‘The highs are extremely high – but the lows are extremely low’: when working out becomes an addiction Pushing yourself to the limit, training through injury and choosing the gym over socialising are all signs that you may have an unhealthy reliance on exercise

‘The highs are extremely high – but the lows are extremely low’: when working out becomes an addiction

My Year of Magical Swimming | The Tyee Alone in a new community, a local pool and its ‘regulars’ helped me heal.

A place where anyone can be: "A #thirdspace might take the form of a library, coffee shop or community centre. They’re proven to “serve vital and life-saving roles in our communities,” according to a 2019 report in Health & Place. But third spaces are at risk." thetyee.ca/Culture/2026...

Feds announce $1.4 B to support urban Indigenous populations Indigenous Services Canada Minister Mandy Gull-Masty announced federal investments of nearly $1.4 billion to support Indigenous peoples living off reserve.

"The Minister of Indigenous Services #Canada ...announced federal funding of nearly $1.4 billion to support #Indigenous populations living off reserve as well as #mentalhealth and #trauma support programming, and assisted living services on reserve" www.aptnnews.ca/national-new...

The Friends of Music Society brings joy to Victoria - Vancouver Island Free Daily The charitable group offers musical opportunities to the community

"“Our main focus is to get people together and connecting with one another” ...benefits of the programs are significant and extend beyond providing music to the community to create a social and emotional support environment for the participants" #Victoria vancouverislandfreedaily.com/2026/03/29/t...

It might take a bit of luck 🤞🤞🤞 for groups to conquer the #ExitNanaimo #EscapeRoom, but we could at least find a pot of gold at #CathersLakeHome’s door this past week for St. Patrick’s Day at least! 🍀💚 #TeamBuilding #StPatricksDay #MakingMemories

People First Radio - March 26, 2026 NANDU bringing Crackdown host to Nanaimo, Nurse exploring chronic pain and intimacy

The broadcast version of this week's episode is online and can be found here:

vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...

@vimhs.bsky.social

Positive health expectations linked to better cognition, less decline: study YouTube video by CTV News

"Dr. Marla Shapiro on the recent study that disputes the popular belief of #dementia being inevitable with age." #aging #ageing #cognition youtu.be/z0yRBzUvxi4

Declaring Gender-Based Violence an Epidemic Was Not Enough | The Tyee The needs of survivors seeking services are skyrocketing in BC. New research shows frontline workers need better support.

"Rates of #genderbasedviolence, and the needs of survivors seeking services, are skyrocketing in #BC. ...I see our frontline workers leading the charge to prevent and respond to gender-based violence" #comment #Vancouver #BritishColumbia #Canada thetyee.ca/Opinion/2026...

Nanaimo homelessness count result bucks decade-long trend of rising numbers - Nanaimo News Bulletin Short-form survey and count methods tallied 577 people unhoused in December versus 621 in 2024

"The data, collected by United Way B.C. United for Housing during one night, Dec. 3, tallied 577 people in #Nanaimo who were #unsheltered, down from 621 counted in the 2024 report." #homelessness #VancouverIsland #BritishColumbia #BC @unitedwaybc.bsky.social nanaimobulletin.com/2026/03/26/n...

Comment: NDP falls short on commitment to disability services Once considered a crowning achievement of this NDP government’s commitment to inclusive community building, the Nigel Valley Project now hangs by a thread.

"It’s happening again. Support for #BC's vulnerable populations is being withheld to save money in the short term. But crisis-driven budgeting means we all pay the price down the road. The proof is all around us." #comment #opinion #BritishColumbia #disability www.timescolonist.com/opinion/comm...

Seniors advocate calls on landlord to 'do the right thing' “Evicting somebody because they can’t use technology, and in this case, because of a nominal amount of rent increase — it just seems like the landlord has the ability to do the right thing,” says Dan ...

"Tenant Mark Plank, who does not own a computer or a smartphone, has been told he needs to leave his home of more than five years by Tuesday for failing to pay a rent increase he was notified about only through email." #Victoria #VancouverIsland #BC www.timescolonist.com/local-news/s...

Centre on Aging text on left of logo. Logo is a design of a bison walking on a path under the northern lights with a prairie landscape and the flame representing reconciliation below. Text University of Manitoba on right. Background image of cherry blossom branches in bloom on the right side, set against a blue sky. Text reads 43rd Annual Spring Research symposium. QR code on right linking to Symposium web pages. Text below reads May 7, 2026. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Implementing an evidence-based dementia screening program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in community agencies across four provinces. Shahin Shooshtari, PhD and Nicole Bobbette, PhD, OT Reg. (Ont.)

Spring forward! Register for the Centre on Aging's 43rd Spring Symposium on May 7.
Drs. Shooshtari & Bobbette will present "Implementing an evidence-based dementia screening program for adults with IDD in community agencies across 4 provinces"
View full Symposium details: tinyurl.com/2j8ak9k3

Mountain Muscox providing support for people who've experienced trauma in the backcountry In conversation with Lexie Morgan, Registered Clinical Counsellor

 "To see the gentleness, the compassion, the hope holding that happens with our group, is pretty transformative."

Listen:
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/moun...

@vimhs.bsky.social

"The verdict is likely to reshape how America’s legal system treats Silicon Valley’s tech giants & the content that is posted on their platforms. The story of the plaintiff, known as Kaley GM, is hardly unique" #socialmedia #self-harm #bodydysmorphia #mentalhealth www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...

