The Steph Peaks and Friends Drag Show promises a “next level” event at Liverpool’s Astor Theatre. Wilberforce’s “Fun”-raising Committee will host the first ever community clothing swap. A World War II hero was honored in Cobourg and in Norway for paving the path for women to serve. The Courtenay Youth Climate Corps recap first summer in Courtenay. And we say farewell, as the curtain falls on Viewpoints, which is leaving the air waves. That’s us!

It’s time for us to bid you farewell. Please let us take a moment to thank everyone. First a big hug to the journalists who contributed to this final edition: Rick Conrad, Heather Watson, Dan Jones, and Elizabeth Oakley. And to all you, from east to west, north and south, who took part in the show, our journalists, you filled my imagination and workdays with your curiosity and hard work. Years spent learning and discovering Canada, through your eyes and ears. My mind and heart are content!

I need to thank Victoria Fenner and Conrad Fox, our English National Editors. Having the privilege of working and enjoying your day with such a great team is maybe not that common. I’ve had this chance for many years now. I wish to acknowledge their sharp minds, love for radio, and for the profession, and tell them how much fun it was to be with you. You’ll hear their voices at the end of the show. 

A heartfelt thanks to all the composers and musicians—those who lent us their music as a backdrop, adding colour and texture to our commentary and reports over the years. Viewpoints was brought to you by the Community Radio Fund of Canada and the Local Journalism Initiative, who gave us a voice. Thank you. Thanks to the local radio stations, general managers and program directors that aired Viewpoints over the past three to four years. And, to you, our listeners.

My name is Boris Chassagne, your host and producer. Thank you, everyone.


Montreal tenants march against rent-increase changes proposed by the provinces’ CAQ government. The city of Kingston breaks ground on Canada’s first-ever digital air traffic facility? The Winnipeg Fibre Festival highlights tariff struggles and pushes to rebuild Canada’s wool industry. The First Peoples’ Gathering House opens at SFU in Burnaby. And a Canadian glass artist flies to Tanzania to help local artisans forge new markets. 

On this week’s show, we’ve got happy stories from small-town Canada lined up for you! Our first story will be about a local historian lobbying the local council to establish an “official village fungus” and she has an idea for a potential nominee. We’ll go country hopping and settle in Kingston, Waterloo and Haliburton to tell you about the comic book Witch Hazel, about the Empty Soup Bowl fundraiser, and the 5th annual Dining Trail and Taste the Countryside, events. Youth Unlimited and a retail store team up to outfit local students with new school supplies. And in downtown Winnipeg, the Dalnavert Museum marks its 130th anniversary. 

University students stuck in Gaza miss the opening bell and speak out about Canada’s delayed visa process. Two were killed while waiting. This, as the city of Fergus welcomes its newest elementary school. A summer company program gives local teens practical experience as entrepreneurs. The family of murdered Cape Breton man faces the accused killer for the first time.

The Brooklyn Marina rolls out the red carpet for Nova Scotia’s sailing ambassador. The famous Blue Nose II. We stay on the water as the Great Lakes Coastal Cleanup hits the city of Kingston, Ontario. To Montreal, where a gardening group is trying to revive a long-lost and historic melon! Domestic beer sales down in Newfoundland and Labrador. But cannabis sales are on the rise ! A 60-foot electric bus hits the road in Winnipeg and paves the way for possible expansion. And the Canine Stars, a famous American travelling stunt dog show, makes a stop in B.C.’s Bulkley Valley. 

A bison sculpture carries hope for Manitoba’s tall grass prairies. The Buy Canadian movement draws more shoppers to local farmers’ markets. Fredericton’s Community Kitchen’s pilot summer student meal program hits the mark. And the West Montrose historic “kissing bridge” closes for major restoration. New lips will have to wait for 16 months, at least!

In the Ontario town of Fergus, a long-forgotten 1954 time capsule opens a window into Fergus’s past. Young entrepreneurs in Cobourg present their summer projects at a business expo. A music camp for families has struck a chord in the Comox Valley. A tanning workshop in Hazelton shares the secrets of this ancient practice. And the Terry Fox Run returns to Confederation Bridge, an “incredible experience” that helps raise funds for cancer research.

The Upper Credit Humane Society Faces Eviction after 30 years spent at the same address, in Erin, Ontario. The National Youth Orchestra will play in Nanaimo: A local musician gets to live his dream. Montreal’s Historical Fencing Society is keeping medieval brawls alive. A new public art pilot project brings colour to Kingston’s downtown, as local artists take over the traffic control boxes. And the New Brunswick Museum is getting a new look. Construction is underway while public fundraising continues. The goal is to raise $35M. And they are half-way there!

A day at the beach celebrates Disability Pride Month in Queens County, Nova Scotia. Same province but further out: A blue whale was spotted off the coast of Ingonish. Whale watchers amazed at the 90-foot-long mammal. In British Columbia, Texada Island’s residents say they are “devastated” by the death of Tex the Grizzly Bear. Tex was found shot dead about a week ago. And the replica of a 19th century ship built in Saint John finds a permanent home on the city’s waterfront.

Many Canadians will do whatever they can to avoid travelling to the USA this summer. Haliburton’s tourism manager confirms the summer travel trend. Flash flooding is getting more frequent in Montreal and elsewhere across the country and the world. An expert shares possible solutions. An ancient fish helps scientists understand the evolution of jaws and teeth. The Northern Pulp Mill in Liverpool, Nova Scotia has closed its doors. It’s now selling off its assets. And a new residential complex in North Sydney provides welcome housing options for local seniors.

Mount Allison political science student Phaedra Williams wins the Larry Collins Prize for best undergraduate essay in Atlantic Canada. A family of five grey wolves captures hearts at the Assiniboine Zoo. A cacomistle takes the plane and ends up 3,000 km away from home. It’s getting ready for the trip back. Toronto Fire upgraded its fleet with rapid-response rescue boats. And big crowds visit Fredericton’s Garrison Night Market, the second-biggest night market in Canada.

From Riot to Parade: Protestors say Toronto Pride has lost its way. New Brunswick Premier Holt and Tourism Minister Thériault take the scenic route on a fact-finding mission to Murray Beach and Baie Verte. The Platform Pilsner comes to life as BC’s public transit experiments new funding models. We’ll meet up with a group of bat watchers in Montreal! Do you wonder what goes on in a Fire and Paramedic Station? We’re touring a new one in Winnipeg, with Ryan Funk.

Indigenous practices are used for the first time in a Canadian military court-martial. West coast seniors living on the west coast of Newfoundland are amongst the poorest in the country, according to a seniors’ advocate. A fundraising event in Manitoba becomes a springboard for important conversations about mental health, art, and accessibility. A Brewing Company in Smithers, B.C. is awarded Best Brewery in Canada. Musician Tom Wilson celebrates National Indigenous Peoples’ Day in a concert featuring the Mohawk Symphony.

A journalist’s meeting in Montreal was hampered by visa issues, as six of their guest journalists were denied entry. This as many Canadian activists were detained in Egypt during the “March to Gaza” event last weekend. We’ll also tell you a bit more about ourselves. FrequencyNews published its 5000th story this week! Summer is, for many of us, gardening time. In Fredericton, there is more demand for garden plots than there is available space. And a feel-good story for us. A Tantramar high school student has raised $30,000 to build solar panels for his school.

The Canada-Wide Science Fair pulls-in hundreds of teenagers making novel uses of AI. Some BC journalists are raising funds to bring back a local news outlet, while the historic New Brunswick Courier newspaper is being relaunched in printed and electronic form. The organizers of a 2-day bike-a-thon managed to keep thousands of riders safe through the Southern Ontario smog. Dozens of Canadians will March to Gaza as part of a global peace effort. Three thousand people from around the globe will meet in Egypt. Jeff Houlahan, a Saint John’s University professor, will be joining a delegation of Montrealers.

This week’s show will be quite different, as journalist Ian Gregg connects the dots between past and present as he investigates Prince George’s indie record retail scene. We will, for most of this half-hour, follow his footsteps, and let him guide us across town. Then, the N.D.G. “Art Hop” brings the public to local artists. And we’ll also meet up with some young Liverpool filmmakers who are creating quite a buzz in their hometown and even beyond.

Over 700 students from the Louis Riel School Division take learning out of the classroom and onto the land. Celebrating Grace Annie Lockhart, the first woman to receive a bachelor’s degree in the British Empire, 150 years ago at Mount Allison University. Grey divorces are on the rise across the country. And a junior dog handler from Port Medway will represent Nova Scotia at the Canadian Kennel Club’s National Junior Handling Championship.

We’ll go to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where the multi-million dollar da Vinci Xi surgical robot could change the game for the province. In Ontario, the Toronto Palm House Conservatory Green house reopens after a three-year-long restoration project. No walk in the park—An audit highlights pedestrian safety concerns around a new Nova Scotia library. We’ll stay on the East Coast, where 73-year-old Herb Nash has been fishing lobster for six decades. He says he does not intend to quit anytime soon. Then, all the way to the other coast, where the world’s largest Nanaimo Bar has just set a new record. Thousands got a piece of a finger-licking good 70-foot-long desert!

The Bishop representing the region of Cape Breton gives his blessing to new pope Leon XIV. Community consultations are being held over the growing number of cannabis greenhouses in Six Nations. June is Stroke and Aphasia Awareness Month. Loyalist Township, opts in. Three thousand blankets and counting have been made by the Knitting for Warmth Group in Minden, Ontario. The Sackville Food Bank president has received a Coronation Medal recognizing, “strong leadership and compassion.” And finally to Fredericton, New Brunswick, where the Tokyo Ramen fast-food restaurant has re-opened after a ten-month hiatus and widespread support.

