Monday, July 28, 2025

The Forbidden Book — A Glimpse

💥 The Forbidden Book — A Glimpse into The Alchemy of Ivy Mae

Life in 2025 is harder than ever for so many people — and it didn’t have to be this way.

While rents in cities like Manhattan hit $5,000/month, while minimum wage stagnates, and while people struggle with housing, food, and health... billionaires blast off to space or hide in remote compounds.

A few years ago, I started documenting this shift in a blog series called:
👉 Vanished: Chronicles of the Billionaire Exodus
— a collection of 34 raw, honest posts about inequality, greed, and escape.

Now, I’m continuing the story — but through a new lens:
A dystopian, visionary blog-fiction called:
👉 The Alchemy of Ivy Mae

It’s told through the eyes of Jas, a non-binary teen navigating the ruins of a post-electric world, uncovering secrets, warnings, and lost truths — like a banned book titled Let Them Eat the Rich, filled with graphic satire, forgotten headlines, and disturbing recipes for survival.

This story will unfold until May 5, 2026. I invite you to follow along and see where it goes...

📖 Chapter Fragment: “The Forbidden Book”

The storm outside raged as the control room flickered to life, strange bursts of power running through the cracked monitors. Jas stood, frozen in place, their eyes glued to the screen, unable to look away from the disturbing footage.

Then, like a forgotten relic, hidden beneath a pile of burnt papers, they found it: a strange, singed book. It was wrapped in a tattered cover made of warped plastic and brown parchment, its edges scorched like a survivor of some forgotten world.

The title read:

Let Them Eat the Rich: A Graphic Cookbook of Global Decline
(Contains Recipes, Rhymes, Emergency Warnings, and Illustrated Dystopias)

Jas opened the book, their fingers trembling as they flipped through the pages.

The first illustration showed a cartoon of greedy billionaires roasting on spits, basted with rental cheques instead of marinade. The next page read:

“Eat the Billionaires for Breakfast: How to Poach an Oligarch”
And the recipe was disturbingly detailed — from their flambéed yachts to the chefs dressed in corporate suits.

Jas chuckled bitterly, their stomach twisting. Dark satire painted the horrors of the present with an absurd brush, but behind the sarcasm was something deeper, more unsettling. As they read, they saw news clippings mixed into the book’s pages:

“PBS Investigates $5,000 Rents in Manhattan — A National Crisis”
“Metro Vancouver CEO Makes $700K While Social Assistance Pays $935”
“Housing Prices Surge as Tenants Face Displacement Across Canada”

The pages moved quickly: the disturbing cartoonish recipes were paired with headlines showing the stark realities of the rising rents, minimum wages, and corporate greed of the world before the storm.

Suddenly, the power surged again, and the control room filled with a strange blip—a broadcast was coming through, and it was almost live. A newscaster appeared, his voice trembling:

“In 2027, in a desperate move, the government allowed artists to take to the streets with slogans like ‘Eat the Billionaires for Breakfast’—while rents hit $5,000 in New York, and families were priced out of their homes across the nation. We now stand at a crossroads.”

The video was scrambled, but Jas could make out the shaky footage of tent cities, flooded neighborhoods, and the powerful elite racing to escape in rockets. The truth was buried in jokes and art, but it was still real. Still happening.

The book was more than just a parody — it was a warning. It was a record of what had been hidden from the masses.

Jas closed the book slowly. "This is what the world was becoming," they muttered, voice trembling. "Before the storm. Before everything changed.”

Ivy Mae stepped forward, placing a hand gently on their shoulder. “And now we need to change it back. Before the rest of us are cooked on that spit.”

🔮 What’s Next?

This isn't just a story.

It's a reflection of what's happening around us — and a warning of where we might be headed if we don't stand up, speak out, and start imagining something better.

So if you’ve been following my work — thank you. 💗 And if you're just arriving — welcome. There’s more to come.

📚 Follow the story:
👉 The Alchemy of Ivy Mae

📦 Revisit the roots:
👉 Chronicles of the Billionaire Exodus

🌀 Explore my world:
👉 Tina Winterlik Blog

Let’s keep telling stories that matter.
Let’s keep watching the skies — and the price of eggs.

With love and fire,
💫 Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

Part 1: A Country That Looks Away

From Residential Schools to the Downtown Eastside – Why Violence Against Women in Canada Was Never an Accident

We tell ourselves Canada is safe. That we are peaceful, equal, polite.

But the truth is: Canada has a long and bloody history of violence against women, girls, and gender-diverse people. And far too often, we simply look away.

🩸 From the Beginning: Colonialism and Control

This didn’t start in our generation. Violence was built into the foundation of this country—from colonization, to the residential school system, to forced sterilizations and child removals. Indigenous women have faced systemic violence for centuries—often at the hands of government, police, and institutions meant to protect.

Thousands of Indigenous women and girls are still missing or murdered in Canada. The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls called it what it is: genocide.

🔪 The Pickton Case – How We Failed Again

We all remember the horror of Robert Pickton—charged with murdering dozens of women, mostly Indigenous, many from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. But what’s often left out of the conversation is this:

Those women were ignored when they went missing. Their families were dismissed. Police failed them. The media barely cared. The public looked away until the horror was undeniable.

Even after Pickton, nothing really changed.

🧱 The System Wasn’t Broken. It Was Designed This Way.

Violence against women in Canada is not an isolated issue. It is connected to:

🚨 Poverty and lack of affordable housing
👮 Disbelief and dismissal by police
⚖️ A justice system that retraumatizes survivors
🏥 A healthcare system that ignores trauma or mislabels it as “mental illness”
🧒 A child welfare system that replicates colonial harm

Every missing girl, every bruised partner, every woman who doesn’t come home—this is not a mystery. This is a pattern. A design. A silence that we all inherit unless we choose to break it.

❗The Silence Still Echoes

Today, the violence continues. Women are murdered by partners, exes, men they tried to escape. Trans women are targeted. Young girls are stalked online. Single mothers are forced to choose between abuse and homelessness.

And we’re still looking away.

📣 This Series: Shining a Light on What Hurts

This is Part 1 of my five-part series: “Invisible Wounds”.

Over the next few days, I’ll explore how childhood trauma, digital violence, poverty, and a culture of silence are combining to create a worsening epidemic. But also how we can resist, survive, and heal.

It’s not too late to build something better. But only if we stop pretending this wasn’t by design.

✍️ With love, rage, and truth,
Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
🌐 zipolita.com | Facebook | Twitter

Sunday, July 27, 2025

Why We Crack Down on the Poor While Crime Hides in Fancy Houses

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

Let’s talk about something that many people feel but few dare to say: while police brag about busts in the Downtown Eastside (DTES), the real crime — the dangerous, organized kind — is thriving in fancy homes and warehouses across Surrey and Richmond.

🚨 Crime Isn’t Always on the Street

We’ve seen constant enforcement in the DTES — people being fined, ticketed, and pushed around for being poor. They’re visible. They’re vulnerable. And they’re easy to blame.

Meanwhile, in places like Surrey and Richmond, the real trouble — the quiet, hidden kind — is happening behind closed doors:

💊 Fentanyl labs set up in luxury homes and basements
🃏 Illegal gambling dens in upscale condos
💸 Money laundering through real estate and luxury cars
🚖 Unlicensed ride-hailing rings operating from warehouses and condos
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Human trafficking and worker exploitation in hidden locations

These operations are organized, dangerous, and profitable — and they’re often protected by money, silence, and the illusion of legitimacy.

⚖️ Unequal Justice

Why do we crack down on the poor while real criminals hide in wealth?

Because poor people are visible.
Because wealthy criminals blend in.
Because the system often protects wealth more than it protects truth or fairness.

It’s not just unfair — it’s dangerous. When enforcement is focused on survival crimes and petty offenses, the real threats grow stronger in the shadows.

🧭 What Needs to Change

🔍 Shift investigations toward organized, hidden criminal networks
🏠 Stop blaming poverty for societal failure
📣 Demand transparency about enforcement and police resources
🤝 Support real community safety — housing, healthcare, and fairness

🗣️ Let’s Talk About It

If you’re tired of seeing people punished for being poor while criminals in suits or designer hoodies get away with everything — speak up. Ask questions. Write letters. Share your story.

Because justice should not depend on your address or your bank balance.

— Tina Winterlik, Zipolita

Unlicensed Ride-Hailing in Richmond

🚨 Unlicensed Ride-Hailing in Richmond: What’s Really Going On?

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

Another Richmond driver has been convicted of operating an illegal ride-hailing service — and it’s the fourth time this individual has been caught. This isn't Uber or Lyft. This is someone using an unauthorized app to pick up passengers without a license, without insurance, and without safety checks.

💔 Why It Matters

These unlicensed drivers are not just skirting the law — they’re putting people in danger. There are no background checks, no proper vehicle inspections, and no accountability. That means you could be getting into a car with someone who has a criminal record or an unsafe vehicle. It’s not worth the risk.

🌍 A Message to Newcomers

We understand times are hard. Many of us have been in survival mode too. But Canada is built on laws and fairness. Skipping the rules may feel like the only way to earn money, but it comes with serious consequences.

