A safety officer on Vancouver Island says we could do better in protecting workers ahead of Day of Mourning.

Chris Cinkant is a business agent and safety officer for United Steelworkers Local 1-1937, a union representing workers in all areas and sectors of Coastal B.C., including Vancouver Island.

With Day of Mourning ceremonies set for this weekend, Cinkant says nothing is more important in the workplace than safety.

“There is nothing else that compares,” said Cinkant. “Anybody who has been a worker knows of somebody who's been killed or seriously injured on the job, so we all have personally experienced this day for anybody in the workforce.”

In 2023, 175 workers died from either a workplace injury or disease. Cinkant thinks everyone can do a better job at work safety, including the workers and employers.

“Workers using their right to refuse when they see something that is unsafe. Employers being much more diligent in recognizing unsafe practices, unsafe events and correct them quickly,” said Cinkant.

“It’s got to be a collaborative effort. All the efforts that we have made so far hasn’t worked because we continue to lose workers on the job.”

He says better participation between employers and workers, recognizing unsafe situations and correcting them immediately are ways to improve job safety.

He adds for Day of Mourning, he wants people to remember somebody that they knew who lost their life on the job and to be more diligent while working.

“We have got to mourn the dead and fight for the living.”

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B.C.’s very own humpback whales were featured on an episode of Planet Earth III.

The show is a BBC series focused on showcasing landscapes, newly discovered behaviors, and the challenges animals face, all narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

Episode 7 had a segment on humpback whales, with the Marine Education and Research Society assisting the team on that episode.

The society works on education, research, and response on Vancouver Island, with the goal of understanding and reducing the threats that marine wildlife face.

Humpback researcher Jackie Hildering says they were chosen because of their research on trap feeding, a strategy that at least 32 humpbacks learned to do.

“Once we had initial contact it was very clear we were unified with the filming team, with the producer Fredi Devas in terms of ethics,” said Hildering.

“Once we realized the magnitude of it, that we would be able to bring attention to the vital importance of whales globally and that the estimated audience of Planet Earth III is one billion people, I don’t know that it has sunken in.”

Trap-feeding is used by some whales in specific conditions where if juvenile herring are in small schools, they set up a trap by staying beside the fish with their mouths open.

Hildering says their first contact with Devas was back in 2018 and it had been back and forth about the ethics of the segment, adding that the society wouldn’t have been interested if it was only for pretty footage of humpbacks.

She says the last thing they wanted to do is increase pressure on the whales.

“It became very clear that it would be about really big-picture messaging around a second chance of humpbacks, and that by having them back what they are doing is fertilizing the ecosystem,” said Hildering.

“In realizing that, it became secure that it would be about conservation and that the gains would be greater than the potential disturbance of the whales.”

She says Devas came to the Island in 2019 and was surprised by how well the team knew the whales, which Hildering says would lead to better filming and less disturbance of the whales.

Because of the pandemic, filming began in 2021, continuing into 2022 to capture the feeding.

The episode aired on Sunday on BBC Earth.

“British Columbia used to kill humpbacks until 1967, now we care about them as individuals.”

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A lodge on Vancouver Island is a part of this year’s Next Great Save competition.

The Next Great Save is a project focused on empowering communities to save heritage places at risk.

For this year, St. Andrew’s Lodge is currently one of the finalists. It’s a lodge in Qualicum Beach that welcomed travellers and vacationers for nearly 80 years.

The St. Andrew’s Lodge Historical & Cultural Society aims to restore it to its former glory, where according to President Jay Smith, many people have an emotional attachment to the lodge.

“The property was bought by town council in 2018 and they were going to tear the lodge town and the demolition crew had showed up,” said Smith.

“Dozens of seniors, younger people and school children began protesting the demolition. 300 emails were sent to the council, and that’s a tremendous number.”

Smith says through the building’s construction quality, years of service and history, people have fond memories of the lodge.

He also says the lodge being a part of Next Great Save is an endorsement.

“We entered the competition, made the final 12 and I think that speaks to the quality of our application,” said Smith.

“We have received a $211,000 grant last January from Heritages Canada for our seismic work, but there is so much other work to do.”

He adds if they win the $50,000 prize, it could help them install a heating and electricity system.

Currently the Lodge is in sixth place, and you can vote until May 6.

For where to vote, click here.

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The orca calf trapped in a lagoon near Zeballos began eating more food over the weekend.

That comes from both the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Ehattesaht First Nation, who say while conducting daily health monitoring on Sunday, the calf was seen eating herring.

