Saanich News, Feb. 21, 2020

No-cost birth control not included in 2020 B.C. budget

Despite the disappointment felt on Tuesday, the AccessBC team says they will continue to call on the B.C. government to make all forms of contraception universally accessible for residents at no cost.

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AccessBC co-founder Teale Phelps Bondaroff emphasized that B.C. residents have made it clear that a no-cost contraception policy is important not only because of the high costs but because it’s been recognized as an issue of equality.

Ici Colombie Britannique, Feb. 17, 2020

Intersections plus sûres à Victoria

La plus récente initiative du Greater Victoria Placemaking Network (GVPN) est un projet conçue pour rappeler aux conducteurs de céder à tous les passages pour piétons, même les passages pour piétons 'invisibles.' Le projet "Stop for Me" est un effort de base pour améliorer la sécurité routière.

CTV News, February 13, 2020

New 'Stop for me' project aims to protect pedestrians at Victoria intersections

One of the most common mistakes drivers make is not identifying what is a crosswalk, and who has the right of way. One Victoria-area group wants to change that.

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The Greater Victoria Placemaking Network’s (GVPN) newest initiative is a road safety sign project reminding drivers to yield at all crosswalks. The "Stop for Me" project is a grassroots effort to improve road safety for pedestrians and motorists.

Saanich News, February 13, 2020

Saanich man pitches road safety initiative to raise awareness of unmarked crosswalks

The Greater Victoria Placemaking Network’s (GVPN) newest initiative is a road safety signage project reminding drivers to yield at all crosswalks.

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“All intersections are crosswalks,” said Saanich-based researcher and GVPN board member Teale Phelps Bondaroff.

Victoria News, January 29, 2020

Victoria becomes first municipality to endorse campaign for provincially-funded contraception

In a committee of the whole meeting on Jan. 23, Couns. Sarah Potts and Jeremy Loveday presented council with a motion to support AccessBC, a Saanich-based campaign calling on the provincial government to include provisions for free prescription birth control for all residents in the 2020 provincial budget.

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​Council passed the motion unanimously and will now call on the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities to demonstrate support for the campaign as well.

Victoria News, January 11, 2020

Saanich resident pushes for colourful road murals, cites traffic-calming benefits

Colourful road murals may make an appearance on Saanich streets in 2020. Through the Greater Victoria Placemaking Network, Saanich resident and researcher Teale Phelps Bondaroff has been working to introduce artwork to the surface of roads as a way to calm traffic, beautify the District, highlight local artists and create community.

CTV News, December 18, 2019

Victoria cycling group working to measure air, noise pollution

According to Burger, air and noise pollution collected on street level has shown that separated bike lanes are a valuable resource to cyclists, not only as a safety measure, but also because it provides a barrier from the pollutions that vehicles emit, including exhaust and tire dust. The closer someone is to the source of an air pollutant, like an exhaust pipe, the worse it is for the health of that person. 

Victoria News, November 22, 2019

Resident pushes for electric in Saanich’s leaf blower replacement plan

The District of Saanich owns 83 leaf blowers and Teale Phelps Bondaroff, the Saanich resident pushing for a gas-powered leaf blower ban, wants them replaced with electric models by 2025.

Phelps Bondaroff feels the District could phase out gas-powered models as they expire and replace them with greener models that produce less noise and less pollution.

Victoria News, July 15, 2019

Saanich resident helps take a bite out of global shark fin trade

A Saanich resident has played a major role in flagging a large shipment of shark fins. Teale Phelps Bondaroff is the co-founder of OceansAsia, a conservation group which earlier this year alerted media to bags of shark fin being unloaded in Hong Kong.

Reuters, July 10, 2019

Massive shark fin haul into Hong Kong dodges global shipping bans

Two global shipping firms that have vowed not to transport shark fin products inadvertently moved a 40-foot container of the controversial delicacy from Nicaragua to Hong Kong this year, both companies told Reuters....

The shipment arrived in Hong Kong in April and was first flagged to Reuters by conservation group OceansAsia, which saw bags of shark fin being unloaded on a road in the city’s industrial western district.

CHEK News, May 15, 2019

Saanich to examine the way in which permissive tax exemptions are handed out

“If you turn people away from the door of your place of worship because of who they are, then you shouldn’t be receiving tax dollars. You’re violating the Canadian charter, and so in those cases, those people shouldn’t be receiving permissive tax exemptions,”  said researcher Dr. Teale Phelps Bondaroff from the B.C Humanist Association.