Mark Smeets
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mrmarksmeets.bsky.social
Mark Smeets
@mrmarksmeets.bsky.social
290 followers 160 following 260 posts
Husband, Parent, Advocate for ADHD and Autism, He/Him, opinions my own also #Lego #AFOL #Disability #baker #musician #bced #bcpoli Always happy to talk about #adhd #autism just ask questions #StarWars and #StarTrek
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mrmarksmeets.bsky.social
Mark Smeets @mrmarksmeets.bsky.social · Sep 2
Alberta isn’t safe
rachelgilmore.bsky.social Rachel Gilmore @rachelgilmore.bsky.social · Sep 2
fucking abhorrent.
globalnews.ca Global News @globalnews.ca · Sep 2
Starting this school year, Alberta will block transgender athletes who are 12 and older from competing in female amateur sports.

globalnews.ca/news/1137456...
Reposted by Mark Smeets
katrinachen.bsky.social
Katrina Chen @katrinachen.bsky.social · Jul 18
"It's critical that we start from a young age to break the cycle of violence, to have a better understanding for our children to understand what's happening at home for prevention, and also for better understanding as a community as a whole.” @orcabook.bsky.social
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Reposted by Mark Smeets
vsmw.bsky.social
V. S. Wells 🌈🫖 @vsmw.bsky.social · Jun 26
If you're a minor and your parents don't want you to get vaccinated, the mature minor policy means you can override them and get the jabs yourself so long as you demonstrate informed consent: www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc...
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine | HealthLink BC
www.healthlinkbc.ca
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Reposted by Mark Smeets
vsmw.bsky.social
V. S. Wells 🌈🫖 @vsmw.bsky.social · Jun 26
PSA: If you're in B.C. and your parents didn't get you immunized when you were a kid, you can get MMR vaccines at many local pharmacies: www.bcpharmacy.ca/mmr
Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) Vaccines | BC Pharmacy Association
www.bcpharmacy.ca
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Reposted by Mark Smeets
floralashes.bsky.social
Florence Ashley @floralashes.bsky.social · Jun 19
As an expert on conversion therapy, I recommend reading this thread ⬇️
jael.bsky.social jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · Jun 19
OK i’ve seen almost no media outlet pick up on the fact the Supreme Court ruling endorsed conversion therapy

and opens a portal to the normalization of conversion therapy nationally

so here’s a thread explaining how they did so, and why you should care

(1/x)
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Reposted by Mark Smeets
jael.bsky.social
jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · Jun 19
i am deeply troubled by the media’s reluctance to cover the rise of conversion therapy activism in the U.S. and hope that future coverage of this ruling focuses on how it could further popularize what some U.S. states and other countries consider to be cruel and inhumane treatments
OHCHR | Report on conversion therapy
"Conversion therapy" is an umbrella term used to describe interventions of a wide-ranging nature, all of which have in common the belief that a person's sexual orientation or gender identity can and s...
www.ohchr.org
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Reposted by Mark Smeets
kbpath.bsky.social
P.A.T.H Parent Advocacy Tribunal Help @kbpath.bsky.social · Jun 18
thecanarycollective.blogspot.com/2025/06/from...
From Power to Partnership: Changing How We Talk to Families
I originally sat down to write a post for families. I intended to write something that would help them communicate more effectively with tea...
thecanarycollective.blogspot.com
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Reposted by Mark Smeets
goldring.bsky.social
Ian Goldring @goldring.bsky.social · Jun 1
Manitoba sets the example, how hard was that?
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mrmarksmeets.bsky.social
Mark Smeets @mrmarksmeets.bsky.social · May 22
A day later he found me later and I showed him the video he’s been wearing his helmet ever since and we say hi almost everyday.

Kid cyclists need examples like this and we need to be that for them.
mrmarksmeets.bsky.social
Mark Smeets @mrmarksmeets.bsky.social · May 22
1 kid who rides to school nearly got hit the other week by a car that ran the sign, report filed, no helmet either. The admin team was able to get a message to his parents and the kid was talked to.
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mrmarksmeets.bsky.social
Mark Smeets @mrmarksmeets.bsky.social · May 22
I’m just as concerned about the lack of helmets that I see on kids and their blatant disregard for safety.
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mrmarksmeets.bsky.social
Mark Smeets @mrmarksmeets.bsky.social · May 22
But it’s critical that cyclists communicate, there are so many ways to do it.
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mrmarksmeets.bsky.social
Mark Smeets @mrmarksmeets.bsky.social · May 22
I joke about how many police file #’s I have because drivers run or roll through stop signs, which is why I record my rides and have nearly killed/injured the kids and I plus other cyclists in the area.
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mrmarksmeets.bsky.social
Mark Smeets @mrmarksmeets.bsky.social · May 22
The school zones are a dangerous place and when we ride, we go between the road with traffic and the sidewalks when we reach a specific point.
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mrmarksmeets.bsky.social
Mark Smeets @mrmarksmeets.bsky.social · May 22
This is something that I work on every time I ride with my kids and teach them about riding.

My daughter uses her bell to signal she is behind people, my son uses his voice to say what side he is passing or travelling on
kylalee.ca Kyla Lee @kylalee.ca · May 20
Funny that cyclists literally ignore this provision of the MVA when someone says they have to look out for their safety and the safety of others.
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Reposted by Mark Smeets
mcbride5.bsky.social
Bonnie McBride @mcbride5.bsky.social · May 18
Premier Eby - Invest in BC's Public Schools Now - Sign the Petition!

