A statement from the Ehattesaht First Nation says the deceased killer whale near Zeballos was pregnant, and they are still working to help the stuck calf.

This comes after the First Nation community members were able to secure and move the mother Biggs Killer Whale for a necropsy. While they do not know if the whale was hunting and then got stuck or if an underlying health condition caused her death, they did find the whale had an unborn female fetus.

Efforts to remove the live calf from the lagoon are ongoing, including attempts to use whale calls at high tide to entice the calf out of the lagoon. However, the First Nation says this was unfortunately not successful.

Discussions between the First Nation and the DFO are ongoing to decide on a path forward. They add they also suspended their forestry operations yesterday and have provided helicopter support to see if the whale pod can be spotted.

The calf has been named kʷiisaḥiʔis, which means “brave little hunter,” and more meetings will be held so they can create a plan to help her.

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A new dementia care pilot project is getting good results and is expected to be implemented in a new care facility this summer.

Providence Living is doing the project in partnership with the UBC Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes - which is evaluating the care model. It was launched in January 2023 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Comox.

Providence Living says it is designed to prepare staff for the move to the new long-term care village, Providence Living at The Views this summer.

According to quality, practice and program development executive director Jennifer Gibson, the model is based on the concept of a dementia village. It aims to be a more person-centred, rather than an institutional approach.

“Within the social-relational model, the rhythms and patterns of the day are grounded in a person-centred approach and the residents drive the day,” said Gibson.

“Instead of coming to work and reporting at a facility like a hospital, staff honour the concept of home. Teams work collaboratively, they support residents’ plans and goals for the day.”

Gibson says they have learned over the years that seniors “flourish” when they can maintain their independent and social connections along with routines.

The work they are doing with UBC is evaluating the impact of the pilot, and Gibson says the feedback has been positive so far.

“What we’ve heard is that the experience of being in the pilot is calmer and overall the staff are more satisfied with the way they are able to work in the pilot,” said Gibson. “There’s more controls in how residents are experiencing their day, and that’s true for family members as well.”

The pilot is preparing staff for how the care model will work when the new facilities are launched. Providence Living at The Views is expected to open this summer in Comox and will have 155 publicly funded beds and one private pay bed.

The model is expected to be used at all future Providence Living locations in B.C., and they will require workers to be trained on the new model as they are hired.

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RCMP say they are investigating a reported assault that took place at a U15 minor hockey game that sent one player to hospital.

According to Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association president Al McCulloch, the incident was between two players, 13 and 14-years-old, on March 15 on Comox Valley and Nanaimo minor hockey teams.

McCulloch says the injured player was taken to hospital and is now out of hospital recovering in concussion protocol. He adds the other player is suspended indefinitely until the outcome of the investigation, which is also being done with BC Hockey.

McCulloch says the organization does not condone this type of behaviour in hockey, adding it does not belong in the game.

He adds they work to teach kids to play nice from the start, and situations like these are an anomaly.

“We try to work with them from a young age to explain proper rules, proper etiquette on and off the ice, proper behaviour,” said McCulloch.

“We don’t really condone stick work in general, if it’s a penalty it’s a penalty, but excessive, deliberate attempts to injure are the things we’re trying to remove from the game.”

McCulloch adds the subject of what is acceptable and what is not is brought up every year, but they need to teach kids at a younger age that things like this are not acceptable.

“It’s a continuous learning curve, much like ABCs in school, it’s a continuous lesson in life,” added McCulloch.

“Hopefully we get past it and our players do learn from it. Hopefully, the player is remorseful, and he’s learned from it eventually when he moves on and uses it as a lesson in life that there are repercussions to actions.”

He adds that he wishes the injured player a quick recovery.

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The province announced $39 million to benefit B.C. communities for disaster-risk reduction funding, many of which are on Vancouver Island.

According to the province, over 50 projects are getting funding through the community emergency preparedness fund. It will allow necessary changes like small-scale structural flood projects and improvements to community flood-mitigation strategies.

