting way of looking at it." And so, I realized, and also watching my son and other people I'd  shared it with, that it had a destigmatizing approach. I'm not a clinician, and I'm not someone that's trained as well as Simon is... I'm someone with lived experience who has trained in things like peer support, and, that for me, it's a language that I find helpful in taking these big complex ideas and making them relatable, and making them a conversation that we can have, without it being again, scary or distancing. So, I can talk about anxiety and talk about Spider-Man. And we can have conversations around Peter Parker, and Spider-Gwen, and Miles Morales, and find out that people have empathy for those characters in a way that they might not have for themselves, or someone they know what that diagnosis is. So, it creates that little bit of a safe space. I guess how I put it is I take mental health seriously, but I don't always take myself seriously. And if I can share stories and do things and introduce people to tools and perspectives, or especially introduce kids to ways of handling their emotions, because a lot of times it manifests more emotionally, where they see it as positive. I've seen the results with my son, who specifically has got some powerful reframing tools. That's what it is. And so now it's a program called Embrace Your Superpowers. And I've since encountered another fandom that I've been dived way too deep into, and I have another program based on the music of Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS), and just published an article in a peer-reviewed journal out of Korea on the mental health messaging within their music and how they model things like CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), peer support, and some other therapies. JO  43:43 Wow, that's amazing. Simon, can you put all this into clinical/neuroscience/neurological context? SIMON  43:54 You mean, as assistant Professor S? JO  43:56 Yes. SIMON  43:59 Like that one... Sharon... Professor S? SHARON  44:00 Yes, yeah. SIMON  44:01 Pretty close... yeah... not bad. And as a psychiatrist, I didn't want to say sex because then I have to say something about my mother... it's embarrassing. So no, I really can't summarize it in some perfect way. But I can talk about Sharon's use of superheroes as a way for her to lovingly and empathically discover herself. And I think that when you think about how difficult Sharon's life is… especially early on was, maybe not so much now, which is awesome… but as a child, she didn't have a hero that was safe to look up to. And when kids don't have a hero that's safe to look up to they find them. They find them in teachers, or they find them in pop culture, or they find them in rock and roll, or they find them in fandoms. And Sharon was really lucky to be able to find such an awesome fandom that gave her such positive messages, that allowed her to start to say, "Wait a minute, different is unique." It gave her the idea that adults could be nice, that they could do things that were selfless that did not have to hurt other people. That adults could do big things and handle things. That they could be role models. That adults could be strong, and that people could look up to them and still be safe in doing so. And these are all contrary to the messages that Sharon had been experiencing in her own life. And so, this was a very much a place for her... a cocoon for her... to be able to develop safely in her own mind and her own psyche to survive how harsh childhood was with all the adults in her life that were not sending her comfortable messages. In fact, they were quite mixed, and they were quite barbed. So, I think that I would start off by just saying it's awesome to think about this way, and in Sharon, teaching other people how to have more empathy for themselves. We always work on the idea that what we do for others we're actually doing for ourselves. And so, it brings us back to the idea that Sharon is doing this, in fact, for herself, which then makes me wonder if I'm doing this for myself, and it makes me feel good to help other people. So perhaps, I'm selfishly also baked into the system here and doing some of the same things. But that's okay, because you can reach a point in your life where you can give to others without taking anything away from you. And that's the other idea about how things are not a zero-sum game, things are not black and white. In fact, we can generate kindness and love on the spot as humans, and we have this beautiful ability to do so. And that's, as well, what superheroes do... they love the human regardless of the situation, because they know the person's always trying their best. And that's one thing that I always make sure I work on with everybody... I will truly believe that everybody is trying to be as successful as possible at every moment, including when we don't want to get out of bed, we just calculate that. That's all we have that day, and that's the best we can do. And I just want to make sure Sharon continues to embrace those parts of her because they are easily the most powerful parts that really do have the ability to generate almost infinite abilities to believe in yourself. JO  47:02 Sharon, you mentioned earlier… neurodiversity, and I'm really interested to know, first of all, from you Simon, what that means, and what that means to people like myself and like Sharon, who have mental health challenges. She may not be considered, quote, "normal" unquote, from a mental health perspective, but look at who she is. Look at what she's accomplished. Look at how she's helping people. So, can you just respond to that? SIMON  47:37 Absolutely. I'll back you up a little bit. Sharon's as normal as anyone else... there's no such thing as normal. This is the lie that we've all been sold very early on in our lives, that there is something called "normal." And, by the way, that normal is also perfect. And that's also the thing we all wanted to aspire to be. But it's really a story of conformity... the language of normal or perfection is actually language of conformity. And so, the reality of it is, we are all so different. If you go into a field and look at 100 cows, but then you put 100 people in the field beside them, you look at the people, humans are really unique. I'm not suggesting cows aren't unique...  cows are pretty neat, too, but humans are exponentially more unique. And because of the freedom that we enjoy, because of our prefrontal cortex to imagine ourselves in almost any scenario we like, we're walking around with a holodeck in the front of our skull. So, we all have that. But what neurodiversity truly speaks about, it's recognizing that in the great, great ghetto blaster of Homo sapiens, the equalizer is spread uniquely throughout all of us, all of Homo sapiens is a spectrum. And so, we do cluster sometimes around some tendencies such as gender, but we're learning that not everybody experiences a “normal” quote/unquote, as we've been sold, gender. In fact, there is intersex conditions, there is agender, there is gender fluid, there is genderqueer, there is non-binary. So, there is no such thing as normal. There is just this incredible adventure called being a human being. And the only limitations we're going to put on that are the ones we put on ourselves. JO  49:16 So, Sharon, how did your understanding of neurodiversity help you to see yourself in a different light? SHARON  49:23 Well, it goes definitely to what Simon said... one of my favorites expressions around this is "normal is just a setting on a dryer." That's the only place it's a useful term. SIMON  49:34 And it doesn't always work for the clothes in the dryer either. SHARON  49:37 Exactly, exactly. It might not be the setting you need. Again, when my youngest one was finally tested and given diagnoses that said that he had discalculate dysgraphia and dyslexia, these are things that are called learning disabilities. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, he just learns differently, and that he learns in ways, that again, it's this idea of along a spectrum, and so it's a case of wanting to take the stigma away from it. There is all of this diversity. And that somewhere along the line, somebody came up with some sort of liberal, conformity-based normal in the supposed center, and that the rest of us were put out on the margins. And we have a disability or like with ADHD, the idea that it's a deficiency, and I'm like, “Okay, no, no, I don't have a deficiency disorder. I can hyper focus. My ability to focus is divergent, and it can be hyper focused, it's not deficient.” The term, variable attention stimulus trait is one that I've come across as an alternative. And I appreciate that one, because it's the idea that I just have greater variety in my stimulation range. It's not better or worse, that idea of positive or negative. So that's why I tend to use the term neurodiversity, where other folks would tend to use terms like a learning disability or some kind of a challenge or something, again, something that implies other or negative. It's like, no, there's this wonderful spectrum that exists. And that's what we need to understand and appreciate. And then the other thing that I've come to realize, especially, I guess you'd say, in real time with my son's experience… and then I'd say, in retrospect, with my own on this journey with Simon… has been that those of us that have that kind of a diagnosis or a label, will inevitably have some kind of traumatic or mental health issue. Because you're going to experience anxiety, you're going to be stressed out, you are going to overthink and self-judge and do all of these things. When you are being treated as other in the classroom, because you're not reading the same way, you're not writing the same way, you're not allowed to hand in a video presentation instead of an essay. And so instead, you're beating yourself up for two nights trying to get two paragraphs on a piece of paper. Whereas if you had been left to give an oral presentation, or maybe my son had a geography assignment that by God, if you'd been able to do it in Minecraft, to build this world that he created for this class, he would have knocked their socks off. But instead, it was knowing we need five paragraphs on a piece of Bristol board and a picture. And that just wasn't his thing. So that's for me, neurodiversity is about we need to challenge how we see each other, how we teach, how we work, because we're missing out. There's a lot of us that I call sort of shiny sparkling stars that, you know, you're trying to take those shiny, pointy stars, and that's what you're trying to shove into the round hole, not just a square peg. But you're trying to shave off all of my shiny pointy stars to stick me in a boring round hole. And we all lose. SIMON  52:44 And I think really the other thing we have to mention is that we need to treat education like fine dining, but instead we treat it like the drive thru. Yes. And so, if we don't talk about that, we're going to blame the teachers for everything. And it's not their fault. Schools, education has been undervalued, underfunded, and quite frankly, is not sexy or cool. Even though I think it's the best thing ever. SHARON  53:07 Yes. SIMON  53:09 We don't look at teachers as heroes, yet, they are probably one of the highest skilled and the most patient and most saint-like versions of humans that have probably existed in our society. And I'm not joking, the ratios are too high and unmanageable for teachers to spend the qualitative time to actually help kids learn in the best ways they learn. So, what they do is they bundle kids… and I know sounds like a [Bell] MTS package…but they bundle kids into packages of classrooms where the median learning style will get served the best. But what we have to start doing is recognizing there might be seven or eight unique learning styles, and then streaming our children into those enriched learning environments. So, they simultaneously get to enjoy their easy way, while working on the other seven types of learning that they're not good at. So that everybody starts understanding that there's no deficit for those people. We all have deficits, because we don't have everyone else's skills, but that's a qualitative aspect about being human. We're all capable of learning to greater or lesser degrees, but we're all capable of learning, period. And we're gonna find some ways that we do it easier across the board, which is going to work in many environments, but it's not going to work in all environments. So, the challenge for all humans is to enjoy what you got and flaunt it, and be celebrated. But at the same time, celebrate learning the other things you don't do well, and we're not going to blame the student because the school doesn't know how to approach their unique learning challenges. We're going to help fund the school, we're going to elect people that take education seriously, and we're going to start to really give our kids a fighting chance to develop self-esteem and identity and an actual career that they feel fulfilled by. JO  54:53 Simon you mentioned that we can all learn. How does neuroplasticity play into that? SIMON  55:00 Our brains have changed dramatically since the beginning of this podcast. That's how our brains are a dynamic ocean of neurons and waves that are sending electrical signals to each other all the time. Every single thought you have is like playing a single note or several chords on a keyboard at the same time. That's why people say we only use 10% of our brain, because if we used all of it at once would be like playing every key on the piano at the same time, and you would not make sense of what that was. Neurodiversity and neuroplasticity, in particular, talks about the idea that our brains are shaped by our genes that sent templates for them, but then having great amounts of potential to be shaped in dramatically unique and different ways. By our experiences, in particular, if those experiences are harsh, they can hardwire in some ways and rigidly keep that template baked into the system for sometimes decades at a time. And on the other side of the spectrum. If our young brains are nurtured… like an orchid in a garden that understands the conditions under which they will thrive the best… then the human brain doesn't seem like it has limits, and we see that in our neurodiverse populations that are allowed, because they're so separated in so many other aspects. If you have severe autism, for instance, we see human abilities that are beyond anything we could ever imagine. And that's all within the human brain. JO  56:29 You can't discuss mental health without talking about stigma. Sharon, what kinds of stigma have you experienced? Be it structural, public, personal? And if you have experienced that, how have you reduced the impacts of that in your life? SHARON  56:46 I might not have identified it as stigma as a child. But there was definitely that sense of being othered. I wouldn't have had that word. I remember when I was first given the postpartum diagnosis, and I remember the doctor asking about if there was any history of mental health issues. And then going back to my folks and being given this adamant, "NO," that there was nothing. Okay, they're very defensive. And yet, at the same time that I was given this adamant "NO," it was then followed up with my mother's explanation about how she and her two sisters all spent some time on Valium in the 70s, while six of us peasants were all young and growing up together. There's been a lot of self-medication on both sides of the family, and how those that had nothing to do with those behaviors, nothing to do with that. And there was this real sense of denial, and, How dare I ask these questions? And I still have some family members, from whom I am estranged because, How dare I talk about mental health? How dare I be the crazy person? And as I said, I had been given a diagnosis of bipolar which again, through work with Simon, realize that behaviors that were seen in there, it seemed like the thing at the time, but we're realizing those because trauma hadn't been addressed appropriately. So, my son, his father to this day still asks, and because my son lives with me predominantly, has had the gall to say... my son would come back, and this is pre-COVID, would come back from a visit. And you know, so how did your visit go? Oh, well, Dad asked, "What's it like to be raised by a bipolar mom?" And, "Am I okay?" And, "Am I safe?" And then, when I went public with my mental health, as the Minister of Health, part of the reason why I did that was because I wanted people to know that I was somebody with lived experience, I wasn't just a talking head. And it had to do with a particular situation, where we had just lost someone to suicide, and that the system failed this person, and hadn't been able to meet his needs. And as a result, we lost this wonderful artist. And that broke my heart, because I always looked at that job as if the system can't look after me and my family, then it's not good enough. And if we lost this person, I saw the situation, I guess, from both sides. I saw myself as the potential parent in that situation, and also the potential adult child who was lost. And I remember my staff, people were flipping out about how the minister cannot discuss this, because we're gonna have to deal with peop

