It was a quiet, ordinary Sunday evening on September 17, when Maverick Marshall, 33, of Ditidaht, hopped on his bicycle after visiting The Bread of Life on Third Avenue in Port Alberni. It was something the experienced cyclist had done many times before.

But something went wrong barely two blocks away as Marshall headed down the Third Avenue hill. According to a family member, he somehow lost control of his bike and careened over his handlebars. He struck a utility pole headfirst. He wasn’t wearing a safety helmet.

Heavy rains coupled with high tides are wreaking havoc on industrial roads leading to Bamfield and Nitinaht.

Local motorists from Anacla, Bamfield and Nitinaht shared photos of road conditions on the way to the remote communities.

Kristen Young of Huu-ay-aht shared a photo of a slide that occurred at the 44 kilometre marker outside of Bamfield on the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 18. She reported that the debris had been mostly cleared by 9:30 that morning and drivers could get through.

It has been more than 20 years since Vic Pearson, the affable man with the slight English accent, last occupied an office at the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council building, but his long service to Nuu-chah-nulth-aht back then and even years later is being remembered by those that fortunate enough to know him.

Vic Pearson was 84 when he passed away on September 1, 2023.

According to his online obituary, he was born in Birmingham, England.

As Vancouver Island’s west coast sees heavier rainfall, Highway 4 could face possible road closures, though “anticipated to be much less” after the Cameron Lake Recovery Project safety measures were implemented through the summer, says the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

In early June the Cameron Bluffs wildfire sparked, leading to the closure of Highway 4 as the Cameron Lake Recovery Project began work towards slope stability to ensure safety for vehicles traveling along the highway.

The BC Achievement Foundation released its list of winners on Oct. 4, and among those awarded for business is Tiičma Enterprises, a group of businesses owned and operated by Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k’tles7et’h’ First Nations.

According to the foundation, the 2023 BC Achievement Indigenous Business award program recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of Aboriginal businesses, entrepreneurs, partnership entities and community-owned enterprises.  

Attendance was low at the delayed 2023 Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Scholarship Ceremony, but the event made it evident that there are more language learners than ever.

Held at the Alberni District Secondary School on Friday, Oct. 13, almost every speaker, including SD70 Superintendent Tim Davie, used the Nuu-chah-nulth language as part of their speeches.

According to Julia Caranci, a fire information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre, 20 active wildfires remain burning throughout Vancouver Island while, after a summer of extreme drought, the fire danger rating has dropped to “very low”.

Throughout the summer, Vancouver Island remained in an “extreme fire rating”, meaning high risks of wildfires due to dry forest fuels. Campfire, backyard, and industrial fire prohibitions were put in place early in the season to minimize the possibility of human-caused fires.

Data from the 2023 province-wide point-in-time homeless counts has been released, showing Port Alberni as having a 30 per cent increase over the past two years.

As colder and wetter weather arrives for the winter, Victoria’s emergency shelter providers are concerned about their ability to increase the number of beds available.

“Folks find themselves in situations that [at] the last minute they need somewhere to go to that’s safe,” said Leah Young, director of Housing and Shelter for Our Place Society. “We also find folks, especially going into the colder months, they might be camping outdoors, and once the weather turns wet and cold that they need that indoor shelter setting.”