Projects include repairs to the Holland Creek weirs in Ladysmith to protect people from flooding and prevent damage to salmon-spawning grounds. They will get $2.75 million for the project and Ladysmith says the river has seen lots of damage over the last decade.

Courtenay will be getting $268,576 for a joint temporary flood-mitigation planning project with K’ómoks First Nation, Cowichan Tribes will get $150,000 for mobile flood control equipment and the Cowichan Valley Regional District will get $267,080 to create risk reduction policies and processes.

Funding of $42,402 has been approved for Parksville for an Arrowsmith dam inundation study. The Strathcona Regional District is also getting $400,992 to update the Oyster River floodplain map and help build its path forward with an understanding of balance and expression of culture.

Ladysmith mayor Aaron Stone says the project will help remove the risk of erosion along its banks, improve the restoration of aquatic habitat and ensure the continued enjoyment of the trail system.

“Additionally, funding to repair the intake weir further ensures the long-term supply of water to the town’s filtration plant,” said Stone. “Which is integral to distributing safe drinking water to the entire community, Stz’minus First Nation and the Diamond Water Improvement District.”

Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Nathan Cullen says they have worked with communities to develop B.C.’s first integrated vision for provincial flood preparedness.

“The new B.C. Flood Strategy will guide our continued work with First Nations, local government agencies, the agricultural sector, industry and conservation organizations,” said Cullen.

“Together, we can build stronger communities that are resilient to flood hazards in a changing climate.”

For more information, click here. 

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A Conservative motion in the House of Commons to stop the federal carbon tax increase was defeated today, and local politicians are offering opinions on the situation.

The motion would have frozen the carbon tax, which will see a 23 per cent increase on April first. The Tories say this is not supported by 70 per cent of the provinces and 70 per cent of Canadians.

However, the motion was defeated 205 to 119 in the House of Commons. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre plans to introduce a motion for a vote of non-confidence tomorrow. He said in parliament today that the vote would let Canadians decide if they want to continue with the tax.

On the Island, Courtenay-Alberni NDP MP Gord Johns says the motion would not have applied to B.C. because it has had its own carbon tax since 2008. On the provincial government’s website, it says the federal government’s carbon plan means all provinces must have at least a price of $65 per tonne for 2023.  

Johns says the move is simply a diversion from corporate greed, which he says is causing inflation.

“We heard from the governor of the Bank of Canada, we heard from the PBO, that on a $100 bag of groceries, the carbon tax has an impact of inflation of about 0.15 per cent, that’s $0.15 on a $100 bag of groceries,” said Johns.

“We did our own calculation on the big five grocery stores that are having record profits and on a $100 bag of groceries last year, that was $3.20 that went to corporate greed.”

Johns adds the Conservatives have not agreed with other taxes in the past, like the removal of GST on home heating, that would have impacted British Columbians and lower energy bills.

Meanwhile, Conservative candidate for North Island – Powell River Aaron Gunn says B.C. already has some of the highest gas prices in Canada and around $0.70 per litre of gasoline goes to the government.

He says that compounds and ends up increasing the cost of many goods.

“When you increase the price of growing the fuel for the farmer growing the food or the driver transporting the food, you end up taxing everyone who buys the food as well,” said Gunn.

Gunn adds a recent study showed the carbon tax means a family of four will pay $700 more for groceries in 2024, and the tax is planned to increase over the next few years.

He says the planned increases mean other provinces will have to continue to increase their taxes in line with the federal government.

Gunn says he is hopeful that the non-confidence vote motion will pass tomorrow. However, he says he is pessimistic that will happen, and the country will see an election this spring as it will depend on how the NDP votes.

The federal government says it is estimated that the carbon tax will contribute to around one-third of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions reductions. 

It adds that every province or territory can design its own pricing system tailored to local needs or choose the federal system. The feds only provide the benchmark, and if the localized system does not meet that, the federal system will be put in place instead.  