The Cercle de Molière Theatre is celebrating a century of Francophone theatre in Saint-Boniface, Manitoba. The Queens County Transit system becomes the leader in rural rides in Nova Scotia. Ridership… up by 30%. Layoffs at GM’s Oshawa plant have the Ontario NDP demanding to know what the government is going to do to help workers and their families. Mi’kmaq commercial fisheries look for new markets for their seal oil for humans and pets. Calgary’s BMO Centre reveals the newest painting by artist Keegan Starlight. And to close the show, we’ll go back to the Red Dress Day held on May 5th across the country. This, to remember the thousands of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People that were lost over the years.

As the dust settles after the federal election, we’ll take a look at what happened across the country. We’ll turn to BC, Ontario, Québec, and the Maritimes. Cape Breton’s Incumbent Liberal MP’s are going back to Ottawa. Liberal Fancy-Landry unseats Conservative Perkins in South Shore-St. Margarets, in Nova Scotia. In Ontario, Conservative Philip Lawrence secures a third term in the Northumberland-Clarke federal election. Then to the Pontiac region of Québec, where Sophie Chatel wins a second mandate. In British Columbia, Conservative Ellis Ross was elected in the Skeena—Bulkley Valley after 20 years of NDP rule. This election was not kind to small parties. To the NDP and Green Party in particular. So why do some candidates even bother when they know their chances are so low? Bad blood between the US and Canada has been hovering over the federal election. A growing number of Canadians are fed up with the US, selling their US properties & boycotting travel south of the border. Some are calling it The Exodus.

We’ll make our first stop in Montreal, Québec, as a record rent increase could soon become a reality. This as Quebec’s Tenancy Board permits record rent hikes. Tenants prepare for the worst. Then to Haliburton County, Ontario, where Intimate Partner Violence is considered to be an Epidemic. Out east in Nova Scotia: He left Burma in 1967 and retired four times. Dr. Mohan Virick, now 89 years old, lives in Cape Breton. He’ll soon receive the King Charles the third III Coronation Medal. In British Columbia: The Prince George Christmas Bird Count had its eyes on 19,641 avians. And a new 200-foot-long Indigenous mural is revealed at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg in hope of inspiring dialogue and reflection.

We’ll spend most of our time strolling down the streets of Montreal’s Little Burgundy Borough, in the company of British photographer Andrew Jackson. And to the other end of the country: American flags are still flying high in the streets of Smithers BC leaving some residents feeling uneasy. They could soon come down.

We remember the work and contributions of Montreal Standard Time’s journalist and Canadian author, Mavis Gallant. Therapists can come in all shapes or forms. A four-legged horse at Minden’s Walkabout Farm changes lives in the community. Sixteen zero-emission buses have been purchased as part of Winnipeg’s Transition Fleet Project. Last October’s atmospheric river poured on to BC, but had a positive effect : record salmon counts are observed in West Vancouver. We’ll learn why!

And, it’s Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month, we’ll go to Fergus, Ontario where students get to learn more about farming.

Six Nations and First Nations from across Ontario have approved a $8.5 billion Ontario Child and Family Services Reform Agreement. Sackville resident Emilie McBride has been fighting for the right to build a small rectangular shaped home. And she won her case! Third Annual Cape Breton Music Industry Hall of Fame inductees announced. And a rare railway horn was stolen from the Prince George Railway & Forestry Museum. A piece of history forever lost.

Hoping to help Canadians shop locally, a Montreal student launches the Buy Beaver app. Another one in Ontario does kind of the same! And launches a browser extension that helps online shoppers… buy Canadian… eh ? Municipalities are also pitching in : we go to Kingston Ontario to find out what they’re doing to support Canada and “buying local”. Then, to the Nova Scotia library and its Banned Books Sanctuary. And Rapid housing projects are on the move in Toronto.

In British Columbia, the Comox Valley’s 10th annual Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser hopes to collect $225,000. Also in BC, an exhibition highlights the work of the Haida master carver, Christian White, which will be on display until 2026! And to the province of Quebec, which is facing one of its worst flu seasons in years. Some 4,500 cases were revealed in lab tests last week alone—a peak not seen since the COVID-19 pandemic.

We’ll make our first stop in Montreal, Québec, as a record rent increase could soon become a reality. This as Quebec’s Tenancy Board permits record rent hikes. Tenants prepare for the worst. Then to Haliburton County, Ontario, where Intimate Partner Violence is considered to be an Epidemic. Out east in Nova Scotia: He left Burma in 1967 and retired four times. Dr. Mohan Virick, now 89 years old, lives in Cape Breton. He’ll soon receive the King Charles the third III Coronation Medal. In British Columbia: The Prince George Christmas Bird Count had its eyes on 19,641 avians. And a new 200-foot-long Indigenous mural is revealed at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg in hope of inspiring dialogue and reflection.

The province of Nova Scotia invests over $1M in a Cape Breton biotech plant… Nova Scotia. That’s where the Kat’s Lobster Shack snatched the title of best lobster roll for the third time. A new store has set up shop in Winnipeg to help support war-displaced Ukrainian artisans. The Cobourg Council rescinded its decision to declare December as Christian Heritage Month. In Ontario, the Elora House organizes its Charity Walk to raise funds, and to support, local victims of human trafficking. The Camino Wellbeing and Mental Health connects with people who need to talk about their mental health issues. And you can have a howling good time and a three-course dinner with wolves at the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve. One guy sets up to propose.

We start the new year with feel-good stories, as we should. And with Canadians that make a difference, locally and at the national level. Was volunteering locally on your New Year’s resolution list? We’ll meet up with some people for whom it was. To Montréal, Québec, where a senior’s centre provides support for youth caregivers. There are 1.25 million of them across Canada! The Dimensions Retreat Center helps Canadian veterans, cope with PTSD. History is made in B.C. The K’ómoks First Nation appoints its first Justice of the Peace. Dr. Marian Boller leads this journey of self-governance. And we will take to the ice and re-live special moments between fans and curlers in the mixed doubles curling trials, in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.

On today’s show, I will be out and journalist Mike McCulloch will be in, with a documentary produced in Abbotsford, British Columbia. It has been more than eight years since public health officials in British Columbia sounded the alarm… that users of illicit drugs were dying at greater rates than historically observed. Today, more than 15,000 people have died in the province since B.C. declared the toxic
drug overdose death crisis, a public health emergency, in April 2016.

Thanks so much to Mike McCulloch and his many guests for filling in for us this week. Mike works out of Abbotsford, BC. Mike will also be with us again next week with another story about musician Shamir Virgo. Do not miss his beautiful documentary. Viewpoints is brought to you by the Community Radio Fund of Canada with the support of the Local Journalism Initiative.

Journalist Pamela Haasen will take over this episode of Viewpoints, with a documentary produced in Smithers, British Columbia. And we’ll stay outdoors with her and her guests, contemplating the great scenery of BC’s Witset Canyon. That is where Abigail Joseph, goes fishing for salmon. This documentary discusses salmon returns and climate change through the eyes of one young Indigenous woman just hoping to catch enough fish to feed her family this winter. We’ll hear the sound of the waves crashing against the canyon walls, salmon flopping on the water, and Abigail telling us about her life.

Thanks so much to Pamela Haasen and her many guests for filling in for us this week. A great documentary about people doing unusual things while keeping traditions alive. Viewpoints is brought to you by the Community Radio Fund of Canada with the support of the Local Journalism Initiative. Producer Boris Chassagne.

The Shipyards Christmas Market is going strong and hopes to inspire more BC Christmas markets across the Lower Mainland. A seasonal question for you: Is it green to get lit? What’s the environmental impact of lighting up large Christmas trees? The Region of Kitchener-Waterloo wonders … The Astor Theatre Society in Liverpool will have a new chairman. Eric Goulden will take on the job. To New Brunswick, where the Vogue Cinema may live again as a theatre. A local group meets up with the new owners. And the Altered Minds Computers for Life, program funding challenges threaten the organization’s work.

Tenants in Québec voice frustrations over Quebec’s housing tribunal, saying that it’s nothing more than “an eviction machine.” Ian Sutherland is Mount Allison’s 16th president. His new strategic plan will address challenges in funding and reduced student visa quotas. At the other end of the country, Climate Change researcher Tristan Pearce has been reappointed as Tier 2 Canada Research Chair. Newfoundland’s Award-winning songwriter Dave McHugh passed away on November 8. He was just 57 years old. The whole community was shaken up by his passing. And to Ontario, where abandoned dogs get a chance at a better life at the Snowflakes shelter in Haliburton County.

In New Brunswick, Green Party MLA Megan Mitton says she’ll keep an eye on Susan Holt’s newly elected liberal government. 
To Montréal, where a Mohawk group says McGill University is to blame for the removal of a white pine peace tree, planted on their grounds just a few days ago. High-speed internet will soon bridge the gap between Manitoba’s rural communities and larger markets. Nanaimo’s new poet laureate is looking forward to sharing world poetry and language with his community. Local farmers who want to stay on the cutting edge of agricultural innovation could get help from the Experimental Acres funding program. And Saint John’s artist, Sheryl Crowley, introduces the community to her art project, Our True Selves.

In Ontario, the Loyalist Township is asking the province to reverse its decision to allow alcohol sales in more locations. To Winnipeg, Manitoba, where the Canadian Blood Services are hoping to attract 1,500 donors this November. Quebecers on social assistance want reforms with real investments. A Saint John designer wins a national fashion show in Toronto for her dress made out of toilet paper. And we’ll meet up with the Pallmer music group as they bring chamber pop to New Brunswick’s music scene.

Susan Holt was sworn in as New Brunswick’s first woman premier. “Words will have consequences,” says Cecil Clarke, Cape Breton’s Regional Municipality, newly elected mayor. He vows to tackle racism and homophobia in the province. The Tšilhqot’in National government and Museum of Vancouver partner up to repatriate long-lost ancestral belongings. We’ll go green and talk about microforests planting in the centre of Montréal, and over to Ontario, where we hear about the Butterflyway Project… giving insects, butterflies and bees a helping hand. And also in Ontario, some 90 volunteers gather to save the Haliburton Gold Trout, one egg at a time.

