A supportive housing facility in Port Alberni for individuals experiencing substance use issues has had to close its doors after Island Health chose not to renew a contract with the service provider.

The New Leaf opened 12 recovery beds in the community in 2015 for people working towards recovery from substance use. Island Health funded six of those beds until they recently chose not to renew the contract with New Leaf owner Lisa George.

George said five people were displaced following the facility’s closure and seven staff members were let go.  

A late start to summer and an unusually warm autumn seems to be bringing out more black bears than usual, seeking food sources for insatiable appetites as instinct drives them to prepare for winter.

In Port Alberni it is not uncommon to see black bears roaming the streets, knocking over trash and compost bins late at night. All city-provided compost bins in the small city have brass clips that help keep bears out, but not all trash bins have them.

The B.C. Assembly of First Nations is building an economic development centre, with the aim of providing Indigenous communities with much-needed expertise to pursue ventures towards prosperity.

Ucluelet Secondary School (USS) began preparing for the Legacy of Hope Exhibit within days of welcoming their students back from summer vacation, ahead of the deadline for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th. 

Jason Sam, program coordinator for the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust, had been organizing for six months prior to the event. On the second day of school Sam and USS teachers began working together, introducing the project to students at the end of the first week.

A routine trip from Tofino to Hot Springs Cove aboard a float plane turned terrifying after the aircraft faltered on take-off, cartwheeled, and settled on the ocean upside down. NTC President Judith Sayers was aboard that flight and was rescued from drowning by her son, who was also aboard.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has determined that two factors played a role in the accident: the wake from passing boats and possible errors in weight and balance calculations.

The Highway 4 – Kennedy Hill Improvement Project remains slated to be substantially complete this fall, with finishing touches outside of the roadway continuing throughout the winter. 

Drivers travelling on Highway 4 can still expect delays as the road improvement project enters the final stages of construction. The project is approximately 90 per cent complete.

When entering another nation’s territory by canoe, it was critical to ask permission to land before coming to shore.

This is part of the explanation given by Tseshaht member Robert Watts to a large group of high school students, who came to the water for the final section of a multi-disciplinary learning unit on the science of buoyancy, teamwork and cultural identity.

Described as a “new podcast about memory, power and the journey to find truth,” Taapwaywin: Talking about what we know and what we believe is the latest project from the University of Victoria Libraries. Hosted by associate university librarian Ry Moran, the podcast aims to speak with elders, knowledge keepers, and others from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to tell stories and highlight the experiences of Aboriginal people.

The students of 8th Avenue Learning Centre, which offers an alternative education program for high school, will soon be building a Nuu-chah-nulth-style smokehouse on the grounds of the school thanks to a grant from Community Futures Fund.