Parents, students, & partners are headed to Victoria to demand a better school system for our kids.

chng.it/qbJ9bS2shP

#bcpoli #bced #FundBCSchools

@eby-david.bsky.social @bctf.bsky.social @cupebc.bsky.social @bcsta.bsky.social
Sign the Petition
Premier Eby - Invest in BC's Public Schools Now
chng.it
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Reposted by Mark Smeets
finnattentive.bsky.social
Päivi Butcher AuDHD @finnattentive.bsky.social · May 5
"Amazon is selling books marketed at people seeking techniques to manage their ADHD that claim to offer expert advice yet appear to be authored by a chatbot such as ChatGPT."

And people buy them, seeing the ratings.

#ADHD #Books #AI
‘Dangerous nonsense’: AI-authored books about ADHD for sale on Amazon
Experts say online retailer has ethical responsibility to guard against chatbot-generated work on sensitive topics
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by Mark Smeets
meaghanmcleod.bsky.social
Meaghan McLeod @meaghanmcleod.bsky.social · May 4
And since this is Bluesky, where local issues get zero traction, let’s try tagging: @pattibacchus.bsky.social @reddyforchange.bsky.social @richardsonyvr.bsky.social @bcsta.bsky.social @bceducationmatters.bsky.social @lisabeare.bsky.social @vancouverdpac.bsky.social
#vanpoli #bced
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Reposted by Mark Smeets
meaghanmcleod.bsky.social
Meaghan McLeod @meaghanmcleod.bsky.social · May 4
I hope the people of Vancouver will take care when voting for trustees in the 2026 election. Start preparing now to get rid of the ABC figure heads that sit on the board (literally just sit), and let’s elect some change makers who actually want to do the job. vancouver.ca/guides/votin...
Guide to voting
Get information on who can vote in Vancouver city elections and more.
vancouver.ca
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Reposted by Mark Smeets
meaghanmcleod.bsky.social
Meaghan McLeod @meaghanmcleod.bsky.social · May 4
He has since deleted the post, but not before revealing these names of advocates to 5000 or more people who viewed it. He has also put forward a motion that this kind of accessible advocacy (letter template campaigns facilitated by the district PAC) be discontinued.
Image of the motion put forward by Trustee Chien. Full wording can be found at the website https://media.vsb.bc.ca/media/Default/medialib/open-board-meeting-agenda-2025-may-05.cec37080088.pdf on the last two pages of the document - pages 158 and 159.
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mrmarksmeets.bsky.social
Mark Smeets @mrmarksmeets.bsky.social · May 4
and let's add in #bcpoli as well to this

#vanpoli #bced

Thanks Meaghan
meaghanmcleod.bsky.social Meaghan McLeod @meaghanmcleod.bsky.social · May 4
What is the job of a school board trustee if not reading emails from interest holders and being responsive to them? One ABC trustee in @vsb39.bsky.social decided to treat advocacy emails from over 200 parents/caregivers as “spam”, and to post his grievance on X, compromising parent privacy.
X post that says “Alfred Chien @alfredchien1 Apr 23 As a VSB Trustee, I expect emails — it's part of the job. But getting 160+ identical emails from the same DPAC admin account, just with different names, isn't advocacy — it's spam. Let's raise the standard of communication. Our schools deserve better.” With an accompanying image of his inbox revealing the subject line “Budgeting for Inclusive Education” with some names of people who sent the emails (blacked out in this screenshot for privacy purposes).
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Reposted by Mark Smeets
ozoniferous.bsky.social
DrLes 🇨🇦🇺🇦💙 @ozoniferous.bsky.social · Apr 19
OMG.. this is GREAT!!!!!👇👇👇😂😂
brittlestar.com Brittlestar @brittlestar.com · Apr 18
TRAVEL IS LIKE THE BEATLES
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Reposted by Mark Smeets
lizay.bsky.social
LizaYuzda @lizay.bsky.social · Apr 19
A lift up for non-binary and trans folks and the people who love them as another country tries to erase people being who they are and also science.
danielsohege.bsky.social Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · Apr 19
For particularly the younger trans and non-binary individuals out there, but everyone though more generally, I can't tell you things will be okay. I can say that there is so much support for you, so much love. That's what drives change. Just look at this and not the bigots today 👇 1/
whatthetrans.com What The Trans?! 🏳️‍⚧️ @whatthetrans.com · Apr 19
The crowd is now so big, it's spilling over to the "supreme" court.
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mrmarksmeets.bsky.social
Mark Smeets @mrmarksmeets.bsky.social · Apr 18
This lack of familiarity can certainly be understood as a substantial contributing factor fueling the proliferation of disability euphemisms such as “special needs," "handicapable," and "unique abilities."””

#adhd #Autism #AutismAcceptance #disability
mrmarksmeets.bsky.social
Mark Smeets @mrmarksmeets.bsky.social · Apr 18
Disability
----------
Disability is not a bad word: having a disability is what allows people access to services and supports. It’s written into our Laws.

“Contrary to popular belief, the prefix “dis” does not denote something negative but refers to “another way of being.”
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