According to the government, around 90 per cent of fuel charge proceeds go back to families through the Canada Carbon Rebate payments, which reach eight out of 10 households. 

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According to the province, over $8.4 million will boost Island and Sunshine Coast school districts so they can make upgrades to buildings and transport.

This comes after it announced $291.9 million for school maintenance in budget 2024. They say the investment will help make schools more energy efficient, climate resilient and better able to support their school communities.

As a part of the funding, school food programs will get $5 million annually to help food programs.

Districts will also get nearly $23.8 million to get new busses, and $26.9 million from the Ministry of Education will be for electrical upgrades across 51 districts. To help upgrades last longer, the province says they are also adding $5.4 million to the School Enhancement Program.

On Vancouver Island, the Nanaimo Ladysmith School District is getting over $2.12 million. This will be used for interior upgrades at Rutherford Elementary and John Barsby Community School, HVAC upgrades at Randerson Ridge Elementary and kitchen equipment upgrades at Woodlands Secondary.

The Campbell River School District will get over $1.9 million for roofing upgrades at Sayward Elem-Jr Secondary, Carihi Secondary, Cedar Elementary, Cortes Island School and nine others, and HVAC upgrades at Sandowne Elementary.

Cowichan Valley’s school district is getting nearly $1.8 million for HVAC upgrades at Quamichan School and Tansor Elementary, food equipment upgrades at nine schools including Crofton Elementary and Community School and Drinkwater Elementary, and three new busses.

The Vancouver Island North School District is getting $1.38 million for roofing upgrades at North Island Secondary and HVAC upgrades at Sea View Elem-Jr Secondary.

SD 71 in the Comox Valley is getting $1.24 million for exterior wall upgrades at Tsolum Elementary, energy upgrades at Denman Island Community School, and kitchen equipment upgrades at 11 schools including all three high schools.

On the Sunshine Coast, SD 47 in Powell River is getting over $2.1 million for HVAC upgrades at Henderson Elementary, energy upgrades at Henderson, James Thomson and Texada elementaries and Kelly Creek Community School and one new bus.

The Sunshine Coast School District is getting $850,000 for interior upgrades at Cedar Grove Elementary and at Chatelech, Elphinstone and Pender Harbour Elem-Secondary. Roofing upgrades will also be done at Langdale Elementary, electrical upgrades at Chetelech Secondary and seven new busses will be bought.

BC School Trustees Association president Carolyn Broady adds the upgrades will benefit students across B.C. and contribute to efforts to address climate change.

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A volunteer group of divers and Pender Harbour residents are taking a plunge to improve the waters around Pender Harbour.

The Pender Harbour and Area Residents Association in conjunction with SeaWolf Diving and the Ocean Legacy Foundation will be pulling abandoned “ghost” fishing nets from the waters along with batteries, plastic and other pollutants from the water today and tomorrow.

The project was authorized by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the association says it is one way to show that the people who live in the area care about the environment.

“These materials have been abandoned on the ocean floor for many years in the past when there was much less concern for our environment,” said the association.

“The attitude has changed in recent years and whales, dolphins, herring and other sea life are increasingly frequenting our harbour.”

The materials will be pulled up from the seafloor by SeaWolf Diving. The association adds they will be collected and taken to the future site of Pender Ocean Discovery Centre at Irvines Landing for sorting.

Debris and materials will eventually be shipped to Richmond to be recycled by Ocean Legacy.

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A three-year audit into the province’s implementation of overdose prevention and supervised consumption says it was not effective.

The audit from auditor general Michael Pickup issued seven recommendations to the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and the Ministry of Health.

The audit found that the ministries did monitor operational performance, funding, and reported publicly on the implementation of overdose prevention and supervised consumption services.

Other positives included framework development for data collection, funding monitoring and funding adjustment and evaluation of prescribed safer supply.

However, it says deficiencies in operational guidance lacked minimum service standards and did not always reflect engagement with health authorities, people with lived and living experience and Indigenous peoples.

