Health | AHA Media

AHA MEDIA filmed at Bosman Hotel Community Welcome Celebration in Vancouver on Monday Aug 23, 2010

August 25, 2010 ahamedia 2 comments

AHA MEDIA filmed at the At Home/Chez Soi Vancouver Bosman Hotel Community Welcome Celebration on Monday August 23, 2010. It was a great celebration for all to see as AHA MEDIA remembers when we attended the Development Permit Board and Advisory Panel meeting at Vancouver City Hall that considered PHS to change Bosman Hotel into supportive housing back in October 2009.

Below is a photo of all the residents at the Bosman Hotel

Restful green space for the residents to relax with their neighbours

Water and Coffee available by the Front Desk

Bistro dining!

Relaxing painting to soothe the soul

Clinic on site at the Bosman Hotel

Amenities Room at the Bosman Hotel

Office and Case Workers space at the Bosman Hotel

Resident sitting

Photos and Video of a Room at the Bosman Hotel

Welcome Basket at the Bosman Hotel

Computer and Telephone Access

Enjoying Pancake breakfast

Cupcakes and more to celebrate the Bosman Hotel Welcome Celebration

Dr. Kerry Jang of Vancouver City Council

Dr. Jayne Barker, VP Research Initiatives, MHCC shaking hands with Hon. Moira Stilwell, Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, Province of BC

In this video, Emcee Dr. Jayne Barker, VP Research Iniatives, MHCC has welcome remarks with Chief Ian Campbell, Squamish Nation leads a prayer and song with Oceanside Dakota Drum Group

In the next 2 videos, Ms. Louise Bradley, President & CEO, MHCC speaks

In this video, Nicola, resident of Bosman Hotel Community speaks

In this video, Liz Evans, Executive Director of PHS Community Services Society speaks

In this video, Ultan Kampff, President, DVBIA speaks

In this video, Dr. Kerry Jang, Vancouver City Councillor speaks

In this video, Dick Vollet of StreetoHome speaks

In this video, Honorable Moira Stilwell, Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, Province of British Columbia speaks

In this video, Emcee Dr. Jayne Barker, VP Research Initiatives MHCC gives closing remarks

Nicola with Jodyne Keller, VPD’s homeless outreach coordinator

Jeff and Bruce of Bosman Hotel

Categories: AHA Media, April Smith, Community Engagement, Harm Reduction, Health, PHS, PHS Community Services Society, Portland Hotel Society, Vancouver

Greenest City Neighbourhood Small Grants in Vancouver

July 22, 2010 ahamedia Leave a comment

The Vancouver Foundation has partnered with the City of Vancouver (Social Planning Division) to fund Neighbourhood Small Grant projects focused on “urban food” with various Neighbourhood Houses.

This pilot project is called the “Greenest City Neighbourhood Small Grants”.

The timeline for this pilot initiative with the City is from July to
October 31, 2010. This means that we would need to have the projects
funded to take place by end of October.

“Urban Food Projects” which City would like to support include any NSG
Projects that have a “food” focus. This means the projects may cover
building food gardens or garden plots, educational workshops (i.e.
canning, cooking) or workbooks cookbooks or manuals related to food.

Check out our website and click the sidebar “ad” which will take you
to the application form at
http://www.neighbourhoodsmallgrants.ca/urbanfood.

Deadline is August 1, 2010 at 5 p.m. and you will be notified on or
before August 9, 2010.

Application forms can also be found at RayCam, Strathcona, or Carnegie
Community Centres.

