No More Silence

No More Silence: It's Time to Stand Together – A Call for Justice for BC’s Forgotten Families

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

For decades, people in British Columbia—especially single mothers and their children—have suffered in silence. We’ve endured the consequences of heartless cuts to social assistance, housing, and essential services under former Premier Gordon Campbell and successive governments. And it’s not over.

Many of us are still paying the price, day after day.

I recently learned about the courageous single mothers in Nova Scotia who stood up against discriminatory policies. Back in the 1980s, they formed Mothers United for Metro Housing (MUMS) to challenge unfair housing laws that made it legal for landlords to refuse them shelter just because they had children or were on welfare. Today, single mothers in Nova Scotia are still fighting against cruel policies like the child support clawback—which takes money meant for their children and deducts it from their already meager social assistance.

Sound familiar?

Here in BC, we’ve lived through similar injustices. Under the Campbell government in the early 2000s, the social safety net was torn apart:

• Thousands were kicked off welfare rolls under stricter eligibility.
• The Human Rights Commission was eliminated.
• Disability support was slashed.
• Affordable housing vanished while rents skyrocketed.
• Legal aid and education funding were gutted.
• Services for women, children, Indigenous communities, and people with disabilities were decimated.

The impact? Devastating.

Single moms were forced into deeper poverty.
Children grew up without stability.
Some lost their homes. Others lost hope.
Many of those children are now adults—struggling with trauma, housing, mental health, and discrimination rooted in policies made when they were just kids.

We Need to Make This Right.

We’re calling for a Class Action Lawsuit—against the government policies that caused irreversible harm.

We want to unite everyone who suffered under those cuts: single parents, people with disabilities, former foster kids, homeless individuals, and anyone who still carries the weight of that injustice.

But we need your help to do this.

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JOIN US: Rally for Justice

Date: Thursday, May 29
Location: Insert location here (e.g., Vancouver Art Gallery or BC Legislature)
Time: Insert time here

Let’s show up in numbers. Let’s speak up. Let’s show the government we won’t be ignored any longer.

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Here’s What You Can Do Right Now:

1. Sign the Petition – Start or sign here
2. Write a Letter – To your MLA, to the Premier, to the media. Tell your story.
3. Share This Post – Help spread the word far and wide.
4. Offer Support – Are you a lawyer, advocate, or journalist? We need you.
5. Join the Rally – Bring a friend, bring your truth, bring your power.

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Calling All Organizers:

If you're planning a rally, event, or action on May 29 (or after), please copy and paste this post to your own blogs, pages, or emails. Add your group name, contact info, and rally details.

We are stronger together.

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We’ve been suffering in silence for far too long.
Now it’s time to rise together and demand dignity, justice, and change.

If you're someone who lived through the cuts…
If you’re still struggling because of them…
If you care about fairness and equity in BC…

Stand with us. May 29 is just the beginning.

#JusticeForBC
#RiseUpBC
#MakeThemPay
#ClassActionNow
#ZipolitaSpeaks

A Wake-Up Call from the Sun

A Wake-Up Call from the Sun: Bell Outage, Solar Storms, and Why We Need to Pay Attention

For years, I’ve spoken about solar storms—those powerful bursts of energy from the sun that can disrupt life on Earth in ways we often overlook. Sometimes people laughed. Sometimes they rolled their eyes. But today, as Bell customers across Eastern Canada experienced a massive internet outage, the conversation is beginning to shift.

This isn’t science fiction. It’s space weather.

On May 14, 2025, the sun unleashed the strongest solar flare of the year—an X2.7-class event—that temporarily blacked out radio communications across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Just days later, a surge in geomagnetic activity likely contributed to the widespread service interruptions experienced here in Canada.

No, the world isn’t ending. But it is changing.

We live in an era of deep reliance on technology—on satellites, networks, and systems that weren’t built to withstand the sun’s full force. When a solar storm hits, it doesn’t just create beautiful auroras. It can jam GPS signals, disrupt power grids, and knock entire telecommunications networks offline, as many of us saw today.

This isn’t to scare anyone. It’s to invite awareness.

The Earth is part of a larger cosmic ecosystem. Solar activity is a natural part of that, and we need to prepare—not with panic, but with education, innovation, and a bit of humility. For too long, we’ve acted like we’re immune to the rhythms of the universe. We're not. And that's okay.

Let today be a gentle reminder: the sun isn’t just a warm ball in the sky. It's alive with power. And it’s reminding us to pay attention.

I hope Bell users are back online soon. But more than that, I hope we all start having deeper conversations—about preparedness, about resilience, and about our place in this interconnected solar system.

You don’t need to be a scientist to care. You just need to look up and be curious.

Stay safe. Stay grounded. Stay connected—in more ways than one.

With light,

Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
www.tinawinterlik.blogspot.com | @zipolita

Surviving on $26.74 in Vancouver: Stories from the Edge

  Surviving on $26.74 in Vancouver: Stories from the Edge

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

This morning I saw a job posting:
$26.74 an hour — part-time — years of experience and education required.
And it hit me. Again.
How broken this system is.

Let’s break this down:
Rent in Vancouver for a 1-bedroom averages $2,500+.
On $26.74/hour part-time? You’re lucky to make $2,100/month — before taxes.

What happens when you’re a parent, or a senior, or someone drowning in student debt?
What happens when you’re just trying to survive in a city built for the rich, supported by a system designed to profit off the rest of us?

Let me introduce you to some imaginary—yet painfully real—voices from Vancouver’s underbelly:

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Maria, 38, Social Worker
“I did everything right. I got my degree, then my master’s. I just wanted to help people. Now I’m $80K in debt, working part-time for less than a living wage. My teenage son works evenings to help with groceries. That’s not okay.”

