Best Coast Political Podcast

Matt and Jeremy welcome to the podcast two stalwarts of the local food and urban agriculture scene: Jesse Brown, owner and operator of Mason Street Farm, and Alex Harned, the Food Systems Coordinator for the City of Victoria. In this wide-ranging discussion, the guests discuss what's working and what's not in urban agriculture, the City's efforts to support local food, and the future of food- and land-security on Vancouver Island. Plus, Jesse explains the unique arrangement that allows Mason Street Farm to farm on the grounds of Vic High, in Fernwood, in addition to the farm's main plot in North Park.  

Matt and Jeremy welcome to the podcast Tessa McLoughlin (Kwench) and Will Sorrell (2Dads Beer and 1st Place Agency) to discuss downtown Victoria, the impacts of the pandemic on small businesses, and the future of our our city. Plus, Matt and Jeremy discuss the recent anti-mask and anti-vaccine protests in downtown Victoria and the support that the city has shown for Ukrainians in their struggle against Russian aggression. 

Join Matt and Jeremy for a long-form conversation with Ian Robertson, CEO of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority. The group discusses Victoria's complex relationship to the cruise ship industry, the GVHA's work with local First Nations, design ideas for Ship Point, and the evolving character of Victoria's Inner Harbour. Plus, Jeremy and Matt provide an update on the CASA Greater Victoria Initiative that they co-founded, which has begun building Conestoga huts for the local unsheltered population. 

Matt and Jeremy welcome to the podcast Lacey Jones, Indigenous Programs Director at Peers Victoria Resource Society, and Nicole Chaland, the author of the recent city-backed report, "COVID-19: The Beginning of the End of Homelessness." The topic of conversation is the challenge of housing the unhoused in Victoria, how COVID-19 changed the dynamics, and where we go from here. There's also a discussion of the tiny homes village in North Park and a broader consideration of what's working and what's not, both in North Park, and in the hotels recently purchased by the Province. 

Matt and Jeremy welcome Fred Cameron and Jimi Fritz to the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion on safe supply, drug culture, and pathways out of the opioid crisis. Fred is a manager at SOLID, a non-profit organization that provides peer-based health education and support services to reduce the harms associated with drug use in Victoriause in Victoria. Jimi is a self-described, Vancouver-based "ethical drug dealer," who practiced his craft for fifty years, and recently published an autobiography called Confessions of an Ethical Drug Dealer: A Psychedelic Travelogue Memoir. 

The Best Coast Political Podcast celebrates its 20th episode by welcoming Chief of Police, Del Manak, to the podcast for a revealing conversation about how the Vic PD responded to the Black Lives Matters and police reform movements over the past year. Chief Manak discusses the evolving role of police in society and highlights innovate programs, including ACT and IMCRT, in which the Vic PD works with nurses, social workers, and clinicians to address the complex needs of Victorians. The Chief answers difficult questions about whether the police want to be dealing with mental health and addictions-related calls, and what the future of policing might look like. Before the guest arrives, Matt and Jeremy discuss the role of community associations and land-use communities in Victoria, as Jeremy discusses the Fernwood Forward movement and the response to his opinion piece in the Capital Daily.  

Philippe Lucas, PhD has lived the history of cannabis. He started the first "compassion society" (for medical marijuana) in Victoria in 1999, and underwent some rough years before eventually selling it in 2009. (It was around, under different ownership, until 2019.) He was arrested, harassed, and spent years fighting a legal battle that he and his allies eventually won. Along the way, he became a drug researcher, receiving his PhD from Uvic, and more recently served as the V.P. of a major medical marijuana company. He has lived to see the decriminalization of a plant that he's spent his life defending, studying, and using, both recreationally and medicinally. In this insightful chat, Philippe discusses the successes and failures of legalization, the evolving cannabis culture in Victoria, and the growing corporate dominance of the industry. He also discusses the ways in which cannabis legalization has opened the doors to studying medicinal psychedelics. So join in and get all of your cannabis-related questions answered! 

Matt and Jeremy are joined by two of B.C.'s leading thinkers on forestry -- Prof. Gary Bull of UBC's school of forestry, who focuses on the economics of the forestry sector, and Torrance Coste, the leader of the Wilderness Committee, an activist organization that advocates for an end to old-growth logging. In this expansive conversation, the guests look beyond the activism at Caycuse and Fairy Creek to ponder the future of forestry in B.C. Whether it's from policy change or the extinction of old growth, the logging of ancient trees will some day come to an end. So what comes next? Along the way, Prof. Bull and Torrance discuss Indigenous land rights, the ecosystem services provided by old trees, the challenges of shifting to ecotourism and value-added products, and the impact of that now-viral image of a giant log rolling down a Vancouver Island highway. Finally, Torrance shares some nervy experiences he's had as an activist working in and with forest-dependent communities. 

Matt and Jeremy welcome to the show Christina Clarke (CEO of the Songhees Development Corporation) and Hon. Murray Rankin (MLA and Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation) for a frank discussion about the past, present, and future of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples. The main theme of the conversation is "economic reconciliation," and specifically the hopes, vision, and aspirations that the Songhees First Nation has established for an equitable and prosperous future. The conversation includes illuminating discussions on the removal of the John A. MacDonald statue from Victoria's city hall, the role of local governments in pursuing reconciliation, Indigenous tourism (including the Songhees' Martine Trails program), the potential for Lekwungen language instruction, and much more. 

How can we revitalize downtown Victoria and add to its built environment and design? In this episode, Matt and Jeremy welcome two of the leading architects and designers in Victoria to the podcast -- Franc D'Ambrosio of DAU and Everest MacDonald of Elevate Design Studio -- to discuss the following questions: 1) If you could change three things about the built environment or design of downtown Victoria, what would they be? And 2) What is one thing about downtown Victoria that you would *not* want to change? Matt and Jeremy add their ideas to the mix for an engaging and surprising roundtable discussion. 

Here's a short summary of the ideas discussed: 

Franc: 1) New system of squares and plazas, 2) Expansion of bike lane network, 3) Enforcement of speed limits and bylaws. One thing not to change: The scale of the streets. 

Everest: 1) New public square dedicated to grief and loss, 2) Integrate east and west sides of Wharf Street and create better access to water, 3) More public murals [added after recording!]. One thing not to change: Maintain the historical and mid-rise character of downtown Victoria.

Matt: 1) Public spaces for kids including new building and rooftop playground in the parking lot below Bastion Square, 2) Municipally owned music venue, 3) Downtown dog park at Harris Green. One thing not to change: The historical, blue-collar, and Indigenous character of the city to ensure that Victoria is distinct as BC’s capital city.

Jeremy: 1) World-class waterfront building to house The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and the Maritime Museum of BC, 2) New aquarium and aquatic research centre, 3) Government street shut to traffic for pedestrian zone, patios, and food trucks. One thing not to change: The character of the Songhees Walkway.