By Andie Mollins, The Williams Lake Tribune, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Xatśūll First Nation is calling on the province of B.C. to clarify its stance on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
This is following the government’s approval of the Cariboo Gold Project in Wells which spans across several First Nation territories, including Xatśūll’s.
Continue reading B.C. demonstrates lack of commitment to UNDRIP: Xatśūll First NationEditor’s note: The similarities this story has to our situation on Cortes Island, with Basil Creek having come close to drying up in 2022 and 2023 and the way that fish eggs are being harvested to try boost the population, made this story a must read.
By Bhagyashree Chatterjee, The Squamish Chief, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
What happens when a creek runs dry, and the fish that call it home can no longer make their way upstream?
For the team at Tenderfoot Creek Hatchery in Squamish, it’s a challenge they’re tackling head-on as the impacts of climate change ripple through the watershed.
While many hatcheries focus on large-scale harvests, Tenderfoot Creek is all about conservation.
Continue reading Salmon vs. climate change: How salmon are surviving climate shifts in Squamish
By Madeline Dunnett, The Discourse, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
On a stormy day at the end of September, the vessels at Deep Water Recovery’s site in Union Bay were being pummelled with rain. Robert Bohn Senior, one of the company owners, and operations manager Mark Jurisich were clad in high-visibility clothing and gumboots.
The two men were leading myself and The Discourse Nanaimo reporter, Mick Sweetman, on a tour of the property. It was the first time The Discourse was offered a visit to the site, though we have been reporting on the shipbreaking situation in Union Bay since October 2023.
Continue reading Deep Water Recovery executives say shipbreaking operations aren’t polluting Union Bay
Wetlands are key resources to address climate change and help maintain surface water flow during dry periods. But they are also largely disappearing. According to a recent study in Nature, since 1700 approximately 3.4 million square miles of wetlands have been lost in the United States, Europe and China. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources estimates that 70 % of the wetlands in southern Canada disappeared prior to 1990. In densely populated areas, that figure is close to 98%. Unfortunately wetlands are often found in the same areas where humans like to live and this problem has been amplified by the critical need for affordable housing.
Both of the most populated Discovery Islands are attempting to assess their water budgets while they look at further development. Quadra Island is mapping its wetlands, as well as carrying out rainfall, streamflow and aquifer studies. On Cortes Island, the Community Housing Society is seeking funding to carry out a study of Cortes Island’s water resources.
Meanwhile the opportunity to apply for a $30,000 grant for the proposed Caddisfly Creek restoration project may have been lost, or at least deferred, because of Campbell River’s concerns about the possible impact on their plans for development.
Continue reading SRD Defers Feasibility study for Caddisfly Wetlands Restoration ProjectEditor’s note: According to the BC Treaty Commission’s Interactive Map, the waters of Von Donop Inlet and Carrington Bay, on Cortes Island, are within the traditional territory We Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum Nations. They also claim Quadra, Read and Raza Islands, as well as Toba Inlet. These are all areas that are within the traditional territories of the Klahoose First Nation. whose principle village is on Cortes Island. The K’omoks and Klahoose First Nations have overlapping claims on Read, Quadra and Mitlenatch Islands.
By Madeline Dunnett, The Discourse, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A new notification system and app that alerts coastal B.C. First Nations about oil or hazardous chemical spills on their lands and waters was recently launched.
The initiative was developed collaboratively between 12 First Nations and the province’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. The process was coordinated by Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative.
The system uses technology from Alertable, an emergency alert system that is used by various local governments to notify residents about critical alerts in their communities such as those related to floods or fires.
Continue reading New system alerts coastal First Nations about hazardous spills on land and water
