By Melissa Renwick, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Kyuquot, BC – Leading up to the New Year, Lucy Paivio kept close watch on the news. As information started to spread about the imminent pandemic, she knew that she had to get out. Before there was any talk about going into lockdown, Paivio begged her husband to make one final trip from their home in Kyuquot to Campbell River.
Continue reading Home in KyuquotThe grocery delivery program’s origins go back to October 2019. A North Rendezvous Island resident, Judith Wright, organized a group run for four or five families every two weeks. After COVID hit, close to half of the permanent residents of the Rendezvous, Read, Maurelle, and Sonora Islands took advantage of the SRD Delivers program to have their groceries delivered every week for three months. While the funding ended in mid July, the Surge Narrows grocery delivery program proved to be so effective that it continues today.
Continue reading Surge Narrows grocery delivery programThe University of Victoria completed a climate resilience survey of 106 elected officials and staff from 38 municipalities and 10 regional districts on Vancouver Island. Saanich, Nanaimo, Victoria, and Campbell River were all represented. Vancouver Island communities are concerned about climate change impacts on weather patterns.
Continue reading Vancouver Island communities concerned about climate change impactsThe ‘Sayward Futures Society‘ application was turned down because they proposed to use the funding to hire a coordinator. Emergency Management BC (EMBC) did not feel the COVID situation on Vancouver Island was sufficiently desperate, but they did approve a study to see how the SRD Delivers program could be implemented on Cortes Island. More than 80% of the $10,370 obtained from the province was forwarded to organizations that “offered assistance with grocery shopping, the delivery of food, prescriptions and other essentials for the benefit of the elderly (65+) and other vulnerable persons.” The SRD delivered to 230 households in Campbell River, Read Island, Gold River and Tahsis.
Continue reading SRD Delivered to 230 HouseholdsWhile this year’s count was cancelled because of the pandemic, the Campbell River and District Coalition to End Homelessness (the Coalition) estimate the city’s unhoused population is currently more than a hundred. Most cite high rents as the principle barrier to their finding permanent accommodation. BC Housing is proposing to fund the build and operations of a 50 unit supported housing building at 580 Dogwood street. This sparked neighbourhood resistance and, at this point, 1,424 people have signed a Change.org petition against the project.
Continue reading Opposition to Affordable Housing at 580 Dogwood Street
