Posts by Island Admin

Congratulations.

Posted by on Jun 1, 2016 in General | 1 comment

Seven Island-based organizations have received grants to help them support the professional advancement of women.      PowHERhouse Performance Strategies,  Inkwell,  Ladies Learning Code Central Vancouver Island,  Fortress Foundation,  Westshore Soroptimist Society for Women & Families,  Island Women in Technology and  WillStep Coaching & Facilitation will all receive funding from the Catalyst for Growth project. The initiative of Women’s Enterprise Centre aims to increase the impact of women on the B.C. economy by supporting women in senior leadership, as...

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Homeless women.

Posted by on May 31, 2016 in General | 2 comments

The pending explosion of homeless single women on Vancouver Island is very real. It is not a question of if, it’s a question of when. For many it’s already here. The most at risk section of society to homelessness  are women 60 plus living alone. Women living alone that have no private pension plans, or other sources of income, will be totally reliant on Old age Pension, Canadian Pension Plan if they are eligible, and the Guaranteed Income Supplement. Rents on the island are so high now that over 50% of income that these women receive will be used to pay their rent. By the time...

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Mainland judge aghast at lack of jails for women on Island

Posted by on May 1, 2016 in General | 0 comments

Here is yet another example of the inhuman manner that the provincial government treats women and young people to fuel it’s myopic goal of balanced budgets, no matter what the human costs may be. They are completely devoid of caring and compassion to those who are most in need. Trish SummerhayesOwner/Publisher of Island Woman.   The article below which was published recently in the Times/Colonist   A Vancouver-based B.C. Supreme Court justice was incredulous Tuesday upon hearing of the lack of jail facilities for women on Vancouver Island. “There must be some...

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The Story of the Easter Tree

Posted by on Mar 27, 2016 in General | 0 comments

When I was a little girl I lived in Montreal. My Uncle Bill had a cottage in the Laurentions, on a lake called Lake McDonald, just up the road from Lost River. I loved Lake McDonald and the sweet, little cottage that sat above the lake in the forest. One Christmas my Uncle Bill took his girlfriend to the cottage. They cut down a tree and decorated it. By all accounts they spent a very romantic holiday at Lake McDonald. When they left the cottage they forgot to take down the Christmas tree. It sat in the cottage until my family came up for Easter. It must have been March as I remember there...

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International Women’s Day event showcases diversity

Posted by on Mar 1, 2016 in General | 0 comments

A tea-time event celebrating International Women’s Day will be steeped in diversity. Celebration of women and diversity is at the heart of an International Women’s Day event Sunday (March 6) at Nanaimo’s Grand Hotel. International Women’s Day, which officially lands on Tuesday, is a globally recognized day to celebrate women and women’s rights. While its theme this year is ‘pledge for parity,’ an afternoon tea at the Grand Hotel is set to focus on diversity. With Syrian refugees making this city home, organizers wanted to look at culture and diversity in the community. Partial...

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Women-run marijuana group to launch Vancouver Island chapter.

Posted by on Feb 24, 2016 in General | 0 comments

As Trudeau’s promises to regulate the marijuana industry inch closer to reality, Canadian women want to ensure their voices will be heard. Women Grow, a professional network supporting female leaders and entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry, will officially launch its Vancouver Island chapter in early March. “There is a huge underground market right now on Vancouver Island,” said Gill Polard, the founder of Women Grow on Vancouver Island. “Women make up a huge part of that. They are veterans in the scene.” The female-oriented organization aims at connecting...

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Melanie Mark breaks barriers as B.C.’s first female aboriginal MLA

Posted by on Feb 18, 2016 in General | 0 comments

Melanie Mark, who once wrote of her shame at being native, has been sworn in as B.C.’s first female aboriginal legislature member – the latest chapter in a harrowing life in which she survived physical and sexual abuse. On Wednesday, drummers and dancers greeted the MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant – one of two New Democrats who won by-elections this month. The other is Jodie Wickens, elected in Coquitlam-Burke Mountain. “Today just really cemented things,” Ms. Mark, a former deputy representative of B.C.’s Office of the Representative for Children and Youth, said in an...