Raymond, 67, Retired Construction Worker
“I built condos I could never afford. Now I rent a moldy suite from someone who wasn’t born when I started pouring concrete. My pension’s a joke. I spent a lifetime working and still ended up poor.”

Ayesha, 24, Immigrant Caregiver
“They needed caregivers, so I came. I clean toilets, change diapers, and sleep in a shared room. My degree doesn’t count here. I send money back home and eat rice every day.”

Lena, 52, Admin Assistant & Caregiver
“My daughter has a disability. I work two jobs. One’s just to keep the extended health plan. They want a degree for $26/hour part-time. Meanwhile, I skip meals to afford my daughter’s medicine.”

Jasmine, 17, High School Student
“My mom couldn’t afford rent anymore. I live on friends’ couches. I want to graduate, maybe be a writer. But how do you focus on homework when your stomach’s growling?”

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This is Vancouver.
This is Canada.
And this is why we need to talk.

Our city is being polished and sold to the highest bidder while the people who actually make it run are being priced out, worn down, and erased from the narrative.

The industrial system demands productivity.
The education system promises mobility.
The bureaucracy wraps it all in red tape and polite language.

But who holds it all up?
Women. Children. Seniors. The poor. The invisible. The silenced.

It’s time we listened.
It’s time we questioned every job ad, every budget, every salary cap for CEOs of “non-profits” that do nothing for the people they claim to serve.
It’s time we told real stories.

If you see yourself in these voices, know that you are not alone.
And if you don’t — listen harder.

–
Tina Winterlik
aka Zipolita
http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.com
#LivingWage #HousingCrisis #BCpoverty #RaiseTheRates #VoicesFromTheEdge

Below-Market? Not Even Close — Vancouver's Housing Plan Excludes the Most Vulnerable

 

Below-Market? Not Even Close — Vancouver's Housing Plan Excludes the Most Vulnerable
By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

This week, the City of Vancouver proudly announced the approval of 608 new rental homes, including 121 so-called “below-market” units. Sounds like good news, right?

Not if you're on welfare, disability, or low income. Let’s look at the numbers:

• Average 1-bedroom rent in Vancouver (CMHC 2025): $1,837/month
• "Below-market" rate (10% less): $1,653/month
• Welfare shelter allowance: $375/month
• Disability shelter allowance: $500/month

Even with a roommate or temporary top-up, these “affordable” homes are completely out of reach for those who need them most.

So who are they really building for?

They pat themselves on the back for meeting “affordability” targets — but those targets are set with middle-income earners in mind. There is no real inclusion for seniors, disabled people, single parents, or anyone on social assistance.

This isn’t a mistake. It’s a deliberate design to exclude the poor, while using the word “affordable” to appease public concern.

This isn’t affordability. It’s exclusion disguised as progress.

And we’re tired of it.

We demand housing that reflects the real needs of the people. Real inclusion. Real justice. Not more empty promises and fancy press releases.

Housing is a human right — not a privilege for the few.

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Sources:

• City of Vancouver Housing Announcement (May 2025):
  https://bit.ly/3ZsMVDP
• CMHC Rental Market Report – Vancouver, 2025 (used for below-market rent estimates):
  https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-data/data-tables/rental-market
• City of Vancouver Rental Incentive Programs Bulletin (2025):
  https://guidelines.vancouver.ca/bulletins/bulletin-rental-incentive-programs.pdf

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Tags:
#VancouverHousing #SocialJustice #DisabilityRights #WelfareRates #BelowMarketMyth #AffordableForWho #TinaWinterlik #Zipolita #HousingIsAHumanRight

Raise the Rates” Rally – May 29, BC Legislature-Please Show Up!!

PLEASE – Show Up for a Friend Who Can’t. “Raise the Rates” Rally – May 29, BC Legislature

This is a plea.

Not a promotion. Not just another event.
This is about survival.

Thousands of people in B.C. with disabilities are trapped in poverty — not by choice, but by government policy.
They’re expected to live on $1535 a month – with rents often over $1500. They’re being forced to go on welfare first, before they can even access disability benefits — and still, those benefits leave people cold, hungry, and hopeless.

This rally isn’t optional. It’s urgent.

We know people won’t want to go.
It’s a Thursday.
It’s politics.
It’s easier to scroll past.

But we’re asking you to do what your disabled friend, neighbour, or family member can’t do:
Show up. Speak up. Stand up.

Because they can’t afford the ferry.
Because they’re sick.
Because they’re tired of screaming into the void.
Because they’ve been ignored for decades.

The Rally:
“Raise the Rates PWD Rally & DJ Chill”
When: Thursday, May 29, 1:00 PM
Where: BC Legislature, Victoria

MLAs from all parties have been invited. And yes, even John Rustad will be there — but we need people with real values to drown out the performative noise.

We don’t need more empty gestures — like Jagrup Brar’s welfare experiment 20 years ago on the Downtown Eastside. He lived it for a month, saw how brutal it was, and STILL — nothing changed. Now they’re making people jump through more hoops for less.

We need Elizabeth May. We need you.

We need the government to raise disability rates to the actual poverty line — MBM ($2066/month) or LICO ($2448/month).
Not cake crumbs. Not staged sympathy. Real change.

What to expect:

• Fierce speakers: advocates, PWDs, and allies
• A postcard campaign to Premier David Eby
• Music. Cake. Community.
• Resistance.

"Let them eat cake?" No. Let them LIVE.

