Vancouver Coastal Health is considering offering safe injection services at medical clinics throughout the region. The recent ruling by the Supreme Court that ruled the current injection site, Insite, saves lives and that medical staff and users could not be prosecuted should make it easier to start such a program.
Todmorden, a small village of 15,000 is embarking on an ambitious plan to be self sufficient in food by 2018. The town already has 70 large vegetable gardens, and is digging up lawns to plant more veggies on an ongoing basis. No public space is sacred, the police station, train station, health centre and school are all providing free fruits and vegetables to locals. The local school recently won a £500,000 grant to start a fish farm. The benefits extend beyond the health benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables. Vandalism and crime are on the decline and the local economy is improving.
Enlisting architects, animators and more importantly residents, an NFB film titled One Millionth Tower, provides ideas for revitalizing Toronto's aging highrises. Some of the ideas include eliminating first floor apartments to make room for cafes and businesses, creating a marketspace, and networks and paths linking to the towers to parks and community gardens.
A report published by the Canadian Council of Child and Youth Advocates, titled "Canada Must Do Better," is being submitted to the United Nations. The United Nations will consider the report in evaluating Canada's compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The statistics included in the report paint a dire picture. Higher infant mortality rates, poorer nutritional status, higher rates of diabetes and chronic disease are just some of the problems the report identifies.
One year later Calgary's Mayor Naheed Nenshi is as popular as ever. With an 86% approval rating, Nenshi has the support to make things happen. Since taking office he's added 144,000 transit hours, built 3 new libraries, and the city is in the process of adding 4 new recreation facilities. All these changes come with a cost, but citizens are supportive of the 10.4 per cent tax hike. Nenshi's popularity has a lot to do with his citizen engagement strategy.
Quebec's health minister, Yves Bolduc, has offered support and encouragement to the organization Cactus to open two safe injection sites this coming spring. Cactus, based out of Montreal currently offers clean needles and counseling support for drug addicts. Jean-Francois Mary of Cactus Montreal says the decision only makes sense.
The new Vital Signs report is out and it doesn't paint a pretty picture. Although Canada's youth unemployment hasn't reached the same crisis levels as some European countries, it is still high at 16%. The NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) phenomena could potentially manifest serious social unrest and economic problems if not addressed quickly. The same report shows that obesity rates are climbing due to increased sedentary jobs, and time shortages.
A unanimous ruling from the Supreme Court should put an end to the Harper Government's attempts to shut down Vancouver's safe injection site, Insite. The Supreme Court ruled that safe injection sites receive an exemption from federal drug laws because they are proven to save lives.
"Insite saves lives. Its benefits have been proven. There has been no discernible negative impact on the public safety and health objectives of Canada during its eight years of operation," - Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin.
The belief that adding more traditional playgrounds will encourage activity amongst children has proven to be a false assumption. A study that used GPS (Global Positioning System) to examine the link between environment and activity levels amongst children has shown that traditional playgrounds do little to promote activity. The large metal structures are often intimidating for children and unusable in winter or rainy months.
Located on the Adam's Lake reserve, Chief Atahm Elementary relies on elders for its immersion program that teaches only in the local language, Secwepemctsin, from kindergarten to Grade 3. The school also provides instruction in traditional cultural practices, from plant identification and uses, to preserving meat. The involvement of local elders and parents has created a generation of children connected to their culture and community, and will hopefully halt the decline of the Secwepemctsin language.