This comes after the calf ate some offered seal meat on Thursday, pausing another rescue operation.

Chief Simon John says seeing the calf eat the fish surprised them.

“Normally the Biggs killer whales are thought to eat only marine mammals like seals, sea lions and whales but this shows there is some flexibility in their diet of younger orcas,” said John.

He says that while she didn’t eat much, it is a good sign that she is finding ways to sustain herself in the lagoon.

In the meantime, the team is monitoring her while planning continues. John adds by eating food, the calf will be stronger once she is moved to a spot where she can find her pod.

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A new round of climate action funding encourages local governments to attempt larger projects.

The province announced earlier this week that they will provide nearly $72 million through the Local Government Climate Action Program, a program aiming to help local communities lower emissions, turn to clean-energy sources and prepare for a changing climate.

This funding comes as part of Budget 2024.

Minister of Environment and Climate Change strategy George Heyman says many sources of emissions are local in nature.

“By providing the next three years of Local Government Climate Action Program funding upfront this year, we can build a more sustainable and climate-friendly future for British Columbians,” said Heyman.

For this funding, the province is giving the money away in a lump sum instead of disbursing it annually, with hopes it will give local governments more confidence in making these projects.

They add the projects need to be aligned with CleanBC and/or climate adaptation objectives.

To learn more about the program, click here.

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Coastal communities will get to resume talks with BC Ferries members next month.

The ferry line says Ferry Advisory Committees will restart engagement so they can start tackling ideas and requests from ferry users across the coast.

Vice-president of public affairs and marketing Lindsay Mathews says while it's important to review safety and security protocols, they have been eager to return to face-to-face engagement.

“I’m encouraged we can now put our focus back where it needs to be – on important discussions with people in the communities we serve,” said Mathews. “For the rest of this year, we’re looking forward to prioritizing everything we’ve heard from communities, ensuring that people can see and feel actions being taken in an order that best aligns with the public interest across the broader ferry system.”

This comes as in-person meetings were suspended last year after a member of the public made comments at a Sunshine Coast meeting that were interpreted as threats.

They say virtual meetings will take place next month, followed by in-person meetings in June and July. There will also be a community prioritization panel, dedicated to prioritizing ideas that have come in the past few years.

They aim to put together a final public report that will be used to make decisions on how to improve service and experience for customers.

The report will be delivered on October 31.

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With Earth Day on the way, the city of Nanaimo will be holding a celebration event this Saturday.

The city says they are holding this event as a way to celebrate local with the Regional District of Nanaimo’s Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Program and community partners.

This event will include artisans and local plant sale, an interactive workshop, information booths, a native plant walk and talk, shared water and water protection programs, and free presentations.

They say admission is free and that the event will take place at Bowen Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Plans to relocate the orca calf near Zeballos have been paused because the calf ate some food.

According to Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), the 2-year-old ate some seal on Thursday night, making it the first time she has taken food after attempts by both the Ehattesaht and Nuchatlaht First Nations.

Because of this, the team decided to pause their relocation for this weekend, where instead they will be changing plans to support a successful response.

Along with adapting to the new information, the DFO also says they will collect more data and adjust their approach to make sure that the calf’s health and ability to reunite with her family is a high priority.

It has now been four weeks since the calf got stranded in a lagoon after her mother died.

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A Vancouver Island RCMP officer says recognizing those who take 911 calls is extremely important.

This week is National Public Safety Telecommunications week, a week dedicated to recognizing the telecommunicators who answer emergency calls across the country.

Constable Maury Tyre says they are amazing human beings.

“They are dealing with some of the most traumatic instances you can imagine in people’s lives at a distance and a lot of times they are able to calm things down and de-escalate them,” said Tyre.

“To have a week that’s dedicated to honoring these people is so important.”

Tyre says what makes them valuable to the public is that people can call them 24/7, with the same telecommunicators also responding to calls after hours.

He also says this week isn’t just for RCMP dispatchers, but also for fire and ambulance.

“The hard part that not a lot of people don’t necessarily realize is they will deal things up until the police are there and once they are there, they move onto the next call,” said Tyre.

“So, a lot of times they are dealing with a very frenetic scenario or incident, and they don’t necessarily get to know what the outcome is at the end and that can have an effect of them.”

He says through putting themselves out there and putting the public first, they do deserve to be honored.

He adds when you do call 911, it is important for you to answer the questions the callers and dispatchers give you so they can better prepare for the situation.

The week runs until Saturday April 20.

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A couple of organizations on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast will be holding Day of Mourning ceremonies next week on April 28, to remember those who lost their life while working.

