One year after more than 7,000 litres of diesel spilled from a fish farm site west of Vancouver Island, shellfish harvesting has resumed for those living in the coastal area – but with the hope that such a disaster will never happen again.

On Dec. 14, 2024 between 7,000 and 8,000 litres of diesel fuel spilled from a barge operated by Grieg Seafood at its Lutes Creek salmon farm in Esperanza Inlet. The spill was due to human error during a fuel transfer on the floating concrete platform, which is off the north coast of Nootka Island and south of the village of Zeballos. 

A Washington State judge delivered a 13-year sentence today for the 2016 murder of George Cecil David, after the cold case investigation was reopened with new evidence that led to an arrest.

Tina Marie Alcorn was handed more than 13 years in prison by a Clallam County Superior Court judge on Dec. 15. The Arkansas resident went on trial in August to plea guilty, after she was arrested in June by Port Angeles police and charged with second degree murder for the death of George David. David is from the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and lived in Neah Bay, Washington before his passing.

This has not been a good year for forestry as the industry continues to feel the pain from escalating tariffs, mill closures and job losses. But in Nootka Sound a First Nation is looking to a future where trees have a higher value staying in the ground.

The annual Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) Urban Community Holiday Gatherings tour wrapped with merriment and fruit čamas at a packed Thunderbird Hall in Campbell River on Dec 11.

Looking forward to a new year and a fresh start, the unifying wish for many of the guests at the Thunderbird Hall was just that – to be more united in 2026.

“I always think about all our nations and the troubles that we are having in-fighting,” said Tla-o-qui-aht elder Barney Williams, who moved to the northern region seven years ago to be closer to a major hospital. 

First Nations in B.C. may be entitled to raise their UNDRIP rights if they are not adequately consulted on natural resource projects within their territory, following a precedent-setting B.C. Court of Appeal decision released on Dec. 5.

Ehattesaht Chief Counsellor Simon John says the court decision “provides important legal recognition of UNDRIP as a tool to help ensure that First Nations’ interests are respected and their role in decision making is realized.” 

There was little doubt that Port Alberni is an urban hub for Nuu-chah-nulth-aht when people packed the Italian Hall for a holiday feast on Wednesday.

All tables were full at Nanaimo’s Beban Park Social Centre on Tuesday, December 9 as hundreds of Nuu-chah-nulth-aht gathered for holiday festivities and a delicious turkey dinner. 

Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Vice-President Les Doiron along with Executive Director Florence Wylie welcomed the people on behalf of the NTC. They reminded the people that, even though they are there in the spirit of fun and family, there are those that are struggling and need prayers and good thoughts. 

After more than two weeks of being closed, Island Health is working to find enough staff to reopen the West Coast General’s ICU “as soon as possible”.

The three-bed intensive care unit has been closed since Nov. 20, when leading physicians at the hospital determined that shutting down the ICU was necessary to ensure safe care for patients at the medical facility in Port Alberni. Since then, those who need the life-support of an ICU have been relocated by ground or air to another hospital once they are stabilized at West Coast General. 

A particularly toxic supply of illicit drugs hit the streets of Cowichan Valley in mid November that led to more than 80 overdose calls in one night. The following day, first responders continued to treat overdoses in Duncan, so many that the local Naloxone supply was depleted.

With emergency services pressed to the max, a call was made to neighboring communities for Naloxone kits. A toxic drug alert for the Cowichan Valley was issued a day later, on November 19. Two days later an alert was issued for the city of Nanaimo.