The small and remote Nuu-chah-nulth village of Ethlateese is working towards relying less on fossil fuels for electricity thanks to a grant from the province’s Community Energy Diesel Reduction (CEDR) program.

The First Nation village, located in the Uchucklesaht Inlet near Barkley Sound, is home to about 25 residents.

Ethlateese is one of 12 First Nations communities throughout British Columbia receiving $7.1 million to develop alternative-energy projects and advance energy efficiency through the CEDR program, a CleanBC initiative.

Despite comprising a relatively small portion of the House of Commons, the federal NDP is in a position to “disproportionally” represent the interests of coastal residents and First Nations in Ottawa, says the party’s leader during a recent visit to Port Alberni. 

A 12-year-old Tseshaht boy sustained broken bones and cuts after being struck by a vehicle at the Falls Road side of the Orange Bridge on Highway 4. The accident occurred about 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 11.

The incident raised safety concerns among the Tseshaht as this is the second time in less than a year that a child has been struck by a vehicle on the 3.3-kilometer section of highway that cuts through their main reserve.

With COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV circulating throughout the winter season, communities are combating the ‘tridemic,’ by encouraging folks to stay at home and self-isolate when they feel sick to protect their vulnerable populations.

Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation recently released a statement indicating that though it “isn’t in a state of emergency”, members are experiencing an increase in COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV. The statement serves as a reminder of ways to help prevent the spread of respiratory disease within the community.

With recent flooding, Ditidaht members cautiously and safely used the nearly complete bypass road to access grocery shops and attend medical appointments in the nearby towns of Port Alberni and Duncan.

“It worked quite successfully [and] made people very happy that they had the availability to go to Port Alberni or Duncan for their… medical trips [and] grocery shopping,” said Brian Tate, Ditidaht’s chief counsellor.

The Royal B.C. Museum (RBCM) has announced a number of in-person and online public engagement sessions to discuss the future of the provincial museum. Over the next few months, members of the public are invited to join the museum’s ‘multi-year, province-wide engagement plan to listen to the people of B.C. and gather feedback’, according to the museum’s website. This engagement comes six months after the province suspended controversial plans for a $789-million rebuild and multi-year closure of the downtown Victoria institution, following a public outcry and criticism by First Nations.

Cindy Ross is hoping experience her players gained at the 2022 Junior All-Native Tournament (JANT) will pay off at this year’s event.

Ross is the head coach of the Tla-o-qui-aht Qu?usin’mit, a boys’ under-17 squad that is expected to fare well at the 2023 tourney, scheduled for March 19-24 in Nanaimo.

Snunymuxw First Nation will play host to the event, which will feature Indigenous squads from across the province competing in both girls’ and boys’ divisions at the under-13 and under-17 levels.

In what is considered the first legal test of B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People’s Act, the Ehattesaht/Chinehkint and Gitxaala First Nations are challenging the province’s system of granting mineral claims.

A boulder that blocked the westbound lane of Highway 4 on Sunday fell from the surrounding mountainside, according to B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Witnesses from the scene recalled boulders that fell towards the road at the west end of Sproat Lake on Jan. 8.

Two of these large rocks took up part of the highway, just before the Taylor River Rest Area. The ministry stated that the two boulders fell on Highway 4 at approximately 4:30 p.m. Mainroad Mid Island Contracting responded and removed the rocks from the road by 5:20 p.m.

After years of negotiation, and a two-week meeting in Montreal, 196 countries came to an agreement on the future of global biodiversity. With 23 targets aiming for 2030 and four goals set for 2050, the global community will work towards protecting and restoring biodiversity across the globe in partnership with local Indigenous communities.