The public has until mid-March to weigh in on a B.C. government watershed security strategy in the face of more severe environmental impacts, and a public interest watchdog wasted no time jumping in last week.
Environment and Climate Change Strategy Minister George Heyman released a discussion paper outlining the watershed security strategy Jan. 25 with emphasis on Indigenous engagement and reconciliation.
Volunteer firefighters from the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, as well as the Tofino and Ucluelet Fire Departments responded to a house fire last Friday in the village of Esowista.
It’s the third house fire the nation has experienced within the past three years, which Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Elmer Frank said is abnormal.
“There’s definitely been a lot [of fires] and we’re certainly hoping that we’re not going to see any more,” he said. “Nobody wants to see that.”
Nearly 20 years since 21-year-old Lisa Marie Young disappeared from a house party after accepting a ride from a man she and her friends had just met, a new incentive has surfaced from an anonymous donor.
Not a trace of her has been seen or heard of since June 30, 2002, leaving Lisa’s family heartbroken and desperate for answers.
Ahousaht families struggling to find affordable rentals in Port Alberni may soon find relief when their nation finishes construction of its new building, according to elected Chief Greg Louie.
The City of Port Alberni is dealing with a critical housing shortage. According to a Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation report, the rental vacancy rate was three per cent in 2020. Add to that steep increases in rent, the city’s housing situation makes it more difficult for families and singles to find affordable homes.
A court order against protestors interfering in logging operations in the Fairy Creek watershed has been extended until the fall.
The ruling came Friday, Jan. 28 from the B.C. Court of Appeal, two and a half months after the panel of three judges heard arguments from Teal Cedar Products, a forestry company with tenure over a large section of Crown land in southwestern Vancouver Island, and the Rainforest Flying Squad, a collective of activists concerned over the protection of old growth north of Port Renfrew.
As a student at the Christie Indian Residential School, Ray Williams recalls the excitement of getting his monthly chocolate bar. He also remembers the joy of a film night in the institution. From the darkness of the girls’ gym, the flickering image acted as an introduction to the modern world for a child who had never seen a movie before.
Work is continuing to improve First Nations’ access to support in the legal system, a gap identified in the aftermath of the 2016 death of a Port Alberni woman after a night in a jail cell.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was recently signed between the British Columbia First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC), the province and the federal government to support the implementation of the BC First Nations Justice Strategy.
Ricky-Lee Watts struggled with his confidence as a boy growing up in the small, coastal town of Port Alberni.
Like most teenagers, he was desperate to fit in and pretended the racial slurs his peers regularly used in conversation didn’t impact him.
“Folks would reject my identity as a Nuu-chah-nulth Indigenous First Nations person, and all that pressure, or the influence of my environment, caused me to reject a part of myself,” Watts said. “It hindered my ability to have a voice.”
Provincial officials are lauding a new program that is geared at benefitting Indigenous cannabis producers in British Columbia.
Though he believes the program can be viewed as a positive step, Ken Watts, the chief councillor of the Tseshaht First Nation, is still rather skeptical of how successful the B.C. Indigenous Cannabis Product (BCICP) program will be.
The B.C. government announced it was launching the BCICP program on Jan. 18.
DFO has reversed a widely criticized spot prawn management regulation, a decision seen as a major victory for harvesters, coastal communities and all who appreciate the seafood delicacy.
Spot prawn fishermen, including many in Nuu-chah-nulth waters, will be able to continue the customary practice of “tubbing” their catch at sea for the next year or two, a DFO concession that has many heaving a sigh of relief.