In BC in 2019, things were already "so 2020" - January was well above seasonal, February then went brutally cold and as for March, it was threatening to rewrite the record books for drought…..we pick the madness up this day in weather history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In BC in 2019, things were already "so 2020" - January was well above seasonal, February then went brutally cold and as for March, it was threatening to rewrite the record books for drought…..we pick the madness up this day in weather history.

LINK! is a curriculum developed by posAbilities’ sexual health educators to help fill a gap in body science and sexual health information for individuals with diverse abilities. In this episode, we talk about curriculum for individuals of all ages, what some of the key learnings are, and how this knowledge leads to greater fulfillment, safety and citizenship. For more details about LINK! and how to get started, visit laurelbc.ca/link. In BC, Options for Sexual Health is a great resource for information and services related to inclusive and accessible sexual health care and education. Visit optionsforsexualhealth.org or call their Sex Sense phone line toll-free at 1-800-739-7367. Real Talk hosts hangouts where adults with cognitive disabilities can listen to conversations on dating and relationships, ask questions, and get answers from a Certified Sexual Health Educator. Learn more about Real Talk hangouts and check out their library of blog posts and videos at real-talk.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine running a marathon and you are 50 strides away from completing the race. But suddenly, a race official appears out of nowhere and moves the finish line another 500 meters ahead. This is what closing costs verification feels like...the applicant has just recently (painstakingly) satisfied the down payment verification and is now presented with another task of proving that they have enough cash to pay for the legal fees, property transfer taxes, moving truck and other peripheral costs associated with the purchase of a home. At the end of the day, it's not that big of a deal, but it is definitely worth addressing and making the buyer aware very early on in the buying process so as to avoid any unnecessary drama and tension. 3 key points about Closing Cost Verification:lenders typically calculate the Closing Cost as 1.5% of the purchase price and in provinces like BC and Ontario where Property Transfer Taxes are significant, the request for it during the mortgage process simply reiterates the inevitability of it. In the past it was a cost that was conveniently forgotten about all the way until the closing date, but now it (mainly) lies with your mortgage provider to act as the informer/messengeras purchase scenarios come in all sizes, lenders often modify or revise their closing cost calculation to reflect more realistic figures in relation to their respective regions and underlying taxation obligations. For example, BC has Property Transfer Tax, Alberta does not. Therefore, the closing cost requirement in BC will be higher than in Alberta.when it comes to verifying closing costs, a 90 day history is not required. And provided you have ample room in your debt servicing ratios, you could also factor in the costs as credit card debt (CAUTION: some lenders do not allow for this)There are 8 Closing Costs to be aware of:Property Appraisal ($300 and above) Often times your mortgage broker or lender may provide a partial or full reimbursement for this cost. Appraisals are typically required for applications that have down payments of 20% or greater (conventional/uninsured mortgages).Home Inspection ($300 and above) Banks/lenders never require a Home Inspection as a condition of the mortgage itself, but they do factor the cost of one in their overall closing cost estimate. This is simply at the buyers discretion if they desire one, or not. Title Insurance ($400 and above) typically included in the overall legal fee, but sometimes lenders pass on the cost to the buyer. More and more lenders are requiring that mortgages close with title insurance.Mortgage Life Insurance ($10 and above) this is optional and premiums can vary significantly due to age and pre-existing conditions of the applicants. As is the case with a Home Inspection, Mortgage Life Insurance is not required from the lender, it is an option.Property Insurance ($500 and above) fire insurance is the most common property insurance that is required by the lender. Some lenders may also require earthquake insurance.Land Transfer Taxes (formula based) Click Here to be redirected to BC's Property Transfer Tax guidelines. In BC, this is by far the largest closing cost to be aware of (1% of the first $200,000 and 2% of the balance up to $2M...then it jacks up to 3%). Legal Costs ($800 and above) BC allows for the services of a Solicitor/Lawyer or a Notary to close out a real estate purchase transaction. Generally speaking, you can expect a slightly lower fee with Notaries than with Lawyers. But be aware, that doesn't mean Notaries are authorized to perform the same tasks as a lawyer.Moving Costs ($500 and above) This cost could vary depending on the scope of your move.MarkoMusic: (music produced and performed my Marko)"Cheap Money" ...intro song (0:41)

