The province has announced a new 51-unit facility in Nanaimo to support those in need of safe, secure access to housing. 

 According to a media release, the new building will be called Cornerstone and will be a four-storey, purpose-built modular home located at 258 Prideaux Street operated by Connective Nanaimo.  

Minister of housing Ravi Kahlon says the building is a partnership between the city and the province and will be used to help the homeless population as they transition into a more secure place to live. 

“These new 51 supportive homes are an example of our work in action,” Kahlon says. “People who are ready to transition to permanent housing are supported to maintain their housing and have a better foundation to move forward with their lives.” 

Connective Nanaimo chair Susan Clift says residents can benefit from 24-hour support, specialized training, and employment assistance as well as counselling, and other essential services. 

“We are ensuring people experiencing homelessness in our community have access to safe and secure housing,” she says. “Stable housing is a foundational component of addressing barriers and assisting people in achieving independence.” 

The release states residents already living at Newcastle Place are going to be prioritized into Cornerstone as early as May, and once that transition is done the 50 units will be opened in Newcastle for those currently staying in shelters.  

Mayor Leonard Krog says the city is fortunate to have the ability to house those who don’t have access to housing.  

“Compassion, co-operation, and hard work will provide safe, secure homes for 51 of our most vulnerable citizens,” Krog says. “It’s truly a day to celebrate and thank those who made it happen.” 

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With an increase in measles, whooping cough, and other preventable diseases around the world the province says they are promoting this year's National Immunization Awareness Week. 

According to the federal government’s website, so far Canada has 50 active cases of measles and estimates a total of 60 cases have been reported so far this year.  

The government also estimates there is one case of rubella syndrome has been diagnosed in across Canada. 

Health minister Adrian Dix says this annual event helps people get the proper immunizations they need to lower the risk to themselves and reduce the impact on hospitals across the province. 

“Immunization plays a vital role in maintaining public health by reducing the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases,” Dix says. “It lowers the number of cases, hospitalizations, and fatalities associated with these diseases, thereby improving the quality of life.” 

The province says measles is highly contagious and everyone who has not got their shots should consider consulting their medical practitioner, especially babies and children. 

Dix says this is why the government has implemented a program to offer, and extend, protection for those who need it, crediting medical professionals for their hard work. 

“I want to thank the healthcare professionals who provide information to their patients about the benefits of immunizations, administer vaccines, and help people keep safe from the spread of diseases,” Dix says.  

The province says measles is quickly spread in schools, and children who are not immunized or fully immunized are offered a vaccine or excluded from school. 

The World Health Organization reported a 79 per cent increase in measles cases last year, compared to 2022. 

The last case of measles in BC was reported in 2019. 

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An orca calf trapped in a lagoon for a month after her mother died swam out on her own early this morning.

A statement from the Ehattesaht First Nation says kʷiisaḥiʔis the ‘Brave Little Hunter’ swam out of the Zeballos lagoon around 2:30 am, with the high tide. This morning, she was spotted moving into Esperanza Inlet, which connects with the open ocean.

The statement says the rescue team will now focus on encouraging her to keep going, so her calls will be hopefully heard by her family pod.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the local nations are asking people and boaters to keep clear of the area, to prevent anything from discouraging the orca from reuniting with her family.

The orca had been in the lagoon for a month after she and her mother entered chasing prey. When the tide went out, her mother was beached and died. The only entrance to the lagoon is a narrow passage under a bridge, only open at the highest tides.

Rescuers have been trying to encourage the calf to leave ever since, with almost 50 people involved in the attempts at one point, with everything under consideration from a helicopter lift, to banging metal pipes underwater.

In the end, the orca swam out on her own terms.

The orca is a Biggs killer whale, which eat mainly marine mammals. Rescuers have been feeding her seal meat during her time in the lagoon.

We will update this story as more information becomes available.

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The provincial government says they plan to make significant investments to support the growth of local communities and economies across Vancouver Island. 

Minister of jobs, economic development, and innovation Brenda Bailey attended a media event at Ron Anderson and Sons in Chemainus today where she announced the government’s intention to provide close to f$5 million in funding towards six capital projects and four planning projects. 