If you’ve ever said you support disability rights — prove it.
Go.
If you can’t go, share this.
If you’ve ever wondered how you could make a difference — this is how.

Be there. For a friend who can’t.

—
Jeff Leggat & Disability Action of Canada
#RaiseTheRatesBC

What If We’re All Losing It? Leadership, Mental Health, and the Future of Democracy

 

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

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I want to talk about something that’s been weighing on me for a long time: Alzheimer’s. Mental decline. And the terrifying possibility that the people in power are not well—and haven’t been for a long time.

Let’s talk about Trump. I’ve felt it for years: something is seriously wrong. The signs have been there, in plain sight—confused speech, random tangents, no ability to filter thoughts, an impulsive nature that makes every press conference feel like a dangerous gamble.

Dr. John Gardner, a psychologist and former professor at Johns Hopkins, has been saying it clearly: Trump is mentally deteriorating. His memory is failing. His speech is disorganized. He can’t finish a sentence without veering into nonsense. It’s scary—and not just because he’s visibly unwell, but because people knew and still enabled him.

There should be rules. There should be laws that prevent people with serious mental illness or drug dependence from holding the highest office in the land. We don’t let airline pilots fly planes under the influence or in cognitive decline—so how can we trust the nuclear codes to someone who might not even remember where he is?

But this isn’t just about Trump. It’s about all of us. It’s about the system that let this happen, and the people behind the scenes—like those pushing Project 2025—who are all too eager to use a confused figurehead to advance their own dangerous agendas.

And maybe, just maybe, this isn’t a fluke. Maybe this is the beginning of a deeper unraveling. Maybe microplastics in our brains, decades of environmental damage, chronic stress, digital addiction, and toxic food have already started a slow mental decay in society. What if it’s not just them—what if it’s all of us?

We laugh, we meme, we cope—but this is serious. What will future generations say, if there are any left to ask the question?

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Here’s what I want to leave you with:

• We need mental health assessments for public leaders—real ones, conducted by independent professionals, not politically aligned gatekeepers.
• We need to demand accountability for those who enabled this decay, who saw the signs and chose power over truth.
• We need to stop pretending this is normal—it’s not. A mentally unstable leader is not just a bad look—it’s a national and global emergency.
• We need to care for our own minds—detox, rest, disconnect, reconnect—with nature, with truth, with each other.

Because if we don't speak out now—if we don't push for change now—we may be remembered as the civilization that watched it all fall apart and did nothing.

#VoteBlueToSaveAmerica
#TrumpCrimeFamily
#AccountabilityNow
#MentalHealthMatters
#Project2025
#TruthMatters
#DemocracyIsFragile
#WeCanDoBetter
#ZipolitaSpeaks

The Missing Generation and the Cost of Abandonment

 Do you Remember? Or do you know..

• The destruction of social supports under Gordon Campbell in the early 2000s wasn’t just a “policy shift.” It was a severing of lifelines — especially for women, single parents, and children.
• $10/day daycare? It’s a lottery. And while politicians boast about it, 90% of families can’t access it.
• Women were — and are — forced to work, even during pregnancy, even while parenting alone, even with trauma. There is no choice. There is coercion disguised as “opportunity.”
• And now? Those kids raised during that harsh era — they're 20-something, and many are gone. To fentanyl. To hopelessness. To being unsupported, unheard, unseen.
• Teachers fought the government for 16 years, and still classrooms are full, education assistants are underpaid, and kids with special needs fall through cracks that have become chasms.

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The Missing Generation and the Cost of Abandonment

There’s a terrible irony in hearing politicians talk about $10/day daycare when only 10% of families can access it.

I tried to raise my child myself. I didn’t trust daycare, especially not after Gordon Campbell slashed the supports single mothers relied on. I was forced — while pregnant — to attend job search programs to qualify for assistance. That was 23 years ago. Nothing has changed. They’re still running the same playbook, now aimed at people 55+.

And where are those kids now? The ones born in that wave of cuts? Many are in crisis. Some are lost to fentanyl. Some are struggling to survive under the weight of trauma they inherited — from poverty, disconnection, overstuffed classrooms, parents who were forced to “cope” instead of raise.

Women and children are not supported in BC. They never have been. We’re expected to work no matter what. There’s no such thing as “mothering” as valid work. No room for grief, no room for healing, no room for choosing a different path.

This isn’t just a social failure. It’s a human tragedy.

THINK ABOUT IT!!!

When the Job Ad Asks for Everything — and Offers Very Little

 I saw a job ad today. It listed everything you could ever ask for in a childcare professional: years of specialized experience, multiple certifications, trauma-informed training, cultural competence, leadership skills, organizational abilities, creativity, innovation, communication excellence, and — of course — passion, compassion, and commitment.

It also listed the wage: $26.74/hour for 21 hours a week.

This isn’t an attack on the organization. I believe they care. But this is what the sector has become: underfunded, over-pressured, and leaning too heavily on the emotional labour of people — mostly women — who are expected to carry the world on their backs for less than a living wage.

WorkforceNOW, Indeed, all these job portals… they depersonalize the process. They treat people like code, resumes like algorithms, and humans like checklists.

It feels hopeless sometimes. You spend years gathering experience, volunteering, educating yourself, and still — it’s never enough. Or it is enough, but only enough to be underpaid and overworked.

What does “inclusion” mean if it doesn’t include the workers themselves?

Watching from the Other Side of the Fence

 It feels like we’re standing just across the yard, watching our neighbour’s house catch fire—knowing the wind could shift at any moment.

