Introduction

The Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment BC Committee (CANE BC) is a group of actively practicing as well as student and retired nurses. Our work began many years ago throughout our province. We are now joining forces as one provincial committee to have a greater impact given the urgency of the Climate Crisis and the compelling need to protect our planetary health.

As the most trusted position in the healthcare profession, we use our voices to raise public awareness, implement concrete actions, and undertake advocacy efforts on environmental health issues that threaten the health and well-being of individuals in our province.

In our trusted position within the healthcare profession and the public, CANE BC nurses are actively engaging in our communities. We seek to raise Awareness, implement concrete Action and undertake Advocacy efforts on issues of sustainability that threaten the health and well-being of the citizens of our province and our planet as a whole.​

Despite our name, this organization is not limited to working with nurses, nursing students, and retired nurses. We are stronger by joining forces in conjunction with other healthcare professionals such as our physician colleagues and existing environmental groups that are equally concerned with the well-being of our planet. We believe that the synergy of these groups coming together for a common purpose is the catalyst required to bring much needed attention to our current climate change challenges.​

“No amount of medical knowledge will lessen the accountability for nurses to do what nurses do, that is, manage the environment to promote positive life processes.”

How We Work

How we work

What we do

 

 

 

Meeting Dates

CANE-BC meets every month on the 4th Wednesday of the month from 6:30 to 8:00 pm – contact Aggie or Zach for details and PLEASE JOIN US!!
As nurses, we respectfully acknowledge that we live, work and play on the ancestral, unceded territories of numerous First Nations people. We are grateful to their ancestors who lived in the spirit of care for future generations. We support anti-racism and decolonization efforts and strive to embody these principles in all that we do.

Representative: Aggie Black

RN BA BSN MPH

Email:cane-bc@cane-aiie.ca

Representative: Zach Daly

RN, BSN, PhD St

Email:cane-bc@cane-aiie.ca

Social Media

Please follow their social media channels!

Current Campaigns

LNG and Healthcare Costs 

Fossil gas infrastructure and fracking have expanded rapidly across BC despite the increasing body of scientific evidence indicating that these activities pose significant risks to public health. As healthcare professionals committed to safeguarding public health, we are issuing a health advisory on LNG and fracking in BC due to the following risks:

  • Fuelling Climate Change
  • Air Pollution
  • Water Depletion and Contamination
  • Adverse Community Health Impacts

 

Click here to add your name to this LNG and Healthcare Costs Sign-On Letter

Will BC LNG increase healthcare costs?

Divest Our Pension Funds from Fossil Fuel Industries

The climate crisis is the greatest health threat we face. Are healthcare pensions part of the problem, or part of the solution?

Click this poster, scan the QR code or use this link to the Sign-on Letter

Divest Pensions Letter

LNG Health Hazard

BC’s LNG industry is fuelling catastrophic wildfires, extreme heat, and flooding that threaten our health. Join us in demanding a healthier future for our patients and communities.

 


Nurses in Action

Aggie Black, (Rt) BC Representative speaking out about the healthcare costs of LNG. Aug. 2024

CANE table
CANE BC Representatives Helen Boyd and Aggie Black with colleague Dr. Melissa Lem, President of CAPE.

Helen Boyd BC Representative speaking out for Climate Justice, Planetary Health Rally-BC Legislature Nov.2021

NNPBC and CANE-BC 2024 Nursing Awards of Excellence

CANE-BC partnered with the Association of Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of British Columbia (NNPBC) to offer an award for planetary health to two distinguished nurses in January 2025. NNPBC and CANE-BC formally recognized the two award recipients at the Nursing Awards of Excellence Gala on January 9, 2025 in Vancouver.

The two award recipients include:

  • Barbara J Astle, PhD RN FCAN FAAN NNPBC & CANE-BC Joint Award for Planetary Health
  • Kevin Hare, MBA BSN RN NNPBC & CANE-BC Joint Award for Planetary Health
Barbara J Astle
Barbara J Astle, PhD RN FCAN FAAN NNPBC & CANE-BC Joint Award for Planetary Health
Kevin Hare
Kevin Hare, MBA BSN RN NNPBC & CANE-BC Joint Award for Planetary Health
Donations
Please consider an annual donation to help us in empowering nurses to protect our planet!