New in this update:There are 90 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in BC over the past 24 hours and 2 more deaths. Both deaths are seniors who had been living on the lower mainland. There is one new case of the virus in Island Health. Over the past week, there have been 10 new cases confirmed in our region. All are considered community exposures which means, at this point, it is not known where the virus originated. However, health officials say they expect to find the source of the cases as their contact tracing investigations continue.BC's Minister of Public Safety says tougher fines and more enforcement are now in place, in an attempt to stop large public and private parties that have been the source of most new COVID-19 infections. Mike Farnworth says it's time to crack down on the small minority of people who are putting others health at risk. Party organizers will be fined $2000 dollars for gatherings of more than 50 people or for smaller gatherings if contact numbers are not collected and social distancing is not maintained. The same fine applies to people who host more than 5 guest at Air BnBs and other vacation rentals. Party goers who refuse to disperse and people who bully or abuse restaurant workers will be fined $200 dollars. Farnworth says he's empowering police, bylaw officers, and inspectors from provincial liquor, cannabis, community safety, gaming and Worksafe BC to levy fines."Stricter enforcement is necessary. The province is building a comprehensive and integrated compliance and enforcement regime to put a halt to bad actors in all corners in BC. This is an 'all hands on deck' approach."—Ministry of Public Safety & Solicitor General, Mike Farnworth.However, neither RCMP nor local bylaw officials have been consulted about the plan and there is no word whether the province will compensate local governments for bylaw and police hours spent on enforcing public health orders.It appears retail stores across the country are bouncing back, according to new numbers released today by Statistics Canada. The Stats Can report says sales were up in all types of stores. The numbers show at the start of the pandemic, from February through April, retail sales fell by a third. Things began to improve in May and June with increases of 143 per cent in clothing stores, 70 per cent in home furnishings and 65 per cent at hobby, book and music stores, compared to the previous months. And, retailers are doing better now, than they were before the pandemic. In BC, sales in June of 2020 were close to two per cent higher than they were compared to June of 2019.

Emergency management is a diverse and busy field, not for the faint of heart. How can emergency managers do a better job of assisting communities to prepare for disasters? What exactly do emergency managers do on a daily basis? With a wealth of experience from both the United Kingdom and British Columbia, Canada, Paul Edmonds of Red Dragon Consulting answers these questions and more. And be sure to check out the Study Guide for the program! Click on the top left where it says "Pdf" above the date! hthttps://multi-hazards.libsyn.com/emergency-management-with-the-red-dragon-interview-with-paul-edmondstps://multi-hazards.libsyn.com/ Paul Edmonds' Bio Paul Edmonds is Principal and Founder of Red Dragon Consulting, which does Emergency Management and Resilience Consultancy Services out of British Columbia (BC), Canada. He settled in BC in 2018 from a successful United Kingdom (UK) career. He has appreciation and gratitude to call the Okanagan his new home and acknowledges he works within First Nation territories who have inalienable Aboriginal Title and Rights. His first role in BC was managing the Okanagan Similkameen BC floods, landslides, and fires of 2018. He went on to provide subject matter expert for the Boundary Flood Recovery in Kootenay Boundary and Grand Forks areas. In BC, Paul now assists many different governments and organizations in many different roles. Red Dragon has delivered advanced planning, response planning, flood response planning, wildfire communications, operational response procedures, gap analysis, and evacuation plans. Mitigation strategies and risk assessments. Grant writing including assisting on a major Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF). Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Design and Exercise. Industrial risks. Mentoring. Recommending measures to protect cultural heritage. Taken part in local and provincial workshops in shaping the future. To name a few. He also works with a number of qualified professionals to deliver resiliency and mitigation projects. Red Dragon's Principal Consultant and founder, Paul Edmonds, is a qualified supplier of emergency management in British Columbia, Canada.

Canadian Common Sense – Systemic Racism Is Real Charles responds to those who claim “systemic racism does not exist”. What must be done now to prepare Canada’s long-term care homes for a second wave? Carole Estabrooks joins Charles to discuss what must be done in Canadian long-term care homes in the event of a second wave of COVID-19. Guest: Carole Estabrooks, Professor at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Nursing and co-author of the op-ed. In BC two animal welfare stories: A mini-horse is found mutilated and a former conservation officer wins his dismissal case, after being fired for refusing to kill bear cubs Camille Labchuk joins Charles to discuss some disturbing cases of animal cruelty, as well as “Ag-Gag” laws in Canada. Guest: Camille Labchuck, Executive Director, Animal Justice Subscribe to the Charles Adler Tonight podcast to hear more: https://curiouscast.ca/podcast/135/charles-adler-tonight/​

Some Nanaimo-area Farmers' Markets that closed at the start of the pandemic, are reopening again, but with a whole new set of rules. The Cedars Farmers Market opened on Sunday. It has moved its location to Woodbank Elementary School to ensure safe physical distancing. And, there are 25 vendors this year, down from 85 last year. The Island Roots Market will reopen for the season on Wednesday at Beban Park. Like Cedars, there will be 25 vendors, and only they will be allowed to handle their products, to curb the spread of the virus. You can also order online from Island Roots. Meanwhile, Nanaimo's Downtown Market will not reopen this year.New COVID-19 cases in the Island health region continue to decline. None was reported on Saturday, and there have been only two new cases of the virus in the region in the past week. Province-wide, there were 15 new cases reported on Saturday and two deaths on the lower mainland. There was a death from the virus in Island Health on Wednesday, bringing the total in the region to 5. In BC, the death count is 129. The majority of deaths and continuing outbreaks have been in senior care homes. Currently, there are outbreaks in 15 senior care homes. Outbreaks in 19 others have been declared over.BC's Provincial Health Officer says for now, the ban on visitors to care homes will remain because it is not safe to relax the rules right now. However, Dr. Bonnie Henry is promising to find ways of allowing visits in the future. She says Health Authorities are working with the sector because the visitor policies will be shaped by the size of the home and its population. Henry acknowledged how "difficult, lonely and trying" it is for seniors who "have to stay in their own cocoon." She says allowing visits will depend on whether British Columbians continue to do their part to prevent the spread of the virus.Do you have a question about COVID-19, BC's Restart Plan or the plan to resume surgeries? You will have your chance tonight to ask Dr. Henry or Adrian Dix, the health minister. They will be hosting a COVID-19 virtual town hall meeting on the government's Facebook page. They will take some questions during the live broadcast, but you can also submit questions in advance at www.gov.bc.ca/covid19townhallsBritish Columbians who are on the federal disability program will not get the $300 dollar a month boost that people on BC's Disability Program receive in April, May and June. Speaking to reporters on Friday, BC's Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction indicated the province is unwilling to extend the provincial disability program boost to federal recipients. Shane Simpson says he has asked his federal counterparts to increase payments under their own plan.Written and reported by Lisa Cordasco. Senior Reporter and News Director for CHLY 101.7FM.Have a tip? Email: news@chly.caTwitter: @lisacordasco / @chly1017FMFunded in part by the Local Journalism Initiative of the Government of Canada through Heritage Canada in partnership with the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

