In the film "Cast Away," Tom Hanks plays a business executive who crash-lands on a deserted island. He copes with years of social isolation in part by befriending a volleyball, which he names Wilson. Wilson becomes someone to confide in, to tell jokes to, and to even argue with. When Wilson is swept away in an ocean current, Hanks is devastated at the loss.

Estamont resident Diane Edlund says online access to her personal health information is an important step in creating a partnership between health-care providers and patients.

As a patient partner with the Patient Voices Network, Diane provides a valuable perspective to health organizations on how they can improve the quality of care in B.C.

Walking around your neighborhood or local shops at this time of year, there is a constant reminder that the holidays are a time of happiness and celebration with family and friends.

But if you are grieving the death of a loved one or have experienced another type of loss, the holidays can often magnify that sense of grief.

If the idea of getting to the New Year feels like a struggle, here are some ideas to help.

The global climate is changing. On average, the temperature of the earth is rising. This is causing more extreme weather events such as the droughts, fires and floods that many of our communities have experienced this year. These changes affect natural and human environments (air quality, clean water and food sources) and also can have negative effects on our health.

I’m already planning what I want to cook for the December holidays. I’m thinking of a dinner that’s a little less traditional this year and I'm looking at  lemon risotto and stuffed squash recipes. I get excited about the holidays every year. For some reason cooking for celebrations is a completely different experience for me than the Monday to Friday grind of just getting a meal on the table.