(Picture: L-R: Mike Schouten, his late son Marcus, and his wife Jennifer just after Marcus’ high school graduation in 2021. Mike Schouten donned his late son’s jacket when he urged the AMAD committee to protect minors from assisted suicide. The final presentation to the special joint parliamentary/ senate committee on medical assistance in dying (AMAD) (Nov 2022) – made by … [Read more...] about Offer better palliative care, not death, urge grieving parents
Community
Creating community; belonging, connecting and supporting one another, celebrating the joys, and facing and overcoming the challenges in our common life together.
Stop the carnage of MAiD
“MAiD is not end-of-life care. It is not an expression of equality; it is an exemption to equality.” “You hear your legislators discuss whether it would be better to be dead than to be like you. “Disabled people are dying en masse in institutions.” When three disability rights advocates addressed the special joint parliamentary/senate committee on medical … [Read more...] about Stop the carnage of MAiD
One night out: One formerly homeless youth slept outside this November
When Trevor was 10 years old, his mom and grandma did not have the resources to care for him and he was placed in foster care. There, he experienced some disheartening living experiences. After losing his housing as an older teen, Trevor ended up homeless in Mission. However, throughout the past 17 years, Trevor did not walk alone. Youth Unlimited outreach worker, Calvin, has … [Read more...] about One night out: One formerly homeless youth slept outside this November
Indigenous Voice: Intergenerational trauma
As Canadian society reals back and forth, in reaction to the unmarked graves at Canada’s residential schools, I feel it necessary to make some clarifications. Most residential school survivors and the generations that came before them, and after them, have experienced what is called Intergenerational Trauma. Some people may think that the residential school system was the main … [Read more...] about Indigenous Voice: Intergenerational trauma
Celebrating 100 years of St. Margaret’s / West Coast
Metro Vancouver has many good churches and, over the years, many good pastors. But few are as widely known as St. Margaret’s Community Church (now West Coast Christian Fellowship), or its leader for 25 years, Pastor Bob Birch. The church has been serving its East Vancouver neighbourhood, just south of the PNE, for 100 years, and the congregation recently celebrated that fact … [Read more...] about Celebrating 100 years of St. Margaret’s / West Coast