A lot of these at risk youth have already lived a life of trauma and fear for there own safety. Right now we have a safe space and resource centre and support system with active programming to empower them to have a better chance at being functioning citizens as well as many of them have fallen through the cracks of the system and haven’t been helped when they should have been

Based on recent research and considering a conservative estimate, the prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is 4% in Canada. That means that 200,000 British Columbians have FASD. That is 4 times the amount of Autism. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is among the leading causes of cognitive and developmental disability among children in Canada. The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure are vast and varied, but without supports, individuals with FASD can have profound issues with education, daily functioning, mental health, addiction, and social functioning. When unsupported for their disability, rates of FASD are higher in vulnerable populations, including those involved in the child welfare and justice systems. Interventions can have a profound impact on outcomes, however, in BC there are limited to no specialized services for this population. In Ontario, their specialized services funding has been expanded to include families caring for a child or young adult affect by FASD. We challenge the BC government to revisit their FASD strategic plan, look to other provinces, bring together a roundtable of experts, advocates, family members, and individuals with FASD, and recommit funding to finally support the needs of those affected by FASD. All our children deserve better than what they are given for a disability they did not ask to be born with !

Imagine leaving your home to travel abroad to visit after a death in the family, only to find the doors slammed shut behind you by a global pandemic. Imagine flights being cancelled, borders being closed, and panic rising all around you. Imagine living through that isolated, alone, without even the support of a Canadian consulate or embassy. It may sound like a nightmare, but for dozens of Canadians, it's the frightening reality right now. Stranded in Iran as a major pandemic gets underway, these Canadians are trapped and alone - and they need our help. Canadian officials have the power to negotiate a flight to Iran to collect Canadian citizens and bring them home. But so far they have refused. We understand the need to manage resources. But we also understand the moral imperative to look out for each other in times of crisis. Imagine it was you in that situation. Imagine if you were counting on your government, but knew that the only way those politicians would help was if thousands of Canadians spent just 30 seconds signing a petition and making their voice heard. Imagine it - and then be that voice. Let's bring them home.

My son is a disabled person who is currently residing in a Homes for Special Care residence. The Ontario government has been gradually eliminating funding to support programs, as well as income security for people with disabilities in Ontario. There are also significant economic impacts to the province that must be considered as the long term consequences of such funding cuts to disadvantaged people with disabilities inevitably results in simply shifting the real social costs onto other areas of Ontario's social network. There is a serious need to take into consideration the disruption to care and the real economics of imposing changes in the funding to support programs, as well as income security for people with disabilities in Ontario. It is understandable that improvements are inevitably necessary, however this should be thoughtfully considered and applied in incremental steps that will definitely not cause unnecessary wholesale social and economic turmoil. The low costs of supporting inclusion results in a better quality of life, prevents illnesses and keeps people from falling further behind. In contrast the removal of funding for support programs and income security for people with disabilities results in increased and less predictable financial costs to Ontario's economy. Ignoring social support obligations only exacerbates the need for the services that people with disabilities deserve and ultimately need. This neglect simply compounds the misfortunes of the disabled and increases the economic impact on our social network in Ontario. Ontarian's are very cognizant of the simple fact that this is being done so the current provincial government will be able to point to short term budget improvements to support their political agenda. The long-term costs to Ontario's social support network will be realized in much greater social and economic burdens to Ontarian's.

The CPSO made a decision of no neglect without the Operative Report, also the Dr. that did this to me was on the Board. Only to find out we have to hire a Lawyer just to find out what happened, fact is our tax $$ pay for the Dr.'s Medical Malpractice Insurance yet the numbers do not add up. Especially when you see a Patient dying every 17 minutes from a PREVENTABLE MEDICAL ERROR . At Least offer to pay for their funeral or transportation costs to send their dead bodies home. Perhaps a , I'M sorry would be nice. But it continues to happen, our Government "turns a blind eye". Let's start with accountability, make it Dr.s and nurses can be honest , open when an error happens, no recourse or discipline for those who come forward. It helps them and would make those who keep making these errors think twice. So they treat us as a person not a pay check, not an acceptable loss. Imagine the amount of money here in Canada at least, could save. Maybe put back into programs that have been cut. Just a thought.

This is so very important because inaction shows MP Arnold Viersen's and his cronies that sexism and the objectification of women is acceptable and will be tolerated by the CPC. The disrespect he holds for these two women (and by extension, all woman) demands a swift and clear response of removal from office.