From Canada, we watch what’s happening in the U.S. with ICE—families torn apart, innocent people detained, even American citizens mistakenly imprisoned or deported. We see women and children disappear into the system, and we don't know where they go—or what’s being done to them. It’s terrifying. And we’re told to wait for the courts to sort it out. But justice after the fact doesn't save lives.

And what about the crematoriums in Mexico? That horror was real. Was it a warning? A test run? A glimpse of how far things can go when the world looks away?

We are watching from the other side of the fence, but fences don’t stop fire—or fascism. Canada must not wait until it’s too late to build protections. We must be proactive, not reactive. We must demand transparency, accountability, and humanity—before the knock comes to our own door.

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Background: What’s Happening in the U.S.

• ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has been detaining individuals, sometimes without cause or due process.
• Documented cases exist of U.S. citizens—some even born in America—being wrongly deported or imprisoned.
• Families are separated; children have been lost in the system for months or even years.
• Women report abuse, medical neglect, and sexual violence in detention centers.

The Unknown Fates of Women and Children

• Many detainees disappear into a vast bureaucratic maze.
• Court cases, when they do happen, come long after the damage is done.
• Public records and data are often withheld, leaving the true scale of the crisis unknown.

The Mexican Crematoriums: A Dark Warning

• Mass crematoriums discovered near border areas shocked the world.
• Questions remain: who was burned, why, and was there any accountability?
• The silence around these atrocities is chilling.

Why Canadians Should Worry

• Policies and practices can travel across borders.
• Canada has its own history of wrongful detentions and mistreatment—especially of Indigenous people and migrants.
• Private prison lobbying, anti-migrant sentiment, and opaque immigration policies are all red flags.

What Canada Must Do Now

• Enact preventative legislation to ensure transparency and due process.
• Ban private immigration detention facilities.
• Ensure full legal representation for all detainees.
• Establish independent oversight bodies with real power.
• Protect whistleblowers and journalists exposing abuses.

A Call to Vigilance and Action

We can’t pretend it’s not our problem because it hasn’t happened here yet. Justice delayed is justice denied—and silence is complicity. We must speak, act, and build firewalls of accountability before the fire jumps the fence.

The time to care is now. The time to act is now.

Before it’s too late.

Plugged in and Tapped Out- Part 3

Who Controls the Plug? The Risks of Imported Power

British Columbia has long been proud of its clean, abundant hydroelectric power. But as climate change threatens water supplies, we face a new and uncomfortable reality: our energy future might not be as secure as we think.

One risk is our growing dependence on power imports from the United States. With our own hydroelectric generation declining due to drought and low snowpack, BC Hydro may increasingly turn to the U.S. grid to fill the gap.

Why is this a problem? Because relying on imported electricity means putting a key part of our infrastructure in the hands of a foreign government and private corporations—whose priorities may not align with ours.

Consider the volatility we've seen in U.S. politics. Energy policies can change overnight, tariffs can be imposed, and supply can be interrupted. The recent history of trade conflicts and shifting regulations shows how fragile this dependence can be.

Local Renewables: A Path to Energy Sovereignty

Fortunately, there’s a better way forward.

British Columbia is calling for new renewable projects to generate up to 5,000 gigawatt-hours per year—roughly the output expected from the Site C dam—focusing on wind, solar, and community-led initiatives, including many First Nations partnerships.

These projects won’t happen overnight. But investing in local, resilient energy sources is the only way to secure BC’s power future and reduce our vulnerability to external shocks.

Energy sovereignty isn’t just about electricity—it’s about control, resilience, and protecting our communities in an uncertain climate future.

Plugged In & Tapped Out:Part 2

The Hidden Cost of Data: How AI Consumes Our Water

When we talk about the future of technology, it’s easy to get caught up in the dazzling possibilities: smart homes, AI assistants, self-driving cars. But behind all that magic is a hidden, thirsty beast—data centers.

These massive facilities house the servers that keep our digital world running 24/7. And guess what? They need an enormous amount of water to keep cool.

Why water? Because servers generate a huge amount of heat. Without effective cooling systems, they could overheat and shut down, causing everything from internet outages to loss of AI services.

Many data centers use water-based cooling systems—sometimes directly cooling the servers with chilled water, sometimes using water to cool the air circulating through the facility. This water demand can be staggering.

For example, some of the largest data centers use millions of gallons of water daily, often located in regions already stressed by drought or water shortages.

AI’s Water Footprint: Bigger Than You Think

Artificial intelligence, especially large-scale models and continuous training, is a big driver of this demand. Running AI algorithms requires significant computing power, meaning servers run hotter and longer, sucking up more water.

It’s a cycle few talk about: AI needs water to run, and water is getting scarcer due to climate change.

So as we cheer on the wonders of AI, we have to ask: at what environmental cost?

And what happens when water becomes too precious to keep our digital world cool?

To the Ones Who Can’t March: I See You

  To the Ones Who Can’t March: I See You.

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

I see you.

I see you hurting, exhausted, and just trying to survive — too tired, too poor, or too sick to come to the rally.
I see you wondering if it even matters, if anyone will ever really fight for us — or if it’s just more noise no one listens to.

You’re not alone. I feel the same way.

For over ten years, I’ve tried to get help. Real help. Dignified help. And it never came. All I got was judgment.

“It’s your fault,” they say.
“Your fault for working too hard.”
“Your fault for having a baby.”
“Your fault for being sick.”
“Your fault for saying no to Big Pharma, even though you saw what it did to your mother.”

They blame us for everything.

We’re punished for being too old to qualify for student jobs, but not old enough for a pension.
Punished for being born here, but not qualifying for the supports offered to newcomers.
Punished for not being able to prove we’re Métis, and not being First Nations either.
Punished for not dying, for staying alive, for “existing wrong.”

