008-Global Heroes News - March 2022

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March • 2022 The power of positive, solution-based journalism.

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SHANIA KIDS CAN Forever and For Always HOW TO EAT FOR A HEALTHIER BODY AND PLANET

CONSERVANCY REKINDLES HOPE FOR UGANDA’S RHINO POPULATION

Bags of Light,

MADE WITH SOUL

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March • 2022

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IMAGES COURTESY OF © SHANIA KIDS CAN

Shania Kids Can, Forever and For Always RAYE MOCIOIU

Early in her childhood, Shania Twain made herself a promise: one day, she would find a way to give back to kids like her.

The international sweetheart and reigning Queen of Country Pop knows what it is like to be a child living in a dysfunctional family. Much of her childhood revolved around keeping up appearances so that no one would know that her family life was far from perfect, even if it meant going to school hungry.

Shania’s school experience was far different from that of her peers. Her classmates had cleaner clothes, hot water for bathing, and lunches packed with nutritious food. Unlike her own, their parents signed school forms on time, attended parent-teacher conferences, and reserved spots at school assemblies. Meanwhile, Shania could not get authorization signatures from her parents because they were unavailable.

As an adult, she realizes that these disadvantages created insecurities that caused her to withdraw from school and social life.

“If I had a compassionate program leader in my life who listened and understood me—a person who helped me face and overcome the challenges I was dealing with daily—I think my school experience would have been vastly different,” Shania shares.

Holding true to the vow she made as a child, Shania created Shania Kids Can (SKC), a nonprofit organization supporting underprivileged children living in similar circumstances to those she faced as a child. Through oneon-one consultations, academic support, group activities, and nutritious snacks and meal programs where needed, SKC offers a safe environment where children can feel supported.

“I promised myself that one day I would help kids who are facing crises and economic hardship in their young lives, as I did. SKC programs are fulfilling that promise every single day. There are many

SCHOOL WORK ISN’T SO BAD IN THE CLUBHOUSE

stories of hardships that have been overcome and goals that have been realized. Most importantly, we continue to see improvement year over year in social and emotional behaviours, mental health, and academic achievement. This assures me that our programs are working.”

Even before founding SKC, Shania was a well-known and outspoken advocate for underprivileged youth. In 1996, she donated all Canadian profits from her single “God Bless the Child” to the Canadian Living Breakfast for Learning program.

All U.S. profits were donated to the Feeding America food banks. Shania also provided funding closer to home to support nutrition programs at schools in Timmins, and Dwight, ON, long before breakfast programs were widely implemented. These programs were the basis for what would become SKC. Between changing health regulations and bouncing between virtual and in-class lessons, SKC offers services that these kids need now more than ever before. The SKC Clubhouse is a safe space for these children, a place where they know they can go for help every single day. Throughout the pandemic, program leaders have been working with the kids on social and emotional learning, providing access to academic support and a sympathetic ear.

The kids know they can count on a caring adult to be there for them and help them through their daily struggles.

“I don’t think there is one thing that could have changed how my peers perceived me. It was most difficult for me on pizza day or school trips. Not having the money to participate instilled exclusion and bullying. It’s difficult as a child to face that every day, having a safe space like the SKC Clubhouse gives a child who is suffering somewhere to go for help.”

FOR THE LOVE OF THE CHILDREN Last fall, the five-time Grammy Award winner lent her vocal talents to the narration of For Love, a film that tells the story of how Indigenous Leaders across Canada are working together to heal generations of colonial harm by revitalizing their ancient cultural traditions in order to protect and empower their most vital asset: their children.

“We really wanted to showcase not just the history of Canada with regards to a number of issues, but really also like the title, For Love, it’s really for love of the children and to really showcase the beautiful resilience of the culture and the beauty of the culture itself too,” director Matt Smiley told Us Weekly.

For Love shares the heartbreaking stories of Indigenous people across the country, detailing both the horrors of the past, including atrocities inflicted by the Canadian child welfare system,

“Sometimes it takes just one caring adult to change the direction of a young person’s life,” Shania continues.

VEGAS TREE OF THANKS

RESIDENCE OPENING NIGHT © DENISE TRUSCELLO

as well as how Indigenous communities are taking back jurisdictional control of their children in order to ensure that their unique and diverse cultures are preserved for generations to come.

“Once we had a good cut of film and shared it with [Shania], she was very, very deeply touched,” Smiley says. “It just seemed like a perfect fit. It’s really admirable to see her use her voice to really catapult this on an international level.” Smiley continued to say that choosing Shania was part of the plan from the very beginning, as her continuous work going to bat for vulnerable children is not just admirable but has directly impacted Indigenous communities, especially in Shania’s hometown of Timmins, ON. “While narrating this film, I thought about the immense amount of work still to be done, especially within the Indigenous communities,” says Shania. “If reconciliation is to happen, it’s about teaching and learning for adults and children alike. I am immensely proud of our new partnership with Shkoday, where we opened a Biwaase’aa program at St. Vincent’s Elementary School in Thunder Bay.” The program kicked off in October 2021 at the St. Vincent Elementary School clubhouse, where an inspirational “brown is beautiful” wall with a mirror adorns the Biwasaa’e room, indicating and affirming that every child is beautiful inside and out, no matter what colour they are. The children learn about ‘The Seven Grandfather Teachings’—Respect, Love, Truth, Honesty, Courage, Wisdom, and Humility, teachings we all should remember to live by every day.

“Like SKC, Biwaase’aa has a

goal to increase the life skills of Indigenous and non-Indigenous children, youth, and their families through strategies of academic improvement, emotional development, cultural awareness, and nutritional support,” Shania continues. “The Biwaase’aa staff build trust and establish a positive rapport with students, which, in turn, increases student success and achievement through mentoring and role models, literacy and numeracy support, cultural and traditional knowledge exchange, and presentations with students, parents, and caregivers.

All programs are based on the teachings of the Medicine Wheel, which is designed to meet the needs in the following component areas: cultural, mental, physical, and emotional. Programs offered by SKC and Shkoday are supporting and improving the lives of all children.”

The pandemic has brought lasting changes to the SKC Clubhouses, and as they adjust to wearing masks and maintaining social distance during activities, they are also creating new traditions to mark a new beginning. In the Las Vegas SKC Clubhouse, kids wrote notes of thanks, congratulations, and support to “Ms. Shania,” and they were delivered to her for her opening night in Las Vegas at the Zappos Theater.

MOVIE IN THE MAKING

FOR LOVE MOVIE POSTER

A ONE-ON-ONE WITH SHANIA Shania is behind the many fundraising initiatives for SKC, but her shows and tours are the biggest revenue generators.

With every show that she does, Shania ensures that $1 from each ticket is donated back to SKC. On top of that, the singer hosts sweepstakes and meetand-greets that are exclusive to the foundation—these meetand-greets are the only way to meet Shania!

There are just three chances left to meet Shania in Vegas—June 18, August 31, and September 10. These packages include two premium seats, a meet-and-greet and photo with Shania, signed items, and more.

MEET SHANIA TWAIN AT HER “LET’S GO!” LAS VEGAS RESIDENCY ENJOY PREMIUM SEATS, A MEET-AND-GREET, AND EXCLUSIVE PERKS OFFERED ONLY THROUGH IMMERSIVE BY SHANIA KIDS CAN. VISIT SHANIAKIDSCAN.COM Proceeds benefit Shania Kids Can – providing children, youth, and their families with services and support in times of crises and economic hardship.

HELP PREVENT BLINDNESS AND RESTORE SIGHT

Donate today at operationeyesight.com or call 1-800-585-8265

REGISTERED CHARITY # 119068955 RR 0001

March • 2022

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Washing Away Blindness For All the World to See ELINA’S STORY Turning on the tap and getting clean, abundant water is something many of us take for granted.

For people like Elina, who lives in the remote village of Munkala in Zambia’s Sinazongwe District, lack of access to clean water can mean the difference between sight and blindness.

When Elina began having intense pain in her eyes, she had few options for treatment. Living 120 km from the nearest hospital, she and her family spent all they had in search of answers, including local traditional healers.

However, Elina continued to suffer for nearly two years.

“My eyes were so painful. I had to remain indoors all the time,” the 63-year-old grand-

ELINA FROM ZAMBIA © OPERATION EYESIGHT

mother of four recalls.

When Operation Eyesight heard about Elina’s story, local teams diagnosed her with trachoma, a bacterial disease that leads to permanent blindness if left untreated.

Fortunately, Operation Eyesight partners provided surgery and antibiotics before Elina lost her vision permanently. Thanks to Operation Eyesight’s generous donors, Elina received her care free of charge.

When Elina’s vision worsened a year later due to cataracts, Operation Eyesight donors again made it possible to have visionsaving and life-changing surgery.

CLEAN WATER AND AVOIDABLE BLINDNESS Trachoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide, with 2.5 million cases globally each year. The disease is spread through touch, shared garments, and sometimes eye-seeking flies.

Left untreated, trachoma infections cause scarring inside the eyelids, making the eyelashes scratch the cornea. This causes severe pain and can lead to irreversible blindness.

Thanks to Operation Eyesight’s

work in communities like Elina’s, in 2017, the prevalence of trachoma in the southern Zambian district of Sinazongwe decreased to less than 2.1 percent, down from 14.4 percent just five years earlier.

Operation Eyesight uses a fourpronged approach to eliminating trachoma in communities, following the acronym SAFE—Surgery to treat trichiasis (the painful late stage of the disease), Antibiotics to eliminate infection, Face washing and hygiene education, and Environmental change, including wells and latrines.

In Zambia and also in Kenya, Operation Eyesight is laying the foundation for healthy communities by building wells, drilling and rehabilitating boreholes, providing vision care and treatment, and educating communities on hygiene practices.

By providing communities with clean water, vision care and treatment, and education, Operation Eyesight has successfully eliminated trachoma in Sinazongwe District and is on track to eliminate trachoma in four districts in the central part of Zambia.

“We know that access to fresh water and proper sanitation for people to wash their hands, face, and clothing helps prevent the spread of trachoma and a host of other illnesses,” explains Paul Mpundu Kulya, Operation Eyesight’s Project Coordinator in Zambia. “Operation Eyesight is paving the way to eliminating preventable blindness in our communities.”

When a borehole is drilled or rehabilitated, Operation Eyesight then sets up local Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) committees.

Members are trained to maintain the borehole, ensure its longevity, and provide community health education sessions to help people improve their sanitation habits.

RIPPLE EFFECT Along with helping prevent the transmission of illnesses like trachoma, malaria, and COVID-19, a clean water source empowers communities to become hubs for local trade and provides increased economic opportunities.

“In many communities, the task of hauling water commonly falls to women and girls. Locally accessible

STUDENTS GETTING WATER FROM A BOREHOLE NEAR THEIR SCHOOL IN SINAZONGWE, ZAMBIA © OPERATION EYESIGHT

water means women and girls have time to go to school, earn a living or become more active in their family or community,” says Operation Eyesight President and CEO Kashinath Bhoosnurmath.

Bhoosnurmath says new schools are often built near boreholes due to their central location and easy access to water. Existing schools are expanded to accommodate increased attendance, as more girls can participate in school now that they don’t have to walk far distances to fetch water.

World Water Day is Tuesday, March 22. A donation to Operation Eyesight helps provide clean water and prevent blindness and empower communities across the globe.

Learn more at operationeyesight.com

Sir Lenny Henry: We Need Red Nose Day Now More Than Ever Sir Lenny Henry says people need Red Nose Day now more than ever.

The 63-year-old comedian— best known for co-founding charity Comic Relief—has insisted the “familiarity” of Red Nose Day, which takes place on Friday, March 18, is vital amid the coronavirus pandemic when people still aren’t seeing family members.

He told ‘BBC Breakfast:’ “When everybody is not seeing their mums and dads and their grans, when everybody is struggling because of the pandemic.

“The fact that there is something that they can plug into that’s familiar, that has people they know, that has heart and love and comedy at its core, we all love to watch and to laugh.”

Red Nose Day—founded in 1988—is the annual fundraising campaign set up by the non-profit organization Comic Relief.

Lenny is one of Britain’s best-

known and loved personalities, working as an actor, writer, comedian, and television personality. Lenny is known for films like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Penelope Krull, and more.

After co-founding Comic Relief in 1985 and later beginning the annual campaign Red Nose Day, Lenny has been recognized as a driving force of the charity, working with the organization for more than 20 years and has since been appointed as an Honorary Life President of Comic Relief.

Its mission is to end child poverty by raising money to fund programs to help keep children safe, healthy, and educated.

Lenny added: “It comically provides a space where we can gather together and watch things and go, ‘Well actually, things aren’t so bad; I’m going to help out with that.’

“On the night, for me, it’s just the joy of watching the comical pantomime, or those

guys singing opera where they’ve never sung it before. All of these things are extraordinary to me, makes me want to help out, makes me want to give, and that, for me, is what Comic Relief has always been about.”

Lenny, who was knighted for his work as the charity’s trustee, is touched by people’s generosity in times of hardship and says it’s something we should truly be proud of.

He said: “Moments of true sincerity where you are moved to do something that you normally wouldn’t do, like reach into your pockets and give $1, $2, $3, $4 or $5, that’s always been the case.

“And I think the general public’s generosity in times of hardship when they see somebody that is worse off than themselves, they just want to help.

“They help in places like this and the third world, too, and it’s something that we should be proud of.”

(Source: Reuters)

SIR LENNY HENRY ON WHY WE NEED RED NOSE DAY NOW MORE THAN EVER BEFORE © REUTERS/BANG-SHOWBIZ

ADVERTORIAL

Support and Opportunity Empower Women Leaving Prison to Rebuild Their Lives The future is bright for Lisa Bowden but not long ago, things were not quite so promising. Lisa had come into conflict with the law, which led to her incarceration, first in a provincial prison in Manitoba and then at a healing lodge in Saskatchewan. During this time, she learned about restorative justice, which sparked a passion for creating a positive difference for both herself and others.

When it came time for parole, Lisa applied for a place at Columbia House, an Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver (EFry) transitional housing program in New Westminster, B.C. that helps women re-establish stable lives after incarceration.

“I learned about Columbia Place from a friend who had been there and found everyone very supportive,” said Lisa. “I was really interested in the work EFry does and hoped at some point I might have the opportunity to contribute to it.”

LISA BOWDEN LEARNED TO TURN WASTE WOOL INTO ARTISANAL WOOLS AND YARNS THROUGH EFRY’S SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, WOOLWERX. © COURTESY OF EFRY

It didn’t take long. Within two months at Columbia Place, Lisa was offered a job at Woolwerx, EFry’s social enterprise that trains and employs marginalized women in transforming donated

waste wool into a variety of artisanal wools, yarns and fleece products sold at craft fairs or online at woolwerx.com.

“Working at Woolwerx has been really healing because there’s no stigma,” said Lisa.

“Everyone has that common experience of being incarcerated and then choosing to pursue a different kind of future. We’re all really supportive of each other. If you’re having a hard day emotionally, there’s always someone to help. And I find it rewarding to create things of beauty and value out of something that would otherwise be thrown away.”

Lisa’s interest in helping women avoid future conflicts with the law also continued to grow.

“There’s this perception that anyone who’s been in prison is bad, and that simply isn’t true,” she said. “Sometimes people just make mistakes and in a lot of cases, challenges with mental health are what led to the issues.

I’ve experienced both being punished and being supported and let me tell you, helping someone heal is much better at stopping recidivism.”

Last summer, EFry launched PathwaysNotPrisons.ca, a website aimed at raising awareness of its decarceration advocacy campaign. The initiative calls for changes to reduce the number of women in prison by removing racism from the justice system; eliminating roadblocks to bail, such as poverty resulting in holding women pretrial; and treatment rather than prison for women with substance use and mental health challenges. Lisa was excited to become involved.

“EFry was hiring people with lived experience to help with the program and I got one of the jobs,” said Lisa. “I wanted to continue working with Woolwerx too and they made it possible for me to do both. I’ve learned so much about how organizations

Dignity. Equality. Opportunity.

Three words that can transform marginalized women’s and children’s lives. Learn more: efry.com

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like EFry can make positive change happen.”

On top of her two jobs, Lisa is one of several Columbia Place residents contributing to the development of a collaborative cookbook for justice-involved women. Before her legal system involvement, Lisa was a cook and drew on that expertise to provide easy recipes and stories she hopes will help women re-establish healthy relationships with food.

Soon, Lisa will return to Manitoba to be with her partner.

“I feel so ready for my new life,” she says. “I look forward to using the skills I’ve learned to help more women build brighter futures just like I have.”

EFry is a charity dedicated to helping women and children at risk, involved in or affected by the justice system. Donors make many of its programs possible. To learn more or support EFry, visit efry.com.

INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION AS A JA VOLUNTEER Share your business knowledge & career experience with youth.

Visit jabc.ca/heroes

March • 2022

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The Power of Role Models “I love volunteering with JABC because it gives me the opportunity to pass on pearls of wisdom gained from a lifetime in business. Our youth are our future and it’s important to give them diverse perspectives on what’s possible in our world.”

—JABC Volunteer Role models play an important part in the education of young people and can positively influence the path of someone’s life.

You have likely come across a role model throughout your life who had an effect on your education or career journey.

At JA British Columbia (JABC), a not-for-profit impact organization that prepares youth for success, we know that volunteer role models turn educational experiences from good to great. This is why we work with hundreds of volunteers from communities all over B.C. who are excited to share their education and career journeys in the hope of inspiring young people to set goals and carve their own paths. These volunteer role models

share their real-world experiences while delivering programs in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Through the process, students walk away with skills in communication, collaboration, leadership, problemsolving, and decision making.

Jeremiah Philips, a JA alumnus and fourth-year UBC student, is a local entrepreneur who discovered his passion for business by participating in a JA entrepreneurship program where he received guidance from volunteer mentors from his local community. After walking away with an understanding of how to set up, run, and market his business, he went on to launch a nonprofit called Vision For Life, which aims to create a deep and long-lasting impact by raising awareness of poverty and working one-on-one with marginalized individuals.

“The teamwork and marketing skills I developed at JA helped support the growth of Vision For Life,” says Jeremiah.

“JA still acts as a point of support for me to this day. Several

mentors and peers I met during the program are willing to lend a helping hand whenever they can, whether by connecting me with others or providing their own knowledge.”

Sofia Lopez, another JA alumna, now volunteers her time with JABC in the hopes of inspiring young people to consider the various career opportunities available over the next ten years. She hosts the JA World of Choices program, a virtual career exploration program where youth can connect with real industry speakers–volunteers–to learn about their skills, education, and how they landed in their current roles. Through this volunteer opportunity, Sofia builds on her communication skills by speaking to hundreds of high school students.

She likes volunteering with JABC and adds, “The staff at JABC are incredibly supportive, compassionate, and passionate to teach, and it is so refreshing to be able to experience this.

The connections and networks

I obtained over my three years have been so impactful that, to this day, I still keep in contact with my JABC family and continue working with them.”

Jeremiah and Sofia are just two of many examples of individuals that believe in the power of role models. When a volunteer delivers one of JA’s impact programs in financial literacy, work readiness,

or entrepreneurship, youth are better able to see their future and have the confidence to achieve their goals.

If you are looking for a unique opportunity to equip students with skills essential to their future success, volunteer with us and inspire a young life.

Visit jabc.ca/heroes.

IMAGE COURTESY OF © JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Bags of Light, Made with Soul RAYE MOCIOIU

Growing up on the outskirts of Mombasa, Kenya, sisters and entrepreneurs Salima and Samara witnessed how so many children their age could not do their homework.

“Our mom was an advocate for educating girls,” Salima shares. “Not having access to clean, safe light meant that these girls would not have the grades to make it into secondary school, causing them to drop out and not have an income or job to look forward to.”

