The BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC) is hopeful Canada’s new Indigenous Justice Strategy, which was released in March 2025, will advance change and address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice system.

BCFNJC chair Kory Wilson said while long-term funding is vital to resolve this issue, it’s the will of everyone in the system that’s needed the most. 

“Together we’re stronger,” said Wilson. 

With waiters pocketing between $300 to $400 in tips on a good night in this sizzling tourist town, you’d think, considering the makeup of the area’s population blends 2,516 Tofino residents and 1,200 Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations (TFN), there’d be more than two local First Nations on deck taking food orders to take home a slice of that cake.

But the odd thing is… there isn’t.

Nuu-chah-nulth nations with a stake in forestry are hoping an industry reliant on exporting to the U.S. won’t suffer another blow due to an unpredictable American president.

The alarm was raised early this month after the U.S. Department of Commerce announced on April 4 that duties on Canadian softwood lumber would be raised, increasing from 6.74 to 14.38 per cent. This follows a decision from the U.S. department to increase “anti-dumping” taxes on Canadian wood to 20.07 per cent. 

A Nanaimo Supreme Court justice has denied bail for Derian Tate, the man accused of murder in the shooting death of Patrick Charleson IV last September in Nitinaht.

The judge heard arguments from both the Crown counsel and defence attorneys on April 15, and summarized information both for and against granting bail. Due to a publication ban, those details cannot be shared.

What it boiled down to was the severity of the crime Mr. Tate is accused of and the responsibility of the justice system to keep the community safe.

With only 73 individuals remaining, the Southern Resident killer whale population is facing a critical moment in its survival. In response, the Government of Canada has announced a new suite of proposed measures to further protect the endangered species that inhabits the waters off British Columbia’s coast.

Counsel for a Ditidaht man accused of first-degree murder appeared in a Nanaimo courtroom on April 15. They argued on behalf of 25-year-old father Derian Tate that he should be released on bail with strict conditions. 

The Crown prosecutor argued against the application, but with a publication ban in place, few details can be released about the bail hearing.

But there was strong family representation at the courthouse as family members and supporters for both Tate and the victim, 23-year-old Patrick Charleson IV, were there.

An exhibition celebrating the life and legacy of Tseshaht artist, writer, and cultural leader George Clutesi is set to officially open this month at the University of Victoria’s Legacy Art Gallery. Building on the acclaimed exhibit held at the Alberni Valley Museum in 2023, this new presentation expands the narrative to include never-before-seen works, intergenerational reflections, and contemporary artistic responses from across the Nuu-chah-nulth world.

Fewer Indigenous people are dying from drug overdose – but the rate of improvement is less than what the rest of British Columbia is experiencing, according to data released today from the First Nations Health Authority.

Ten years ago, Hesquiaht First Nation and Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ elder Nicki Love McCarthy asked Nuu-chah-nulth knowledge keepers if they knew of any words that described queerness. 

Through a flurry of texts, emails and Facebook messages, the knowledge keepers were able to bring these words forward, and McCarthy generously shared them during a Sunday, April 13 afternoon presentation in the Sičquuʔuƛ (Sitch – KHOO – ootl) Theatre in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve’s Kwisitis Visitor Centre.

For the time being, it appears that answers will be hard to come by for those grieving the passing of Chantelle Williams, as a determination of cause of death hinges on a coroner’s investigation with no end date.

The 18-year-old died on Jan.28 after being found unresponsive on a Port Alberni street early in the morning. Two ambulances responded to a report from a passerby that came in at 5:06 a.m., transporting Williams to the West Coast General Hospital in critical condition, states B.C. Ambulance Services.