Tag Archives: Gov of BC

Health

110 purple flags will fly along Tri-Cities routes on Friday to mark 7th anniversary of B.C.’s toxic drug emergency

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

On Friday April 14, commuters travelling along the Tri-Cities’ arterial routes counted 110 purple flags – one flag for every 100 people killed by toxic drugs since a public health crisis was announced.

Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody all granted the TriCities Overdose Community Action Team (TCCAT) a highway use permit to display the public art message meant to lessen the stigma around opioid addiction. 

Continue reading 110 purple flags will fly along Tri-Cities routes on Friday to mark 7th anniversary of B.C.’s toxic drug emergency →
Jobs

Keeping a low profile: jobless rate in Kootenay region stays below provincial average for second month

By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Although the jobless rate has slipped slightly in the Kootenay region it still remains well below the provincial and national rates.

The percentage for known unemployed people in the Kootenay region — which includes West and East Kootenay, as well as Nelson, Castlegar, Trail and Grand Forks — was 3.2 per cent in March, according to Statistics Canada latest figures, up from 2.9 per cent in February.

Continue reading Keeping a low profile: jobless rate in Kootenay region stays below provincial average for second month →
Transportation

Action Group advocates for province-wide transit service

By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Nelson activist group is calling for a province-wide travel coach system in order to dovetail into the Province’s Clean Transportation Action Plan.

The Nelson and Area Action Group for Better Public Transportation claims a public inter-city bus system is one of the more important aspects in lowering emissions in the province.

Continue reading Action Group advocates for province-wide transit service →
Animals

Provincial Biologist visits Cortes Island; Second Western Screech Owl discovered

A provincial biologist visited Cortes Island over the weekend. Emily Upham-Mills is an ecosystems biologist with the Ministry of Water, Lands and Natural Resource Stewardship and an important member of the team working with the Friends of Cortes Island (FOCI) on the Western Screech Owl Project. 

Helen Hall, Executive Director of FOCI, explained, “Emily very kindly came up on the weekend to talk to the community. This project is really important for FOCI. We’re doing really interesting scientific work and that data is going back both provincially and federally. It puts us in the spotlight with this particular species. It’s a project that’s running for three years. We’re in the second year of trying to discover whether there are Western Screech Owls on Cortes Island.” 

Continue reading Provincial Biologist visits Cortes Island; Second Western Screech Owl discovered →
Transportation

Will B.C.’s shift to clean transportation take rural communities along for the ride? ​​​​​​​

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The B.C. government needs to ensure rural and Indigenous communities are not left in the dust as the province shifts gears to achieve a net-zero future and a clean transportation network, a coalition of climate and community groups say. 

The province is in the process of shaping its Clean Transportation Action Plan (CTAP), but so far, B.C.’s core strategy to reduce emissions is making the switch to single-passenger electric vehicles in urban areas, says Eric Doherty, a transportation planning consultant and member of Climate Justice Victoria. 

Continue reading Will B.C.’s shift to clean transportation take rural communities along for the ride? ​​​​​​​ →