Each night, the families in villages without electricity would have to use kerosene, a costly and carcinogenic jet fuel that 1.2 billion people use as their only source of light when the sun goes down.

While attending McGill University in Quebec, Canada, Salima discovered that with solar-powered electricity, households would have a safe and less expensive alternative to kerosene. Moreover, girls like those she knew in Kikambala

IMAGES © COURTESY OF SAMARA

would be able to do their homework each night. Her realization led her to create The Soular Backpack.

“The intention is that as a child walks to school, a lamp in their bag gets charged through a solar panel on their backpack,” says Salima. “When they get home, they have access to clean, safe light and can do their homework and read, so they are empowered to take

control of their futures.”

At home, the children can connect the battery pack to an LED lamp, providing light in homes without electricity for about five hours. To date, around 10,000 children now have access to light every night.

To fund the project, Salima launched SAMARA Bags in 2017, a fashion brand selling simple, elegant, and cruelty-free vegan leather bags. Named after

her sister Samara, Salima started with just $500 and a production run of 10 bags—and it proved to be all she needed.

“Our goal was to find a way to keep our first not-for-profit, The Soular Backpack, alive in a sustainable way, which piqued our interest in the power of brands and communities in creating impact in the world. From the night we launched in 2017, and our first 25 bags that sold out overnight, to now having our products in the hands of over 175,000 people, our North Star has always been to create impact in the world and to build a brand that makes the world better in as many ways as we can, all while donating 10 percent of our profits to The Soular Backpack.”

The two sisters, who run the company in memory of their mother, create timeless and chic styles made from innovative and planet-friendly materials.

Their goal is to one day pivot SAMARA to be entirely plantbased, using only sustainable materials with the least amount of processing—a mission

that requires creativity and unconventional thinking.

Looking for a premium feel with a positive environmental impact, the sisters started experimenting with coconut husks and pineapple leather before discovering apple leather—made from apple skins that are a waste byproduct of the juicing industry mixed with PU (that acts as a binding agent). Working with a small factory in Europe, the sisters created the Apple Leather Mini out of this material!

“We are excited to be playing a part in the future of fashion and what that entails in terms of innovation, materials, and science,” Salima says. “We’ve created products with apple skins, castor seeds, recycled ocean plastics, and recycled plastic bottles, and we’re only getting started. Our dream is to one day have a factory in Kenya, so that we can provide employment to the parents of the children who receive Soular Backpacks in the village where we grew up.”

ADVERTORIAL

Showing Mothers How Much They Matter Mothers have been carrying an unthinkable weight throughout the pandemic. They’ve done it behind closed doors, isolated from the outside world—the result: a nation of mothers who are under enormous pressure and often feeling invisible.

The Mothers Matter Centre (MMC) has made it their mission to ensure that these unsung heroes get the support they need. The MMC works to remind mothers that they are not invisible; they are valued, and help is at hand.

The Mothers Matter Centre does this through their flagship program Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), an evidence-based program where Home Visitors come into a family’s home to support vulnerable and isolated mothers in their critical role as their child’s first and most important teacher. HIPPY strengthens families and communities by empowering mothers to be active in Canadian society while preparing their children for success in school and life.

HIPPY’S RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC With the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020, the HIPPY program and its Home Visitors adapted without losing a step. For many mothers, their HIPPY Home Visitor became their only contact with the outside world. Home Visitors called weekly—or more when necessary. They helped Mothers preserve the cherished HIPPY time with their children at home.

They provided support for mothers coping with online schooling for their children and provided hope to mothers whose determination and resilience were tested daily.

This outreach was a lifeline for families in urgent need.

“It decreased for me the loneliness and isolation and the pain of being homesick. Because we came at a time when we couldn’t even create friendships, or go to a language school… We arrived right in the lockdown, and to find someone that helps you, emotionally or physically… or to help you to find solutions is great.”—Ruba (mother)

Canadians have more work to do. Recovery won’t happen on its own. It will take more than a vaccine. It will require all of us to show mothers how much they matter. It will require us

to address the pandemic’s longterm psychological impacts on children. It will require us to focus not only on employment training but also on mental health and wellness.

HEALTH AND WELLBEING FOR HIPPY MOTHERS As the pandemic rages on, many mothers continue in isolation, which means that supporting their mental health is vital. The MMC’s Health and Wellbeing program helps mothers adopt strategies and healthy coping mechanisms to navigate life as we move through, and eventually out of, the pandemic.

For $150, you can sponsor a mother in the health and wellbeing program.

BUILD BACK PLAY FOR HIPPY CHILDREN In isolation, play has become even more important. Between new rules at school, face masks, and parents struggling with health and financial instability, play is a way for children to relax, enjoy their creativity, and process stress. This program serves as a guide to bringing play back into our daily lives.

© COURTESY OF MOTHERS MATTER

We Connect Mothers With Other Mothers Help Us Empower Mothers, Transform Families and Uplift Communities.

mothersmattercentre.ca

For $50, you can sponsor a family in the Build Back Play program.

March • 2022

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Grassroots Approach, National Impact: The Wilderness Committee’s People Powered Model to Protect the Environment All change begins at the local level: passionate, committed people connecting to organize and stand up for what’s right.

This is the powerful idea the Wilderness Committee was founded on more than forty years ago and what still drives the organization today.

The Wilderness Committee focuses on personal relationships and face-to-face organizing—the keys to making a difference. From leading small groups through the snowy undergrowth in Catchacoma forest in southern Ontario to organizing climate justice marches in the streets of Winnipeg to supporting First Nations-led conservation efforts on the wild west coast of B.C., the group’s activists are on the ground. They work on building the connections needed to win change on some of the most pressing environmental issues in the country.

The Wilderness Committee works on the things that matter most. The organization responds nimbly to emerging community

priorities to fight battles, whether or not in the spotlight.

That’s because they’re held up by activists and supporters— individual donors who make up the majority of its revenue—and not by government or corporate funds. While images of hundreds of activists being arrested standing up for ancient trees last year drove the issue of oldgrowth logging into living rooms across the country, Wilderness

Committee staff and volunteers have been working tirelessly on this campaign for decades.

Through grassroots public education, original research, and public campaigning, the Wilderness Committee helped elevate the plight of ancient forests. Bringing people out to walk amongst 100-year-old trees, organizing public meetings, rallies and demonstrations, publishing articles, generating tens of

thousands of online actions and helping more people make their voices heard within halls of power. These continuous, highimpact tactics are the Wilderness Committee’s specialty.

And their efforts are working.

After several decades of insisting otherwise, B.C.’s government finally admitted that forest management needs improvement.

It acknowledged a paradigm shift is required for sustainability and

PHOTO COURTESY OF © WILDERNESS COMMITTEE

that the remaining old-growth should be protected.

While there’s still a long way to go, the momentum is growing towards a better future for iconic old-growth forests.

Applying their tenacious spirit and grassroots approach, the Wilderness Committee has and will continue to win progress in its fights for endangered species, climate justice, and healthy ecosystems that everyone can enjoy. The battle to protect and preserve the world around us is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and this organization has a vital role to play.

The strength of the Wilderness Committee has always been the people who power it: volunteers, staff and most of all, their supporters. So much is riding on the success of campaigns for a healthier planet.

The world is changing fast.

For better or for worse, this is an all-hands-on-deck moment, and the Wilderness Committee invites you to be part of it.

Canadian Artist Von Wong Is Making the Climate Crisis Unforgettable RAYE MOCIOIU

Art is communication; it allows people from all across the globe to communicate with each other via images, sounds, and stories, shaping the lives and opinions of individuals whose paths may never cross. Art, as well, is a powerful tool for social change,

making a statement that rouses emotions and rallies cries for change in those who encounter it.

Single-use plastic consumption increased by 250-300 percent during the pandemic, a jarring figure pointing to just how much harmful plastic is used and thrown away.

Canadian artist Benjamin

#TURNOFFTHEPLASTICTAP © VON WONG

Von Wong, an activist who is always looking for unique ways to bring attention to traditionally “boring” topics, has become known for creating shocking and awe-inspiring art installations. His work has been featured in magazines, digital publications, and has set records for most materials used to create his installations.

In 2021, Von Wong partnered with the Embassy of Canada in France to create a three-story-tall structure called #TurnOffThePlasticTap, a giant faucet leaking plastics into different settings, raising awareness of the dangers of plastic overconsumption.

In a case study introducing this installation and sharing the inspiration behind it, Von Wong shared: “I’ve created campaigns from 168,000 plastic straws, 18,000 plastic cups, and 10,000 plastic bottles.

But those projects only raised awareness for individual objects and never pointed to the root cause of the problem: Plastic production. This was my chance to create more than a piece of

plastic overconsumption was destroying our planet.

One of their locations, Quebec’s Oka Beach, provided the perfect setting for creating A PLASTIC TAKEOVER impactful imagery. The artist A project of this magnitude and messaging required an open positioned a team of dancers to create a visual representation mind and a creative approach to recycling, pulling unconventional of drowning in plastic, and the faucet was set up as close to the materials from equally unconventional sources. water as possible, making a very “I wanted to embody the literal statement about how plastic spirit of reuse for this entire is polluting the ocean. project. That meant finding We are constantly surrounded folks that believed in the same,” by so much plastic that it’s hard to said Von Wong. “The kind folks imagine something as simple as a at Delsan-Aim provided us with beach utterly free of waste or even access to a building that was leaving a supermarket without any about to be demolished so that pre-packaged items. we could scavenge pieces of “With more than a truckload ventilation duct to bring our art of plastic flowing into the ocean installation to life.” every 60 seconds, we need to take Von Wong and his team our heads out of the sand and start collected hundreds of pounds of looking beyond beach cleanups,” galvanized steel ventilation ducts Von Wong said. “If we don’t in different shapes and sizes. It was do anything about it, it is my then cut, painted, and adapted to nephew’s generation, and every fit a manual forklift. generation after that will have Once the faucet was to live with the consequences. complete, Von Wong and Unless we start by turning off the his team took to the city plastic tap, the problem will only to create visually striking worsen—regardless of how many depictions of exactly how cleanups we perform!” art. It was my chance to create a symbol inviting the world to #TurnOffThePlasticTap.”

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Emerging Leaders in Kitasoo/Xai’xais

VERN BROWN, SEAS & OUTDOOR COORDINATOR, KITASOO/XAI’XAIS. © TAVISH CAMPBELL

In Kitasoo/Xai’xais, the Emerging Leaders program is helping young people learn where they come from and who they can be.

Vern Brown has been the Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards (SEAS) Coordinator for the Kitasoo/Xai’xais community since 2016. Before every hike, students take turns reciting safety procedures to recognize fresh signs of nearby bears and prevent surprising bears on the trail. One day, the group came across six grizzly bears on their way to a waterfall; none were startled by the students.

“This day was important because they saw for themselves and realized that the safety techniques work and will keep them safe.”

Nature United has supported SEAS, part of our Emerging Leaders initiative, in coastal British Columbia since 2009, giving students hands-on internships and other educational experiences to connect with the landscape and culture of their traditional territories. In Kitasoo/Xai’xais, where summer internships have been available to high school students since 2012, Vern’s top goals as coordinator are

to expose his interns to as much of their territory as possible, inspire curiosity, and show them that they have opportunities once they finish school.

“I want youth to know that there is a whole lifetime of work for any youth that should choose to go down the path of stewardship.”

—Vernon Brown, Seas & Outdoor Coordinator, Kitasoo/Xai’xais SKILLS FOR LIFE ON THE LAND During a typical summer, interns spend a tremendous amount of time on the land hiking, fishing, swimming, harvesting seasonal plants, and visiting sacred sites.

They develop skills they can transfer to careers—cataloguing medicinal plants, studying marine and terrestrial biology, speaking with archaeologists. And by spending time in conversation with community elders, the students develop a deeper understanding and connection to the territory they will one day steward.

“When they walk away from the program, they’ve developed a bet-

ter idea of who they are,” he says.

“Their own set of values, passions, love and ownership of the special places in their territory. I tell them to pick a tree, pick a clam bed, and love it. Protect it, because if you don’t maybe no one else will.”

“WHO THEY CAN BE” Vern sees first-hand the way his interns gain a deeper sense of pride in their culture and communities. Emerging Leaders school programs and youth internships incorporate on-the-land learning in hopes that students’ eyes will be open to all of the possibilities waiting for them once school is over. Nature United is proud to support these community-designed, community-led programs in Kitasoo/Xai’xais and across Canada, helping to develop the next generation of leaders to steward lands and waters.

“Youth in our community represent the future stewards of our territory,” Vern says. “It is our Nation’s vision to reconnect young people to the Earth and their culture. To teach them where they come from and who they can be.”

March • 2022

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Together, Our Neighbourhoods Are Better When you walk through the doors of a neighbourhood house, you are met with a lively diverse community, a buzz of action and activity, and a sense that you belong. Neighbourhood houses are special places in Metro Vancouver communities.

The Association of Neighbourhood Houses (ANHBC) is a network of spaces rooted in communities across the region. Together they are eight neighbourhood houses and one summer camp, all building healthy and engaged communities where everyone belongs.

With over 300 programs and services tailored to the needs of each community and its neighbours, everyone from youth to seniors, newcomers to long-time residents take part in creating meaningful change in their lives, neighbourhood, and beyond!

Neighbourhood houses are many things to a varied group of people. They are tai chi classes, language meet-ups, social justice incubators, intergenerational meals, childcare centres, dad groups, connections for seniors, and so much more! To Rocio,

the neighbourhood house is a place to find a home after a new beginning.

During the last two years, meaningful connection has been hard to find for everyone, especially those new to their community. After moving to Canada from Mexico with her husband and young son, Rocio found herself longing for home, family, and a place to meet new friends.

network to help her grow as a parent, partner, and leader in her new community. Because neighbourhood houses provide support for community members to develop connections, grow their capacity as leaders, and make meaningful change in their neighbourhood, we know that together, we are better. To do this important work in our communities it takes strong leaders and donors to all join “In 2021, I was fortunate to the Neighbourhood House attend the Nadie es Perfecto Movement. Donations to – Nobody is Perfect Parenting ANHBC support programs and Program [at Frog Hollow services that ensure families have Neighbourhood House], and access to healthy food, newcomers it changed my life as a mother, develop connections that help wife, and friend. I had the them grow, youth partake in opportunity to meet the most leadership training, seniors have wonderful women and get to access to technology to alleviate call them friends at the end of isolation, and much more! the program.” says Rocio. “The You are invited to walk Neighbourhood House has been through those doors of the my home, my family, and my neighbourhood house in your meeting place. This experience community, develop meanhas helped me find myself again ingful connections, grow as a in learning what the word leader, and support your neighcommunity means: home.” bourhood. Real change can be made in our communities, it Together with her neighbours, starts with all of us and your Rocio has found a support neighbourhood house!

FIND HOME IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD ANHBC Neighbourhood Houses are spaces where everyone is invited to build healthy communities together. Here with you neighbours, you can connect, engage and grow.

Visit ANHBC.ORG or call 604-875-9111 to donate and find your neighbourhood house!

Conservancy Rekindles Hope for Uganda’s Rhino Population Hundreds of rhinos once roamed Uganda’s sprawling savannas and tropical woodlands, part of a rich heritage of big game and a tourist draw for the East African country.

But throughout the 20th century, poachers hunting for the beasts’ prized horns killed them unchallenged during years of political turmoil, including the dictatorship of Idi Amin.

Uganda’s native population of northern white rhino and eastern black rhino that once together numbered above 700

was wiped out around 1983, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

Now a private wildlife ranch that is breeding rhinos is kindling hope for large-scale regeneration of the species and re-introducing them in the country’s national parks.

Established in 2005, the conservancy, the 70-squarekm Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch, started off with four southern white rhinos imported from a Kenyan game reserve.

“We received their first male born calf in the sanctuary here,

named Obama, and that was the beginning of the breeding of our rhinos,” the ranch’s 44-year-old rhino specialist, Moses Okello, told Reuters.

In 2006, two more rhinos were donated to the sanctuary from a zoo in Florida. Since then, the sanctuary has been expanding its crash of rhinos through breeding to its current stock of 33.

“We want to multiply these rhinos, protectively as you guard them, 24/7...so that we can achieve our goal by reaching a number of 40 to 45,” Okello said.

“Then we can release these

rhinos to the national park, as it used to be their natural habitat.”

Located in Nakasongola, about three hours drive north of the Ugandan capital Kampala, the ranch is set amid lush green grasslands and permanent marshes where hippos wade.

Ziwa also boasts a range of other animals, including kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, cats, birds, and small primates.

On a recent day Kori, one of the oldest matriarchs at the ranch, trotted off in the verdant bush, metres behind her fourmonth-old calf, the youngest of

her seven offspring.

The intense watching of the rhinos, crucial to prevent a reprise of the past experience, can be exhausting, according to ranger Patrick Opio, 29.

“First of all, develop the love for these rhinos and then you can manage monitoring them well,” he said.

“If the rhino is resting, you will be resting, if the rhino is moving, you will have to move with it. So, even if it’s raining, you have to be there with a rhino...it’s something hectic, but we have the love for it.”

—Reuters

ZIWA RHINO SANCTUARY MANAGER SALEEM AHMED TALKS TO RANGERS AT WALLOWING POND FOR RHINOS

KORI, THE OLDEST RHINO, RESTS WITH HER FOUR-MONTHS-OLD BABY UNDER A SHADE AT THE ZIWA RHINO SANCTUARY IN KIRYANDONGO DISTRICT, UGANDA © ALL PHOTOS: REUTERS/ABUBAKER LUBOWA

A SOUTHERN WHITE RHINO GRAZES AT THE ZIWA RHINO SANCTUARY IN KIRYANDONGO DISTRICT, UGANDA

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Help Within Reach for Cariboo’s Youth Imagine…16-year-old Theodore lives six hours north of Vancouver, in the Cariboo region of B.C., near Williams Lake.

Intelligent and resilient, Theo is quick to offer a smile and a laugh to his friends, but the last 12 years have been a struggle. In 2008, the downturn permanently closed several local mills, and

although Theo doesn’t remember it well, he knows it caused a lot of stress when both his parents lost their jobs. Stress that led to his parents often arguing, especially on days when they would plan to visit the Food Bank, and eventually, to a divorce.

By Theo’s 12th birthday, the trauma and ugliness of it all

© BIGSTOCK / RIDO81

Caribioo Chilcotin

seemed mostly behind him. But then the 2018 B.C. Wildfires had hit, forcing the entire town of Williams Lake and all the surrounding areas to evacuate.

Leaving his home was surreal, but driving down the highway and seeing all the burned land and fiery hotspots on both sides of the road was worse. People he

knew had their houses burned down, and seeing the carnage brought Theo to tears. It was a stark reminder of how savage the fire was. Although glad to escape the smoke and danger, Theo was scared about what he would return to.

For weeks, Theo and his family lived at the Evacuation Centre in Kamloops, feeling trapped and hopeless. He had thought that returning home would right all things, but it didn’t. Being off work for so long had put his mom in a precarious financial situation, one that she wasn’t sure she could get out of.

Theo tried to put on a brave face and be “Cariboo Strong” like the bumper stickers said, but then COVID hit. Resilient as ever, he sought out the help that he knew he needed, but every door he tried seemed to be wrong. From months of waitlists to requirements that Theo didn’t quite meet, what was a boy to do?

And then, as if an answer to his question, The Cariboo Chilcotin Child Development

Make a positive difference in the lives of youth.

Donate today at ccchild.org

Centre announced that they were bringing a Foundry to Williams Lake, set to open in 2022.

Cariboo Chilcotin youth aged 12-25, like Theo, can ask for help there—mental health, sexual health, counselling and other supports will all be there in one place—and thanks to generous donors, all services will be free and easy to access.