They say:

“We worked hard for our money — we’re not giving it to lazy losers who sit around all day.”

But they don’t see the truth:
We worked hard too. We still are. We survived trauma, illness, heartbreak, homelessness, and hunger.
And now we’re just asking to live with dignity — and they call that laziness?

This is why many of us don’t rally. Because we’re too busy just trying to breathe.

And yet, we have to keep trying.
Even if no one changes the rates.
Even if they don’t listen.
Even if they call us names.

Because someone out there might read this and realize they’re not alone.
And someone else might stop and finally understand that this system is broken, and it’s breaking us.

If you can’t march — I march with your voice in my heart.
If you can’t shout — I’ll write it for you.
If you can’t speak — I see you. I hear you. You matter.

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#ISeeYou #EndPovertyBC #DisabilityJustice #WeDeserveBetter #ZipolitaSpeaks

COME TO RALLY!! End Forced Poverty

  End Forced Poverty: It's Time to Change B.C.'s Disability and Social Assistance System

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

In British Columbia, people with disabilities are being forced into poverty by government policy. To receive disability benefits, they must first endure the hardship of living on Social Assistance, which is far below the poverty line. This system is not only cruel — it's broken.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

• Social Assistance (Income Assistance) for a single person: $935/month
• Disability (PWD) support: $1,535/month or less, depending on circumstances
• Canada’s poverty lines for 2024:
  • MBM (Market Basket Measure): $2,066.88/month
  • LICO (Low Income Cut-Off): $2,448.33/month

This means even people who receive disability benefits are living $500–$900/month below the poverty line. And it’s even worse for those stuck on Social Assistance while waiting for PWD approval — many are homeless or living in unsafe, degrading conditions.

The System Is Designed to Fail

Before anyone can access disability supports in B.C., they must go through Income Assistance first. That means:

• Living on just a few hundred dollars a month
• Being unable to afford safe housing, decent food, or medical care
• Proving your suffering, over and over, through paperwork and assessments
• Facing wait times that stretch months or even years

This system deliberately traps people in poverty — all to prove they “deserve” help.

We Say: No More.

We’re calling for immediate changes:

1. End the requirement to go through Social Assistance before qualifying for Disability
2. Raise PWD and Social Assistance rates to match the poverty line (MBM or LICO)
3. Ensure access to safe, subsidized housing for all low-income and disabled individuals
4. Reform the application process to be trauma-informed, transparent, and dignified

Join The Rally May 29th!

BC Legislature 

We're rallying for change:

• Rally, Music, Cake & Postcard Campaign
• May 29th – Details to come!
• Help us demand the eradication of government-imposed poverty for people with disabilities in B.C.

We deserve better. Poverty is not a personal failure — it's a policy choice. And together, we can change it.

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#RaiseTheRates #PWDJustice #EndPovertyBC #DisabilityRightsAreHumanRights #ZipolitaSpeaks

From Dot-Com Crash to AI Layoffs:

From Dot-Com Crash to AI Layoffs: What’s Really Happening in Vancouver?

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

History is repeating itself — and this time, it's hitting Vancouver hard.

The Dot-Com Crash 2.0?

In the early 2000s, the dot-com bubble burst after a frenzy of overinvestment in tech startups. Thousands of workers lost jobs as companies folded overnight.

Fast forward to 2024–2025, and we're seeing the same cycle — but with AI leading the charge. Massive tech layoffs at companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have affected tens of thousands of workers globally. Even software engineers, once considered “safe,” are being let go.

Vancouver’s Tech Scene Feels the Impact

As Canada's “Silicon Valley North,” Vancouver is caught in this tech quake. Companies like Thinkific and Appnovation have laid off significant portions of their staff. Local engineers, developers, and creative professionals are feeling anxious, especially within Vancouver’s highly diverse tech workforce, which includes many South Asian, East Asian, and international professionals.

What’s worse? It’s not just tech. Universities, retail stores, and community programs are also facing cuts, painting a wider picture of economic instability.

What This Means: Prepare, Reflect, Rebuild

This moment is about more than just job losses — it’s a wake-up call. Many people are realizing that chasing corporate stability may not offer the security it once promised. So what can we do?

• Build Local Resilience: Strengthen community ties, share resources, and support one another.
• Return to the Land: Create gardens, learn to grow food, build with natural materials — think Indigenous Green, not Corporate Green.
• Rethink Our Values: Ask yourself — what do I really need to live well? Is the endless hustle worth it?
• Prepare for Change: Diversify skills, learn to live with less, and stay informed.

The Big Picture

These layoffs and economic shifts are not just temporary hiccups — they’re signals. We’re entering a time of transformation, where people must look beyond money and tech for stability. We can draw inspiration from Indigenous wisdom, regenerative practices, and community-driven solutions.

Let’s support each other and choose a path that respects people, the Earth, and future generations.

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If you found this post helpful, please share it. Let’s start the conversation about how we rebuild smarter, stronger, and more connected than before.

#VancouverLayoffs #DotComCrash #AILayoffs #CommunityResilience #TinyHouses #GrowYourOwnFood #IndigenousWisdom #Zipolita

California Forever, Vancouver Never

 

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California Forever, Vancouver Never: A Wake-Up Call from the Edge of Gentrified Utopias

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

They promised us utopias.
They promised us opportunity.
But all we got were evictions, unaffordable rents, broken communities, and tents on the sidewalks.

From Silicon Valley to East Vancouver, I’ve watched the same story repeat like a tech demo on loop — just shinier each time, with fewer real people invited.

