Description: WHY SO SAD, BRAD? Registered Clinical Counsellor & author of the award-winning “Loving an Addict, Loving Yourself,” Candace Plattor discusses why the festive season is so difficult for so many people and how to beat the Christmas Blues.

Recorded: December 17, 2012

Episode 70: David Diamond

Description: David Diamond has been Artistic Director of Headlines Theatre – now renamed “Theatre for Living” – since 1981. He has taken this extraordinary enterprise all over the world, demonstrating the theatrical and social power of true engagement and empowerment. This is a rare example in our midst of the happy marriage of Art & Social Justice.

Recorded: January 7, 2013

Episode 71: Pamela McColl

Description:What happens when you cut Santa’s pipe out of a famous and beloved children’s poem? You get called a Nazi by the American Library Association. Local publisher Pam McColl explains how her new and very beautiful Christmas book went viral.

Recorded: January 14, 2013

Episode 72: Jordan Bateman

Description: What are the real hard costs of going green? Jordan Bateman, Director of the BC chapter of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation pulls back the covers on Translink, carbon credits and other pies in the sky.

Recorded: January 21, 2013

Episode 73: Mark La Londe

Description: Mark W. La Londe, is a Director of CKR Global Risk Solutions. He reflects on the issue of guns and gun control in America, in Canada and around the world. We use as our starting point President Obama’s new call to action.

Recorded: January 28, 2013

Episode 74: Angela Marie MacDougall

Description: Angela Marie MacDougall, Executive Director of the Battered Women’s Support Services, argues that when it comes to violence against women, consultations are fine, but what we really need is solid reliable funding for the front line work.

Recorded: February 4, 2013

Episode 75: Tim Agg

Description: Tim Agg, the Executive Director of PLEA Community Services, is concerned about how provincial freezes and cutbacks in supports for so many community programs impact front-line workers and at-risk youth, seniors and others in need.

Recorded: February 18, 2013

Episode 76: Eric Harms

Description: The Vancouver Park Board and City Council want to take control over the affairs and activities of local community centres, which have been thriving for over 50 years largely on volunteers efforts. Why? The answer, of course, is money. Yet, the revenues are so small, one wonders about the decision making process. Six of the 20 community associations have refused to cooperate. Eric Harms, President of the Hastings Community Association, is our guest. You can follow this struggle at http://MyVancouverCC.com

Recorded: February 28, 2013

Episode 77: Kerry Simmons

Description: The Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch has just released AN AGENDA FOR JUSTICE. Kerry Simmons, the President, explains CBABC’s disappointment with the latest provincial budget and what they feel we must do to ensure better and more timely access to justice.

Recorded: March 7, 2013

Episode 78: Sieglinde Malmberg

Description: The Changing Workplace. Generation gaps, expectation gaps, lack of clarity between managers, owners and employees can all lead to toxic work environments and very low productivity. Senior Human Resources Consultant, Sieglinde Malmberg (hrinyourpocket.com) explains how it all begins for good or not so good at the very outset – in hiring.

Recorded: March 14, 2013

Episode 79: Jim O’Rourke

Description: Why would the City of Delta not want the homeless to rent clean and safe rooms in a local hotel at a reasonable price? Why would the Delta Council declare that they want no recovery houses in their community? Jim O’Rourke, Executive Director of VISIONQUEST RECOVERY SOCIETY covers this sad tale and a few others.

Recorded: April 4, 2013

Episode Number 80: Darryl Plecas

Description: Darryl Plecas is the Liberal candidate for Abbotsford South in the upcoming provincial election. Why this, why now, why the Liberals? Mr. Plecas has had a long and distinguished career as a criminologist and social scientist and holds strong views on law reform, social justice and fiscal prudence.

Recorded: April 11, 2013

Episode Number 82: Dene Rossouw

Description: A gay son, a straight father and a road trip – that’s the basic plot line for this memoir, “A Complicated Love,” written by the father, Dene Rossouw. Two men discover their distances and their intimacy. How do a son and a father bridge old and hidden gaps in their crucial relationship?