Susan Holt was sworn in as New Brunswick’s first woman premier. “Words will have consequences,” says Cecil Clarke, Cape Breton’s Regional Municipality, newly elected mayor. He vows to tackle racism and homophobia in the province. The Tšilhqot’in National government and Museum of Vancouver partner up to repatriate long-lost ancestral belongings. We’ll go green and talk about microforests planting in the centre of Montréal, and over to Ontario, where we hear about the Butterflyway Project… giving insects, butterflies and bees a helping hand. And also in Ontario, some 90 volunteers gather to save the Haliburton Gold Trout, one egg at a time.

A Sackville resident is challenging the allowable size of homes in the New Brunswick Tantramar region to make it possible, to have more tiny homes built. The Elora Adventure Film Festival returns with a new crop of feature films, highlighting thrill seekers from around the globe. Senior Women Living Together, a new not-for-profit organization, matches women seeking housemates to counter solitude and the rising cost of living. And the stand-up comics “Deadly Aunties” provide bursaries to Manitoba and Ontario university students.

Mike McCulloch will again fill in for me this week as he did last week, with a documentary produced in Abbotsford, British Columbia. We’ll be meeting musician Shamir Virgo, a singer-songwriter from Surrey, B.C. who’s enjoying some success. His song, Roses, has more than 1.7 million listens on Spotify and Soundcloud. Mike McCulloch, who will spend this half hour with Virgo, as well as with some of his friends and mentors.

On today’s show, I will be out and journalist Mike McCulloch will be in, with a documentary produced in Abbotsford, British Columbia. It has been more than eight years since public health officials in British Columbia sounded the alarm… that users of illicit drugs were dying at greater rates than historically observed. Today, more than 15,000 people have died in the province since B.C. declared the toxic drug overdose death crisis, a public health emergency, in April 2016.

Journalist Pamela Haasen will take over this episode of Viewpoints, with a documentary produced in Smithers, British Columbia. And we’ll stay outdoors with her and her guests, contemplating the great scenery of BC’s Witset Canyon. That is where Abigail Joseph, goes fishing for salmon. This documentary discusses salmon returns and climate change through the eyes of one young Indigenous woman just hoping to catch enough fish to feed her family this winter. We’ll hear the sound of the waves crashing against the canyon walls, salmon flopping on the water, and Abigail telling us about her life.

On today’s show, I will be out, and journalist Jules Bugiel will be in, with a documentary produced in Montréal, Québec about urban agriculture. Montreal is home to 200 social, collective and private initiatives as well as 50% of urban farms. But climate change is playing boogie man, and citizens and environmental organizations are feeling the pinch.

A professor at the University of Western Ontario is looking at whether the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Sept. 30th) has true meaning and impact for Indigenous people and all Canadians. Is it just a “surface-level acknowledgement” from Canada, or more than that? Professor Cody Groat will be with us. And, could a 1% hike in the Harmonized Sales Tax become the solution when it comes to financing municipal infrastructure projects? Economist Craig Brett argues it could!

Sign of the times. Some 600 Concordia University workers go on strike over hybrid work. They just don’t feel that showing up at the office every day is really necessary. Four outstanding Nanaimo citizens receive the Coronation Medal. The medal is awarded to people who have made a significant contribution to their community. And QUEST Canada wants to help communities reduce their energy use and emissions. It’s now recruiting municipalities who wish to join the Net Zero Communities Accelerator Program.

The International Water Association, based in London, England, calls Kitchener’s stormwater management program “inspiring”! We’ll stay in Ontario and stop in Kingston, where the Murney Tower Museum kicks off its first fundraiser for next year’s 100th anniversary celebrations. Out west, the City of Nanaimo’s outgoing Poet Laureate Kamal Parmar has been honoured and added to the City’s, Poetry Walk. And “Everybody has a song,” says Peterborough musician Curtis Driedger, who’s getting ready to lead a community singing series.

Good news for some 130 Ontario First Nations: The current value of the Ontario First Nations Sovereign Wealth Fund, has almost doubled since its creation in 2018. It could be worth $1 billion by 2030. B.C.’s Health Minister Adrian Dix announces a massive long-term care facility in Smithers. Also in British Columbia, the city of Nanaimo was recently recognized as a ''Welcoming Francophone Community'' by the federal government. And to Nova Scotia, where the Liverpool International Theatre Festival is asking the public to help host visiting actors!

Indigenous youth and young adults explore the world of aviation through an event at the Nanaimo Airport. World renowned Tahltan-Tlingit artist opens an art show honoring North Pacific Cannery workers. Sarsfield, Ontario, hosts this year’s Ottawa-Carleton Plowing Match.

Former politician turned small business owner weighs in on the challenges of running a microdistillery in Québec. Slam poet and climate activist Quinn MacAskill wants to stimulate your “Climate Imagination” through a series of sessions, asking residents to “think big” and create a vision for Tantramar. She’s only 18! And Nova Scotia Health is calling more than 160,000 people, to verify if they still need a family doctor?

Summer is all about the outdoors, isn’t it? So we’ll start things off in Ontario, where a “Living history museum” has been nominated for “Top Small Museum.” It tells the story of 19th century Peterborough County. We’ll follow the Round the Lake trail, one that is under construction on Hudson Bay Mountain, in the BC Bulkley Valley. And we’ll talk with an 11-year-old artist. Her name is Jola Willoner. Her work will once again be shown at the 7th annual Skeena Salmon Art Festival, in Terrace, B.C.

On today’s show, we will have only positive news and stories for you. In small-town Liverpool, Nova Scotia, big hearts raise $16,000 for cancer research. To Québec, where a local organization encourages people with disabilities, to conquer Mount Orford during the 5th Edition of the Everest-Orford Challenge. To BC, where a portion of the downtown village of Nanaimo is returned to the Snuneymuxw First Nation. And a horse-drawn theatre caravan finds its first summer home. Giddyup!

On this week’s show, we’ll be mellowing down, taking it easy in the company of three Canadian musicians. We’ll talk with Jamie Muir, the owner of Supercool Pedals, a Peterborough-based guitar effects store who received international recognition. To Vancouver to meet Sam Tudor, who’s on a tour to promote his new EP. And Alderville First Nation musician Cale Crowe is also releasing new music. He’ll be with us.

Friday June 21st, is National Indigenous People’s Day. A documentary on Indigenous astronomy expert, Wilfred Buck hits the screens in Kingston this week. Filmmaker, director and producer Lisa Jackson, will be with us. A UBC study probes managed retreat from Sumas Prairie to restore Sumas Lake. But the mayor calls it “ridiculous”. An art tour on the southeast coast of Nova Scotia dares to be different as a local glassmaker wants to transform the Queens County into an arts destination. And a Senate of Canada report urges action to protect our soils. If nothing is done by 2060, we could very well run out of productive farmlands.

We’ll first turn to the Province of Québec, where a vigil was held to mourn the deaths of Montrealers experiencing homelessness. Abram Benedict has been elected as the new Ontario Regional Chief. An American goshawk attacks Québec trekkers and prompts the temporary closure of the popular Kingsbury hiking trail. And in Sackville, New Brunswick, local artists want residents to create their own dummy or puppet for this year’s Sappyfest arts festival. Fifty giant puppets seated for a show.

In Ontario, some 200 students will have a brand new Catholic school. The Province invests $17 M in Drayton. In Montréal, Québec, the City is also investing this time, $21.4 M into four “affordable” student residences. Some 670 units up for grabs in a few years. Two women take advantage of the pandemic to gather old and recent stories about their community. Six hundred and forty pages later, their book hits the shelves. Back to Waterloo, Ontario, where City Council listened to suggestions from the community and amended its plan to build affordable housing. And enough of bricks and mortar. Nova Scotia lobster fishermen reflect on a good year as the season wraps up on the South Shore of Nova Scotia.

On today’s 111th episode of Viewpoints, we’ll travel to Québec, Ontario, and British Columbia. Our first stop will be in Laval, Québec, where 200 Amazon employees are the first to join a union in the country. Amazon is fighting back. Then to Ontario, where the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corp could soon become the largest Indigenous energy storage holder in North America. To Abbotsford, BC, where music fans are shedding a tear. The Sound of Music store is closing its doors after decades in business. The Irvings will close up shop in June. And finally to Cobourg, Ontario, where police recently collected more than 80 stolen shopping carts as part of the Shopping Cart Reclaim Project.

The historic Bellevue House located in Kingston, Ontario, is reopening its doors to the public, after being closed for six years. The Québec town of Stanstead, seeks a new future for the historic Del Monty Hotel property. The Toronto Japanese Film Festival enters its 13th year, presenting more international premieres. And we’ll be visiting a Human Rights exhibit that has been touring in different locations in the province of British Columbia.

It’s Invasive Species Month across the country, and we’ll be closing in on efforts made in different provinces to eradicate those plants, animals, bugs and other organisms that shouldn’t be here… on land or underwater. Out west, environmental authorities are worried about the first invasive green crab being found in Cortes Island waters. Nanaimo, BC, is asking its citizens to be on the lookout for problem plants. Then to Québec’s Otter Lake, where authorities are gearing up to tackle the spread of the dangerously invasive European milfoil. In Wellington, Ontario, more than 150 properties are hit by a termite infestation. The municipality wants to hire the big guns. And then, we change the subject to something entirely different. We’ll go to Montreal, Québec, where protestors march against the education minister’s mixed-gender bathroom ban.

We’ll drop by Ontario, where the Russell Township forgoes a by-election by simply appointing its new mayor. The Eaton Centre will be home to the 4th Indigenous Fashion Arts Festival this May: Owen Thompson met up with the founder of the streetwear brand, Aaniin Retail. Centre Wellington’s Space Beans compete in national computer science challenge. In Liverpool, a Nova Scotia artist rediscovers her creative spark and exhibits her work at a new show called From Chaos to Calm. And a North Hatley, Quebec restaurant is now one of four in the whole country to get a Five Diamond rating.

