Monday, September 30 is Orange Shirt Day or the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It is a special day for honouring residential school survivors and to remember the children that never made it home.

In 1831, the Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford, Ontario became Canada’s first residential school to open. It was the longest operating residential school in the country and closed in 1970.

BC Hydro saw “a strong response” for its call to diversify the province’s sources of power generation, but it appears that for the time being Vancouver Island will remain heavily reliant on mainland sources for electricity.

Closing on Sept. 16, the competitive call for power was the first issued by the provincial utility in over 15 years. For the first time BC Hydro introduced the stipulation that the proposed projects have “a meaningful First Nations partnership component” through at least 25 per cent Indigenous ownership.

A woman shopping at a thrift store in Nelson, BC is intrigued by a framed painting. The thick, brilliantly coloured, oil paint brought to life a scene of a small, rugged settlement surrounded by rocks and forests. Priced at only $1, the woman took the beautiful painting home.

Future development and raw water supply needs were the focus of Tofino’s Aug. 26 Committee of the Whole (CoW) meeting, but Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation (TFN) has asked mayor and council for an exemption from any planning or policies pertaining to the future growth of Canada’s Surf Capital.

Standing in the home of his ancestors at Kiixin (pronounced kee-hin), Huu-ay-aht’s ancient summer village site, knowledge keeper Qiic Qiica spoke about connection.

“That’s one of the most beautiful things about being Indigenous is our connectedness. We are not above or below anything in the world. We are a part of it,” said Qiic Qiica, a cultural interpreter for Kiix̣in Tours.

Three levels of government have provided sufficient funding for a submarine watermain project that will take place next year to supply potable water to the community of West Bamfield.

The Barkley Sound community is adjacent to Huu-ay-aht First Nations.

The $1.2 million project is expected to commence next spring and expected to be completed by next June.

The federal government is providing $470,095 towards the project, the Province of British Columbia government is chipping in with $391,707 and the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ARCD) will contribute $313,436.

A pod of transient killer whales recently ventured into the Ucluelet harbour, chasing a sea lion for dinner, but dinner got the best of the apex predators when a vessel seemingly interfered with the hunt.

Ucluelet Aquarium curator Laura Griffith-Cochrane captured the exciting scene on her phone from Alder Park, which overlooks the harbour.

Professional drone pilot Kawliga Watts had just been laid off from a Port Alberni mill when he saw an opportunity pop up to fly drones for Tseshaht First Nation-owned Maktlee Drone Services.

“I was already a recreational drone operator, so I was really happy to be part of this new venture and learn all this new technology,” said Watts at the first annual Indigenous Forestry Conference in Port Alberni in September.

Calling on governments to recognize a crisis that continues to have a devastating impact on families, the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council has declared a state of emergency for how illicit drugs and mental health issues are affecting its communities.

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) issued a public apology to First Nations, Inuit and Métis people for past and ongoing harms to Indigenous people in the health care system.

The live-streamed event took place in Victoria on Wednesday, Sept. 18.

Dr. Alika Lafontaine, the CMA’s first Indigenous president (2022–23), announced the association’s commitment to an apology in June 2023 as an important part of the CMA’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action.