Dirt Roads and Big Options: OPC Meeting This Wednesday

Originally published in the Bird’s Eye

By Melissa McKinney, editor/owner of the Bird’s Eye.

If you’ve ever white-knuckled it past a cyclist on Heriot Bay Road, wondered why there’s no bus on this island, or tried to find a path to the beach that doesn’t cross someone’s lawn, then we’ve got just the meeting for you. THIS Wednesday, April 15 at 6 p.m. at the Community Centre, Meeting 4 of our Area C Official Community Plan (OCP) series covers Transportation & Parks.

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DRIPA: Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Says Its Time to Set the Record Straight!

Press release from the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council

April 14, 2026– Hupacasath and Tseshaht Territories, Port Alberni, BC
The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) is relieved to hear that amendments to DRIPA are paused while the Premier looks for support with chiefs and opposition MLA’s. We know it is not because he is listening to the First Nations who have spoken out against amending DRIPA but rather his need to find enough MLAs to support his amendments. The premier needs to drop this initiative.

NTC says to the Premier, now it is time to work with First Nations and find solutions to what he feels is a huge problem. We would like good faith negotiations in person and no negotiating through the media. Also no short meetings and turn around times to respond to BC’s position. We want co-developed solutions. NTC has always been willing to look at options other than amending DRIPA.

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In Campbell River: Why the Tides Change

Come and experience the Coast Salish story of Why the Tides C hange at a FREE FUN FAMILY EVENT for all ages, Wednesday, April 22, from 6:00pm – 7:00pm, at the Campbell River Sportsplex at 1800 S. Alder Street. Meet in Room 1 and we’ll go outside to act out the story together.

Have you ever wondered why the tides change? Why sometimes they are really high and sometimes really low? What would happen to all the tidal creatures – crabs, clams, sea anenomies, bullheads, kelp – and all the creatures that depend on them, if the tides didn’t change? Welllll ….

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BC’s Toxic Drug Crisis Hits a Grim 10-Year Anniversary

By Michelle Gamage, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It’s been four and a half years since Jane McCormick’s son, Jeff, was killed by unregulated drugs. Were he alive, he would have just celebrated his 40th birthday with his two kids.

McCormick said that for the first three years she was filled with sadness. And then she started to get mad.

She’s mad because Jeff’s death, just like the more than 18,179 British Columbians killed by unregulated drugs since April 14, 2016, was preventable.

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Ottawa’s renewed salmon funding spawns both hope and skepticism

By Sonal Gupta, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Ottawa’s $412-million salmon recovery program offers a lifeline to BC’s struggling fisheries — but comes at the same time budget cuts are dismantling monitoring systems conservationists, experts and First Nations say are essential to protect them.

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