Theo’s experiences mirror so many young people in the Cariboo region, which is why the work of the Cariboo Chilcotin Child Development Centre is vital. With 25 percent of youth in the Cariboo region living in poverty, life has been tough for many, but help is finally going to be within reach.

Children like Theo can look forward to the coming days when they won’t feel so alone.

Bring on the help…

If you want to be a donor for Foundry Cariboo Chilcotin so that youth can get the help they need, please go to ccchild.org Donate and change a youth’s life today.

March • 2022

globalheroes.com

“I was beyond grateful and shocked that a stranger would donate so much on Zachary’s behalf!” said Colleen, Zachary’s mother.

In 2016, four-year-old Zachary in Nova Scotia set an ambitious goal to raise $15,000 to fund 100 cataract surgeries for children in low-income countries through Seva Canada. He embarked on his fundraising campaign after being diagnosed and treated for cataracts earlier that year. Grateful for receiving high-quality eye care in Canada, Zachary wanted to pay it forward. He began his fundraising by setting aside some of his chore money in a jar labelled ‘for the kids that can’t get cataract surgery.’ With help from his family, including his younger sister Rosalie, he hosted bydonation adult and children’s yoga classes, BBQs, and car washes. By late 2019, Zachary was halfway to reaching his fundraising goal!

ZACHARY AND ROSALIE

A ‘Tail’ of Three Patients Around the same time in Ontario, a dog named Leroy was slowly going blind and underwent cataract surgery. “We are so lucky in Canada that we have so many people that can help us. Our family was so excited and thankful that our dog could see again that we thought it would be a great idea to give the same opportunity to children,” said Carolynn, Leroy’s human guardian.

Through her research, Carolynn learned about Seva Canada and Zachary’s missions. She was so motivated by Zachary’s story that she generously donated the remaining half of Zachary’s goal, enough to help him reach his target of restoring the sight of 100 kids in need!

“I saw your story and how you were so thankful and wanted to help other children too,” wrote Carolynn to Zachary. “You inspired me to act on this, I thought if a little boy can do this much, I want to help you too. It

CAROLYNN AND HER HUSBAND

feels good to help others!! Keep reaching out and find others that need your help, and continue to make the world a better place.”

Colleen, Zachary’s mom, was at work when she found out about Carolynn’s gift. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. To be honest, at first I thought there must be some mistake. Once I confirmed the donation was real, I was beyond grateful and shocked that a stranger would donate so much on Zachary’s behalf!” said Colleen.

Zachary and Rosalie both responded with “wow!” According to Colleen, “Zachary was very aware of how much the donation meant, he was surprised and happy one person could donate so much. He was so happy his goal of helping 100 children came true. It was amazing for him and Rosie to see what one idea and many small actions can lead to.

I’m forever grateful to Carolynn for helping me teach my children to dream big, set big goals and go

after them, because one small idea can lead to amazing possibilities.”

The funds raised by Zachary helped children like Lilia, a toddler in the poor, rural area of Mwaro Province in central Burundi. When Lilia was six months old, her parents knew something was very wrong with her vision. She couldn’t follow her parents’ movements with her eyes, cried constantly, and didn’t want to eat. Lilia’s parents were devastated. They couldn’t afford to travel to Bujumbura, the capital, for treatment, nor could they afford the cost of Lilia’s eye care.

The family was relieved to learn about a nearby Community Eye Centre (CEC) that could examine and diagnose Lilia. At the CEC, Lilia was diagnosed with congenital cataract in both eyes. At just eight months old, Lilia was transported to the hospital, underwent sightrestoring surgery, and was given her first pair of glasses. The doctor advised the family that Lilia would need to come back for regular

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follow-up visits and new glasses as she continues to grow—just like Zachary in Canada.

“For many children in lowincome countries, blindness and visual impairment means poverty and loss of opportunity. Millions of children could see tomorrow if only they had access to care.

When you give a child the power of sight, you are also giving them access to education, employment, and the foundation for a better life, full of potential. We are so proud to be a part of Zachary’s sight story!” said Penny Lyons, Seva Canada’s Executive Director.

Today, Lilia is a happy 18-month-old toddler. “Now she plays with other children and can walk by herself! She has gained weight and no longer cries like she used to. I hope she will be able to go to school like other children!” said Lilia’s grateful parents.

Keep dreaming big and making the world a better place, Zachary and Rosalie!

LEROY

Lilia

GIVE A CHILD IN A LOW-INCOME COUNTRY THE GIFT OF SIGHT FROM $25

seva.ca Seva Canada is a registered Canadian charity #13072 4941 RR0001

March • 2022

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“

Being a part of the #YourStoryOurVoice campaign gave me the wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the importance of mental health and my own lived experiences at an international level.

© COURESTY OF RABIAH DIWAH

An Emotional Story, a Powerful Voice Rabiah is committed to lending her voice to champion Every year, Canada’s Walk of awareness and education about Fame, a national not-for-profit mental health inequities, organization that works to shine suicide prevention, and a light on extraordinary achievers disability justice, not just in and their journeys, reaches out her community but throughout to Canadians to nominate a the nation. From acting as a deserving young person for the voice for her country in the Community Hero Program.

House of Commons to sharing Presented by Maple Leaf Sports her story with people on the & Entertainment (MLSE) other side of the world, Rabiah and Scotiabank, this program is achieving things that her recognizes an inspiring Canadian “14-year-old self never thought under 30 who positively impacts were possible.” their communities and beyond. In “Having the opportunity 2021, the fourth annual year of to speak at the House of the Community Hero Program, Commons was one of the the winner was B.C. native greatest privileges and Rabiah Dhaliwal, founder of the opportunities of my life,” Voices for Hope foundation. shares Rabiah. “I remember being very nervous about the At just 22 years old, Rabiah reception I would get from Dhaliwal has already impacted members of parliament who countless lives for the better—and were present. Afterward, many she’s only just getting started. government officials from The activist, humanitarian, various parties shared their and pageant queen has long mental health experiences, whether that be their own been an advocate for mental health resources and education, mental health struggles, or a mission that has taken her watching their loved ones go across Canada and her voice through difficulties. It was an across the globe. eye-opening experience for me When she was in grade that proved to me that mental 11, Rabiah struggled deeply health is something we should with her mental health. Her all care about, across political dark mental state, combined lines, because it affects each with a lack of healthy coping and every one of us.” mechanisms or mental As a neurodivergent youth health support, led Rabiah of colour struggling with depression, anxiety, and PTSD, to an attempted suicide. Her recovery, however, opened up Rabiah has faced more than her fair share of challenges and a pathway that she had never before considered and changed adversities. Through it all, she her life forever. has championed positivity, Now, as a survivor of suicide, always looking for a way to use RAYE MOCIOIU

her voice to raise awareness, call for education, and build connections with others who may also be suffering.

In 2019, Rabiah was selected to kick off and be the face of World Cup winner and professional soccer player Mesut Ozil’s #YourStoryOurVoice campaign, where she shared her story with millions across the globe.

“Being a part of the #YourStoryOurVoice campaign gave me the wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the importance of mental health and my own lived experiences at an international level,” says Rabiah. “I was grateful to simply be able to share my experiences, and my only hope was that the campaign reach even one person who may be struggling and make them feel a little less alone.”

Her humble expectations were greatly exceeded—after the campaign was launched, she was flooded with messages of support and encouragement as the campaign reached 80 million people across the globe.

“It was overwhelming in the best sense of the word! I spent a great deal of my childhood in and out of hospitals due to my mental health struggles. So, I’m simply most proud of surviving and persevering through adversity in a world where it often felt like the cards may be stacked against me. Learning the hundreds of stories of young people who said my voice and advocacy efforts gave them the courage to speak on their own

experiences was truly an honour.

It gave me the strength and motivation to continue my work and serves as a daily reminder of why I champion mental health awareness and education.”

Learning the power of sharing her story led Rabiah to create her foundation, Voices for Hope, focused on challenging mental health stigma through an intersectional lens, giving BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals a platform to share their experiences. Through the foundation, Rabiah is working to establish Canada’s firstever “sensory hub” program, giving students a safe space to decompress when they need it.

“I came up with the idea to start a sensory hub program in schools after going through mental health difficulties in high school and postsecondary,” Rabiah says. “I didn’t feel like I had a safe space while at school to decompress when I was feeling anxious or experiencing a sensory overload.”

After working with a local hospital’s dementia unit to win a grant to buy sensory equipment for patients, Rabiah says that a light bulb went off in her head.

“I thought, why don’t we have sensory equipment in schools for students with mental health issues, autism, and sensory-processing disorders? Thus, the idea came to fruition. Right now, my team and I are engaging with diverse

stakeholders to launch our first pilot program at a local school or youth centre. The sensory hub will be a therapeutic space with sensory technology, stim toys, special lighting, calming visuals, and sounds where students can go when they’re feeling overwhelmed.”

In 2021, Rabiah and Voices for Hope took on a noble relief effort, thanks to a grant from The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. This organization was developed by His Royal Highness Prince Philip to empower youth to lead service projects in the communities.

“A saying that really exemplified to me the importance of how the pandemic has affected us all in different ways is that while we all may be facing the same storm, we are in different boats, and some of our boats are not as well-equipped as others,” shares Rabiah.

“I wanted to do my part and use my sphere of influence to aid in relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am proud to say that we donated 1000 wellness and self-care products to frontline workers at a local hospital and provided therapy microgrants for Indigenous people to ease some of the financial burden that comes along with accessing mental health treatment. We just launched our second round of funding and our goal is to keep growing our microgrant program to even more communities in need.”

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Racing to a Pain-Free Future for Kids with Arthritis When David Porte’s daughter, Cassie, was first diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis (JA) just before her second birthday, he felt confused (could kids even get arthritis?), alone, and fearful for her future. He soon learned that JA affects more than 24,000 children in Canada, causing painful/swollen joints, rash, fevers, and even blindness—and yet, it is poorly resourced and little understood. Wanting to get involved, he signed up for a local charity run in Vancouver, and the rest is history.

Fifteen years later, Cassie + Friends (C+F) is the largest and only charity in Canada that works exclusively on behalf of affected youth and their families. “Our mission,” says Porte, who also serves as C+F’s Board Chair, “is to transform kids’ lives because that’s what is needed—a total transformation when it comes to awareness, treatment options, school support, pain management, and most crucially, a cure.”

To make that happen, C+F recently launched a campaign

DAVID AND CASSIE © THIS IS IT STUDIOS, ISABELLA SARMIENTO

to raise $500,000 for the newly formed Cassie + Friends Care and Research Network (CREW). This campaign aims to rapidly advance JA research and make sure kids can access the best possible care and treatments, no matter where they live in Canada. This March, CREW is set to award its first $150,000

in grants thanks to the support of youth, families, healthcare professionals and dedicated community partners, including Nicola Wealth, BMO, Trillium Projects, Keystone Environmental, Westland Insurance, the Y.P. Heung Foundation and the Arthritis Society.

March also marks Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month and Porte’s 15th year running with Team Cassie + Friends, now 300+ runners strong, with events in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, London, Hamilton, Toronto, and Halifax. “In 2007, when I first started this race, it was still common to see children in wheelchairs or permanently disabled due to their arthritis,” Porte shares. “Since then, new treatments have drastically changed their outcomes, but the reality is that most kids, up to 65 percent, will spend their lifetime in pain due to arthritis and taking aggressive medications that come with their own difficult side effects.”

At just 16 years old, Cassie is now on her fifth medication for her arthritis, which painfully affects her wrists and ankles, after other treatments failed to control her symptoms. In order to keep up at school and as a competitive dancer, she takes a weekly injection of methotrexate (a low-dose form of chemotherapy) and a

Kids aren’t just small adults with arthritis.

Learn more and donate at cassieandfriends.ca

bi-weekly injection of Tocilizumab. When needed, Cassie also takes steroid drops for inflammation in her eyes.

Porte says he can’t wait to see what the next 15 years will bring for kids with arthritis, including Cassie, and won’t stop running until kids get the pain-free futures they deserve. “We’ve got world-leading specialists and researchers right here in Canada and some really passionate youth and parent advocates leading the charge. All we need now is for anyone who’s seen, heard, or experienced the damage JA can do on a growing child’s body and mental health to step up and help us do better for kids.”

To join an in-person or virtual Team Cassie + Friends Run/ Walk or make a donation in support of CREW, please visit cassieandfriends.ca. If you or a loved one has been impacted

by Juvenile Arthritis or another childhood rheumatic disease, we hope you will share your experience on social media using #15YearsFromNow.

March • 2022

globalheroes.com

“Representation saves lives; it is as simple as that,” says Cheekbone Beauty founder Jenn Harper.

MAKEUP BY MICHELLE WILLIS. IMAGE BY © CLAYTON UPSON

Breaking Barriers in the Beauty Industry More than makeup, Cheekbone also works to carve out a place in the cosmetics “When I was a young girl, I did not see anyone in the mainstream industry where Indigenous people can feel seen. True to media that looked like me, and her Anishinaabe roots, Jenn that contributed to me feeling ashamed of who I was and what aims to make a difference in the lives of Indigenous youth.

I looked like,” says Cheekbone Each shade of Cheekbone’s Beauty founder and CEO Jenn Harper. “I do not want any other liquid lipstick is named after an Indigenous woman working to Indigenous youth to have to feel that way.” better their community and the world, from Ashley Callingbull, Based out of St. Catharines, Ontario, Cheekbone Beauty is the first Canadian and the first Indigenous woman to ever an Indigenous-owned beauty brand paving the way to true win the Mrs. Universe title; to sustainability, in line with the water activist and youth hero teachings in their Indigenous roots. Autumn Peltier.

Known for creating high“When we tell you our quality, vegan, cruelty-free pigments are powerful, we are referring to their captivating beauty products designed for low environmental impact depth and colour, but also the hard work they help us do for and maximum wearability, Cheekbone Beauty’s vision has our community,” shares Jenn. been to build a perfect circular Giving back to their economy in the cosmetics community is the centrepiece of space—one that mirrors the Cheekbone’s mission, whether spirit of reuse and repurposing through product donations, that nature does so effortlessly. monetary donations, or project“We as Indigenous people focused donations. have an innate connection to To date, Cheekbone Beauty the land, earth, and water,” has donated more than $150,000 Jenn told InStyle last year. to a wide variety of causes, from “The importance of paying addressing the educational funding gap to supporting attention to brands that have experience in sustainability is organizations like Shannen’s going to be really important Dream, the FNCFCS, the for the world going forward.”

Navajo Water Project, One Tree RAYE MOCIOIU

Planted, and many more nonprofits across North America.

Cheekbone’s definition of success is not based on what you attain for yourself but on what you give back to your community.

That mission drives Cheekbone to give back through donations and create a space in the beauty industry where Indigenous youth feel represented and seen.

Although the beauty industry has made strides in showcasing diversity in marketing campaigns and beginning to cater to the needs of nonwhite makeup users, there is still work to be done—key audiences in the beauty space are still underrepresented.

Indigenous people, for one, are still all too often left out of beauty marketing, a reality that drives Cheekbone Beauty’s mission to carve out a space where Indigenous people of all ages can see themselves represented in the products they use and, perhaps even more importantly, truly feel like the makeup they wear was made with them in mind.

Women over 40 are another demographic commonly left out of beauty marketing. With beauty marketing campaigns mainly dominated by young

women, the beauty industry tells women over 40 to focus on anti-aging products that make them look more youthful—and even those campaigns often use models in their 20s.

“I think that marketers created the narrative that you need to look young and white to be beautiful, and society has embraced it for far too long,” shares Jenn. “We also know that so much of what you see in the media is edited and not real, which contributes to this unattainable view of what is ‘beautiful.’ Now there are apps and filters that you can use to modify yourself, right at your fingertips.”

It’s no secret that the beauty industry tends to prey on women’s insecurities, and the process of editing models to look ‘flawless’ only serves that insidious purpose.

“At Cheekbone Beauty, we want everyone to feel comfortable just being themselves,” says Jenn. “No filters, no photoshop. Leave the lines, show the skin texture, and remind the world that this is what true self-love looks like.”

With this in mind, Cheekbone Beauty launched Warrior Wisdom, a campaign focused on empowering mature audiences to embrace their natural beauty and experiment with makeup they’ve been told is “for younger people.” With three models between the ages of 40 and 60 years old, Cheekbone Beauty wants women to know that age is beauty, and they should show theirs off with pride.

“To us at Cheekbone Beauty, having warrior wisdom means you have experience and knowledge to pass down to younger generations,” Jenn continues. “You wear your lines proudly. We wanted to help highlight another area that the beauty industry leaves out when they are advertising cosmetics.

It seems the only time those over 40 are included is when they are being told to look younger. We want everyone 40 and older to know that they hold the knowledge that only comes with experience, and they shouldn’t be afraid to show that off, especially with bold pops of colour!

“Embracing all of you and exuding confidence is far more attractive than surface ‘beauty’ will ever be. Who decides what is beautiful, after all?”

Crisis in Vet Care—And Solutions

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B.C. vet hospital beats staff shortages, high costs and inflation with a not-for-profit model.

There is a crisis in veterinary care. A shortage of trained professionals, an increase in demand, and the impacts of inflation on already costly procedures combine to put the lives of animals at risk.

Every year, more veterinarians retire than graduate from Canada’s five vet colleges. As a result, by 2024, B.C. will have a shortage of 500 veterinarians. Already, clients in parts of the province are being asked to drive hours for care or wait weeks for an appointment.

The critical shortage of veterinarians comes as demand is increasing. Well over half of Canadian households have pets—and that number only increased during the pandemic. The number of dogs visiting veterinarians, for example, increased 40 percent over the decade ending 2018.

“With a majority of Canadian households just a few hundred dollars from insolvency, an unexpected vet bill can be devastating,” says Eyal Lichtmann,

RAPS, located in Metro Vancouver and one of Canada’s fastest-growing and most innovative no-kill animal-serving agencies, is developing a new model of community-owned, notfor-profit vet care to make animal healthcare more affordable.

“Eliminating the profit motive…makes the community-owned hospital an enviable place to work, which means RAPS is able to attract the talent that other clinics struggle to recruit in a time of desperate staffing shortages.”

SAMANTHA AND HER RESCUER, BREA ST. JAMES © RAPS

CEO of the Regional Animal Protection Society (RAPS). “More devastating still is the tragedy of ‘economic euthanasia,’ the situation where an animal with a treatable condition is put down because the family, or the rescue agency, cannot afford the medical bills.”

All of these issues will only be aggravated by the sudden spike in inflation.

The RAPS Animal Hospital opened in 2018 with the goal of eliminating the profit motive from vet care. Since then, the hospital has provided more than $3 million in partially or fully subsidized veterinary care to households with low incomes or facing other challenges. The hospital offers B.C.’s only 100 percent interestfree payment plan.

While other veterinarians are

shortening their hours due to capacity limitations, RAPS Animal Hospital has continually added hours and anticipates becoming a 24/7 hospital this year or next.

This is because eliminating the profit motive and the pressure on veterinarians to upsell expensive procedures make the community-owned hospital an enviable place to work, which means RAPS is able to attract the talent that other clinics struggle to recruit in a time of desperate staffing shortages.

The promise of the communityowned hospital is evident in thousands of happy endings.

One story is Samantha’s. She was rescued by a Good Samaritan from a life of gross neglect and abuse and brought to the RAPS Animal Hospital.

During surgery to remove a tumour on Samantha’s head and to spay her, doctors discovered an infection of the uterus. If surgery had been delayed by days or possibly even hours, Samantha would have died.

Instead, the surgery saved her life. Because RAPS has Canada’s only hyperbaric oxygen therapy facility for pets—a cutting-edge modality long used in human healthcare and now available at the most advanced vet facilities in the United States—Samantha’s skin condition and other issues improved dramatically. She was brought up to a healthy weight.

