One day after Ha-Shilth-Sa published the story Family Day campers visit Hesquiaht despite pandemic closure, Tofino Resort + Marina issued a letter of apology to the people of Hesquiaht.

On Thursday, Feb. 18, Hesquiaht Elected Chief Joshua Charleson contacted Ha-Shilth-Sa after being notified that two groups of campers were spotted at Stewardson Inlet near Hot Springs Cove, despite widely publicized announcements that Hesquiaht territory is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Members of Port Alberni city council are in support of a proposed Nuu-chah-nulth Cultural and Interpretive Centre for the Alberni Valley.

Mary Mason and Joel Marriott of Owls Path Foundation, Denise Young of Tigers Eye Advisory Group and Scott Jeary with the First Nations Education Foundation presented the plan to city council at a regular meeting on Feb. 22 seeking support.

More harvestable timber along with more family-supporting forest sector jobs are expected through an agreement between Huu-ay-aht First Nations and United Steelworkers Local 1-1937.

Union local management and HFN leaders signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Feb. 18, committing to work together to ensure “undercut volume” within Tree Farm Licence 44 (TFL 44) is allocated to the First Nation while developing training and jobs in the forest industry.

The small Vancouver Island village of Zeballos will be receiving $750,000 of provincial funding for some much-needed work in its community.

Zeballos is located within the traditional territories of the Ehattesaht First Nation.

The money Zeballos is getting is part of the province’s latest announcement of $8.5 million in provincial emergency preparedness funding.

Zeballos, which has a population of 107, is a village prone to various geohazards, including flooding and slope hazards on its mountain which result in rockslides, rockfall and debris flow.

As winter drags on, Jacquie Dennis is hoping the situation in her apartment will improve soon, where Dennis and her sister Josie have been without hot water for a month.

The problem started in mid January, when all of the 21 suites in the Beaufort Convention Centre were without hot water. By the end of the month Beaufort management installed a new hot water tank, amending the problem for those in the Uptown Port Alberni building – except Jacquie and Josie, who live next to each other on the second floor.

When Valeen Jules performed spoken word poetry at the Koksilah Music Festival last year, the 24-year-old played ancestral Nuu-chah-nulth music in the background. 

As the familiar melodies danced through Joe Martin’s ears, the master carver was lured to the stage and introduced himself to the young poet. 

Like kindred spirits, they bonded immediately and Martin has been mentoring Jules as a wood carver ever since.

Hesquiaht leadership is raising concerns after two groups of campers were spotted in their territory on the Feb. 14. B.C. Family Day weekend, despite widespread public notices that their territory is closed during the pandemic.

In June 2020, BC Parks closed its two provincial parks near Hesquiaht communities.

A Friday morning meeting could potentially decide the fate of the Tofino Bus service.

Vancouver Island’s only intercity bus service has not operated since this past December, when it was shut down in order to follow B.C. health regulations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Service was scheduled to resume in January but that was pushed back until this past Friday (Feb. 12).

Affordable housing in Tofino has been a longstanding issue the community has grappled with for years. 

Renowned for its natural beauty and cultural richness, Ian Scott, Tofino Housing Corporation (THC) interim executive director, said that people are “chasing Tofino as a place to live having made money elsewhere, or choosing Tofino as a place to own a second home.”

In 2018, the median assessed value of single-family home in Tofino was $647,500, a 39 per cent increase from 2012, according to the 2018 Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region’s Vital Signs report.

It has been nearly 50 days since the province began the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccine to Indigenous communities and FNHA is reporting that 16,000 units have been administered – mostly first shots.