There are hundreds of people languishing in prisons in BC, many being young people, who in many instances have only committed minor crimes but are repeat offenders with FAS. In cases I am aware of the judge gave no consideration to the person having FAS and he has been in and out of jail with no treatment available in prison and no sensible alternative on release from prison. Many of these people are vulnerable to use by others in carrying out illegal activities and become the "fall guy". They are often shunned by many and hence seek approval wherever they can find it. The result is we have more persons in society who do commit crimes as they are often unable to understand the consequences of their actions. The cost to tax payers for supporting hundreds, or more likely thousands, of such people in prison is huge. Hence the cost of status quo is both a public safety issue as well as an economic one. And lastly the cost and mental anguish for parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters is beyond belief unless you have walked a mile in their shoes.

It is important because climate change is a human crisis and we need humanity to combat this third world war of the climate on this earth for a safe and better environment for the next generation.Climate change will alter the Earth. But it could destroy humanity 'What we’re doing to the Earth has no parallel in 66 million years, scientists say'

Canada is known around the world for our commitment to peace. Now, we have a chance to lead the world towards peace again - by making it impossible for Trump to pursue a war of aggression with Iran. The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 is now widely regarded as a disastrous mistake. Warhawks like John Bolton lied to the world in order to pursue a war of aggression in the Middle East. And they made no secret of their desire to invade Iran as well. Today, many of the very same people are back in power in the United States - and it looks as though they may get their wish. But we can help slam the brakes on another disastrous conflict. A strong statement from the Prime Minister committing Canada to de-escalation and assuring that not a single Canadian soldier will be deployed to support an invasion of Iran will send a clear message to President Trump that even the United States' closest ally will not support him in his military adventures. Doing so will set an example for other traditional American allies in Europe and around the world. Left without partners for his ill-fated scheme, Trump could well be forced to abandon plans for an invasion. Somebody will have to be first - and Canada, long a leader in peace-keeping, can be the leader here too. Together, we can make it happen. If thousands of Canadians sign this petition, Trudeau will see that the Canadian public is against a war in Iran and know that we'll have his back when he stands up to Trump. We have the power to stop a war. Sign now and spread the word.

On December 4th, the AGM for the Nelson & District Women’s Centre will be held at the Adventure Hotel at 5:30pm. Many know the Centre to be a place of support and service to the community. What some members may not be aware of is that over the past several months, the staff have been working to the point of exhaustion -many to the point of resignation- due to a lawsuit filed by a group of so-called feminists who appropriated the name the Bread and Roses Collective. Over these months, effort and emotional energy have been diverted from supporting the community in full capacity to responding to a Supreme Court lawsuit filed by women who question if other marginalized genders should be allowed to be voting members of, employed at, engage with or utilize the support and services of the organization. This bullying tactic was used to execute a hostile takeover of the board and force others out through mental and emotional exhaustion. The pressure of this lawsuit on the volunteer board and part time staff led to periods of time where drop in services were closed, impacting some of the most marginalized members of our community. History shows us that that dividing and excluding the marginalized is in itself an act of violence. With the Trans Day of Remembrance passing on Wednesday November 19, we speak the names of transgender people, (particularly TPOC) who are killed each year (at least 311 this year) in acts of transphobic violence. It is also a time to reflect on other acts of violence against trans people, including emotional violence, micro-aggressions and the systematic exclusion of trans bodies in community spaces. If you care about the inclusion and the support of all marginalized genders, come to the Nelson District Women's Centre AGM on Wednesday, December 4th or send a proxy vote to elect board members who aim to build a longer table, not a higher wall. For more background info, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9staXcyOYKs

The people at the bottom of society have all but been forgotten, the middle class needs both parents of the family to hold full time jobs in order to maintain that stature. Their children are left to be raised by strangers lacking the love and focussed required to nurture a wholesome human being. The wealthy add to their riches by investing in other business enterprise while little of the prosperity filters down.

The Chilliwack city council rejected a proposal to support the LGBTQ community by painting a rainbow crosswalk in downtown Chilliwack. In response, a group of community members worked with community organizations and local First Nations to paint 16 rainbow crosswalks throughout the city in private property and on First Nations land! The whole world needs to know that even though the city council refuses to make the city a safe place for LGBTQ people, the local community is organizing to fight back.