All posts by Guest Post

Health

BC’s Drug Response Isn’t Following the Evidence, Former Chief Coroner says


By Michelle Gamage, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Former chief coroner Lisa Lapointe recently criticized B.C.’s drug policies, saying the province’s approach to the ongoing toxic drug crisis is not evidence based. 

Lapointe, who was B.C.’s longest-standing chief coroner and held the position for 13 years before retiring in 2024, was speaking as part of a new, ongoing webinar series, “Perspectives on 10 Years in Crisis,” hosted by the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. 

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Health

Lions Gate Hospital deploys robotic surgical system

By Abby Luciano, North Shore News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On a recent Saturday morning in an operating room at Lions Gate Hospital, Dr. Nava Aslani’s set to work performing surgery. 

But it’s not the typical sight of a surgeon hovering over a patient. She is, in fact, a few metres away from her patient, sitting in a chair looking through a viewer. With subtle foot movements, she uses pedals to control a camera trained on the patient. With her thumb and middle finger placed in a console, her hand movements control robotic arms that make critical, precise movements while working on the patient. And, in this instance, the patient is a small plate of colourful blobs.

The new machine is the Da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgical System, allowing surgeons at the North Vancouver hospital to perform procedures in the Paul Myers Tower for prostate removal; bowel, rectal and kidney cancers; hysterectomies and complex hernias.

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Energy, Indigenous Nations, Politics

Coastal First Nations hit back after pundits and politicians challenge its legitimacy in pipeline debate

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

Disagreements over a proposal to build a pipeline to the BC coast has ignited a debate over who has the right to speak on behalf of First Nations. 

After Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a memorandum of understanding with Alberta to advance a new bitumen pipeline to the Pacific coast, he met with Coastal First Nations (CFN) leaders in January. 

BC Conservative leadership candidate Yuri Fulmer jumped in on X (formerly Twitter) to label CFN “just an advocacy group,” like a brand name. Fulmer claimed it is funded by foreign anti-energy groups and said if he becomes premier he will ban any foreign-funded organizations that attempt to influence BC politics.

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Transportation

Poll: 35% of Canadians open to buying a Chinese EV, just 1 in 5 see them as inferior

By Trevor Melanson, Clean Energy Canada

Chinese electric vehicles are coming to Canada, if only a limited quota of them, and they could be met with a flurry of willing buyers, according to a new survey from Abacus Data and Clean Energy Canada. 

More than two-thirds (35%) of Canadians are open to buying a Chinese EV. And among the 50% of Canadians who are open to buying an EV generally, 70% express varying levels of interest in getting a Chinese one.

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Politics

Area B Directors Report: grant in aid, incorporation, taxes, ferries, Vice Chair, & zoning bylaw

By Regional Director Mark Vonesch

I hope this finds you well and excited for 2026. There is so much happening in Cortes local government and I want to give you an update on some of the issues I’ve been working on.

Continue reading Area B Directors Report: grant in aid, incorporation, taxes, ferries, Vice Chair, & zoning bylaw →