🧾 Fines don’t erase a criminal record.
🚔 Multiple offenses can lead to arrest.
✈️ If you’re not a Canadian citizen, you could be deported.

If you came here to build a better life, don't throw it away by risking everything over a quick buck. There are safer, legal ways to support your family. Reach out. Ask for help. Look into work permit programs, rideshare licensing, or community resources. You don’t have to do this alone.

📲 Are You a Passenger?

Be smart. Don’t use apps that aren’t officially recognized. If the car shows up with no Uber or Lyft decal, and you're told to pay cash, it’s a red flag. You’re supporting an unsafe, illegal operation that could end badly — for both of you.

🔁 Community Responsibility

This is about protecting our community — including newcomers. We have to hold people accountable while also offering education and support. Everyone deserves a chance — but we also have to follow the rules that keep us all safe.

💬 Share your thoughts

Have you encountered illegal ride-hailing? What do you think needs to change?

Let’s talk about it — honestly, openly, and with a vision for a safer, fairer future.

— Tina Winterlik, Zipolita

Wild Headlines in B.C

🐾 Wild Headlines in B.C.: What Really Happened with the “Man Who Punched a Cougar”

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita | July 27, 2025

Today’s headline making the rounds is as wild as it sounds:

"Man punched cougar in the face to fend off attack, B.C. officials say"
By Lisa Steacy | Published July 27, 2025

At first glance, it sounds like a scene out of a movie — a man going head-to-head with a cougar and winning. But beneath the shock value, this story opens up bigger questions about how we talk about wildlife, safety, and media responsibility.

🌲 The Actual Incident

According to the article, a man in British Columbia encountered a cougar in a remote area. The animal reportedly approached aggressively. To defend himself, he punched the cougar in the face, which startled it enough to stop the attack. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured — human or animal.

While it’s a rare and frightening event, officials emphasized that such encounters are extremely uncommon. The article also noted that the man’s actions were a response of last resort — not something people should try unless their life is in immediate danger.

🗞️ Sensational Headlines vs. Useful Information

Sure, “Man punches cougar” is click-worthy. But here’s the problem — the headline overshadows the actual message: that cougar safety, awareness, and prevention strategies are what matter most.

What’s missing from the headline (and barely mentioned in the article) are tips like:

How to avoid surprising a cougar on a trail
What to do if you encounter one (stand tall, don’t run, make noise)
How to report sightings to conservation officers

Instead, we get a sensationalist angle that turns a terrifying, real-life moment into a cartoonish “man vs. beast” narrative. It may get shares — but does it help people?

🦁 Our Role in Coexisting with Wildlife

British Columbia is home to incredible wildlife, including cougars, bears, wolves, and more. As we continue to push further into wild spaces with our homes, trails, and roads, we’ll encounter nature more often. It’s up to all of us to learn, prepare, and respect the land and its original inhabitants.

While this story ended without tragedy, it could have gone very differently. Let’s not reduce it to a viral moment. Instead, let’s use it as a reminder to educate ourselves — and to push for more responsible media coverage that focuses on facts and safety, not just shock value.

📚 Resources for Wildlife Safety in B.C.

WildSafeBC – education on living safely with wildlife
BC Wildlife Information Portal
Report cougar sightings to BC Conservation Officer Service: 1-877-952-7277

🔑 Keywords:

cougar encounter, B.C. wildlife, man punches cougar, wildlife safety, sensational headlines, coexist with nature, media critique, outdoor safety, cougar attack, WildSafeBC

🏷 Tags:

#BCliving #WildlifeEncounters #CougarSafety #OutdoorCanada #WildSafeBC #ClickbaitHeadlines #MediaCritique #ZipolitaWrites #NatureNews #HumanWildlifeConflict

Why the “Canadian Passport Losing Power” Headline Is Misleading Journalism

📉 Why the “Canadian Passport Losing Power” Headline Is Misleading Journalism

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita | July 27, 2025

Recently, a headline began making the rounds:

"International rankings suggest Canadian passport continues to lose power."

At first glance, it sounds alarming — as if Canada is slipping drastically on the world stage, or that our ability to travel is being stripped away. But when you dig into the facts, you quickly realize this is yet another case of clickbait journalism that distorts reality and misleads readers.

✈️ What Does “Passport Power” Actually Mean?

Passport rankings — like the ones from Henley & Partners or Arton Capital — measure how many countries a citizen can travel to without needing a visa in advance. This includes:

Visa-free entry,
Visa-on-arrival, or
Electronic Travel Authorizations (eTAs).

The more countries accessible this way, the more “powerful” a passport is considered.

In 2025, Canada still offers access to over 180 countries. That’s an incredibly high number, putting our passport solidly in the top tier globally. So what’s really changed? Likely nothing significant — perhaps one or two countries adjusted their visa policies, or another country improved its access, nudging Canada down one or two spots.

🧠 But Here’s the Problem…

The headline implies an ongoing, serious decline — like our passport is becoming weaker and less useful every year. But that’s not what’s actually happening.

In fact:

There’s no major loss of travel access for Canadians.
There’s no crisis, no border shutdown, and no new travel bans.
The phrase “continues to lose power” suggests a trend that doesn’t exist.

This is bad journalism because it plays on fear and nationalism instead of informing readers. It’s sensationalism for clicks — the kind of reporting that erodes trust in media over time.

🔍 Why It Matters

In a world full of misinformation, climate anxiety, rising cost of living, and geopolitical unrest, honest, clear reporting is more important than ever. We need journalism that empowers people with facts — not one that fuels panic or pushes half-truths for ad revenue.

A more accurate headline might have been:

“Canada slips slightly in global passport ranking, but access remains strong”
or
“Canadian passport still one of world’s most powerful, despite small ranking shift”

See the difference?

📝 Final Thoughts

As Canadians, we are lucky to carry one of the most respected passports in the world. Let's not let misleading headlines make us feel otherwise — and let's hold journalists accountable when they choose hype over honesty.

🏷 Suggested Tags:

#Canada #Travel #Journalism #PassportPower #MediaLiteracy #Clickbait #FakeNews #ZipolitaWrites #CanadianNews #DigitalHorizonZ

The Forgotten Story of Juana Maria

The Forgotten Story of Juana Maria and the Lost People of San Nicolas Island

We’ve all said it before — “I just want to run away.” But what if it really happened? What if you were left behind, with no way back? This is the true story of Juana Maria — the woman behind Island of the Blue Dolphins — and her lost people, the Nicoleño of California’s Channel Islands. It’s a story of survival, silence, and the heartbreaking truth of colonization that we rarely hear in school.

🌊 Who Was Juana Maria?

Juana Maria wasn’t her real name. Her true name is unknown because no one who survived could speak her language. She was a Nicoleño woman — the last of her people. In 1835, when missionaries evacuated the last surviving Nicoleño from San Nicolas Island (off the coast of California), she was accidentally left behind.

Some say she ran back for her child. Others say she was simply forgotten. The ship never returned. For the next 18 years, she survived alone on the island, building shelters from whale bones, crafting tools, and living off fish, shellfish, and seabirds. Her only companion? A dog — a loyal friend who may have kept her alive not just physically, but emotionally. I wonder if it was like the dogs the Songhees kept — sacred, intelligent, loving. That bond mattered.

⛪ What Happened to the People Who Were Evacuated?

This is the part of the story that hurts even more. When the other Nicoleño were brought to Mission Santa Barbara, they were placed in the mission system — a form of cultural erasure and forced conversion. They were exposed to mainland diseases like measles, dysentery, and tuberculosis.

Within a year or two, most — possibly all — of the evacuated Nicoleño had died. The mission didn’t record much about them. There were no survivors left to speak their language. Their culture, stories, and identity were erased. This is why we don’t hear about California’s Indigenous tribes — because so many were killed, displaced, or silenced during colonization and genocide.

🛶 Juana Maria’s Rescue

In 1853, after many failed efforts, a man named George Nidever found Juana Maria on the island. She was in her 40s or 50s by then, wearing a skirt of green cormorant feathers, living in a driftwood hut. She welcomed them joyfully — singing, smiling — but she could not communicate with anyone. Her language had already vanished.

They brought her to Santa Barbara. But it was too late. She died just seven weeks later, likely of dysentery or tuberculosis — illnesses she had no immunity to after years in isolation. She was buried in an unmarked grave. Her dog — her only companion — died shortly after too.

📘 The Book: Island of the Blue Dolphins

Scott O’Dell’s famous novel brought Juana Maria’s story to a new generation. In the book, she is called Karana, and the story focuses on her strength, courage, and resilience. But it leaves out the tragic truth — the genocide, the loss, the silence. While the novel helped people learn about her, it’s our responsibility to tell the full story.

🕯️ Why We Must Remember

Juana Maria’s story — and the story of the Nicoleño — is not just history. It’s a warning. A mirror. A memory. It teaches us:

How colonization destroyed entire peoples, cultures, and languages.
How Indigenous women like Juana Maria survived unimaginable circumstances with dignity and strength.
How easily stories are whitewashed, softened, or forgotten.