It also found “persistent” challenges and barriers to province-wide implementation were not addressed and there were deficiencies in target setting and evaluation. The ministries also didn’t develop strategies to address prominent barriers to implementation and did not report publicly on the performance of prescribed safer supply.

With the findings, the auditor general is recommending the ministries work collaboratively with health authorities, service providers and Indigenous peoples to make appropriate minimum-level standards province-wide.

It also will aim to update guidance for OPS/SCS to ensure it meets the needs of all these groups.

The ministries are also recommended to work proactively with health authorities to develop targets that are achievable within given time frames, create new systematic evaluation, and strategies to articulate the ministries’ and health authorities’ responsibilities for implementation and continue to work with health authorities to create community-level guidance.

The audit also asks the ministries to develop an action plan to address barriers to prescribed safer supply access, and ministries report regularly to the public and health sector partners on whether the program is effectively meeting its objectives.

The ministries have accepted all the recommendations.

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Temperatures are around five degrees warmer than normal, and Environment and Climate Change Canada says multiple records fell over the weekend.

Meteorologist Derek Lee says temperatures of near or over 20 degrees were recorded in some areas between Saturday and Sunday. That includes a record of 19, which broke a 1947 record for Victoria.

Port Alberni, however, took the lead on the Island with a Sunday afternoon high of 20.6 degrees. That beat out a record of 18.7 set in 1930.

On the Sunshine Coast, Gibsons and Sechelt set new records on both Saturday and Sunday. Gibsons and Sechelt hit 13.7 on Saturday, breaking records from 1996. They also hit nearly 19 on Sunday, which broke a record set five years ago.

Lee says the reason for this weather is down to a high-pressure system hanging over the area. It’s expected to stick around until Wednesday before temperatures return to seasonal norms.

This also means we will have more cloud cover and rain in the forecast. While there is the potential for more cold temperatures to arrive, he says it is not likely to affect the coast much.

“It is looking like a wet pattern is in store for us for the rest of March, and for the cold coming in, I think it will mainly affect the interior where they’re going to see major temperature swings of up to at least 20 degrees,” said Lee.

“For the coast itself, we can get a bit cooler than what we’re experiencing now but the temperatures are more or less seasonal with some cooler nights in the forecast.”

Lee adds that the higher temperatures will likely make the snow melt a bit faster, but cooler overnight lows and short sunlight hours mean it won’t melt as quickly.

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BC Wildfire Service is trying to prepare for this year’s wildfire season by using real-time predictive technologies.

The move is a part of the premier’s Expert Task Force on Emergencies and last year’s “successful” trial of the system. It will be first introduced in the Coastal and Kamloops fire centres, where it has already been tested.

The remaining four fire centres will get the technology in a phased-in approach. Minister of forests Bruce Ralston says this is necessary as we learn to respond to climate change impacts.

“During a wildfire, every second counts as wildfire professionals deploy aircraft and firefighters to tackle blazes,” said Ralston. “By adding more technology to the BC Wildfire Service’s tool kit, our talented firefighters will be able to make critical decisions faster when it matters most.”

The province says the tech will not replace the experience and skills of BC Wildfire Service staff, but it will help them make decisions and plan future operations. They add it works by using data from weather models, topography and fuel maps.

It can also use existing geospatial data and fuel maps and uses an app-based interface to allow for on-the-ground inputs in real-time.

“The availability of a common operating picture when facing rapidly evolving emergencies can be the difference between life and death,” said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection former director Thom Porter.

“I’ve experienced the power of technology to transform the way response organizations work together to reduce impacts to communities and natural values.”

Senior wildfire officer of operations for the Coastal Fire Centre Greg Boyachuck says the software came particularly in handy when a slew of lightning strikes hit the area in late August.

“We were able to triage the new starts as they were discovered. The software was able to produce a predicted 12-hour fire spread for each new incident in less than 15 minutes, compared to a previous manual process which could take up to several hours for each incident,” said Boyachuk.

