On this podcast, I chat with Stevie Bees about the boost that David Tennant gave to their trans-positive T-shirt brand. You can see and order a shirt yourself at www.steviesafespaces.com.

That boost in popularity has enabled Stevie to infuse more positive energy into the gender-diverse community we live in through activism, bursaries, and public speaking. We also speak about some of the more terrifying aspects of the rise of right-wing politicians and how to prepare if Canada follows the path America is currently on and things get worse here in Canada for members of the trans community. 

For more information about music by Voidulie, check out https://voidulie.bandcamp.com/music

Support Wood-stein.ca by becoming a Patron.

https://www.patreon.com/ColinBurrowes

or by donating through PayPal

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QBZG6EHTUYZ4Y 

On this podcast, I chat with Jason Davis, the NDP candidate for Perth-Wellington in the 2025 Ontario Election. This has been a snap election, and it will all be over by the end of February 27.

We chatted about healthcare, education, harm reduction, and transportation, and he lays out plans for a responsible Ontario government that would help lift the weight that our current government has downloaded to municipalities and back up to the government in Queen’s Park. He talks about his passion for coming up with effective, affordable housing options and his dedication to saving lives through maintaining, not cutting, harm reduction options across the province. Davis also spoke of NDP plans to help combat food insecurity that would encourage the use of locally harvested produce and options that would help make food costs more affordable.

This is a snap election; it might be over before some people know it’s happening. For where and when to vote, visit https://www.elections.on.ca/. Election day is February 27! 

For more information about music by Joe Solo, check out https://joesolomusic.bandcamp.com/

Support Wood-stein.ca by becoming a Patron.

https://www.patreon.com/ColinBurrowes

or by donating through Paypal

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QBZG6EHTUYZ4Y

On this podcast, I chat with James Montgomery, the New Blue candidate for Perth-Wellington in the 2025 Ontario Election. This has been a snap election, and it will all be over by the end of February 27.

We chat about Healthcare, Education, harm reduction, transportation, and what he means when he says, “More bang for the buck.” The talk turned to the changes in our relationship with the United States and how they might affect our provincial politics. He also attempts to explain how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion automatically paint white, middle-aged, heterosexual, Christian males as oppressors when critical race theory spills into Canada from the United States. He incorrectly defines racism based on the New Blue Party doctrine and not the established meaning wherein one group of people have an inherent superiority or power over another based on race. This discussion goes nowhere.

This is a snap election; it might be over before some people know it’s happening. For where and when to vote, visit https://www.elections.on.ca/. Election day is February 27! 

For more information about music by Bob Vylan, check out https://bobvylan.bandcamp.com/

Support Wood-stein.ca by becoming a Patron.

https://www.patreon.com/ColinBurrowes

or by donating through Paypal

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QBZG6EHTUYZ4Y

The Woodstein Media Podcast kicks off season two with interviews of some local candidates in the 2025 Ontario election.

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.  

This is a snap election; it might be over before some people know it’s happening.  For where and when to vote or how to get a mail-in ballot, visit https://www.elections.on.ca/.  Election day is February 27!

Ashley Fox - https://ashleyfox.ontarioliberal.ca/

For more information about music by Chupakavlas check out https://chupakavlas.bandcamp.com/album/its-a-fucking-zoo

Support Wood-stein.ca by becoming a Patron.

https://www.patreon.com/ColinBurrowes

or by donating through Paypal

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QBZG6EHTUYZ4Y

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.

The conversation also focuses on the disinformation and subsequent spread of misinformation to the public about harm reduction practices, specifically safer supply, by both media and politicians, usually from the Conservative side of the aisle. It's important to understand these issues as a community, as understanding and support are crucial for the future of these life-saving harm-reduction resources.

