People First Radio - Full Episodes

Sounds from an unsanctioned pop up overdose prevention site erected outside North Island Hospital, Comox Valley on Monday, January 20th. In conversation with BC Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender on her office’s human rights bookclub.

Featuring a conversation on sibling grief amid the toxic drug poisoning crisis. Also featuring a piece from Iona Coe of Local 107.3 FM on the Saint John Food Purchasing Club, courtesy of the Local Journalism Initiative. Guests: Stephanie Harrington: Amanda Farrell-Low

Conversations with Nicole Santa Cruz and Fred Cameron around storage and loss of belongings while experiencing homelessness, and with Canadian Dimension writer James Hardwick around zoning rules, market interventions, and the housing crisis.

Featuring conversations on Chess For Life-an alternative sentencing measure for youth involved in the criminal justice system in Alberta, and a project from Drexel University that’s working on a tool to advise social media users of alternatives to potentially stigmatizing language. Guests: Jade Oldfield – Chess For Life, University of Lethbridge Shadi Rezapour – Assistant [&#8230...

Revisiting three standout conversations from the fall. To find the full interview with the Morén sisters: CLICK HERE To find the full interview with Susan Grundy: CLICK HERE To find the full interview with Isaiah Neil: CLICK HERE

Housing inequalities faced by Canadians with disabilities, a tool to check for stigmatizing language in social media posts, and chess as a way to help youth involved in the criminal justice system.

Revisiting conversations around trauma informed lawyering, how youth who use drugs look at Vancouver, and the story of a mom finding hope over the course of her son’s addiction, recovery, relapse, and death. Find the full conversations below: Myrna McCallum: click here Danya Fast: click here Kathy Wagner: click here

Breaking down Australia’s legislation around youth social media use with Lisa Given, a professor at RMIT University in Melbourne, a study into trying to use social media more thoughtfully from UBC’s Promoting Equitable, Affirming Relationships Lab (PEARL), getting the details on Island Health’s Youth Resilience grant program which is now taking applications, and talking with [&#8...

Angelika Matson shares her experiences receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Victoria Hand Project CEO Michael Peirone explains the mission, history, and impact of the organization.

Journalist Sandy Ernest Allan explores the cultural history of electrocunvulsive therapy (ECT), colloquially known as shock treatment.  

Success as a driver of visible homelessness? Checking in on a modular bridge housing site in Peterborough one year in, and a look ahead to a cultural history of electroconvulsive therapy.

Olúṣèyí Ṣẹ́gun shares a story of two very different experiences of grad school, expanding on the experiences shared in a first person piece written for Mad in America.

Mental health advocate Isaiah Neil shares his experiences as a suicide attempt survivor. Michael Cooper, Vice President of Mental Health Research Canada, explores findings and takeaways from a recent report into youth mental health commissioned by Bell Let’s Talk. Jai Sadler of Local 107.3FM reports on a grief cafe via the Local Journalism Initiative.  

Susan Grundy recounts six plus decades of sisterhood that included standing up to ignorant comments on the school bus, a 13 year stay in a locked psychiatric ward, independent living, and more, a story she’s also told in the memoir Mad Sisters. Denise McArthur speaks about restorative justice in the Cowichan Valley.  

In conversation with addiction medicine specialists Dr. Paula Cook and Dr. Darlene Petersen.

Featuring conversations about social media inspired self diagnosis, AI companion bots, and the housing crisis.

Featuring conversations on survivors of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, and a concept its authors called reconciliation social work.  

Three sisters in Spain remember their father and share perspectives on growing up with a family member with schizophrenia.

Clinical psychologist Jonathan Stea on the wellness industry and mental health literacy, topics covered in his recently released book, Mind The Science: Saving your Mental Health From the Wellness Industry.

In conversation with men’s mental health advocate Noah Battista.

Speeches from events held in Nanaimo and Victoria to mark International Overdose Awareness Day 2024 in Nanaimo and Victoria, as well as a debrief on Nanaimo’s event.

A focus on Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). Mark DeVries of Parksville shares his experience with the medical system, including the long path to a diagnosis from a nurse practitioner. Also featuring Tammy Stadt of the EDS Canada Foundation. Plus, a conversation with Montana author Bryce Andrews, who’s recently rowed his way up the Salish Sea through […]

Brandon Kirk is creating a platform for people to share stories of life after addiction. Charlotte Waddell explores what evidence shows has worked in education programs designed to prevent youth from using substances. And 420 Albert in Nanaimo is turning office space into living space.

Highlighting the Uni 101 program at the University of Victoria, which offers free academic courses to people facing economic and or social barriers that would typically prevent them from accessing university education.

Carissa Halton shares the unexpected emotions of grad from a parent’s point of view. Plus, a trip into the archives to hear longtime presenter Kevin Midbo speak with Dr. Gabor Maté in 2014.