“That allowed us to identify which wildfires were a priority for initial attack resources based on their potential to spread and threaten communities.”

The province says other technologies are being trialled including using drones for aerial ignitions, infrared scanning for hazard assessments and 5G tech for more sensor networks used to monitor forest conditions.

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While not a record, BC Wildfire Service says they are seeing a high volume of applicants which may help if 2024 becomes another devastating season.

According to minister of Forests Bruce Ralston, the service has got around 1,700 applications this year and it is an encouraging sign.

“I think the season last year was so intense that it did attract a lot of public attention, and I think that reflects public anxiety about what we experienced last summer and what we might experience in the summer to come,” said Ralston.

“The season for applications has been a bit longer and it’s been a bit more intense.”

Ralston adds that so far, ministry staff have interviewed over 500 applicants for this upcoming season. He says there is always turnover from season to season since many college and university students work in the summer and choose not to return.

He says they also have a goal of making the wildfire service a year-round service, instead of just seasonal.

“Although, the bulk of the action will still be in the summer, but it begins earlier and the seasons are continuing longer,” said Ralston.

Even with the rise in applications, public concern is at the forefront of decision making, according to the ministry. A task force last year looked at areas that may need improvement, that included the application and training system.

Ralston says that includes a training and recruitment model, and a boot camp will be coming up in Parksville this spring. The recruitment ramp up is in preparation for a potentially difficult season with a continuing drought and low snowpack.

“Climate change is bringing dramatic changes to the prospects of wildfire in the province and indeed across the country,” said Ralston. “We want to be prepared, we want to make sure the public, communities and families are safe.”

He adds another key aspect to fighting fires will be building relationships with municipal fire departments and creating more integration. That includes joint training between BC Wildfire and municipal departments.

Ralston says over 170 municipal departments participated in the firefighting last summer.

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A declining number of workers at IMP Aerospace in the Comox Valley could cause problems for safety, especially when it comes to search and rescue operations.

That’s from the Public Service Alliance of Canada and UNDE Local 21018, whose members are picketing outside 19 Wing Comox today to protest the situation.

IMP Aerospace has been the In-Service Support provider for the Department of National Defence for over 20 years. They keep the Cormorant search and rescue helicopters at 19 Wing in mission-ready condition.

However, UNDE members are protesting as low wages have caused more than half of its 50 employees to move on to other opportunities. This means less than 20 workers remain to work on the helicopters, and they say IMP started forcing workers from other parts of the country to leave their families and work in Comox to fill vacancies.

“Normally they have about 30-something technicians, they’re down to 14 technicians right now. That has to impact the capabilities of the search and rescue service,” said UNDE national president June Winger.

“Without a doubt, the number one cause of these issues is underpaying their staff. The staff are walking from one hangar right into the next hangar and getting more than $10/hr pay increase doing identical work just on a different aircraft with a different contractor.”

UNDE acting local president Grant Golem adds that people are feeling the pressure and leaving. He adds there will be “a point when they’re not going to be able to meet their contractual obligations.”

Members are currently in bargaining negotiations with IMP where staffing shortages, recruitment, and fair wages that keep up with the cost of living are key issues.

Winger adds that while things are still running, it may only be a matter of time before it fails.

“Then it’s too late. Either somebody didn’t get a response to their call for search and rescue or there’s going to be an issue with the aircraft with our people already in it,” said Winger.

“That could be risking cab members, risking the IMP employees and that could be risking whoever they are also trying to rescue. That’s the really difficult piece to it.”

Winger says they are hoping National Defence will see an issue before it becomes catastrophic, and make sure IMP man their operations with enough staff.

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While BC RCMP says prescription drugs like narcotics and opioids that are no longer in the possession of their prescribed owner are something they deal with on many occasions, it still is not common.

That comes in a release from assistant commissioner John Brewer. Brewer says that the presence of confirmed safer supply prescriptions is in the minority of drug seizures.