“I’ve looked back at the history of the discourse around methadone in Canada and North America, and it was really the exact that was said about methadone,” said Waraksa.  “That this isn’t really the place of medicine. People shouldn’t be prescribing drugs for people who are addicted to drugs. Concerns around diversion. Concerns that this attracts crime to good neighbourhoods. Sometimes, it’s word for word what is being said about safer supply, but back in the seventies. So, I try to keep in mind that this is a certain political moment. Things have obviously changed with methadone, where there would be few and far between people who say we shouldn’t offer methadone, and maybe one day, we’ll be in the same place with a safer supply or with a whole range of options for people who use drugs.”

Health Canada's Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) supplied funding for the Safer Opioid Supply program at the Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre. This was seed funding for programs only available for a maximum of five years. It was hoped that other levels of government or other organizations would step in to keep funding available for these programs across Canada.

The time-limited funding has allowed a wide range of innovative and evidence-informed projects to be set up nationwide, including substance use prevention, harm reduction, and treatment initiatives. However, the programs are in their final year of federal funding, and the urgent need for continued support is clear. Many politicians and media outlets have created a toxic culture in terms of how harm reduction, especially safer supply, is perceived. This is threatening the future of these life-saving programs, and the time for action is now.

Links related to this episode

Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre - https://pqwchc.org/

SOS - https://pqwchc.org/programs-services/harm-reduction/safer-opioid-supply-sos-program/

Forx -  https://forx.bandcamp.com/track/safe-supply

Support Wood-stein.ca by becoming a Patron.

https://www.patreon.com/ColinBurrowes

or by donating through Paypal

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QBZG6EHTUYZ4Y 

Katie Langille is a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner in the SOS Program at the Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre. This community-based health service organization in southwest Toronto offers a wide range of services, including primary health care, dental care, harm reduction, health promotion, counselling, and community development programming. 

The SOS program is a Safer Opioid Supply program established at Parkdale Queen West in 2020. Clients in the program receive prescriptions for pharmaceutical opioids to decrease their reliance on the toxic, unpredictable street supply of opioids. Staff also support clients by offering case management, appointment accompaniment, counselling, harm reduction education, recreational/drop-in programming, mobile care, and connections to other services at Parkdale Queen West and in the community.

This podcast discussion covers how synthetic opioids such as Fentanyl have replaced heroin in the street supply and how the war on drugs has led to stronger, more contaminated illicit opioids being available. This not only complicates the job healthcare workers have when providing harm reduction services but also causes unintended damage to the health of drug users through contamination.

The conversation also focuses on the misinformation being spread to the public about harm reduction practices by both media and politicians, usually from the Conservative side of the aisle, and the damage done to vulnerable communities through spreading false information.

“I think the flip side of the story we’re hearing now in the media, which is drugs are bad, your diverted safe supply is getting sold on the schoolyard – which, P.S., has zero evidence for it,” said Langille. “This story is that people are morally bereft because they are using Fentanyl and, therefore, don’t necessarily deserve our care. These stories are being told in the media way too much, and I think what’s not happening is the true story of people who use substances. Not only the people that I work with who are maybe on the more severe end of substance use disorder, who are struggling a little bit more. But people who are super successful and still using, whether it’s recreationally or whether they also need to go to treatment centres and struggle. Like I said, it’s not an easy story to tell, and I don’t know where my role as a provider comes into it except that I know I need to be cautious, but I do think people don’t hear the other side of the story and I do think that’s a bit of a problem.”

Links related to this episode

Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre - https://pqwchc.org/

SOS - https://pqwchc.org/programs-services/harm-reduction/safer-opioid-supply-sos-program/

Koi Canis - https://koicanis.bandcamp.com/track/harm-reduction

Crackdown Episode 34 – The Iron Law - https://www.crackdownpod.com/episodes/34-the-iron-law

Toronto’s Drug Checking Service - https://drugchecking.community/about/

Support Wood-stein.ca by becoming a Patron.

https://www.patreon.com/ColinBurrowes

or by donating through Paypal

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QBZG6EHTUYZ4Y 

This podcast features a discussion about the push to provide more effective harm reduction services, education, outreach and advocacy to enhance and save the lives of people most at risk from the toxic drug crisis in the Atlantic provinces of Canada.