The city of Prince Rupert BC is embarking on its largest infrastructure investment in 100 years. Volunteers at Prince Edward County’s first Repair Cafe, in Picton, Ontario, help people fix things that might otherwise head to the landfill. A punk-rock music show promises to attract all ages. And it does! A new supportive housing building opens in Nanaimo, B.C. Some 51 units built to help the unhoused. And the warm winds of spring are heading our way. Toronto, authorizes more than 1,500 restaurants, and cafés to seat their clients on the city’s sidewalks and streets.

This week we’ll feel like nature lovers, and talk about the birds, the trees, and the recyclees… We’ll first turn to the sky again this week. Not for a total solar eclipse, though. Instead, we’ll be on the lookout for thousands of sandhill cranes returning to the Bulkley Valley in British Columbia. Summer is not far ahead! Then to Toronto, which is celebrating this April, the 65 years of the sakura tree donations by Japan or cherry blossoms. The blooms are at their peak this month in Toronto parks. And finally we’ll move out east. Since April 1, New Brunswick consumers who return their beverage containers have been getting their full deposit back, doubling the cash payout on a bag of cans and bottles. Erica Butler heads down to the Wheaton All-in-One Redemption Centre in Sackville to witness it all.

On today’s show we will, of course, as many others recently did, turn to the sky. Some of us witnessed on April 8 the best of what astronomy can bring. Derek Bullard met up with people in Sherbrooke’s Jacques Cartier Park, where the Sun and the Moon drew big crowds. From Sherbrooke to Montréal to catch a glimpse of the last days of a popular children’s bookstore. La Petite Librairie Drawn & Quarterly closes its doors after six years. And to Ontario, where the Pollinator Roadside project advocates for blooming roadsides and to restore their habitats.

Alberta introduces a new program to prepare for floods and droughts. Health authorities are in high alert across the country as measles is making a comeback. A growing number of cases have been reported in four provinces so far. Authorities worry that the situation could get much worse. And a recent report contradicts UBER’s contention that its drivers are making $33 an hour. A new report says it looks more like $6.37 per hour.

We will all be hoping for a clear sky on April 8th trying to catch a glimpse of the total eclipse of the sun. Saying whoosh to the clouds! A $250M revenue-sharing agreement is reached with BC’s northwest communities. In Ontario, the Elora Centre for the Arts gets an extra $1.2 M in government funding to help its expansion. Millinery artist Natalia Baquero introduces hat-making in the Eastern Townships. And we’re celebrating the 100th episode of Viewpoints with our journalists from all over the country. They’ll drop in from time to time to tell how they feel about radio, journalism and their special part of the country!

That’s it for us for this 100th episode of Viewpoints. Thanks to our our reporters and collaborators: Erica Butler, Bernadine Fox, Aysha Mian, Ted Evans, Pamela Hassen, Ian Gregg, Ryan Hunt, Lauren McKenzie, Scott Onyschack, Pamela Haasen, Taylor McClure, Ryan Gillespie-Wilson, and Sabrina Spencer. To our national editors, Maureen McEwan, Victoria Fenner. Host and producer Boris Chassagne. Thanks to the entire English team at Frequencynews.ca. Some 40 journalists give us their all, every week, so that we can learn more about their villages, towns, cities and provinces. All of them believe in journalism, love their community radio stations and our “gathering place,” the website of frequencyNews.ca. That’s where everything that is produced is gathered every day. Viewpoints is produced by the Community Radio Fund of Canada. A shout out to our team there in Ottawa.

Communicating with the unhoused during extreme weather? What lessons were learned from the Jan 8th snowstorm in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Remembering the late Robbie Robertson—Jace Martin talks about the Lifetime Achievement Award that almost didn’t happen. Global warming is not happening and is based on junk science? Well, yes, according to Julian Fell, Alternate Director for the Regional District of Nanaimo’s Electoral Area F. There are other opinions about that bold statement…

Ten thousand patients are in desperate need of a family doctor in Sault St. Marie, Ontario. In a 1996 interview with singer-songwriter Robbie Robertson brings back memories for Six Nations radio station and community. A new Nanaimo Art Gallery exhibition looks at “stories that animate us.” We celebrate Black History Month by remembering Green Hill, a New Brunswick area once called the “Locus of Black life” in Westmorland Parish. Lucy, the Lobster predicts six more weeks of winter. Well, five left now! We’ll tell you about Lucy and lobsters in general. Could make you think twice about your next seafood delight!

February is Black History Month and we’ll have a great story for you. Canada Post honours Mary Ann Shadd, an activist, publisher, lawyer, teacher and journalist who was influential in the Underground Railroad movement. A new stamp was revealed in honour of her accomplishments. One of her descendants shares her excitement with us.

Ottawa caps international student permits. Changes will mainly affect BC, Quebec and Ontario. We’ll then turn to British Columbia to see what it means for the University of the Fraser Valley. And to Ontario, where the Ludmila Art Gallery, which focusses on women artists, closes its doors. The owner feels people just can’t seem to afford luxury art anymore.

Transportation advocates say passenger rail service in the Maritimes is doomed if no investments are made. Prince Edward County subsidizes a popular ride sharing company. Five thousand three hundred rides completed in 2022. In Québec, Loisir Sports Outaouais offers free skis and snowshoes to sports enthusiasts. In B.C., Paige Pierce, age 21, is appointed to the position of Youth Poet Laureate by the Nanaimo city council. And after a clampdown on homeless camps, the Edmonton city council declares, “housing and houselessness emergency? In Québec, new rent-increase guidelines worry Quebec’s tenants” groups.

Halifax is poised to provide more affordable housing. This as homeless encampment sweeps continue in Edmonton, despite community pushback. And as the city of Cobourg, Ontario, opens its first overnight warming centre. We then move to BC where a baker breaks bread to help civilians in Gaza and the occupied territories. And we go to Nanaimo where the late Craig Evans has been honoured with the Medal of Good Citizenship for his work in food sustainability and security.

The College of New Caledonia has just welcomed its first female president, in 54 years. The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence culminates on December 10. We’ll travel to Smithers, BC, and to Knowlton, Québec, where women’s coalitions and organizations are working to break the cycle of physical, verbal and psychological violence. And back to Revelstoke, British Columbia, where the residents of two of the biggest mobile home parks may have a chance to buy their land!

Google will spend $100M to compensate Canadian media for lost revenues. This after representatives from media outlets from across the country appeared in front of the CRTC to voice their ideas and concerns around the reform of the Broadcasting Act. Small business programs in Toronto will get $3M from the federal government to finance post-pandemic recovery. And Santa Claus is giving out gift cards to hundreds of seniors in Nova Scotia.

We’ll be all about housing and go to Halifax where the Housing Minister wants to get construction projects rolling. And then to Montréal, where protesters met at the Olympic Stadium to disturb Housing Minister Elaine Duranceau’s speech at the East Summit. In Peterborough, 50 shipping containers will be transformed into a new housing community for the homeless. Things are looking up in Kitchener, Ontario, where 500 new affordable housing units will be built. Nothing compared to the 65,000 units Toronto’s planning for the year 2030. And Terry Teegee, BC’s Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief, is working to find solutions to the housing crisis.

On today’s show, nature and literature will be our beat:

We’ll first take a long walk through the Pickard Quarry: a “little pocket” of wilderness in the middle of residential Sackville. And then we’ll have a chat with environmental writer Katharine Fletcher of the Pontiac in Quebec, who has decided to retire from writing her column, after 34 years. And get to learn more about Kingston author Iain Reid who has made the Governor General Literary Awards short list.

A rare and ambitious one billion dollar conservation agreement is reached in British Columbia between First Nations, and federal and provincial governments. Scientists are releasing a beetle from the West Coast of BC into the wild in Nova Scotia. This, in an effort to save hemlock trees. In Ontario, the 59th Six Nations Elected Council was sworn in on November 7th. Also in Ontario, Canadians celebrated Treaties Recognition Week. And to Québec, where a Royal Canadian Legion member hopes to bring his veteran grave marking project, to a national level.

Out of province university students wishing to study in Québec’s English universities could face a 100% tuition hike next year if the Québec government gets its way. Bishop’s University is fighting back. Selkirk College’s Nelson campus in BC will host its first Intercultural Day. The College is home to international students from across the globe. Also in BC, winter’s right around the corner and Nanaimo’s warming centres are in dire need of government funding. Calgary becomes one step closer to completing its ring road. If all goes well, it should be done by next year. Also, Alberta’s livestock producers receive aid after a drought-filled summer. And great news for the Kingston Great Lakes Museum. It will soon permanently showcase the S. S. Keewatin, a 102-meter long passenger liner dating back to the same era as the Titanic.

The Québec government will impose major hikes in tuition fees for out-of-province and international students wishing to study at English universities. Some will pay more than double in 2024. Mustard Seed opens 40 new shelter spaces for Calgary women with the help of new government funding. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the government lays out its plans to improve availability and construction of housing in the province. Food insecurity is growing at an alarming rate in northern BC. Some food banks have observed a 25 percent increase in demand over the past 12 months. And Meta and Google are making life difficult, for the campus and community radio sector, in Canada.

Foreign workers in Québec launch a class-action suit saying they are deceived and exploited by their employers. The Alberta government will spend 28 million dollars opening 22,500 new, licensed childcare spaces across the province. An interfaith gathering in Peterborough, Ontario, celebrates its 20th anniversary. Jews, Christians, and Muslims gather at the Abraham Festival. Singer-songwriter Freya Milliken was nominated for Song of the Year at the Music New Brunswick Awards. And Diane Ballantyne, a retired teacher from Ontario presented with the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. These stories and more on Viewpoints.

