Category: Civil Society and a Strong Social Fabric
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City Council Takes Local Action on COVID-19
If nothing else, please watch this video. There’s a moving moment in it where someone who is homeless comes to talk to me and asks the very same questions the media is asking. We are working as hard as we can and as fast as we can to address her concerns. Today at City Council…
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Help on the Way for Businesses, Workers, Canadians
Prime Minister Trudeau during his most recent visit to Victoria. NB There is A LOT of detail below on the federal financial aid package for Canadians announced today. I wanted to make sure that people have all the information. Use what you need and feel free to share. This morning Prime Minister Trudeau announced $82…
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It’s Our Responsibility As Non-Indigenous People to Show that Reconciliation Is Not Dead
Photo credit: Colin Smith This blog post is being written just as CBC announced that Wet’suwet’en, Canada, and British Columbia have reached a proposed arrangement. On Friday afternoon I visited the youth staying at the legislature. They are there to defend their lands, rights, and Indigenous title. I stood in circle with them and listened…
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Wet’suwet’en conflict puts “rule of law” in context
Indigenous youth gathered in circle at BC Legislature. Photo credit: Jason Guille This past week has been very challenging as a settler, ally, mayor and Canadian. Across the country, on the island, and here in our city, there have been protests and blockades in support of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs who assert authority over 22,000…
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Oilsands Trip – A Tale of Two Paradigms
Last Friday I spent the day touring the oilsands, specifically Cenovus’ Foster Creek site. I was warmly received and treated with generosity and open-heartedness by Calgary City Councillor Jeff Davison, Canada Action representatives, and leaders at Cenovus Energy. I was truly moved by the people I met and what I saw and also by the…
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Why 16-Year-Olds Should Be Able to Vote in Local Elections
At the recent Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities convention, the City of Victoria brought forward a motion calling on the Provincial government to lower the voting age to 16 for local government elections. (See full text of motion below). The motion passed with a strong majority of delegates in support. I’ll share what…
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The Inclusion Project – Canada’s Inclusive Future and Newcomer Engagement Part 2: Covenant, Side By Side, and the Stories We Tell
Here is the my full keynote address from The Inclusion Project. This post and the one from last week are the written version. Please feel free to share. How do we create inclusion in the 21st century? We need a new approach, led by civil society. In The Home We Build Together: Recreating Society the…
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The Inclusion Project – Canada’s Inclusive Future and Newcomer Engagement Part 1: Why Now, and Reconciliation
Last Saturday I was honoured to attend and also to provide the keynote address at an important community-led event called The Inclusion Project. Created by recent newcomer from Nigeria, Ruth Mojeed, with the support a small organizing committee, the event was an opportunity for participants to dialogue and grapple with the difficult questions of diversity,…
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Quality of Life Focus for City’s 2019-2022 Strategic Plan and Budget 2019
During the election campaign last fall when I was at community meetings, in living rooms, in small businesses and on doorsteps I heard loud and clear that quality of life and well-being are important to Victorians. I heard this from the very young, the very old and everyone in between. That’s why in Council’s recently…
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Cherry Trees, Urban Forest Management and Climate Change: The Facts
It is both dangerous to public dialogue and frustrating for everyone when one city councillor’s explosive opinion is taken as fact. The fact is that there is no plan to systematically remove cherry trees, never to plant another in the city. The cherry blossom trees are part of our charm as a city and are…