Samantha was adopted by a family in Comox, where she is living the island life surrounded by all the love every dog deserves.

Hers is just one of many stories in which the not-for-profit RAPS Animal Hospital saved the life of an animal who might have faced euthanasia elsewhere.

“Nobody likes to pay bills, especially unexpected vet expenses,” Lichtmann says. “But our clients say that, in addition to the affordability of our not-for-profit hospital, knowing that funds go to save and improve the lives of other animals, like Samantha, gives them a really good feeling.”

March • 2022

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Could Robots Be the Key to Saving Our Seas? currently being done with big ships at a fraction of the cost, The oceans are full of more safely, and with a vastly information—from data that can smaller environmental footprint,” help protect at-risk species, to Angus shares. “Our robotic the most fuel-efficient routes for boats do just that, collecting ships, to measuring changes in the data necessary to protect and oceans so that scientists can better understand the oceans, which understand the effects of climate includes protecting against illegal change. However, much of the fishing, monitoring endangered ocean’s data remains unknown— whale populations, and mapping it is estimated that more than the seafloor.”

80 percent of our oceans are Through these uncrewed unmapped and unexplored. boats that are operated remotely, A lifelong adventurer and the Open Ocean Robotics is creating first woman to row across the a digital ocean and allowing Atlantic Ocean from mainland scientists to see the ocean in a to mainland, Julie Angus cotransformative way, from the founded Open Oceans Robotics seafloor to the surface and across to help explore the unexplored millions of miles. using autonomous energy— “Creating a digital ocean harvesting boats equipped with is about collecting data sensors and cameras. These autonomously through boats, produced by Open Ocean technology like our robot boat Robotics, are used to make Data Xplorer,” says Angus, who oceanic observations and instantly works with her husband Colin, relay them safely and efficiently, CTO and co-founder of Open transforming the way we explore Ocean Robotics, to produce the and understand our oceans. vessels. “Our boats can travel “My time on the ocean made the ocean for months at a time me realize that human-less boats powered only by the sun and could do many of the tasks send back the collected data by RAYE MOCIOIU

© PHOTOS COURTESY OF OPEN OCEAN ROBOTICS

satellite. We can also work with submersible drones that collect underwater data or aerial drones that take measurements from the sky. This gives us the ability to create a 3D picture of what is going on in the ocean, from the seafloor to the sky.”

Conventional vessels can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $80,000 a day to operate offshore. Removing just one offshore vessel from the ocean has the same effect as reducing the emissions of 100 cars for a year.

These 250-pound unsinkable boats are doing the same jobs

as the bigger boats but at a fraction of the cost and even less of a negative impact on the oceans. Not just that, but being unmanned means these boats can trek into parts of the ocean that are harder to access with a ship, sailing into the biggest seas and braving the nastiest storms.

Last year, Open Ocean managed to secure funding that would help them improve the autonomous solar-powered vessel, which works to police illegal fishing in marine protected areas—a problem that costs nearly $23 billion and accounts

for 30 percent of fish. Because illegal fishing happens in remote parts of the ocean, it’s incredibly hard to police. By having something that can go out and monitor those areas, Open Ocean Robotics is making waves in combatting issues that are putting our oceans at risk.

“The number one thing I want people to know about our oceans is that they are vital to our planet’s health and our economy, and if we don’t ensure their sustainability, we will all lose.”

This matters to us all. It’s time we pay attention to our oceans.

Celebrities for Climate:

Stars Speak up to Raise Awareness About Climate Change Rihanna has donated $15 million to charities focused on climate justice.

The singer and beauty mogul’s foundation will give grants to 18 different nonprofits across the U.S. and Caribbean.

At the end of January, her organization, the Clara Lionel Foundation, announced it would be giving grants to 18 different nonprofits from the United States and seven different Caribbean nations.

“At the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF), our work is rooted in the reality that climate disasters, which are growing in frequency and intensity, do not impact all communities equally,” the announcement reads. “Under-resourced countries, communities of colour, and island nations are facing the brunt. To combat this inequity, funders must build partnerships with organizations, acknowledging their deep understanding of what is necessary to achieve climate justice in their own communities.”

The Grammy winner has partnered with Twitter founder Jack Dorsey through his #StartSmall philanthropic initiative, focusing on groups that address the needs of female, Black, LGBTQ+, and Indigenous people.

The money will be donated to organizations such as The Caribbean Climate Justice Project, Movement for Black Lives, Indigenous

conversations as much as we have enjoyed having them.”

The Lord of the Rings star also described the podcast as “a joyous extension of a longstanding friendship that all of us at Dirty Films have had with the wonderful Danny Kennedy.”

The co-stars will be chatting to guests on the program, which has been commissioned for two seasons.

Don’t Look Up actress Cate has been vocal about the need to fight the effects of climate change and insisted people “need to be scared.”

She previously said: “Everyone is trying to be positive, talking about 1.5 degrees of global warming. But 1.5 would still be disastrous. We need to be f****** scared… and demand change; be collectively courageous enough to face that fear and do something about it.”

However, despite her frustration at the situation, Cate is not surrendering “hope” as RHIANNA © BANG SHOWBIZ CATE BLANCHETT © REUTERS/BANG-SHOWBIZ she discussed the conversation Environmental Network, CATE BLANCHETT Opening up on ‘Climate of she has to have with her ANNOUNCES NEW Climate Justice Alliance, and Change with Cate Blanchett and children— Dashiell, 20, the Black Feminist Fund, CLIMATE CHANGE Danny Kennedy,’ she said in a Roman, 17, Ignatius, 13, Edith, among others.

PODCAST statement: “Danny’s knowledge seven, whose father is actor “This powerful group of Cate Blanchett is launching a about and passion for climate Andrew Upton, 55— about the climate justice leaders and new podcast to raise awareness solutions is infectious, and our crisis the planet is facing. organizers from seven Caribbean about climate change. experience developing this project The star said: “I’m not giving countries and nearly all 50 with the folks at StoryHunter for up hope. As I say to my kids, The 52-year-old actress is states—relentless doers and teaming up with clean-technology Audible has been a shot in the if we’re going out, how do we innovators—are responding arm—and has gone a long way to choose to go out? It’s a terrible entrepreneur and environmental effectively and urgently to tempering our eco-anxiety. activist Danny Kennedy for the conversation to have with your climate change,” representatives Audible project, which will delve “We hope that our 13-year-old, isn’t it?” for the foundation explained. into the climate crisis. listeners enjoy hearing the —Reuters ADVERTORIAL

Researcher Finds Cool Pools to Save Salmon Schools Kate O’Neill’s Passion Drives her to Help Keep Salmon out of Hot Water

From June 25 to July 1, 2021, British Columbia baked under temperatures reaching 49.6°C. The unprecedented heat dome resulted in B.C. streams getting warmer, detrimental to cold-blooded salmon.

However, one researcher found a silver lining. The extreme heat created a greater differential between ambient stream temperatures and the cooler pools within them, fed by upwelling groundwater.

Researcher Kate O’Neill launched her project with two goals: first, to identify where groundwater enters streams, and second, to create a methodology for stream keepers to find cool pools so people could replicate her work.

“During 2019 and 2020, the summers were not extraordinarily warm, so it was difficult to identify thermal refugia (cool pools) within streams,” says O’Neill, whose 2019 research was funded by the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) and the Pacific Institute for

KATIE O’NEILL© ALANNA DUMONCEAUX

Climate Solutions. Her master’s study in Ecological Restoration from Simon Fraser University and BCIT focussed on Vancouver Island’s Tsolum River.

The heat of 2021 made these cool refuge areas more obvious—and necessary for salmon.

Allan Chamberlain, Tsolum River Restoration Society (TRSS) director and volunteer, contributed to O’Neill’s research when he noticed thermal refugia while snorkelling the river

during the heat dome. The society mobilized research assistants to walk the lower Tsolum and document the cool spots, which they shared with O’Neill.

“By identifying these thermal refugia, we can help protect specific areas by increasing public awareness, and really focus our efforts on climate mitigation,” says O’Neill.

“This is important because as cold-blooded species, salmon are very sensitive to climate change and habitat threats,” says O’Neill.

Reverse the Declines

Help bring salmon back, stream by stream Get involved at psf.ca

“And salmon are vitally important to our ecosystem and extremely important culturally.”

Despite the positive identification of cool pools, the number of salmon using them appeared to decline over the hot summer period, which may suggest fish are more prone to predation when clustered in high numbers.

Locating areas of cool refuge— which can be as small as one metre by one metre—proves challenging.

The work often relies on information provided by local swimmers, fisheries professionals, or people walking or snorkelling in streams.

In collaboration with TRRS volunteers, O’Neill verified thermal refugia by installing a series of data loggers to confirm whether the stream is fed by groundwater.

Shielded from solar warming, they provide a cool-temperature refuge for salmon within a warmer river.

The data loggers—used in O’Neill’s research funded by PSF’s Community Salmon Program—are primarily financed by the Salmon Conservation Stamp,

purchased by anglers with their annual fishing license.

O’Neill has continued her research after completing her master’s while working for Current Environmental Ltd. Recently, in partnership with the TRRS and supported by PSF and Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation funding, they deployed a drone from BCIT’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Hub. Using drones with infrared technology, they hope to identify anomalies in river temperatures, allowing larger areas to be studied more efficiently and effectively. Her ultimate goal is to support the identification and mapping of thermal refugia within all salmon-bearing streams in B.C. “We still don’t know where a lot of these areas are, and we continue to rely on anecdotal information and citizen science from people who care,” says O’Neill.

Learn more about Pacific salmon at: psf.ca.

March • 2022

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ADVERTORIAL

The Importance of Climate Education Understanding climate change is about more than just understanding global warming. Teaching about the climate crisis provides young people with an opportunity to discuss social justice, world issues, and explore personal beliefs and values through critical thinking. Climate education has no boundary for the subjects it may relate to; the responsibility goes beyond that of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educators; parents and guardians are equally responsible for reliable access to climate education.

The impacts of climate change are complex and different in every region. In some areas, higher temperatures will lead to more droughts and forest fires in the summer months. In other areas, rising temperatures will increase the amount of water that evaporates, which could lead to more frequent and intense storms causing flooding and more intense snow and ice storms in the winter.

Climate change could continue to melt arctic ice and glaciers, warming oceans, and rising sea levels, which will impact all people, plants, and animals on Earth.

Without immediate, significant action, the earth is expected to warm 1.5° to 2° C, according to The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. For reference, fever occurs in the human body between 37.5° C and 38° C, which is only 1.5° to 2° C higher than our average core temperature of 36° C. Warming of these temperatures will see an increase in heatwaves, longer warm seasons, and shorter cold seasons.

ENGAGING YOUTH IN CLIMATE EDUCATION THROUGH EVERYDAY TOPICS The United Nations identifies education as a critical agent in addressing the issue of climate change. Education can encourage a change in behaviour and attitudes and help individuals make better-informed decisions. Climate education in the classroom, particularly in the early years of development, empowers and motivates youth to

© PAMELAJOEMCFARLANE

© STOCKSTUDIOX

take action by eliminating the fear of the unknown, which is often a deterrent of action. The United Nations created the Climate Change Education for Sustainable Development programme designed to “help people understand the impact of global warming today and increase “climate literacy” among young people.”

Learning about climate science and how to preserve the earth for many generations to come can be an overwhelming topic for students to take on, but it can also be a fun and interactive experience. By focusing on a topic that students care about personally and have some autonomy over like their clothing, Let’s Talk Science offers youth an engaging and

empowering entry point to learn about this global problem.

Did you know the fashion industry is responsible for approximately 10 percent of annual global carbon emissions? And by 2030, fashion-related emissions are expected to grow by more than 50 percent. The clothing industry impacts everything from our water and soil to a variety of ecosystems.

Let’s Talk Science recently launched a national climate science initiative called Clothing4Climate, designed to help youth develop a fundamental understanding of climate science, encourage them to explore the environmental impacts of clothing, and take action through meaningful and sustainable clothing choices to reduce

greenhouse gas emissions.

Through Clothing4Climate, students learn how to make educated, sustainable decisions— learning how small actions at scale can make a difference. By participating in this project, youth across Canada connect to drive systemic change.

CLIMATE EDUCATION FOR YOUTH THROUGH UNCOMMON APPLICATIONS One of the most clever ways to engage students in climate education is to relate climate change to uncommon topics through critical thinking. Orbiting satellites even help by detecting changes in the earth’s atmosphere such

as increased flooding, droughts, wildfires, melting polar ice caps and rising sea levels. Arctic animals have evolved to thrive in harsh arctic ecosystems, but the environmental footprint created by climate change is affecting their survival. Arctic ice is, unfortunately, melting at historical levels due to global temperature increases, and many scientists believe by 2030, Arctic summers might be ice-free.

Even math applies to climate education; Climate Math dives deep into the math behind how we know the earth is getting hotter and the tools used to detect temperature increases. Climate Kids is a virtual resource from the government of Canada for all ages encouraging youth across Canada to understand their actions and the impact they have on the environment. Engage youth in real-world applications like water usage around the house, plastics they use every day, and how they can mitigate their environmental impact.

CLIMATE EDUCATION IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO THE FUTURE OF OUR PLANET Taking action now is the only way the world can reduce global warming and limit the effects of climate change. Most don’t know what impact their shopping choices have on the environment and the positive actions we can take as a society that begins with something as small as using a reusable water bottle.

Educators in math, history, geography, physical education, and of course, science can all apply climate education in their classrooms. Parents and guardians can use everyday activities like hiking, weather patterns, and getting dressed to instill lessons about climate change in youth at home. There are endless ways of integrating climate into curricula and at home in a manner that suits each child’s ability, fosters engagement, and demonstrates how STEM education helps to create climate heroes.

STEM education

creates

climate heroes.

Discover free resources that give youth tools to understand climate science and empower them to take action beyond the classroom.

Discover More letstalkscience.ca

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The Mitchell & Kathryn Baran Family Foundation

Meals ONWheels Vancouver Richmond North Shore

Care BC’s charitable programs focus on supporting seniors, caregivers, and other people at risk of isolation through Meals on Wheels, the Family Respite Centre, and the Community Integration Project.

SUPPORT OUR MISSION AT WWW.CAREBC.CA

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ADVERTORIAL

Be a Hero to a Neighbour in Need The Health and Home Care Society of BC (also known as “Care BC”) has operated a Meals on Wheels (MOW) program in Vancouver since 1967.

Over our five decades of service to the community, the program has grown to serve the neighbouring communities of Richmond and the North Shore; we also launched a Chinese MOW program in 1996 to meet the region’s changing demographics.

Our MOW clients, many of whom are frail, homebound seniors at risk of isolation, receive a hot, nutritious meal and a brief friendly visit from our delivery volunteers. Sixty percent of our clients live alone, with no regular visitors connecting with them. It has always been our mission to enable seniors to continue to live independently in their homes for as long as possible—the COVID-19 pandemic has only increased feelings of anxiety and loneliness among those of our clients who were already struggling.

Eleanor is the sole caregiver for her husband, Prod, who

suffered a traumatic brain injury work was shut down. Paolo says: and requires 24-hour care and assistance. She describes how “It’s almost magical—not MOW has helped them: only is it very satisfying to deliver meals on bikes, there “With COVID-19, I have are so many other ‘layers of had to limit his exposure to goodness’—increasing food outsiders, so I’ve been his sole security, combatting social caregiver all this time. Looking isolation, and performing an after him takes so much of my informal safety check.” time that I have had no time for anything else, including We are also extremely grateful shopping for groceries and for the support we receive cooking. Meals on Wheels from generous donors. Care has become a blessing for us. BC subsidizes the cost of each Not only are the meals meal to keep them affordable nutritious and varied but for our clients, many of whom the volunteers who deliver are on fixed incomes. A gift of them have been very kind $250 supports the cost of 125 and supportive. Words are not Meals, including a combination enough to show how grateful my of hot entrees, frozen entrees, husband and I are for MOW’s and sandwich packs. support and assistance.”

Being a hero to at-risk seniors in your community is as easy We couldn’t continue our as volunteering a few hours of essential work without the your time or making a generous support of local volunteer financial donation. Will you be a heroes who helped us deliver hero to someone in need? over 130,000 meals last year.

We are always looking Volunteers like Lisa and Paolo for volunteers who can help signed up during the pandemic during weekday lunch hours in because some of their in-person Vancouver, Richmond, and the

North Shore. Volunteers who can record checks and COVID speak Cantonese or Mandarin in vaccinations are required. addition to English are particularly needed right now. As we work Visit our website, www.carebc.ca, with vulnerable clients, criminal for more information.

PAOLO DELIVERS MEALS ON WHEELS VIA BICYCLE. © COURTESY OF CARE BC

A Darn Good Mission: Changing Lives Through Yarn RAYE MOCIOIU

Seasoned knitters will tell you that part of the joy of knitting is making something that is uniquely yours, formed by your hands. It’s a great way to get in touch with your inner creativity—and it can also be a great way to support the lives of artisans across the globe.

In 2008, Air Force veteran Nicole Snow wanted to learn to knit. Instead of taking a knitting class, she took two of her passions in life—art and helping others—and combined them, creating Darn Good Yarn. She used her experience from college and the Air Force and looked for yarn that could change lives.

In love with colour and interesting textures, Nicole discovered that shredded remnants of old saris could lead to fabulous interpretations of something as commoditized as yarn. Nicole took this opportunity, used this trash, and turned it into craft products and other apparel items.

From the start, Nicole

NICOLE WITH GIRLS WHO PREPARE YARN FOR SHIPMENTS BHAGULPUR BIHAR INDIA LEFT TO RIGHT MUSKAN ARFA SONAM AND MARIA © 2015 TAYLOR TAZ JOHNSON

wanted to use her business as a conduit to create a globally conscious lifestyle through art.

In parts of India and Nepal, where Darn Good Yarn is focused, there are high levels of unemployment. Nicole’s mission was simple: provide phenomenal quality fibres to enthusiasts, while helping the women of Nepal and India become autonomous and self-reliant—the first step to tackling generational poverty.

“The problem was that

many of these women were caught in a cycle where, because of their gender, they had no opportunities available to them,” says Nicole. “The women who work for us are hand-selected for their skill and given a wage that not only allows them to survive, but thrive. This affects the rest of their family as well—their children can stay in school and get an education. So, while our yarn and clothing is made from old processes, it provides

the most stability, and in turn, we can pay up to five times the daily rate for a worker in this environment because our core materials are discounted, since they are seconds or trash.”

To date, Darn Good Yarn has saved more than two million pounds of material waste from heading into landfills and has turned it back into exotic clothing and craft supplies. As well, Darn Good Yarn has employed over 600 artisans with steady work,

effectively changing their lives by providing sustainable employment and support.

“All of the yarns are handmade in small batches and undergo extensive quality control,” Nicole shares. “This also means that all of our yarns are, essentially, mirrors of the amazing women who create them.”

For knitters and new crafters alike, Darn Good Yarn’s Yarn of the Month Club is an easy way to experience unique and beautiful yarn that directly supports artisans.

“Yarn of the Month is by far our most important product we carry, going back to our mission of creating safe and sustainable jobs alongside carrying worldclass yarn. For every 100 subscriptions, it creates one full-time job! It’s about making beautiful things and doing good at the same time.”

When you invest in Darn Good Yarn for your projects, you help a family eat, access proper medical care, and send their children to school—you are crafting a globally conscious life that you can feel great about.

ADVERTORIAL

Cool Aid Takes Comprehensive Healthcare on the Road The Cool Aid Mobile Health Clinic, powered by TELUS Health, provides primary healthcare to marginalized people in the Victoria area.

