Thousands of British Columbians remain displaced following a series of devastating floods and landslides that have swallowed highway roads and entire cities in the southern part of the province.
The floods prompted British Columbia to declare its third state of emergency this year on Nov. 17. The devastation was triggered by an atmospheric river that carried rainfall two times the average amount within a 72-hour period.
Gina Pearson just might want to go out and purchase some lottery tickets.
That’s because Pearson, who is the emergency response co-ordinator for the Tseshaht First Nation, has surprisingly not had any additional stress at work in recent weeks.
Yes, various parts of British Columbia have suffered devastating consequences of late because of floods and landslides.
And the B.C. government declared a provincial state of emergency on Nov. 17 to provide a response to the widespread damage.
A new campground, offering 27 sites, is expected to open just outside of Port Alberni this coming May.
Work on the venture has begun after the Hupacasath First Nation and Mosaic Forest Management recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build the campground.
The new facility, which will overlook Mount Arrowsmith, will be on Loon Lake, a stocked fishing lake located about 10 minutes east of Port Alberni.
A new wind buoy being deployed off the southern tip of Vancouver Island could help remote communities cut their diesel dependence.
The buoy was manufactured as part of a project out of the University of Victoria’s (UVic) Pacific Regional Institute for Marine Energy Discovery.
Led by UVic mechanical engineering professors Brad Buckham and Curran Crawford, it was designed to explore wind resources off the coast of Vancouver Island.
The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council’s (NTC) Teechuktl Mental Health team and Quu’asa staff are gearing up for this year’s Christmas Feed the People.
Through food donations, the event will be providing 300 meals to anyone in need in Port Alberni on Dec. 8.
“Christmas is a time of year that's supposed to be happy,” said Irene Robinson, Teechuktl’s Quu’asa southern region outreach wellness worker. “You have family gatherings – you eat together, but not everyone can do that.”
Robinson said Feed the People is an opportunity to bring a smile to someone’s face.
B.C.’s Human rights commissioner is blaming “over-policing” for the grossly disproportionate number of Indigenous people caught up in the criminal justice system, calling for the redirection of funding from law enforcement to other social services.
During art class at the Wickaninnish Community School in Tofino, Dominic Hansen eagerly volunteered to introduce himself to his class.
Despite having already been in school together for nearly three months, Hansen’s classmates listened to him attentively, as if they were hearing him for the first time. In Nuu-chah-nulth, he shared his name, his parent’s names and where he comes from.
Two years after B.C. became the first jurisdiction in Canada to bring into force the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, Indigenous leaders are growing increasingly concerned about a lack of engagement, transparency and action.
“Progress, if any, has been very slow and tedious, and we’re uncertain as to what the government is really doing,” said Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council President Judith Sayers, who was involved in UNDRIP at international, federal and provincial levels.
With the province under a state of emergency as parts of B.C. struggle with flooding from a month of relentless rainfall, the District of Tofino has activated its Emergency Operations Centre.
An activist from a young age, Lillian Howard fought for the rights of Indigenous people - and for planet earth.
She was a mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, relative, friend to many. She was a former co-chair for the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council representing the northern nations of Ka:'yu:'k't'h'/Che:k'tles7et'h', Ehattesaht, Nuchatlaht and her home of Mowachaht/Muchalaht. Howard died in hospital in Vancouver on Oct. 30 with family by her side.