I once had a friend from San Francisco. He lived in the Mission District, where we both saw — and felt — what was coming. As rents exploded, small family-run shops vanished, replaced by trendy hipster cafés. Shuttles came for tech workers who barely knew the neighborhoods they slept in. The rest? Displaced. Gutted. Gone. I felt that same thing happening here in Vancouver. And it only got worse.

The "California Forever" Lie

Now there’s a new story being sold: a project called “California Forever” — a billionaires’ dream to build a “city of the future” on farmland in Solano County. They say it’s for everyone, but who’s really being invited?

They promise jobs, prosperity, green living — but we’ve heard this before. Just like Amazon’s arrival didn’t save the DTES, just like Airbnbs didn’t help renters, and just like condos sitting empty don’t house the unhoused.

It’s a tech utopia for the rich, sold with a smile to a public desperate for change.

Meanwhile in British Columbia…

Let’s not pretend we’re immune.
BC is being carved up. Developers and investors circle like vultures over unceded land. People are living in tents on sidewalks, in ravines, on beaches — while glass towers rise for foreign portfolios and billion-dollar tax shelters.

David Eby’s new housing bills fast-track development but often sideline Indigenous consent and local input. It’s the same playbook with a different cover.

They tell us “everyone will benefit,” but benefits seem reserved for the ones already at the top.

Tech, Water, and the AI Problem

These new cities — in California, in BC, in the minds of tech billionaires — rely on the fantasy that there’s enough for everyone if we just innovate hard enough.

But here’s the truth:

• BC is facing water shortages.
• AI and server farms devour energy and water.
• The more tech we use, the more land we consume.

Who pays the price? Not the billionaires building bunkers or digital fortresses. It’s those who can’t afford the next rent hike, who rely on tap water from overdrawn watersheds, who are already being displaced.

Colonialism in New Packaging

This isn’t new. It's just repackaged.
BC is mostly unceded land — land that has never been rightfully surrendered. And now it’s being sold off, developed, and cleared for profit, often under the excuse of “progress.”

The “California Forever” model is a modern colonialism dressed in solar panels and minimalism aesthetics.

Let’s not forget whose land this really is.
Let’s not forget who is being pushed out — again.

We Need to Speak Now, or Lose Everything

This blog post is a warning and a hope.
A warning that we’re walking the same path as San Francisco — tech-fueled gentrification, erased histories, and deepening inequality.
But also a hope — that we can say something, do something, change something.

Ask yourself:

• Who is your city really being built for?
• Are Indigenous voices centered in land decisions?
• Is housing a human right or a billionaire’s commodity?
• Will you act before your neighborhood becomes a “development zone”?

My Friend, the Mission, and the Memory

I lost touch with my friend from San Francisco. Our bond was built on shared outrage, on empathy for the working-class and the dreamers being pushed out. I don’t know where he is now, but I hope he’s okay. I hope he sees that more people are finally waking up.

Because the world is watching California Forever.
But they should be watching Vancouver.
And they should be listening to the people being pushed aside — again and again.

It’s time to fight for what’s real.
With art. With words. With truth.
And yes, even with AI — as a weapon for the people.

Want to share

Here’s a curated list of hashtags you can use at the bottom of your blog posts to help it reach more people across platforms like Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn:

General Awareness & Activism

#HousingCrisis

#UnhousedNotInvisible

#RightToHousing

#Gentrification

#StopDisplacement

#LandBack

#UncededTerritory

#SocialJustice

#EnvironmentalJustice

#WaterIsLife

#ClimateJustice

#ResistColonialism

#TechForGood

#EthicalAI

#ReclaimTheFuture

Location-Specific

#VancouverBC

#DTES

#BritishColumbia

#BCPoli

#VanRe

#SolanoCounty

#CaliforniaForever

#MissionDistrict

#WestCoastVoices

#UncededCoastSalishTerritory

Art & Storytelling

#Zipolita

#TinaWinterlik

#Artivism

#VoicesOfChange

#StorytellingForJustice

#BloggersForChange

#IndieMedia

#TruthTellers

Plugged In & Tapped Out: Part 1

Part 1: Drought, Snowpack & the Silent Strain on BC’s Power

We’re not paying attention. Not really.

Despite all the headlines, all the warnings, and all the science, we continue to ignore the most basic truth: no water means no power—and no power means no AI, no cooling, no lights, and no future.

This year, B.C.’s snowpack is just 71% of normal, and it's melting faster than ever. That may not sound like a big deal unless you understand what that snow really is: our power bank. Our clean electricity, our hydro-driven economy, and the invisible engine behind everything from TikTok to data storage to AI development.

The melt is already ahead of schedule. Rivers across Vancouver Island, the South Coast, and the northeast are running at or near record lows—and it’s only May.

So why does this matter to you?

Because in a province that prides itself on clean, renewable hydropower, we are sleepwalking toward a digital drought. And we’re doing it just as demand for electricity is skyrocketing—thanks in part to artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and an explosion of data-hungry technologies.

BC’s Silent Struggle: Power Generation Is Already Down

Former BC Hydro chair Mark Jaccard and climate experts have warned us before: as the climate shifts, our hydro advantage could become a liability.

Now, it's happening.

According to BC Hydro’s own reports, electricity generation is dropping—because there simply isn’t enough water in the reservoirs. Meanwhile, peak summer demand is rising as more people install air conditioners to deal with hotter, drier summers.