The Victoria Cool Aid Society is bringing primary care to underserved people in the Victoria area. Through partnerships with the TELUS Health for Good program and Island Health, the Cool Aid Mobile Health Clinic is a fully equipped clinic on wheels that provides trauma-informed, primary medical treatments, mental health services, supplements, harm reduction supplies and addiction support as well as COVID-19 assessments, testing and vaccinations.

The Cool Aid Mobile Health Clinic, one of many clinics operating nationwide as part of the TELUS Health for Good program, is breaking down barriers and improving health outcomes.

“Bringing the Cool Aid Mobile Health Clinic to the Victoria region further expands our community health centre model of care and services for those who experience barriers to primary care and services,” said Mary Chudley, director of health and support services at Cool Aid. “Many marginalized communities,

including those who are underhoused or experience homelessness, have not had access to primary care in years or do not have a documented medical history that can be referenced by healthcare practitioners. By facilitating

better continuity of care, these services help those who cannot easily access traditional medical care yet are in urgent need. With the mobile clinic, we can provide primary care to individuals who need complex care. This kind

KAREN LUNDGREN, CLINICAL NURSE LEAD FOR COOL AID, OUTSIDE THE ORGANIZATION’S ROCK BAY LANDING SHELTER. © TELUS

of outreach is already leading to better patient outcomes.”

The vehicle is divided into two main areas: the first for patient reception and nursing care; and the second with an examination table and workstation including equipment necessary to provide primary healthcare such as routine testing, contraception, STI treatment, and mental health care and counselling. It is also equipped with TELUS Health electronic medical records technology that allows practitioners to access patient records wherever they are.

Locations that the clinic visits throughout Greater Victoria— including several Cool Aid locations, Our Place, Tiny Town, Mustard Seed, the Rainbow Kitchen, and others—have been determined in collaboration with community partners to reach people in need where they are— in parks, shelters, supportive housing locations, soup kitchens, food banks, and on the streets.

Staffed by a comprehensive team including physicians, nurse

practitioners, registered nurses and outreach workers, the clinic delivers specialized care to the target population where and when they need it.

“By going to our clients instead of asking them to come to us, we get to step into their world and see the many barriers and challenges they are facing that may not be apparent when meeting with them in a more clinical setting,” said Robyn Kyle, Cool Aid Health outreach worker. “Part of what makes outreach workers so crucial, especially in a healthcare context, is that we have the tools to address those barriers and challenges, which inevitably leads to better healthcare engagement and better outcomes.”

Since launching in July, the mobile clinic and Cool Aid team have made possible 3,449 encounters to people in the unhoused community—people who might otherwise not have accessed care at all.

Donate today at coolaid.org / 250-383-1977

REBUILDING LIVES, ONE STEP AT A TIME Everyone deserves the dignity that comes with home, health, and connection.

Donate today at

coolaid.org / 250-383-1977

March • 2022

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We understand the hardships and are determined to help.

Our mission is ensuring BC lung transplant patients in financial crisis have a place to turn. www.lthousingsupport.ca A LUNG TRANSPLANT COMMUNITY-LED INITIATIVE

When new lungs are your only chance of survival—most patients and their loved ones—would sacrifice almost anything.

But sometimes almost is not enough.

To qualify for a life-saving transplant, each patient and their caregiver must live near Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), where all lung transplants are performed in BC, for a minimum three months post-transplant care.

By the time most patients get ‘the call’ that donor lungs are available and surgery is imminent, their health is failing, they no longer work and they’re drawing on financial reserves.

For those who live outside Vancouver, the requirement to maintain two homes—their permanent residence and a temporary home near VGH following surgery, is often financially impossible.

That’s why BC’s lung transplant community stepped in. With support from the BC Lung Foundation, we’re creating a lasting legacy of financial support to ensure BC lung patients and caregivers have a reliable place to turn for emergency financial help—and to do so, we need your help.

Photo left to right: LT Housing Support CoFounders Dennis Josey, Bob Mellor and Darcy Murdoch, each a BC lung transplant recipient determined to leave a lasting legacy of support for future patients and caregivers.

My husband and I cannot express the relief and gratitude we felt when we learned LT Housing Support understood the crisis we faced and was happy to provide the help we needed to make it through.

—LT Housing Support Grant Recipient Lenora, speaking for herself and husband Trevor, who live in Quesnel, BC. Trevor received a life-saving lung transplant in 2021.

Please help us close the gap in support for BC lung transplant patients in financial crisis.

Donate today! www.lthousingsupport.ca

March • 2022

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ADVERTORIAL

Unlocking the Key to Happiness HOPE. HELPING. HAPPINESS.

We all want to be happy and live lives that make us and those around us feel good.

Often, especially in our Western culture, that leads to mental images of achieving goals, expressing ourselves authentically, reaching financial milestones, and other personal fulfillments that make us feel successful and proud. Driving for success and the vision of a better, more positive future makes us feel good, but equally important and often underrated is the sense of joy and fulfillment that comes from sharing our generosity with others. What brings people happiness may also differ between cultures, but most cultures have discovered that the key to real happiness, the thing that releases chemicals in our brains that give us a sense of joy and peace, is “giving.” Generous people are often happier, more fulfilled and content with their lives. For them, giving back to others makes them feel better in return, creating a cycle of positive interactions and a more

caring community as a whole.

Giving our time and resources is good for us, so it stands to reason that generous people are good for our communities.

Importantly, generosity does not have to be expensive, either.

There are countless ways to give thoughtfully that cost nothing at all, from small acts of kindness like sharing compliments and words of encouragement, to writing positive reviews about your favourite restaurants and businesses, to volunteering your time or help to a friend or neighbour in need.

Knowing that giving brings happiness, we are pleased that the Great Commission Foundation (GCF) is in a natural position to help Canadians find ways to b e g e n e ro u s . We w o rk with Christian ministries and projects in a dynamic cooperative relationship and currently have over 500 projects operating worldwide.

Our projects engage in activities that fall under our charitable mandates,

including the advancement of education, the relief of poverty, and the advancement of the Christian faith. We provide the administrative foundation to operate with integrity and financial transparency, while our projects provide personnel in the field. GCF offers an abundance of giving opportunities through o u r p ro j e c t s , i n c l u d i n g orphanages, anti-trafficking work, education, care for widows, health care, kids camps, and more, that can be supported practically as a volunteer, prayerfully, or financially. No matter who or where you are, there is a way that you, a generous person, can help. We also provide taxdeductible receipts for eligible financial gifts as a registered charitable foundation. This year, let’s all spread the spirit of generosity by giving our time and resources, then enjoy the benefits of happiness and joy.

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SPREADING THE SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY

LEARN MORE ABOUT GCF PROJECTS AT

Learn more about GCF projects at gcfcanada.com/global-heroes

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Penguins Offer Varied Clues to Antarctic Climate Change GLORIA DICKIE AND NATALIE THOMAS

Peering through binoculars from an inflatable motorboat bobbing in frigid waters, polar ecology researchers Michael Wethington and Alex Borowicz scan a rocky outcrop on Antarctica’s Andersson Island for splatterings of redbrown guano that might signal a colony of penguins nearby.

The birds have become far more than an iconic symbol of the earth’s frozen south. Scientists now use them as key indicators for understanding climate change near the South Pole—with certain western regions like the Antarctic Peninsula having undergone rapid warming, while East Antarctica remains cold and capped in ice.

“We are counting penguin nests to understand how many penguins are in a colony, producing chicks every year, and whether that number is going up or down with the environmental conditions,”

said Borowicz, of Stony Brook University in New York.

For climate researchers, nothing is easy in the remote and icy reaches of Antarctica. But penguins are easier to track than other species because they nest on land, and their black feathers and their waste can be spotted against the white expanse.

“We can use penguins as a bioindicator to see how the rest of the ecosystem is operating,” said Wethington, also of Stony Brook.

Simple counts of individual penguins alongside other methods like analyses of satellite images tell a nuanced story, with some penguins dubbed ‘winners’ as climate change opens new habitats while others are forced to seek colder climes.

WAVE OF ‘GENTOOFICATION’ Gentoo penguins, with bright red-orange beaks and distinctive white markings on their heads, are partial to open water without

chunks of ice bobbing around.

When temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula began rising faster than almost anywhere else in the world during the latter half of the 20th century, Gentoo populations expanded southwards in what some scientists call the “Gentoofication” of Antarctica.

“Gentoo penguins don’t like sea ice,” said David Ainley, a biologist with the ecological consulting firm H.T. Harvey & Associates who has been studying penguins for more than 50 years. “They mostly forage over the continental shelf and don’t go far out to sea.”

As sea ice has decreased along the western side of the peninsula, Gentoos have taken advantage of the hospitable conditions.

But the same conditions have been worse for tuxedo-wearing Adelies, who rely on sea ice for breeding and feeding.

“When we find Adelie penguins, we typically know that sea ice is nearby,” Wethington

ADELIE PENGUINS STAND TOGETHER AS SCIENTISTS INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON ANTARCTICA’S PENGUIN COLONIES, ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA © REUTERS/NATALIE THOMAS

Celebrating 100 years of providing specialized care to children across the country and all over the world.

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Our compassionate, respected physicians and staff provide comprehensive care related to a number of different pediatric orthopedic conditions including muscular and neuromuscular conditions. Our individualized care plans can include physical therapy, occupational therapy, orthotics, prosthetics and care management.

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said. “And whenever we’ve seen sea ice declining or disappearing altogether, then we’re seeing corresponding Adelie penguin populations decline substantially.”

Though widespread Adelie penguins are increasing in number overall, some populations have fallen by more than 65 percent.

‘SAFE SPACE’ On their January expedition to the region, the Stony Brook scientists found that Adelie colonies around the still-icy Weddell Sea had remained stable during the past decade.

“This peninsula is maybe a safe space as we see climate change progressing and overall warming throughout the globe,” Wethington said.

Heather Lynch, an ecologist at Stony Brook University who helped lead the expedition aboard the MV Arctic Sunrise, said the findings highlighted the region’s conservation value.

In 2020, a team from the British Antarctic Survey discovered 11 new emperor penguin colonies from satellite images, boosting known emperor penguin colonies by 20 percent.

But since 2016, nearly every chick has perished in the Halley Bay colony along the far eastern side of the Weddell Sea, which has long been home to the world’s second-largest emperor penguin colony, with some 25,000 breeding pairs gathering every year.

Scientists suspect the 2016 El Niño event changed the sea ice dynamic in the area, and worry for the penguins as climate change increases the frequency and severity of El Niño events.

While the chicks’ deaths were not a direct result of climate change, “there is a climate change aspect to the loss,” said Peter Fretwell, a geographic information scientist at the British Antarctic Survey.

—Reuters

March • 2022

globalheroes.com

ADVERTORIAL

Dr. Myp Sekhon: Leading the Forefront of Neurocritical Care at VGH A young woman visits the hospital as she slowly loses feeling in her arm, then is suddenly rushed to the ICU as she falls unconscious, unaware of the near-impossible journey to recovery that awaits her. A moose crashes into a moving truck, breaking the body of a driver in Prince George. A youth’s heart stops beating after a car accident, preventing his brain from receiving vital oxygen.

At Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), each of these patients not only survived their unique and complex conditions but are thriving today. And the one thing they have in common is they received care from a specialized team dedicated to managing patients with brain

injuries, led by Dr. Myp Sekhon, with Dr. Peter Gooderham, a an ICU physician at VGH. VGH neurosurgeon. This team incorporates the use of the donor-funded Brain Bolt—a THE HEART OF A HEALER cutting-edge brain monitoring Dr. Sekhon is a clinician-scientist device that utilizes catheters to at VGH who spends his days feedback vital second-to-second providing expert care to those information to the medical team. in need and conducting lifeThis collaboration between saving and innovative research. intensive care physicians and Between time in the ICU, neurosurgeons at VGH positions working firsthand with patients the neurocritical care program suffering from a vast array of to be at the forefront in Canada conditions, to the bench side, and beyond. researching how to improve the And no one knows that better future of health care, Dr. Sekhon than his own patients. is a special mind.

Building off his training at the WORLD-LEADING CARE University of Cambridge, Dr. SAVES YOUNG WOMAN Sekhon has led the development It was March 28, 2018, when of an internationally recognized then-21-year-old Mary Salas care program in collaboration woke up with her right hand feeling numb. She got out of bed and meandered into the living room, shaking her hand.

Mary told her mom about it but was told she must have slept on it funny.

That made sense, Mary thought, and went about her day. She had a final exam that evening, and she decided to keep her mind focused on that.

Mary didn’t know it then, but she would never make it to that exam. Instead, she would be fighting for her life in an ICU bed at VGH, suffering from severe brain inflammation and seizures that could not be controlled with medication. She would undergo neurosurgery and be part of a complex and coordinated effort to unmask the rare disease that was plaguing her.

“When Mary first presented on the ward, she started having seizures because of how inflamed her brain was,” says Dr. Sekhon. “So, we put Mary into a medically induced coma and on life support to buy her time while we tried to figure out the cause.”

In an effort to diagnose Mary’s condition, neuro-radiologists conducted MRI scans, and neurosurgeons implanted the

DR. MYP SEKHON, PHOTOGRAPHED AT VGH © COURTESY OF VGH + UBC HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

Brain Breakthroughs Start here Join us in solving the most difficult challenges in brain health. Donate now to support the work of the next generation of neurology leaders like Dr. Myp Sekhon.

vghfoundation.ca/sekhon

donor-funded Brain Bolt. The epilepsy team performed EEGs and utilized 24-hour readings of her brain to feed information to the neurointensivists in the ICU, all while neurologists were working on determining the cause.

“In my experience, this was the most severe case of brain inflammation that any of us had ever seen, full stop,” says Dr. Sekhon.

A day later, they had their answer—Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, a rare autoimmune disease. Simply put, Mary’s immune system was mistakenly attacking healthy nerve coatings in her brain, causing the extreme swelling and symptoms she was experiencing.

Now that they had their answer, the medical team knew how to fight back. It took time, but today, Mary is happy, healthy, and improving every day.

“There really wasn’t any one person who made the breakthrough, rather it was a culmination of every single team at VGH,” says Dr. Sekhon.

“I can honestly say there they are only a handful of hospitals internationally that could have provided the same level of collaborative and expert care.”

a Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health at UBC researcher, have developed an innovative research program aimed at identifying novel targets for brain injury research using the donor-funded Brain Bolt.

Combining the real-time data from the Brain Bolt and using a machine known as a Simoa HD-X analyzer in Dr. Wellington’s donor-funded research lab at UBC, blood samples that normally take weeks to analyze are processed with unparalleled sensitivity to unravel the unknowns of the disease mechanisms underpinning acute brain injury. This bench-to-bedside approach is also characterizing the immune system changes to provide optimal care for COVID-19 patients.

This information allows physicians in the ICU to better personalize treatment and improve outcomes for those facing the worst of these insidious diseases.

And this is the tip of the iceberg to Dr. Sekhon’s research.

He has been involved in a plethora of projects throughout his career, and he continues to conduct more over time with the singular goal to save lives.

Powered by donations, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation is proud to support the career of Dr. Myp Sekhon. It’s because of individuals like him that VGH can be a world leader in health care.

ONE OF MANY Mary’s story is one of many shared by Dr. Sekhon’s patients.

One of complexity and danger.

Where the odds were seemingly stacked against them, yet with the healing hand of Dr. Sekhon and his expert team, they were We’ve assembled expert teams able to overcome and persevere. who’ve made it their mission to Yet his work isn’t only in the solve some of the most difficult ICU saving the lives of patients challenges in brain health. Now, like Mary. It’s also in the lab. we need your help.

IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS A team of researchers led by Dr. Sekhon, Dr. Gooderham and Dr. Cheryl Wellington,

You can support clinicianscientists like Dr. Sekhon achieve brain breakthroughs, big and small, today. Visit vghfoundation.ca/sekhon to learn more.

PHOTO (LEFT TO RIGHT): DR. MYP SEKHON AND DR. DON GRIESDALE, ICU, VGH

PROTECTING THE LIVES OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY VISIT RCMSAR.COM TO DONATE

March • 2022

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ADVERTORIAL

Saving Lives on the Water: Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue When you hear a VHF radio, tuned to marine emergency channel 16, squawk to life, our marine search and rescue volunteers go on high alert.

Hearing “Pan-Pan” or “Mayday” means a mariner’s life is in danger and needs assistance urgently.

Persons missing, in medical distress or collisions, onboard fires, mechanical failures, and boats taking on water are many of the missions that the volunteer-based Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) tackles.

A registered charity, RCMSAR saves hundreds of lives on the water each year by responding to marine emergencies supporting the Canadian Coast Guard, the Canadian Armed Forces and the Province when needed. Over 900 volunteers from more than 30 marine search and rescue (SAR) stations conduct hundreds of missions, training exercises, volunteering thousands of hours to protect the lives of you and your family.

On-call 24 hours a day, we serve

© RCMSAR

communities across Vancouver Island, the north coast and Haida Gwaii, along the Sunshine Coast, the Lower Mainland, and inland waters of the Shuswap.

Notable missions include RCMSAR Station 2 in North Vancouver participating in a dramatic rescue of 17 wayward paddleboarders that were drawn toward the shipping channel beneath the Lions Gate Bridge. Last August, near Nanaimo, RCMSAR Station 27 rescued a family with

a two-and-a-half-year-old who became stranded on a small rocky island after their boat was destroyed during high winds and rough seas. During last summer’s wildfires, RCMSAR Station 106 was responsible for keeping boaters at bay in the Shuswap, clearing the BC Wildfire Service’s access to water on the lake.

On the North Coast near Hartley Bay, RCMSAR Station 70 responded to a vessel on fire and persons in the water in the

early hours one night last July.

Two of our crews arrived on the scene, extinguished the fire before it reached the shore and searched for survivors. Two survivors were transported to shore to attending nurses; the vessel sank, and two lives were unfortunately lost.

Our volunteers have experienced that proud feeling of saving lives on the water but also the immense weight of loss for those who did not make it. While facing the inherent risks that come with

saving lives, RCMSAR continues to serve our communities in the face of COVID-19 meeting increased calls for help as more people take to the water. Yet, saving these lives on the water is impossible without the support of community members like you.

RCMSAR receives funding from the federal and provincial governments. However, these amounts do not meet our total financial needs. RCMSAR volunteers must fundraise for their own life-saving equipment, vessels, and other costs to keep local stations open and operational.

Consider a gift in support of RCMSAR volunteers who stand ready to leave their jobs and families at a moment's notice.

Your support will provide critical training and equipment our volunteers need to save lives— and stay safe while doing it!

Visit www.rcmsar.com to learn more and make a charitable donation today.

Dolly Parton’s Dollywood to Pay For Employees’ College Tuition Dolly Parton has offered to cover 100 percent of Dollywood employees’ college fees.

The 76-year-old country music legend and humanitarian has been praised after her Dollywood

Parks & Resorts in Tennessee announced that from February 24, it will foot the bill for the tuition and book expenses “for any employee who chooses to pursue further education.”

Dollywood has 11,000 full

© REUTERS/BANG-SHOWBIZ

and part-time and seasonal workers of all ages at their 25 attractions in the U.S. President Eugene Naughton said: “When our hosts strive to grow themselves, it makes our business and our community a truly better place.”

Dollywood is co-owned by Herschend Enterprises, whose CEO Andrew Wexler insisted: “We care about our hosts’ development, and we want their future to grow because of love, not loans.”

In 2018, Dollywood announced a $37 million expansion.

The ‘9 to 5’ hitmaker’s theme park near Knoxville opened a new nature-themed land, Wildwood Grove, in 2019, which cost more than the whole park did when it was first built three decades ago.

Wildwood Grove was the first new area to be added to Dollywood since Wilderness Pass in 2008 and was part of the $300 million investment

commitment the Dollywood Company made in 2013.

