An updated snow survey from the River Forecast Centre (RFC) for February shows Vancouver Island’s snowpack has decreased by nine per cent from the previous month.

Sitting at just 30 per cent of normal, Vancouver Island’s storage on snow in the mountains has seen a decrease since last month, similar to six other communities in the province.

Vancouver Island is 45 per cent lower than it was in February 2023, marking the second largest decrease in the province.

Time is running out to apply for a share of the First Nations Drinking Water class action settlement fund. Application forms can be found online and must be submitted before March 7, 2024.

In 2019 the Neskantaga First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation and Tataskweyak Cree Nation started a national class action lawsuit to address drinking water advisories in their communities, drawing in other First Nations across Canada. 

An Indigenous focused theatre production coming to Vancouver will feature Nuu-chah-nulth actor Danica Charlie.

Charlie, who lives in Vancouver, is from the Ahoushat First Nation on her dad’s side, and of European descent on her mom’s side.

Charlie said she hasn’t been to Ahousaht since she was a kid and grew up in Victoria.

She’s playing Maryanne in the Arts Club Theatre Company’s production of Father Tartuffe: An Indigenous Misadventure.

The Hesquiaht Descendants ladies team made history at the 64th annual All Native Basketball Tournament in Prince Rupert, B.C. on Feb. 11 to Feb. 18.

Captained by Mariah Charleson, the squad of nine players battled their way to the final game of the tournament, becoming the first-ever Hesquiaht team to make the top two.

Charleson professed a deep “Klecko Klecko” to all the supporters who sent messages and cheered them on throughout the weeklong event.

Uchucklesaht’s community at Ehthlateese, a village of about 14 family homes, is getting clean, reliable energy in its growing community through funding from the First Nations Clean Energy Business Fund.

According to Nigel Moore, Uchucklesaht’s special projects manager, Ehthlateese has been growing rapidly over the past five years and is expected to grow further as more citizens make the move home to the pristine, waterfront village south of Henderson Lake.

The artwork of three Nuu-chah-nulth students now adorns Port Albreni’s Gyro Park after an Alberni District Secondary School art class was assigned to paint garbage bins throughout the community. 

Maddexx George, Summer Little, and Madison Lucas decided the theme of their project would be Indigenous art.

“I chose the c̓ixʷatin, which is the eagle,” said George. “I chose it just [because] it's my favorite animal.”

George explained that in Nuu-chah-nulth culture, c̓ixʷatin (eagles) are spiritual animals.

For over three decades, Valentine’s Day in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) marks the commemoration of Indigenous women and girls who are missing and murdered. But women and girls have continued to go missing and be murdered, leading family members and advocates say not enough is being done to protect Indigenous people.

“Why pay for something when you have the right to get it free?” asked Alberni Pharmacy pharmacist and owner, Farah Kassam.

Having worked in pharmacies in Vancouver and Nanaimo, Kassam landed in Port Alberni and opened her own business in December 2022. She noticed that many First Nations customers come in to buy things they can get for free with their Indian Status cards. It is not unusual for her to ask new customers if they have status – and for First Nations people, they know immediately what Kassam means.

A push is underway to restore Vancouver Island’s railway, with a call for the federal government to provide funding to a partnership that includes two Nuu-chah-nulth nations.

Alberni District Secondary School’s (ADSS) athletic department is formally renaming its sports teams, taking “Armada” off the court. After four decades students, staff and coaches say the name “no longer has a connection” to the school community.

“We just felt that Armada does not represent us a whole lot,” said Dennis Bill, a teacher and coach at ADSS. “The students don't connect with it; a lot of students don't understand what an armada is [and]… it doesn’t match up with what we value.”