All posts by Rochelle Baker

Rochelle Baker is a staff reporter with Canada’s National Observer, thanks thanks to a grant from the Local Journalism Initiative of the Government of Canada. She previously worked as a newspaper reporter and photographer in BC’s Lower Mainland for over 7 years.
Rivers & Oceans

Quadra Island Streamkeepers protect wild salmon

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Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With just a little bit of arm flailing and much nonchalance, Frank Gleeson regains his balance after slipping on a wet rock lodged in a steep embankment along Village Bay Creek.

Gleeson and his buddy, Pete Calverley, continue to clamber over and under trees, scramble up slopes and wade through underbrush in their search for spawning salmon.

Gleeson and Calverley, aged 71 and 78, descend into a clearing at the creek’s edge and excitedly point out about 45 chum salmon milling not far from shore.

Continue reading Quadra Island Streamkeepers protect wild salmon →
Rivers & Oceans

Oyster Farmers taking a beating

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Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Oyster farmers know grit can make for a good pearl. But shellfish farmer Victor McLaggan’s tenacity is being tested as the pandemic continues to hobble the restaurant industry, the main source of his income. McLaggan’s niche market is selling direct to high-end restaurants across Canada, ones with tide-to-table ethics that want to know exactly where their product is coming from. But like most producers of smaller live oysters destined for the half shell, McLaggan says he’s taking a beating as COVID-19 protocols continue to force eateries to limit operations or shut their doors altogether.

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Forests

Community forests keep resources in local hands

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

An innovative approach to forestry is increasing the returns to local economies in a way that goes beyond just focusing on profits. Community forests are a means to keep benefits and decisions around local resources in local hands, said Susan Mulkey, communication manager for the British Columbia Community Forest Association (BCCFA).

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Animals

Cortes Island’s Newt-X-ing

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Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Every autumn, B.C.’s Cortes Island rolls out a critical road safety campaign to protect some of the smallest and most vulnerable members of the community — rough-skinned newts.

Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI), a local conservation group, established the Newt X-ing Action Project to protect the little creatures, which face hazardous trips across roadways when they leave their wetland habitats and head into nearby forests to hibernate at the start of the rainy season.

Continue reading Cortes Island’s Newt-X-ing →
Rivers & Oceans

A bright spot: pink salmon stocks along east Vancouver Island

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Concern over B.C.’s declining wild salmon stocks is running high this year as sockeye returns on the Fraser River hit a historic low. But while the overall news may be dire, there are bright spots. Some pink salmon stocks along east Vancouver Island appear healthy, and run counts at the Quinsam River Hatchery near the city of Campbell River were good this fall.

Continue reading A bright spot: pink salmon stocks along east Vancouver Island →