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Montréal to demand climate action. They are asking their governments to do more. 
In British Columbia, a boat builder shares his unique skills to stay in touch with his community. 
Fall is vaccination time. Updated COVID-19 and flu shots are now being deployed across Canada. And through our rearview mirror we’ll take a peek at what went on across the country for Orange Shirt Day.

We’ll be grass hopping from city to province. We’ll tell you about Truth and Reconciliation Day. September 30th marks Truth and Reconciliation Day across the country. A time to reflect on the past but also to create a better future for Indigenous peoples. We’ll go to BC, and New Brunswick. The 1 Million March 4 Kids national protest took place on Wednesday, September 20 in 33 cities and towns in Ontario and 101 places in Canada, from major cities to small towns. The purpose of the protest was to support of the elimination of the SOGI curriculum, pronouns, gender ideology and mixed bathrooms in schools. Our reporters based in many Canadian cities were there. We’ll hear from Kingston, Montreal, Nanaimo, Toronto, Peterborough, and Vernon.

A recent report shows the minimum wage in Nova Scotia is far below what the calculated livable wage should be. Justice for Workers Nova Scotia says employers should step in, and pay more than what is required by law. People on welfare in Québec say they feel imprisoned by a rule that forbids them to leave the province more than a week at a time. In British Columbia, the Oceanside Task Force is hoping to build 24 tiny homes for the homeless. And the play Give’m Hell looks back at history, chronicling the fight waged by some Peterborough students a decade ago to keep their school from closing.

We’ll have five stories for you this week and most of them from out west.

We won’t be talking about forest fires, but about Drug Overdose Awareness Day, and what community members are doing to try to combat the overdose epidemic in BC. We’ll talk with an ex-drug dealer about how he overcame his own addiction and with a woman who thought she was saving her brother’s life.

And then to Alberta, where four universities will share in a new fund for technology innovation. And also related to education, the difficult issue of housing, making life difficult for students from one end of the country to another. The BC Selkirk College is asking the community to open up its doors to students. And then, continuing with our back to school theme, we go to Nova Scotia where students are also trying to contend with higher tuition fees.

We’ll settle down and have a chat with a man with a purpose. Marcus Pukonen traveled for eight years across the globe without using a single motor. No planes, no motor boats, or motorcycles. You might have heard of him already on Viewpoints, as we did play an excerpt from an interview he granted to Owen Thompson. But today, we have the whole story.

Mobile home sales are down across British Columbia. Some mobile park owners are refusing to sign a controversial bank form, blocking transactions, mobile home owners caught in bureaucracy. A generous land donation helps to expand the Amlamgog First Nation conservation project near Sackville, New Brunswick. And an arbutus wood sculptor from BC shows his best work for the first time in 23 years!

We’ll talk literature with three Canadian writers. We’ll first stop in Russell, Ontario to meet up with writer Phil Gurski. He’s a local writer whose self-published book tells the story of over 150 men who left Russell to fight in the First World War. And then to Toronto’s City’s Book Awards that just unveiled this year’s long list of 13 writers. We’ll be hearing from two of them, writer and physician Vincent Lam who published On the Ravine, and Sheila Murray who released her first novel, Finding Edward.

The City of Edmonton will be planting 2 million trees over the next eight years, investing more than $100M. Bill C-18 is blurring the media landscape across the country. Facebook started blocking content on its platforms. Local community radios and newspapers could be hit harder than others. Crime on Vancouver Island is on the rise. Stats Can just published the latest numbers. And recent research published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives shows that Nova Scotians face more isolation when it comes to accessing mental health care. That’s partly because the online model is a barrier for some people.

Canadians celebrated Emancipation Day on August 1st all across the country. Many took part in the 10th Freedom Train Ride event at Union Station in Toronto, for example. And in Nova Scotia, the Dalhousie Art Gallery celebrated Emancipation Day with “The Secret Codes” quilt exhibit. We’ll dive into Bill C-18 which is creating quite a stir. Some big tech companies—Facebook and Google in particular, already say they will not comply. Ottawa is trying to reach an agreement with them. Alex Freedman, Executive Director of the Community Radio Fund of Canada, helps us better understand what’s at stake. And to close the show we’ll meet with a blind man who swam 30 km across the Georgia Strait in Nanaimo, BC.

We’re back in British Columbia with two stories from BC where authorities are still fighting more than 300 forest fires. Severe drought could now also become a serious problem. A new art exhibition opens in Fort McMurray, Alberta. It’s called Intersections and it features art pieces from both Indigenous and LGBTQ+ artists. A Canadian travels 70,000 kilometres over the eight years without a motor. Markus Pukonen has finally arrived home in Canada, where his Route of Change journey started. And a feel-good story from Cobourg, Ontario: the Stuff the Bus campaign collects 2,000 backpacks, filled with essential school supplies for children in need.

How dangerous can a book be? We will spend most of this program trying to answer that question, in view of the new censorship laws in the United States and growing pressures here in Canada to ban certain books from libraries and classrooms. Our journalist Pamela Haasen speaks with a librarian in Smithers B. C. promoting the Freedom to Read Week. And we’ll top things off with a story by Ryan Hunt about Indigenous micro-courses being offered in Alberta to further truth and reconciliation.

In British Columbia, Interior Health issues another drug alert for the Kootenays. An Environmental Racism Panel has been appointed in Nova Scotia. We’ll sit down to have some tea and biscuits at Toronto’s Public Library second Death Café. In rural Ontario, the Ride Well ridesharing program has become a victim of its success. It’s in need of new drivers. Singer, songwriter Saltwater Hank, hopes to revive Indigenous language with his new album. And a new vineyard is launched in Pontiac, Québec, the owners hope to start a trend.

The Six Nations elected council will strongly oppose Doug Ford’s government plans to convert 7,000 acres of Ontario’s Greenbelt into housing developments. 6.9 million people across the country, including almost 1.8 million children, experienced food insecurity in Canada’s 10 provinces last year. Numbers in Nova Scotia are at an all-time high. We’ll go to British Columbia where unemployment numbers in the Kootenay region seem to be higher than the national and provincial average. And the Skydancer Indigenous Cultural Centre and Art Gallery opens its doors in Spruce Grove, Alberta.

Five-hundred Toronto students participate in the annual Walk With Excellence. The Ontario government is showing signs it’s backing away from its proposal to allow residential construction, on farm land. This as the Six Nations Farmers Association forms a task force to counter lack of farming. BC composer Wylie Ferguson has his piece, Broken Earth debut with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Canadian filmmaker Colin Askey talks about his latest documentary film Love in the Time of Fentanyl. And in New Brunswick, the Performers’ Theatre Company is back with a new play while Québec’s Theatre Lake Brome showcases more English plays.

Students at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick will have to swallow a 3% hike in tuition fees in 2023-2024. The university says revenues don’t match expenses. A New Brunswick resident is fighting against illegal dumps on private and public land in the Tantramar. Forest fires are being contained in Nova Scotia. Some residents are getting ready to reintegrate their homes. But fires are still burning strong in Québec. And to Ohsweken, Ontario, where a local craftswoman is sharing her moccasin making knowledge with the next generation.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston orders Nova Scotians to stay out of the woods as fires burn out of control in the province. He’s also asking Ottawa for help. And open fire bans are in effect in most of the province of Québec. Conditions could spark a fire at any time. Sexual assault allegations from two Quebec high schools trigger a call for a provincial framework law. Many other cases reported. This could become a Pandora’s Box. And logging sports wane in some parts of British Columbia, but in Kaslo, they are growing stronger than ever.

In Ontario, a local foster-care organization calls for caregivers amid a shortage of homes. The Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market celebrates 40 years in Edmonton, Alberta. The Higgs government review of gender diversity and inclusion policy in schools prompts a backlash in New Brunswick. A couple of scientists are trying to resolve the Great Tantramar Turtle Mystery in the Sackville area. And we’ll be gazing at the sky for World Migratory Bird Day.

Wildfires are burning out of control in many Canadian provinces, especially out west. Unusual high temperatures, and dry conditions, are making things worst. Firefighters in British Columbia and Alberta, cross their fingers hoping for June rain. A tradition dating back to the 1930s reappears in 2023. Find out about Haisla Sports Days and the return of the Haisla May Queen and Salmonberry Princess. The longest river valley trail in North America will get a new name. The B.C. path is getting closer to being completed. And electronic music meets folk at the Small World Centre in Toronto.

We’ll be hearing from journalists posted in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Québec. Tackling the housing crisis and economic diversity is not an easy task when you live on Cortes Island with a population of one thousand and booming tourism. The Government of Alberta will be investing 100M$ for the twinning of Highway 63, near Fort McMurray. Noah DiNola is only 14, and will be heading to Kazakhstan, to the Jiu-Jitsu World Championships, the sport’s largest stage. Racism reports are on the rise at the Prince Edward Collegiate Institute in rural Ontario. And on our Radar we see stories popping out of Alberta, Ontario and Québec.

We’ll go left, right and centre from Revelstoke, B.C., to Sackville, New Brunswick, and Pontiac, Québec. Revisiting zoning bylaws can change the face of a community and city. Revelstoke is taking on the challenge, 40 years after its last draft. The Sobey Art Awards are some of the most generous and prestigious prizes that a Canadian artist can get. The competition is on, $100,000 to be won. And a weightlifter from Pontiac, Québec, is heading to Columbia … his title on the line.

We’ll travel to Maskwacis in Central Alberta to learn about new water pipelines planned from the Red Deer Waterline. Quebec’s forest firefighting agency warns of the danger of brush fires because Spring is a period with the most forest fires in Québec. Generosity is contagious! In British Columbia the First Light Farm decided to grow food and give it away! This year, it aims to grow $10,000 worth of veggies. In Québec, the Marché des Artisanats rekindles the arts and crafts market and spirit, in Dunham. And the life and times of a death doula. Jackie has been caring for the dying for the past 10 years.

