The Public Has Rights in Culture Too
July 11, 2026
Creators have legitimate rights and interests, but the public, learners, builders, and the commons have rights in culture too.
Tag: #social change
24 posts
Resolve DRIPA, Don't Repeal It
June 4, 2026
British Columbia needs clarity on title, property rights, consent, jurisdiction, land use, and the public interest. Repealing DRIPA would deepen the uncertainty we inherited.
Some Loving Advice for the Chronically Furious
May 25, 2025
When we act like a parody of activism, we feed the far-right narrative that discounts us. Here's how to get your views heard.
Defending Liveaboard Rights in British Columbia: Salt Spring Island
March 4, 2025
CASHI’s Push to Restrict Liveaboards The Clean and Safe Harbours Initiative (CASHI) is pressuring Salt Spring Island’s officials and the Islands Trust to impose restrictions on at-anchor liveaboard boaters in the waters surrounding the island. Armed with a slide deck rich with polling data responding to leading questions that imply some Salt Spring residents are […]
Liveaboard Households: A Hidden Gem in BC's Housing Crisis?
February 5, 2025
British Columbia is in the throes of a housing crisis. Could making it easier for people to live on boats be part of the solution?
Innovative Living Options Canada Could Make Easier
January 23, 2025
This is episode one of a multi-piece review of alternative housing concepts for BC and Canadian households – centering eventually on suggesting suggesting liveaboard households among other innovative approaches to housing offers significant advantages in addressing the housing crisis in coastal British Columbia. Innovative Living Solutions: Adapting to Canada's Housing Affordability Crisis In recent years, […]
Never Negotiate With Hate
December 3, 2024
Based on a true story… A mob descends on a school, outraged a district anti-bullying coordinator is reading a kids book in the classroom. The mob targets the teacher’s identity, religion, or even their message of inclusion and demands their removal "to protect children" from the social contagion the teacher represents to them. The school […]
Enhancing the Lives of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Canadians: A Call to Action For More Governmental Support
January 2, 2024
In recent years, Canada has made significant strides in recognizing and supporting the rights of transgender and gender-diverse individuals. However, there is still much work to be done before Trans people are able to live their lives free of oppression and bias's harms. To further this cause, it's essential for governmental bodies at all levels—municipal, […]
Under Inflation's Strain, Foster Unity and Resilience
September 15, 2023
Canadian families are grappling with the significant impact of inflation, which has notably diminished the purchasing power of both renters and homeowners. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), a crucial indicator of living costs, has surged by 14.3% from June 2020 to June 2023. This is hitting hard.
Politics: Why I chose to run with Mark Marissen and Progress Vancouver
October 11, 2022
I'm a passionate BC New Democrat, and one lesson I learned from Jack Layton's story is that when working towards the greater good it’s best to have a diversity of viewpoints on your side.
I'm Seeking the Progress Vancouver nomination for Vancouver Council. Here's why…
July 21, 2022
Vancouver needs people to want to stay here but over the last 12 years three municipal governments have struggled to bring results to make our Vancouver affordable. The situation is so serious that there are 12,561 fewer under-18s in Vancouver than there were in 2010. That's why I'm seeking the nomination with Progress Vancouver for City Council: for a thriving Vancouver where people can actually afford to live. Find out more about why I think this really matters.
Let's Talk Actually Affordable Housing
July 8, 2022
Over 27% of Vancouver kids born in 2010 have left the city. Our city needs to do better on livability and affordability so families choose to live here.
Its time to add covid measures
January 13, 2022
I’ve asked for three measures that I think will help everyone withstand COVID as the next waves come in my Jan 13, 2022 Vancouver Is Awesome op-ed "3 things that should happen to better protect B.C.'s most vulnerable against COVID-19" and in my January 17 news piece in the Georgia Straight "Morgane Oger: In the […]
Happy Coming Out Day
October 12, 2020
Today is Coming Out Day. On this day some of those of us who came out as who we are today and have the privilege of being able to speak about it publicly do so. I started telling people I might be transgender in 2011 after years of secrecy and shame over who I was. […]
Why I Celebrate Labour Day
September 7, 2020
Canada's labour movement trains up future activists to continue the hard work that their elders have started to make Canada more just for us all. Labour has consistently shown up at our side in the advocacy work we've done. They can be counted on to stand up for individual workers and the oppressed in the face of unfairness. Each win they help bring ensures all our children, their children have better lives. On Labour Day, I celebrate this.
Temporary Shelter in Parks – Parks Board speaking notes
July 15, 2020
Without safe, governed spaces with basic services in which campers can stay for extended periods of time, without ensuring the safety of everyone in or near our parks, and without addressing dangerous behaviour, the proposed Vancouver Parks Board bylaws intended to govern temporary shelters offers little that is new that we can believe Parks Board staff are in a position to enforce and imposes undue hardship on those whose conduct they are being deployed to address.
Schools need to address supremacist hate-motivated acts.
December 17, 2019
"… I hate [racist slur]. I hope all [racist slur] die. … I just want to line them all up and just chuck an explosive in there and go ka-boom! " Vancouver, B.C. student rant in an online video targeting Black students Too many Canadians are touched by hatred, and it feels awful. Acts of […]
Is There A Place For Populist Far-right Parties in Canada?
October 18, 2019
Can emerging hard-right populist parties find a meaningful place in Canada’s political ecology without legislation to address discriminatory publications online?
CHRC endorses Inquiry call for justice over indigenous genocide
June 3, 2019
Canada’s indigenous women and girls are “under siege,” and their deaths and disappearances amount to “a race-based genocide.": June 2019 MMIWG report
BC Liberals need to jettison their social-conservative fringe and clean up
May 14, 2019
BC Liberals are discovering a problem with building their political movement's coalition around the demands of deeply social-conservative groups is that they can be intransigent and unrepresentative of the values the party really stands for. Count on them to make more messes.
Episode 3.6 Dismantling the Patriarchy Has to be a Vocal Game with Clayre Sessoms
November 9, 2018
Originally posted on Secret Feminist Agenda: Content warning for discussions of sexual assault and transphobia. Like so many good things, this episode started one way and ended up another. I invited Clayre to chat about singing, and we ended up talking about community and harm and silence and what we do (or don't do) to feel…
Human Rights in Doc form
October 30, 2018
People are asking me about the advocacy that led to being honoured with the being awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the Governor General in the name of the Queen and all Canadians. These two short docs by award-winning filmmaker Christine Lord tell the story of the events between 2014 and 2016 that led to […]
When Love Wins — Discover
September 7, 2018
Sahitya Poonacha reacts to the Supreme Court of India’s landmark decision to decriminalize gay sex: “Society still has a long way to go, but now with the court on love’s side, it gives the confidence to the people who are afraid.” via When Love Wins — Discover