Category Archives: Health

Health

110 purple flags will fly along Tri-Cities routes on Friday to mark 7th anniversary of B.C.’s toxic drug emergency

By Patrick Penner, Tri-Cities Dispatch, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On Friday April 14, commuters travelling along the Tri-Cities’ arterial routes counted 110 purple flags – one flag for every 100 people killed by toxic drugs since a public health crisis was announced.

Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody all granted the TriCities Overdose Community Action Team (TCCAT) a highway use permit to display the public art message meant to lessen the stigma around opioid addiction. 

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Arts, Community, Health

West Van director raises autism awareness with ‘When Time Got Louder’

By Mina Kerr-Lazenby, North Shore News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It can be a double edged sword, inclusivity in film. The two steps forward taken by the industry when representing otherwise marginalized or excluded communities are often followed by a step back when that community isn’t represented as accurately as it could be.

It is the driving force behind much of Connie Cocchia’s work. The LGBTQ+ writer and producer, originally from West Vancouver, has made creating accurate representation in film her raison d’être. Now, for her directorial debut, she’ll be releasing a film that has a character with autism at its centre – but not in a way that you’ll likely have seen before.

Unlike films like Rain Man and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, which depict those with autism spectrum disorder as savants or hyper-logical detective types, Cocchia’s character bears a relationship to neurodiverse people who live regular lives.

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Health

New lease on life through early intervention

By Mark Brett, Penticton Herald, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Needing a heart transplant at seven months old to stay alive, Hudson Suh’s story is one of strength and determination.

After spending nearly the entire first year of his life in a hospital bed, when he was finally well enough to leave, the young boy had challenges in his physical development.

So when the Suh family, Joe and Tiffany,  relocated to the Okanagan in 2020, they enrolled “Huddy,” who is now four, at the OSNS Child and Youth Development Centre. There he underwent the life-changing, early intervention services including occupational and physiotherapy and speech pathology.

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Health, Politics

NDP-Liberal agreement prompted increased lobbying efforts from Big Pharma

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Big Pharma has stepped up its lobbying game ever since the federal NDP struck a deal to prop up the Liberals’ minority government contingent on several big-ticket items — including progress on national pharmacare.

Announced last March, the Liberal-NDP agreement hinges on the federal government launching a dental care program for low-income Canadians and “continuing progress towards a universal national pharmacare program by passing a Canada Pharmacare Act by the end of 2023.”

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Health

Anti-vax graffiti in Cortes Island newspapers

Someone has been defacing pro-COVID vaccine adds inside copies of the Campbell River Mirror distributed on Cortes Island. 

When Tom Bohart picked up a copy of the February 1st edition at Mansons Landing, he saw the endorsement on page A 26, where Dr Titus Wong said ‘There are people who are vulnerable. Help protect them from serious illness by getting a booster.’ Someone had taken a felt pen and wrote ‘Lies + propaganda! They cause harm + death’ across the add. Returning out of curiosity the next day, Bohart found a similar defacement in the first paper he checked.  

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