Recorded: April 25, 2013

Episode Number 83: David Eby

Description: David Eby, lawyer and former Executive Director of the BC Civil Liberties Society, is the NDP candidate in Vancouver Point Grey in the upcoming provincial election. Last round, he came within a few hundred votes of upsetting Premier Clark. Eby discusses energy, deficits, relationships with Ottawa, the environment, job training and a host of other election issues.

Recorded: May 2, 2013

Episode Number 84: Brian Fitzpatrick

Description: On February 22, 2009, Sam Fitzpatrick was killed by a falling boulder while working on a run-of-river hydro project on Toba Inlet, north of Powell River. He was 24. The Workers Compensation Appeals Tribunal described the behaviour of Sam’s employer. Kiewit Sons, as “heedless, wanton, extreme, gross and highly irresponsible.” Kiewit has done and continues to do billions of dollars worth of business here in British Columbia and they have been major contributors to the provincial Liberal party. Brian Fitzpatrick, Sam’s father, seeks even the smallest sense of justice and he would like to see Kiewit refused any further assignments in this province.

Recorded: May 9, 2013

Episode Number 85: Cathy Loptson

Description: ADOPTION. Who adopts these days? How many children are waiting for families in BC at any given moment? What are the rules? How many adopt from overseas? Are many adoptive families multiracial? Gay & Lesbian? Single Parents? CATHY LOPTSON is the Adoption Services Administrator for Family Services of Greater Vancouver and she has the answers to these and other questions on this too-little discussed subject.

Recorded: May 28, 2013

Episode Number 86: Gary Mason

Description: Our very first guest on DAVID BERNER, award-winning Globe & Mail columnist GARY MASON returns two years and 85 shows later to reflect on Premier Christie Clark, Adrian Dix, the BC NDP party, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, Justin Trudeau, Thomas Mulcair, Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Prime Minister Harper. It’s a good one.

Recorded: June 13, 2013

Episode Number 87: The Reverend Dr. Steven Epperson

Description: Rev. Dr. Steven Epperson, for many years the minister at the Unitarian Church in Vancouver, has become an advocate for people concerned about the pharmaceutical industry’s stranglehold on the multi-billion dollar business of mental illness. He has twice invited Robert Whitaker, the author of “Anatomy of an Epidemic” to speak here in Vancouver about psychiatric drugs and the astonishing rise of mental illness in America. The book is powerful and compelling and so are Rev. Epperson’s arguments.

Recorded: June 27,2013

Episode Number 88: Vivian Krause

Description: Vivian Krause, regular contributor to the Financial Post and blogger at Fair-Questions.com, has done extensive research into the curious links between large American charities (backed by familiar names like Rockefeller, Hewlett and Packard) and Canadian “environmental” issues. Are these initiatives truly about protecting our forests, bears and shorelines? Or could they have something to do with limiting Canadian production and sales of oil, gas and coal. And what has all this to do with Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, whose largest supporter is an American charity? She’s just asking…but she has done her homework.

Recorded: July 4, 2013

Episode Number 89: Donovan Tildesley

Description: Canadian Paralympic Swimmer, Donovan Tildesley, has won medals in Athens, Beijing and Sydney. He has been blind from birth. Both he and his story are remarkable. When he is not in the pool, Donovan skis the most dangerous runs at Whistler, works full-time as an insurance agent, does stand-up comedy and is regularly asked to give inspirational motivating speeches. He was the Canadian flag bearer at the Beijing Paralympic Games.

Recorded: July 11, 2013

Episode Number 90: Dr. Steve Morgan

Description: DR. STEVE MORGAN, UBC Associate Professor of Population & Public Health, believes that all Pharmacare costs should be built into our universal medical coverage in BC. He argues a)that ours is the only universal health care system that doesn’t also pay for prescription drugs, and b)we would save money in the long run.

Recorded: July 18, 2013

Episode Number 91: Betty Jean McHugh

Description: Betty Jean McHugh, age 85, holds all the world records for marathons and half marathons in her age group. She is one amazing, inspiring human being.

Recorded: August 1, 2013