A COVID-19 outbreak at a work camp in Alberta has prompted BC's Health Officer to issue an order that anyone who has returned from working there over the past two weeks must self isolate for the next two weeks. If they experience symptoms, they must report them to 8-1-1, the provincial health line. Anyone returning to BC from the camp within the past month who has felt sick must also report to 8-1-1. Dr. Bonnie Henry says so far, seven workers from the Crow Lake Project near Fort MacMurray have tested positive for the virus and she expects more will be confirmed.In BC, 52 new cases of the virus have been confirmed since Saturday, including five in the Island Health Region. That means there are just under 1700 cases province-wide, including 102 in Island Health. There have been five more deaths since Saturday, bringing the total to 86. The report did not name where the most recent deaths occurred.Meanwhile, Dr. Henry has confirmed that there are eight cases of COVID-19 in Alert Bay. As a result, the village has declared its own local state of emergency. The declaration includes a 9:30 pm to 6 am curfew and restricts travel to and from Cormorant Island. Last week, Alert Bay's mayor revealed he was infected with COVID-19. Dennis Buchanan suspects he caught it from a traveller. Now, travellers to Alert Bay have to prove their travel is necessary. The emergency declaration gives local officials the power to take any steps necessary to ensure compliance.Indigenous and remote and rural communities in BC will get extra resources to help them deliver timely care to those affected by COVID-19. One of the challenges in treating remote residents is getting them quickly to health facilities outside of their communities. To improve travel time, the province will provide 55 new ambulances and five fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters dedicated to BC's remote communities. It will also provide self-isolation sites near hospitals, along with culturally sensitive delivery of care.Charges are being recommended against a Nanaimo RCMP officer, involved in an incident a year and a half ago. BC's Independent Investigations Office examined actions taken during the arrest and detention of a woman on December 2nd, 2018. The woman suffered serious injuries. The IIO investigation concludes the unidentified officer may have committed offences in the application of force. The IIO has forwarded its report to the BC Prosecution Service. The Prosecution Service will decide whether to lay charges based on the likelihood of conviction and whether a prosecution is in the public interest.Written and reported by Lisa Cordasco. Senior Reporter and News Director for CHLY 101.7FM.Have a tip? Email: news@chly.caTwitter: @lisacordasco / @chly1017FMFunded in by the Local Journalism Initiative of the Government of Canada through Heritage Canada in partnership with the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

A COVID-19 outbreak at a work camp in Alberta has prompted BC's Health Officer to issue a new order. Dr. Bonnie Henry says seven workers from the Kearl Lake Project near Fort MacMurray have tested positive for the virus and she expects more to come. that's why she's issued an order that anyone returning from working there over the past two weeks must self isolate for the next two weeks. If they experience symptoms, they must report them to 8-1-1, the provincial health line. Anyone who returned from the Kearl Lake work camp within the past month who has felt sick, must also report to 8-1-1.In BC, 52 new cases of the virus have been confirmed since Saturday, including five in the Island Health Region. That means there are just under 1700 cases province-wide, including 102 in Island Health. There have been five more deaths since Saturday, bringing the total to 86. All of the latest deaths were on the lower mainland.Meanwhile, Dr. Henry has confirmed there are eight cases of COVID-19 in Alert Bay. As a result, the village declared its own local state of emergency on Sunday. The declaration includes a 9:30 pm to 6 am curfew and restricts travel to and from Cormorant Island. Last week, Alert Bay's mayor revealed he was infected with COVID-19. Dennis Buchanan suspects he caught it from a traveller.A reminder that tonight, you can tune in and ask questions of local health officials at a virtual town hall meeting. The officials who will be attending are the CEO of Island Health, its Chief Medical Officer and two area MLAs. The live stream begins at 7:15 on the provincial government's Facebook page and YouTube channel. Nanaimo RCMP has arrested a man who allegedly spat on a worker at the Dollarama Store in the Port Place Mall on Sunday. The worker told police the man became enraged when told he could not enter the store at that time because it was reserved for seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The suspect was found at a bus stop a short time later. Police say he became agitated and combative as the officer approached. However, the man calmed down after a passerby offered to help the officer. RCMP want to speak with the unknown passerby, to thank him and to get a witness statement.Written and reported by Lisa Cordasco. Senior Reporter and News Director for CHLY 101.7FM.Have a tip? Email: news@chly.caTwitter: @lisacordasco / @chly1017FMFunded in by the Local Journalism Initiative of the Government of Canada through Heritage Canada in partnership with the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

The Prime Minister is trying to allay fears over shortages of medical equipment. Justin Trudeau says four Canadian companies are poised to begin production of 30,000 ventilators. That's a sixfold increase in the number of ventilators in Canada currently. In BC, the Minister of Health says he's not worried about our supply. Adrian Dix says BC has 620 ventilators, including 179 in the Island Health Region. Meanwhile, the United States has reversed its decision and will now allow the company 3M to export N95 masks to Canada. Trudeau says he's expecting the delivery of half a million masks from 3M tomorrow.Statistics provided by Corrections BC shows as of April the 2nd, it has temporarily released 95 inmates from its ten correctional centers, to comply with COVID-19 distancing orders. That number includes 12 inmates from Nanaimo's correctional center and four from the Vancouver Island Regional center near Victoria. Those inmates had been serving intermittent sentences. Eight inmates who were serving non-intermittent sentences have also been released, but none is from facilities on Vancouver Island. Corrections BC does not have the power to release anyone sentenced to remand while they await trials. That is up to the courts. New inmates entering correctional centers are being isolated for two weeks, before being allowed into the general prison population. So far, there has been one case of a provincial inmate at the Okanagan detention center testing positive for COVID-19, as well as two others from the federal institution at Matsqui.And speaking of statistics, Statistics Canada wants you to participate in a survey about what you're thinking and doing during the pandemic. Its questionnaire will gather information on the economic and social situation of Canadians, including their physical and mental health. It says the information will be used by all levels of government to "effectively assess the needs of communities and implement suitable support measures during and after the pandemic." You can find the questionnaire if you google Statistics Canada COVID survey.Written and reported by Lisa Cordasco. Senior Reporter and News Director for CHLY 101.7FM.Have a tip? Email: news@chly.caTwitter: @lisacordasco / @chly1017FMFunded in by the Local Journalism Initiative of the Government of Canada through Heritage Canada in partnership with the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

The Provincial Health Officer says 145 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in BC since Sunday afternoon. That brings the total number to 617, with 44 of those cases on Vancouver Island. Dr. Bonnie Henry says no new deaths have been reported.Vancouver Island University students will soon have access to emergency funds, thanks to a new Emergency Student Bursary Fund. The VIU Students Union says some students are struggling with some serious financial issues like reduced or non-existent job opportunities due to the coronavirus outbreak. The student union has pledged $75,000 dollars to the fund which was matched by the VIU Foundation. The fund aims to raise $250,000 dollars to provide emergency funds for the basic necessities of life. For more information and to donate, visit the Emergency Bursaries Fundraising webpage.Starting tomorrow, all transit buses are moving to the summer schedule. Riders can expect less frequent service.Nanaimo's Loaves and Fishes food bank says clients can no longer shop in their depots. The COVID-19 outbreak means clients can pick up a prepackaged bag of food at its Farquar Street location during the week, and at its Generations Church site on Saturday. For opening hours, please check the website at nanaimoloavesandfishes.org.The Harmac Pacific Mill near Nanaimo is working full steam ahead, because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Harmac produces a blend of pulp that is used to make medical masks, gowns, drapes, screens and other hospital supplies. President Levi Sampson told CBC Radio an American company has doubled its orders for pulp over the past week. Sampson says all 300 employees are fully employed, and there are no plans to hire more workers.The federal government has announced the closure of all National Parks. In BC, provincial parks remain open except Mount Seymour and Cypress on the lower mainland. Regional District parks remain open but there is no camping allowed. All playgrounds, sports courts and gated dog parks are also closed.The coronavirus outbreak has put the breaks on local government meetings. The city of Nanaimo will hold its next council meeting on April the 6th and will be opened to the public and live-streamed. The Regional District of Nanaimo will hold its next meeting on April the 28th and it will be live-streamed.Written and reported by Lisa Cordasco. Senior Reporter and News Director for CHLY 101.7FM.Have a tip? Email: news@chly.caTwitter: @lisacordasco / @chly1017FMFunded in by the Local Journalism Initiative of the Government of Canada through Heritage Canada in partnership with the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

In BC, 1 in 6 youth engages in self-harm (also known as self-injury). Self-harm is a behaviour used to cope with bigger, underlying emotions. It is also a behaviour that many parents and other caring adults are understandably concerned about. In this episode, we speak to a youth, Ciara, who has lived experience with self-harm; and a clinical counselor, Kim Leifso, who has supported many youths who have self-harmed. Walk away from this episode with a greater understanding of why youth self-harm and what parents can do to support their child. *This episode is a collaboration between the BC Children's Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre and FamilySmart.

