People First Radio

Designed for vulnerable youth, Take a Hike! is an alternative education program that sees students spend 4 days a week in the classroom and one day out in nature. Students also have constant access to a full time registered clinical counsellor. There are Take a Hike programs in many BC communities, including Nanaimo, where around […]

Shea Smith co founded The Homeless Idea Podcast, which is described as “a view into the everyday events, and insights of a Homeless individual in today’s society from a first hand perspective.” Smith spoke with People First Radio about the podcast, his journey, and his perspective on some of the systems surrounding homelessness.     […]

Some healthcare professionals are noticing a link between climate change and our mental health, especially in younger populations. So much so that there’s a new lexicon emerging, with conditions like eco-anxiety and ecological grief falling under the umbrella term of “Psychoterratic Syndromes” Natania Abebe is a registered nurse who practices in Ottawa. Earlier this year […]

How can someone get help when they might not even recognize they’re in trouble? It’s a question that’s been on the mind of Ottawa Comic artist Von Allan. Earlier this year, Allan learned that his best friend since childhood, Dave Foohey had died. Police had found Dave dead inside his home, and estimated he had […]

Lisa Brinkman, Manager of Community Planning with the City of Nanaimo, discusses the city’s affordable housing strategy. First broadcast July 2022.

If you’re an organization looking to address homelessness, it makes sense to to take into account the perspectives of people who’ve experienced homelessness. This can be easier said than done. Issues can arise when people with lived experience aren’t being compensated the same as salaried employees when attending meetings and conferences, for example. These experiences […]

One day riding the metro in Montreal, Annie Archambault overheard people complaining that someone on the street wouldn’t take a sandwich they’d offered. As you’ll hear her explain, the experience galvanized the community worker, who has experienced homelessness herself. It led her to speak out on a new TikTok account, surleborddelaligne. Now with tens of […]

Mental illness still dominates most conversations about transgender Canadians. That’s according to the profile of the new Canada Research chair in Transgender Creativity and Mental Health, Lucas Crawford. Crawford is a professor at the University of Alberta’s Augustana campus, and spoke with People First Radio about what he hopes to accomplish during his tenure as […]

The media round-table session from an event facilitated by the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition’s “Getting to Tomorrow” project. It was held at the Dorchester hotel in Nanaimo on June 16th, and was focused on how the city can respond to the toxic drug poisoning crisis. Those present included Ann Livingston, Amber McGrath, Shane Calder, Sarah […]

Losing your job is stressful, to say the least. It can be accompanied by a sense of grief, uncertainty, and psychological distress. There’s one group of people for whom unpredictable job loss is not only possible, but necessary for a well functioning democratic society. Yet as Zim Nwokora explains, there’s not a ton of sympathy […]

Chances are you know what it means when musicians get together to jam. But do you know what a game jam is? It happens when a group of people get together to design their own video games in a very short space of time, think 72 hours. Sandra Danilovic believes that when people make games […]

Dr. Najmeh Khalili-Mahani spends a lot of time staring at screens, which makes sense, since a big part of her work focuses on digital health. Khalili-Mahani is a biomedical engineer and neuroscientist. She Works for the engAGE Centre for Research in Aging at Concordia University and for the McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience. She speaks […]

Whether it’s a date, a meal, or a ride, you can find just about anything you want through your smartphone these days. Even a therapist. Dr. Lauri Goldkind is an associate professor of social work in the graduate school of social service at Fordham University in New York. She’s been researching new apps that connect […]

Housing co-ops, come for the affordability, stay for the community. That’s what Thom Armstrong says is the experience of many of the people living in housing co-ops in the province of British Columbia. Armstrong is the CEO of the co-operative housing federation of BC, as well as the community land trust foundation of BC. First […]

Brigitte Watson lives in Pointe-Claire QC. When a forest in her community was at risk of being cut down as part of new developments, Watson decided to take action. The only potential issue was anxiety that made it difficult for her to go far from home by herself. Watson speaks about the experience of going […]

Marnie Wedlake discusses “Taken Away by the Green Butterfly: A Critical Autobiographical Narrative Study of Shock Therapy”, which recounts her experience receiving Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the 1990s. Wedlake is a registered psychotherapist and faculty member in the department of Health Studies at Western University in London Ontario. First Broadcast June 02, 2022.

