2025 Your Favorite Spot in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford calendar contest

If you would like to share your favorite spot in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford and have it included in the 2025 edition, submit your photo.

Submit your photo(s) by email to: [email protected]

Put CALENDAR PHOTO in the subject line.

Include the following information in your email:

• Your name
• The location of your photo
• Your address, including postal code
• A brief (40 words or fewer) description of your photo

Deadline to submit is September 1st, 2024

Important guidelines for submitting photos

Each year, a number of photos are disqualified from consideration because the image size is too small, or the images include humans. Following are some hints for choosing and submitting a winning photo:

• Photos must be high resolution - at least 1MB.
• Do not send directly from your phone. Image files are compressed by phones when they are emailed.
• Upload your photo(s) to a computer or tablet before sending.
• Attach the original high resolution image to the email (send as an attachment).
• Pick a photo that will work with the shape of the calendar. Landscape is the best option.

Official Rules:

1. Your favorite spot must be in the Cowichan-Malahat-Langford riding.
2. Photos must be in jpg or tiff format.
3. Photos cannot include humans.
4. No more than 3 photos per household may be submitted.
5. Photos must be colour and at least 1MB in size.
6. Deadline to submit is September 1st, 2024

For immediate release

June 12^th, 2024

NDP: A National Brain Injury Strategy will shine light on “invisible epidemic”

OTTAWA— On Wednesday, with a vote of 324 in favour and zero against, NDP MP Alistair MacGregor’s plan to create a national strategy for prevention, treatment, and awareness of brain injuries passed unanimously at second reading in Parliament.

“This is an important step forward for an initiative that started locally,” MP MacGregor said, “This work came about because of the passion and lived experience of several of my constituents, and I am so proud and grateful for their work. I especially want to thank Janelle Breese Biagioni from the CGB Centre for Traumatic Life Losses, Chris Rafuse from the Cowichan Brain Injury Society, and local advocate and brain injury survivor Kyle Mockford, among many others. Working together with community groups across Canada, Bill C-277 has become a national campaign for greater awareness, prevention, and treatment of brain injuries.” 

Experts say that many who experience traumatic brain injuries go undiagnosed and untreated because of stigma and lack of awareness. Even if they receive treatment, the current state of brain injury services and supports across the country is characterized by fragmentation, isolation, and chronic underfunding. Often, support services for families and brain-injury survivors operate as non-profit organizations with little or no government funding. Some of these organizations are teetering on the brink of closure.

“Well over 1.5 million Canadians have suffered a traumatic brain injury, and the long-term effects can be devastating,” said MacGregor. “Among them are an estimated 1 in 8 Canadian women, who have experienced a traumatic brain injury because of gender-based violence. I’m happy to see a national brain injury strategy get support across party lines.”

Bill C-277 has been endorsed by medical experts, people with lived experience, Brain Injury organizations across the country, and local municipalities including Duncan, Langford, North Cowichan, Nanaimo, and the City of Victoria.

For media requests, please contact [email protected]

I am proud to provide you with an update on the progression of Bill C-368, An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (natural health products). I was very pleased to add my name as a joint seconder to the bill, as many constituents have been in contact with my office on this file. Your advocacy has given me the opportunity to better appreciate and understand the importance of NHPs to people in our community. I want to thank you for your continued efforts that have led to this moment. It is because of you that we are seeing progress on this file.

NHPs have a long history of use in Canada as a low-risk and affordable way of promoting health. New Democrats know that they must remain accessible to all Canadians. Meanwhile, we also know that NHPs need their own regulatory framework and category to certify their safety and to make sure they remain available to the millions of Canadians that use them. Unfortunately, through their 2023 Budget, the Liberals snuck extensive regulatory changes for NHPs into their legislation. Thankfully, Bill C-368 will reverse that. The Liberals voted against this bill. It was thanks to the votes of the NDP that this bill will be brought forward to the Health Committee to be examined by MPs to ensure that NHPs remain accessible for all Canadians.

I made the following remarks during my speech in the House of Commons on the bill at Second Reading:

“I want to congratulate the NHP community and industry, which have been very actively engaged on this issue through their work. I really want to single out the local businesses in my riding of Cowichan—Malahat—Langford and the constituents who live on Vancouver Island. I congratulate them for their advocacy, for stepping up to the plate and for engaging me as their elected representative, because it has worked. I am proud to say that, in this place, as their elected representative, I will be pleased to vote to send Bill C-368 to committee.”

You can watch my whole speech below.