In BC, 175 workers died from either a workplace injury or disease.

In response to these deaths, local organizations are putting together ceremonies to not only honor the workers but to also raise awareness on workplace safety.

5 events are set for the Island and Coast.

In Courtenay, a ceremony and moment of silence will take place at the Simms Park Pavilion, starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 26.

Over at Lake Cowichan on April 28, a ceremony is happening at Forest Workers memorial park, starting at 10 a.m.

Nanaimo will see its ceremony at the pioneer waterfront plaza on Sunday April 28 at 12:30 p.m., while Parksville’s ceremony happens on Parksville Beach later that day at 5:00 p.m.

For Powell River, a ceremony will be held at the Worker’s memorial at Cranberry Cemetery at 11:00 a.m. on the 28.

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A new strategy is being worked on to rescue the 2-year-old orca calf near Zeballos.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) says they are working with experts and Ehattesaht First Nation following an unsuccessful rescue attempt on Friday last week.

The goal is to finish up planning and logistics in the next couple of days to capture and move it to the open ocean.

They also are still monitoring its health and add that its activity level is high.

The DFO says rescue efforts are weather dependent and will be based on logistics and availability of personnel and equipment.

The calf has been stuck for 3 weeks ever since its mom died on March 23.

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An employment placement specialist on the Sunshine Coast says selective hiring is severely affecting the youth of today.

Nancy Martin works at a WorkBC Centre, one of many across the Island and Coast. WorkBC aims to help people find jobs through career tools, blogs, interactive maps, and live chats with employment specialists.

As more young people struggle to find work across Canada, Martin says the labour market has changed drastically in the past few years.

“Coming out of COVID employers were really struggling to find workers and there were tons of positions available and there wasn’t enough people to fill those jobs,” said Martin. “While there still seems to be a lot of positions available, employers have become more and more selective in their hiring process.”

She says it has to do with finding the right candidate for the position, who has the right amount of training, experience or education so they require the least amount of on-the-job training to get into the position.

Along with lack of training and previous experience, Martin says other issues for employment include wage expectations and schedules.

Healthcare and sales and service are the sectors most in need of new workers.

“With the Sunshine Coast, we are a bit more tourism-driven and we do have our busy seasons so our restaurants and retail are always looking for more people as we approach the summer season,” said Martin. “After coming out of the pandemic, healthcare truly needs a lot of new staffing and we see a ton of job postings for healthcare but unfortunately the youth are unable to apply because they are lacking that specific educational requirement.”

She adds for students with not a lot of experience, they can access WorkBC for support and to get the certificates required when they apply for future jobs.

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A request for funding a road improvement project is on the agenda for Wednesday’s council meeting.

According to the agenda, Director of Engineering and operations Kirn Dhillon will present a report to council asking for $530,000 in funding for the Inlet Avenue Road Improvement project.

The project is in response to Inlet Avenue not meeting modern standards for accessibility and active transportation in Downtown Sechelt.

So far the project has included new pavement structure, sidewalks, trees, streetlights and ducting from BC Hydro and TELUS.

While most of the work has been done, the report says the district had unanticipated conditions and construction requirements, leading to more costs and change orders.

Issues included inflation, an increase in the number of required ducting, more investigations, location changes of street trees, a thicker asphalt lift, and design changes.

As a result, staff are asking for funding to not only pay invoices but also finish the project, with only road markings and streetlight installation left.

The meeting will take place on the 1st floor community meeting room on Cowrie Street, starting at 7:00 p.m.

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A lot of young people are struggling to find jobs across Canada, especially on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.

According to Labour force statistics from the province in March, British Columbia’s unemployment rate was at 5.5 percent, up 0.3 percent from February and 0.9 percent more than the number last year.

On the Island and Coast, the unemployment rate is at 4.6 percent.

One organization that focuses on helping people find work is Creative Employment Access Society, which has been around since 1982.

Executive director of the society Barb LePage says 50 percent of the people they work with are 30 and under.

“They are definitely a large part of the unemployed population, and they are struggling more than ever,” said LePage.

“I think youth today struggle with employment because jobs are getting far more complex, and employers are expecting people to be off the shelf ready for the challenges in the complex jobs, which is unfair to the younger workers who aren’t as experienced.”

LePage says even if they do find employment, it’s usually entry-level jobs and because of the ongoing housing crisis, young people are often living at home with parents, which isn’t always a healthy situation for everyone.

