All posts by Guest Post

Politics

‘Losing is not an option’: Forever Canadian petition leader intent on keeping Alberta in Canada

By David Boles, St Albert Gazette, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

If you ask Thomas Lukaszuk, there’s only one answer to the newest referendum question Albertans will be answering on October 19.

“We will win,” he said.

The former deputy premier of Alberta and the man leading the federalist Forever Canadian initiative responded to Premier Danielle Smith’s address to the province on Thursday night.

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Arts, Community, Food

Seafest 2026

By Savanna Young- Seafest coordinator 

Seafest once again drew strong attendance this year as residents and visitors gathered to celebrate the island’s aquaculture heritage and ongoing shellfish industry. For close to 30 years, the event has to served as both a cultural gathering and an opportunity to highlight the importance of our local shellfish industry. This year Seafest returned to the Gorge Harbour Marina, a venue that has historically hosted the event.

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Environment, Indigenous Nations

Tseshaht prohibits all fires on reserve and Broken Group Islands

By Nora O’Malley, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Port Alberni, B.C. – BC Wildfire Service may have flip-flopped on a May 7 campfire ban in the Coastal Fire Centre, but Tseshaht First Nation in Port Alberni is holding the proverbial burn line.

The nation is prohibiting all fires on reserve lands and the Broken Group Islands until further notice. Their decision is supported by Hupačasath First Nation and the City of Port Alberni, who are also maintaining a complete fire ban.

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Energy, Health

Climate activist calls on New Westminster council to support assessment of gas industry

By Theresa McManus, Freshet News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A climate activist is urging New Westminster city council to follow the lead of other cities and call for an independent assessment of B.C.’s gas industry.

Aggie Black, a member of the New Westminster Climate Action Hub and the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment, said she is deeply concerned about the climate crisis and its impact on people’s health and the health-care system. 

“I am here to join my voice with hundreds of other health professionals who are calling for an accumulative independent health impact assessment of B.C.’s gas industry,” she told council at its May 11 meeting. “There is a large and growing body of peer-reviewed research that links fracking and LNG production to health harms for humans.”

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Disaster, Energy

Earthquakes shake up areas north of Edmonton

By David Boles, St Albert Gazette, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Residents living just north of the Alberta capital may have felt the ground shake beneath them on more than one occasion in the last few weeks.

Several earthquakes have been felt in central and northern Alberta, including one in Sturgeon County on April 18 that Earthquakes Canada says registered at a magnitude of 4.1.

While relatively rare, earthquakes in Wild Rose Country are not uncommon.

“There are natural earthquakes, that are related to the movement of tectonic plates off the west coast were plates are sliding past one another and colliding,” said John Cassidy, an earthquake seismologist with Natural Resources Canada.

Another tremor to hit rural Alberta came on Saturday, when a 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Fort Saskatchewan.

Earthquakes Canada says the first quake was industry-related, something Cassidy says is an example of an induced earthquake.

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