Categories: AHA Media, April Smith, Community Engagement, Downtown Eastside, DTES, Free Food, Garden, Going Green, Health, Hendrik Beune, Vancouver, Vancouver Downtown Eastside

AHA MEDIA films at World Hepatitis Day Rally by VANDU and BC/Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors in Abbotsford on May 18, 2010

May 21, 2010 ahamedia Leave a comment

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In this video, Aiyanis Ormond of VANDU, Barry Shantz of BC and Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors and Ann Livingston of VANDU speak on Abbotsford City Council’s “Harm Production” Bylaw and the need for needle exchanges, safe injection sites and Harm Reduction to prevent Hepatitis C on the day before World Hepatitis Day Rally in Abbotsford, BC May 18, 2010

This video was filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a New Media camera – Panasonic DMC-ZS3. AHA MEDIA is about exploring mobile media production through New Media cameras. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter or Facebook.com/AprilFilms

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In this video, Dave Murray of VANDU introduces Dr John Farley, an infectious disease specialist who has offices in Abbotsford and Vancouver who said Abbotsford has one of the highest rates of hepatitis C in the province, and there are too many restrictions placed on who is eligible for treatment through Pharmacare.at World Hepatitis Day Rally in Abbotsford May 18 2010

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In this video, Aiyanis Ormond and Ann Livingston of VANDU protest Abbotsford City Council’s “Harm Production” Bylaw and the need for needle exchanges, safe injection sites and Harm Reduction to prevent Hepatitis C on the day before World Hepatitis Day Rally in Abbotsford, BC May 18, 2010

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In this video, VANDU members carry a Coffin to represent Hepatitis C deaths during a march for World Hepatitis Day involving BC and Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors around Abbotsford City Hall and Police Station at a Harm Reduction Rally in Abbotsford, BC on May 18 2010

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In this video, Speeches include Aiyanis Ormond of VANDU, Barry Shantz of BC and Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors and Deb of Hep C Council of BC speak on Abbotsford City Council’s “Harm Production” Bylaw and the need for needle exchanges, safe injection sites and Harm Reduction to prevent Hepatitis C on the day before World Hepatitis Day Rally in Abbotsford, BC May 18, 2010

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In this video, Richard Cunningham of VANDU speak on Abbotsford City Council’s “Harm Production” Bylaw and the need for needle exchanges, safe injection sites and Harm Reduction to prevent Hepatitis C on the day before World Hepatitis Day Rally in Abbotsford, BC May 18, 2010

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In this video, a speech from a member of BC and Yukon Association of Drug World Survivors speaks on Abbotsford City Council’s “Harm Production” Bylaw and the need for needle exchanges, safe injection sites and Harm Reduction to prevent Hepatitis C on the day before World Hepatitis Day Rally in Abbotsford, BC May 18, 2010

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In this video, speeches from VANDU and BC and Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors including Keith Smith speak on Abbotsford City Council’s “Harm Production” Bylaw and the need for needle exchanges, safe injection sites and Harm Reduction to prevent Hepatitis C on the day before World Hepatitis Day Rally in Abbotsford, BC May 18, 2010

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In the next photos and video, members of VANDU and BC/Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors marched into Abbotsford City Hall Bylaw office and dumped bags, buckets, boxes and plastic containers filled with used needles found in Abbotsford with Abbotsford City Hall Bylaw staff and Police officers standing by

Abbotsford does not have needle exchange program

Dave Murray of VANDU and Barry Shantz of BC/Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors and other members including Richard Cunningham of VANDU speak on Abbotsford City Council’s “Harm Production” Bylaw and the need for needle exchanges and Harm Reduction to prevent Hepatitis C on the day before World Hepatitis Day Rally in Abbotsford, BC May 18, 2010

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In this video, Aiyanis Ormond of VANDU, Barry Shantz of BC and Yukon Association of Drug War Survivors give final thougths on Abbotsford City Council’s “Harm Production” Bylaw and the need for needle exchanges, safe injection sites and Harm Reduction to prevent Hepatitis C on the day before World Hepatitis Day Rally in Abbotsford, BC May 18, 2010

Categories: AHA Media, Ann Livingston - VANDU, April Smith, Community Engagement, Health, Social Justice, VANDU

Health Services and supports available in Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES) include: InSite, OnSite, Washington Needle Depot and DTES LifeSkills Resource Centre

