The west coast could be bracing for a stormier winter than normal as the climate pattern La Niña is back for a second straight year. 

Marked by the natural cooling of sea surface temperatures in parts of the Pacific Ocean, La Niña intensifies winds and rainfall.

In preparation, BC Hydro has increased their vegetation management budget to tend to hazardous trees that may fall and cause power outages during a storm.

Tseshaht First Nation leaders and Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District officials gathered at the First Nation’s administration building to sign an agreement to improve communications and develop cooperative management of resources that Tseshaht has interests in. The agreement was signed Tuesday, Oct. 19.

Elected Chief Ken Watts said the accord will give his nation a say in areas of Tseshaht interest like the Alberni Valley landfill, which lies adjacent to Tseshaht’s main inhabited reservation, as well as fee simple properties the nation owns.

A Tofino float plane struck an Ahousaht water taxi near First Street Dock in Tofino on the afternoon of Oct. 18.

“I’m still shaking,” said witness Ken Brown of Ahousaht.

Brown had his boat tied up at the First Street dock and heard the collision, which he said occurred between 4:15 and 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 18.

Rocky Pass, skippered by Ahousaht’s Chris Frank, was just arriving in Tofino with Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council nurses who were working in Ahousaht that day.

After decades of lobbying – and multiple fatalities – construction work on the road to Bamfield is beginning, with a hard surface over the entire 77-kilometre route expected to be complete in a year.

Construction barriers are up at Port Alberni’s West Coast General Hospital as construction to expand the department begins.

Built in 2001, the West Coast General Hospital serves not only residents of Port Alberni, Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations but also those from outlying towns and villages.

Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation signed an agreement with the province that will guide future negotiations of reconciliation on Oct. 14.

Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island near Tofino, the Nuu-chah-nulth nation has long been fighting to be acknowledged in their pursuit of reconciliation.

"The signing of this important document represents 19 years of discussions," said Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation Elected Chief Moses Martin, in a release. "We are pleased that we are finally moving forward on the path of reconciliation.”

The Huu-ay-aht First Nations has released an independent evaluation of its Social Services Project that reveals the number of children in care is decreasing.

Launched in 2017, the goal of the project was to ensure all Huu-ay-aht children grow up in safe and healthy homes that are connected to culture. 

When 21 per cent of the nation’s children were in foster care in 2018, Huu-ay-aht declared a public health emergency.

A task team has been created to help resolve Indigenous-specific racism in British Columbia’s health care system.

It comes in response to one of the 24 recommendations made in the In Plain Sight Report, which identified that Indigenous peoples in B.C. have inequitable access to health-care services.

In the report, Independent reviewer Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond said thousands of interviews created a picture “of a B.C. health care system with widespread systemic racism against Indigenous peoples. This racism results in a range of negative impacts, harm, and even death.”

Island Health has declared an outbreak of COVID-19 at Tofino General Hospital.

In a statement issued Oct. 12, Island Health said, “Four patients have tested positive for COVID-19 related to this outbreak. The outbreak at TGH is limited to the inpatient unit.”

Island Health immediately implemented precautions including enhanced cleaning. They are working on contact tracing and are in communication with patients, family, and hospital staff.

Days after the B.C. Supreme Court denied a request to continue an injunction against protestors interfering with forestry activities near Port Renfrew, another judge has heeded the concerns of Teal Cedar Products, granting a temporary extension to police enforcement.