Dollywood President Craig Ross said at the time: “We’ve been investing heavily.

This will be one of the final pieces to the $300 million commitment we made over 10 years’ time. We’re actually a few years ahead of schedule.”

And Dolly jokingly added: “Yeah we are, and I’m going to have to get out there and make some more money.”

Dolly herself heavily influenced the recent addition.

She said: “I’m not in every meeting, of course, and they work without me, but they also like to draw on my childhood, my background, and talk about what was important to me as a kid, the kind of things we did as children living in the mountains.

“And this is about like kids just exploring nature, and we were part of that because we didn’t have a lot of things like Dollywood and places like

that to go then, so we really were part of nature and all the things that this area is all about, so it’s fun to actually sit and throw my ideas out and get excited about theirs.

“We were talking about the fact that kids don’t get out in nature enough anymore.

Everybody’s so caught up in all their gadgets, all the social media, all the things that they do in their games, their video games, and all the stuff that they do that they don’t actually even know there’s an outdoors hardly anymore.

“So we felt like this was a great thing that we could do for kids to really explore and to be adventurous and to find their own little true self, their own little natural selves, rather than all the technical stuff.”

The generous gesture comes after the Hollywood star made a $1 million donation to help fund the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

—Reuters ADVERTORIAL

TB Vets Gift of Breath to Preemies

Arming frontline medical heroes in the fight for respiratory health Watching your child grow up is among the great pleasures of parenthood. For Vivian, pregnant with twins in 2019, the “giggling phase” was among the moments she was most looking forward to experiencing.

But one of the first and most natural milestones for newborns became an immediate and

BABY KIERAN WITH MOM © TB VETS

urgent concern when Vivian gave birth prematurely at British Columbia Women’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada.

The tiny boys, Kieran and Corbin, needed to breathe.

That’s where donors to TB Vets Charitable Foundation had a critical role in helping save the lives of these fragile newborns.

For over 75 years, TB Vets Charitable Foundation has been funding critical respiratory equipment at B.C. hospitals.

And TB Vets donors are the lifeline of this mission!

“Both twins were ventilated right after birth,” Vivian says.

“Kieran and Corbin were able to move to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ventilator later in the day. However, Corbin struggled, and was reintubated.”

Some babies may only need respiratory assistance for a short time.

For others, the help may last weeks.

In his case, Corbin spent more than a month being intubated.

Thanks to the generosity of its donors, TB Vets was able to

fund neo-natal ventilators at B.C. Women’s Hospital and other hospitals across the province so babies like Corbin can receive the respiratory care they urgently need.

Because of several challenges, Corbin was placed on a jet ventilator, specially designed to lessen the risk of trauma to a baby’s lungs.

He remained on a ventilator while the family awaited his surgery to treat complications from a bleed in the brain. Fortunately, just after Christmas and following his operation, Corbin was extubated and moved to a gentler form of breathing assistance as he built enough strength to breathe on his own.

Ninety-two days after arriving in the neonatal intensive care unit and five days after his brother left, Corbin was finally able to go home.

These days, Vivian can enjoy the moments she had imagined during her pregnancy. “It’s a great stress relief just to make them giggle and relax,” she says.

She is grateful to those who make it possible for hospitals like B.C. Women’s to access the latest in lifesaving technology.

“Thank you deeply for your generosity,” she says. “Our family wouldn’t be complete without supporters like you.

Your contributions have made differences not just in my family, but in the many families I’ve met throughout our time in NICU.” ABOUT TB VETS Founded as an initiative to provide employment to WWII veterans suffering from tuberculosis, TB Vets has grown over the following decades into what it is today: a leading charitable foundation funding respiratory equipment, research and education in British Columbia and beyond. Every year TB Vets funds approximately 20 ventilators, provides bursaries to respiratory therapy students, contributes to lung research, and continues to support the TB Ward at

Join us in our fight for better respiratory care in BC. tbvets.org

Vancouver General Hospital where the sickest tuberculosis patients receive life-saving treatment.

With your help, TB Vets can continue arming the medical frontline in the fight for better respiratory care in British Columbia and beyond! www.tbvets.org/donate

TWINS KIERAN AND CORBIN © TB VETS

GOOD FOOD WITHOUT JUDGEMENT HELP REDUCE HUNGER AND PROVIDE DIGNIFIED ACCESSS TO GOOD, HEALTHY FOOD Help us grow our food programs today: foodstash.ca

March • 2022

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ADVERTORIAL

No More Wasted Food:

A Look Into Vancouver’s Food Stash Foundation “A lot of people don’t know what food insecurity is. It’s a result of poverty—not having enough money to pay for food, as things like housing and medical bills take priority,” says Carla Pellegrini, Executive Director of Food Stash Foundation.

Canada loves food. From cooking shows to food blogs to our favourite neighbourhood eats, food brings us closer and is a source of joy for many. And yet, in Canada, we waste 58 percent of the food we produce. That’s 35 million metric tonnes of food, equivalent to 56.5 million metric tonnes of CO2 released into the atmosphere or the greenhouse gas emissions from 12,287,615 cars on the road in one year.

This waste costs Canada’s economy billions of dollars.

Worse still, 32 percent of this waste could be rescued and eaten, providing a lifeline for the one in seven Canadians who are food insecure and struggle to put adequate, nutritious food on the table. According to city statistics,

in British Columbia, 20 percent of Vancouverites live below the poverty line, and Vancouver has the second highest working poverty rate in Canada.

The problem is not lack of abundance—it’s lack of equal access. That’s where Food Stash Foundation comes in. In 2016, local Vancouver-based high school teacher David Schein watched a documentary that changed his life. The film, Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story, followed a Vancouver

TEAM AT MARKET LAUNCH © COURTESY OF FOOD STASH FOUNDATION

couple committed to only eating “food waste” for six months and opened Schein’s eyes to just how much food was truly wasted.

He saw an opportunity to improve our environment while helping individuals and families in need. By October 2017, Food Stash became a registered Canadian charity, and as the volunteer base grew, so did the support from their community. Food Stash Foundation has a twofold mission: reduce the environmental impact of food waste and bridge the food insecurity gap that exists within our community. In a typical month, the organization rescues 70,000 lbs of healthy, surplus food from grocers, wholesalers and farms that would otherwise go to waste and redistributes it to charity partners and Vancouver households experiencing food insecurity. Households like Mara’s and Lloyd’s.

For Mara, who suffers from a disabling chronic illness, access to food means the difference between despair and hope. Mara

shares that the Rescued Food Box program felt like a dignified way to get food. She appreciated that she paid a small delivery fee for her food box delivery—even though it was much less than what she’d pay at the grocery store—and she could voice her food choices. Volunteers fill the CSA-style Rescued Food Boxes with whole veggies and fruits, dairy products, meat and substitutes; most of these boxes are delivered by e-trike!

We all deserve options for our eating habits—but one basic option should be access to healthy food; not just heavilyprocessed food. That belief led Food Stash to open its Rescued Food Market in Olympic Village, which features a “Pay What You Feel” model that allows anyone from the community to shop for good food in a dignified way, without forcing them to choose food over housing.

“Food Stash’s services help people not fall through the cracks and ultimately can save their life,”

shares Vancouverite Lloyd, who believes food can lead to recovery. Whether someone is experiencing addiction, mental health issues, or financial trouble, food is an essential step in the right direction. When an individual is fuelled with healthy, personally appropriate food, they can better access resources to deal with health issues that could hold them back.

The need for Food Stash Foundation’s programs is huge— the Rescued Food Box program, for example, has a wait list of over 90. Keeping the organization growing and serving more people in need requires the help of grocery and farm partners who are willing to donate their good-quality surplus food (rather than throw it away), and of course, generous donors like you. Your support improves access to good, healthy food right here in Vancouver while preventing food waste.

Everyone needs to eat! Learn more and help families in your community at www.foodstash.ca

Rainbow Railroad: A Pathway to Freedom and the Newest TreadRight Foundation Partner Sam and Mehraj are in love.

They appreciate life, they sing, they play the piano. They have dreams of getting married and starting a family one day. Like most, Sam and Mehraj’s love story assumes that a basic level of freedom is met—the freedom to be you. Sadly, this type of freedom was unthinkable for Sam and Mehraj until only a few years ago. In approximately 70 countries, LGBTQI+ people face violence and oppression based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. This is where our story’s hero, Rainbow Railroad, comes in.

Rainbow Railroad is an international not-for-profit organization based in Canada and the United States with a mission to help LGBTQI+ people worldwide find safety. Since 2006, the organization has helped more than 1,500 individuals escape violence and live openly, and has provided livelihood support for thousands more. Rainbow Railroad counts a great number of supporters and recently added the

TreadRight Foundation to that list, a very well-recognized and award-winning foundation tied to the travel industry.

Before Rainbow Railroad got involved, Sam and Mehraj lived in fear in Azerbaijan, a country where same-sex relations are illegal and one which polices sexual identity and orientation. Those who are oppressed must live in secret because not only is the state itself a threat to their very existence, the society is also empowered to discriminate and hate with impunity on the same basis.

Violent attacks, severe beatings and eviction from their apartment were all punishments they received for their sexuality. Knowing they couldn’t live their lives in constant fear of persecution and violence, the couple tried to escape to a safe country more than once, only to be turned back each time because they could not secure the proper visas. Finally, in 2019, with the help of Rainbow Railroad, the couple was successfully able to escape to Spain.

Through its core Emergency Travel Support program, Rainbow Railroad provides airfare and support to help LGBTQI+ individuals who are at significant risk find a pathway to safety in a new country where they can live in freedom. In addition, Rainbow Railroad provides short-term support in the form of financial aid, information and resources, and referrals to local support programs to keep individuals safe in their current country while helping them understand their rights as asylum seekers.

TreadRight and Rainbow Railroad have a shared commitment to diversity, inclusion and a more equitable future for all. As the charitable arm of global travel provider The Travel Corporation (TTC), and brands like Contiki, Insight Vacations, and Trafalgar, TreadRight has supported 60plus sustainable tourism partners worldwide working to MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®, and its

SAMI AND MEHRAJ © RAPHAEL CHATELAIN

support will further Rainbow Railroad’s ability to help an increased number of persecuted LGBTQI+ individuals find safety.

In addition, as part of its five-year sustainability strategy, How We Tread Right, TTC and its family of brands are working to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion by driving impact against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring that both internal teams as well as

guests are represented equitably from within the LGBTQI+ and BIPOC communities.

The need for the work of Rainbow Railroad continues to grow each year, further intensified by the global refugee crisis.

Sam and Mehraj are just two of thousands of beneficiaries of Rainbow Railroad who have been able to build new lives in a new home, which allows them to live and love freely.

ADVERTORIAL

Libraries Make Us Happier, Smarter, and Stronger—Together The spaces, stories, and connections that libraries provide have enriched communities for centuries. And today, despite the endless stream of information and entertainment available to most of us through digital media, libraries play a vital role in ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, has access to spaces, content, and programs that offer inspiration, hope, and possibility. Libraries lift us up, enabling us to reach our fullest potential, as individuals and together.

Vancouver has needed its library more than ever in recent years, and thanks to the support of library donors, VPL was able to adapt quickly to the changes thrust on our community by COVID-19. As the pandemic closed branches, donor support allowed VPL to quickly expand its offerings of eBooks, streaming services and other online resources to meet a surge in digital library use. Beloved programs rapidly went virtual, offering families chances to connect and support their children’s learning even when they had to stay at home, providing teens with a safe social outlet during

lockdowns, and sparking dialogue among people from every walk of life through online author events and virtual programs that explored themes of equity, inclusion, truth, and reconciliation. When branches reopened, donors to VPL Foundation provided funds needed to build safe, fun spaces for children to learn and play in—welcoming young families to gather once again.

In December 2020, for the first time ever, VPL reached out to cardholders for help responding to the unprecedented challenges our community faced. The response

was overwhelming. Hundreds of library users, some of whom were facing difficulties of their own, made donations to the VPL Foundation.

Along with the donations came words of gratitude and stories of the positive impact the library had made on the lives of those who used it.

As Vancouver’s libraries strive to meet the growing and changing needs of the community it serves, library users continue to come together to show their support for one another, for our city, and for the values that we share as Canadians by giving back

NATASHA

to VPL. The Vancouver Public Library and Foundation Board and staff are grateful to be part of a community that believes, and that demonstrates with its actions, that we are stronger together.

My kids and I use the library so much. I am beyond grateful that we have such a wonderful resource in my community. All of my kids are always so happy to go to the library, and they always bring home their weight in books!

—Winnie and kids, use Renfrew branch

WINNIE’S KIDS

LYNE | ALL PHOTOS COURTESY © VPL FOUNDATION

There’s something special about a public library that makes you feel part of a community… especially during a time of uncertainty, it’s important to make sure that our neighbours, our friends, and our colleagues have access to information.

—Natasha, uses Central branch I am an educator, a writer, and an avid reader. I believe that we can make the world a better place through education—and that is what the library does!

VPL gives a voice to people who represent diverse points of view through workshops and public readings. I also borrow dozens of books in French and English every year. I am convinced libraries change lives for the better.

—Lyne, uses Central branch If you’d like to learn more about how donor support makes Vancouver a smarter, happier, and more equitable city, please visit www.vplf.ca

The VPL Foundation raises funds to enhance the programs, collections, services, and spaces of the VPL. “We rely on the Library to create a feeling of belonging and community for our daughter. She comes to VPL 3-4 times a week”—Justin, VPL Central Library Patron Get in touch with us!

foundation@vpl.ca

604-331-4092

www.vplf.ca

350 W. Georgia St. Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1 Charitable Registration Number: 88075 5285 RR0001

March • 2022

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“I feel obligated to try and continue that as much as possible. I could never, you know, fill her shoes especially in this particular space ... because of what she did and what she stood for and how vocal she was about this issue.”

BRITAIN’S PRINCE HARRY © VICTORIA JONES/POOL VIA REUTERS

Britain’s Prince Harry Vows to Finish Late Mother Diana’s HIV Work Princess Diana famously shook hands with AIDS patients at a London hospital in 1987, an action that was seen as a milestone in the battle against the stigma surrounding people with the virus.

Her son, Britain’s Prince Harry, has said that he feels compelled to try to finish the work of his late mother in tackling HIV and the stigma around it. A prominent HIV

and AIDS campaigner, Harry urged people to get tested for the disease during February’s National HIV Testing Week.

Speaking from his home in Los Angeles, Prince Harry opened up on the importance of “finishing the job” that his mother, started in terms of tackling HIV. During a 30-minute call with ex-Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas, a good friend of Harry’s,

THE LATE PRINCESS OF WALES ADDRESSES THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIV IN CHILDREN AND MOTHERS. © REUTERS/IAN WALDIE

to raise awareness for National HIV Testing Week, the Prince stressed that he was going to try to continue his late mother’s bid, following her death, to remove the stigma surrounding the virus.

“My mum’s work was unfinished,” he told Gareth Thomas, who announced in 2019 he was HIV positive, in a video to mark National HIV Testing Week.

“I feel obligated to try and continue that as much as possible. I could never, you know, fill her shoes especially in this particular space ... because of what she did and what she stood for and how vocal she was about this issue.”

The World Health Organization estimates that there were about 38 million people living with HIV at the end of 2020 and that AIDSrelated illnesses have claimed more than 36 million lives since it began in the 1980s.

Leading HIV/AIDS charities are hoping that more exhaustive testing could lead to an end to new HIV cases in England by 2030.

Harry underwent a test for HIV in 2016, which sparked a 500 percent increase in requests for tests from one charity, he said. However, he said HIV testing had gone down about 30 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Every single one of us has a duty, or at least an opportunity, to get tested

ourselves to make it easier for everybody else to get tested,” Harry said. “And then it just becomes a regular thing like anything else.”

The Prince also teamed up with tennis star Serena Williams at an event for mental health awareness in February.

Acting in his role as Chief Impact Officer for professional coaching and mental health organization BetterUp, the Duke of Sussex teamed up with tennis ace Serena Williams— who is close friends with his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex—and the company’s CEO Alexi Robichaux for a conversation about “cultivating the power of mental fitness.”

The discussion was part of the company’s virtual Inner Work Day, and the trio opened up to share “personal stories” about their own experiences.

An agenda for the event described the talk: “From creating companies and foundations designed to inspire others to achieve their best to tackling challenges and finding success both in and outside of work, Serena, Prince Harry, and Alexi share their personal stories and unique perspectives.”

Harry’s role with BetterUp was announced in March 2021, and last month, the prince—who stepped down as a working royal two years ago—caused a stir when he said people who quit their jobs because it doesn’t bring them

joy should be “celebrated.”

In an interview with tech news website Fast Company in his role for BetterUp, Harry was asked about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on increased job resignations.

He replied: “While on the surface it looks like these last couple of years brought all these issues to the foreground, the reality is these struggles and issues have been brewing for quite some time.”

“We’re just at the beginning of the mental health awakening,” Harry continued. “This work has never been more important because people are finally paying attention, and a big component of this mission is building awareness and continuing to pioneer the conversation.”

“I’ve actually discovered recently, courtesy of a chat with [BetterUp science board member] Adam Grant, that a lot of the job resignations you mention aren’t all bad. In fact, it is a sign that with self-awareness comes the need for change.

Many people around the world have been stuck in jobs that didn’t bring them joy, and now they’re putting their mental health and happiness first. This is something to be celebrated.”

(Source: Reuters) ADVERTORIAL

A Network of Integrated Supports and Services for B.C.’s Youth

Psychiatrist Dr. Steve Mathias knew that young people and families across British Columbia struggled to access health and wellness services, but a radio interview in 2012 confirmed the solution.

After Dr. Mathias explained his work with an inner-city youth program in Vancouver, a listener in Salmon Arm called and asked if she could drive her daughter there to receive help.

“To think that a family was struggling so much to access services that they’d be willing to drive five hours each way to drop their daughter off in downtown Vancouver to find support…it was inexcusable.

I realized then that, as a province, we needed to take a completely different approach to helping our young people before, during, and after crisis. We needed Foundry.”

Foundry is a province-wide network of integrated wellness centres for young people ages 12 to 24 and their caregivers. Each Foundry centre offers free access to mental health and substance use services, physical and sexual health care, youth and family peer support,

and social services without the need for referrals. By bringing all these services together in a single place, Foundry makes it easier for young people and their families to find the care, connection, and support they need and deserve.

Between a global pandemic, isolation, employment loss, climate change, the recognition of race inequalities and, in B.C., a toxic drug overdose epidemic, access to services is urgently needed. In Canada, an estimated 70 percent of mental health problems begin during childhood or adolescence.

Before the pandemic, one in four young people aged 15 to 24 reported experiencing mental illness or substance use problems, yet fewer than 25 percent received appropriate services.

Now more than ever, young people and their family members need a place to go where they can feel safe and find the help they need.

Foundry’s integrated services for youth ages 12 to 24 are offered through a partnership-driven, community-based model. Young people and families can easily access

support by walking into a Foundry centre, exploring online resources at foundrybc.ca, or downloading the new Foundry BC app.

Foundry is possible because of donor support, meaningful partnerships with government, youth and family engagement, and collaboration with community organizations.

Over the past seven years, Foundry has brought over 200 organizations together (and growing) to open 11 centres across B.C., with an additional eight centres in development.

With Foundry in more communities and unlimited access to virtual services through the downloadable Foundry BC app, young people and families will no longer have to ask, “Where can we go for help?”

By removing barriers and increasing access, Foundry is transforming youth health and wellness services across B.C. so our young people can focus on what matters the most: living a good life.

To learn more about how you can support the expansion of Foundry or access its services, please visit www.foundrybc.ca

Support that meets you where you are Foundry is removing barriers and increasing access to health and wellness services for young people ages 12–24 and their caregivers across BC. Our integrated services can be accessed by walking into a Foundry centre located in 11 communities across BC (with another eight on the way), or connecting virtually through the Foundry BC app.