May 4, 2010 ahamedia Leave a comment

InSite – 139 East Hastings Street

Hours: 10 am – 4 am daily
Tel: 604 687 – 7483 (604-our-site)
Services: supervised injection, wound care, HIV testing, counseling, referrals, access to detox, foot soaks, support

Onsite – 137 East Hastings Street

Tel: 604 687 – 7483 (604-our-site)
Services: detox, withdrawal management, transitional recovery

Washington Needle Depot – 177 East Hastings Street (alley side door)

Hours: 24 hours/day, 7 days/week
Tel: 604 339 6335
Services: needle distribution, referrals, support, outreach, alley patrol

DTES LifeSkills Resource Centre – 412 East Cordova Street

Hours: 10am – 4pm

604 678 8278

Services: showers, bathrooms, telephones, health, mental health, social services, recreational activities; overnight emergency shelter; peer support for employment and training

Categories: AHA Media, April Smith, Community Engagement, Downtown Eastside, DTES, DTES LifeSkills Resource Centre, Harm Reduction, Health, Health Contact Centre, InSite, Lifeskills Centre, OnSite, Vancouver, Vancouver Downtown Eastside, Washington Needle Depot

Double Victory for Pivot in SRO Battle

October 29, 2009 ahamedia Leave a comment

Reposted from Pivot Legal http://www.pivotlegal.org

B.C. College of Pharmacists and Attorney General side with Pivot to create legal protections for methadone patients living in Downtown Eastside hotels

Vancouver, October 29, 2009 – The B.C. College of Pharmacists and the B.C. Attorney General have taken legal positions with Pivot Legal Society against infamous pharmacist and hotel owner George Wolsey, who earlier this year evicted two tenants who refused to buy methadone from him.

In 2008, pharmacist and SRO hotel owner George Wolsey was exposed for offering kickbacks and illegal inducements to attract methadone patients to his Gastown Pharmacy. The Gastown Pharmacy was shut down as a result of the controversy, but that did not stop Wolsey, who also owns the Palace and Wonder Rooms hotels, from requiring all his tenants to buy methadone from him at his hotel. This practice allowed Wolsey to make more than $6000 per year in dispensing fees for each methadone patient at his hotel.

In May 2009, Wolsey evicted two of his tenants on 24 hours notice because they opted to use another pharmacy to fill their prescriptions. When the tenants challenged those evictions at the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB), the RTB stated that the Residential Tenancy Act did not protect them because Wolsey was providing “therapeutic treatment or services” in the form of methadone. The RTB made this ruling despite evidence that no treatment, services or supports of any kind were made available to tenants.

In September, Pivot applied to the B.C. Supreme Court for judicial review of the RTB decisions. Last week the B.C. Attorney General, which represents the RTB, said in a filed response to Pivot’s application that it supports Pivot’s position and agrees that the Residential Tenancy Act should apply to the Wolsey hotels.

“These tenants, who were illegally evicted, spent many nights on the streets as a result of the RTB’s failure to protect them from Wolsey’s greed,” said Laura Track, lawyer for Pivot Legal Society. “With the Attorney General and Pivot presenting a common position to the court, we feel confident the cases will be sent back to the RTB for a full and proper hearing.”

In addition, the College of Pharmacists of B.C., in response to concerns raised by Pivot over Wolsey’s practices, announced that it has amended its bylaws to prevent pharmacists from limiting patients’ choice of pharmacy. The new bylaws make the types of contracts used by Mr. Wolsey illegal. The College also informed Pivot that it has sent letters to Mr. Wolsey advising him of the changes and noting numerous complaints against him for these practices.

“We are very happy that the College of Pharmacists and the Attorney General have responded in the way they did,” said Track. “This kind of exploitation is completely unacceptable, and we hope that Mr. Wolsey amends his practices before we are forced to bring further legal actions against him.”