But remembering her is an act of justice. Every time we speak her name, we give power to the truth.

🧠 What Would We Do?

We ask ourselves now: What would we do if it were us? If we were left behind, forgotten by the world, trying to keep our spirit alive? Could we survive 18 years alone — with only a dog and our ancestors in our heart?

Juana Maria did. But her story ended in silence, disease, and a lost grave. Let that never happen again.

Written by: Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
Sources: Wikipedia – Juana Maria, National Park Service – Channel Islands, History.com – Lone Woman of San Nicolas

May her name and the names of the Nicoleño live on. 🐚🌊🐾

The Real-Life Story Behind Island of the Blue Dolphins: Juana Maria

Her name was lost to time, but her spirit endures. Juana Maria — the real-life inspiration for Scott O'Dell's novel Island of the Blue Dolphins — survived alone on San Nicolas Island off the coast of California for 18 years, from 1835 to 1853. She was the last known member of the Nicoleño people, and her story is as haunting as it is inspiring.

Left Behind

In 1835, Spanish missionaries evacuated the remaining Nicoleño to the mainland, their population already devastated by violence, disease, and colonization. According to legend, Juana Maria either ran back to find her missing child — or was simply forgotten in the confusion. The ship never returned.

So she survived — alone.

A Life of Solitude

For nearly two decades, Juana Maria built shelters from whale bones and driftwood, hunted seabirds and gathered shellfish, and crafted tools from feathers, bones, and stones. But perhaps the most profound part of her survival was her companion: a dog.

This dog, possibly descended from the dogs brought by colonists or sea otter hunters, is said to have been her only friend — and a lifeline to her sanity. Without that bond, she may have died not from hunger, but from loneliness.

As someone with Songhees ancestry, I can’t help but wonder: Was this dog like the ones Songhees people kept and cared for? It reminds us that our connections with animals are not trivial — they’re sacred, especially when we are alone.

The Rescue — and Tragic End

In 1853, fur trapper George Nidever found her. She wore a green cormorant feather skirt and lived in a driftwood hut. But when she was brought to the mainland in Santa Barbara, no one could understand her. Her language was extinct. The world she had known was gone.

She died just seven weeks later from dysentery or tuberculosis — illnesses introduced by settlers. She is buried in the Old Mission cemetery, in an unmarked grave.

Was There a Child?

The legend says she went back for a child — but no child was ever found. Was it true? Did she live with grief every day, believing her child had drowned or been taken? That unanswered question still pierces the heart.

The Silence Around Her People

We rarely hear about the Indigenous peoples of California because many were systematically erased — through violence, slavery, forced conversion, and removal. California's Indigenous genocide is a part of history often buried in silence.

Juana Maria’s story matters because she was one of the last — and the last to remember her language, her homeland, her way of life. Her story is not just about survival. It’s about what we lose when cultures are destroyed. And what we must remember, before it's too late.

What Would You Do?

In an age of climate crisis, displacement, and uncertainty, her story asks us something profound: What would we do if it were us? Could we survive? Would we hold on to our humanity, our language, our spirit?

Let Us Remember Her

Not as a character in a novel, but as a real woman
The last of her people
A survivor of trauma and abandonment
And a person who deserves a name, a monument, and remembrance

May her story continue to wake us up. To teach us. And to remind us of the resilience of Indigenous peoples, especially women — whose histories still whisper from the edges of land and sea.

Written by: Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
Learn more: Wikipedia: Juana Maria, National Park Service – Channel Islands

In Loving Memory: The Golden Age of Television

🖤 In Loving Memory: The Golden Age of Television

1948 – Slowly Fading

We regret to inform you of the passing of a dear and beloved era—The Golden Age of Television, once brought to you by trusted networks like CBS and magical studios like Paramount.

This was the era of family living rooms filled with laughter, the scent of popcorn, and the flickering glow of shows that shaped generations.

Gone are the days when we gathered to watch:

The Brady Bunch – a wholesome reminder that blended families could be beautiful.
The Carol Burnett Show – where sketch comedy reigned with brilliance and class.
Sonny & Cher – full of sparkle, sass, and a kind of variety show magic we don’t see anymore.
I Love Lucy, The Ed Sullivan Show, All in the Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and M*A*S*H – each a reflection of its time, yet timeless.

Back then, TV wasn’t perfect—but it was something we trusted. CBS was "the Tiffany Network." Paramount made movies that brought us wonder. Journalists like Walter Cronkite and shows like 60 Minutes gave us facts, not spin.

But over time, cracks formed.
Corporate mergers swallowed creativity.
Profits replaced principles.
And now, a once-proud CBS risks becoming a mouthpiece, not a mirror, trading journalistic soul for political survival. Paramount—once a dream factory—is now another logo in a billion-dollar game.

We grieve not just the shows, but what they represented:

Common ground. Shared truth. Cultural touchstones. A time when turning on the TV felt like opening a window, not entering an echo chamber.

To all the sitcoms, dramas, variety shows, and news anchors who gave us laughter, tears, and perspective—thank you.
You will not be forgotten.

🌹 In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting independent media, public broadcasters, local journalism, and storytelling that still honors truth over profit. 🌹

A Reflection on Work, Loss, and Housing Ethics

When Survivors Become the System: A Reflection on Work, Loss, and Housing Ethics

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

In one of the job search classes I took last year, I met a woman who had an incredible — and heartbreaking — story.

She was a doctor in the Philippines, but like so many internationally trained professionals, she couldn’t get licensed here in Canada. Still determined, she built a life: she got a job at ICBC and worked there for 9 years. Then came COVID, and everything changed.

Her parents passed away overseas. She went back to the Philippines to grieve, to help, to reset. But when she returned to Canada — the country she gave so much to — she couldn’t find work. Not even with a long history at a government corporation.

At first, I really liked her. We had a connection — we’d both faced job struggles, systemic nonsense, and painful setbacks. I admired her resilience.

But then, something shifted.

She started promoting real estate and Airbnb investments in the Philippines. Selling land. Pitching condos. Talking about “opportunities” for Canadians to buy property “cheap” in her home country.

And suddenly, it hit me:
This is how we lose each other. This is how good people become the system they were once hurt by.

💭 The Bigger Picture

How many brilliant, hardworking immigrants are blocked from using their skills in Canada?
How many people, forced into survival mode, end up becoming agents of the very system that oppressed them?
And what does it mean when we turn homes — sacred spaces — into short-term profit machines?

I don’t say this with hate or judgment. I say it with heartbreak.
I couldn’t watch it anymore, so I blocked her.

Not because I didn’t care — but because I do. Because we need to start having these hard conversations. About dignity. About housing. About survival. About how we treat newcomers — and what we ask them to become.

🌱 What I Learned

Not everyone who starts as a victim stays on the side of justice.
And not everyone who “makes it” wins.
Sometimes, the price of survival is becoming part of the machine.

And me? I want to stay on the side of those fighting to change it.

💬 Questions to Reflect On

Have you ever watched someone lose their way after hardship?
What does survival look like in a broken system?
Can we build an economy where people don’t have to profit from exploitation to survive?

🔁 Related Reading

The Broken Story of ICBC

From Whiplash Cheques to No-Fault Nightmares: The Broken Story of ICBC

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

💔 Introduction

I remember being in a car accident as a teen. I didn’t say anything. I was scared my mom would find out. But the truth is, I was injured and should have been compensated.

At the same time, I saw people around me bragging about $5,000 whiplash cheques. Some were legit. Some? Not so much. The old ICBC system was full of holes.

Fast forward to today — and the system has swung to the opposite extreme. Now, real victims get nothing. They can’t sue. They’re denied support. And the trauma? It gets buried in paperwork.

📚 A Brief History of ICBC

ICBC was created in 1973 to offer public auto insurance to all British Columbians.
For decades, you could sue if someone else caused your injuries — even minor ones.
But over time, costs soared due to:
- Fraudulent or exaggerated claims
- Rising legal fees
- Lack of internal accountability

So in 2021, the BC government introduced the “Enhanced Care” no-fault model.

⚠️ What Is the “No-Fault” System?

Under the new model:

🚫 You can’t sue — even if someone was impaired, reckless, or ran you over
🧾 ICBC decides what care, compensation, and benefits you get
😔 There’s no compensation for pain and suffering
🧱 It’s hard to appeal or push back — victims feel helpless

This system was sold as “saving money” and “ending lawsuits.” But what about justice? What about dignity?

👥 Real People, Real Harm

🔹 The Senior in Hospital

Struck in a hit-and-run, this woman lies in a hospital bed, her life changed forever. She’s scared — not just of the driver who fled, but of ICBC. Her story is now public, but her recovery is private and unsupported.

🔹 The Artist with Eye Damage

Last week, I read about a man who lost part of his vision after being hit. He’s an artist — his eyes are his life. But he can’t sue. He’s left with limited compensation and no justice.

🔹 My Story — The One Never Filed

As a teen, I stayed silent after a car crash. I didn’t want my mom to find out. But I was hurt. I wonder now how many people, like me, stayed quiet — and today, even when they speak up, it doesn't matter under no-fault.

