The provincial government is postponing the introduction of proposed amendments to the Heritage Conservation Act (HCA) that had originally been anticipated for spring 2026.

Last year, it was announced that legislation determining how British Columbia’s heritage sites are protected would be updated. The Heritage Conservation Act applies to more than 64,000 protected sites on the provincial registry – 90 per cent of which are of First Nations origin. The act, that was last revised 30 years ago, regulates how these sites are protected when work is done at the locations.

The BC Conservation Officer Service (COS) killed 13 black bears in Ucluelet last year, making the town of roughly 2,000 residents the deadliest community in British Columbia for the animals.

For the small tourist town nestled on the west coast of Vancouver Island, it’s not the kind of list you want to be at the top of. 

The BC Centre for Disease Control has issued a warning about the increase in drug poisonings seen throughout the province of British Columbia. The warning was issued January 26 to people that use illicit substances.

The warning follows an alert issued for the Cowichan Valley on January 20, where health officials saw an increase in overdose events. 

“Drug poisoning events have been increasing in British Columbia, and novel substances in the unregulated drug supply are putting people who use substances at risk province-wide,” said the BCCDC in a written statement. 

TJ Hernandez is excited to hit the mat, as the Alberni Invitational approaches at the end of this month.

“I can’t wait,” said the Grade 10 student, an Ahousaht member in his second year of wrestling at Alberni District Secondary School. “I’m trying to work on techniques and learn a few different moves.”

A truck carrying two people connected to a logging blockade went off a frozen road on the morning of Jan. 19 in same area where a camp has been established for those protesting against old growth harvesting.

C̕awak ʔqin Forestry, co-owned by Huu-ay-aht First Nations and Western Forests Products, was made aware of a single vehicle incident that occurred the morning of Jan. 19 at the 14.5 km mark on the Walbran Main. 

January 2026 marks the 30th year that I’ve worked at Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper. I applied for the job in the summer of 1995, hoping that I would get the chance to work with the legendary Ha-Shilth-Sa Bob.

Popular, friendly and easy-going Bob Soderlund had already been working for the paper more than 20 years when I was hired. Annie Watts, his assistant, helped me navigate policy and procedures at the NTC.

My first day as a reporter for Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper was January 15, 1996. My kids were 13 and 14 at the time and I was in my early 30s.

Port Alberni RCMP are investigating after the ‘Every Child Matters’ barrier at the Orange Bridge was vandalized for the second time in a week.

Three swastikas were found spray-painted on the pillars of the bridge and the ‘Every Child Matters’ slogan was defaced with a racist slur on Jan. 21 between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.

Just one week prior, on Jan. 14, the slogan was defaced with the same racist slur. 

Following the official renaming of Tofino’s Mackenzie Beach back to its traditional name tinwis (pronounced ti-nu-wis) in the fall, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation (TFN) has applied to the BC Geographical Names Office to change three additional place names: North Chesterman Beach, Kennedy Lake and Meares Island.

Tofino Mayor Dan Law and council expressed unanimous support for the name change proposals during the Jan. 20 regular council meeting.

RCMP are continuing enforcement of a B.C. Supreme Court Injunction that C̓awak ʔqin Forestry Ltd, co-owned by Huu-ay-aht First Nation, was granted to prevent logging protestors from blocking access to their work areas within the Walbran Valley.

While results are preliminary and more analysis is needed, contamination is still being detected in Muchalaht Inlet’s crabs, 26 years after the closure of the Gold River Pulp Mill.