According to Bailey the projects will help local manufacturers contribute to local supply chains, grow, and diversify their operations through new product lines, new equipment, and new technology while creating new jobs. 

Ron Anderson and Sons president and CEO Jack Downing says they’re excited to be receiving up to $2 million in funding and plan to use the money towards a project that will use automation and advanced manufacturing to diversify products.  

“We are more than excited to be a recipient of the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund,” he says. “By expanding and modernizing our facility in Chemainus, we’re not only creating new local jobs, but increasing supply and accelerating installation, of much-needed wood frame housing across B.C., efficiently and in a sustainable manner.” 

Along with Ron Anderson and Sons, GRT Holdings in Nanaimo will receive up to $735,000 and Aquila Cedar Products in Parksville will get up to $879,000. 

The province says the fund will help create more than 1,100 jobs and protect close to 2,000 existing manufacturing jobs in the province. 

Currently, the fund has committed up to $91 million to BC’s manufacturing sector, which the province says supports 81 organizations to expand and grow. 

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Emergency road repairs have forced the SCRD to close Katerine Lake Park and Campground at least until after the May long weekend. 

The SCRD says heavy rain in February caused a sinkhole in the park’s access road which has serious safety concerns associated with it. 

After a thorough inspection, the SCRD says in a media release, the road has sustained structural damage including the undersized corroded culvert system. 

The district says repairs will start, but only once the provincial and federal authorities approve the work. 

“All this work must be approved by both federal and provincial authorities due to the fish-bearing system which runs beneath the road,” the district says. “Sunshine Coast Regional District staff are doing all they can to expedite the remediation process.” 

SCRD general manager of community services Shelley Gagon says closing the park and campground is frustrating, but the district won’t compromise safety. 

“The remediation and upgrade of the road will be completed with climate resiliency in mind so that we are building for the future, and other potential heavy rain events out of our control,” she says.  

They say anyone who has made reservations for the campground in the coming weeks will be contacted and offered a refund. 

Further updates can be found on the SCRD’s website, or by visiting Katherine Lake’s site. 

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A 29-year-old Nanaimo is in police custody after he was found with several weapons including a loaded sawed-off shotgun. 

Nanaimo RCMP say the incident occurred on Apr. 23 around 10:30 a.m. in the parking lot of a 7-11 on Fifth Street when police found Roddy Weidman loitering in the parking lot. 

Weidman’s backpack was searched after police say he breached an existing court order by carrying a large axe at his side.  

Police found several knives, a small axe, and the sawed-off shotgun in the backpack. 

RCMP say they quickly arrested Weidman and held him overnight where he appeared in court yesterday and was charged with firearms and weapon offences.  

Reserve constable Gary O’Brien says this type of arrest is getting all too common in Nanaimo, and across the province, and officers are to be credited for keeping the streets safe. 

“Alarmingly, officers are finding more and more of these modified firearms, replica firearms, bear spray, assortment of knives and weapons on a daily basis,” he says. “This patrol, while seemingly routine, was not and is a testament to the diligence of the bike patrol and other front-line officers on keeping the criminal element in check and the community safe.”   

Weidman is set to appear in court on Apr. 30. 

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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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The annual National Day of Mourning for workers killed on the job is coming up this weekend.

The mother of a young man who died at sea in a tugboat incident will be one of this year’s speakers. In February 2021, on the Central Coast, the MV Ingenika lost power during a sub-zero storm. The barge it was pulling passed over the tug, capsizing and sinking it. Two crew died, including Charley Cragg.

This year his mother Genevieve will be speaking in Vancouver at the Day of Mourning ceremony.

Ceremonies are planned around the Island, the first will be on Friday in Courtenay and in Campbell River.

Here's the schedule for events in our communities, visit the official website for a full list and any last-minute changes.

Friday, April 26

• Campbell River: 10:30 am at Fire Hall 1, 675 13th Ave
• Courtenay: 10 am at Simms Park Pavilion, 5th St

Sunday, April 28

• Lake Cowichan: 10 am at Forest Workers Memorial Park, 46-58 South Shore Rd
• Nanaimo: 12:30 pm at Pioneer Waterfront Plaza, 90 Front St
• Powell River: 11 am at the Cranberry Cemetery Workers Memorial

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Amateur and professional scientists on the Island are invited to share knowledge about salmon, and how to better protect them.