🧠 Questions for Readers

Have you or someone you know been injured and denied justice by ICBC?
Do you believe people should be allowed to sue in cases of serious injury?
Do you feel safe as a pedestrian, cyclist, or senior on BC streets?
Is it fair for a public insurer to have no accountability to its clients?
Are we saving money — or just shifting trauma onto the vulnerable?

🔧 Solutions and What Needs to Change

Here are reasonable, human-centered fixes we can fight for:

✅ Restore the right to sue in serious cases, including hit-and-runs, reckless driving, and impaired driving
✅ Reintroduce compensation for pain and suffering for legitimate injuries
✅ Create a truly independent review board for ICBC decisions
✅ Improve support for vulnerable groups: seniors, artists, gig workers, cyclists, pedestrians
✅ Ensure better education and prevention, not just denial of claims
✅ Pressure the BC Government and MLAs to reevaluate the Enhanced Care model

🗣️ Call to Action

If you’ve been impacted:

📣 Share your story — publicly or anonymously
📨 Email your MLA and demand a change to ICBC’s no-fault model
📲 Use hashtags:
- #NoFaultNoJustice
- #FixICBC
- #EnhancedCareNotFair
- #ICBCreform
✍️ Write a blog, tweet, reel, or post. Tag local news, city officials, and advocacy groups.

📎 Related Links

Let’s raise our voices. Because staying silent never protected us — and it never will.

Let Norway Keep the Farmed Fish

"Let Norway Keep the Farmed Fish" 🐟❌

A recent article from Business in Vancouver claims B.C. is “no longer viewed as a good partner” as salmon exports sink. But let’s be clear — this isn’t about wild Pacific salmon, it’s about the controversial farmed Atlantic salmon industry.

For years, many of us fought to remove harmful open-net fish farms from our waters. These farms have devastated wild salmon populations through sea lice, disease, and pollution. Indigenous nations, scientists, and coastal communities have called for change — and it’s finally happening.

If exports of farmed salmon are down, that’s not a crisis — it’s progress. Let Norway and Australia keep the farmed fish. We’re fighting to bring our wild salmon back. 🐟🌊💪

#WildSalmon #EndFishFarms #ProtectBCWaters #IndigenousRights #SalmonAreSacred #SayNoToFarmedSalmon #BCEcology #FishFarmsOut #PacificSalmon #OceanJustice

Saturday, July 26, 2025

One Last Light Show? A Farewell to Vancouver’s Sky Magic

🌌 One Last Light Show? A Farewell to Vancouver’s Sky Magic

Tonight, as the sky over English Bay prepares to ignite in a dazzling dance of colour and sound, a quiet thought lingers in the air:
Could this be the last time?

For over three decades, the Celebration of Light has been a highlight of Vancouver's summer — three nights when strangers become neighbours, beaches turn into makeshift living rooms, and the ocean reflects the brilliance of a city's joy.

But this tradition stretches even deeper.

Before the Celebration of Light, there was Seafest — a proud, playful festival born in the late 1960s, honouring Vancouver’s bond with the sea. It brought fireworks, parades, music, and sandcastle contests to the heart of the city. It made English Bay a place of magic and memory.

And for some, it became even more personal.

A dear friend once told me a story:
"The night my son was born, we were walking home from the fireworks. My ex went into labour right after the show."
That was 47 years ago.

That story echoes what this festival has meant to so many — not just entertainment, but markers in time. First kisses. Family picnics. Music drifting over waves. Kids with sparklers in their hands and dreams in their eyes. Lovers watching reflections in the tide. Elders remembering Seafest and wondering how the years flew by.

Tonight may be the end of that rhythm.

We’ve heard whispers. Financial strain. Environmental concerns. Budget cuts.
It’s possible this may be the final chapter in the fireworks saga that’s lit up our summers for a generation.

If so, let’s not say goodbye with sorrow. Let’s say thank you.

Thank you to the crews, artists, sponsors, and storytellers.
Thank you to the sea, always holding our joy.
Thank you to every spark that reminded us — for a few moments each summer — that wonder is still possible.

So grab a blanket. Find a patch of sand. Look up.

And if this is truly the last show, let’s make it count.
Let’s send a message into the night sky:
You were loved. You lit our hearts. And we won’t forget.

✨🎇✨
– Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

Friday, July 25, 2025

Silence, Power & Rape Culture in Hockey: Who Is the NHLPA Really Protecting?

⚠️ Trigger Warning: This post discusses sexual violence, rape, coercion, alcohol-related assault, and institutional protection of abusers. It includes references to personal trauma, survivor experiences, and systemic failures in justice. Please take care while reading.

If you are a survivor or feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone. Support is available:
📞 Canada’s Talk Suicide Line: 1-833-456-4566
📞 VictimLink BC (24/7): 1-800-563-0808
📞 Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC) UBC: 604-827-5180
🌐 Ending Violence Association of BC: endingviolence.org

🏒 Silence, Power & Rape Culture in Hockey: Who Is the NHLPA Really Protecting?

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

There is a sickness in hockey — and it’s not on the ice.

This week, the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) issued a public statement defending the five hockey players accused of the 2018 gang rape of a young woman, known publicly as E.M., in London, Ontario. The statement didn’t mention her name. It didn’t mention rape. It didn’t mention alcohol. It didn’t mention trauma.

Instead, it mourned the fact that the players “missed more than a full season” of hockey and insisted they should now “have the opportunity to return to work.” According to the NHLPA, the NHL's decision to keep them ineligible to play while reviewing the court’s findings is “inconsistent with the discipline procedures set forth in the CBA.”

That’s how much E.M.'s life is worth to them: less than a season.

🧠 Let's Talk About the Facts

In 2018, a young woman was invited to a Hockey Canada gala. She had at least 8 alcoholic drinks, provided by the players — men who were well aware of her condition. She was so intoxicated that she couldn't walk without support. Later, five members of Team Canada’s World Junior hockey team took her to a hotel room and assaulted her.

She was coerced into recording a video stating she consented. That video became their legal shield.

Even though the criminal case ended in acquittals, the facts of the night — the manipulation, the coordinated assault, the power imbalance — are not erased. They are part of a systemic pattern of rape culture, athlete entitlement, and institutional silence.

Let’s be clear:

This was not consensual sex.
This was not an isolated incident.
This was not justice.

🇨🇦 A Canadian Crisis, An American Mouthpiece

Here’s what burns: this didn’t happen in the U.S. This happened in London, Ontario — a Canadian city, at a Canadian event, by Team Canada players. The victim is Canadian. Hockey is part of our identity, our legacy, and our culture.

So why is the loudest voice defending these players coming from an American executive named Marty Walsh?

Walsh, the current head of the NHLPA, was previously the Mayor of Boston and U.S. Secretary of Labor. He’s not Canadian. He’s not a survivor. He’s not even a neutral party — he was hired to protect the players’ careers, not to seek justice or center morality.

Why is a man from Boston telling Canadian survivors, families, and fans that these men “deserve” to return to the ice?

💔 The Damage Isn’t Just To One Woman

E.M. may have survived the night, but her life has been changed forever. Like so many women, her trauma was captured, debated, dismissed, and now erased by people who still call themselves professionals.

And it goes beyond her.

A relative's wife was raped and sexually assaulted by the Paper Bag Rapist. They didn’t survive it.

I’ve narrowly escaped sexual assault more times than I can count. I was young and trusting. I drank too much at parties. I remembered things much later. I’ve traveled alone through Mexico. I’ve had to act smart, fast, just to stay safe.

Why? Because men thought they had a right to take what they wanted.

I’m 63 now. And I still don’t feel safe in some situations do best to avoid them at all costs.

Imagine how the girls growing up today feel — especially in a world where their phones are full of violent porn, toxic messages, and zero accountability.

This isn’t just about sports. This is about every woman who has ever been blamed, silenced, or destroyed by rape culture — and then had to watch her abuser walk free, and get rich.

🧠 What the NHLPA Is Really Saying

The NHLPA’s statement tells survivors:

You don’t matter.
What happened to you is unfortunate, but not important.
The careers of men who assaulted you are more valuable than your healing.
We’ll protect them. You’re on your own.

It’s the same message we’ve seen in the Catholic Church, in Hollywood, in politics, in tech, and in sport: protect the brand, protect the boys, bury the girl.

✊ We Say No More

To the NHLPA: Shame on you.
To Marty Walsh: Sit down.
To every sponsor, parent, journalist, and fan still making excuses: Stop.

Canada doesn’t need American leadership defending gang rapists. We need a reckoning. We need accountability. We need justice that doesn’t end when the camera stops rolling.

And to the women who are survivors — whether you speak out or hold your truth in silence — you are believed. You are not alone. And we will fight for you.

📢 What You Can Do:

Demand sponsors withdraw support until the NHLPA apologizes and reforms.
Share survivor stories and amplify their voices.
Refuse to watch or support NHL games while these players are protected.
Write to your MP and ask for better protections and laws around coercion, consent, and alcohol.
Name names — pressure works when we keep the spotlight burning.

