Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations on the west coast of Vancouver Island could potentially benefit from a recently released study.

The study, released last month and led by University of Victoria postdoctoral fellow Graham Epstein, suggests that seabed sediments can potentially be utilized for carbon storage and that they should be considered for protection.

This in turn can help limit the effects of climate change.

Epstein believes First Nations officials will be rather interested in the study findings as their communities could benefit.

Registered Professional Forester (RPF) Len Apedaile is the general manager of Tiičma Forestry LP, a small market logger based up in Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations (KCFN) territory on Vancouver Island’s north coast.

“Again? Did he hurt anyone this time?” 

Those were the words of Sophie Campbell (now Lambert) who suffered serious injures in a 2011 head-on collision that claimed the life of her cousin and left her and her father, Angus Campbell, badly injured.

Cradled in Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ - Ucluelet First Nation (UFN) traditional territory on Vancouver Island, Olsen Bay, or C’iiłukᵂis meaning “soft beach”, is the site of a 24.8-acre high-density residential development proposed by Australian businessman Josh Hunt, CEO of ERIF Sustainable Solutions.

Traditionally described as the “shallow soft bottomed bay reaching close to the road”, the site at 221 Minato Road in Ucluelet was partially cleared about five years ago by its former owners for a seasonal RV and campground. 

The lives of college students are about to get easier as both North Island College in the Comox Valley and Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo announce new student housing projects. 

The NIC Comox Valley Student Housing Commons is located in Courtenay, B.C., on the traditional territory of K’omoks First Nation. Beginning fall 2025, for the first time ever on this campus, students can apply to rent student housing. The newly completed housing includes four-unit styles to suit single students or students with families. 

Nuu-chah-nulth people are fortunate when it comes to opportunities to advance their education in colleges and universities, but without extra support, many struggle to make their living allowance last from one month to the next.

Anna Atleo from Ahousaht will become the first Nuu-chah-nulth player, man or woman, to be inducted into the All Native Basketball Tournament Hall of Fame. 

The annual tournament begins this Saturday, Feb. 8 in Prince Rupert, B.C., running until Feb. 15.

“I lived and breathed this tournament for many years of my life. It’s an honour to be recognized in this way,” said Atleo.

After an impressive top-two finish at the 2024 All Native Basketball Tournament (ANBT), the Hesquiaht Descendants women’s squad are going for gold this year.

Captained by Mariah Charleson, the team of 10 Hesquiaht players are also the only Vancouver Island team that will make the journey to Prince Rupert, B.C. for the 65th annual ANBT on Feb. 8 to Feb. 15.

“There is no reason why we shouldn’t make another appearance in the finals,” said Charleson, who is also Hesquiaht’s elected chief. 

On Sept. 30, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the streets are flooded with a sea of orange. Across Canada, people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds wear orange shirts which feature the phrase “Every Child Matters”. The orange shirts are more than clothing; they are a symbol of remembrance, resilience, and a commitment to reconciliation. 

Deferrals continue to promise temporary protection of old growth in the Fairy Creek watershed, but aggressive opposition remains to the prospect of any future logging in the area with a recent report of tree spiking.

On Jan. 29 B.C.’s Ministry of Forests announced another extension to defer logging around Fairy Creek, a highly contested valley of old growth north of Port Renfrew. Considered to be one of Vancouver Island’s few remaining watersheds untouched by industrial logging, this latest measure will protect almost 1,200 hectares of forest until Sept. 30, 2026.