Speakers
| Speaker | Date | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Timothy Naimi M.D., M.P.H | Apr 23, 2025 |
From Record High To Record Low. Alcohol Consumption.
 British Columbians are consuming less alcohol than they have since the turn of the millennium. According to new data from the University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR), per capita sales in BC were equivalent to 469 standard drinks per person over the age of 15 per year. That is a decrease of 0.82L of pure alcohol per capita (aged 15+). down to 8 L from 8.82L. This 9% decrease is the largest single-year drop since CISUR started tracking this in 2001/02. Per capita sales have also fallen nearly 15 per cent since the record highs of 2020/21, where sales were at 550 standard drinks per capita, or 9.38L of pure alcohol. “It is astounding to see this huge change from record highs to record lows in just a few short years,” says Dr. Tim Naimi, CISUR Director. “It’s been kind of a perfect storm of factors that have led to people buying less alcohol.” Timothy Naimi M.D., M.P.H is the director of the University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research and professor at UVic’s Division of Medical Sciences. He is a physician and alcohol epidemiologist from Boston Medical Center (BMC), and was a Professor with the Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health. He also is an affiliate professor with UBC's Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine. Tim’s research interests mostly lie in substance-use epidemiology, particularly binge drinking and the health effects of moderate drinking, with a recent focus on prevention and effective public policies for reducing substance-use-related problems for alcohol and cannabis. |
| No Meeting this week (5th Wednesday of the month) | Apr 30, 2025 |
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| Dwight Owens | May 07, 2025 |
Storing carbon below the seafloor. Ocean Networks Canada’s Dream
 Dwight’s career has been largely involved in training, education, science literacy, outreach and capacity development. Since 2008, Dwight has been working for one of the world’s major ocean observing facilities, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC). He has coordinated ONC’s Artist in Residence program for the past 5 years, with deep involvement in a range of Art & Science initiatives. During 2022-2024 he served as Associate Director for ONC’s Learning & Community Engagement department, with oversight for all education and training activities that connect to school age and university classrooms as well as ONC’s work with coastal Indigenous communities. His current role at ONC is as Impact and Capacity Development manager, with a specific focus on creating opportunities for Early Career Ocean Professionals. Dwight will speak about Ocean Networks Canada’s dream of capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and sequestering it in basaltic rock formations below the seafloor, where the CO2 transforms into carbonate rock. We have proposed a demonstration of this idea at our deepest site, Cascadia Basin, which is 2.7 km below the sea surface and several hundred km offshore. |
| Shawne Soole | May 14, 2025 |
Our Hospitality Industry
 Shawn Soole has lived, breathed, and imbibed hospitality for decades. Now, he delves into the advice, opinions, and provocative stories that are helping to define the creative, culturally-necessary space of ‘modern hospitality’—covering topics from front-of-house service, to back-end business operations, and every inch between via his podcasts. Shawn has co-authored the books Cocktail Culture (2013) Great Northern Cocktails (2019), BC Spirits Cocktail Book (2021), the second edition of Great Northern Cocktails (2022) and provides ongoing contributions to publications such as Liquor.com and EAT Magazine. As a dedicated and vocal proponent of the industry, Shawn has presented keynote speeches (Lisbon Bar Show), increased public awareness for distillers in BC, Canada (BC Spirits) and continues to advocate his mission ‘to make the industry better for everyone’ (Post Shift Podcast.) His input has been vital to the launch and/or ongoing success of numerous highly-acclaimed bar and beverage programs, such as Little Jumbo [2013], OLO [2015], Cafe Mexico [2016] and Pagliacci’s [2018]. To accommodate his growing role as a consultant, Shawn founded Soole Hospitality Concepts (SHC) - a network of industry leaders with decades of multi-faceted experience. Together they provide innovative responses to all the needs of hospitality-oriented businesses. His firm belief in the importance of consistent personal growth drove him to recently complete a diploma in Advanced Hospitality and Tourism Management (Camosun College), achieving a level of distinction that placed him on the Dean’s List. |