Well, we seem to be talking about housing quite a bit across the country and today’s show will be no exception. Good news couldn’t come too soon to those who wait: the Revelstoke Community Housing Society receives a $100,000 grant for its fourth housing project in 10 years. The amateur Quadra Island Theatre, out west is going big this spring. It will be producing Chicago, The Musical. Over 70 people are involved. Dancers, musicians, producers and backstage personnel with different levels of experience, take on the challenge. And after being shown in Washington, DC, and across Canada, the REDress art project and exhibit are featured at the Queens University campus just ahead of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Gender Diverse people, on May 5.

On today’s Viewpoints, we’ll spend a lot of time on the east and west coast:

2024 will mark the 25th anniversary of the Marshall decision. That’s when the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed the hunting, fishing and gathering rights promised to New Brunswick’s Indigenous peoples, should be respected. An LGBTQ+ organization receives funding to build the first transitional two-spirited housing project in Halifax. The invasive green crab is threatening native ecosystems in the Salish Sea, off the B.C. coast. A local project, set up to protect marine life, expands on Cortes Island. And the Food Sharing Project says food insecurity is at an all time high in the Kingston region. The organization wants more funding from Ottawa.

Today’s show is all about health. Physical, emotional and spiritual health.

To Nova Scotia, where the Strongest Families Institute just received a $230,000 boost for its phone-in counselling service. We then make a stop in the province of Québec where the Dunham House for Mental Health and Addiction provides care for the province’s English-speaking community. In British Columbia, a historic child welfare agreement was signed between the province, Ottawa and the Splatsin Nation. And a cloud of mystery surrounds a disease that plagues more than one hundred New Brunswickers. Their symptoms mimic those of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Health authorities are baffled. Families are asking for a new inquiry.

The province of Nova Scotia will spend $17M on new housing projects. The City of Kingston issues trespass notices to people living in a homeless encampment. The District of Kitimat—British Columbia is celebrating its 70th anniversary and the collaboration between industry and residents. The Six Nations language summit looks to kick-start the language revitalization. And the Cortes Island Academy goes into year II of an original high school program.

Janis Monture becomes the first Indigenous woman to be appointed CEO of the Canadian Museums Association. BC Hydro anticipates a strong increase in energy demand in the northwest: 3 billion dollars is being set aside for future infrastructure projects. Canadian filmmaker Amanda Dawn Christie documents the history and demise of Radio Canada International’s broadcast and short-wave antennas in Sackville, New Brunswick, in “Spectres of Shortwave.” A BC resident has been missing for weeks. Family and friends launch a Facebook page for people who might have seen him. And two conservation organizations, the Appalachian Corridor and Conservation des Vallons de la Serpentine have succeeded in protecting 84 acres of Québec’s Millington Bog.

Today, three stories out of British Columbia: Nelson Public Library speaks out about the hate campaign and the threats that forced it to cancel a drag event. A couple living in their RV is having a difficult time finding a place to park during the winter months in Revelstoke. Abbotsford author Jay Lang has been keeping busy. She just released her 11th novel in three years! Our Periscope will take us to Toronto and Six Nations. And to Liverpool: the east coast community is working on its harbour and water infrastructure.

In Nelson, B.C., a planned story time event featuring a drag artist faces a barrage of online outrage and threats. The library was forced to cancel the event. And three stories coming out of Ontario. A Six Nations farmer is on a mission to ensure that traditional Haudenosaunee farming techniques are passed on to the next generation. The Six Nations Elected Council is wondering why it was not included in the First Nations Drinking Water Settlement. And Martha’s Table, one of Kingston’s community centres, is planning on expanding its services to the unhoused and people in need.

The semipalmated sandpiper migrates annually from the Arctic to Brazil. Moncton filmmaker Anas Nannis captures its journey on film. Kavana Wa Kilele, a Mount Alison University student from Kenya, passed away two years ago. Friends and students have come together to establish Mount Allison’s first endowment supporting Black students. Students all over the country have been hit hard by inflation and many Ontario postgraduate students are feeling the crunch. In Kingston, Ontario, a Graduate Student Union is rallying to abolish tuition all together. The Journey Church in Calgary has been offering a daytime shelter for homeless and vulernable people over the past months. More than 200 people knocked on its doors. And in Québec, the Cowanswville re-use Ecocenter collected 26,000 kilos of reusable furniture and construction materials in just four months.

How dangerous can a book be? We will spend most of this program trying to answer that question, in view of the new censorship laws in the United States and growing pressures here in Canada to ban certain books from libraries and classrooms. Our journalist Pamela Haasen speaks with a librarian in Smithers BC promoting the Freedom to Read Week. And we’ll top things off with a story by Ryan Hunt about Indigenous micro-courses being offered in Alberta to further truth and reconciliation.

Ontario’s Six Nations’ community will host Canada’s largest Electricity Battery Storage Project. The French Immersion program phase out, still very unpopular in New Brunswick. Citizens are still waiting to know if New Brunswick’s Premier Blaine Higgs will stay the course or back down. To Nova Scotia where the minimum wage will increase to $15 an hour in October. But more needs to be done, says the Halifax Workers Action Centre. The University of the Fraser Valley’s Peace and Reconciliation Centre will soon offer a non-credit program focused on reconciliation building for non-Indigenous Canadians. And the City of Prince Rupert is currently in the process of rebranding and upgrading signs around town, one that will feature Sm’algyax language.

In Ontario, the Jukasa Six Nations recording studio adds four more Juno nominations to its list, in 2023. To Nova Scotia, where the RCMP continues to investigate mischief at the Liverpool tourist bureau. It was vandalized in January with various forms of anti-LGBTQ+ graffiti. Protesters at a Drag Queen Storytime event in Coquitlam, BC, wave homophobic signs and yell insults and slurs at attendees. And the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute receives a provincial grant that will keep them in operation until March 2026.

A class-action lawsuit has been greenlighted by B.C.’s Supreme Court. Claimants seeking damages after 35,000 litres of fuel, spilled in Lemon Creek in the Slocan Valley. Writer, activist and journalist Desmond Cole speaks at Mount Allison University about how schools handle Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility. Back to British Columbia, where 75,000 hectares of rain forests have been turned into a conservancy. 1000-year-old cedars, hemlocks and pristine waters are now protected from logging. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 1988 that Canada’s Criminal Code provisions related to abortion were illegal. Thirty-five years later, Canada is still one of the few countries in the world, where abortion is 100% legal.

An angry crowd confronts New Brunswick education minister over French immersion reforms. For teachers and parents, the pill seems hard to swallow, and public consultations leave make way for harsh comments. If you’re looking for a new career as a bus driver, you could head to Calgary. The city will be looking for 800 new drivers by year’s end. Sery, a non-profit organization established in 1992 and dedicated to helping immigrants celebrates 30 years helping them integrate in the Yamaska region, close to Montreal. And Becca’s coffee is now the daily brew at the Island Farm to Table Café in Quathiaski Cove. Becca’s Beans said the new partnership came about by happy accident.

The Alberta government sends out $600 inflation relief packages to its citizens. In Ontario, the Prince Edward County Municipal Council will keep the Ukrainian flag raised until the end of its term … or until the end of the conflict. In Québec, the town of Brome Lake brushes off Bill 96 and votes to keep its bilingual status. In BC, a climate activist for the Canadian branch of Stop Ecocide wants the International Criminal Court to pursue crimes against the environment. A fibre-optic project has hit rocky terrain on Cortes Island in British Columbia and the planned high-speed internet network will be delayed for a few months. And former Six Nations Elected Chief Bill Montour recently passed away at the age of 81. The community mourns his loss.

Seniors in Revelstoke and Quadra Island, BC get a helping hand from grassroots initiatives. The Dartmouth Travelodge Hotel was transformed providing 65 new permanent housing options for the homeless. The 2SLGBTQ+ community has been targeted by vandals in Liverpool, Nova Scotia. Hateful graffiti was sprayed on a visitor information centre and the community is calling for action. And the Sackville Memorial Hospital is getting closer to bringing back its 24-7 emergency department. But it still needs, more new staff, before it gets the green light.

Viewpoints is produced by the Local Journalism Initiative and presented by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, in collaboration with campus and community radios across the country.

Last year a 12 year-old from Knowlton Québec, grabbed his toboggan and trekked through the streets in search of items to give to those in need. He collected enough stuff to fill nine 26 foot trucks. He’s at it again this year. The Adams Family will soon take the stage at the Civic Theatre in Nelson, British Columbia, and perform their latest musical. Singer and songwriters, Rae Legere and Janet Crawford launched their new album “Foundry Town.” It’s dedicated to Sackville’s foundries. And a finger-licking good story from BC. The Black Jaguar Chocolate was named, World Finalist at the International Chocolate Awards.

On today’s show, a few feel-good stories:

As the end of the year celebrations approach, we take some time to talk with community movers, people who have been giving so much of themselves to help others.

We’ll first turn to the eastern provinces where Feed Nova Scotia has been assisting thousands of households in the Halifax area alone. We speak with Karen Theriault a long-time volunteer. Terrace, BC, resident has been recognized for his charity work by the province. Barry English was honoured with the Medal of Good Citizenship. Heather Haynes, a Gananoque artist and storyteller receives the 2023 YMCA Peace Medal Award for her work in Democratic Republic of Congo. She sells her art to support vulnerable women and children.

We’ll go to Cortes Island, BC where we talk with marine biologist Misty MacDuffee. She says the number of southern orca whales has been in constant decline over the past 20 years. In Ohsweken, Ontario, a rare variety of albino hummingbirds has been observed recently. A rare phenomenon. A group of water advocates headed to Lake Titicaca in Peru to participate in an international conference and talk about how climate change has affected their communities. And we leave the air, waters and forests to take to the ice as Hockey Nova Scotia is campaigning to shelter their referees from verbal and physical abuse.