  Organizations subject to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s federal private sector privacy law, are required to report to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) any breaches of security safeguards involving personal information that pose a real risk of significant harm to individuals. They also need to notify affected individuals about those breaches, and keep records of all data breaches within the organization. On today's podcast, PIPEDA’s Mandatory Privacy Breach Notification, we will look at how PIPEDA applies to healthcare organizations and the vendors that support them. The Privacy Commissioner shares lessons learned after one year of mandatory breach reporting requirements under PIPEDA. Does PIPEDA Apply To You? PIPEDA applies to private sector businesses across Canada with the exception of Quebec, Alberta, and BC. In these provinces, provincial legislation wish is substantially similar to PIPEDA applies. In all cases, businesses which handle personal information which crosses provincial or national borders fall under PIPEDA regardless of which province that they are based in. In Alberta, we have privacy legislation called the Health Information Act (HIA) that takes precedence over PIPEDA and Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act, (PIPA). If a business, like a physician's office, has a privacy breach which includes health information, then the custodian of the physician office must report the privacy breach following the HIA regulations. If it's employee information or other non-health information is included in the breach then that triggers privacy breach notification under PIPA. Sometimes, a breach can include both types of information and the physician office must notify under both legislation. In BC the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) is BC's private sector privacy laws has also been deemed substantially similar to the federal private sector privacy law. BC does not have health information specific privacy legislation, so PIPA applies to private organizations in BC, including physician practices, and governs how the personal information about patients, employees and volunteers may be collected, used and disclosed. If you are a business in Canada, for example, an electronic medical records (EMR) business and you have a data center in Canada where all of your clients provide their information and store it in your data center, the EMR vendor likely falls under the PIPEDA regulations. The vendor may be responsive to other legislation as well. If you are an EMR vendor, you do not directly comply with the HIA in Alberta because that applies only to custodians. However, as an information manager of a custodian under the HIA, you have some obligations under the HIA in the event of a privacy breach. But that does not mean that you don't also have obligations under PIPEDA. Listen to the podcast to learn more! Show Notes You can advance the audio to the time entries 03:00  PIPEDA 03:18  Does PIPEDA apply to you? 04:11  Alberta 04:53  British Columbia 05:26  EMR vendor and businesses that support healthcare practices 06:52  What is personal information 07:44  Why is privacy important? In 2017, 65% of large organizations with more than 100 employees indicated that they were privacy aware, but only 43% of small businesses indicated that they were privacy aware. 09:11  What Is A Privacy Breach 12:44  PIPEDA Mandatory Privacy Breach Reporting Process 12:55  Keep Records 13:27  ROSH 14:04  Report to the OPC 14:10  Notification Information Manager Agreement – should indicate if a vendor should directly notify a patient about the privacy breach or if the custodian will do the notification. The Information Manager Agreement should also identify which party (parties) is responsible for the cost of notification. See the Practice Management Success Tip – Top 3 Agreements https://InformationManagers.ca/Top-3 15:46  What is ROSH? 17:47  What information, circumstances of the breach. 19:33   CASL Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation 20:34  Good Privacy Is Good For Business When we know better, we can do better… I’ve helped hundreds of healthcare practices prevent privacy breach pain like this. If you would like to discuss how I can help your practice, just send me an email. I am here to help you protect your practice. How to Manage a Privacy Breach with Confidence The 4 Step Response Plan will help you with prevent privacy breach pain and give you the tips, templates, training, and tools that you can use right away to prepare your privacy breach response plan: In the world of privacy breaches ‘If’ has become ‘When’. Will you be ready? Click here for more information on the on-line 4 Step Response Plan course available now! https://informationmanagers.ca/4-step New! Podcast Key Word Search Tool Did you hear something on today’s podcast that you would like to go back and listen to again? Or, maybe you heard something on one of our previous podcasts that you want to listen to again, but you can’t remember which one and you would like to find it quickly and easily. Well, that’s easy to do now! If you heard something on this podcast that you want to re-visit, go to PracticeManagementNuggets.Live/search and enter the keyword in the magic box. You will automatically be brought to the podcast at the exact spot where we talked about it. Rate and Review the Podcast I am honoured that you choose to spend your time with me today. Thank you for the opportunity to share my obsession about privacy, confidentiality and security with you! Reviews for the podcast on whatever platform that you use is greatly appreciated! When you provide your honest feedback it helps other people just like you find content that may help them, too.  If you received value from this episode, please take a moment and leave your honest rating and review. Jean L. Eaton, Your Practical Privacy Coach and Your Practice Management Mentor with Information Managers Ltd.

In this podcast, we are talking about how hunters can help work towards reconciliation with Indigenous communities.  This is a very difficult conversation, but it one that we need to have as Canadians, British Colombians and Hunters. Here in British Columbia, Indigenous communities have lived, hunted, and manage resources on these lands for time immemorial (a really long time!).  For many of us whose families have settled on these lands, we are now unravelling an uncomfortable history of colonization.  We are just starting to understand the implications of this history and the responsibility that we share to work towards reconciliation with the peoples who lived here before settlers showed up a couple of hundred years ago (not very long ago).  In BC, 95% of lands are described as crown lands. The courts in Canada have acknowledged that these lands were managed by indigenous communities for thousands of years before settlers showed up, and the courts have ruled that the Indigenous communities have never legally given those land rights away to the crown.  As a hunting community, we need to start a respectful conversation with Indigenous communities about how this will impact our ability to hunt and gather food on unceded First Nations traditional territories.    

While threats to clean water affect us all, Indigenous communities have been on the front lines of defending water from industrial pollution. In BC, this takes the form of resistance to pipelines, fish farming and, most importantly, mining. Nuskmata Matt is a water protector form the Secwepemc and Nuxalk peoples. She discusses the aftermath of the Mount Polley dam collapse and the need for strategies to protect water from mining and other industries on Indigenous land.

While threats to clean water affect us all, Indigenous communities have been on the front lines of defending water from industrial pollution. In BC, this takes the form of resistance to pipelines, fish farming and, most importantly, mining. Nuskmata Matt is a water protector form the Secwepemc and Nuxalk peoples. She discusses the aftermath of the Mount Polley dam collapse and the need for strategies to protect water from mining and other industries on Indigenous land.

How much time adults spend on their screens was pushed into the public conversation this week as Apple launches new ways to control how much time we spend on our phones. In BC, a campaign is underway to get parents of newborns to pick up their babies and put down the phones. Guest host Jodi Hughes speaks with Cora Boecker, Supervisor – Infant Development Programme, Langley Association for Community Living about the campaign.

