This past year, it has felt like the earth beneath us is shifting.
It was the Earth’s warmest year on record. We’ve been witnessing wars that are displaying the darkest sides of humanity. We are seeing a cracking down of civil rights and personal autonomy. It is easy to get lost in the sorrow and feel isolated in the polarization of this time. I have certainly had my days feeling that way.
It is for that reason that I want to end this year focusing on what has brought me hope and helped to ground me. These milestones from our grantee partners remind me that amidst the shifts in the world are powerful examples of progress and shared humanity.
- Two provinces are bringing in free contraception for their residents after years of advocacy work to make this happen. British Columbia pioneered free prescription birth control in Canada, and Manitoba is on track to provide universal cost coverage for prescription contraception. Our grantee partners Action Canada and OPTIONS – amongst many others – played an important role in this significant step towards reproductive health equity.
- Attending City Hive’s community showcase event for the Youth Climate Innovation Lab was both affirming and hopeful. Witnessing a close-knit group of young individuals from diverse backgrounds present tangible recommendations for addressing climate challenges with humour and joy was truly inspiring.
- In the realm of climate action, the provincial government’s adoption of an Energy Action Framework last March marked substantial progress. This framework, which includes an emissions cap on the oil and gas industry, owes much to the efforts of our grantee partners Pembina Institute, Clean Energy Canada, and the David Suzuki Foundation. All climate action that gets us closer to our targets is significant.
- The implementation of $10 a Day childcare has far-reaching impacts, touching families across the country, including my own. Low-income mothers, in particular, benefit significantly, thanks in part to our grantee partner, Coalition of Childcare Advocates of BC. This initiative has resulted in increased wages for early childhood educators, reduced fees in school age and preschool programs, and eliminated waitlist fees.
- Major strides have been made in conservation in BC this past year including the establishment of a new, $300-million conservation fund to advance Indigenous-led conservation, Canada’s first tripartite conservation agreement between federal, provincial and First Nations governments, and a $60 million investment by the province for marine protection in the Great Bear Sea. These commitments have come through years of hard work including from THF grantee partners Nature United and Coast Funds.
The work of our grantee partners is complimented by the hope I feel when speaking to our impact investment partners. In a different way, they are instigating advancement in gender justice and climate solutions. Their work is a powerful reminder that not one sector can solve these challenges alone. We need each other.
Our focus of the upcoming year will be to find intersections in our work that make individual efforts of one organization stronger through collaborations to expand the narrowness of this moment. Our Holiday Open House highlighted for me that connecting across sectors is where the best ideas and partnerships emerge.
In a world marked by polarization, we aim to fight back by fostering unity. We look forward to our continued work together.
To that end, please join me in thanking four Executive Directors the Houssian Foundation has partnered with who have moved on from their leadership roles this past year. They include:
- Mebrat Beyene, WISH
- Alexa Pitoulis, Fresh Roots
- Maryam Al-Khawaja and Majandra Rodriguez Acha, FRIDA
- Michelle Fortin, OPTIONS
We hope you enjoy rest and connection this holiday season.