Free and confidential support. No referrals required.

Learn more at foundrybc.ca Download the App

Hours: 7 days/week 1:00pm – 9:00pm

March • 2022

globalheroes.com

IMAGES © COURTESY OF SO WEDDING

Weddings With Heart: Spread Love by Giving Back ALLIE MURRAY AND RAYE MOCIOIU

The wedding bells are ringing, and surrounded by mountainous scenery and the flows of the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver is the perfect backdrop for a picturesque ceremony.

The Pop-Up Chapel began when founder Lynzie Kent considered how the sharing economy could be applied to weddings and include social responsibilities like sustainability, inclusivity, simplicity, and more.

After serving the wedding and event industry for a decade, the team behind The Pop-Up Chapel Co. made a realization— the wedding industry was undergoing a major change.

Couples were eschewing the traditional life sequence to follow their own paths, like pursuing careers, having children, or prioritizing travel, all before marriage. Today’s couples are less interested in following traditions that don’t feel authentic and more interested in simplifying their lives using technology, embracing the sharing economy,

and saying no to brands that don’t reflect their modern values.

“We were committed to filling the white space between a city hall wedding and a traditional banquet hall wedding with hundreds of guests, as well as to provide an answer to this changing shift in values and needs, and that’s how The Pop-Up Chapel Co. was born,” Kent explained.

Pop-Up Chapel makes it easy for couples to create a wedding that upholds their values and even gives back to causes that are important to them.

The mission of the chapels is in its name—they “pop up” in locations and have up to ten different wedding ceremonies in the chapel per day. That’s one couple an hour, every hour, for ten hours straight.

Since beginning in Toronto, Pop-Up Chapel has been committed to donating $300 from every chapel spot sold to charity. To date, they have worked with more than 20 charitable partners ranging from The United Way, One Tree Planted, SickKids, Black Health Alliance, and more.

Thus far, they have raised more than $96,000 for local charities, with a goal of raising $100,000 by May of this year.

Expanding their reach, PopUp Chapel moved out west: providing quick, easy, and equal access to wedding venues. The inaugural chapel in Vancouver was held on October 1, 2021, supporting Covenant House Vancouver, a local organization providing love, support, and hope to Vancouver’s homeless and at-risk street youth.

For Vancouver-based ceremonies in 2022, Pop-Up Chapel is supporting The University Women’s Club Trust Fund for Education and Mission Possible. They currently have three wedding dates set for Vancouver couples—April 8, July 15, and October 14—with hopes to add more dates to the line-up.

“Since our first chapel in August of 2017, we’ve married over 320 couples through countless chapels and raised more than $96,000 for Canadian charities,” Kent explained. “This year, we’ll reach our milestone goal of donating over $100,000

to local Canadian charities and we’ll host chapels across Canada in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton.”

At each location across Canada, Pop-Up Chapel is working towards reducing the use of single-use plastics and finding ways to create more sustainable decor.

PLANNING THE PICTURE-PERFECT VANCOUVER WEDDING In Vancouver, Pop-Up Chapel hosts weddings at Hycroft Manor, an Edwardian mansion with a variety of beautiful rooms and outdoor spaces, and The Wallace, a gorgeous event space at the Shipyards.

For celebrations after the nuptials, Vancouver has a selection of delicious restaurants. Pop-Up Chapel worked with their Vancouver Brand Ambassador, Morgan from The Wednesday Wedding Co., to round up some of their top picks.

Ancora: Operating on a mission to embrace the harmony of Peruvian and Japanese cultures,

Ancora serves delicious authentic food while incorporating the bounty of the West Coast.

Vij’s: Using traditional Indian methods, spices and culinary influences and pairing them with sustainable, local produce from British Columbia, Vij’s created one of the best-known and most beloved Indian restaurants in North America.

Gotham Steakhouse & Bar: With beautifully appointed private dining rooms, Gotham Steakhouse & Bar provides unique options for any occasion, whether elegantly formal or casually relaxed.

Blue Water Cafe: is Vancouver’s definitive destination for seafood and consistently awarded Best Seafood Restaurant in Vancouver.

Teahouse Drawing Room: With social distancing in place, The Drawing can accommodate up to 30 guests for an intimate private celebration post chapel!

L’abattoir: French-influenced West Coast fare is paired with an award-winning wine program and inspired cocktail list to offer an unforgettable dining experience.

Christiane Despins and Catherine Lowrey’s WEDDING STORY Our wedding was the best, most amazing, magical day we could have hoped for! All due to the fantastic planning and attention to details by The Pop-Up Chapel Co. On October 1, 2021 we exchanged vows at the Hycroft Manor in Vancouver in front of nine guests. Due to the pandemic, we actually had given up hope we could have any sort of dream wedding. We happened across The Pop-Up Chapel Co. purely by chance and when we saw they would take care of everything—we were sold! We had never heard of such an idea before

FLORALS ARE BY MAX AT ECORCE FLOWERS. IMAGE © SIMPLY SWEET WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

but totally put our trust in them. All we had to do was show up and the rest was up to them and they certainly didn’t disappoint! All plans, hopes and dreams were fulfilled.

We met almost 23 years ago and through many trying times our love for each other grew and we wanted to celebrate our commitment to each other.

For us, it truly was a fairytale wedding. The flowers were exceptional, the cake, photos, and history of the venue captured the beauty and romance of the day. We were thrilled that a donation to Covenant Place was also part of the package.

ADVERTORIAL

How Better Sleep Can Change Your Life On March 18, we celebrate World Sleep Day, and there has never been a more pressing time to celebrate and value our sleep.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a turbulent and stressful environment, and our sleep has suffered because of it; we also know that sleep has long been devalued in our culture.

Our Sleep Clinic, Sleep Better Live Better, aims to change this.

We know that sleep should be a priority as it is one of the main pillars of our overall health, along with nutrition and exercise. Sleep is usually the first to be sacrificed when life gets busy.

© 2015 MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK

When we sleep, we heal, learn, grow, and remember. It is one of nature’s most effective medicines and one we should not take for granted. We are learning more about sleep every day as it is a relatively new field of study, but we have never been in a better place to understand and improve our sleep. There are more options for treating sleep than ever before, and the medical equipment has become smaller, more comfortable, and more efficient. We provide the most up-to-date treatments, including CPAP, BiPAP, Custom Oral Appliance Therapy, and Brief Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia. We also provide courses for nutrition, vitamins, and supplements that help support healthy sleep.

Improving your sleep in the past has often meant getting sent to several different care providers depending on the best solutions available to you. Our goal is to simplify the process, provide help for several different sleep disorders in one place and provide many choices for therapy,

so you can find the solution that works for you. Whether you or someone you know struggles with insomnia, sleep apnea, snoring, or daytime fatigue, free consultation and appropriate solutions can be found all in one place.

“I just wanted to thank you!

It is so wonderful to see my husband sleeping peacefully and waking rested. I know that both he and I benefit greatly from his new device.”—Grateful Patient Good sleep contributes to a long, healthy and vivacious life so you can enjoy doing the things you love to do and be your best self for the people you love to spend time with. Get the quality sleep you deserve with the help of Sleep Better Live Better. Our offices offers free virtual consultations to anyone who requests one, allowing us to remove barriers that prevent people from gaining sleep health care. To book one of our complimentary consultations with one of our sleeptrained staff members, please call us today or go to our website to book online.

Snore Less, Breathe More, Sleep Better Sleep Your Way to Health and Vitality Today sleepbetterlivebetter.ca

March • 2022

FOOD HEROES & FEEL GOOD RECIPES

ABOVE: © UNSPLASH/BROOKE LARK | BELOW IMAGES: © GREENHOUSE

How to Eat For a Healthier Body and Planet It’s always nice when a win in one area of your life leads to another win—and that’s precisely what happens when you make eco-friendly food choices. Your body benefits from more nutritious meal ingredients, while the impact to the planet is minimized thanks to sustainable growing and production processes. The start of a new season is a great time to re-evaluate our lifestyle habits, including assessing the food we eat to make sure that we’re nourishing our bodies.

Here are some tips to help you get started: RETHINK DIETING It can be tempting to hop on the dieting bandwagon and try out whatever is trendy (but not necessarily better for us). While

COOK MORE MEALS AT HOME Many of us grew tired of our own cooking during the pandemic, and with much of the world reopening, it’s been tempting to rely on takeout and restaurants more. But research shows that cooking at home is an effective way to improve GROW YOUR OWN diet quality, lose weight, and prevent diabetes. So, search PRODUCE GARDEN Long shipping distances contribute for some new nutrient-dense to higher carbon emissions, so the recipes you can cook yourself closer to home your food is grown, and get back in the kitchen. the better for the environment.

CHOOSE SUSTAINABLE And what could be closer than your own backyard? Spinach, INGREDIENTS As you’re reassessing the strawberries, and bell peppers are some of the easier things to grow. If impact of your food on your you lack space, even growing your body, take some time to think herbs on a small windowsill can about the planet too. Look for food from local sources make a difference. Or check out a community garden. and companies with brands you may see fast results, studies show people who go on restrictive diets usually end up gaining more weight back than they lost over the long run. Instead, focus on making better choices every day, like choosing whole-grain bread versus muffins or having fruit for your midday snack.

that have strong sustainability practices, like Bimbo Canada, which offers high-quality yet affordable foods made with the simplest ingredients.

The company behind bakery favourites like Dempster’s is committed to using 100 percent sustainable packaging and reducing food waste by 50 percent by 2025.

INCORPORATE MORE WHOLE GRAINS While many of us grew up eating white bread at home, whole grains are the more nutritious alternative. In fact, whole and multi-grains are better sources of fibre and nutrients like iron, folate and selenium. Look for bagels, English muffins, and sliced breads in tasty wholegrain varieties.

CHOOSE SUSTAINABLE WINES It can be easy to focus on sustainable local produce and forget about the other items that go into a meal, like condiments and even wine. Many Canadian wineries lead the way with green processes, like using energyefficient lighting and capturing rainwater for reuse. Whether for drinking or cooking, do some digging to find a sustainable local vineyard for your wine.

—NC GET IN YOUR GREENS WITH GREENHOUSE Kickstart your health and wellness journey with these mouth-watering recipes from Canadian organic beverage company Greenhouse, made from sustainable and healthy ingredients!

ZESTY ZA’ATAR TAHINI LATKES RECIPES BY ELENA MARI AND NATHAN LEGIEHN FOR GREENHOUSE

• 1 tbsp za’atar • Salt and pepper, to taste • Coconut oil for frying

4

With a crispy exterior and a pillowy centre, there’s nothing quite like a perfectly pan-fried latke... especially with a touch of zesty Za’atar to take them up a notch.

These latkes are the perfect bites to warm you up on a cold end-of-winter night. Serve with a small dish of coconut yogurt or plant-based sour cream for dipping, or top individually.

TOPPINGS:

5

• Plain coconut yogurt, or plantbased sour cream • Za’atar • Lemon • Tahini • Roughly chopped dill • Salt and pepper, to taste

6

Ingredients LATKES:

• 2 russet potatoes, shredded • ¼ onion, thinly sliced • 1 chia egg, or other egg alternative • 2 tbsp gluten-free flour or matzo meal

Directions 1 Begin by thinly slicing your onions and shredding the 7 potatoes, using a grater or a mandolin.

2 Next, take the shredded potatoes, place onto a tea towel, and squeeze hard to drain any excess liquid. This will help the latkes to crisp up nicely when frying.

3 Add all the shreddings and

remaining latke ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.

Heat the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat.

As the oil warms, begin creating individual latkes by forming the mixture into smallish balls and giving one last squeeze to eliminate any remaining moisture. Carefully place these into the pan, taking care not to overcrowd it.

Fry the latkes until golden brown (around two to three minutes on each side), then transfer onto a paper towel to drain any excess oil.

Serve with a dish of coconut yogurt (or sour cream), with a generous helping of za’atar, a squeeze of lemon, some roughly chopped dill, a spoonful of tahini, and salt and pepper. Alternatively, you can top latkes individually and serve.

FLUFFY BLENDER PANCAKES (V, GF) The only thing better than form, then flip the pancake breakfast in bed? Pancakes and cook the other side for in bed! about two minutes, or until This fluffy plant-based variety golden. Once cooked, remove from heat and pile on to a is sure to keep you cozy on plate. Repeat until your batter even the snowiest of mornings. is finished.

What’s more, you can whip up 5 Decorate your pancake mounthe batter in a high-powered blender, so no fancy standing tain with your favourite topmixer—or gruelling arm pings. If you need a little workout—necessary. inspiration, give one of our recommendations below a try.

The flapjacks are also incredibly versatile, meaning you can smother, sprinkle, FOR TOPPING: or drizzle with snowfalls of 1 Smother your stack with whatever toppings your heart warm almond butter, then desires. Get flippin’! sprinkle smashed frozen Ingredients raspberries, sliced strawberries, and chopped almonds • 2 cups gluten-free oats over the top for added sweetness and crunch.

• 2 ripe bananas 2 Melt your favourite dairy• 1 ½ tsp baking powder free chocolate and drizzle • 1 chia egg (1 tbsp chia seeds + 2.5 tbsp water, whisked and over the pancakes. Next, refrigerated for 15 minutes; or add a handful of sliced egg alternative of your choice) bananas, a pour of maple • 1 ½ cups ALMONDMILK syrup, and more shavings of chocolate. Finish with a Directions Greenhouse Hangry Bites atop the stack.

1 Combine all ingredients in 3 Sprinkle a few melted frozen blueberries onto your blender. your pancakes. Next, spoon 2 Blend until your pancake batter reaches a consistency smoother a dollop of cardamom lemon than freshly fallen snow. yogurt onto the pile (simply 3 Gently heat a generous dollop stir together 2 tbsp of plain of coconut oil in a frying pan, plant-based yogurt with a and slowly ladle in the batter pinch of ground cardamom, for one flapjack from your the juice of half a lemon, blender until you reach your and half a teaspoon of maple desired pancake size. syrup), and add lemon zest for garnish.

4 Cook until bubbles begin to

ABOUT GREENHOUSE Greenhouse is a Canadian organic beverage company that’s making it easier to get your daily dose of healthy greens. With a wide range of cold-pressed juices, plant milks, lemonades, kombuchas, and more, all packaged in sustainable glass bottles, Greenhouse ensures healthy products of the highest quality.

Drinking a big bottle of fruits and vegetables is an easy and efficient way to soak up nutritious, plant-based energy. Much of the produce used in Greenhouse juices are purchased directly from local, organic farms. They also prioritize “seconds,” which are the misshapen fruits and vegetables that often end up in landfills. Greenhouse sends the fibrous byproducts of their fruit and vegetable juices back to local farms, where it is used as compost to help new crops grow.

Studies have also shown that chemicals used in plastic bottles (even the safest ones) can break down and filter into whatever liquid is being carried—especially when the bottle is exposed to heat or sunlight. That’s why Greenhouse chooses to bottle their delicious drinks in sustainable glass bottles over plastic ones. When producing drinks filled with healthy greens, as Greenhouse does, it just makes sense to package them in the healthiest way possible.

Greenhouse now ships to Vancouver!

March • 2022

FOOD HEROES & FEEL GOOD RECIPES

DR. GAVIN ARMSTRONG © RICHARD ROOT

© CARE BENIN 2022

LUCKY IRON FISH AND LEGUMES © RICHARD ROOT

How a Lucky Charm Is Solving One of the World’s Largest Health Problems anemia. Their symptoms ranged from inconvenient to deadly, and Charles knew he needed to Iron deficiency is the world’s do something to help. largest nutritional challenge, At the same time, Gavin with research from the World Armstrong was working Health Organization (WHO) on his Masters degree at suggesting that as many as 80 the University of Guelph, percent of people worldwide volunteering and fundraising do not have enough iron in in refugee camps in Kenya their bodies.

Across the globe, over two and Dadaab, and conducting billion people are iron deficient, PhD research on solutions to combat malnutrition. most commonly women, With a similar goal of finding children, and teens. Canadian creative solutions to tackle company Lucky Iron Fish is striving to change that with the hidden hunger, Armstrong help of a little good luck charm. and Charles connected and developed the Lucky Iron Fish.

In 2008, University While there are many ways to of Guelph PhD student increase one’s iron intake, such as Christopher Charles was researching anemia in Cambodia iron-rich foods and supplements, these options were not available and found that nearly half of in rural regions of Cambodia. the women and children were However, Charles wanted to afflicted by iron deficiency RAYE MOCIOIU

determine if placing a small piece of iron in a standard cooking pot would have similar iron-releasing results as a cast-iron pan.

They distributed iron blocks to local Cambodian women for them to use in cooking pots but found that the women, confused and uninterested, were using them as doorstops instead. Armstrong and Charles decided to change their approach, shaping the iron block into the form of a fish—a sign of luck in Cambodian culture. This time, the recipients were far more interested in putting the fish to use.

Iron is a vital mineral that feeds your body and your brain.

Without adequate iron, the body is starved for oxygen. Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia are linked to poor maternal health, poor cognitive

development, frequently falling sick, and much more.

Using Lucky Iron Fish is simple: Add it to slightly acidified boiling liquid for 10 minutes. You can add it to water with a little bit of citrus or vinegar, or to soup, curry, etc.

When added to the slightly acidified boiling liquid, the Fish/ Leaf will release microscopic iron particles off its surface and into the liquid!

Making simple changes to the diet, such as adding more ironrich ingredients or iron-fortified meals to your daily diet, can help avoid or address iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. The Lucky Iron Fish was designed to provide a consistent boost of iron that so many women and children, not just in Cambodia but across the globe, are lacking.

“I am a firm believer that businesses have a responsibility to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges,” shares founder Armstrong. “And one of the biggest challenges we face today is that of hidden hunger. Over one third of the world’s population goes to bed malnourished.

“I had a vision for my company to become a global leader in health innovation to improve the lives of two billion people who suffer from iron deficiency, the majority of whom are women, children, and those living in impoverished communities.

Lucky Iron Fish was designed to serve as a simple solution to this complex problem. We are on a mission to make iron deficiency a thing of the past, one fish at a time.”

IRON-ENRICHED VEGGIE LOADED VEGAN PHO Staying in? This iron-infused Veggie Loaded Vegan Pho recipe will keep you warm AND keep your immunity strong.

Like all good Pho, there are layers of flavour and texture that go into this recipe. This dish can be a labour of love or a quick dish you put together.

The best part? The toppings are all up to you!

Enjoy this nutrient-packed bowl of goodness!

Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

2 whole star anise 3 cloves 2 cinnamon sticks 1 yellow onion Thumb of ginger 4 cups vegetable broth ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce ¼ miso paste 1 lime Cilantro, to taste Mint, to taste Thai basil, to taste 1 Lucky Iron Fish or Leaf

SUGGESTED TOPPINGS: • Raw peppers, thinly sliced • Cabbage • Jalapenos • Zucchini • Edamame • Steamed broccoli • Corn • Pan-fried mushrooms • Bean sprouts • Chili Oil • Sriracha

broth and 1/4 cup of tamari and turn the heat to medium-high.

2 Bring to a boil, then add your Lucky Iron Fish/ Leaf.

3 After 10 minutes, remove the Fish/ Leaf and wash and dry it.

4 Strain the broth to take out chunks of onions and ginger.

STEP 3: ADDING UMAMI FLAVOUR 1 Scoop out 1 cup of the iron Directions infused broth.

2 Add 1/4 cup of miso paste and STEP 1: AROMATIC BASE stir till evenly combined.

1 Toast 2 whole star anise, 3 3 Pour it back in the stockpot cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks in a with the broth and stir again. dry stockpot on low heat for a minute.