Katie Upham is the Harm Reduction Educator of the Substance User Network of the Atlantic Region (SUNAR) and a member of many other advocacy and drug user groups such as The Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs and Moms Stop the Harm. She uses her experience with substance use to advocate for change in health care settings, and drug policies, and to support the rights of those with experience of substance use. She believes that people who use or have used substances must be justly included in all practices, programming and guidelines that concern them to reduce stigma and save lives.

Emily Wadden also relies on knowledge acquired from her experience with substance use in her role as Program Manager, of the Safe Works Access Program (SWAP), part of the AIDS Committee of Newfoundland and Labrador. She is also a member of SUNAR, which has had a positive effect on her outlook, in a society that disparages adult drug users.

When it comes to making policies regarding substance use in Canada, the people who have experience using drugs, have knowledge that needs to be heard. As drug user unions from coast to coast say in the slogan, “Nothing about us without us,” they need a seat at the table, and they need to be heard when they speak.

Support Wood-stein.ca by becoming a Patron.

https://www.patreon.com/ColinBurrowes

or by donating through Paypal

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QBZG6EHTUYZ4Y

Moms Stop the Harm - https://www.momsstoptheharm.com/

The Substance User Network of the Atlantic Region (SUNAR) - https://www.sunar.ca/

Safe Works Access Program – St. John’s - https://acnl.net/services/swap/

Aerhyn Lau - https://aerhyn.bandcamp.com/track/tune-up-thursdays-week-94-october-19th-ahead-by-a-century-the-tragically-hip-cover

The Woodstein Media Podcast bounces back to music chatter with Dick Lucas, the voice fronting SUBHUMANS, Culture Shock, and Citizen Fish.  For over 45 years he has been venting his thoughts on life and politics over the punk, ska, and reggae sounds of those bands and even in his 60s there does not seem to be any indication he’ll be hanging up his microphone. Balancing that microphone might be something you will find him doing, but not giving it up.

SUBHUMANS continue to pound their message out on stages throughout Europe and North America. They will be playing on August 18th in front of about 40,000 fans attending Nofx's final Toronto concert at Downsview Park.

Support Wood-stein.ca by becoming a Patron.

https://www.patreon.com/ColinBurrowes

or by donating through Paypal

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QBZG6EHTUYZ4Y

Dick Lucas Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dicklucasart/

Subhumans – https://subhumans.bandcamp.com/

Culture Shock - https://cultureshockuk.bandcamp.com/

Citizen Fish - https://citizenfish.bandcamp.com/

As this podcast was being edited, Pierre Poilievre raved in Parliament about life-saving efforts to help drug users. He was reprimanded and ejected from the chamber, and eventually, the rest of the Conservative caucus walked out in protest. Speaker Greg Fergus cautioned Justin Trudeau and Poilievre during a feisty question period to avoid making direct accusations about the character of another MP.

The debate devolved to derogatory remarks as Poilievre attacked the Liberals over BC's drug decriminalization. This attack has been ongoing since before the pilot program had a chance to prove itself, with Poilievre fighting against facts that have proven harsh penalties for drug use are ineffective.

Trudeau avoided the drug issue, confronting Poilievre about videos showing the Conservative leader exiting a trailer adorned with a symbol for the far-right extremist group Diagolon.

"Any leader that needs the support of a far-right white nationalist group to fundraise and get closer to power does not deserve elected office," the Prime Minister said.

Poilievre countered that this was the "latest distraction" from "extremist policies."

"When will we put an end to this wacko policy by this wacko Prime Minister?" He asked.

Fergus asked Poilievre to withdraw his comments, saying they were unparliamentary.

Poilievre replaced wacko with "extremist” or "radical." 

Fergus kicked Poilievre out. Much of the Conservative caucus left. Eventually, they all exited.

Poilievre continued trash-talking,  falsely claiming he was "censored" for calling Trudeau's drug policies "wacko." 

Exercising proper use of a cliché, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, who was pleased by the events, thanked Fergus in French for showing "common sense." 