June is time to buddy up. That’s because this month, the Centre for Suicide Prevention is running its third annual buddy up campaign. It’s focused on men’s suicide prevention. Akash Asif is the external relations director for the Centre for Suicide Prevention. As he explains, there are a number of ways men can help reduce […]

Bára Hladík speaks about her debut novella “New Infinity”. The story follows a woman grappling with the philosophical and societal implications of autoimmune disease, and blends narrative prose and poetry. “New infinity” is published by Metatron press and releases June first. First Broadcast May 26 2022.

Pat Gervais, owner of Pondersmith Games, speaks about “Surviving Opioids”, a video game he’s currently developing. The game is informed from by Gervais’ experience with and recovery from opioid addiction, which he also addresses in the interview. First broadcast May 26 2022.

Basic income has been viewed by some as a way to reduce poverty while simplifying existing welfare programs. That sentiment isn’t universal however. In a Globe and Mail op ed, Canadian senator Diane Bellemare recently argued that basic income would be costly and complicated. In response, Jiaying Zhao, associate professor in the department of psychology […]

Some doctors in Canada are now prescribing food. But it isn’t as simple as telling a patient to eat their broccoli. As Dr. Matthew Little explains, Food is much more than just something we put into our bodies to stay healthy. Little is an assistant professor in the school of public health and social policy […]

PJ Patten shares the story of his experience with homelessness and addiction, which is also told in his graphic novel Tower 25. More information on Tower 25 is available here: https://www.cloudscapecomics.com/product/tower-25-the-graphic-memoir/ First broadcast May 19 2022.      

Andrea Paquette, President of Stigma Free Society, speaks about the organization and her lived experience with Bipolar disorder. First Broadcast May 12 2022.

Eris Nyx, co-founder of the Drug User Liberation Front(DULF) speaks about Health Canada’s recent rejection of the DULF’s application for a section 56 exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The exemption would have allowed DULF to legally operate a compassion club model in which they would test methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin for the […]

Heather Cowie, National Project Manager for Dementia Friendly Canada, speaks about the stigma surrounding dementia, and everyday actions people can take to combat it. First broadcast May 05, 2022.

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau speaks about empathy, the theme of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week. Grégoire Trudeau is a national volunteer with the Canadian Mental Health Association, and more information about this year’s mental health week can be found at mentalhealthweek.ca First broadcast May 05 2022.  

Julia Woodhall-Melnik, principal investigator of the University of New Brunswick’s Housing, Mobilization & Engagement Research Laboratory (HOME-RL), discusses housing affordability and affordable housing in the province, what she’s found in her work at HOME-RL, and recent measures taken by the provincial government. First Broadcast April 28 2022.

Nathan Lauster responds to the UBCM’s recent position paper on housing, and discusses housing supply, zoning and the role municipalities play in our housing situation. Lauster is an Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology at the University of British Columbia, and author of The Death and Life of the Single Family House: Lessons from […]

Craig Hodge, Coquitlam City Councillor and Executive with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM), discusses the information contained in a position paper on housing released by that organization in March. First Broadcast April 07 2022.

Christiana Bratiotis, Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Social Work, speaks about hoarding. First Broadcast April 28 2022.

A visit to Project Rise, an employability program for people who’ve experienced homelessness, run by Island Crisis Care Society. Featuring interviews with Project Rise Participant Don Crisp and Project Rise coordinator Stephen Cochrane. First Broadcast April 21 2022.

Penny Gurstein, lead researcher at the University of British Columbia’s housing research collaborative, speaks about affordable housing in the province. First Broadcast April 14 2022

Melissa Giles, project lead with BC Rent Bank discusses rent banks in the province, which help people facing temporary financial emergencies with loans that enable them to stay housed. For more information on a rent bank in BC, you can visit: bcrentbank.ca First Broadcast April 14 2022.

