All posts by Guest Post

Environment

Suncor Energy accidentally released 700 kilograms of propane at Port Moody terminal, prompting compliance letter

By Patrick Penner, Tri-Cities Dispatch, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Suncor Energy’s terminal in Port Moody has been issued an advisory by the province after 700 kilograms of propane was released into the environment.

The oil company’s upper Burrard Terminal is located in the Glenayre neighbourhood and used as a product distribution facility. 

On Dec. 15, 2022, human error led to the release of the propane, but the company did not report the incident until Jan. 24.

Continue reading Suncor Energy accidentally released 700 kilograms of propane at Port Moody terminal, prompting compliance letter →
Youth

For Teens Who Drink and Do Drugs, Here’s How to Reduce the Harm

Editor’s notes: “In Local Health Area 72 (Campbell River), which includes Cortes and Quadra Islands, 13.5 litres of absolute alcohol are sold per person. This is considerably higher than the Island Health average of 10.9 and the provincial average of 9.0. Given that one litre of absolute alcohol is equivalent to 58 standard drinks, residents of LHA 72 are consuming 783 alcoholic beverages annually, on average” – from the the Cortes Island and Quadra Island profiles

“In Vancouver Island North, which includes Campbell River, Cortes and Quadra Islands, 52% of youth have tried alcohol, compared to 45% provincially. Similarly, 37% of Vancouver Island North youth have tried marijuana, compared to 26% provincially. Tobacco sees a similar trend, with 29% of Vancouver Island North youth trying tobacco, compared to 21% of youth provincially” – from the Cortes Island and Quadra Island profiles

By Michelle Gamage, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

About 40 per cent of Canadian teenagers drank alcohol in the last year and one in five used cannabis, according to a bi-annual Health Canada survey that asks kids about substances. 

The 2021-22 Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey was filled out by 61,096 kids from Grade 7 to 12 — typically 12 to 17 — in all provinces except New Brunswick, which opted out. This is its 11th year collecting data on tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and drug use. 

Continue reading For Teens Who Drink and Do Drugs, Here’s How to Reduce the Harm →
Indigenous Nations

Indigenous girls, failed by MCFD, are going missing in the child welfare system

By Anna McKenzie,  The Discourse, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.

Days after International Missing Children’s Day, I revisited a recent report issued by the province’s Representative for Children and Youth (RCY) about missing children in government “care.”

Alarmingly, Jennifer Charlesworth’s research suggests that nearly 470 children in care are reported missing to B.C.’s Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) one or more times each month. 

Continue reading Indigenous girls, failed by MCFD, are going missing in the child welfare system →
Food

Food company offers Pay It Forward program to help donate meals, starts home delivery service

By Louis Belcourt, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

Sunflower Foods, a local food company, launched a Pay It Forward program this winter as a way to donate healthy pre-made meals to the food bank.

“We wanted to find a way to provide food for people who couldn’t afford it, who were on disability, who did need some sort of subsidy. At first we were just marking down the price for them and it was coming out of our pockets. It started to get a little more difficult for us and we didn’t wanna start losing money on this. And so we came up with the idea of having the community donate,” said Carie Taylor, founder of Sunflower Foods.

Continue reading Food company offers Pay It Forward program to help donate meals, starts home delivery service →
Indigenous Nations History

Construction underway at Tse’K’wa heritage site

By Tom Summer, Alaska Highway News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Development and preservation of the Tse’K’wa national historic cave site at Charlie Lake is continuing to grow with the installation of new interpretive signage and more.

Tse’K’wa Heritage Society Executive Director Alyssa Currie says she’s excited to share the signage and is aiming to reopen to the public sometime in June. The signs will act as a self-guided tour for patrons.

“Each sign encapsulates a different Dunne-za teaching, as well as an archaeological artifact found at the site. So, it gives our visitors a chance to walk the landscape that has been occupied by the ancestors of the Dunne-za and to hear about the significance of that landscape from their perspective,” said Currie.

Continue reading Construction underway at Tse’K’wa heritage site →