Tag Archives: Adam Olsen

Politics

BC Conservatives under fire for letter backing Aaron Gunn

Leave a comment

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Provincial and municipal politicians in the North Island-Powell River riding are joining the fray about whether embattled Conservative candidate Aaron Gunn should stay in the running for the federal seat. 

Last week, First Nations located across the riding took Gunn to task for his long collection of social media posts that argue the treatment of Indigenous people in residential schools does not amount to genocide. 

They demanded federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre remove him as a candidate, arguing Gunn has “absolutely no authority” to determine what constitutes genocide when it comes to Indigenous people’s experiences of residential schools. 

Continue reading BC Conservatives under fire for letter backing Aaron Gunn →
Community, Development

This Week: 2025 Rural Islands Economic Partnership Virtual Forum

The 2025 Rural Islands Economic Partnership (RIEP) Virtual Forum is coming up on Thursday, March 6 and Friday, March 7. Two of the organizers, Francine Carlin and Kate Maddigan are my guests today.

“ It’s going to be a jam packed two half days, 9:15 AM to 12:30 PM.  Our virtual events are really unique because we all live on islands or remote coastal communities and don’t have the opportunity to get together as a collaborative regional grouping. So it’s important to have these virtual events that bring together people from all across the coast and the islands, up from North Island as far as Alert Bay, to Sooke and beyond. So we have a pretty broad reach and this year it’s really important, particularly with the events in the world around economic  issues that relate to  our local  economic and social wellbeing,” explained Francine Carlin, Chair of the Rural Islands Economic Partnership. 

Continue reading This Week: 2025 Rural Islands Economic Partnership Virtual Forum →
Politics

BC Green Party leader is coming out swinging

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

B.C. Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau says she’s disrupted the province’s two-party narrative before and intends to do it again in the Oct. 19 election.

Furstenau is running in a new riding, the NDP-held Victoria-Beacon Hill represented by incumbent Minister of Children and Families Grace Lore, after winning the Cowichan Valley seat twice since 2017.  

Furstenau will face a “tough fight” in the riding, a NDP stronghold represented by former party leader Carole James for nearly 20 years, said Hamish Telford, political scientist at the University of the Fraser Valley. 

Continue reading BC Green Party leader is coming out swinging →
Politics

Green Party deputy leader Jonathan Pedneault resigns

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Green Party’s deputy leader resigned Tuesday for personal reasons, leaving 70-year-old Elizabeth May alone at the helm as party leader.

Jonathan Pedneault’s surprise resignation came more than a year and a half after he and May ran a successful campaign to be co-leaders in the Green Party’s last leadership contest. But before their shared leadership could take effect, party members had to agree to change the constitution to allow a co-leadership structure, a process that was delayed several times.

Continue reading Green Party deputy leader Jonathan Pedneault resigns →
Politics

Green Party Leaders coming to Campbell River on March 2

Canada is expected to have another Federal election in October 2025. Green party leaders Elizabeth May and Jonathan Pedneault launched their national campaign almost two weeks ago. Cortes Currents interviewed  them in Ottawa (via ZOOM) yesterday morning. They will be coming to the Maritime Heritage Centre in Campbell River on Saturday, March 2. 

Continue reading Green Party Leaders coming to Campbell River on March 2 →