The room was alive with the delight of visiting teachers at Qualicum Beach First Nation’s cultural centre on September 5th as they arrived to pick up Indigenous resource kits for their classrooms. The Qualicum First Nation Culture Program received funding to create and distribute free Indigenous resource kits province-wide during the next three years. For Vancouver Island, the resource kits feature Kwakwakawakw artist Adam Lewis, Ucluelet First Nation cedar weaver Brian Wilson and Tsimshian First Nation artist Bill Helin who designed the wonderful tee-shirts included in each kit. Thanks to Bill for signing my shirt! Elementary teachers (kindergarten to Grade 2) and daycare educators have been booking culture kits for 2024-25. Congratulations to the entire Qualicum First Nation community for its outstanding leadership and generosity providing important in-school cultural support on Vancouver Island.
Mood Disorders Society of Canada Meeting
It was a privilege to meet with representatives from Mood Disorders Society of Canada recently in Ottawa to discuss the important role of community organizations and peer support workers in helping Canadians with mental illnesses. They spoke about how the chronic underfunding of Canada’s mental health sector limits the ability of non-profit organizations to expand services and meet growing demand. We agreed that investing in community mental health organizations could reduce pressures on the healthcare system and help Canadians who are struggling. Finally, we talked about my Private Member’s Bill, C-414, which is pushing for parity between physical and mental health in our universal, public healthcare system. Canada is facing a mental health crisis and it’s clear we need systemic change so everyone can access care when they need it most.