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Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society

NanaimoNewsNOW @nanaimonewsnow.bsky.social · 14h

A new 16-bed housing complex for families to stay at while their loved one receives critical medical care is being built at the Nanaimo hospital, opening in the spring of 2027.

#Nanaimo

nanaimonewsnow.com/2025/10/08/g...

Ground broken for 16-bed ‘home away from home’ at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital

NANAIMO - Expected to be complete by spring 2027, a new housing complex will help keep families together while...

nanaimonewsnow.com

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Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 17h

"The #Comox Men's Shed wants more people involved, and will be helping start a new branch for people from the #Courtenay area. The club is holding an open house on Saturday October 25 at Comox United Church on Comox Avenue at 10:00 a.m" #VancouverIsland #BC www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/community/co...

Comox Men's Shed holding open house this month

Group looking for new members to form Courtenay chapter

www.comoxvalleyrecord.com

Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 17h

"Residents, families, staff, and community members at Ocean Front Village came together throughout September, World #Alzheimer’s Month, to raise funds and awareness for the Alzheimer Society" #Courtenay #ComoxValley #VancouverIsland #BC www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/community/co...

Courtenay's Ocean Front Village raises funds for World Alzheimers Month

Community holds Purple Shirt Day, a vintage car show, a barbecue, and a bake sale

www.comoxvalleyrecord.com

Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 18h

“The report found that rates of poor #mentalhealth are alarmingly high among both #Indigenous and #non-Indigenous #youth, with existing services primarily focused on #crisisintervention rather than #prevention” #NorthCowichan #VancouverIsland #BC www.chemainusvalleycourier.ca/home/north-c...

North Cowichan looks for space for Foundry Centre for youth

Provincial program offers health and wellness services

www.chemainusvalleycourier.ca

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Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 18h

" #Mentalhealth -related files across the #WestShore increased 7.3%... the Mobile Integrated Crisis Response Teams have been instrumental in managing those calls. [It] consists of three police officers and two nurses with specialized mental health training" #BC www.oakbaynews.com/local-news/w...

West Shore RCMP sees increase in mental health and drug-related files

Overall calls up just over 3 per cent in the first half of 2025, with mental health and drug-related files seeing the biggest jumps

www.oakbaynews.com

Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society

People First Radio @peoplefirstradio.bsky.social · 1d

ICYMI

Comox Valley resident Shannon Donohoe-Simpson spoke with the program about her journey after being diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer at age 34.

vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/como...

@vimhs.bsky.social

Comox Valley resident shares healing journey following cancer diagnosis

Shannon Donohoe-Simpson talks using art, community, to help heal

vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org

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Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 18h

"For many seniors in the #Parksville #QualicumBeach area, the SOS Grocery Bus Service means access to #food, #independence and #community. ...Society of Organized Services is raising funds for a new vehicle to keep the service available" #VancouverIsland #BC www.pqbnews.com/community/so...

SOS grocery bus service connects seniors to food and PQB community

Seniors picked up from their homes and taken to grocery stores

www.pqbnews.com

Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 18h

"A total of 174 people were counted as experiencing #homelessness in #CampbellRiver in the latest point-in-time survey, that’s a drop from 197 reported in [2023]. Most of those counted were #unsheltered" #substanceuse #mentalhelath #VancouverIsland #BC www.mycampbellrivernow.com/85591/news/c...

Point-in-time count shows decrease in homelessness in Campbell River : My Campbell River Now

Stay connected with Campbell River’s latest local news, community events, contests, ferry updates, and live 99.7 The River radio—only on My Campbell River Now.

www.mycampbellrivernow.com

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Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society

APTN News @aptnnews.bsky.social · 1d

Is residential school denialism hate speech?

Métis grad student Benjamin Kucher and activist Tracey Leost are calling on Ottawa to act. On the latest APTN News InFocus, Kucher joins us to talk about their calls to action.

Listen to that discussion: pod.fo/e/336612

InFocus: Confronting residential school denialism: How a new generation is pushing back against a growing threat

This week on APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines the growing threat of residential school denialism in Canada. Once confined to the internet’s fringes, denialism has entered the mains...

pod.fo

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Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 1d

"More than 600 people are expected to dine on around 250 kilograms of turkey at the annual Thanksgiving meal hosted by Our Place on Tuesday. The meal is the first of two Thanksgiving meals this week at the #Pandora Avenue facility..." #Victoria #VancouverIsland www.timescolonist.com/local-news/t...

Thanksgiving dinner for hundreds ready at Our Place

More than 600 people are expected to dine on around 250 kilograms of turkey at the annual meal.

www.timescolonist.com

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Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 1d

"The synthetic opioid #nitazene, first detected in Canada’s drug supply in 2019, is showing up on #VancouverIsland in counterfeit pressed pills sold as #oxycodone, #percocet and #hydromorphone, according to @uvic.ca Substance Drug Checking" #BritishColumbia #BC www.timescolonist.com/local-news/p...