💬 Final Words

Marty Walsh may not be on Epstein’s list — but he sure acts like he’s protecting the same boys’ club.

We don’t need more statements about missed hockey seasons.

We need accountability, truth, and dignity — and not just for the players.

For the women. For the girls. For all of us.

La véritable menace, ce ne sont pas les droits autochtones — c’est la propagation de la peur

🇬🇧 English (Original):

🌍 English : This article is available in English, French, and Spanish to support global understanding of Indigenous rights and reconciliation effort

🇫🇷 French:🌍 Cet article est disponible en anglais, en français et en espagnol afin de promouvoir une compréhension mondiale des droits autochtones et des efforts de réconciliation.

🇪🇸 Spanish:🌍 Este artículo está disponible en inglés, francés y español para apoyar la comprensión global de los derechos indígenas y los esfuerzos de reconciliación.

Par Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

L’article récent de Caroline Elliott publié dans le National Post, intitulé « La fin du Canada approche et le NPD de la C.-B. mène la charge », n’est pas du journalisme — c’est une propagande idéologique enveloppée dans une rhétorique alarmiste. C’est exactement le genre de discours diviseur qui freine la réconciliation et induit le public en erreur sur la véritable signification des droits autochtones.

Soyons clairs : ce soi-disant « droit de veto » que les Premières Nations obtiendraient sur les terres de la Couronne n’est pas une prise de contrôle hostile. Il s’agit d’un effort longtemps attendu pour reconnaître les peuples autochtones comme des partenaires égaux dans les décisions qui touchent leurs territoires ancestraux — des terres prises sans consentement.

🪶 Ce que Elliott se trompe

Elle affirme que l’engagement de la C.-B. envers le consentement autochtone sape la démocratie. Mais comment une démocratie peut-elle être complète lorsqu’elle repose sur des terres volées ? La Loi sur la Déclaration des Nations Unies sur les droits des peuples autochtones (DRIPA) vise à réparer les torts historiques et à aller vers une gouvernance partagée, pas à effacer les voix non autochtones. C’est une question de justice, pas de domination.

Elle affirme que cela mènera à la « fin du Canada ». En réalité, ce qui effraie les gens comme Elliott, ce n’est pas la fin du pays — mais la fin du contrôle colonial incontesté.

⚖️ Qui a le droit de décider ?

Ce qui est vraiment dangereux, ce n’est pas que les communautés autochtones aient leur mot à dire — c’est que des commentateurs colons tentent de susciter la peur du public en présentant la collaboration comme une perte. C’est ceux qui détiennent le pouvoir qui qualifient l’équité de “chaos”. Les paroles d’Elliott résonnent avec une longue histoire de résistance à l’autonomie autochtone — et cela doit cesser.

Les terres publiques ne servent pas qu’à la récréation ou au profit. Ce sont les terres ancestrales des peuples autochtones. Ils en ont été les gardiens pendant des milliers d’années avant l’arrivée d’un seul navire européen.

📢 Les vraies questions à poser

Au lieu de propager la peur, pourquoi ne parle-t-on pas de :

Comment la conservation dirigée par les Autochtones protège davantage de terres que de nombreux programmes gouvernementaux ?
Comment la véritable réconciliation implique de partager le pouvoir, et pas seulement de faire des reconnaissances symboliques du territoire ?
Pourquoi tant de Canadiens se sentent encore en droit d’occuper des terres qu’ils n’ont ni héritées ni achetées — mais qu’ils occupent grâce à un legs colonial ?

✨ Une nouvelle vision

La réconciliation n’est pas confortable. Elle exige de l’humilité, de l’écoute, et un changement dans la distribution du pouvoir. Mais elle ne signifie pas la fin du Canada. Elle marque le début d’un pays meilleur — fondé sur la vérité, le respect et la responsabilité partagée.

Alors non, Caroline. Le consentement autochtone n’est pas une menace — c’est une promesse tenue.

🇪🇸 Versión en Español

🧿 La verdadera amenaza no son los derechos indígenas — es el discurso del miedo

Por Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

El reciente artículo de Caroline Elliott en el National Post, titulado “Se acerca el fin de Canadá y el NDP de Columbia Británica lidera el cambio”, no es periodismo — es propaganda ideológica disfrazada de retórica alarmista. Es exactamente el tipo de discurso divisivo que bloquea la reconciliación e informa mal al público sobre el verdadero significado de los derechos indígenas.

Seamos claros: el supuesto “veto” que las Primeras Naciones recibirían sobre tierras de la Corona no es una toma de poder hostil. Es un esfuerzo largamente esperado por reconocer a los pueblos indígenas como socios iguales en decisiones que afectan sus territorios ancestrales — tierras tomadas sin consentimiento.

🪶 En lo que se equivoca Elliott

Ella afirma que el compromiso de Columbia Británica con el consentimiento indígena socava la democracia. Pero ¿cómo puede existir una verdadera democracia cuando se basa en tierras robadas? La Ley sobre la Declaración de los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas de la ONU (DRIPA) busca reparar daños históricos y avanzar hacia una gobernanza compartida, no borrar las voces no indígenas. Se trata de justicia, no de dominación.

Ella dice que esto llevará al “fin de Canadá”. En realidad, lo que asusta a personas como Elliott no es el fin del país — sino el fin del control colonial incuestionado.

⚖️ ¿Quién tiene derecho a decidir?

Lo verdaderamente peligroso no es que las comunidades indígenas tengan voz — es que comentaristas colonos traten de sembrar miedo presentando la colaboración como una amenaza. Es el poder disfrazando la equidad como “caos”. Las palabras de Elliott reflejan una larga historia de resistencia a la autonomía indígena — y eso debe terminar.

La tierra pública no es solo para recreación o ganancia. Es el territorio ancestral de los pueblos indígenas. Ellos fueron los guardianes de esta tierra por miles de años antes de la llegada de un solo barco europeo.

📢 Lo que deberíamos estar preguntando

En vez de sembrar miedo, ¿por qué no hablamos de:

Cómo la conservación liderada por pueblos indígenas ha protegido más territorio que muchos programas gubernamentales?
Cómo la verdadera reconciliación requiere compartir el poder, no solo hacer reconocimientos simbólicos?
¿Por qué tantos canadienses aún se sienten con derecho a ocupar tierras que no heredaron ni compraron — pero que ocupan gracias al legado colonial?

✨ Una nueva visión

La reconciliación no es cómoda. Requiere humildad, escuchar y redistribuir poder. Pero no significa el fin de Canadá. Significa el comienzo de uno mejor — fundado en verdad, respeto y responsabilidad compartida.

Así que no, Caroline. El consentimiento indígena no es una amenaza — es una promesa cumplida.

The Real Threat Isn’t Indigenous Rights — It’s Fear-Mongering

🧿 The Real Threat Isn’t Indigenous Rights — It’s Fear-Mongering

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

Caroline Elliott’s recent National Post article, titled “The end of Canada is coming and B.C.’s NDP is leading the charge,” is not journalism — it’s ideological propaganda wrapped in alarmist rhetoric. It’s exactly the kind of divisive narrative that stalls reconciliation and misleads the public about the true meaning of Indigenous rights.

Let’s be clear: the so-called “veto” she claims First Nations are getting over Crown land isn’t some hostile takeover. It’s part of a long-overdue effort to recognize Indigenous Peoples as equal partners in decisions that affect their ancestral territories — lands that were taken without consent in the first place.

🪶 What Elliott Gets Wrong

She claims B.C.'s commitment to Indigenous consent undermines democracy. But how can any democracy be whole when it’s built on stolen land? The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) is about repairing historical harm and moving toward shared governance, not erasing non-Indigenous voices. It's about justice, not domination.

She argues this will lead to the "end of Canada." In reality, what terrifies people like Elliott is not the end of Canada — but the end of unquestioned colonial control.

⚖️ Who Gets to Decide?

What’s truly dangerous is not Indigenous communities having a say in their own lands — it’s white-settler commentators trying to stir public fear that working together means losing something. It’s those with power framing equity as “chaos.” Elliott’s words echo a long history of resistance to Indigenous autonomy — and it needs to stop.

Public land isn’t just for recreation or profit. It is the homeland of Indigenous peoples. They were stewards of this land for thousands of years before a single European ship arrived.

📢 What We Should Be Asking

Instead of fear-mongering, why aren’t we talking about:

How Indigenous-led conservation has protected more land and biodiversity than many government programs?
How true reconciliation means sharing power, not just symbolic land acknowledgements?
Why so many Canadians still feel entitled to land they didn’t inherit or buy — but occupy because of colonial legacy?

✨ A New Vision

Reconciliation is not comfortable. It demands humility, listening, and a shift in who holds power. But it doesn’t mean the end of Canada. It means the beginning of a better one — one built on truth, respect, and shared responsibility.

So no, Caroline. Indigenous consent isn’t a threat — it’s a promise kept.

Why Justice Fails Young Women — And How Science Proves It

🧠 When Is a Brain “Old Enough” to Consent or Harm?