“While there have been recent investigations that have resulted in notable quantities being seized, there is currently no evidence to support a widespread diversion of safer supply drugs in the illicit market in B.C. or Canada,” said Brewer.

“We’ve increased awareness to our police officers in order to better identify cases where safer supply drugs may be present within their investigations.”

Brewer says they are also working with their partners to test seized drugs, to both definitively confirm and source them.

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A project funded by the federal government to clean up coastlines off Vancouver Island is “just touching the surface” of how much cleanup needs to be done.

That’s from Cathy Kaardal of the Campbell River Association of Tour Operators. The group was a part of the Clean Coast, Clean Waters initiative for the second time. This year, they managed to clean up over 38 tonnes of material from the islands North of Campbell River including Phillips Arm, Jackson Bay and East and West Thurlow Islands.

It comprised around 350 km of coastline, and materials collected included over 15 tonnes of steel, five tonnes of tires and nearly three tonnes of rope.

However, the item of most concern was polystyrene. The group of 12 collected over four tonnes of polystyrene over the 72 days at sea cleaning up. Kaardal says this is most concerning because of the way the material breaks down.

“That had the greatest mass by far, even though it wasn’t the greatest weight obviously, but it was everywhere, either broken down because it had been there for years or still in large forms,” said Kaardal.

“Polystyrene starts to get aqua botanicals and other seaweed-type things growing inside it. When that starts to happen, the wildlife – particularly birds and smaller fish – can't tell the difference [between it and food] because it smells the same.”

Kaardal says the next most scary item they found was a rope from netting because they are made out of plastic and behaves similarly to polystyrene. She adds it gets wrapped around logs, animals and rocks when storms push the debris into these channels.

In all, Kaardal says the 38,000 kilos of trash was removed from the environment and around 80 per cent of it was upcycled into new products. However, she adds it barely made a dent in what is out there in the environment.

“There’s lots, lots more. The tires are really concerning and it’s amazing how many people think that these things are fine to just throw in the water,” said Kaardal. “If it’s going to break down, and it breaks down in the water, it’s a problem.

“The tires that are just too heavy for what we had are still there and it would be a different project to go back and get them.”

She adds the $2 million in funding that has been provided by the federal government has been injected back into the Campbell River community since 2021. Kaardal asks you to do your part in cleaning up the coastline and doing your best to keep it that way.

“Clean it up, take it with you. If see other stuff, take it with you,” said Kaardal. “You’re out there because you love it because it’s a beautiful pristine area with the wildlife but it’s not going to stay that way if you keep dumping on it.”

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A new Royal Canadia Mint silver coin features the artwork of a Vancouver Island-based artist.

The coins, a part of the This is Canada collection, depict various species that can be found across the country. This year’s theme is Wondrous Waters and one of the collectable coins features a pod of orcas.

Created by artist Glen Green, the orcas are travelling in the water near a rocky island. Mint adds in the background that large forests and mountains line the shore.

As a Campbell River resident, Green says he jumped at the opportunity to make an orca picture as it is an icon of the area.

“I live on Vancouver Island and occasionally get to see pods of killer whales on my travels,” said Green. “The background of this design, with the rocky islands and the heavily forested mountains cascading down to the rugged shoreline is typical of the West Coast.

“To many who witness these whales patrolling the coast, especially with a calf in tow, it is one of the most spectacular experiences one can have in their lifetime.”

The coins are the first in a four-part series from Mint, made on 99.99 per cent silver coins.

For more information, you can click here.

Green is well known for his paintings of NHL athletes and has done other coin designs for Mint including for the 2010 Olympics.

"For an artist, this is what you call a great gig," said Green. "Once you do one coin and they like it, it seems like you're on their list. The challenge of these coins is really fun."

The post Vancouver Island artist’s orca design found on new silver Mint coin appeared first on My Coast Now.

A new Royal Canadia Mint silver coin features the artwork of a Vancouver Island-based artist.