UBC and the Pacific Salmon Foundation are co-hosting three events on Vancouver Island starting in Campbell River next week. They are managed by Dr. Brian Riddell, a world-renowned expert on Pacific salmon and former foundation president.

The Salmon Dialogues aim to collect local knowledge from communities and salmon scientists with the goal of more effectively rebuilding Pacific salmon production on the coast.

There are 13 dialogues scheduled around BC.

Organizers hope they will help encourage more open communication and collaboration to rebuild Pacific salmon stocks, and identify what actions should be top priority.

For more information, and to sign up, visit the official website.

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BC Ferries announced it is adding outdoor pet areas to two major vessels after a successful rollout in 2023. 

The new pet areas will be available on the Queen of Surrey and the Queen of Coquitlam servicing Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay to Langdale. 

“Our customers have told us that their pets need a better way to travel and we’ve taken steps to make that a reality. This is great news for customers preparing to travel with pets in the busy spring and summer seasons,” said Melaine Lucia Vice President of Customer Experience. 

She adds that over 92 percent of surveyed customers said they were in favour of expanding the outdoor pet areas. 

If you plan on using the new pet areas, you’ll need to keep your dog on a leash and cats must stay inside carriers. 

BC Ferries is also considering adding outdoor pet areas to sailings on the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay route. 

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In the coming years Harbour Air will transform it's fleet of seaplanes to e-planes.

North America’s largest seaplane airline signed a Letter of Intent with magniX to purchase 50 of its electric engines.

Harbour Air calls it a “significant step” in electrifying its fleet for sustainable aviation.

CEO Bert van der Stege says the agreement underscores their “commitment to revolutionize commercial aviation with electric propulsion and to pave the way for cleaner, quieter, and more efficient air travel.”

A part of that vision is the development of a sustainable aviation hub on the west coast, providing electrification conversions and services to 3rd parties.

The single eBeaver that is being tested has completed 78 flights using an electric engine.

Harbour Air is hoping to have commercial certification of their first electric aircraft by 2026 and plans to convert additional aircraft and offer third-party conversions.

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The Sunshine Coast Regional District says three public pools will be closed for annual maintenance, but the closures will be scheduled to ensure at least two pools are open at any one time.

The Sechelt Aquatic Centre will be closed from May 26th to July 1st, re-opening on July 2nd.

The fire suppression sprinklers will be replaced and all areas, including the weight room and fitness studio, will be closed.

The Gibsons and District Aquatic Facility will be closed from July 1st to July 28th, re-opening on July 29th.

For the Pender Harbour Aquatic and Fitness Centre, the closure is expected to be in late July and early August, re-opening on September 3rd.

The exact closure dates will be confirmed and made public by the end of this month.

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Prosecutors will not lay charges against any of the RCMP officers involved in the shooting death of Jared Lowndes in Campbell River nearly three years ago.

He died as police attempted to remove him from a vehicle and place him under arrest in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant.

The BC Prosecution Service says no charges have been approved against three officers from Campbell River RCMP detachment involved in the fatal shooting.

The Chief Civilian Director of the Independent Investigations Office determined there were reasonable grounds to believe the officers may have committed offences when he submitted his report to prosecutors.

However, the BCPS found that “the available evidence does not meet the BCPS’s charge assessment standard,” and prosecutors would not be able to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officers committed any offence.

As a result, no charges have been approved.

On July 8 of 2021, Lowndes was seen in a parked vehicle by an RCMP officer on routine patrol and was wanted on an arrest warrant for breaching a conditional sentence.

As the officer approached the driver’s window, the vehicle quickly backed up, struck the police vehicle, and sped away.

Lowndes was spotted later in a drive-thru at a local restaurant in Campbell River where three police officers attempted to box him in with police vehicles.

Lowndes was able to get out of the drive-thru, but was prevented from driving out of the parking lot and attempted to go backwards through the drive-thru and was blocked again by a police vehicle.

During the attempt to take Lowndes into custody, a police dog – Gator – was fatally stabbed, a police officer suffered stab wounds to his left hand, and a taser was used twice.