087 | Shifting thoughts and actions     Welcome to another episode of Biotechnology Focus radio! I am your host – Michelle Currie – here to give you the rundown on the Canadian biotech scene. This week sheds light on antibacterial resistance and how that will change the course of the world on a widespread scale if our patterns do not change, how pharmacogenomics has become a new era in precision health, and how there may be a link between poor muscle health and type 1 diabetes.   Listen on to find out more!  ++++++  Ever consider a world where surgery was no longer an option? It is the unfortunate truth that if society does not slow the progression rate of antimicrobial resistance, life as we have come to know it will no longer be our future.  Antimicrobial resistance threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi. Without such means of effective treatment, it will compromise therapies that have been used for decades in healthcare and puts society in a very precarious position. Treatments such as major surgery or chemotherapy may fade into the background.  As we stand on the precipice of a post-antibiotic apocalypse, this global concern has researchers all over the world clamouring to find a solution before this issue gets out of hand. Kevin Schwartz, an infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship physician from Public Health Ontario is one of those researchers seeking a strategy.  Dr. Kevin Schwartz says, “Antimicrobial resistance is going to be one of the biggest future challenges and it really threatens the way that we practice medicine. We take for granted some of the modern advances of technology that we will really jeopardize if the trend of antimicrobial resistance continues.”  Antimicrobial resistance happens when microorganisms change from exposure to antimicrobial drugs. It is a natural process that happens over time, but, unfortunately, that timeline has been accelerated due to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in people and animals. Whether it stems from prescribing patients’ antibiotics for things such as a cold or flu, or when they are given as growth promoters in animals or used to prevent disease in healthy animals, the truth is that we need to find a solution to contend with these “superbugs” – and fast.  Antimicrobial resistant-microbes are found in people, animals, food, and the environment (water, soil, and air.) They can transfer from person to person, from person to animal and animal to person – that includes food of an animal origin – and is present in every country worldwide.  It’s such a huge global overwhelming problem. From hospital settings to non-hospital settings, using more antibiotics than we probably need to. There are a variety of reasons for that. Antibiotics are effective and life-saving, and often patients present with unclear diagnoses so antibiotics are often used to be on the safe side and so we are not missing a potentially treatable illness.  Schwartz adds that the fields of antimicrobial stewardship are trying to develop ways to help physicians and prescribers use the antibiotics more appropriately. There’s probably depending on the study and the area being treated, inappropriately prescribed 30-50 per cent of the time. So, there is lots of room to improve our antibiotic use.   However, there isn’t one strategy that is applicable across all patient settings and types of conditions and there is a lot of variability as to how antimicrobial stewardship can be implemented. For instance, the approach to improving antibiotics is going to be quite different depending on the setting. Some examples would be the difference in the intensive care unit compared to hospitalized patients, compared to patients treated in the emergency room, compared to patients treated in family doctor offices.  Schwartz focus is mainly on the out-patient setting. So, how can we approach family physicians and community prescribers to use antibiotics more appropriately? Some of the strategies to do this would be to provide feedback to family physicians. Some of the stuff that they are scaling up to do is to be able to give doctors some comparisons and feedback. For example, how much antibiotics are they prescribing compared to their peers? Then by identifying those doctors that are high prescribers we can have a significant impact to decrease overall prescribing.  He goes on to suggest that there are other simple measures that can be implemented, such as a study done in the US that monitored how a poster mailed to family doctor clinics and signed by the corresponding physician with the intent to use antibiotics appropriately displayed in the waiting room affected overall usage. The study showed that even this simple measure decreased over-prescribing by 20 per cent.  Public Health Ontario have done something similar in Ontario over the last year, partnering with Choosing Wisely Canada, an organization aimed to decrease waste and improve healthcare efficiency. So, they sent the poster to about 13,000 doctors in Ontario to hang in their offices for a similar purpose.  There are discrepancies in the system across the country, however, about the amount of antibiotics being prescribed by population and contrasting health regions. This could be due to the variance of the practice of physicians in different geographical locations. Some prescribe more, while others tend to prescribe less – allocating education and feedback as one of the best means to observe overprescribing.  There are notable differences between urban and rural environments prescription and usage, but through multi-variable modelling incorporating these variables as predictors, it is still undetermined why some prescribe more over others.  Schwartz says, “We want to make sure people are using the appropriate medicine for the appropriate condition. So, we’re not using overly broad, overly toxic medication when we do not need to.”  A study that was done in the UK highlighted what would happen if the course of action did not change over time. They estimated that there are roughly 700,000 deaths a year from antibiotic-resistant infections and that if we do not do anything by the year 2050, that number could reach a high of 10,000,000. To put that number in another light, the death toll will surpass cancer and motor accidents combined.  By weight, most antibiotics are used in animals, not in humans, and there’s lots of antibiotics in the environment and in other parts of the population. So, there’s all these different approaches where we need to combine – animal veterinary health with human health with environment – and all these different things need to come together so that we can mitigate antibiotic exposure and an element of resistance.  The importance of this issue can not be understated. All the advances that have been accomplished in health care will be for naught if antimicrobial resistance continues down this path. Successfully taking care of premature babies, organ transplant, bone marrow transplant, and complex cancer therapies are all prime examples of procedures that will become incredibly difficult or impossible to achieve. They all rely on the fact that we can treat the complications that go hand in hand with the procedure – namely infections. These patients are more susceptible to bacterial infection, and without effective antibiotics the procedure may be too risky.  If you think back to the way things were during WWI when there was no antibiotics when even a small wound in battle could be life-threatening or limb-threatening. We really take for granted what we now consider a simple condition, where in the past was life-threatening. Schwartz says they will become life-threatening again in the absence of effective antibiotics for these problems.  Physicians and dentists are examples of prescribers that need to prescribe antibiotics appropriately, and for the public to have an awareness of the risks of taking antibiotics unnecessarily over time. This awareness needs to be spread before the world turns into a post-antibiotic era. Antimicrobial resistance is an inevitable process. The bacteria are alive, and they will evolve to survive.  ++++++  Genomics is driving a paradigm shift from a disease-oriented health-care system to one that is more precise, personalized, predictive, preventative and cost effective.  Advancements in technology are helping make genomics more affordable and accessible than ever before. Likewise, societal attitudes toward genomics in clinical care are shifting. We are no longer asking ‘if’ genomics should be integrated with clinical care. Instead we are asking ‘when’ and ‘how’ we can use genomics to benefit as many people as possible.  With a vision to advance the use and application of genomics in clinical practice, Genome BC has invested almost $370 million in over 160 research projects. Genomics research is already saving lives and improving health outcomes and disease management for patients touched by cancer, heart disease, autism, epilepsy, rare diseases and other debilitating diseases. As genomics research moves from the bench to the bedside, clinical applications of genomics will affect many areas of medicine over the next 10-20 years, improving disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, as well as informing our approaches to wellness, nutrition, and public health.  Genome BC has had a long-standing interest in, and support for, a particular aspect of precision health called pharmacogenomics. Since 2004 we have invested in a number of projects analyzing the unintended side effects of medication, known as adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The discipline of pharmacogenomics, identifying gene variants that predispose people to serious side effects of medications or that alter the way your body will respond to, or metabolize, certain drugs, is being applied to improve the safety and efficacy of many therapeutics and treatments. We are funding teams across different levels of research in this critical field: in the hospital alongside clinicians, in the pharmacy and with primary care physicians.  At the hospital level Dr. Bruce Carleton and his team are working to prevent ADRs by developing laboratory tests to predict the likelihood of a childhood cancer patient developing an ADR and tools to incorporate these tests into clinical practice. At the pharmacy level another group, led by Dr. Corey Nislow and the BC Pharmacy Association, has developed a community pharmacist-based approach to pharmacogenomic testing wherein a patient’s saliva is tested for genes that will predict adverse reactions to commonly prescribed drugs. Finally, at the family physician level Dr. Martin Dawes and his multi-disciplinary team of doctors, pharmacists, and epidemiologists have developed TreatGx, a unique medication decision support system. Using the highest levels of evidence, TreatGX identifies personalized medication options for multiple common conditions. The options are presented to the doctor in an easy-to-read format with helpful information such as dosing instructions, potential adverse reactions, and medication cost comparisons.  Each of these research teams are bringing new understanding to the table, as well as integrating their work for maximum benefit to patients.  The goal of pharmacogenomics is to improve patient outcomes. In order to implement this tool effectively we must:  Validate the efficacy of genomics applications in day-to-day patient care  Ensure we are increasing value to patients and lowering costs  Identify and provide information related to diagnostic criteria and provide the relevant pharmacogenomics test(s)  Develop guidelines to help clinicians use these tests  Change perceptions for healthcare professionals and patients  Genome BC is working closely with the provincial government, universities, clinicians and other stakeholders to advance the clinical use of pharmacogenomics.  Canada is not the only country working to implement precision health- there is a global effort working towards a common goal. Momentum is building and there are success stories of clinical implementation of genomics happening in real time around the world. In BC there has been a critical change in the Hereditary Cancer Screening Program at the BC Cancer Agency because of a gene panel test that enables clinicians to test for more than a dozen of the most common mutations all at once, rather than one-by-one. This test enables people to learn what cancers they may develop, how often to have medical follow-ups, what cancer screening to get and whether there are preventive lifestyle factors that might mitigate the risks. Wait times for this test have gone from several months to a few weeks and BC Cancer is even helping other provinces clear their backlog. The hereditary cancer panel is now being reimbursed by the BC provincial government and has been fully integrated in clinical practice.  Clinical practice has begun to incorporate genomics technology and applications. Ultimately physicians will have practice guidelines to best move patients along a treatment pathway that is best suited to their own genetic makeup.  +++++  A recent study coming out of the labs of McMaster and York Universities have found that there may be a link between poor muscle health and type 1 diabetes – even among the youth.  The research team analyzed muscle biopsies of young adults with and without Type 1 diabetes who exceed Diabetes Canada’s recommended weekly levels for physical activity.  The researchers found structural and functional changes in the power generation parts of the cell, or mitochondria, of those with diabetes. Not only were the mitochondria less capable of producing energy for the muscle, they were also releasing excessive amounts of toxic reactive oxygen species, related to cell damage.  These changes have the ability to affect metabolism – the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life – resulting in a greater difficulty controlling blood glucose, and if unmanaged, could accelerate to a disability. The study findings add poor muscle health to the list of better-known complications of Type 1 diabetes, including nerve damage, heart disease and kidney disorders.  Thomas Hawke, corresponding author of the study and a professor of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster says, “Now we know that even active people with diabetes have changes in their muscles that could impair their ability to manage blood sugar. Knowing in the long term that this could contribute to faster development of disability, we can start to address it early on.”   Skeletal muscle is the largest metabolic organ and is the primary tissue for clearing blood sugar after eating a meal, so it is necessary to keep muscle as healthy as possible.  With regular aerobic exercise, mitochondria in muscle increase to therefore help muscle cells use more glucose and become more efficient.  The researchers believe these dysfunctional mitochondria are what’s causing the muscle to not use glucose properly and to also damage muscle cells in the process and were surprised to see the muscles were this unhealthy in young adults with Type 1 diabetes who were regularly active.  Researchers say while further study is needed, revising evidence-based exercise guidelines, specific for those with Type 1 diabetes, may be required to keep them in the best health.  ++++++  Well that wraps up another episode of Biotechnology Focus radio. Thanks for checking in! If you would like to read the stories in full, please visit our website at biotechnologyfocus.ca. From my desk to yours – this is Michelle Currie.    