The coins, a part of the This is Canada collection, depict various species that can be found across the country. This year’s theme is Wondrous Waters and one of the collectable coins features a pod of orcas.

Created by artist Glen Green, the orcas are travelling in the water near a rocky island. Mint adds in the background that large forests and mountains line the shore.

As a Campbell River resident, Green says he jumped at the opportunity to make an orca picture as it is an icon of the area.

“I live on Vancouver Island and occasionally get to see pods of killer whales on my travels,” said Green. “The background of this design, with the rocky islands and the heavily forested mountains cascading down to the rugged shoreline is typical of the West Coast.

“To many who witness these whales patrolling the coast, especially with a calf in tow, it is one of the most spectacular experiences one can have in their lifetime.”

The coins are the first in a four-part series from Mint, made on 99.99 per cent silver coins.

For more information, you can click here.

Green is well known for his paintings of NHL athletes and has done other coin designs for Mint including for the 2010 Olympics.

"For an artist, this is what you call a great gig," said Green. "Once you do one coin and they like it, it seems like you're on their list. The challenge of these coins is really fun."

The post Vancouver Island artist’s orca design found on new silver Mint coin appeared first on My Coast Now.

Dock design flexibility, ensuring access to private property and marine health are all concerns highlighted for proposed amendments to the shíshálh Nation Dock Management Plan.

The Pender Harbour Dock Management Plan was implemented on April 4, 2018, between the B.C. government and the Nation. It defines dock design and construction requirements along with three zones where additional restrictions apply.

They add it takes into account environmental and archaeological values in the area.

Public concerns come after an engagement period between Nov. 24, 2023, and Feb. 16, 2024, for proposed amendments to the plan.

Concerns identified by the public engagement also include the plan not supporting existing private boathouses, dock impacts in freshwater environments and potential economic impacts like private property and business value.

The province and Nation add there remained strong support for respectful and considerate relationships for the future, additional forms of protection and restoration of environmental resources and an interest in understanding more about the impacts of existing moorage structures.

They thank those who “took the time to contribute thoughtful, respectful and meaningful comments on the proposed changes.”

“People care deeply for our coast and together our commitment is to support the long-term health of coastal communities, promote resilient ecosystems, ensure the viability of marine industries and local businesses, support people’s ability to enjoy their properties and docks and conserve archaeological sites and cultural practices,” said Ihe hiwus Lenora Joe and water, land and resource stewardship minister Nathan Cullen.

A link to the full report can be found here. 

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On International Women's Day, local women in politics and automotive say there has been a marked improvement over the years, but there’s still more room for improvement.

According to Comox mayor Nicole Minions, the political landscape for women and girls has massively improved and so have interest levels.

“Now I have the opportunity to meet with different high school classes, girl guides, some elementary school classes. I get a lot of really inquisitive questions from some of the girls in class,” said Minions.

“It’s having those one-on-one conversations. It seems like there’s more interest and more engagement from kids as young as six or seven upwards to definitely the teenage ages.”

Minions adds that the Comox Valley has a very encouraging environment for women in local government. This is partly because two of the area’s three mayors are women, along with its local MP and MLA.

Changes have also been noted in the automotive industry. Georgia Strait Collision general manager Melanie Mentlein says it is far more accepting.

“I started cleaning washrooms; it was a weekend job when I was a teenager. Back in the day, you’d be cleaning the bathrooms, and it would be the Penthouse and the Playboys under the sink and females outside the office weas normal,” said Mentlein.

“As I developed and grew my career into parts management, it was still an anomaly versus today where our workspace is very inclusive, teams are very receptive of females in the workplace.”

Despite improvements in both sectors, they say barriers still exist. But time seems to be affecting how frequently they come up and how they are dealt with.

“There’s still some barriers with the economics of childcare or sometimes the women tend to be more of the caregiver side or its hard for females a little more to take on those second jobs,” said Minions.

“I think it’s important to acknowledge the some of the barriers and be supportive of those things.”

