The federal government has announced funding in the amount of $525,000 coming to Vancouver Island, as a contribution to the Indigenous-led Westcoast Stewardship Corridor. The corridor will aim to increase “ecological and cultural connectivity” along the west coast of the island.

A master plan is in the works that will see new development at Clutesi Haven Marina in Port Alberni.

The Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations are working together with the City of Port Alberni on the initial planning phase for the marina, situated on the tidal fresh waters of the Somass River, and along Highway 4.

This year, before students even closed their books for the summer, forest fires sparked throughout the region.

The Cameron Bluff fire, which is believed to have been human-caused, grew to 229 hectares, closing Highway 4 for most of June - the only highway in and out for many West Coast communities.

One month later, the 16.6-hectare Klanawa River fire was discovered in what Huu-ay-aht Chief Councillor John Jack referred to as the shared territory between his First Nation and Ditidaht.

A 17-year-old male has been convicted for the second-degree murder of Clifton Johnston, an Ahousaht member and former resident of Port Alberni, who was found deceased outside the Port Alberni Friendship Center in March of 2021.

Ten months after Clifton was found, on January 19, 2022 a charge was laid against the then 16-year-old male. He was arrested the following day.

It has been a year since Mosaic Forests opened ʕaʔuk ʔaama k̓anis, the Loon Lake Campground, and the company marked the occasion by unveiling sculptures they commissioned from Hupačasath artist Rodney Sayers.

The celebration took place on July 1, at the edge of Loon Lake with the majestic Mount Arrowsmith looming over the other side of the water. Dozens of people walked down a short dirt path to the edge of the lake where the sculptures would be erected.

Nine ADSS students are the first to complete the high school’s Indigenous studies diploma, recognizing their completion of Nuu-chah-nulth language courses and First Nations studies alongside their standard courses. This is the first year that the Alberni District Secondary School is offering the dual diploma program, with additional classes to come. 

“[It’s] cool to be recognized for the work we put into learning about our culture,” said Sophia Bill of Tseshaht, who is an ADSS graduate with the dual diploma.

In what is being called funding for the first stage of Tseshaht’s large-scale housing development, the province has given the First Nation $5 million for the purchase of land in Port Alberni.

Nearly four years after his first arrest, Josef Brodek was convicted of drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms and sentenced to 10 years. The total amount of drugs RCMP seized from Brodek amounts to enough potentially fatal doses for the entire population of Port Alberni, reads a statement from the Port Alberni detachment.

2019 was when RCMP first arrested Brodek and searched his residence, finding “significant amounts of drugs, three firearms and over $100,000 in cash.”

Tseshaht First Nation’s golden girl is back home.

And Jolyn Watts is ecstatic she is now a world champion.

Watts, who is 28, competed at the recent Special Olympics World Games, which were staged June 17-25 in Berlin, Germany.

Watts participated in three track and field events in Berlin. And she ended up coming home with a pair of medals.

For starters, she was the gold medalist in the women’s 1,500-metre race at the C level. Athletes were divided into A, B or C divisions based on their previous best times they had submitted to games’ organizers beforehand.

In their fight to gain territorial rights, a recent court ruling has left the Nuchatlaht with two options: return to the judge to argue for smaller sections of the area, or appeal the decision altogether.

The deadline for their decision has been extended until the end of July by Justice Elliot Myers, who on May 11 delivered a decision from the B.C. Supreme Court. Myers recognized that the Nuchatlaht are the rightful owners of portions of the northern part of Nootka Island – but not all of the 20,000 hectares identified in the First Nation’s Aboriginal title claim for the area.