ProMetic Life Science hits two significant clinical milestones, Antibe Therapeutics reports promising Phase 2 results, In BC researchers, take a closer look at the DNA of the world’s greatest wines, and using genomics to treat and track tuberculosis We have this and more on this week’s Biotechnology Focus Podcast! Welcome to Biotechnology Focus Podcast. I’m your host Shawn Lawrence. Story 1 We start this week’s show in beautiful British Columbia, highlighting two local projects with an international flavor. The first story sees UBC researchers Dan Durall and Mansak (Ben) Tantikachornkiat getting ever closer to identifying the biological personalities of the world’s greatest wines. In a recent study, published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology , the duo developed a technique that combines a process to identify the full spectrum of DNA in yeast and bacteria samples with a technique that distinguishes between live and dead micro-organisms. As Durall, an associate professor of biology at UBC’s Okanagan campus, explains, since only live micro-organisms are relevant in the various stages of fermentation as they relate to the senses, this study provides some of the important tools that will be necessary to determine why different types of wine taste and smell as they do. Their findings could also lead to the identification and elimination of micro-organisms that are responsible for spoilage. In undertaking the study, the pair used a number of different kinds of yeast and bacteria specimens, including those typically found in wine fermentations. Key in the development of the new scientific technique was the use of a light-sensitive dye, propidium monoazide, which binds to dead DNA and prevents it from being detected. This allows scientists to identify and focus on the more relevant aspects of a test sample. According to Tantikachornkiat, this technique has allowed them to quickly and accurately monitor in one experiment what previously could have taken multiple experiments and months of trial and error. The next stages of their research will focus this technique on different types of wine making methods to see how they change micro-organisms that affect the final wine product. Story 2 Our second BC story focuses on a new collaborative project involving the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), Oxford University and Public Health England (PHE). Together they are working to build data-sharing capacity between eachother to accelerate the use of genomics as a tool for the diagnosis, treatment and tracking of tuberculosis (TB). Led by Dr. Jennifer Gardy at BCCDC and Dr. Derrick Crook, University of Oxford and PHE, the research project is exploring how to communicate the complex data from a genomics-based test in a simple and effective laboratory report allowing clinicians, many of whom have not worked with genomic data before, to quickly and easily find the information and get the interpretation they need to ensure a direct benefit for patients. Funded in part by Genome BC, the project also supports PHE and BCCDC’s efforts to validate the use of a genomic platform in a clinical setting through developing user-friendly reports to assist doctors in faster and more effective diagnosis and treatment. The use of genomics in the clinic means patients will have access to the most effective treatment several weeks earlier. Through a previous collaboration, the researchers have already demonstrated that using genomics to diagnose and characterize TB infections can reduce the time to diagnose and fully characterize an infection from an average of 31 days to just five days. Genomics also provides important information on the drug resistance profile of the tuberculosis strain, which helps doctors to identify the best treatment and avoid using antibiotics that will not be effective. Valued at $168,000, the initiative called SMAC: Sharing Mycobacterial Analytic Capacity will use techniques from the field of information visualization to design the better laboratory reporting form. Through a series of online surveys and iterative designs, the researchers hope to develop a simple, two-page report that describes a patient’s diagnosis, the antibiotics that are predicted to work to treat the infection, and whether or not the patient is part of an outbreak. As part of SMAC, the UK and Canadian teams are also sharing resources and expertise in TB genomics and bioinformatics in order to accelerate the clinical validation and implementation of genomics-based TB diagnostics, first in the UK, and ultimately in BC. The partnership is a product of a MOU signed by Genome British Columbia and Genomics England last year to improve diagnostic capability and outcomes for patients with cancer, rare diseases and infectious diseases. Story 3 In Atlanta, Georgia, Toronto based med tech company Synaptive Medical has launched a revolutionary brain surgery technology at Emory University Hospital. The technology, called BrightMatter™ is an innovative neurosurgery solution that offers advanced imaging, surgical planning and navigation through robotic visualization. Synaptive’s technology shares a common imaging hub, which analyzes and assesses the quality of imaging scans in real-time prior to surgical planning and creates the foundation for a clinically-integrated imaging informatics research platform. Using an imaging method called diffusion tensor imaging, or DTI, BrightMatter enhances MRI images of the entire brain’s pathways, allowing physicians to consider approaches for navigating around critical structures in neurological surgery. Synaptive’s integrated imaging and navigation systems allow physicians to see details that can’t be seen with the naked eye or a standard MRI, and may allow access to brain locations previously deemed inoperable. The automatic positioning system with an attached camera follows the physician’s tools, showing an image of the patient’s anatomy with unprecedented detail. This robotic arm includes a hands-free optical visualization system that allows for better surgical ergonomics, facilitates collaboration with operating room staff, and consumes less surgical time without the need to manipulate cumbersome optics. Dr. Gustavo Pradilla, an Emory assistant professor of Neurosurgery, and chief of neurosurgery for Grady, co-director of the Grady Skull Base Center, and director of the Cerebrovascular Research Laboratory said that acquiring Synaptive’s platform will bring innovative neurosurgical treatments that are the next technological frontier in intraoperative navigation, robotic-assisted visualization, corridor-based neurosurgery and clinical informatics. He adds that the technology will expand the hospitals ability to treat previously inoperable lesions in delicate areas of the brain, leading to safer and more efficient procedures, smaller incisions, shorter hospital stays. Story 4 In clinical trial news, Toronto’s Antibe Therapeutics Inc. has posted positive results from its Phase 2 clinical trial of ATB-346 in osteoarthritis (OA). ATB-346, is an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), and a hydrogen sulfide-releasing derivative of naproxen, the most-prescribed NSAID in North America. As part of the trial, 12 patients with OA of the knee were treated once daily for 10 days with the drug at a dose of 250 mg. The dose contains one-sixth of the typical daily dose of naproxen for treating OA. According to the company, the lower dose was found to be very effective at reducing pain, and equal to or better than naproxen or celecoxib in comparable studies. The drug was also found to be safe and well-tolerated. As part of the trial, patients recorded their level of pain one day prior to starting treatment and again on days four and 10 of treatment. The “WOMAC pain scale”, the gold standard in arthritis clinical trials, was used as the measure of beneficial effect. The enhanced effectiveness of ATB-346 as compared to the market-leading drugs for osteoarthritis was a pleasant surprise, particularly considering the low dose of ATB-346 that was used said both the company’s chief science officer John Wallace and the company’s CEO Dan Legault. Legault added that the company plans to expeditiously perform additional clinical trials to confirm the results seen in this phase 2 study, and explore the effectiveness of even lower doses of ATB-346. The Phase 2 clinical trial was carried out in Toronto, Canada by Topstone Research Ltd. Story 5 A research team at the Krembil Research Institute has discovered a pair of tissue biomarkers that directly contribute to the harmful joint degeneration associated with spine osteoarthritis. In a study study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, the researchers were able to show that elevated levels of both of these biomarkers cause inflammation, cartilage destruction and collagen depletion. Osteoarthritis affects about three million Canadians and is characterized by a breakdown of the protective cartilage found in the body’s spine, hand, knee and hip joints. There is no known cure. The study involved tissue biopsies from 55 patients undergoing decompression or discectomy at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre at Toronto Western Hospital. As part of the study, the research team – led by Dr. Mohit Kapoor at the Krembil Research Institute and comprising Dr. Akihiro Nakamura, a post-doctoral fellow, and Dr. Y. Raja Rampersaud, a clinical expert and spine surgeon – explored the role, function and signaling mechanisms of two tissue biomarkers: microRNA-181a-5p and microRNA-4454. The study screened 2,100 microRNAs and found that measuring the levels of these two specific biomarkers can help clinicians determine the stage to which the disease has progressed, and provide a tool for determining the degree of cartilage destruction. Dr. Kapoor discusses his team’s discovery of the pair of tissue biomarkers in the following audio provided by (Video: UHN From 0:26-1:09,1:30-2:02). The discovery represents the end of the first stage of research. The team is now investigating whether these biomarkers can be detected in the blood – which would help clinicians more simply determine the stage of spine osteoarthritis – and whether further studying the biomarkers will allow researchers to halt and reverse spine degeneration. Story 6 It’s been a week filled with successful milestones for Laval, QC’s ProMetic Life Sciences. A developer of products used in the purification of biologics, drug development, proteomics and the removal of pathogens, the company announced on August 9th it had completed enrollment of the adult patient cohort for its pivotal intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) Phase3 clinical trial for the treatment of primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDD). The company also announced on August 11 that it had completed patients enrolment of the congenital plasminogen deficient patients in its pivotal phase 2/3 clinical trial required for the accelerated regulatory approval pathway with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration In terms of the Phase 3 trial, completion of enrollment for the adult patient population is five months ahead of schedule and puts the company on the fast track to becoming the first Canadian-based company to locally produce IVIG. It’s also a further indication of the near-term commercial prospect of what will be the company’s second plasma protein. According to company CEO and president Pierre Laurin, Canadian patients are amongst the largest consumers of IVIG on a per capita basis worldwide and the demand continues to grow at a rapid pace. He believes that the manufacturing advantages provided by the company’s proprietary PPPS™ technology can help alleviate Canada’s current dependence on foreign plasma derived therapeutics. IVIG is a preparation of antibodies purified from plasma donations from normal individuals. It is indicated for the maintenance treatment of patients with primary immunodeficiencies including common variable immunodeficiency, X-linked agammaglobulinemia, severe combined immunodeficiency and as a treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). It is also used for the treatment of many other autoimmune diseases, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, Kawasaki disease. The Phase 3 trial is an open label, single arm, two-cohort multicenter study investigating the safety, tolerability, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of ProMetic’s plasma derived IVIG in a total of 75 patients suffering from PIDD, and the adult cohort includes the 50 enrolled adults (cohort 1) and will also include 25 children (cohort 2). ProMetic anticipates the completion of enrollment for cohort 2 to go quickly with completion of the IVIG Phase 3 clinical trial expected in the second half of 2017. As for the second trial, the FDA has agreed to an accelerated regulatory approval pathway, given the rarity of the condition and the related unmet medical need. To secure an accelerated pathway approval, a drug must treat a serious condition, provide a meaningful advantage over available therapies and demonstrate an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. Dr John Moran, Chief Medical Officer of ProMetic commented that the ongoing clinical trial has enabled ProMetic to meet the primary end-point of achieving the targeted increase in plasma concentration of plasminogen and to define the optimal treatment regimen. Plasminogen is a naturally occurring protein that is synthesized by the liver and circulates in the blood. Activated plasminogen, plasmin, is a fundamental component of the fibrinolytic system and is the main enzyme involved in the lysis of blood clots and clearance of extravasated fibrin. Plasminogen is therefore vital in wound healing, cell migration, tissue remodeling, angiogenesis and embryogenesis. ProMetic's Plasminogen has received an Orphan Drug Designation by the FDA and the European Commission for the US and the European markets respectively. ProMetic also received a Fast Track Designation by the FDA, a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite review of drugs and biologics intended to treat serious or life-threatening conditions and that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs. With that we’ve come to the end of this week’s program. We hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to Laskey Hart our production manager. You can find us online at www.biotechnologyfocus.ca and we’re always looking for your feedback, story ideas and suggestions so we’d love to hear from you. Simply reach out to us on twitter: @BiotechFocus . For all of us here at Biotechnology Focus, thank you for listening.