Lowndes then got out of the vehicle holding the knife and shots were fired by two of the RCMP officers.

He died at the scene.

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The BC Government says social media giants Meta, Snap, TikTok and X have agreed to work collaboratively with the province of the development of Bill 12, its public harms legislation, and will be part of BC's Online Safety Action Table. 

The province says it will place Bill 12 on hold while discussions take place on how to create safe, empowering experiences online.
 

 In a news release, the province says it's an opportunity to bring experts, parents, technology companies and government together to find new ways of helping young people stay safe online and  be better protected from online harms. 

The province also says Meta has also committed to working with BC’s emergency management organization to help amplify official information for people in emergency situations like wildfires. 

The official opposition says the NDP's decision to retract Bill 12 only comes after significant public backlash. 

BC United says the business community and concerned citizens across the province forced the NDP to acknowledge the flaws in the legislation. 

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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 Executive Director of Dyslexia Canada, Alicia Smith, is applauding the BC government for introducing a screening program to identify children with learning difficulties in kindergarten to grade 3. 

Smith says universal screening is a significant step forward in ensuring every child receives the support they need to thrive. 

She says a lack of reading skills creates a challenge because so much learning in school is "done through reading and writing," so both skills are very important. 

"When kids get off to a poor start with learning to read it really impacts their entire life trajectory in terms of their confidence and how they feel about themselves, but also how successful they're likely to be in school academically in other subjects." 

She says falling behind in class can result in low self-esteem and lead to serious mental health issues like anxiety and depression. She says many kids express their frustration through bad behavior or may shut down entirely. 

She also says it affects high school graduation rates and reduces opportunities to participate in post-secondary education, so understanding what additional supports are needed is important. 

Smith says an early diagnosis of dyslexia or other learning disabilities goes a long way to helping children avoid problems later in life. 

She says a study done for the Association of Chiefs of Police found that not only are people with low literacy far more likely to be incarcerated for crimes but are far more likely to become the victims of crime. 

Smith also says a higher literacy level among adults provides an overall boost to the country's economic health. 

She notes a study done by Deloitte for the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation found that a one per cent increase in adult literacy would create an economic benefit of $67 billion in gross domestic product for Canada per year. 

Smith says screening and early intervention can prevent reading difficulties for over 95 per cent of all children, including those with dyslexia. 

She says these programs are gaining traction across Canada with universal screening introduced in Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia looking at doing so. 

Over the next three years, $30 million is budgeted for several provincial outreach programs and teams, and support for literacy-focused development and training for teachers and support staff. 

The goal is to implement evidence-based early literacy screening for all students in kindergarten to Grade 3 to provide support when additional help is needed. 

The BC government says early literacy screening intervention and outreach support for schools will begin to roll out in the 2024-25 school year. 

According to Smith, this will mean about 62 per cent of Canadian children will live in provinces committed to implementing universal screening. 

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The SCRD says getting a handle on water restrictions now is going to be more critical than previous years and is asking all residents to do their part. 

Restrictions are coming in after successive years of extreme drought and the district says conditions last summer and winter have made it even more important to make sure residents adhere. 

During Stage 1 restrictions only pressure washing sidewalks, driveways, windows, or the exterior of buildings is permitted, and manager of utility services Shane Worth says they are taking necessary steps to ensure adequate supply for the summer. 

“Along with the province, we are gearing up for a summer which could see significant drought,” he says. “As a result, there is potential that Stage 2 could be implemented earlier than previous years.” 

For more information on water regulations and restrictions visit the SCRD’s website. 

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Updated: 04-25-2024 at 12:28 p.m., District of Sechelt says council will move to adopt 7.71 per cent increase on or before May, 15 council meeting.

The District of Sechelt is expected to hear recommendations from staff for council to consider a property tax increase for 2024. 

According to a staff report from director of financial services David Douglas, the committee endorsed a tax increase of 7.71 per cent, which includes a three per cent increase for capital purposes and a 4.71 per cent increase for operations. 

The report also indicates the district will see an increase in other key services, such as an increase in waste management by three per cent, an increase to the septic budget of 3.67 per cent, and a 3.96 per cent increase to sewer user fee rates. 

Council is expected to conduct three readings on the budget tomorrow. 

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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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