Cumberland mayor Vickey Brown echos Minions’ comments, adding that it can also be very difficult to get into politics as the cost of living rises.

“We don’t get paid enough to make it a job, and yet it takes a lot of time and a lot of time away from your kids if you have kids,” said Brown. “If we want diverse perspectives, we need to find ways to support women to run and other BIPOC community members.

“This work is really challenging to do with a full-time job. I’ve noticed that change on our council. This time, three out of five of us are working full time and trying to do council.”

Brown adds social media has also had a large impact on councillors with negative comments and safety concerns.

Mentlein says stereotypical career paths also influence where women work.

“Women are still encouraged in different directions, it’s not the first place that a woman thinks to go and work in automotive,” said Mentlein. “There’s still room for both, and that’s learning on both sides.

“I have an incredible crew behind me and they’re super respectful, but not everywhere is there yet. It is changing, the workplace is cleaner, it’s far more transparent than it ever was as far as our industry goes.”

While improvements are being made, all three women say the more women and girls are in the industries and politics, the better it will become. They all encourage you to go for it and promote balance in the workplace.

“Dream big, dream outside of the box because you’re capable of so much more. What a female can bring to every trade is so much more different,” said Mentlein.

“We need dynamics, we need different ways of thinking, you need to have a whole well-rounded crew to make a successful business. Our brains are wired differently than men – for painters, females can see colour better – those things make a business successful and the rewards going into these careers are very rewarding.”

“If there are women out there considering leadership positions, please reach out to the other female leaders,” said Brown. “We want to support you.”

“If you have that interest of passion, try to find someone you can connect in some kind of a mentorship role or go to work with them and ask any questions you have,” added Minions.

“I think the hardest part is a lot of people think they’re not ready or don’t know enough, the reality is a lot of us are learning as we go as well.”

The post Political, automotive landscapes changing for B.C. women, still more work to be done appeared first on My Coast Now.

A Vancouver Island author is hoping to inspire young girls to be the best version of themselves through her newest adventure work. 

Lauren de Leeuw is an author based in Campbell River. The book titled Secrets in the Islands chronicles the adventures of a young girl named Sami, whose parents are famous archaeologists.

Left out of her parents’ adventures, she finally gets to come with them to Haida Gwaii on a trip. However, she gets into a lot of trouble and must help a friend find missing artifacts.

de Leeuw says she started writing the story because these types of books do not seem as prevalent as when she was a kid.

“There’s a lot of magic and fantasy which I understand is really fun to read, but what I loved about reading these books back then is that they were real,” said de Leeuw. “They seem to have these potentially real life, crazy situations that could happen and that was exciting.”

The archaeology piece comes from her schooling. de Leeuw is a former journalist who started in archaeology. It is set in Haida Gwaii because she is planning to write a series and she wanted the first book to be in a place that is close to home.

While the inspiration for the book has come from life experience, she also wants it to encourage young girls to be bold in the world.

“A lot of the books that I read growing up, the protagonists were often male. So, I thought we’ll make the main character female here,” said de Leeuw.

“The other thing too is that at age 12 and 13, these kids go through so much. I really just want to encourage young people and young girls especially to explore the world around them and to try new things, be brave and learn about yourself, both strengths and weaknesses.”

The book is expected to be in local bookstores soon but is also available on her website and Amazon.

The post Island author hopes to inspire young girls through new book appeared first on My Coast Now.

Over 10 items were stolen from Nanaimo Search and Rescue early this (Tuesday) morning after a break-in.

Nanaimo Search and Rescue say in a Facebook post that one person got into their compound and broke into both of their storage trailers.

Two large yellow Pelican cases were taken, with various items inside. They include an iPad, satellite communicator, chainsaw and multiple other power tools and socket wrenches.

A video of the break-in can be found on the Nanaimo Search and Rescue Facebook page.

If you have any information, you’re asked to call Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2354 and quote file number 2024-6920.

The post Overnight break in results theft of numerous items from Nanaimo Search and Rescue appeared first on My Coast Now.