Federal Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge is keeping an eye on Hockey Canada as she’s working to ensure a safe sporting environment for athletes across the country. Atlantic Canada's first transition house designed for Muslim women and children opens in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Controversy continues over New Brunswick’s Premier Blaine Higgs’ decision to axe French immersion in Canada’s only officially bilingual province. And Fisheries and Oceans Canada investigates the death of four humpback whales in Haida Gwaii, BC. This could strangely be good news for the humpback population.

A transcriber from Halifax has designed Canada’s first Indigenous Braille code. The Nova Scotia trades council is looking to help ex-military members transition into trades. Québec MNA and Sports minister Isabelle Charest has 1.5 billion dollars to play with to improve sports infrastructures across the province. And Toronto’s Reel Asian International Film Festival keeps its heading and its head out of the water as it closes its 26th edition.

In Revelstoke, BC the newly formed municipal council is an all men all white cast! Some worry they might have trouble thinking out of the box. Should municipalities have to foot the bill to extend water and sewer services to privately owned housing developments? That’s the question Queens council is trying to answer. The North Preston Community Centre received $120,000 from the Canada Community Revitalization Fund last October to develop a new Afrocentric community hub. And in Nova Scotia, the white sands and clear blue waters of Carters Beach attract thousands of visitors. Will it stay open to the public or become a natural reserve? Some say shutting down the beach is almost impossible.

Time to listen and to remember those who fought for us, as we pause for Remembrance Day. We will travel to British Columbia and meet Canadian war veteran Lawrence Allen Kerr. He’s 97 and was a gunner in the Canadian Navy. And then to Kingston, Ontario where community radio station CFRC is running its Shortwave Theatre Festival that presents radio plays. We’ll dive into Haley Sarfeld’s play Half Past Lunchtime, inspired by a concussion she suffered.

Retired citizens get together in Prince Edward County. They are working on the LoveSong Seniors Housing project. The Sunny Brae Farm founded in BC back in 1888 is still going strong and having the best blueberry season ever. The Nova Scotia government is spending $102 million on the expansion of the IWK emergency care department in Halifax. A Korean artist in Sackville New Brunswick is brewing up some rice wine for her Bubble, Burn, Gather event at the Sackville Community Garden. And the Heritage Abbotsford Society in BC has announced that it will restore the 145-year-old Turner House and is in need of forgotten skills to get the project rolling.

The Liverpool International Theatre Festival hits the mark. Troupes from around the world make their way back with a smile. After admiring his work for decades, local New Brunswick artist Robert Lyon gets to work on a famous Alex Colville painting. In British Columbia, the Klahoose First Nation eyes expansion for its tourism businesses after a successful summer season. It operates the Klahoose Wilderness Lodge in Toba Inlet and the Gorge Harbour Marina Resort on Cortes Island. The Hartley Bay community in Terrace, BC is celebrating the grand opening of its new community kitchen. And through our Periscope we briefly travel to Kingston Ontario, Halifax Nova Scotia and Cortes Island, BC.

A COVID 19 outbreak hits the Six Nations community in Ontario. Cases on the rise, new measures implemented. COVID-19 has also hit Sackville’s Mel’s Tea Room. It will be closing its doors on a 77 year history. CFRC Radio celebrates its 100th birthday. The Executive Director of the Community Radio Fund of Canada was there. And Revelstoke, BC will soon get its first electric school bus. Meagan Deuling takes us for a ride. A Silent Disco DJ offers neighborhood-friendly dance parties on Cortes Island British Columbia. And Indigenous organizations in British Columbia will be working together to reduce diesel use in remote communities.

In Nelson, BC locals gather for truth and reconciliation. The Surrey Art Gallery’s newest exhibit showcases VideoPoetry. Liverpool International Theatre Festival returns with live performances. Organizers say its the only festival of its kind in eastern Canada. Students and their instructors are enthusiastic about early stages of the Cortes Island Academy pilot program. No bricks, no walls.

We’ll first go to Revelstoke, BC where artist Johny Bandura produced a series of portraits in memory of the 215 children whose graves were discovered at the former Kamloops Residential School last summer. Just in time for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. And then to the other end of the country to Sackville, New Brunswick where the Owens Art Gallery needs help to reunite a series of 100 portraits produced by artist John Murchie. And we have some literature in the mix. The Kingston WritersFest investigates what’s under the surface. Finally, the Six Nations’ Longhouse will be rebuilt after being destroyed by fire. A one million dollar fundraiser has been launched.

Before we leave today, to those of you who are listening on September 30th and after this date, we would like to recognize and honour our fellow citizens on this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Orange is the color to wear to pay tribute to the survivors of the residential school system and, of course, to honour the memory of all the children who did not make it home. This on behalf of all our collaborators this week, Andrew Dow, Karim Mosna, Meagan Deuling, Erica Butler, our national coordinator Maureen McEwan, your host and producer Boris Chassagne, and the entire team at the Community Radio Fund of Canada in Ottawa.

We’ll start things off today with two stories from British Columbia where a string of bear-human conflicts shakes the province. The BC government will be spending a one-time 60 million dollar envelope to help families who are struggling with inflation. The CRFC Radio in Ontario will turn 100 in a few weeks. One of its volunteers has been on air for 40 years. He’s a jazz buff and we’ll spend some time with him. And through our Periscope we’ll take a peek at what’s been going on in Québec, Ontario, and in the northwestern part of British Columbia.

Canadians will soon need more hours to qualify for Employment Insurance. The measures implemented during the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic come to an end on September 24th. Cost of living is straining households and volunteer organizations across Canada. In Revelstoke BC, they are also feeling the pinch. A Metis artist travels to different parts of the country to present her #hopeandhealingcanada installation. She makes her 108th stop in Kingston, Ontario. Karim Mosna had a moving conversation with her. And on Periscope we’ll take a peek at stories produced by our journalists posted in Ontario, Québec and New Brunswick.

In British Columbia, the Kootenay Insurrection for Safe Supply says it bought drugs off the dark web as a statement in support of a safe supply of drugs. Queen’s University SNOLAB receives 102 million dollars for its research on dark matter and neutrino particles. Dalhousie University researchers just received a $4.8 million grant in their efforts to battle a very invasive and fatal brain cancer. And through our Periscope this week we’ll take a peek on what’s been going on in BC, Sutton, Québec, and Sackville, New Brunswick.

In British Columbia, young students learn to talk about how they feel and the issues they face through the restorative justice program. A farm located in Frelighsburg, Québec has been working for years to introduce niche organic Asian vegetables. And it works. In Halifax, the 200 year old Saint Mary’s Cathedral Basilica will get a helping hand as it receives $380,000 in federal funding. And the unusual journey of Oriane Lee Johnston, a Cortes Island author who just published The Geography of Belonging, A Love Story. A memoir of her travels between Canada, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

We go green with all Electric and Solar news. A Nova Scotia camping ground becomes the first net zero installation of its kind in Canada. Canada’s first commercially available electric boat and marine charger were recently launched in Kingston, Ontario. The Voltari 260 now silently cruises Lake Ontario. The construction of a 117 km bi-directional, underwater electricity transmission line has been shelved in Ontario. The Lake Erie Connector Project was set to run between Haldimand, Ontario and Pennsylvania, USA. And you can now ride solar while you drink, eat and tour some of Halifax's best spots, with Atlantic Canada’s first solar powered pedal bus. And the Kingston East Community Centre will go green and install 460 solar panels on its grounds. This will provide 96% of the centre’s energy needs.

He’s 31, he was born in Burundi.

He’s been living in Canada for ten years. He's also a Québec separatist who wants to be the next MLA for the very Liberal Pontiac riding. A Sackville resident had the scare of his life when the ferry he was on caught fire. He says he won’t be traveling by sea for quite a while. And a small island off the BC coast can’t seem to resolve its housing crisis as some students can’t find a place to stay ahead of the school year.

A 1.5 billion dollar electric vehicle battery plant will be built in the Kingston, Ontario area. The first of its kind in North America. Forest Fires hit a record low during the month of June in Québec: bad weather is helping out firefighters. Short term rentals keep some towns from getting some shut-eye. In Québec, the Town of Brome Lake had to back down from a proposed bylaw referendum. But it will keep trying to maintain order in the free-for-all. A BC filmmaker could soon turn into a politician. Marl Vonesch is running as director on the board of the Strathcona Regional District representing Cortes Island this fall.

More than 4000 solar panels are installed in the Amherst community. Citizens taking charge of their free energy needs. In Mansonville Québec, a local history buff revives what was once an international destination: the Potton Natural Springs. Roller Derby is making a comeback and throws elbows back into British Columbia, where the Bulkley Valley Bruisers are looking for teammates. And a 70 year-old tractor from the 1950s is now being proudly displayed on Cotes Island. A legacy of the island's past.

A Sackville hospital is struggling to find the staff it needs. But hope is in sight. The high rate of inflation is putting pressure on food banks all over the country: it’s their turn to ask for help.

New Brunswick’s students crumble under debt. Boosting university funding could be a solution. Its forest fire season once again. Firefighters give us some tips on how to best protect our houses. And a BC chocolatier sources her raw cacao from the Andean Mountains of Ecuador and produces the LOVE Bar we crave for.

Thanks to our journalists, Loni Taylor, Karim Mosna, Meagan Deuling, Erica Butler, David-and Gordon Koch. National coordinator Maureen McEwan. Host and producer Boris Chassagne. Viewpoints is produced by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

Ella Baker was born on December 13 1903 in Norfolk Virginia. After graduating from Shaw University as Valedictorian in 1927, she would begin working for the NAACP in 1940 until 1953.

Along the way she would count W.E.B. Dubois, A. Phillip Randolph, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Thurgood Marshall as colleagues.