She also says issues such as transportation, developing a social network with working people, and getting the confidence to put themselves out there make it more difficult for them to get employed.

“It used to be that youth were almost always able to get a job in retail or hospitality, and both sectors are struggling after the pandemic and with the increase in online shopping,” said LePage.

“Educated young people are in a predicament because if you don’t immediately crack into the field you were educated in, it becomes more and more difficult to crack in on a later date.”

She says connecting with professional guidance and help can help those struggling to find work, and that employers should come around to the idea that they are coaches, where they can nurture and grow talent.

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Today marks the eighth anniversary of the toxic drug public-health emergency, and the province recognizes its tragic impact.

That comes from Premier David Eby in a statement this morning, saying every life taken by the toxic drug crisis is a loss to our communities.

“They are friends, parents, siblings and children. To the families, friends and loved ones: we see you, we stand with you, and we share in your pain,” said Eby.

“We must also recognize that this crisis has impacts beyond the tragic loss of life. From families and friends to mental-health and front-line workers, there are scores of people who have had to bear witness to the damage done to lives and communities from addiction and drug poisonings.”

This statement comes as more than 14,000 people have died since the emergency was declared, with Eby saying the government aims to build a more connected system of mental health and addictions care for those in need.

This includes expanding access to new approaches to healing and recovery.

Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside says the crisis affects everyone.

“It is vital that we come together and offer support to those in pain,” said Whiteside.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says when it comes to recovery, it is a complex journey.

“People who use drugs come from all walks of life in all parts of this province,” said Henry. “That diversity is also reflected in why people use drugs in the first place. For many, it is to deal with pain, physical, emotional and psychological pain often stemming from previous trauma.”

Eby closes by saying that we are stronger when working together, with hopes of ending the crisis.

For where you can read the statement, click here.

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Inland Island Highway has been shut down northbound as of this afternoon.

The shutdown happened after noon and is about 8 kilometers up from the Alberni Junction.

Witnesses say a helicopter, fire trucks, police vehicles, and an ambulance are on the highway, with the incident clogging traffic.

Vista Radio has reached out to BC RCMP and BC Highway Patrol for more details.

Updates will come as soon as they are available.

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311 people on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast are without power today.

According to BC Hydro, the outages happened in the morning, with Nanaimo seeing the most outages at 99.

Comox has 89 outages, Duncan saw 70, and Sechelt saw the least number of outages at 53.

Hydro says the outages were caused by planned work on their equipment. They say power will come back between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

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Expect changes to your ferry schedule as four sailings will depart at different times this Sunday.

BC Ferries says because of operational readiness exercises, the schedules are being revised for the early morning sailings of Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island) and Nanaimo Harbour.

On April 14 and the 21, the ferries will leave Gabriola at 6:20 a.m. and 8:45 a.m., while the others leave Nanaimo at 8:10 and 8:45 a.m.

The ferry-line says the schedule will return to normal at the 8:45 sailings.

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For the first time in 15 years, BC Hydro has issued a call for more power.

The provincial government says Hydro issued a request for 3,000 more gigawatts per year of electricity, making it their first in 15 years. If approved, it could power 270,000 homes or one million electric vehicles.

As efforts to fight climate change continue, Minister of Energy, mines, and low carbon innovation Josie Osborne says the need to switch to clean energy has never felt more urgent.

“That’s why we are working in collaboration with BC Hydro, First Nations and the independent power industry to generate more of the electricity that B.C. needs,” said Osborne.

Along with powering up homes, there is also hope that the extra electricity could bring $2.3 to $3.6 billion in private capital spending across B.C. through developing energy projects.

The province says electricity demand is expected to go up by 15 percent between 2024 and 2030 because of population growth, housing construction, and having more homes and businesses switch to clean electricity.

BC Hydro says they will expect to make more calls for power in the future, with the next one to be issued in 2026.

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BC's toxic drug crisis claimed an average of six lives a day from overdoses in February.

The BC Coroners Service says 177 people died using illicit drugs province-wide – a 12 percent decline from the number reported in January, and an 11 percent decrease from the number in February last year.

For health authorities on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Coastal Health saw the highest death rates at 96, while Island Health saw 85.

By health service delivery area, the highest death rates were recorded on North Vancouver Island at 21 and Central Vancouver Island at 43.

Unregulated drug toxicity is now the leading cause of death in BC for people aged 10 to 59, accounting for more deaths than homicides, suicides, accidents and, natural disease combined.

More than 14-thousand people have been lost since the public health emergency was first declared in April 2016.

Files from Mike Patterson, Vista Radio Staff

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