Let’s connect the dots:

• Lower snowpack → Less water in rivers and dams
• Less water → Less electricity from hydro
• More heat → More electricity demand
• More AI/data centers → Even more electricity and water demand

We’re heading into a situation where the very systems we rely on to build the future could be undermining our ability to sustain it.

Canadians Should Know:

Canadians Should Know: Why U.S. Cuts to Public Services Affect Us Too

While Canadians face our own battles over healthcare, housing, and climate change, massive policy shifts are quietly unfolding just across the border—and their effects could ripple into Canada and beyond.

Under Donald Trump’s second term, the U.S. government has slashed funding and laid off over 275,000 federal workers. Departments like Health and Human Services (HHS), the CDC, NIH, FDA, and even NOAA (which tracks weather and natural disasters) have been gutted.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading legal resistance, filing lawsuits against the Trump administration’s cuts to health funding, education programs, scientific research, and more. Her stand matters—for Americans, yes—but also for Canadians and anyone who cares about public health, science, and social progress.

20 Ways These U.S. Cuts Could Affect Us All:

1. Global pandemic preparedness weakens – CDC and NIH staff cuts mean slower response to disease outbreaks that don’t stop at borders.
2. Medical research stalls – U.S. defunding of Alzheimer’s, cancer, and mental health studies affects international collaborations and data sharing.
3. Vaccine development delays – Global trials and innovation pipelines are jeopardized.
4. Climate science is disrupted – NOAA layoffs include experts monitoring wildfires, hurricanes, and Arctic ice melt—issues critical to Canadian safety.
5. Weather forecasting accuracy declines – Shared meteorological data between U.S. and Canada could be compromised, impacting disaster planning here.
6. Food safety monitoring drops – Fewer U.S. FDA inspectors may mean higher risk of contaminated food crossing into Canadian grocery stores.
7. LGBTQ+ health programs defunded – U.S.-based support and research for marginalized groups is being shut down.
8. Mental health programs erased – Cross-border knowledge-sharing in treating trauma, addiction, and suicide is impacted.
9. Early warning systems go dark – U.S.-run earthquake and tsunami detection affects Canadian coastal regions too.
10. Drug regulation backlogs grow – Canadian companies relying on FDA approvals face delays or added costs.
11. Science diplomacy fades – Fewer U.S. scientists at conferences and in partnerships weakens international cooperation.
12. Public health staffing shortages – Layoffs reduce the global talent pool in key medical and epidemiological fields.
13. COVID-19 data collection interrupted – Canadian institutions often rely on U.S. tracking for variant monitoring and vaccine updates.
14. U.S. libraries and museums defunded – International access to archives, cultural programs, and public education tools declines.
15. Privatization pressures rise – Cuts could embolden Canadian politicians to mimic deregulation or shrink our own public services.
16. Loss of global leadership in health – When the U.S. abandons leadership, countries like Canada are pressured to fill the gap without the same resources.
17. Fewer cross-border grants – Joint academic, climate, and technology projects are losing support.
18. International students impacted – Many Canadian families have children studying in the U.S.—education cuts could affect their futures.
19. Migration pressures shift – Health and economic instability in the U.S. can lead to increased migration toward Canada.
20. Human rights regressions – Funding cuts to equity programs (gender, race, disability rights) could embolden similar rollbacks globally.

Letitia James’s lawsuits are a critical pushback. But she can’t fight this alone. As Canadians, we need to stay informed and vigilant—because when the foundations of public service, science, and justice crack in one place, tremors are felt everywhere.

Let’s spread awareness. Let’s stand up for shared values—across borders.

How Can You Pay Vancouver Rent on Minimum Wage? (Spoiler: You Can't)

How Can You Pay Vancouver Rent on Minimum Wage? (Spoiler: You Can't)

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

Vancouver is known for its mountains, ocean views, and unaffordable housing. That last part isn’t poetic—it's brutal reality.

As of May 2025, the minimum wage in BC is $17.40/hour. That works out to about $3,012/month before taxes. After deductions, you take home around $2,500.

Now let’s look at average rents:

• Studio: $1,971
• 1-Bedroom: $2,275–$2,500
• 2-Bedroom: $3,200+
• 3-Bedroom: $4,100+

This means that even the cheapest private rental eats up nearly all of your take-home pay.

Let’s say you're lucky enough to rent a 1-bedroom for $2,300. That leaves you with $200 a month for food, transportation, hygiene, clothes, internet, phone, and any emergencies. That’s not just tight—that’s survival mode.

Many people in Vancouver don’t “live” in the traditional sense anymore. They:

• Work multiple jobs to stay afloat
• Live with roommates or strangers well into their 30s and 40s
• Sleep in vehicles or couchsurf
• Use food banks to make rent
• Struggle silently with mental health and burnout

This isn’t just a crisis—it’s a slow erasure of dignity for workers who power our cities.

So who is this system working for?
Because it’s not the barista, the grocery clerk, the janitor, the teacher’s aide, or the care home worker.

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OPEN LETTER

To:
Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance, former Governor of the Bank of Canada
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
BC Housing
Hon. David Eby, Premier of British Columbia
Ken Sim, Mayor of Vancouver
The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
All decision-makers in housing policy

From:
Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
Resident, Artist, Activist, and Witness to a Failing System

RE: The Disconnection Between Minimum Wage and the Cost of Living in Vancouver

Dear Leaders,

I'm writing to you not as a politician, developer, or economist—but as a person. A person who has watched Vancouver change from a livable city to a fortress of glass towers no one can afford to live in. A person who sees the growing tent cities and hungry seniors and knows, deep down, this wasn’t inevitable—it was chosen.

How can a person earning minimum wage afford $2,300 in rent? They can’t. And pretending they can is an insult to everyone trying to survive with integrity.