From the earliest days of colonialism spreading west under industrial expansion, governments thought that natural resources were near infinite. Acts of exploitation were relatively harmless and just the cost of doing business. But with the stinky pulp mills, the mining site discharges, the hydro dams changing entire landscapes and the clear-cutting of forests, citizens came to expect more attention to the environment and responsible behaviour from industry. Despite government promises, the mining and oil & gas sectors still operate mostly the same. Because development is mostly in low populated areas, the urban majorities don't much care. Neoliberal governments claim that "red tape" inhibits enterprise hence the move to self-regulation by industry. If safe operations conflict with financial interests, unhealthy compromises result. Mount Polley is example #1. In BC, the Clark regime is beholden to the exploiters of natural resources. The mantra of development that provided gainful employment for the people and revenues for the province has shifted. The message is the same, but the winners are ever increasing profitable corporations. So what if there are few jobs and residual environmental damage? So what if royalties dwindle to next to nothing? So what if the billions in GDP are exports of raw materials with no local benefit? Royalties were higher in 2001 than 2016. Subsidies now amount to a larger total. Norm Farrell started to research and write on public affairs in 2009, focusing on BC issues. His work, now available at https://in-sights.ca has brought much unwelcome attention to the mismanagement and destruction of the public trust by industry compliant elected officials. May 9, 2017 is not that far off and BC has some hard decisions to make. Join us for some BC Truth on BCHydro, the LNG disaster, the neoliberal narrative and the compliant corporate media.

God of the Christian Bible is Unforgiving, Hateful and Revengeful  People created the Christian God as a premise to do evil. Thus you find many scriptures showing God at the root of all evil on earth.  Here is proof God is not forgiving (1)  Genesis 3: 24 God drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.  Proof God is hateful (2) Numbers 12: 10 God stricken Miriam with Leprosy without good cause.  His love of evil (3) Isaiah 45: 7 God made peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things. (4)  Isaiah 53: 4 God stricken, smitten and afflicted Christ.In BC history there is different record