Why Justice Fails Young Women — And How Science Proves It

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
#BoycottHockey #EndRapeCulture #JusticeForSurvivors

Most people can’t even remember what they had for dinner last week — but somehow, our justice system expects a young woman to remember, with perfect clarity, the night she was sexually assaulted seven years ago.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a legal issue. It’s a human one, and science backs it up.

💔 The 2018 Hockey Assault Case

In June 2018, a young woman (known as E.M.) went out for what should have been a fun evening. Instead, she ended up in a hotel room with five elite junior hockey players, all members of Canada’s beloved 2018 World Junior team.

She was 20. They were 19–21.
She says she was drunk, surrounded, filmed, and pressured to consent on video.

In July 2025, all five players were acquitted.
Why? Because the judge found her story had inconsistencies, and because the players showed a video where she says she consented.

But let’s stop and ask:

🧠 What Do We Know About Brain Development?

Science now confirms:

The human brain isn’t fully developed until age 25–30 — especially the prefrontal cortex, which controls:
- Impulse control
- Risk evaluation
- Emotional regulation
- Long-term planning
- Moral reasoning

That means:

E.M. was not neurologically equipped to handle high-stress trauma, especially under the influence of alcohol and surrounded by power and fear.
The five young men, whose brains were also still developing, were likely heavily influenced by porn culture, group dynamics, and entitlement — but unlike E.M., they had the numbers, protection, and institutional backing.

🎥 That Video Wasn’t Consent

Forcing a drunk, overwhelmed young woman to say she consents — on video — after being surrounded by five men is not evidence of safety.

It’s proof of how far rape culture has evolved.
Now it records itself — and calls it protection.

💊 Alcohol, Porn Culture & Pack Mentality

E.M. testified she had about eight drinks that night. There’s no evidence she took any drugs. But toxic masculinity doesn’t need drugs to thrive — it thrives in locker rooms, on screens, and in silence.

We now live in a world where young men grow up on porn that often shows:

Violence
Group sex
Dehumanization

If that’s the “normal” they consume, then no wonder they think forcing someone to perform on camera is acceptable.

⚖️ Where Is the Logic?

There is none.

The justice system:

Demands impossible clarity from trauma survivors
Ignores the effects of alcohol, fear, shame, and shock
Protects powerful young men at all costs — especially when a beloved sport is involved

This isn’t justice. This is a script.
And we’re sick of watching it play out.

🔥 Call to Action

It's time to ask:

Why do courts still treat 18 as the magical “adult” age — when science says our brains aren’t ready until 25 or even 30?
Why do we treat trauma victims like unreliable narrators — but trust a video taken under duress as evidence of consent?
Why does hockey, a sport loved by millions, keep getting a pass on rape culture?

✋ Enough.

#BoycottHockey until there is accountability.
Share the science — about brain development, trauma, and coercion.
Stand with survivors, not systems built to protect their abusers.

We deserve a justice system that understands memory, maturity, and morality.
Not one that punishes survivors for being human.

🧠💔✊
Written with grief, rage, and clarity,
Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
zipolita.com | #JusticeForE.M | #EndRapeCulture

Airport Scam-PROTECT YOUR BELONGINGS!

Air Canada returned a woman's missing suitcase—but it wasn't hers anymore. Inside the returned luggage were a knife, toiletries, and a ticket scanner—completely different contents. Linda Royle was told by Air Canada they couldn't compensate her because she couldn't prove the original contents.

This raises serious red flags about:

Security breaches at airports
Possible baggage theft rings or inside jobs
The need for better tracking and accountability from airlines

💻 Why You Should NEVER Check a Bag With Electronics (Like a Laptop):

Risk of theft or tampering, especially in vulnerable airports.
No liability—most airlines won’t cover electronics in checked luggage.
Checked bags are often handled by third-party contractors, increasing the chance of an inside job.
If the flight is “too full”, gate agents may try to pressure you into checking your carry-on. You have the right to decline if it holds valuables.

✈️ What You Can Do:

NEVER check a bag with electronics, medications, valuables, or personal data.
If pressured at the gate, firmly say no and explain you have electronics and sensitive material.
Buy a smaller "under seat" bag that won’t get flagged, especially on crowded flights.
Take photos of your bag’s contents before travel.
Use AirTags or Tile trackers in your bag.
Use a travel lock, but know that TSA can still open them.

😠 If You Suspect Foul Play:

If you think someone switched your bag or tampered with it, report it to the police immediately, and file a formal complaint with:

Air Canada
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA)
Transport Canada
Your travel insurance provider

Call to Action: Boycott Hockey Now

🛑BOYCOTT HOCKEY NOW🛑

Call to Action: Boycott Hockey Now

The energy this Friday is heavy—because once again, we are watching a system let women down. The hockey players walked free, and the message is deafening: rape culture is not only tolerated, it's protected.

We call on every company, especially those led by women CEOs, and anyone who promotes, buys, or funds hockey to STOP NOW. If you continue, you are condoning rape culture—you are saying this is acceptable.

AI won’t even generate an image to represent this because rape is protected, sanitized, and erased in our culture. But we will not be silent.

If we ever want a society where women, children—humans—are truly loved and respected, the change starts here and now. And sadly, the only language this system understands is money.

Pull the funding. Cut the sponsorships. Drop the merchandise. Cancel the airtime.
Stop dressing little boys in jerseys.
Start teaching them:
❌ No, you cannot go.
✅ Here’s why it’s harmful.
✅ Here’s what love and respect really look like.

What happened was not “a mistake” or “youthful ignorance.” It was dehumanization. There is no justice when five men think it’s acceptable to use a woman this way—and the courts say it's okay.

We are not okay.
And we will not forget.

#BoycottHockey #EndRapeCulture #JusticeForSurvivors #StopTheSilence #PullThePlug

BOYCOTT HOCKEY

When I asked AI to help me create a graphic calling for a boycott of hockey because 5 men raped a woman and walked free, it refused.

Not because it doesn’t believe me.
Not because it thinks they’re innocent.
But because the system is built — even in digital spaces — to avoid “sensitive” topics like rape, abuse, and injustice...
Especially when the abusers are powerful men.

This is how the system protects pedophiles, rapists, and predators.
This is how Trump got away.
This is how Epstein operated for decades.
This is why there’s still no real justice for women.

Every institution — courts, sports, tech, media — has been rigged to silence truth, protect abusers, and gaslight survivors.

But I refuse to be silent.

To the brave woman they hurt: I believe you.
To everyone outraged by this: Let them feel our power.

BOYCOTT HOCKEY.
Until there's justice.
Until there's change.
Until women are safe.

#BoycottHockey #EndRapeCulture #JusticeForSurvivors #BelieveWomen #NoJusticeNoGame #ThisIsWhyWeRage #DoBetterCanada

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Why Are Women Dying in BC??

💔 Why Are Women Dying? Because Too Many Still Have No Way Out

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
July 24, 2025

In just three weeks, five women in British Columbia were murdered—each by someone they knew, a partner or former partner. The YWCA is calling this what it is: femicide.

This is not new. This is not rare. This is not “unfortunate.”

This is a systemic failure that continues to kill women—and gender-diverse people—because we are not seen as a priority. Our safety, our housing, our ability to leave abusive situations is treated as optional. And too often, it’s only when someone dies that people pay attention.

🚨 There’s No Help If You Want to Leave

People always say: “Why didn’t she leave?” But what if there’s nowhere to go? What if you can’t afford rent? What if every job application is rejected? What if shelters are full? What if the government gives you $1,000/month to survive—but rent is $1,800?

For many of us, the only options are to stay, or die on the street.

I’ve been there. I’ve been in violent, abusive relationships—verbally, emotionally, and financially. And I stayed longer than I wanted because I couldn’t afford to leave. That’s the reality for far too many women.

⚠️ This Is a Crisis — And It Is Preventable

Women are being killed because the system gives them no exit. The YWCA and so many other groups have demanded change:

🏛️ Declare gender-based violence an epidemic
🔎 Review every femicide to learn from it
🏠 Invest in long-term, low-barrier housing for survivors
💼 Create real job support for women on assistance or escaping violence

We don’t want headlines. We want options. We want safety. We want freedom. And we want to live.

💡 If You or Someone You Know Needs Help:

VictimLink BC (Free, 24/7, Multilingual)
📞 Call or text: 1-800-563-0808
📧 Email: 211-VictimLinkBC@uwbc.ca

Talk to someone. You're not alone. Help is out there—but we also need to demand better help, safer systems, and real support.

We can’t fix this alone. But together, we can make sure no one has to suffer in silence again.

With strength, love, and fire,
Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
🌐 zipolita.com | Facebook | Twitter

When Feeding Bears is More Than Just Reckless –

🐻 When Feeding Bears is More Than Just Reckless – It Could Be Deadly

By Zipolita (Tina Winterlik)
July 24, 2025

I just read an article in the North Shore News about a man convicted of feeding bears near the Capilano River. He left piles of food out in the open—an area frequented by hikers, dog walkers, and children.

And now he’s failed to appear for sentencing.

