Vancouver Island Mental Health Society
@vimhs.bsky.social
VIMHS is a non-profit organization. We provide recovery, housing, and hope to adults experiencing mental health issues.
Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society
Now, he's transforming lives from beyond the grave.
https://cnn.it/489CQRg
https://cnn.it/489CQRg
November 29, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Now, he's transforming lives from beyond the grave.
https://cnn.it/489CQRg
https://cnn.it/489CQRg
"If it seems government responses to addictions and homelessness (whether compassionate or punitive) have improved nothing, perhaps then this might be a clue that solutions to #addiction and #homelessness lie somewhere other than with our governments." www.timescolonist.com/opinion/comm...
Comment: We are all responsible for the toxic drug crisis
Whether we intend to or not, whether we perceive it or not, we can be quite awful to each other. This awfulness has consequences.
www.timescolonist.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:03 PM
"If it seems government responses to addictions and homelessness (whether compassionate or punitive) have improved nothing, perhaps then this might be a clue that solutions to #addiction and #homelessness lie somewhere other than with our governments." www.timescolonist.com/opinion/comm...
“ #Nanaimo and the rest of #BC are grappling with the enduring drug poisoning emergency that continues to injure and kill far too many community members at an alarming rate for the past decade, with no end in sight.” #naloxone #VancouverIsland #BC cheknews.ca/meet-the-hig...
Meet the high school student who trained district principals how to use naloxone
For the past two years, Grade 12 student Alexa Meekison has been training people in her community how to use Naloxone, including several principals in Nanaimo-Ladysmith Public Schools
cheknews.ca
November 29, 2025 at 3:56 PM
“ #Nanaimo and the rest of #BC are grappling with the enduring drug poisoning emergency that continues to injure and kill far too many community members at an alarming rate for the past decade, with no end in sight.” #naloxone #VancouverIsland #BC cheknews.ca/meet-the-hig...
"The most recent #homeless count for #GreaterVictoria found 1,794 people are experiencing #homelessness across the region, and of those 318 are living #unsheltered and 493 are staying in emergency #shelters." #Victoria #Saanich #Sooke #VancouverIsland #BC cheknews.ca/hiding-in-pl...
Hiding in plain sight: Homelessness in Greater Victoria suburbs
The Union Mission Gospel Greater Victoria outreach team says people are dying due to a lack of shelter space outside of the capital city.
cheknews.ca
November 29, 2025 at 3:47 PM
"The most recent #homeless count for #GreaterVictoria found 1,794 people are experiencing #homelessness across the region, and of those 318 are living #unsheltered and 493 are staying in emergency #shelters." #Victoria #Saanich #Sooke #VancouverIsland #BC cheknews.ca/hiding-in-pl...
"Get together with people you can relate to in a comfortable setting and you’ll feel better about yourself and the world around you." #Victoria #mentalhealth #wellness #recovery #VancouverIsland #BC #BritishColumbia #Canada cheknews.ca/victoria-wom...
Victoria woman is serving cups of kindness for people on mental health recovery journey
After struggling with mental health, a Victoria woman has launched a group to help support others on their wellness and recovery journey.
cheknews.ca
November 29, 2025 at 3:39 PM
"Get together with people you can relate to in a comfortable setting and you’ll feel better about yourself and the world around you." #Victoria #mentalhealth #wellness #recovery #VancouverIsland #BC #BritishColumbia #Canada cheknews.ca/victoria-wom...
Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society
The broadcast version of this week's episode is now online and can be found here:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...
@vimhs.bsky.social
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...
@vimhs.bsky.social
People First Radio – November 27, 2025 – Vancouver Island Mental Health Society
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
November 29, 2025 at 4:01 AM
The broadcast version of this week's episode is now online and can be found here:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...
@vimhs.bsky.social
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...
@vimhs.bsky.social
" #Firstresponders on the front lines of B.C.’s #overdose crisis are warning about a rise in calls." #BC #BritishColumbia #Canada youtu.be/lpgTezYSv1I
New toxic drug leads to surge in overdoses
YouTube video by CTV News
youtu.be
November 29, 2025 at 2:56 AM
" #Firstresponders on the front lines of B.C.’s #overdose crisis are warning about a rise in calls." #BC #BritishColumbia #Canada youtu.be/lpgTezYSv1I
"To mark Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, Commissioner Kasari Govender will host a conversation ...about one of the most pressing issues in B.C.: the ongoing toxic drug crisis. Watch it live on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. PST."
bchumanrights.ca/resources/be...
bchumanrights.ca/resources/be...
November 28, 2025 at 4:33 AM
"To mark Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, Commissioner Kasari Govender will host a conversation ...about one of the most pressing issues in B.C.: the ongoing toxic drug crisis. Watch it live on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. PST."
bchumanrights.ca/resources/be...
bchumanrights.ca/resources/be...
Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society
A group of volunteers in Victoria have been heading out once a month to offer "gimmick free listening"
Listen:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/vict...
@vimhs.bsky.social
Listen:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/vict...
@vimhs.bsky.social
November 28, 2025 at 1:06 AM
A group of volunteers in Victoria have been heading out once a month to offer "gimmick free listening"
Listen:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/vict...