STEP 4: TOPPINGS, 2 Once fragrant, add 1 yellow FLAVOURS, AND SPICES onion, quartered, as well as 1 Add your favourite veggie top1 inch of ginger sliced thinly pings to the broth.

2 Before serving, add freshly to the dry stockpot.

3 Let it char a little for squeezed lime juice and freshly added flavour. grated lime zest.

3 Top with fresh mint, cilantro, STEP 2: IRON and Thai basil.

INFUSED BROTH 4 For an extra kick, add chilli oil 1 Next, add 4 cups of vegetable or sriracha.

© UNSPLASH/JENNIFER SCHMIDT

ADVERTORIAL

Sustainable Seafood is a Pride of B.C. with Untapped Potential PAUL LANSBERGEN

It’s no secret that British Columbia’s diverse landscape makes it a producer of some of the most coveted food in Canada—and the waters off of its coast are no different.

B.C. produces some of Canada’s best wild-capture seafood, like salmon, crabs, and prawns. The crisp, cold waters of the Pacific Ocean produce seafood that is recognized around the country and the world for its quality and sustainability. It’s a pride of the province that deserves to be celebrated.

Ask anyone where the best sustainable seafood comes from, and Canada will probably make the list. Our fisheries, whether they’re on the east, west, or north coast, are known for being stewards of the ocean with a vested interest in protecting the bounty of the sea. Across Canada, 94 percent of fisheries are harvested at sustainable levels. Above that, the majority of fisheries in Canada hold

FISHERMAN PUTTING THE FISHING NET INTO THE WATER. © COURTESY OF FISHERIES COUNCIL OF CANADA

third-party sustainability certifications from organizations like the Marine Stewardship Council. In fact, Canada’s levels of third-party sustainability certifications are multiple times higher than the global average.

This is because fishing is one of Canada’s oldest industries.

Residents of coastal communities in provinces like B.C. have built their lives around harvesting fish from the ocean, creating family businesses that

support thousands of jobs in rural and Indigenous communities. Canadians remained passionate about protecting the resource for generations to come as those businesses grew to become a cornerstone of the national economy.

Exports from B.C. fisheries were valued at $1.5 billion in 2019, making it the third-largest seafood exporter in Canada, after Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Across Canada, the

seafood industry supports over 90,000 jobs and generates $9 billion in GDP each year. It is the largest ocean-based jobs supporter in the country, making it a key industry for the provinces and territories that border our three oceans.

With the federal government’s mandate to create an ocean-based Blue Economy, we can expect provinces like B.C. to see a significant economic boost as investments are made

in growing our fishing industry.

Canada has the capacity to support our coastal provinces by sustainably doubling the value of Canadian seafood, doubling the economic benefits and doubling domestic consumption.

As we strive to restore Canada as a top-three global producer of the best sustainable seafood, B.C. will be essential in leading the charge. We need to create opportunities for B.C. to grow its fishing industry—and along with it, increase the jobs and supply chain it supports.

This will be instrumental in the coming months and years as Canada strives to boost its GDP and help residents in COVID-19 recovery.

Seafood is a pride of B.C. It supports local jobs and generates a sustainable industry for the province, all while being renowned for its quality and taste. These are all things that Canada—and the rest of the world—needs more of. It’s time to capture B.C.’s seafood opportunity and lead the way for Canada to build a Blue Economy.

SEAFOOD SUPPORTS BC

March • 2022

FOOD HEROES & FEEL GOOD RECIPES

Eat Local, Give Local:

B.C. Restaurants Making a Difference ALLIE MURRAY

KIND CAFE & EATERY

Now more than ever, supporting our local restaurants is of the utmost importance.

Nearly three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants have arguably taken the hardest hit. But many eateries across B.C. are stepping up to not only support other impacted restaurateurs but are making commitments to continue supporting local businesses, charities, and giving back to those in need.

Ranging from sustainable practices to fundraising for charity, we are spotlighting the unsung food heroes across the province.

Founded by father and daughter duo Samantha and Marvin Emerman, Kind Cafe & Eatery is on a mission to create a kinder experience for the planet, animals, the community, and ourselves.

The cafe serves plant-based food made with eco-friendly resources and local ingredients.

They also operate as a zero-waste eatery, using reusable cloths instead of disposable napkins and no single-use plastics or cups.

And, for takeout, they encourage you to BYOC—bring your own container or opt for a deposit on a reusable container! They work with local suppliers to ensure everything

is as sustainable as possible.

In-store, the family-owned business also makes and stocks groceries for all your at-home needs, working with other local businesses and vendors to further instill plant-based and eco-friendly solutions in the community.

The Emerman family, as well as their amazing staff, works tirelessly in the cafe to make it a positive environment for all visitors. Both Samantha and Marvin are vegans and environmentalists, with a combination of 40 years of restaurant experience between them.

© TOSHA LOBSINGER

BIG WHEEL BURGER Devoted to sustainable practices, Big Wheel Burger opened in 2011 as Canada’s first carbon-neutral fast food restaurant. The restaurant was founded on the idea that fast food didn’t have to be junk food. Everything from the menu to the packaging is sustainable and doesn’t pollute the environment and local communities.

The packaging is 100 percent compostable and is turned into high-quality compost for their FED garden, created in partnership with Food Eco

© COURTESY OF BIG WHEEL BURGER

District. The Food Eco District is a non-profit organization that works with local restaurants that are committed to reducing their impact on the environment. The compost in the gardens is used to provide green space, offset carbon emissions, and even get used in the kitchen. Similarly, their beef is 100 percent B.C. beef, sourced from 63 Acres, and their diversion rate is 99.6 percent, meaning only 0.4 percent of their garbage ends up in the landfill.

Big Wheel Burger has four locations across B.C. and is working towards creating

positive change for people across the province. To do so, they launched The Big Wheel Burger Community Foundation to support people struggling with food insecurity and poverty.

They work with charitable partners to provide immediate assistance to those in need.

Their 2022 partners include Victoria Hospice, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria, The Mustard Seed, Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship Centre, Nanaimo Foundation, and Loaves and Fishes.

ANTHEM PIZZA Making pizzas that are inspired by music and musicians, Anthem Pizza serves Pizza with Purpose.

A portion of the proceeds from Anthem Pizza goes towards non-profits such as Unison Benevolent Fund, Movember, and B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation.

The restaurant currently has two locations in Vancouver

and works to help local people in need and projects that they are passionate about. When supporting the Pizza with Purpose program, you don’t just get a delicious pizza delivered to your door, you also get that deliciously warm feeling inside when you know you’ve done something good for others.

Anthem Pizza unique box art is designed by local artists,

and honours locals and legends in the music industry, as well as focusing on current political and relevant events.

Anthem Pizza works on the mindset that “We care about where we live and how everyone’s doing here, especially those having a harder time than the rest of us. That is our Anthem, sung loud, hardcore, and rebellious.”

© COURTESY OF ANTHEM PIZZA

WHITE SPOT Opening their doors in 1928, White Spot has always focused on giving back. As Canada’s longest-running restaurant chain, helping the community was important to their founder Nat Bailey, and they proudly carry on his tradition by jumping in to support when the community needs it most and through their continued support for children’s charities.

The restaurant first began as a mobile lunch counter by Vancouver local Nat Bailey, when he transformed his Model T to serve as a travelling lunch spot at Vancouver’s Lookout Point. Today, they operate over 50 full service White Spot restaurants, a fully functioning food truck, known as Triple O’s On-the-Go, and over 70

© COURTESY OF WHITE SPOT LTD.

premium quick service restaurants called Triple O’s, famous for their burgers, fries and hand-scooped milkshakes, available for dine-in and drive-thru.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the wildfires that tore through B.C., White Spot and Triple O’s stepped up to support their community. In March 2020, the Triple O’s Onthe-Go food truck delivered and donated more than 5,000 burgers to healthcare, first responders, and community heroes.

Similarly, during the wildfires, they raised more than $200,000 for the Canadian Red Cross to support the wildfire relief efforts.

In addition to their charitable contributions, Triple O’s restaurants have grown across the

country with locations in B.C., Alberta, and Ontario while White Spot continues to serve guests in communities across BC. Since 1966, White Spot has been an active supporter of Variety, The Children’s Charity, including the Variety’s Show of Hearts Telethon, Boat for Hope and more. And this year, they are hopeful for the return of their annual Pirate Pak Day, a fundraising event that has raised close to $900,000 to help send children with life-threatening illnesses and chronic disabilities to summer camp at Zajac Ranch.

With a visit to a White Spot, Triple O’s or the On-the-Go food truck, you can enjoy the best burgers, fries, shakes, and more.

ADVERTORIAL

Le Calumet Stuffed Baked Potato For over 80 years, the Bergerons have been producing highquality cheese using milk supplied by local farmers.

Although the cheese factory has been passed down through generations of Bergerons, one thing has stayed the same: the passion and care that goes into every bite.

Fromagerie Bergeron, founded in 1989, brings the Bergeron expertise into the future. Starting with the original Dutch recipe for Gouda, they developed a unique and distinctive “Bergeron’’ taste and quickly established themselves as the Canadian Gouda Masters.

Inspired by the success of the Bergeron Classique Gouda, the family took their innovation further. They created a cheese made with partially-skimmed milk, a cumin-flavoured cheese, a naturally-smoked cheese and even a washed-rind cheese, the acclaimed Fin Renard. Today, the fourth generation of Bergeron’s are continuing the legacy of Fromagerie Bergeron, with innovative recipes like

Le Calumet stuffed baked potato, developed with nutritionist Julie DesGroseilliers.

This stuffed sweet potato is actually a meal in itself! It’s tasty, easy to make, and more than a little indulgent. The subtly smokey flavour of Le Classique Smoked cheese gives it that barbecue,

summery feel everyone loves. And with all the protein in the sweet potato, mushrooms, chickpeas, and cheese, it makes a very satisfying meal.

You can also make the recipe with Le Classique Smoked Light cheese for a low fat version that’s just as delicious.

FROMAGERIE BERGERON’S LE CLASSIQUE SMOKED, CHICKPEA AND MUSHROOM STUFFED BAKED POTATO MAKES: 4 SERVINGS • PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES COOKING TIME: 40 MINUTES

Ingredients • 4 sweet potatoes, about 310 g (2/3 lb) each • Olive oil, to taste • 6 slices bacon • 500 ml (2 cups) onions, sliced into rings • 750 ml (3 cups) mushrooms of your choice, chopped • 20 ml (4 tsp.) fresh thyme • Salt and pepper, to taste • 389 ml (14 oz.) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed • 1 package (200 g) Fromagerie Bergeron Le Classique Smoked cheese, diced • 20 ml (4 tsp.) fresh chives, chopped Directions 1 Preheat oven at 450°F. 2 Scrub each potato and wrap in a double thickness of

3

4 5

6

aluminum foil. Prick with a fork in a few places and place directly on oven rack. Cook about 40 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a non-stick pan. Remove bacon, drain, crumble into bits and set aside. Place the onions in the bacon fat (adjust the amount of fat to taste) and cook 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Cook another 5 minutes.

Add the chick peas, cheese, chives and bacon. Mix well.

Using a spoon, open up the cooked potatoes lengthwise.

Stuff with the mushroom mixture and serve.

Bon appétit!

RECIPE, FOOD STYLING AND PHOTO: © JULIE DESGROSEILLIERS, NUTRITIONIST

FOOD HEROES & FEEL GOOD RECIPES

March • 2022

ADVERTORIAL

JORDY THIBEAULT, CRANBROOK B.C. © COLUMBIA BASIN TRUST

Smokey The Steer: The Surprising Role of Cattle in Community Wildfire Management Keith Manders clearly remembers the night that wildfires raged close to his home. “My wife looked out the window at 4 a.m. and saw flames coming down the mountain,” he recalls quietly. “You can imagine how we felt.” Fortunately for the rancher from Summerland, B.C., their house was spared, as was most of the crown land that Keith uses seasonally to graze his cattle. The experience reinforced what he and other local ranchers had known for years—that cattle can be effective tools to mitigate wildfire behaviour.

“I brought the local fire chief up here and he couldn’t believe it,” said Keith. “He saw the effectiveness of what we can do when cattle graze the pastures.”

On crown land and areas surrounding communities, tree stands have been thinned to reduce the risk of large wildfire events. However, with fewer trees, more sunlight reaches the forest floor, resulting in increased grasses and shrubs.

Known as fine fuels, dry grasses and shrubs can become a volatile and easily ignited source for fires. Annual growth of grasses and shrubs without any removal will continually

increase the fine fuel load and lead to increased potential wildfire intensity over time.

That is exactly where local ranchers saw the natural fit— grass feeds fire, but it also feeds cattle. Under the right conditions, fine fuels can contribute to what is known as a rolling crown fire—an out-of-control event that is impossible to manage.

By eating a certain percentage of shrubs and grasses, grazing can successfully turn, slow and even stop fires. When fires do happen, the goal is to lower their intensity so that resources can be deployed successfully. By removing grasses during the growing season, the risk is reduced.

“Grass feeds fire, but it also feeds cattle.”

After the extreme wildfire years of 2017 and 2018, the Government of B.C. approached the British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association to organize pilot projects, researching the effectiveness of grazing cattle in forested areas surrounding at-risk communities. Creating solutions to manage wildfire risk in these interfaces is especially important to preserve

lives, homes, and infrastructure where other methods, like prescribed burns, are not feasible.

Although fine fuel reduction is the project’s primary objective, other goals include maintaining important values such as wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and ecological integrity.

Jordy Thibeault, a local rancher from just outside Cranbrook, is happy to participate in the pilot project for the community. Each spring for a few weeks, he brings his herd of cattle to graze the crown land bordering the town. The cows reduce the amount of fuel available, but they also improve the health of the remaining grass. “They utilize the grass for a shorter period of time and then the grass gets a longer restoration,” Jordy says.

“It stays greener in a vegetative state longer, and so it’s less likely to burn.”

To Jordy, it’s a win-win situation. “We definitely have a role in protecting the community,” he says. “If you came in here with a machine, like a lawnmower, all it would be is a cost-output. We have a tool that can remove this fire danger while producing food to feed the community and add benefit to society.”

© TYLER ZHAO

CATTLE ON THE LAND, BEEF ON YOUR PLATE As one of nature’s most nutrient-dense foods, beef is recommended as a protein food option in Canada’s food guide Eat Well plate. Just 100 grams of cooked beef provides 35 grams of protein, which helps build muscle and maintain healthy bones, 79 percent of your daily value of zinc, which boosts your body’s immune system, and 100 percent of your daily value of vitamin B12, so you can concentrate and feel energized, all at only 245 calories. Beef is also a source of vitamin B6 and iron, both of which support increased brain function.

It’s important to eat a balanced plate that contains fruits and vegetables, whole

Pastures and grasslands used for beef cattle provide many ecosystem benefits.

Stewardship of the land is essential to the families that raise beef cattle.

WWW.RAISINGCDNBEEF.CA

grains, and protein-rich foods like beef. While protein from plant sources can be a great source of fibre, beef provides iron, a widespread deficiency in many infants and children.

In fact, pairing protein-rich beef with the daily suggested amount of fruit, vegetables, and grains helps increase the iron absorbed by beans and other plants by 180 percent, making it a natural way to increase your iron intake without the use of supplements.

When Canadian beef reaches your table, you can rest assured that you will be fuelling your body with protein, iron, zinc, and other nutrients essential for good health.

March • 2022

globalheroes.com

ADVERTORIAL

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF © EASTER SEALS BCY

Making Memories That Last a Lifetime Many people have fond memories of summer camp—sailing on the lake, singing campfire songs, pranking counsellors, and forging lasting friendships.

Now, imagine a child who can’t attend summer camp because of a disability, missing out on life-changing experiences and friendships.

“We thought our son would never have a camp experience, something that is so important for any child growing up,” says Barb, mother of 19-year-old Dillon, who has Down Syndrome. “That is, until he went to Easter Seals summer camp when he was nine years old.”

For Dillon and his family, summer camp opened up a new world. “Easter Seals camps are fully inclusive and accessible so any child or adult with a disability can attend,” explains Barb. “It’s such a fun, safe environment, and Dillon absolutely loves it. He’s been going for 10 years.”

With three locations across B.C., Easter Seals BC/Yukon offers week-long, overnight summer camp programs for campers ages six to 49 with a disability. Disabilities vary from autism, development

delays, anxiety disorders, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, epilepsy, ADHD, among others.

Campers participate in a variety of outdoor sports designed for individuals with disabilities, including wheelchair sports and leadership training. There are also talent shows, swimming, campfires, arts, crafts—every activity you would see at any summer camp.

“My favourite part of camp is making the tie-dye shirts, getting goo’d, dressing up and being silly, making new friends, and going out at night for pool parties,” says Dillon.

Easter Seals camps have a three-to-one camper-to-staff ratio, a 24-hour medical team on-site, and camp counsellors trained specifically to work with persons with disabilities.

For campers like Charlotte, this type of care is so important.

Charlotte has a medical condition that requires her to lay horizontally at all times, but that doesn’t stop Easter Seals camp from giving her the best

experience they can. Staff push her in a portable bed around camp so that she can participate in camp activities. During pool time, lifeguards create a makeshift raft for her to lay on and adapt a life jacket to keep her tube dry.

“At camp, they don’t hear the word no, which is what they hear a lot of when navigating the world around them. Here they can try any activity because it’s set up to be fully accessible and the staff are trained to work with all abilities and needs,” explains Barb. “And if a camper is nervous to try something, there is such a supportive environment to make them feel safe.”

For parents of a child with a disability, caregiving can be 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and very emotionally and physically demanding.

“Sending a child to camp is also a chance to give parents a time to refresh and recharge,” explains Barb. “It was scary the first time he was away from home and by the time our nerves settled down, it was time to pick him up. But I’m so glad we did it because

as important it is for Dillon, it became just as important for our whole family.”

Dillon has also expanded his camp experience with Easter Seals into the winter months and is taking online programs in music and art, plus a 12-week program on transitioning to adulthood.

When public-health guidelines over COVID-19 shut down overnight camps in 2020, Easter Seals quickly pivoted and created a Camp@Home program with online classes and virtual day camps.

“We saw how the pandemic was isolating, especially for people with disabilities, and wanted to offer them a place where they could safely connect, laugh, and play,” explains Dale Kilgour, assistant camp director of camp programs and facilities for Easter Seals BC/Yukon.

Just like in-person camp, Camp@Home fosters self-esteem, friendships, and adventure. Close to 80 percent of those who have attended virtual programming reported improved independence, confidence, and personal development skills.

“When a person with a disability feels safe and secure, they feel free to explore their interests, to play and to laugh,” explains Dale. “Easter Seals camps give them a chance to express themselves and learn more about who they are in a positive way.”

Online programs have exceeded the charity’s expectations. “It’s allowed us to connect with first-time attendees who would not have normally been able to make the journey to the physical camp due to their personal circumstances.

It’s become a lifeline for so many.”

This year, Easter Seals celebrates 75 years of helping children and adults with disabilities live their best lives. What started as a simple transportation service for children with disabilities by the Vancouver East Lions Club in 1947, has evolved to meet the changing needs of communities today, including a 49-suite house for medical accommodation in Vancouver.

You can help Easter Seals make lives better for another 75 years with a donation at www.eastersealsbcy.ca

437,000

GUESTS AT EASTER SEALS

HOUSE ON OAK STREET

350

COMMUNITIES

ENGAGED

35,000 CAMPER

630,000

SMILES

CAMP MEALS SERVED

CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF MAKING LIVES BETTER HELP US BETTER THE LIVES OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND HEALTH CHALLENGES FOR ANOTHER 75 YEARS.

DONATE AT WWW.EASTERSEALSBCY.CA