General

Update: Fire and police officials have concluded their initial investigation of the fire that started inside an Argyle St. building and say it is suspicious. Police are asking for witnesses who saw anyone in the surrounding area, enter the building or can provide any information about the arson to contact the local detachment at 250-723-2424, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Original story:

An early morning fire has gutted the Argyle street building that housed the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council’s Quu’asa Program staff.

Updated: February 7, 2014  –  Leaders of the Council of Haida Nation, the Heiltsuk Tribal Council, and the Nuu‑chah-nulth Tribal Council have united to express their opposition to proposed commercial roe herring fisheries in their territories of Haida Gwaii, the central coast, and the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Update Jan. 30: 8:08 a.m.

Nuu-chah-nulth Nations celebrated a major legal victory today when the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear Canada’s appeal in the Ahousaht et al. vs. Canada court case. The country’s highest court issued its ruling early this morning, effectively ending more than a decade of legal proceedings between Canada and the five nations (Ahousaht, Ehattesaht/Chinekint, Hesquiaht, Mowachaht/ Muchalaht, and Tla-o-qui-aht) with a final affirmation of the Nations’ aboriginal economic fishing rights.

Stacy Miller spotted it first. She was driving home from work at about 9 p.m. with her son and it was standing in the road close to the homes of Ehatis reserve, attracted perhaps by the chickens outside one house. She thought it was a dog at first, but driving up to it her son said “is that a …”

“That’s a cougar,” Miller said. It just stood there, staring. “Its eyes were bright.”

She honked her horn to chase it off, “but it barely ran away, and I drove off to tell my brother Cory.”

Standup comic Brian Majore brings his edgy, no-holds-barred brand of humour to Port Alberni when The Rez Jesters take to the stage at Char’s Landing on Feb. 20.

Of Haida/Cree descent, Majore received the traditional name Kil Gan K’aas (Funny Storyteller) on his graduation from the University of Northern B.C. This edition of the Rez Jesters includes well-known Plains Cree comic Dawn Dumont and “Token White Guy,” Chris Gaskin.

An alternative education program in Port Alberni is looking forward to the month of June when they expect to see more than 40 of their students complete Grade 12.

Students and staff of School District 70’s VAST program organized an Alternative Programs Success Forum on Jan. 22 in order to showcase the progress of their students and to motivate students nearing graduation to completion.

The gathering included displays of students’ work, special guests and video presentations.

They managed to win a prestigious championship a few years ago and now basketball coach Bruce Lucas is hoping his charges can add to their glory.

Lucas coached the Homiss Wolves, a boys' team that won the BC Junior All Native Basketball Championships back in 2011. That event featured players aged 17 and under.

Lucas will now be taking several key members of that championship squad to the Prince Rupert All Native Basketball Tournament. The 55th annual edition of this event will be staged Feb. 9 to Feb. 15.

By the time J’net Cavanagh crossed the stage as one of nine aboriginal graduates in the Class of 1987 at Alberni District Secondary School, she had already been identified as a leader of the future.

In December, the Ahousaht First Nation member, who is the daughter of Stella August, accepted a two-year appointment as Aboriginal Outreach & Learning Coordinator at Royal Ontario Museum, where she is tasked with developing a school visit and community outreach program to bring aboriginal arts and culture to more than 500 public schools in the Greater Toronto Area.

The foundation for a sculpture to commemorate residential school students was laid Jan. 15. The sculpture will sit between the Tseshaht Long House and Maht Mahs Gym.

Artist Connie Watts invited the children from Tseshaht's t'aatnee?is Daycare to leave their marks on the piece of art. They were asked to leave hand prints or draw a little design in the wet concrete.

The sculpture is expected to be finished by March and an unveiling ceremony will be held to mark the occasion.

The people of Ditidaht First Nation are fighting back against the gutting of financial supports for remote communities by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

Last week, 57 on-reserve Ditidaht families each received a post-Christmas Good Food Box as part of a new initiative to help make basic nutrition more affordable.