@vimhs.bsky.social
Listen:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/vict...
@vimhs.bsky.social
"The #FirstNations #Health Authority (FNHA) said that #BritishColumbia has seen a record number of 911 calls related to #toxicdrug poisonings, as officials issue warnings about an increasingly tainted supply." #Vancouver #BC @thefnha.bsky.social #Canada #medetomidine www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
B.C. sees record number of 911 calls about toxic drug overdoses, health authority says | CBC News
The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) said that British Columbia has seen a record number of 911 calls related to toxic drug poisonings, as officials issue warnings about an increasingly tainted s...
www.cbc.ca
November 27, 2025 at 5:18 PM
"The #FirstNations #Health Authority (FNHA) said that #BritishColumbia has seen a record number of 911 calls related to #toxicdrug poisonings, as officials issue warnings about an increasingly tainted supply." #Vancouver #BC @thefnha.bsky.social #Canada #medetomidine www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
"The parents of a #Kamloops, #BC, teen who has overdosed four times in less than two months are desperate to get their daughter into #treatment. But she is refusing help, and now the parents are pleading for changes to legislation around #involuntarycare" www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...
‘Desperate to save her’: B.C. parents push for change, want involuntary care for drug-addicted children
The parents of a Kamloops, B.C., teen who has overdosed four times in less than two months are desperate to get their daughter into treatment.
www.ctvnews.ca
November 27, 2025 at 4:53 PM
"The parents of a #Kamloops, #BC, teen who has overdosed four times in less than two months are desperate to get their daughter into #treatment. But she is refusing help, and now the parents are pleading for changes to legislation around #involuntarycare" www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...
"The helping agencies of #VancouverIsland 's urban centres are preparing to open their #warmingcentres and #extremeweather #emergencyshelter beds...there will be 771 extreme-weather response ( #EWR ) #shelter spaces provided." #BC #BritishColumbia #Canada www.hashilthsa.com/news/2025-11...
Vancouver Island cities prepare shelter plans as icy weather approaches | Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper
With snow on the mountain tops and cold, wet nights chilling city streets, Vancouver Island’s most vulnerable will be seeking out a warm place to sleep. The helping agencies of Vancouver Island’s urba...
www.hashilthsa.com
November 27, 2025 at 4:33 PM
"The helping agencies of #VancouverIsland 's urban centres are preparing to open their #warmingcentres and #extremeweather #emergencyshelter beds...there will be 771 extreme-weather response ( #EWR ) #shelter spaces provided." #BC #BritishColumbia #Canada www.hashilthsa.com/news/2025-11...
"The group wanted to figure out a way to work with Health #Canada to operate the drug "compassion club," to test illicit drugs and supply high-purity substances to club members to reduce #overdoses" #Vancouver #BC #publichealth #overdose #toxicdrug www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/national/b-c...
B.C. drug club co-founder surprised by lack of 'urgency' from Health Canada on crisis
VANCOUVER - A co-founder of Vancouver's Drug User Liberation Front said he was surprised by Health Canada's lack of "urgency" about the deadly toxic drug crisis, and the absence of
www.thecanadianpressnews.ca
November 27, 2025 at 3:47 PM
"The group wanted to figure out a way to work with Health #Canada to operate the drug "compassion club," to test illicit drugs and supply high-purity substances to club members to reduce #overdoses" #Vancouver #BC #publichealth #overdose #toxicdrug www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/national/b-c...
Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society
Manitoba's Red Dress Alert system takes one step closer to reality with the release of a final report on community consultations.
Hear more on APTN News Brief:
Hear more on APTN News Brief:
APTN News Brief: November 26, 2025—Community consultation report on Manitoba Red Dress Alert system
Our lead story: Manitoba's Red Dress Alert system takes one step closer to reality with the release of a final report on community consultations.
pod.fo
November 26, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Manitoba's Red Dress Alert system takes one step closer to reality with the release of a final report on community consultations.
Hear more on APTN News Brief:
Hear more on APTN News Brief:
Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society
The goal of the program is help people protect their communities in a culturally grounded way.
Safety guardian program training underway at Yukon U
A safety guardian program for Indigenous people to help train for search and rescue and other issues is now underway at Yukon University.
www.aptnnews.ca
November 26, 2025 at 5:00 PM
The goal of the program is help people protect their communities in a culturally grounded way.
Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society
Internal government data shows Ontario’s worst-staffed long-term care homes are for-profit https://www.thetrillium.ca/news/health/internal-government-data-shows-which-long-term-care-homes-met-ontarios-hands-on-care-targets-and-which-didnt-11530728
More news → CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
More news → CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
November 26, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Internal government data shows Ontario’s worst-staffed long-term care homes are for-profit https://www.thetrillium.ca/news/health/internal-government-data-shows-which-long-term-care-homes-met-ontarios-hands-on-care-targets-and-which-didnt-11530728
More news → CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
More news → CanadaHealthwatch.ca 🍁
"According to a U.S. survey of #2SLGBTQ+ #youth... 68 per cent of respondents felt that the online world provided affirming spaces. This compares with 40 per cent, 52 per cent and 20 per cent for home, school and community events, respectively." #socialmedia www.cbc.ca/radio/justas...
