Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Forestry and fish are playing out as pivotal B.C. election issues in the North Island, as two party leaders paid a visit to the riding in the final week of their campaigns.
Continue reading Election 2020: Forestry and fish are key issues in North Island ridingCanada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A groundbreaking online tool that illustrates the state of Pacific salmon across B.C. aims to help protect endangered populations and drive future conservation efforts. The Pacific Salmon Explorer is a public data-visualization site that people can use to see what types of salmon are returning to a given area and find available data on the health of the population and the cumulative habitat pressures the fish may be facing.
Continue reading Pacific Salmon Explorer: tool to help protect BC salmonCanada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A putrid stink wafts across the water and engulfs the Straitwatch vessel floating off the southern end of Quadra Island.
The Zodiac’s operator, Alex Forman, wrinkles his nose at the odour that hangs in the air, strongly reminiscent of fermented garbage.
“Whale breath,” he explains. “Humpbacks don’t brush their teeth much.”
Continue reading Straitwatch: the Discovery Island’s ‘whale police’Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Cameron Pirie knew his business was facing a watershed moment when the COVID-19 crisis hit the shores of B.C. this past spring.
The pandemic was ravaging export markets and the tourism and restaurant sectors without mercy.
As a result, the president of Walcan Seafood, a family-owned seafood processing company on Quadra Island, suddenly found himself sitting on $2 million worth of product he couldn’t find a market for.
Continue reading Tide to table: A Quadra company’s response to COVIDCanada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Acclaimed author Shaena Lambert was electrified by Petra Kelly — a founder of the original Green party struggling to save the world in Cold War-era Germany — when the activist spoke at a massive Vancouver peace festival in 1986.
Continue reading Shaena Lambert’s Muse
