On The Island
with Gregor Craigie

Doing the math: The first results released from the 2011 census confirm Langford as the province's fastest-growing municipality, as well as documenting population declines in some other communities, such as Esquimalt.

Is the cure worse than the disease? Questions are being raised about one of the stop smoking drugs sanctioned by the B.C.government's official smoking cessation program. 

Gwen Barlee of the  Wilderness Committtee talks about why she thinks B.C.'s new energy strategy, including three proposed Liquified Natural Gas plants in Kitimat, could be good news for B.C. rivers.

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Playing tag with fish: Oceanographer and marine biologist David Welch says it might be possible to understand the impact of aquaculture on wild fish by tagging and tracking the movements of wild salmon.

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UVic researcher Andrew Ivsins discusses new research that shows the sharing of needles among Victoria's intravenous drug users has risen dramatically, along with the risk of disease, since the closing of the city's only fixed needle exchange in 2008.

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Shaleema Gantt, President of the Nanaimo African Heritage Society, discusses some of the people whose stories are featured in a exhibition at the Nanaimo Museum, celebrating Black History Month.  

 Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, B.C.'s Representative for Children and Youth, discusses a report being presented to the United Nations today which is highly critical of how Canada deals with First Nations children.

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Bankers have access to a lot of your personal information. What happens when they accidentally hand it over to the wrong person? Go Public reporter Kathy Tomlinson talks to two Bank of Montreal customers about their experience.

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This is Eating Disorders Awareness Week and Sally Chaster, who is anorexic and a member of Advocacy for Adults with Eating Disorders in B.C., talks about the difficulty of getting treatment for people over age 24.

 

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Susan Lambert, president of the BC Teachers' Federation, responds to concerns that students are suffering because of the continuing job action by teachers in which they are refusing to perform duties including field trips, recess and report cards.

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The political panel looks at the continued decline in support for the B.C. Liberals, and whatever happened to the plan for private ferry operators on the coastal routes.

Has the contract dispute between the province and BC's teachers reached a breaking point? Amid calls for government intervention, Michael McEvoy, president of of the BC School Trustees Association, discusses concerns about failing communications between teachers and administrators, and the effect on students.

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Judy Mas, Immersion Coordinator for the Greater Victoria School District, discusses the promotion of a later start for French Immersion students.

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Providing aid in a dangerous place: Organizer Ana Clara Sosa Cazales discusses the work of  UVic's Medical Brigades, a volunteer group that offers basic health services in Honduras, the country with the highest per-capita homicide rate in the world.

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As the amalgamation debate revives in the Capital Region, Andrew Sancton, a professor of political science at the University of Western Ontario, talks about the pros and cons of  merging municipalities.

Dave Coles, national president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, discusses the future for unionized employees of Catalyst Paper as the company seeks creditor protection. 

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Temperature rising: Francis Zweirs of the UVic-based  Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium on the evidence of climate change in B.C. found in an analysis of weather data from the past 60 years.

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Mike Bishop and Ron Mackenzie talk about why  Lake Cowichan's only local radio station could be forced off the air by a lack of funds.

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Kevin Mason of ERA Forest Products Research discusses the challenges for Catalyst Paper as it tries to avoid bankruptcy.

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Naomi Devine talks about why she is cycling from her native B.C. to Brazil's Rio de Janeiro to attend the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

Zut alors! Public school enrolment is up on the West Shore, and French Immersion is one of the reasons. Jim Cambridge, the Superintendent of the Sooke School District discusses the trend.

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Victoria councillor Shellie Gudgeon talks about why a newly formed group is hoping to kick start discussion on what do to about our fragmented collected of 13 municipalities.

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A new generation of future guide dogs are looking for homes on the Island. Guest host David Lennam speaks with Liz Roe of Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, and Marion Harper, who is fostering one of the puppies, before they head off for their formal training.

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Brian Hollingshead of the BC Ferry Advisory Committee responds to the Ferry Commissioner's report on rejuvenating B.C.'s coastal ferry system.  

    Elizabeth Denham, British Columbia's  Information and Privacy Commissioner, talks about a new public information campaign to educate the public and businesses about the law surrounding video surveillance, and its impact on our privacy.

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 NDP MLA Rob Fleming discusses his opposition to changes in the operations of the Provincial Capital Commission, including shifting property management to the government and requiring government consultation on major decisions.

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Setting a new course for B.C. Ferries: Our political panel weighs in on the results of the Coastal  Ferry Review report and the changes to the Provincial Capital Commission.