When Canada went into lockdown last March to combat COVID-19, the First Nations Health Managers Association (FNMHA) knew they needed to get information out, and fast. 

“There's been such a barrage of information coming out, especially as the science evolves and changes,” said Marion Crowe, FNMHA chief executive officer. “We wanted to be able to [create] a central place to gather together where [viewers] could go and see people from different nations – people that look like us, sound like us, laugh like us.”

“If we lose the herring we will have no salmon!” said Simon Lucas at a Nuu-chah-nulth fisheries meeting more than 30 years ago. Nearly four years after the Hesquiaht elder’s passing, Julia Lucas recalled how passionate her husband was about Nuu-chah-nulth-aht’s right to harvest and to manage fisheries in their respective territories.

A carved wooden sign at Sutton Pass summit marks the entrance to Tla-o-qui-aht territory. That is where a small group of people gathered to remember Nuu-chah-nulth loved ones that are missing or were murdered in an event organized by Nora Martin of Tla-o-qui-aht.

Close to 100 temporary supportive homes for people experiencing homelessness are in the works for Victoria’s Capital City Center Hotel.

The Province of BC purchased the hotel, at 1961 Douglas St., through BC Housing and plan to redevelop the site into affordable rental units over the long term.

Since April 2020, BC Housing has been leasing 83 of the hotel’s rooms for use as temporary homes for vulnerable people during the COVID-19 pandemic. With this purchase, BC Housing will convert 94 of the of the hotel's 96 rooms into temporary supportive units.

A Saturday afternoon fishing trip nearly turned tragic as propeller troubles left two elder Ahousaht brothers stranded on the open ocean off of Long Beach, near Tofino.

Eddie Frank, 70, was out fishing with his brother, Tommy Joe Frank, 64, near Portland Point on his boat the Reel Cowboy.

“We were just going to haul up about 4 p.m. and head home, but the wire line got caught on the prop,” Eddie said.

Funding through B.C.’s Economic Recovery Plan will help restore critical salmon habitat in the Clayoquot Sound.

Hesquiaht, Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations are partnering with the Central Westcoast Forest Society (CWFS) to work on the Clayoquot Sound Watershed Recovery Initiative. Along with providing technical training and certification to workers, it will support at least 25 new jobs.

A massive effort to clear shorelines of debris and remove derelict vessels is expected to create 300 short-term jobs on the Island’s west coast over the next six months.

B.C.’s Clean Coast, Clean Water Initiative (CCCWI), announced last week, allocates $2.2 million to coastal improvement projects in the territories of Tla-o-qui-aht, Hesquiaht, Ahousaht, Tseshaht and Ucluelet First Nations.

In an era of pandemic shutdowns, community closures and supply shortages, Nuu-chah-nulth community gardens are breaking fresh ground.

A new Mowachaht/Muchalaht community garden producing fruit and vegetables in “Covidian times” grew from the seed of an idea planted more than 50 years ago.

“The idea came many, many decades ago with some of our community members in Yuquot,” said Margaretta James, who lives in Tsaxana, just across the road from a new greenhouse and raised beds. “We call it the healing garden.”

Officials with the Uchucklesaht First Nation will soon be able to devote more time to economic development.

That’s because Uchucklesaht has been announced as one of the latest 20 recipients that will receive funding via the Island Coastal Economic Trust (ICET).

A total of 17 communities had been previously announced during the first intake of ICET recipients.

In total, the economic recovery program, which is funded by the provincial government, includes $1.83 million being distributed to create new jobs.

Dawn Foxcroft (left), Debra Foxcroft and Kelly Poirier stand for Lisa Marie Young and other Indigenous women who have gone missing or fallen victim to homicide on Sunday, May 2, by the Tseshaht band office in Port Alberni. On Sunday, which is Young's birthday, others were standing for her from noon to 1 p.m. elsewhere on the Tseshaht reserve and in other locations on Vancouver Island, including in downtown Nanaimo.

Lisa Marie Young was last heard of on June 30, 2002, when she was out with friends in Nanaimo to celebrate a birthday. She was 21 at the time.