If the goal of housing policy is to “stabilize” the market while everyday people are priced out, then something is very wrong. It’s time we stop prioritizing speculative investment over human needs.

We need:

• Rent geared to income that includes the working poor
• Rapid construction of dignified non-profit and co-op housing
• Living wages that reflect actual cost of living
• Accountability in how public land and housing dollars are being used

I urge you: walk through East Hastings and Main Street—not in a motorcade or for a photo-op. Talk to the people. Hear the despair. Then walk back to your meetings and do something real.

Because the gap between “minimum wage” and “livable wage” is no longer just a policy problem—it’s a human rights issue.

Sincerely,
Tina Winterlik (Zipolita)
Vancouver, BC
zipolitazcv.blogspot.com
tinawinterlik.blogspot.com

How the Royal Legacy Impacted Indigenous Families

 

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From Queen Victoria to Residential Schools: How the Royal Legacy Impacted Indigenous Families

Did Queen Victoria ever visit British Columbia?
The answer is no — Queen Victoria never set foot in what is now Canada. Yet, her name is everywhere: British Columbia, Victoria (the capital city), schools, parks, and public buildings. She ruled during a period when the British Empire rapidly expanded, including deep into Indigenous lands across Turtle Island (North America).

But if she didn’t come here… who did? And how does her family tie into what happened to Indigenous children?

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The Royal Web: How Queen Victoria’s Legacy Shaped Canada

Queen Victoria (1819–1901)

• Reigned during the establishment of colonial British Columbia (1858).
• Her government oversaw policies that enabled the dispossession of Indigenous lands, the Indian Act, and laid the groundwork for the residential school system.
• While she may not have signed every policy herself, the Crown’s authority under her name was used to enforce them.

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Key Members of Her Family & Their Role in Canadian History

Prince Arthur (Duke of Connaught) — Her Son

• Governor General of Canada (1911–1916).
• Symbolized Crown authority; visited Indigenous communities ceremonially.

King Edward VII — Her Son

• Continued Victoria’s imperial legacy.
• His reign coincided with increasing enforcement of assimilation policies.

King George V — Her Grandson

• Oversaw the height of residential school expansion.
• Canadian policies under his reign continued to strip Indigenous rights and identities.

King George VI — Her Great-Grandson

• Visited Canada in 1939.
• His time saw Canada’s wartime unification but colonial policies remained intact.

Queen Elizabeth II — Her Great-Great-Granddaughter

• Longest-reigning monarch until 2022.
• Represented Canada’s head of state throughout decades of survivor testimony, hearings, and truths emerging around residential schools.

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Why This Matters

This isn’t just history — the legacy of Queen Victoria and her descendants is deeply tied to how land was claimed and governed in Canada. The systems put in place under her reign and continued by her family caused real harm to Indigenous families — especially through the removal of children, their placement in residential schools, and the attempt to erase Indigenous languages and culture.

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Take Time to Learn

If you live on this land — whether it’s called British Columbia, Turtle Island, or another name — take the time to learn about the real history of how it came to be under colonial rule.

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Land Acknowledgment

We acknowledge that this post was written on the unceded, ancestral, and occupied territories of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. We honour the Indigenous peoples of these lands and their ongoing connection to land, culture, and community.

Learning history means listening to Indigenous voices — past and present.

Who was Queen Victoria?

Who Was Queen Victoria—and Why Is She Called the "Grandmother of Europe"?

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

As many in British Columbia enjoy the long weekend for Victoria Day, it’s a great time to reflect on who Queen Victoria really was—and why she still matters today.

Most people know the city of Victoria, BC is named after her, and that Victoria Day celebrates her birthday. But did you know she’s called the “Grandmother of Europe”?

Let’s unpack the legacy of this remarkable woman—and how her family shaped the modern world.

Queen Victoria at a Glance

• Born: May 24, 1819
• Reigned: 1837 to 1901 (over 63 years!)
• Legacy: Oversaw an era of major change—industrialization, colonization, the expansion of the British Empire, and the birth of Canada as a nation in 1867.

She was known for her strict morals, deep devotion to her husband Prince Albert, and a strong belief in monarchy, duty, and family.

How She Became the Grandmother of Europe

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had nine children. They strategically married their children into royal families across Europe, creating powerful alliances. That means her descendants ruled (or married into) the royal houses of:

• Germany
• Russia
• Greece
• Romania
• Norway
• Sweden
• Spain
• Denmark
• And, of course, Britain

This massive family network earned her the title “Grandmother of Europe.”

Royal Family Drama—And World War I

Here’s where it gets tragic and strange:
Many of Victoria’s grandchildren became kings, queens, emperors, and empresses—but during World War I, her grandsons were on opposite sides of the war:

• King George V of the UK
• Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany
• Tsar Nicholas II of Russia

They were first cousins—but despite their blood ties, they led their nations into a war that destroyed monarchies and killed millions. It’s a haunting reminder that family alone can’t prevent conflict when power and politics get involved.

Why This Matters in BC Today

In British Columbia, we live on land named after a Queen who never set foot here, but whose empire shaped borders, governance, and even the struggles for Indigenous sovereignty.

Victoria Day is an opportunity not just to enjoy a day off, but to learn, reflect, and connect with our shared past. Queen Victoria’s legacy is complicated—marked by empire, colonialism, family, and ambition.

Understanding it helps us ask better questions about who we are and where we want to go next.

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Did you know all this about Queen Victoria?
How do you feel about Victoria Day now?
Let’s have conversations that matter.

Happy long weekend, BC!