One year after his body was found in a Duncan shelter, those who were close to James Williams fear that authorities have given up on finding the true cause of his death.

A year ago today Williams, a 52-year-old father of five and member of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, was found lifeless on the floor of the room where he was staying at the Warmland Shelter. The staff member who found him described Williams’ neck being still warm, but his hands were cold.

British Columbia is the first Canadian province to introduce a new policy that will expand access to a safer drug supply. 

The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions said that once the Prescribed Safer Supply initiative is fully implemented, people who use or are at risk of dying from drugs will have access to alternatives covered by Pharmacare. These will include a range of opioids and stimulants that will be determined by programs and prescribers. 

Vic Amos, a west coast Vancouver Island commercial troller since the 1970s, hasn’t been fishing yet this season.

“No, we’re not fishing yet, but we’re hoping,” Amos said when Ha-Shilth-Sa called him for comment on a plan to close 60 per cent of commercial salmon fisheries and scale down B.C.’s commercial fishing fleet, already a shadow of its former self.

As one of only three remaining Nuu-chah-nulth commercial fishermen on the west coast of the Island, Amos is not so optimistic about long-term prospects for small-boat, family-run commercial fishing.

Emil Anderson Construction, the contractor for the Kennedy Hill road improvement project on Highway 4 has announced that the area is closed in both directions at Kennedy Hill due to a large volume of rock fallout.

The announcement was made at approximately 2:20 p.m. on July 14.

The latest update says the road, which links Port Alberni to the western communities, may re-open at 6:00 p.m., with medium confidence. Assessment is ongoing.

Nootka Sound, BC - With oil now removed from the MV Schiedyk, the remediation effort around the 52-year-old shipwreck now turns to examining aquatic life in the area.

The Port Alberni Fire Department has been busier than usual battling small brush fires in the Alberni Valley as the city sizzles under hotter and drier than normal weather conditions.

According to PAFD Chief Mike Owens there have been 13 fires in the past nine days. Most are brush fires caused by either abandoned campfires or unknown but suspicious causes.

After many years working as a health care aid, Kayla Lucas needed a change. Unsure of which direction to go next, the Hesquiaht First Nation council member took a job preparing willow for replanting with the Central Westcoast Forest Society (CWFS).

“I had no idea what I was doing or what to expect,” she described. 

At the time, Lucas said she knew little about working in fisheries, forestry, or environmental conservation. 

With British Columbia now into Step 3 of its COVID-19 restart plan, the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation has re-opened its tribal parks to visitors from across Canada. 

The announcement on Monday, July 5 was made with a “sigh of relief,” said Saya Masso, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation natural resources manager. 

“It feels like we’re winning [against COVID-19],” he said. “We walked this road with our Tribal Park Allies, local businesses and local residents and we’re really happy to make it through this all together.”

After many parts of B.C. experienced record-breaking temperatures, a province-wide fire ban was implemented from June 30 through to Oct. 15.

Around 88 per cent of the 337 wildfires that occurred between April 1 and June 24 were caused by people, according to the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.

Despite the fire ban, Timmy Masso said he has been “truly disgusted” to see the number of illegal campfires along the logging roads off Highway 4 leading to Winchie Creek Hydro.

Building a new bridge on the West Coast Trail was no walk in the park, Parks Canada says.

The popular coastal trek reopened June 4 after a year-long pandemic closure, enabling hikers to cross what Parks Canada describes as a feat of construction and engineering, a 113-metre suspension bridge hanging 120 metres above Logan Creek, referred to in Nuu-chah-nulth as wi?e:? (pronounced wi-eh).