This is more than just breaking the law. This is endangering the lives of wild animals and humans. When people feed wildlife, they condition them to associate food with humans. That almost always ends with the animal being euthanized.

And I have to ask:
Why was he doing this? What were his real motives?

We know that globally, bears are poached for their paws and internal organs. There is a black market for bear gallbladders, paws, and even meat. How do we know this wasn’t part of something more sinister?

And if this man is not a Canadian citizen—if he is here on a visa or residency— he should be deported. Not just for feeding wildlife, but for failing to show up for sentencing, a basic responsibility in any legal process.

📣 A Call to Action

I'm calling on the following people and agencies to take this seriously:

The Honourable George Heyman, BC Minister of Environment
BC Conservation Officer Service
West Vancouver Police Department
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
Public Prosecution Service of Canada

We need:

A thorough investigation into this individual’s background and activities.
To know if there are ties to wildlife trafficking.
Stronger penalties for people who bait or habituate wildlife.
Policies that consider deportation for non-citizens who deliberately endanger public safety and protected species.

🐾 Protect the Animals. Protect the People.

Too many bears have already died this year because of humans. These animals aren’t dangerous until we make them that way. If someone lures them in with food, they’re sentencing that bear to death—and putting all of us at risk.

Enough is enough.

Let’s make this case a turning point.

🖋️ Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
💻 zipolita.com
Facebook | Twitter

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

15 Year Old Boy Was Stabbed and Killed in Downtown Vancouver 💔

15Year Old Boy Was Stabbed and Killed in Downtown Vancouver 💔

What is happening to our city?

Late Saturday night, near Robson Square, a 15-year-old boy from Surrey was brutally stabbed.
He died in hospital early the next morning.

This is devastating.
He was just a child.
Someone’s son, a friend, a classmate.
A young life full of dreams — stolen.

🕯️ My heart breaks for his family. I am so sorry for your loss. No one should have to go through this.

This tragedy has shaken me deeply.
Vancouver is my home. It’s supposed to be a place of peace, inclusion, and safety — especially for our youth.
But the violence we’re seeing lately… it’s terrifying. And it’s getting worse.

I can’t help but think of Reena Virk, a teen murdered by other youth years ago.
It took a long time for the truth to come out — because people were too afraid to speak.
Afraid of gang codes. Of retaliation. Of being cast out.

We cannot let fear win.
Not again.

💥 If you were near Robson Square / Hornby Street on Saturday, July 19 between 11:30–11:45 pm — and saw anything — please come forward.

Even if you think it’s small or insignificant.
Even if you’re scared.
Please speak.
📞 Call the Vancouver Police Homicide Unit at 604‑717‑2500

Together, let’s help this family find justice.
Let’s make our streets safe again.
Let’s not lose another child to silence.

#JusticeForOurYouth
#RobsonSquare
#VancouverViolence
#StopYouthViolence
#RememberReenaVirk
#NoMoreSilence
#YouthDeservePeace
#SafeStreetsNow
#RestInPeace
#VancouverCommunity

Monday, July 21, 2025

Justice Denied by Design: When Winning Isn’t Enough

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

You do everything right.
You experience discrimination. You feel unsafe, disrespected, degraded — maybe even traumatized. You file a complaint through the proper human rights channels. You follow their rules. You wait. You hope.

And then — you win.
The Human Rights Tribunal agrees:
Yes, you were discriminated against. Yes, the harm was real. They issue a ruling in your favour. Maybe you’re granted compensation. Maybe a policy change. Maybe just an apology.

But then comes the gut punch:
Nobody makes them follow the order. Not in BC. Not federally. Not anywhere in Canada.

🧱 BC Human Rights System — Justice on Paper

In British Columbia, if you file a complaint through the BC Human Rights Tribunal, and you win — it’s still not over.

If the person, company, or government agency refuses to comply with the ruling, you have to go to the BC Supreme Court to get it enforced. You have to spend more time, more emotional energy, and possibly more money just to make your win real.

No enforcement support.
No public lawyer.
No government follow-up.

🏛️ Federal Human Rights System — Same Story, Bigger Scale

At the federal level, if your issue is with a national employer or agency — like Canada Post, the RCMP, Air Canada, or a telecom giant — you go through the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC). If they agree your case has merit, it gets referred to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

And again: if you win, you still might not get justice.

If the respondent ignores the Tribunal’s ruling, you’re forced to go to Federal Court to enforce it.

Another court. More stress. More delay. No help.
Meanwhile, the discrimination continues. The harm deepens. And you’re left to fight alone — again.

💸 Who Really Wins?

Here’s the bitter truth:

The Tribunal employees get paid.
The Commissioners get paid.
The system looks good in reports.

But the victim — the person who went through all the pain and the process — gets paper justice and a mountain of new barriers.

“It’s like winning the lottery — and then being told you have to build the bank yourself to get the money out.”

🧨 The Real Impact

This system:

Fails the poor
Punishes the disabled
Exhausts the already-traumatized
Rewards those with money and lawyers

It’s designed for show, not substance. For reports, not results.

“You were right — but we won’t help you.”

✊ What Needs to Change

If Canada and BC are serious about human rights, they must:

Give Tribunals direct enforcement power
Automatically register decisions with the courts
Provide legal aid or public assistance for enforcement
Penalize organizations that refuse to comply

Because otherwise, all of it — the hearings, the statements, the values on the websites — are just empty performance.

🧠 Reflection Questions

Have you or someone you know been through a human rights process that led nowhere?
Do you think most people can afford to go to court to enforce their rights?
Why do you think enforcement isn’t automatic in a country that claims to value justice?
What could a truly fair system look like for people without money or legal support?

📣 Take Action

Ask our leaders directly:

Premier David Eby: premier@gov.bc.ca
Attorney General of BC: AG.Minister@gov.bc.ca
Federal Minister of Justice: mcu@justice.gc.ca
Your local MLA or MP: Find your MP | Find your MLA

Ask them:

Why aren’t Human Rights Tribunal decisions automatically enforced?
What is being done to support low-income and vulnerable people who win cases?
Will they commit to reforming the system so that winning isn’t just symbolic?

Justice on paper means nothing if you can’t eat.
The system shouldn’t congratulate you while making you fight for survival.

#JusticeForThe99 #HumanRightsReform #StrugglingForDignity #Zipolita #DigitalHorizonZ

Ken Sim Let Vancouver Bleed — Now He Wants FIFA?

What happened after the fireworks was not just a one-off incident. It was the result of months — years — of negligence, cruelty, and shortsighted leadership. We saw a man beaten in the streets in what appeared to be a racially motivated attack. We saw someone stabbed on a bus, basically right outside my window. A serious police incident unfolded at Robson Square. And this all happened in one night.

It’s clear now: Mayor Ken Sim has failed the people of Vancouver.

Under his leadership, our city has become more dangerous, more divided, and more hostile to the most vulnerable. He ran on promises of safety — instead, he bulldozed encampments, treated unhoused people like trash, and did nothing meaningful to address the root issues: poverty, mental health, addiction, and the housing crisis.

We warned this would happen. You can’t sweep people off sidewalks and expect peace. You can’t let hate grow unchecked and expect harmony. And you can’t cut corners on community support and expect anything but disaster.

Our Youth Are Lost — And This Is What We Show Them?

Our young people are angry, confused, and disillusioned. They see a city full of broken promises, unaffordable homes, and leaders who care more about photo ops than real change. What happened during and after the fireworks wasn’t just chaos — it was a cry for help from a city in crisis.

And Now We Want to Host FIFA?

FIFA?! Are we serious? How can we justify spending billions on a corporate spectacle when we can’t even protect our own citizens on a summer night in July? What kind of twisted priorities do we have when luxury tourists matter more than the kids growing up with no hope, no stability, and no future?

This is not leadership. This is failure driven by greed, optics, and denial.

Vancouver Needs to Wake Up

If we continue down this path, we won’t just lose our fireworks — we’ll lose the soul of this city. Vancouver once stood for diversity, kindness, and community. But now, we’re at a crossroads: Stand up and demand better, or let this city die under the weight of corporate deals and empty promises.

The question isn’t “Can we host FIFA?” It’s: Can we survive another year like this?

#VancouverInCrisis #KenSimFailedUs #NoToFIFA2026 #SafeStreetsNow #EndHate #FightForVancouver #NotJustFireworks #WhereIsTheLogic #StopTheGreed

BC’s War on the Poor

How BC’s War on the Poor Began: Gordon Campbell’s Legacy of Harm

Published by Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

Many people don’t realize that what we’re living through today—the deep poverty, housing crisis, stigma against the poor—began more than 20 years ago. It wasn’t an accident. It was engineered, and it started with Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals in the early 2000s.

🚨 The Cuts That Changed Everything

When Gordon Campbell became premier in 2001, his government unleashed a wave of brutal cuts that reshaped BC’s entire social safety net. These were not tweaks—they were structural dismantlings of programs meant to protect the most vulnerable.

