According to Food Banks BC, 80,000 British Columbians use a food bank each month. Yet, as we learned from "The Avoidable Crisis of Food Waste" a report by Second Harvest released earlier this year, Canadians waste an unbelievable amount of food."The research estimates that the total avoidable and unavoidable food loss and waste occurring annually...
Two sounds are very familiar to me, bringing me back to my childhood: the gurgle and sputter of the 10-horse Briggs and Stratton pushing our 22 foot Clinker through the Saanich Inlet and the wizz-click of our Scotty downriggers. Scott Plastics, better known as “Scotty”, was started in Victoria in 1952 by Blayney and Amelda Scott. Today they...
Janine Fernandes-Hayden is one member of the original organizing team of 100+ Women Who Care Salt Spring Island. We connect on this episode of The Public Circle Podcast to discuss the impact of their fundraising for non-profit organizations on Salt Spring. Originally from Victoria, Janine is now an established 15-year resident of the Island and...
This week I was invited to Strawberry Vale Elementary. I entered Ms. Brookes classroom to a chorus of student voices welcoming me to the Strawberry Vale Environmental Awards. It's an incredible honour to be recognized for my work. Honestly, nothing in my entire time as an elected official has matched the Earth Care Award for "helping the Earth...
Now in its 11th year, Creatures of Habitat has connected 1000’s of youth in Greater Victoria schools to the surrounding land and water. The streams, beaches and forests have Peninsula Streams to thank for organizing and delivering the education program powered by volunteers from the local community. Originally I was scheduled to be in committee...
I recently listened to a long conversation about the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). The discussion focused on AI as an existential threat to human dominance and control of the earth. There is considerable fear that if we are not careful we might build something that will destroy us or at the very least replace us.It got me thinking about...
https://twitter.com/spjonsson/status/1120451827374481408 I cannot sit in a banquet hall surrounded by un-bussed tables. When the plates are stacking up and dirty utensils litter the linens, my training in The Dining Room Restaurant at the Butchart Gardens kicks in. Table management is important. I'm thankful for my deep roots serving the public,...
For the past decade I have been honoured to work alongside Elizabeth May. She is the best mentor and teacher! Elizabeth's love, dedication, passion, commitment, patience and courage are unparalleled. While Elizabeth has thousands of friends who love her dearly, until yesterday she has not had a partner walking with her hand-in-hand....
Last week the federal government announced comprehensive fisheries closure measures as a response to collapsing Chinook stocks. In my work on the salmon file, the conservation conversation is the most controversial. It is what has all the interest groups under the table fighting over the scraps. Each year there are fewer scraps and the situation...
In the ninth episode of The Public Circle Podcast, I connect with Paul Holmes the co-founder of Social Media Camp at the Victoria Conference Centre. One of the regular themes I explore in my daily blog posts is the impact of social media. The fuel for my content is driven by podcasts, blogs and articles that are also exploring the impact of these...
This tweet from Torrance Coste, campaigner for the Wilderness Committee, caught my attention.https://twitter.com/TorranceCoste/status/1118372721170186240It was a response to the Alberta election but it reminded me of another significant event from just a few days earlier, the first episode of the final season of Game of Thrones.How are this...
Ever heard of Nate Bargatze? In my opinion he is one hilarious comedian! I don’t mind admitting this about Nate because, from what I have seen so far, his humour does not require the frequent use of vulgar insults and profane rants. My list of previous favourite comedians, though, cannot be identified in this blog lest my evolving sense of humour...
Over the past few days I have been reflecting on the Spring legislative session. Frankly, the debate on Bill 10 (the income tax amendment Bill for LNG Canada) took a lot out of me. The work in the legislature continued for the week following the final vote but admittedly I was not at my best. The truth is, the debate was emotionally draining. No...
There are sides in the House. This side and that side. Our side and their side. The left side and the right side. Apparently, two sides. Like binary code, either a 1, or a 0.I've heard it even when Members introduce visitors to the House they say something like, "on behalf of the Members on this side of the House I welcome so-and-so to the...
I switched into the passing lane as I went under the Royal Oak overpass. There was a steady stream of cars merging onto the Pat Bay highway. A light grey compact SUV jumped from two or three cars back into the lane in front of me, cutting me off. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly and I gritted my teeth and muttered a few regrettable...
People ask how I can write everyday.Writing is the easy part. Writing poorly is even easier. I have found the editing is the most difficult part of blogging daily.I have published a post-a-day for over 100 straight days now. For the most part, it is just stream-of-consciousness thoughts tracking the flow of life as an elected official, responding...
I spend a lot of time on ferries. As the Member for Saanich North and the Islands my constituents span the Salish Sea from Sidney to Galiano, Mayne, Pender, Salt Spring, and Saturna. Quality ferry service is essential to their lives. Ferries are how they get to school and work every day. It’s how they access...
In the eighth episode of The Public Circle Podcast, I connect with Stasia Hartley, Area Director for Bayshore Home Health. A lifelong member of the Saanich Peninsula community, Stasia has worked in leadership roles in healthcare for 29 years. She has a Master's of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University and manages the home health...
Food security is increasingly important in a world impacted by climate change. For the second time in as many sessions the BC NDP government is amending the Agricultural Land Commission Act to increase protection of food producing land for agriculture. This is vitally important. But, it is also important that...
National Volunteer Week (April 7-13, 2019) is coming to a close. I want to pause and celebrate the invaluable contributions of volunteers across the province that give life to our communities and lift them up.Here's to the volunteers that dedicate their time to make Saanich North and the Islands the wonderful place that it is. This year’s theme...
I am moving away from social media. I'm not quitting, but I am thoughtfully evolving how I use it. Social media platforms are powerful tools for politicians because they create spaces for communities of people to gather with each other. Initially, we played Farmville together and reconnected with old friends. It was just like a high school...
There is a growing movement of acknowledging the territory of Indigenous people. It has become a familiar opening to meetings and events run by government.It is an important evolution in Canadian society. But, we must continue to challenge the status quo and demand better. It is critical that we know why we do these...
I was on a panel at the College of Applied Biology conference last week. Our task was to Define the Public Interest.The panel included Andrew Gage (Staff Lawyer, West Coast Environmental Law), Kevin Kriese (Chair, Forest Practices Board) and Jody Shimkus (VP of Environment and Regulatory Affairs, Kirk Environmental.)It was an interesting group...
[UPDATE] I have received a response from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. BC Housing has entered into a lease agreement with a local farmer to harvest hay. The lease has a strong covenant to comply with environmental laws and a related indemnity not to use or permit to be used any harmful or hazardous...
Standing in my driveway this past weekend I had a flashback to my youth. When I was a kid I used to work for our family business. It was a garden and property maintenance company and every spring we would manufacture hundreds of moss hanging baskets. We inherited the business from my maternal grandfather Don Snobelen. He was a man of the soil. He...
During Question Period last week, MLAs grilled the government on the low-wage redress package offered to some workers in the social care industry. As of April 1, unionized social care workers will receive a bump in their wages beyond the standard 2% increase. This wage increase is welcome because social care workers make low wages for the work...