‘I would not have made it out’: Why online spaces matter for 2SLGBTQ+ youth | CBC Radio
As countries like Australia and Denmark move to ban social media for children under 16 and 15, respectively, and legislators in Quebec and Nova Scotia consider similar proposals, some 2SLGBTQ+ youth s...
www.cbc.ca
November 26, 2025 at 5:17 PM
"According to a U.S. survey of #2SLGBTQ+ #youth... 68 per cent of respondents felt that the online world provided affirming spaces. This compares with 40 per cent, 52 per cent and 20 per cent for home, school and community events, respectively." #socialmedia www.cbc.ca/radio/justas...
"Since Maya’s death, her mother, Hilary Cassady, has become an advocate for #youth #mentalhealth, raising flags about young people using FOIs to access their charts — and risking misinterpreting the contents" #healthcare #BC #BritishColumbia nanaimonewsnow.com/2025/11/26/m...
November 26, 2025 at 4:02 PM
"Since Maya’s death, her mother, Hilary Cassady, has become an advocate for #youth #mentalhealth, raising flags about young people using FOIs to access their charts — and risking misinterpreting the contents" #healthcare #BC #BritishColumbia nanaimonewsnow.com/2025/11/26/m...
" #Overdose deaths occur in large urban centres such as #Vancouver & also in smaller centres. Information from the British Columbia Coroners Service lists #Terrace & #CampbellRiver – both smaller communities – as places with a significant number of drug-related deaths" vicnews.com/2025/11/26/c...
November 26, 2025 at 3:41 PM
" #Overdose deaths occur in large urban centres such as #Vancouver & also in smaller centres. Information from the British Columbia Coroners Service lists #Terrace & #CampbellRiver – both smaller communities – as places with a significant number of drug-related deaths" vicnews.com/2025/11/26/c...
"Every #refugee in #Victoria has people they know who are in danger. Rossa said the refugees are suffering from #burnout, #exhaustion, chronic #stress and #anxiety as the war drags into another winter, leading in some cases to #breakdowns" #VancouverIsland #BC www.timescolonist.com/christmas-fu...
Church helps help Ukrainian refugees cope with anxiety as war rages on
About 50 families in Greater Victoria rely on St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Ukrainian Catholic Church as a rock in a torrent of worry.
www.timescolonist.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:18 PM
"Every #refugee in #Victoria has people they know who are in danger. Rossa said the refugees are suffering from #burnout, #exhaustion, chronic #stress and #anxiety as the war drags into another winter, leading in some cases to #breakdowns" #VancouverIsland #BC www.timescolonist.com/christmas-fu...
"Tina Nielsen has been helping #unhoused and #underhoused people in the #Parksville and #Errington areas for the past three years, providing 215 meals each week, plus other essentials to help people stay warm and dry" #VancouverIsland #BC #Canada vancouverislandfreedaily.com/2025/11/26/p...
November 26, 2025 at 3:05 PM
"Tina Nielsen has been helping #unhoused and #underhoused people in the #Parksville and #Errington areas for the past three years, providing 215 meals each week, plus other essentials to help people stay warm and dry" #VancouverIsland #BC #Canada vancouverislandfreedaily.com/2025/11/26/p...
"Overall, #alcohol remains more widely used than #cannabis. But starting in 2022, the number of daily cannabis users in the #USA surpassed that of daily drinkers — a major shift in American habits" apnews.com/article/cann...
They relied on marijuana to get through the day. But then days felt impossible without it
As daily cannabis use rises to historic levels in the U.S., some longtime users are finding it harder to quit.
apnews.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:57 PM
"Overall, #alcohol remains more widely used than #cannabis. But starting in 2022, the number of daily cannabis users in the #USA surpassed that of daily drinkers — a major shift in American habits" apnews.com/article/cann...
Reposted by Vancouver Island Mental Health Society
The mayor of Colwood B.C. spoke with the program about a municipally run clinic model its piloting to attract family doctors to the community
Listen to the full interview:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/colw...
@vimhs.bsky.social
Listen to the full interview:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/colw...
@vimhs.bsky.social
November 26, 2025 at 12:50 AM
The mayor of Colwood B.C. spoke with the program about a municipally run clinic model its piloting to attract family doctors to the community
Listen to the full interview:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/colw...
@vimhs.bsky.social
Listen to the full interview:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/colw...
@vimhs.bsky.social
" #ComoxValley #Hospice Society is offering a gentle easing into the holiday season for people experiencing #loss or #grief [at] the annual Blue Christmas event on December 13 at 2-3 pm at Comox United Church 250 Beach Drive in #Comox" #VancouverIsland #BC comoxvalleyrecord.com/2025/11/25/c...
November 25, 2025 at 8:24 PM
" #ComoxValley #Hospice Society is offering a gentle easing into the holiday season for people experiencing #loss or #grief [at] the annual Blue Christmas event on December 13 at 2-3 pm at Comox United Church 250 Beach Drive in #Comox" #VancouverIsland #BC comoxvalleyrecord.com/2025/11/25/c...
