Is secularism church-state separation or government neutrality in matters of religion? What does state religious neutrality look like? When the Supreme Court of Canada issues a ruling, is that the final word? What is the difference between a welcome, a traditional greeting, a cultural practice, and a prayer, especially in the context of indigenous nations and reconciliation?

How would you feel if – when attending a local council meeting for the first time – the meeting opened with a Christian prayer? This is the question we explore in this episode. We learn about the practice of prayers before government meetings: how widespread are these prayers and what do they consist of? We also discuss what exactly the problem is with these prayers in a diverse society, and what – if anything – should replace them.

This week the fellas are joined by Sara (an NP) and Teale (PHD in International Studies) from AccessBC. They discuss the high cost of prescription contraception in British Columbia and how it impacts access for those who need it the most. They highlight the significant cost of different methods, including the intrauterine device, oral contraceptive pills, and hormone injections.

Olivia and Teale of the BC Humanist Association in collaboration with Abortion Rights Coalition Canada start off a new series exploring the deception and harmful practices of CPCs in Canada. Read the full report here.

The BCHA team discusses its newly released report: Open for Unconstitutional Business.

In this episode we have very special guest Dr. Teale Phelps Bondaroff joining us to discuss the importance and benefits of provinces providing free birth control to all Canadians. His experience in policy writing at all government levels has lead the charge on AccessBC holding the NDP government accountable to fulfilling their promise of providing free contraction to all BC residents. In this episode listeners will be inspired to take action to have universal coverage across Canada. 

Sea cucumbers, a prized delicacy in Chinese cuisine, fetch exorbitant prices in East Asia. These creatures play a crucial role in marine ecology - they vacuum the ocean floor; help coral reefs to grow and slow down the acidification of oceans. But now a soaring demand for these creatures is luring criminal gangs and fueling a booming multimillion dollar illegal trade. As millions of sea cucumbers get decimated, authorities and conservationists escalate their war on the poachers. Undercover Asia dives into the illegal sea cucumber trade and uncovers a global hotspot in the waters between India and Sri Lanka.

There's been a lot of talk in the news lately regarding noise, and specifically about gas-powered garden and landscaping equipment. The District of Oak Bay recently voted to phase out the residential use of all gas-powered gardening tools, over the next 3 years. The whir of lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and grass trimmers are just one type of noise pollution that we face. This episode we have Teale on to talk about how noise affects people and the environment, how it impacts our ability to form community, as well as show the detrimental effects on our communities.

In this talk, OceansAsia researcher Nivedita Tanksali introduce the issue of marine plastic pollution and explore solutions, with a particular focus on those solutions well-suited for low-income countries. 

Placemaking and little free libraries go hand in hand to help residents make a switch in their community. Dr. Teale Phelps Bondaroff of the Greater Victoria Placemaking Network joins The Switch to explain how the idea of placing making and community library boxes (which don’t replace libraries) can help communities become climate resilient and benefit everyone.