The holidays can be especially difficult for those who have lost loved ones. That's why the Burnaby Hospice Society is offering free grief counselling and support this month.
Eligible Burnaby residents can sign up for a maximum of 12, one-on-one grief counselling for free at the society's office on Kingsway. There's also a weekly drop-in group for people who have suffered a loss. Register in advance by calling the society 604-520-5024. If the person you are grieving committed suicide or died from drugs or alcohol, the society will refer you to another resource. The Burnaby Hospice Society will be closed between Dec. 24 and Jan 2, so if you need help then, call the Fraser Health crisis line at 604-951-8855.
Well-known Burnaby NOW columnist Davidicus Wong is hosting a talk on the patient-doctor relationship on Thursday, Dec. 18 at Byrne Creek Secondary. Dr. Wong will talk about working with your doctor to achieve your goals and information about your medical history that you should know. He'll also cover key information on prescriptions, tests and treatments and a timeline for various screening tests. The talk is free, but attendees must register in advance by calling 604-259-4450 or emailing [email protected]. The school is at 7777 18th St., and the event runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
If you missed all the action on Burnaby Mountain, you may be interested in the camerawork of Zack Embree. The Vancouver filmmaker is behind Directly Affected, a short documentary about the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion. The 11-minute film features many Burnaby residents and key players in the anti-pipeline movement, including Burnaby MP Kennedy Stewart, former ICBC CEO Robyn Allan, climate change expert Mark Jaccard, Mayor Derek Corrigan and Mary Hatch, a local resident whose home was sprayed with oil in the 2007 spill. To watch the film, search Directly Affected: Voices of Our Coast on Youtube.
Embree is also hoping to make a followup film. He was on the mountain throughout the recent clashes with protesters and police, and he was there to capture some of the more pivotal moments, like the arrest of grand Chief Stewart Phillip and David Suzuki's fiery speech. You can see many of his clips on Facebook. Just search for Directly Affected Film.
Journey Home Community, the Burnaby faith-group that helps asylum-seeking refugees, closed its thrift store recently. The store was a way to generate revenue to help refugees, but the operation was becoming a financial drain on Journey Home.
Need a gift for the animal lover in your life? The Wildlife Rescue Association is selling its 2015 calendars to help raise money for injured and orphaned animals.
Some of photos are from Burnaby residents. The calendars cost $12 and are available at 5216 Glencarin Dr. Call 604-526-2747 for more info.