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First woman to lead B.C. logging group feels she has the chops.

Posted by on Feb 12, 2016 in General | 0 comments

Jacqui Beban is used to being the only woman in the room. Practically since birth, she has been exposed to the male-dominated and macho logging business. And last month she became the first female president in the 73-year history of the organization that speaks for the B.C. coast’s forestry industry. Nanaimo-born Beban, 40, was vice-president of the Truck Loggers Association for two years before her Jan. 14 election as president, for a two-year volunteer term. The non-profit represents more than 450 companies including independent sawmills, industry suppliers and independent harvesting...

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Nanaimo women introduce tokens to help feed homeless.

Posted by on Feb 6, 2016 in General | 0 comments

Nanaimo may not have a subway system, but two women are hoping their token program goes a long way for the community. Cheryl Prince, co-owner of Prince Acres farm and a registered nurse, and Liz Kawahara, a Vancouver Island University student, are the organizers behind a new initiative that focuses on sharing healthy food. It is about to be implemented at one downtown restaurant. Beginning in a matter of days, individuals will be able to purchase a small plastic token from Gabriel’s Cafe, which can then be redeemed at a later date for a bowl of soup. The idea is intended to help out the...

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B.C. Cancer Agency expands digital mammography service for rural women.

Posted by on Feb 2, 2016 in General | 0 comments

The B.C. Cancer Agency has upgraded two coaches from its mobile fleet to offer digital mammography services for women in rural and remote communities in the province.  The agency says the digital upgrade provides more efficient services by using secure, wireless networks to send images for analysis. The coaches have also been upgraded to offer a more comfortable, private service for women. The two coaches were blessed by elders from the Musqueam First Nation on Monday morning.  “[The blessing] helps with some of the healing that will occur in these vehicles and will increase the...

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Is 2016 the Year You Start Your Business?: The START-UP Issue

Posted by on Jan 22, 2016 in General | 0 comments

Entrepreneurship can be an exciting journey – but it can also be intimidating. Where do you start? How do you know when you’re ready? Do you have the skills to succeed? This month’s issue answers some of the common questions our Business Advisors hear from women who are considering starting a business. FREE Info Session: Starting a Business FREE Resource Guides: Taking the Leap to Entrepreneurship, Starting Your Business Workbook: Creating Your Business Plan Copyright © 2016 Women’s Enterprise Centre, All rights...

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Great news!!! Clipper plans new Victoria-Vancouver & Nanaimo-Vancouver ferry service

Posted by on Jan 19, 2016 in General | 0 comments

The Victoria Clipper, with a new majority owner behind it, plans to expand its operations to include a new harbour-to-harbour service between Victoria and Vancouver. Clipper founder and chief executive Merideth Tall announced Monday she has sold a majority stake in her 30-year-old company to Germany’s FRS, a global ferry and shipping group, and intends to immediately expand Clipper’s passenger-service options from Victoria. The Clipper already runs a high-speed passenger-only service between Victoria and Seattle. “This is a major expansion — this allows us to execute on our vision for...

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Kinder Morgan Pipe Line.

Posted by on Jan 12, 2016 in General | 0 comments

What do you think about the Provincial governments recent announcement on the expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline into Burnaby?

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What does 2016 hold for Vancouver Island?

Posted by on Dec 27, 2015 in General | 0 comments

Using the adage ‘ think globally but act locally’ what would you like to set as a goal for Vancouver Island in 2016?

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Ghosts of Christmas past.

Posted by on Dec 20, 2015 in General | 0 comments

What are your favorite memories of Christmas’ past?

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Opportunities for the development Ogden Point.

Posted by on Dec 12, 2015 in General | 0 comments

What uses should, or should not, be considered for the redevelopment of the Ogden Point lands in Victoria?    

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