Latest initiative in Watson Lake, Yukon, is 'buzzing' to support mental wellness
CBC
The community of Watson Lake, Yukon has some new residents.
They're small. They're loud. And there's a lot of them.
They're honey bees.
The Yukon Government and Liard First Nation is piloting a community beekeeping program
The first of it's kind in the territory, the program uses beekeeping as a tool for engaging in harm reduction, mental health, and life promotion services in a low-barrier manner.
"The reaction has been mixed," said Kristine MacNaughton, the community's mental health nurse.
MacNaughton said some people enjoy the bees while others are still a little apprehensive.
"It's been a really good opportunity to practice some grounding," she said. "For people who aren't comfortable around the bees we have screened-in tents that we can set up."
The honey bees are in hives at the "bee yard" located at Wye Lake.
MacNaughton said daily programing and support groups will be offered to citizens all summer. A trailer full of harm reduction supplies will also be near the site for public access.
She said everyone is welcome.
"I think it's about creating opportunities for connection," she said. "Whether they be formal, or informal, or in a group setting, or even one on one."
"I could be in the bee yard and there may be someone interested in bees and perhaps you know we just talk about bees. And that's perfectly fine but if the conversation evolves into something more or something along the lines of mental health stuff then we have people there who can address that."
Kristy Petovello is the Yukon Government's acting manager for mental wellness and substance use services.
A suspended Moncton structural engineer faces more lawsuits alleging design flaws in buildings that require repair.
Sajjade Tugano has come a long way since he first set foot in Chibougamau, six hours north of Quebec City, in the depths of winter in November 2021.
A national mentor-based hockey organization that helps marginalized youth through the sport is paying tribute to one of its members and youngest coaches.
After months of asking the City of Saskatoon to do more to solve its homelessness crisis, advocate David Fineday took to the stand at city council Tuesday.
A community organization wants to breathe new life into a historic building in Regina.
Some Prince County residents are walking away with more answers after attending Tuesday night's public information session in Albany, P.E.I., on the Wejipek Wind Project.
After just a few months of using vape detectors in a couple of bathrooms, a B.C. high school principal says it's reduced vape use in those areas to basically zero.
Burlington MP Karina Gould gets boost from local young people after entering Liberal leadership race
A day after entering the Liberal leadership race, Burlington, Ont., MP and government House leader Karina Gould was cheered at a campaign launch party by local residents — including young people expressing hope the 37-year-old politician will represent their voices.
Anold Mulaisho was born intersex and wonders where they fit in, in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order for the United States to recognize only two sexes, male and female.
WARNING: This story contains references to suicide.
Subway service is down on Line 1 between Sheppard West and Lawrence West due to a broken power rail, the TTC said Wednesday morning.
A long-term care home in Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood has cleared one more hurdle to add desperately needed beds to its property, a move that's been praised by housing advocates but opposed by locals concerned about the impact on the neighbourhood.
A Charlottetown resident is calling on the P.E.I. government to do more to protect homeowners after reading about a recent oil spill very similar to one on his Montague property 20 years ago, which he says ruined him financially.
WARNING: This story includes details of abuse.
Two years after Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly declared she was taking the unprecedented step of moving to confiscate millions of dollars from a sanctioned Russian oligarch with assets in Canada, the government has not actually begun the court process to forfeit the money, let alone to hand it over to Ukrainian reconstruction — and it may never happen.
Alberta business and oilpatch leaders are returning home from Washington this week after the U.S. presidential inauguration festivities — and gritting their teeth after a roller-coaster of emotions.
Youth workers in Toronto's Jane and Finch area are flipping the script on negative stereotypes about their communities with a new fundraising campaign that offers anti-bias training in exchange for donations to bolster their programming.
In a sudden move that came late Tuesday evening, city officials rolled out cots and temporarily opened a warm building in east London as frigid temperatures continued.