"Brent Devloo says his iPad is the reason he was able to graduate high school after he suddenly became blind in the 11th grade. Now, the #Langley resident is fundraising to give iPads to other visually impaired youth." #BC #Canada

"The #Comox Community Centre... 1855 Noel Ave., Comox, is hosting a #FamilyDay Extravaganza. on Monday, Feb. 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.. This free community event offers a wide variety of activities for families to enjoy together." #VancouverIsland

"#Victoria residents are willing to pay for community #wellbeing and #housing initiatives, but not for increased funding for #police, according to results of a pre-budget survey" #VancouverIsland #BC #Canada

RT @HeadsUpGuys: There is a lot of discussion about forming healthy habits to promote mental health – and for good reason. By establishing…

"Due to continued low overnight temperatures, combined with the current weather advisory, the City of #CampbellRiver will activate a warming centre at the Campbell River Community Centre from Feb. 7 to 11." #VancouverIsland #BC

The #Surrey Union of Drug Users is standing in solidarity with a [#Nanaimo] #VancouverIsland doctor who resigned after being put on leave over a pop-up unsanctioned #overdoseprevention site | #harmreduction #BC #Canada

"#Duncan council is calling for the #Cowichan District Hospital building to be used as a #mentalhealth care [#addictions] and #rehabilitation facility once a larger replacement hospital opens north of the city in 2027" #VancouverIsland #BC #Canada

"The appointment of singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie to the Order of #Canada has been terminated by the Governor General [after a] report in 2023 questioned Sainte-Marie’s #Indigenous heritage [and] indicated she was born in 1941 in Massachusetts"

"Two weeks before Briana Martin died, her boyfriend called police to warn that #Nanaimo's drug dealers were becoming more "aggressive" [& did] what he could to keep the 27-year-old away from the #toxicdrugs that were repeatedly causing her to #overdose..."

"It has been nearly a decade since the #toxicdrug crisis was declared a #publichealth emergency in #BC, #youth across the province have been profoundly impacted by deaths within their families and communities" #bereavement #ComoxValley #VancouverIsland #BC

"Point in Time #homeless counts will be conducted during March and April in several communities on #VancouverIsland and the #SunshineCoast....In November, Point in Time counts were done in the Cowichan Valley and Nanaimo" #homelessness #BC #Canada

"It's been almost four years since Brooklyn Friese survived a potentially fatal dose of a #daterape drug [in #Victoria #BC]....on that April night in 2021 — when her 18-year-old friend Samantha Sims-Somerville died of the same drug"

"I recently took my mother-in-law to the emergency ward [in #Nanaimo] and there were people, obviously high & out of it, yelling at staff, sprawling out over several chairs in the waiting room and ...jamming up the restrooms" #comment #opinion #healthcare

"The @cityportalberni is getting closer to updating its parks and public places bylaw for the first time in more than 40 years, with provisions about when and where people are allowed to shelter overnight." #PortAlberni #VancouverIsland #BC #homelessness

"With football fans expected to wager billions of dollars on this year's Super Bowl, experts are urging governments to reduce the #publichealth harms that come with the rapidly growing #gambling industry" #addiction #mentalhealth #Canada

"She acknowledges she’s one of the “wounded healers” in the #counselling world....the successful ones have processed their own #trauma and done the necessary work to heal and get to the “other side.” Those counsellors can be a “gift” to clients, she said."

"British Columbia’s children’s representative says #childwelfare social workers in the province are “in a state of crisis” and it will likely take a decade to fix things, even with committed efforts" #stress #burnout #BC #Canada @RCYBC

"The [#BC] government is giving the go-ahead for a #supportivehousing project in #Richmond that’s drawn widespread criticism from those in the community. The province had previously paused work on the project in August [before the] provincial election"

"An investigation by The Fifth Estate has found there is a shadow war in #Canada against #libraries and #books. Its leading political actors, from small towns to large political parties, are linked to a broader grassroots movement" #genderidentity

"A #VancouverIsland doctor involved in setting up unsanctioned #overdoseprevention sites has resigned from her positions with @VanIslandHealth, claiming she was placed on leave as punishment for her public advocacy work" #Nanaimo #BC #harmreduction