✅ Slashed welfare rates
✅ Cancelled support programs for single parents, youth, and disabled people
✅ Introduced harsh “employability” tests and time limits
✅ Closed mental health institutions with no real alternatives
✅ Cut eligibility rules for income assistance by half
✅ Eliminated the BC Human Rights Commission in 2002
✅ Framed it all as a push to make everyone richer

This left countless people with no safety net—and it planted the seeds of today’s homelessness, addiction crises, and systemic inequality.

💥 The Stigma Strategy

The most insidious part? It wasn’t just about cuts. It was about creating a culture of blame and shame toward anyone who needed help.

Welfare offices posted signs warning about “fraud.” News stories focused on “cheats.” The messaging was clear: if you were poor, it was your fault. If you needed help, you were the problem.

It was the beginning of a cruel ideology that echoes what we see today from Elon Musk, Trump, and others: Destroy public supports. Glorify wealth. Demonize the poor.

🛑 Killing the Human Rights Commission

In 2002, the Campbell government shut down the BC Human Rights Commission. This meant:

No systemic investigations of racism, ableism, or poverty-related discrimination
No proactive education or policy guidance
Only individual complaints could be filed—putting the burden on the victim

This was a devastating blow to equity and justice in BC. And it remained that way until 2020, when the Commission was finally reinstated after nearly two decades.

🧠 A Legacy of Harm

Today’s poverty and homelessness crisis didn’t come from nowhere. It came from policy. It came from deliberate decisions to cut, punish, and privatize.

That legacy still affects us now. We see it every time someone is denied disability, forced into unsafe housing, or humiliated at the welfare office.

“When Gordon Campbell gutted the system, he didn’t just balance a budget—he broke the safety net. And we’ve been falling ever since.” – Zipolita (Tina Winterlik)

📚 Sources & Further Reading

📣 Stay tuned

This is part of a larger series exploring the roots of poverty and why social programs today still fail so many people. Follow along as we expose the truth, tell real stories, and call for real change.

#BCPoverty #GordonCampbellCuts #SocialJustice #Zipolita #HumanRightsNow #DignityForAll #BringBackTheCommission

To Serve Us Up?

🌌 "To Serve Us Up?" — Aliens, Interstellar Rocks & the Hunger for Hope

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and just whispered:

"I wish aliens would hurry up and help us."

I have.

Between the endless wars, the greed, the cruelty toward the most vulnerable, and the poisoning of the planet—we reach this point of desperation where we start hoping that something—someone—out there might swoop in and save us.

Lately, strange space objects have started appearing.
‘Oumuamua. 2I/Borisov. Now, 3I/ATLAS.
Avi Loeb, a Harvard astronomer, even asks:

"What if these aren't just rocks? What if one is a probe, or tech, or... something else?"

They move oddly. Reflect light like nothing we've seen. Some scientists roll their eyes. Others lean in with curiosity.

And many of us?

We dare to hope.

Maybe it's alien tech.
Maybe they’re watching.
Maybe they’ve seen enough.
Maybe they’ll help us fix what we’ve broken.

But then—I remember that old Twilight Zone episode:
"To Serve Man."

Aliens came with gifts.
They ended hunger. Brought peace.
They gave us a book titled To Serve Man.

It wasn’t until too late that someone translated it and found out…

It was a cookbook.

And that hits different now.

Because no one is coming. Not aliens. Not angels.
Not billionaires in rockets.
Not governments obsessed with growth over goodness.

We have to save ourselves.

And maybe—just maybe—that’s the most advanced intelligence of all:

Organizing together.
Creating real community.
Growing gardens instead of greed.
Using our voices like signals, sent out across the noise.

Maybe we’re the “aliens” we’ve been waiting for.
Maybe we’re the tech, the light, the hope—if we choose to be.

And if the next interstellar rock is a probe?

Let’s hope we’ve evolved enough to greet it as equals… not as prey.

Blog post written by Zipolita — Artist, Truth-Seeker, Sky-Watcher.

How One Woman’s Pain Helped Elect Trump

💔 How One Woman’s Pain Helped Elect Trump — And What The Rest of Us Missed

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

Not everyone has seen the documentaries The Great Hack or The Social Dilemma — and that’s a problem.

Because inside those stories lies a chilling truth: one woman, Brittany Kaiser, helped flip the U.S. election in 2016, not because she believed in Trump, but because she was desperate.

🏚️ From Family Foreclosure to Data Weaponry

Kaiser worked for Cambridge Analytica, the shady data firm funded by billionaire Robert Mercer. They harvested Facebook data from millions of users without consent and used it to create weaponized political ads tailored to people’s psychological profiles.

In The Great Hack (Netflix), Kaiser reveals she had been an idealistic liberal, but after her family lost their home during the 2008 financial crash, she found herself broke and on food stamps. Struggling to survive, she joined a company she didn’t morally align with.

“When you’re on food stamps, when you’re about to be homeless, you’re willing to work for anyone.”

That "anyone" was a company helping Donald Trump win the presidency.

🤖 Social Media: The Real Puppet Master

The Social Dilemma (also on Netflix) takes it further, showing how algorithms manipulate our behavior, feeding people rage, fear, and misinformation to keep them scrolling—and voting a certain way.

The scary part? These systems are still running today. The billionaires behind these platforms know exactly what they’re doing. They profit while democracy burns.

⚠️ Why We Must Watch These Films

They expose how
They show how tech giants manipulate truth and use us as data points
They remind us that the real threat isn’t just who’s elected—but how

Brittany Kaiser wasn’t evil. She was exploited by the same system that broke millions of people in 2008. Her story is tragic, but also a warning.

💡 Watch these films. Share them. Talk about them.

The Great Hack – Netflix (2019)
The Social Dilemma – Netflix (2020)

If we want justice for the 99%, we need to understand how easily truth gets bought and sold.

📢 Have you seen these documentaries? What did you think?
Drop a comment or share this post to help others wake up too.

#JusticeForThe99 #TheGreatHack #TheSocialDilemma #DataRights #WakeUpWorld

When the Billionaires Fell:

🏛️ When the Billionaires Fell: What History Teaches Us About Taking Down the Powerful

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

History has a long memory—and it’s seen the fall of empires, monarchies, robber barons, and elite dynasties.

So when people ask, “How can we ever bring down today’s billionaires?” — the answer is: we already have. Again and again.

But it doesn’t happen by waiting. It happens through crisis, courage, and collective action.

🇫🇷 The French Revolution (1789)

“Let them eat cake” didn't go over well.

The people were starving while the nobles lived in palaces. Bread was too expensive. Taxes crushed the poor but spared the rich. The people rose up and took the Bastille, and with it, the symbol of elite power.

🔥 Lesson: When suffering reaches a boiling point, and the people are united, even kings can fall.

🏭 The Industrial Labor Movements (1800s–1930s)

Factory bosses and robber barons made fortunes off workers’ backs—until the workers fought back.

Children worked 12-hour days. People died in unsafe buildings. Then came strikes, unions, protests—and brave journalism exposing it all.

🔥 Lesson: Organized labor and truth-telling can shake the foundations of corporate greed.

☭ The Russian Revolution (1917)

The Tsar and aristocracy fell because the people had nothing left to lose.

Workers and soldiers united. The message was simple: Peace, Land, Bread. The empire fell, and the people seized power—though what followed had its own dark chapters.

🔥 Lesson: If you ignore the cries of the people long enough, they’ll rise whether you’re ready or not.

📉 The Great Depression & New Deal (1929–1939)

Wall Street crashed the world economy. Billionaires panicked. People organized.

The rich lost their golden glow, and the U.S. created social programs, taxes on the wealthy, and job plans that built real infrastructure. It wasn’t perfect—but it proved billionaires can be taxed and the public can win.

🔥 Lesson: Economic crashes open windows for systemic change—if we act.

✊🏽 Civil Rights & Anti-Colonial Movements (1940s–70s)

From Gandhi to Martin Luther King to African independence, the oppressed became unstoppable.

Through nonviolence, mass marches, boycotts, and brave storytelling, whole systems of exploitation came crashing down.

🔥 Lesson: Dignity, vision, and mass resistance are stronger than greed.

🏦 Occupy Wall Street & Today’s Backlash Against Billionaires (2011–Now)

“We are the 99%” wasn’t just a slogan—it was a warning.

After the 2008 crash, billionaires were bailed out while families lost everything. The seeds of resistance were planted. Now? More people than ever question extreme wealth. Tech CEOs are being called out. Billionaires are no longer heroes—they're villains.

🔥 Lesson: The world is waking up. But we need to keep organizing, resisting, and reimagining what’s possible.

💥 What Always Brings Them Down:

Crippling inequality and suffering
Widespread awareness and anger
Organized people (not just outraged individuals)
Courageous storytelling and truth-telling
A clear vision for a better future

We’ve done it before. We can do it again. But only if we support each other, speak out, and stop believing billionaires are untouchable.

Their palaces are built on silence. Let’s get loud.

🔗 Follow me @Zipolita
💬 What do you think? Drop a comment below or share this with someone who’s ready to build a better world.

#JusticeForThe99 #WeAreTheChange #HistoryRepeats #BillionairesMustFall #PeoplePower