People First Radio
@peoplefirstradio.bsky.social
People First Radio is a weekly one-hour radio broadcast to educate and raise awareness about issues related to health and wellness. The show airs on CHLY, CFUV, CFMH, and DIG FM, and is produced in Nanaimo, BC.
ICYMI International Overdose Awareness Day events in the mid island region featured stories of personal connections to the toxic drug crisis. Listen: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/pers...
Personal connections to toxic drug crisis shared at island IOAD events
Stories from events in Courtenay and Parksville highlight grief, hope, amidst toxic drug crisis
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
In 2013, walking a Winnipeg labyrinth helped Corey Bialek consider a contemplative question: what would it mean to not be depressed? The labyrinth was not curative, but it was therapeutic. Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0ak...
‘Minding the City’ offers a first hand look at nature, depression, and public space
YouTube video by People First Radio
youtube.com
The broadcast version of this week's episode is online and can be found here: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...
People First Radio - September 10, 2026
Mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders in Canada, IOAD speakers from Nanaimo and Courtenay
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
Personal connections to the toxic drug crisis were shared at International Overdose Awareness Day events held in Courtenay and Parksville Listen: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/pers...
Personal connections to toxic drug crisis shared at island IOAD events
Stories from events in Courtenay and Parksville highlight grief, hope, amidst toxic drug crisis
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
ICYMI Journalist Rob Csernyik spoke with the program about his work looking into gambling and health harms in Canada. Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ4s...
Journalist Rob Csernyik talks gambling health harms in Canada
YouTube video by People First Radio
youtube.com
Journalist Rob Csernyik spoke with the program about his work covering the gambling beat Listen to the full interview: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ4s...
ICYMI The program spoke with Peers Victoria Resources Society about their work supporting sex workers. Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Pt...
Victoria organization Peers talks supporting sex workers
YouTube video by People First Radio
youtube.com
Journalist Rob Csernyik spoke with the program about his work looking into gambling and health harms in Canada. Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ4s...
Journalist Rob Csernyik talks gambling health harms in Canada
YouTube video by People First Radio
youtube.com
You can find the broadcast version of this week's episode online here: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...
People First Radio - August 27, 2026
Author Rob Csernyik talks "A Losing Hand". Ann Livingston talks International Overdose Awareness Day
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction has a Playbook for Action designed to help smaller cities chart a path to address substance use harms Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEJE...
National organization offers playbook for small cities to address substance use harms
YouTube video by People First Radio
youtube.com
Shea Wood of the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction spoke with the program about the idea of implementing a standard unit of THC in Canadian cannabis Listen: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/the-...
The road to a standard unit of THC in Canadian cannabis
In conversation with Shea Wood, Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
You can find the most recent episode of the program here: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...
People First Radio - August 20, 2026
A pilot program supporting sex workers in Victoria, a playbook for small cities on substance use harms
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
The program spoke with Peers Victoria Resources Society about their work supporting sex workers. Listen: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/vict...
Victoria organization Peers talks supporting sex workers
Organization offers variety of programming in the capital region
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
The broadcast version of this week's program is online and can be found here: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...
People First Radio - August 20, 2026
A pilot program supporting sex workers in Victoria, a playbook for small cities on substance use harms
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
In June UBC prof Alexandra Flynn spoke with the program about The Bylaw State, an exploration of how municipal bylaws have become the de facto way that homelessness is governed in Canada Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIob...
The Bylaw State explores public space, encampments, municipalities, and the courts
YouTube video by People First Radio
youtube.com
In June, journalist and author Jessica Barrett told the program we can’t solve our housing crisis until we solve our crisis of home. Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/5y2j...
“We can’t solve our housing crisis until we solve our crisis of home,” argues author
People First Radio · Episode
open.spotify.com
In June, Cory Herzog-Fequet spoke with the program about the interplay between boredom, homelessness, and substance use Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3Ii...
Talking boredom, substance use, and homelessness
YouTube video by People First Radio
youtube.com
Earlier this year the program spoke with a trio of indie musicians from coastal B.C. about the interplay between mental health and life in the music industry Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4vt...
Checking the levels on music industry mental health
YouTube video by People First Radio
youtube.com
This week the program revisits a conversation with Victoria based Dr. Jill Wiwcharuk, who spoke about her work on social media under the handle StreetdrJill. Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhT4...
“Street Dr. Jill” talks influencing on homelessness and healthcare
YouTube video by People First Radio
youtube.com
ICYMI Cory Cliffe has been helping out with Walk With Me, a community engaged research project in the Comox Valley. One of their aims is to understand and address stigma that people who use substances can face when they enter the hospital. Listen: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/v...
ICYMI The broadcast version of this week's program is online and can be found here: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...
People First Radio - July 30, 2026
Calls for a re-designed Canada Housing Benefit, & exploring the issue of incarcerated parents in Canada
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
ICYMI An interactive map from the Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) project scores public land across B.C. for affordable housing potential Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=65jc... Look at the map: storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/806e...
Interactive map scores public land across B.C. for housing potential
YouTube video by People First Radio
youtube.com
Shea Wood of the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction spoke with the program about the idea of implementing a standard unit of THC in Canadian cannabis Listen: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/the-...
The road to a standard unit of THC in Canadian cannabis
In conversation with Shea Wood, Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
The broadcast version of this week's program is available online and can be found here: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...
People First Radio - July 30, 2026
Calls for a re-designed Canada Housing Benefit, & exploring the issue of incarcerated parents in Canada
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
ICYMI The program spoke with a trio of folks involved with Walk With Me, a community engaged research project in the Comox Valley that's working on a project to understand and address stigma that people who use substances can face in hospital settings Listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwMO...
Vancouver Island group looking to understand and address stigma in the hospital
YouTube video by People First Radio
youtube.com
An interactive map from the Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) project scores public land across B.C. for affordable housing potential Listen: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/inte... Look at the map: storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/806e...
Cory Cliffe has been helping out with Walk With Me, a community engaged research project in the Comox Valley. One of their aims is to understand and address stigma that people who use substances can face when they enter the hospital. Listen: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/vanc...
The broadcast version of this week's program is online and can be found here: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/peop...
People First Radio - July 23, 2026
Interactive map scores properties across BC for affordable housing potential
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
A community engaged research project in the Comox Valley has been looking to understand and address the stigma that people who use substances can face when they go to the hospital. Listen: vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org/podcast/vanc...
Vancouver Island group looking to understand and address stigma in the hospital
Walk With Me team members talk working towards systems change
vancouverislandmentalhealthsociety.org
ICYMI U of T Psychiatry profs Bob Maunder and Jon Hunter spoke with the program about coping - which has been a big focus in their work ever since they were visiting patients in the SARS ward during the 2003 outbreak. Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/0aUC...
Psychiatrists provide evidence-backed insights on coping
People First Radio · Episode
open.spotify.com