In 1957 she would move to Atlanta Georgia and become the first employee of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. She worked tirelessly in the Civil Rights and Human Rights Movement while mentoring such luminaries as Rosa Parks and Stokely Carmichael.

This salute took place on April 24th 1968,

just 20 days after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Nation and the African American communities in particular were in deep mourning and needed strength to continue the struggles that lay ahead.

Several important Civil Rights leaders and activists decided to honor Ella Baker by giving her a Living Salute. What a great idea... so many times such honors in the Social Movement end up post mortem Memorials...

But in this, case many of the leaders of the Movement came out to honor this understated Civil and Human Rights activist. We'll hear from:

- The then National Director of The Congress of Racial Equality or C.O.R.E. Floyd Bixler McKissick,

- Anne Braden, asked to sit in for an ailing Rosa Parks, a white woman from Kentucky whose work in the Civil Rights Movement resulted in Blacklisting from local employment

- Black Power superstars Stokely Carmichael and H. Rap Brown,

-Karen Molloy the wife imprisoned Draft Resister Joe Malloy,

- Professor, author and friend Howard Zinn.

We knew the date of this event but we didn't know the location... Brian called Rachel Yuud, a Collections Associate of the Tamiment Library at New York University, who looked up Howard's Zinn Schedule that day and tracked the event to the Hotel Roosevelt in New York City.

Thanks you Rachel...!!!

On today's Viewpoints:

Human trafficking is on the rise in Canada and the numbers in Halifax seem to be the worst in the country. But this increase in reported cases could also mean that victims are more oftenly seeking help. Citizens of Shelburne, Nova Scotia do not want their South Shore riding to be split in two. They tell a federal commission to go back to the drawing board. Turtles and toads in Revelstoke BC do not seem to mind the traffic as they bask under the sun while cars pass by. And summer’s back with a revenge. In Smithers, BC the Midsummer Festival can’t wait.

We stay in one place today as we dive into an audio documentary produced by our journalist Pamela Haassen posted in Smithers, British Columbia.

Pamela Haasen wanted to hear from people involved in the recent renaming of the Haida Gwaii village of Queen Charlotte back to the traditional name of Daajing Giids. In 2019, the activists involved in the Skidegate Haida Immersion Program (S.H.I.P.) submitted a request to the Queen Charlotte Village Council to change the name of the village, back to the ancestral Daajing Giids.

The Skidegate Haida Immersion Program, founded in 1998, has since been documenting the Skidegate Haida language of Xaada Kil for the purpose of saving a language that is quickly disappearing, and to keep in touch with their ancestors.

The protection and preservation of Xaada language is a lengthy process, and it is due to the efforts of 10 very committed and dedicated Haida elders who are fluent speakers of the Skidegate Haida Language. The average age of these Elders is 80 and they represent approximately 50 per cent of today’s fluent Skidegate Haida Kil speakers. Their effort to revitalize Xaada Kil are genuine. Respect for their ancestors' language and its many dialects have been of the utmost importance.

So these Elders took charge of the name change process and proposed it to the village council. The community has been working on it for years. Citizens, council members, government representatives were consulted and still are. Whether it's approved or not, the proposed name change and process could serve as an example for many communities across British Columbia and Canada widely that wish to correct and recognize the wrongs of the country’s colonial history and wish to reconnect with the Indigenous culture and ancestors.

For the Haida, the proposed name change represents more than a name, but a way to be proud of their history, culture, and language, to communicate and pay respect to their ancestors.

In this documentary, Pamela Haasen spoke with many Elders, as well as with Queen’s Charlotte Mayor and the BC Minister of Municipal Affairs and Immigration. She first talks with Diane Brown about the importance of changing Queens Charlotte’s name back to Daajing Giids. Diane is one of the 19 people who still speak Xaada Kil.

The province of Nova Scotia is getting ready to welcome back tourists this summer, trying to recoup part of the 3 billion dollars it lost over the past two years. In Cowansville Québec, bowlers will have to let go of their 20 year love affair with the Salle de Quilles Cowansville. The local bowling alley is closing its doors, hit hard by COVID-19 restrictions. Live music events are coming back to Mansons Landing on Cortes Island off the BC coast. Musician and songwriter Michael Keith takes the lead. And the City of Sackville is worried about cats decimating wild birds. Experts are being consulted and there might be a new by-law in the works.

With journalist Erica Butler, Taylor McClure, Ed Halverson, and Loni Taylor. National news coordinator Maureen McEwan. Host and producer Boris Chassagne. Viewpoints is presented by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

In Nova Scotia, a Brooklyn family business is getting ready to take on all of Canada, with its adaptable backpacks. Ed Halverson has that story. A bird expert warns about biodiversity loss. Clearly one of the major issues of our time. But solutions do exist. David Gordon-Kosh will be with us. In Québec, a Prince Edward County Hospital fundraiser exceeds expectations : 20M$ raised. The Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre in Halifax gets a 4M$ helping hand from the federal government. And in Pontiac, Québec, the George Bryson Heritage House reopens . Work is completed and exhibits in place.

On this edition of Viewpoints:

The Québec government introduces Bill 96 to protect the French language in the province. But opposition is growing, many are worried about their fundamental rights. We’ll go to Halifax where a university professor has mixed feelings about designating certain outdoor areas for sheltering the homeless. And Mike Moore, a Cortes Island naturalist and professional diver is heading up an effort in Cortes Bay to monitor Dungeness crab larvae as part of a study assessing the health of the Pacific Ocean.

On this edition of Viewpoints:

Fibre optics, cable, and landlines will soon be available in the small community of Cortes Island. Imposing new taxes on non-resident homeowners won’t cool down the housing market or make a dent in the housing crisis in Nova Scotia say local realtors. Municipal employees are giving a thumbs up to the four day workweek. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick follow the trend. And we go back to British Columbia where our journalist Pamela Haasen met with documentarian and filmmaker Kelly Milner who just produced Not About Me.

On this edition of Viewpoints:

In British Columbia, the Blue Jay Lake Farm welcomes newcomers to rural life and at the same time, helps address the local housing shortage. Minimum wage is not enough to live decently in New Brunswick. Anti-poverty activists call for a living wage of $20 an hour. On Cortes Island the Community Health Association found its new Teen Szene coordinator. And a dying theatre comes back to life in Québec’s Pontiac region. Who would of guessed? The Pontiac Warden just couldn’t let it go.

With our journalists David Gordon Koch, Kate Maddigan, Greg Osoba, Caleb Nicherson and their guests. Producer and host Boris Chassagne. Viewpoints is produced by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

Sackville hospitals are hiring registered nurses and other personnel. Justine Graham is one of the new recruits. Cortes Island is looking for homestay families to host international students. Some come to Canada as others just cant stop thinking their future trip to Asia. And Nova Scotia is addressing the housing shortage. More money is on the way from the provincial government.

Extreme weather and flooding are hitting cities and communities all across Canada. New Brunswick citizens are calling for Ottawa to follow through on its pledge to introduce the Just Transition Act. In Ottawa, hate-motivated crimes have increased by nearly 44 percent in 2021 according to the Ottawa Police Service. A troubling trend. The Shawville Lions Country Jamboree returns this summer, after a two year absence. City officials are relieved. While some people choose to live on their boats, others do so because they just can’t seem to find a place to stay. In BC, the Gorge Island Marine Resort is working to fill that gap. And a century-old theatre slowly comes back to life as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

The Western Literacy Council has a new executive Director. Greg Graham just loves his new job. The small Cortes Island Market celebrates its 30 years on the Island. Keeping customers happy seems to be the best recipe. We stay on Cortes where Hugh Barton believes he has the largest native Western Yew on the Island. He explains how he found the tree. And in Québec, the Pontiac region is doing more to attract the healthcare workers it lost.

With our journalists Caleb Nickerson, Ed Halverson, Greg Osoba, Kate Maddigan, Erica Butler. Producer and host Boris Chassagne. Viewpoints is produced by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

On this edition of Viewpoints:

A teenager from Brooklyn Nova Scotia had his wish granted. And he takes his for a ride! Pontiac country musician Eldon Ostrom recently released an album to celebrate 50 years in the music scene. With “Me & My Boys,” a two disc compilation featuring dozens of classic tunes and one song, with his son Sheldon who passed away. Lots of things going on Cortes Island off the BC coast where a rural mushroom business dreams big . And sometimes sports can bridge cultures. Indigenous youth are building a name for themselves on the rugby field".

On this edition of Viewpoints:

Jean Philippe Smith was recently named Canada’s new Dominion sculptor. He carves Canada’s spirit in stone.

The Valley Youth Fiddlers were silenced by the Covid-19 epidemic, but nothing will keep them from celebrating 25 years of music in Buckley Valley BC.

And we’ll go to British Columbia where there seems to be a shortage of firewood on Cortes Island. You might learn you’re not paying that much for yours. Prices are exploding, and residents are converting to gas.

With our journalists Caleb Nickerson, Daniel Centeno, Pamela Haasen, Kate Maddigan. Producer and host Boris Chassagne. Viewpoints is produced by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

On today's Viewpoints:

Wake up, smell the coffee and you could well be buying the company. That’s what happened to a couple who fell in love with the local roastery on Cortes Island. They are now the proud owners of Becca’s Beans in British-Columbia. We’ll stay on Canada’s West coast where Humpback whales have been making an impressive comeback over the past 40 years. The theory is : they like the food. But at the same time, killer whales remain an endangered species. Climate changes could be responsible. And in New Brunswick, the Wolastoqey Nation has filed a new title claim. Several major corporations are named as defendants, as well as the provincial and federal governments. And we go to Pontiac Québec where Dr. Maurice Lamarche who has been working as a physician for more than 45 years is hanging-up his white coat as one of the longest-serving members of the region’s health care system.

With our reporters Anastasia Avvakumova, Greg Osaba, Erica Butler and Caleb Nickerson. Producer and host Boris Chassagne. Viewpoints is presented by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.