The maintenance stage of #SupportedEmployment is where the magic really settles in. The job is a great fit, confidence is growing, and natural supports start taking the lead. Our role fades into the background while the employee shines, building relationships, skills, and independence on the job. 🥰👍

Dog treat making bakes in sense of community for Victoria Memory Cafe crew - Goldstream News Gazette BC SPCA visit likely to build on sense of belonging, appreciation

"Memory Cafe is a social gathering where care partners can relax, unwind, & have fun with their family member with #memoryloss. It’s all about making social connections and joyful engagement in activities that focus on #creativity" #Victoria #VancouverIsland #BC goldstreamgazette.com/2026/03/26/d...

“Sexualized conduct within #police workplaces may reflect problematic #policing attitudes or views and can undermine how police interact with members of the public—particularly survivors of sexual or gender-based violence” #BC #BritishColumbia #Canada www.mycampbellrivernow.com/87304/news/p...

Potential future Nanaimo Hub location identified, multiple roadblocks remain NANAIMO - Local organizations working with those living rough in the community believe they've found a long-te...

"Local [ #Nanaimo ] organizations working with those living rough in the community believe they’ve found a long-term home [at 250 Albert Street] for a community hub, but several challenges remain" #VancouverIsland #BC #BritishColumbia nanaimonewsnow.com/2026/03/24/f...

Victoria senior battling cancer evicted over missed rent increase payment - Vancouver Island Free Daily Plank, who has colon cancer, now must move out of his home of 6 years by the end of March

" #Victoria Tenants Union claims that landlords in #BC are incentivized to evict long-term tenants, & replace them with new ones who can be charged at current market rates due to the absence of vacancy control or unit based-rent control" #VancouverIsland vancouverislandfreedaily.com/2026/03/25/v...

Inquest jury recommends sobering centre in wake of Comox Valley man's death The coroner’s inquest looked into the death of 31-year-old Joshua Colton Beek, who died in hospital on April 24, 2022, one day after being found unresponsive in a cell.

"The jury at a coroner’s inquest into the death of a #ComoxValley man linked to complications from acute #alcoholwithdrawal is recommending establishing a #soberingcentre in the area, along with staffing detention facilities with medically trained professionals" www.timescolonist.com/local-news/i...

This webinar explores grief and loss counselling in social work practice, with a focus on companion animal loss and its emotional, relational, and ethical impacts. Participants will be introduced to Veterinary Social Work as an emerging field.
www.eventbrite.ca/e/companion-...

PLEASE SHARE: A Drug Poisoning Overdose Advisory has been issued for #CampbellRiver.

Find information on supervised consumption sites, drug-checking services & more: ow.ly/FgyS50PLkLF

Jury orders Meta and Google to pay woman $6 million in social media addiction trial The verdict marks the end of the first-ever jury trial over whether tech giants should be held accountable for social media addiction. It may influence the outcome of 2,000 other pending lawsuits.

"A #California jury...found that Meta and Google's #YouTube were to blame for the #depression and #anxiety of a woman who compulsively used #socialmedia as a small child...holding Silicon Valley accountable for its role in fueling a youth #mentalhealth crisis." www.npr.org/2026/03/25/n...

#SocialNight is BACK, so come hang out with us at Board Game Night this Thursday from 6-8 – where the competition is friendly, the laughs are loud, and everyone is welcome! Bring a friend, or meet new ones. Enjoy a snack and drink for just $5 at the door, and let the games begin! ♟️🎲 #Connection

Youth in British Columbia left their small hometown for the first time to attend an inspirational gathering.

The high-profile speakers and what the kids will take home from the event, tonight on APTN National News.

Watch live: www.youtube.com/aptnnews

People First Radio - March 19, 2026 A Nanaimo community event puts alcohol use disorder in the open

The broadcast version of this week's episode is online and can be found here:

vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...

MP Johns: Health experts are clear that supervised consumption sites save lives YouTube video by Gord Johns

Yesterday in the House I spoke about the need to defend evidence-based responses to the toxic drug crisis. Experts are clear supervised consumption services save lives. Cuts and closures in Ontario and Alberta risk more fatal overdoses and strain on emergency services. We must strengthen care.

'Forgotten population': People with special needs lose housing in Cowichan A "shocking" funding cut has crushed plans to build affordable housing for people with special needs in the Cowichan Valley.

“Some are actually on the streets, living rough they call it. Vulnerable people with intellectual #disabilities are living on the streets. And this is the first time in the history of our organization that that’s happened” #NorthCowichan #Cowichan #VancouverIsland #BC cheknews.ca/forgotten-po...

Half of BC’s Community Paramedic Positions Are Unfilled | The Tyee They offer vital preventive medicine to patients in rural and remote communities. But the program is struggling to scale up.

Community paramedics are trained and licensed #BC #paramedics who focus on #preventivemedicine rather than #emergencymedicine. The role varies slightly depending on the needs of a community | #BritishColumbia #healthcare #Canada thetyee.ca/News/2026/03...

Rally held to stop closure of winter shelter in Cowichan - Ladysmith Chronicle Emergency shelter at Ramada Inn scheduled to shut down March 31

"A rally was held at #Cowichan 's temporary #wintershelter, located at the closed Ramada Inn, on March 15 to protest against its planned closing, set for March 31" #Duncan #NorthCowichan #CowichanValley #VancouverIsland #BC #BritishColumbia ladysmithchronicle.com/2026/03/24/r...