Maureen Palmer

19 and Homeless

In British Columbia, young people in foster care ​“age out” of the child welfare system when they turn 19. Ready or not, they are left to fend for themselves as adults, and are disproportionately at risk of experiencing adverse outcomes such as substance use issues, homelessness, and mental health struggles. Forthright and often heartbreaking, 19 and Homeless introduces us to eight young people — most Indigenous or LGBTQ2+ — who have paid the price for a failed system. As we follow them over a two-year period, they relate, in their own words, their journeys and their struggles, transforming troubling statistics into compelling human stories.

Sext Up Kids

From tiny tots strutting bikini-clad bodies in beauty pageants to companies marketing itty-bitty thongs and padded bras to 9-year-olds, images of ever-younger sexualized girls have become commonplace. Add to that: ever-younger boys with 24-7 access to hard-core Internet porn. It saturates their lives - from skate parks to the school bus - 80 percent of boys 10 to 18 are watching porn on smart phones. Toss social media into the mix: and kids not only can consume X-rated images, but produce them. Sexting has become a grade seven right of passage. The powder keg that is porn culture has exploded in our kid's lives.

Simon and the Spirit Bear

While most teens spend their days in a self-absorbed haze, Simon Jackson was out in the world connecting with anyone who could help him save the spirit bear. For this, Simon became one of Time's Heroes of the Planet. It's a remarkable accomplishment for one so young, and an inspiring story for lovers of wilderness of all ages. But his devotion to the cause made him an outcast amongst his peers.