Woodstein Media Podcast Season Two kicks off with a conversation with Perth-Wellington Liberal candidate, Ashley Fox

The first episode features a conversation with Ashley Fox, the Liberal Party candidate for Perth-Wellington. In this conversation, we discuss why a focus on health care is essential for the overall well-being of the province, transportation in rural communities, how the decline in the relation with the United States will affect Canadians at all levels of government, municipal, provincial and federal, how hard reduction should be approached in Ontario and the importance of not only listening to but hearing and acting on concerns raised by students, parents, and educators in the education system.  

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 34: Mish Waraksa draws on experience as a healthcare worker to discuss harm reduction and targeted misinformation surrounding it

Mish Waraksa, a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner with over four years of experience working in safer opioid supply programs in Toronto, discussed how contaminants in the illicit opioid supply chain complicate the job of healthcare workers and the life-threatening side effects that come with Benzodiazepines and other impurities getting mixed into the street supply.

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 33: Katie Langille draws on healthcare experience to talk Safer Supply and its positive effects on Toronto community

Katie Langille is a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner in the SOS Program at the Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre. SOS is a Safer Opioid Supply program established in 2020. Clients receive prescriptions for pharmaceutical opioids to decrease their reliance on the toxic, unpredictable street supply.

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 30: Ruth Fox discusses the loss of her son to drug poisoning, Moms Stop the Harm, and failures of Canada’s drug policy

On this episode, Ruth Fox, Regional Director for Moms Stop the Harm, spoke to me about her experience losing her son, Trevor, who died from accidental drug poisoning in his home.
Trevor was 25 years old and had a full and promising life ahead of him in his community. He was a valued employee in a career he enjoyed and was adored by a supportive family and numerous friends.
Ruth became aware of Moms Stop the Harm shortly after Trevor’s death and has found the community of understanding, compassion and support the organization offers invaluable. Through the work the group does, she learned more about the harms caused by Canada’s failed drug policies and the way people who use drugs are treated.

A pilgrimage to the streets of Philadelphia

A road trip to Philadelphia on Presidents Weekend mixed historical exploration, delectable vegan cuisine, and a thrilling concert experience. The journey included visits to the Mütter Museum, Edgar Allan Poe’s house, Eastern State Penitentiary, indulging in vegan delights and attending an exhilarating concert featuring YDI, Flag of Democracy, and The Dead Milkmen. The trip encapsulated a rich blend of history, culture, and entertainment.

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 27: Pardon those MVLL CRIMES; let’s talk about Magic Mushrooms with Jillian Clair

This episode features a conversation with Jillian Clair about the movement to legalize magic mushrooms and her research into the benefits of Psilocybin, that ingredient some mushrooms have which adds that psychedelic touch to them that many of us have grown to love. The mood-stabilizing gift from nature that governments want to deny access to.

Social Research & Planning Council announces new living wage, Ontario government celebrates poverty wages

Living Wage Week in Ontario runs Nov. 6–12 and United Way Perth-Huron’s Social Research & Planning Council (SRPC) is announcing the new living wage of $22.75 an hour, up from $20.70 last year.

The Ontario government recently increased the minimum wage to $16.55 an hour on Oct. 1. The press release dated March 31, that preceded the increase claimed that “this 6.8 percent pay raise for low-income workers builds on the government’s steady and predictable increases every year to help families offset the rising cost of living.”