Francois Richer, professor in the department of psychology at the University of Quebec at Montreal, speaks about where our thoughts come from, the link between our thoughts and our emotions, and how we can use this information to be more conscious of our mental state. First broadcast April 07 2022.

Laura Misener, director of the department of Kinesiology at Western University, and a former university level gymnast, judge, and coach, speaks about the need for a cultural shift within gymnastics and other sports. First Broadcast April 07 2022.

Kiah Ellis-Durity speaks about a new online course by youth for youth on cannabis and mental health. Ellis-Durity was the project facilitator for the course, which can be found at cannabisandmentalhealth.ca First Broadcast March 31 2022.  

Dr. Elizabeth Mitchell, registered psychotherapist and certified music therapist discusses how music is used as a healing tool in clinical settings. Mitchell is also the coordinator of the bachelor’s of music therapy program at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo Ontario. First Broadcast March 31 2022.

Eris Nyx, co-founder of the Drug User Liberation Front (DULF), speaks about the Vancouver based organization, which tests and distributes heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine to drug users as a form of harm reduction. First Broadcast March 24 2022.

Sheila Malcolmson, British Columbia’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, discusses the province’s new complex care program, following the recent announcement that 100 complex care spaces would be coming to the Greater Victoria area. First Broadcast March 31 2022.

Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux and Steve Koptie discuss the concept of ‘Reconciliation Social Work’, which they have previously outlined in a paper of the same name. Wesley-Esquimaux is the chair for truth and reconciliation at Lakehead University and chair of the governing circle for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation in Winnipeg. Koptie is a […]

Megz Reynolds, executive director of the Do More Agriculture foundation, speaks about mental health within the world of agriculture. Also discussed is access to free mental health counselling for BC producers and their families. More information on that initiative can be found here: https://www.domore.ag/bc-support First Broadcast March 17 2022.

Dr. Daniel Chorney, Clinical Child Psychologist, discusses Anxiety Canada’s “Caretoons” – short cartoons to teach kids and youth about anxiety. The conversation also touches on social anxiety: what it is, what the signs are, when it might be something to seek help with, and how to do that. First Broadcast March 17 2022.

Ashley Clarke, coordinator of “Older Adults Eating Well Together” discusses the program put on by Nanaimo Foodshare. First Broadcast March 10 2022. More information on the program can be found here: https://nanaimofoodshare.ca/campaign/older-adults-eating-well-together/  

Brandon Gray, technical officer with the mental health unit of the World Health Organization discusses the findings of the WHO’s recently released scientific brief: “Mental Health and COVID-19: Early evidence of the pandemic’s impact”. First Broadcast March 10 2022.

Mental Health First Aid training and delivery specialist Denise Waligora speaks about MHFA training, as well as some best practices for being a mental health first responder to the people in your life. First Broadcast March 10 2022.

Dr. Alexandra Dimmer and Dr. Susan Law speak about the results of a study they conducted at McGill University into the experiences of well siblings of young adults with mood and or anxiety disorders. First broadcast March 3 2022.

Dr. Jill Cameron, Professor of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto, speaks about the results of a study into caregiving to older adults with depression. First broadcast March 3 2022.

Youth coach and fourth year Vancouver Island University student Mallory Woods speaks about how their own experiences growing up have led to a passion for and career in supporting youth mental health. First Broadcast March 3 2022.  

Margaret Pfoh, CEO of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association, speaks about the organization’s recently released urban, rural, and northern Indigenous housing strategy, a first of its kind for BC. First Broadcast February 24th 2022.  

Dr. Shannon Dames, chair of a new psychedelic assisted therapy program set to debut this fall at Vancouver Island University, speaks about the new program, psychedelic therapy in general, as well as results from the ketamine assisted therapy program “Roots To Thrive”. First broadcast February 24 2022.