Discussions West - Tuesday, September 8th from 1:15 - 3:00pm

This is an online virtual meeting via Zoom. To join in, you would need a device with fast internet connection, a camera, and a microphone (such as a computer, a tablet, or a smartphone). Please note that a Zoom password and video link will be sent to all registered participants a few days before the event. 

This meeting is open to all group members. We can accommodate the first 12 members who register for each meeting; others will be placed on a waiting list for that meeting.

For further information and to suggest topics for discussion, contact the convenor.

Topics - Discussion West – October 6, 2020 (Virtual meeting with Zoom)

• 1.       Should we encourage more people to grow their own food? During the COVID-19 pandemic more people have been spending time in their own backyards. Gardening has become a rediscovered pastime, with many people growing their own fruits and vegetables for the first time. Even condo buildings have their roof gardens and there are community gardens available throughout the City. Given that food prices are on the rise and concern about industrial agricultural practices is growing, would we be better off encouraging more people to use their gardens to grow food? 

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1717834307857

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/backyard-gardening-grow-your-own-food-improve-your-health-201206294984

 2.       Are family doctors being paid enough?  Is income level the reason why family physicians are leaving family practice? Despite more doctors entering the field, around 5 million Canadians (14%) do not have a family doctor.  A major survey by Stats Canada found that doctors were leaving family and community practices.  At the same time, experts advise that communities are better served by having access to a family doctor regularly and earlier, rather than relying on urgent care, which is most often done by hospitals.

https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/09/08/Corporations-Moving-Into-Health-Care/?utm_source=weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=140920

https://cmajnews.com/2018/11/15/primary-care-system-outdated-and-inconvenient-for-many-millennials-cmaj-109-5688/

 3.       Is “White Fragility” a real thing?  The recent release of Robin DiAngelo’s book White Fragility has propelled that controversial term into the media.  Generally, this is defined as discomfort and defensiveness on the part of a white person when confronted by information about racial inequality and injustice. Along with the Black Lives Matter movement, this notion is putting a spotlight onto systemic racism and anti-racism and what needs to be done to end racial injustice.

• https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/transformation/why-white-fragility-so-popular/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/18/opinion/sunday/white-fragility-meritocracy.html
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• 4.       What does the way we treat wild animals say about humans? Should we keep investing in zoos? Or should we shift to funding natural sanctuaries that resemble their natural habits?
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• https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/the-biggest-issues-for-wildlife-and-endangered-species-in-2019/
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/former-toronto-zoo-elephants-california-sanctuary-1.3962205
• https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/the-life-of-animals-in-captivity-versus-the-wild/
• https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/do-animals-live-longer-in-zoos/
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