As the new year brings hope that some clues could surface in 2025 about the disappearance of Lisa Marie Young, information has come to light about the whereabouts of the last person seen with her over 22 years ago.

Christopher William Adair has lived in Turkey for the last several years, residing in Fethiye, a seaside tourist location since 2017. While on the Turkish Riviera Adair has run a consulting company specializing in immigration and residency matters. Adair also spends time in the Philippines, as was reported on Dec. 30 from the newspaper Türkiye Today. 

Vet staff from the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society (VAMMRS) are on standby this week along the highway by Kennedy Lake, after a California sea lion was spotted over the holidays on several occasions by different drivers, stranded on the road.

Vet staff say the marine mammal likely followed fish up a river and into Kennedy Lake, then staggered up a path nearby the Pacific Rim Highway. Emergency crews are working alongside Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and aquarium personnel to capture the confused sea lion.     

Basketball is a family affair for the ADSS senior girls team, who eagerly await the chance to compete in front of loved ones at B.C.’s oldest high school hoops tournament.

Totem 69 is scheduled to light up Alberni District Secondary’s court Jan. 9 – 11, drawing a dozen boys and girls teams from across Vancouver Island. The tournament began in 1955 with four boys teams, then in 1982 expanded to eight male squads. It wasn’t until 2011 that Totem included girls, but now the female teams share representation with the boys at six senior squads each.   

This story starts down an abandoned forest service road deep in central Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations territory on Vancouver Island. It was fall, two or three years ago. Tyee Wilson Jack was bucking up a log for firewood when he saw something move on the right side of his periphery.

“Did something just stand up?” thought the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ (Ucluelet First Nation) Hereditary Chief. “I didn’t want to turn my head, but I moved my eyes. I swore. It’s a frickin’ Pookemis.”

It was only fitting that the former Mayor of Tofino gave her first public speech as B.C.’s Health Minister during a Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Dec. 17 at the Wickaninnish Inn.

With local physician and Tofino General Hospital chief of staff Dr. Carrie Marshall by her side, Osborne shared how living in a rural community like Tofino in Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation’s traditional territory helped her land what is arguably the most challenging ministry appointment.

Locked security gates are coming to some of Tofino’s docks, according to the harbour authority’s manager, an inconvenient safety measure that has resulted from liability concerns over float homes at the harbour.

The Fourth Street Dock will remain “fully accessible”, according to the District of Tofino, but a different situation is expected at the Crab Dock, where a dispute has been brewing over people living on a floating home.

This year’s round of urban gatherings wrapped up on Dec. 19, with a lively event at Port Alberni’s Italian Hall.

Young and old enjoyed a Christmas feast, followed by the singing of Nuu-chah-nulth songs and dancing. Put on by the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, the Port Alberni gathering was the last of six that began in early December, with prior feasts held in Campbell River, Victoria, Vancouver, Nanaimo and Seattle. 

Georgia Gomez is rather pleased she responded to a lunchtime school announcement a few years ago.

The 11-year-old Tseshaht First Nation member heard a meeting was being planned for those interested in joining the wrestling team at her c̓uumaʕas (Tsuma-as) Elementary School.

“It was during school lunch hour,” she said. “And the announcement said if you would like to join wrestling, go to the courtyard. I thought it would be cool to join. The coach just talked about it and then we got our (permission) slips.”

Diesel spilled from a salmon farm near Zeballos has spread as far as the northern edge of Nootka Island, according to the Nuchatlaht First Nation, which is calling on the federal government to expedite the phasing out of net pens on the B.C. coast.

Another season with the men’s national rugby team is now in the books for Phil Mack. 

But the 2024 campaign was different than previous ones for Mack, a member of Toquaht Nation.

That’s because this was the first year that Mack, a former national team player, had served as a coach with the Canadian men’s squad.

As a player Mack had earned 59 caps, representing Canada in international games between 2009 and 2019.

He also appeared in 52 international contests with the Canadian men’s sevens team.