Immigration Minister Marc Miller coolly dismissed Poilievre, "I think it would be good if he shut his yap once in a while.”

On this podcast, Ruth Fox, Regional Director for Moms Stop the Harm, shares her experience of losing her son, Trevor, who died from accidental drug poisoning. 

Trevor had a promising life ahead of him in his community as a valued employee in a career he enjoyed. He had a supportive family and friends who adored him.

Ruth became aware of Moms Stop the Harm after Trevor’s death and found the community of understanding, compassion and support invaluable. Through the work the group does, she learned more about the harms caused by failed drug policies and the way people who use drugs are treated.

She speaks of the work Moms Stop the Harm does and how the toxic drug supply is taking lives across a wide demographic, including people who are living productive lives like Trevor.  A singular focus on treatment excludes many people who are at risk, such as occasional users. 

“Until we provide an alternative to the toxic street drugs, namely a legal, regulated supply of the drugs people need, the rate of harm and death will continue to rise, and, I believe, sharply,” said Fox.

The music on this podcast is by Low Dead Space, featuring Garth Mullins, host of the Crackdown Podcast. It’s a podcast made by drug users, the people with the most lived experience and insight to help affect positive policy change. Good people use drugs. Intelligent people use drugs.

Moms Stop the Harm - https://www.momsstoptheharm.com/

The article referenced - https://www.stalbertgazette.com/local-news/despite-record-drug-poisoning-deaths-no-increase-in-rates-of-addiction-data-shows-8600677

Low Dead Space - https://lowdeadspace.bandcamp.com/album/die-in-vancouver-2

Crackdown Podcast - https://www.crackdownpod.com/

(All photos contributed by Leah den Bok and used by permission)

In February, I explored the streets of Philadelphia, and the Mutter Museum was a must-see site.

One of the exhibits, Unhoused: Personal Stories and Public Health, features photos by the guest on this podcast, Leah den Bok. She is a photographer from Ontario, whom I wrote about years ago when she spoke at a United Way event, Faces of Homelessness. I was intrigued by the opportunity to see her photography and a mural by another artist, Willie Baronet, raising awareness about people experiencing homelessness. 

Her Humanizing the Homeless series of photos and the accompanying stories do a lot to share the personal stories of people who live unhoused. The images have also been collected in a series of books entitled Nowhere to Call Home, which raise money for several charities that do frontline work on the streets of communities across Ontario to help people experiencing homelessness.

She speaks about her experiences documenting the lives of people who are living unhoused, what she has learned through those experiences, and how, although a lack of affordable housing is the main factor leaving people homeless, more needs to be done than simply giving people homes to help solve the homelessness crisis.

The music on this podcast is from a performance by the Dallas Street Choir for the American Choral Directors Association in Little Rock, Arkansas, on March 3, 2022. 

Wood-stein.ca by becoming a Patron.
https://www.patreon.com/ColinBurrowes

or by donating through Paypal
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QBZG6EHTUYZ4Y

Humanizing the Homeless - https://www.humanizingthehomeless.org/

Dallas Street Choir - https://dallasstreetchoir.org/

Unhoused: Personal Stories and Public Health - https://muttermuseum.org/on-view/unhoused-personal-stories-and-public-health

Salvation Army Barrie Bayside Mission Centre - https://www.facebook.com/SalvationArmyBBMC

Home Horizon: Transitional Support Program - https://www.homehorizon.ca/barbara-weider-house

Stepping Stone (formerly Welcome In Drop In Centre) - https://steppingstonegw.com/

Inn From the Cold - https://www.innfromthecold.ca/

United Way event shines light on Faces of Homelessness in Huron-Perth - https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/united-way-event-shines-light-on-faces-of-homelessness-in-huron-perth/article_fe2be8a4-59e4-5005-8642-320892a27654.html

The Homeless Experience in North Perth - https://ocnaorg.shoutcms.net/uploads/files/2021%20BNC/PC17_3rd_Listowel%20Banner_Full.pdf