Potent new drug turning up in counterfeit pills in Greater Victoria

Drug-checking service warns the synthetic opioid nitazene is showing up in counterfeit pills sold as oxycodone, percocet and hydromorphone.

www.timescolonist.com

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Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 1d

"The first newly introduced government bills for the fall legislative session are aimed at preventing & responding to sexual violence at post-secondary institutions & increasing the penalties for sharing intimate images without a person's consent" #BC www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com/news/bc-intr...

B.C. introduces 2 bills aimed at curbing sexual violence and misconduct

One bill is aimed at preventing sexual violence, the other increases fines for sharing intimate images without consent

www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com

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Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society

RCYBC @rcybc.bsky.social · 2d

Indigenous caregivers and kin, you hold language, ceremony and identity close.

Thank you for the care that honours Nations and culture.

#FosterFamilyMonthBC #CultureIsCare

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Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 2d

"Flourish! helps build school meal programs for students supported by curriculum-connected, experiential learning opportunities in school gardens, kitchens and composts" #foodsecurity #GreaterVictoria #VancouverIsland #BC www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com/home/flouris...

Flourish cooks up plan to feed 10,000 South Island kids in 5 years

Flourish! School Food Society takes over 1 of 2 kitchens at the Mustard Seed Food Security Distribution Centre

www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com

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Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 2d

"To Roberts, #recovery is something that is done with others...the opposite of #addiction is #connection, and to have someone who has been through the process helping along the way was a very important part of her recovery" #VancouverIsland #Courtenay www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com/local-news/t...

'The opposite of addiction is connection': Island woman shares her story

Rebecca Roberts went from being a missing person lost in Vancouver's Downtown East Side to a Comox Valley peer support worker

www.vancouverislandfreedaily.com

Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society

People First Radio @peoplefirstradio.bsky.social · 3d

Downtown Eastside service provider First United called for an end to pet bans in rentals in B.C, along with a suite of other measures in their law reform platform.

Staff lawyer Vinson Shih spoke with People First Radio:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/firs...

@vimhs.bsky.social

First United law reform platform calls for end to pet bans, other reforms for renters

In conversation with First United Staff Lawyer Vinson Shih

vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org

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Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society

People First Radio @peoplefirstradio.bsky.social · 4d

Vancouver Island author Meg Todd spoke with People First Radio about her debut novel Most Grievous Fault, which deals with heavy subject matter.

Listen:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/vanc...

@vimhs.bsky.social

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Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society

People First Radio @peoplefirstradio.bsky.social · 5d

The broadcast version of this week's program is now online and can be found here:

vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...

@vimhs.bsky.social

People First Radio – October 2, 2025 – Vancouver Island Mental Health Society

vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org

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Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society

People First Radio @peoplefirstradio.bsky.social · 6d

Comox Valley resident Shannon Donohoe-Simpson spoke with PFR about her healing journey following being diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer at age 34.

Listen:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/como...

@vimhs.bsky.social

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Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 6d

"With the use of opioid agonist therapy, Coyle was able to maintain her #sobriety. She currently gets the Sublocade injections every four weeks. She is working on extending the period between shots to slowly taper off." #addiction #recovery #ComoxValley #BC www.comoxvalleyrecord.com/community/i-...

'I swore I’d never be that way' - Comox Valley mother reflects her journey with addiction

“These last few years has been this time for me to figure out what I like to do now" - Chelsea Coyle

www.comoxvalleyrecord.com

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Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society

People First Radio @peoplefirstradio.bsky.social · 7d

Earlier this year PFR spoke with the authors of Psychedelic Capitalism, who raised concern about corporate capture in the ‘psychedelic renaissance’

Listen here:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/auth...

@vimhs.bsky.social

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Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 6d

Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society

CHLY 101.7FM @chly.ca · 7d

"Being, a granddaughter of residential school survivors, both my grandparents went, and I had a great uncle, Jasper Mitchell, who didn't get to come home. So I keep that in mind when I'm cooking, remembering my grandfather, he ran away from Kuper Island, and it took him three days to come home."

CHLY 101.7FM @chly.ca · 7d

A new edition of Midcoast Morning from CHLY 101.7FM has dropped: Spirit Walk in Comox Valley marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Listen here.

Spirit Walk in Comox Valley marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

On the fifth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, hundreds...

share.transistor.fm

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Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 7d

“The term ‘autism’ likely describes multiple conditions. For the first time, we have found that earlier and later diagnosed #autism have different underlying biological and developmental profiles.”
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Autism should not be seen as single condition with one cause, say scientists

Those diagnosed as small children typically have distinct genetic profile from those diagnosed later, study finds

www.theguardian.com

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Vancouver Island Mental Health Society @vimhs.bsky.social · 7d

"Basically, [ #involuntarycare is] care and treatment for people experiencing #mentalillness so severe that it impacts the safety of themselves or those around them, and they cannot — or will not — be treated voluntarily" #BC #BritishColumbia #Canada www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

B.C. is expanding its involuntary care program. What does the treatment involve? | CBC News

Involuntary care was put in the spotlight last fall during the provincial election campaign when Premier David Eby announced plans to expand that type of care for people with addiction. The B.C. Conse...

www.cbc.ca