Tag Archives: City of Campbell River

Health

Campbell River expands overdose response services with $1.14M investment from feds

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By Nora O’Malley, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Campbell River, B.C. – More overdose response services are coming to Campbell River and the surrounding area.

For 2026–27, Health Canada approved roughly $1.14 million in funding for a new Mobile Outreach Program, which partners the City of Campbell River (the City) and Lookout Housing and Health Society. 

“The City remains deeply concerned about the tragic loss of life due to toxic drugs. These losses profoundly affect families, friends and colleagues across the community. This is why, when we noted the call for proposals for the Emergency Treatment Fund from Health Canada in the fall of 2025, we decided to submit an application under very tight timelines,” said Jeff Ford, the City’s director of community safety.

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Housing

Allegations that Rural Directors Bullied Area D; Who bullied who?

At the May 27 SRD Board Meeting, Mayor Kermit Dahl of Campbell River accused Regional Directors Mark Vonesch, Robyn Mawhinney and Gerald Whalley of bullying Regional Director John Rice:    

“For example, when Director Rice was outvoted on a development in Area D by three electoral area Directors who wanted to show him, ‘Stay in line or else we’ll show you.’ They could stop him from succeeding in moving Area D forward.”

This is not the first time Campbell River Directors have made this allegation.

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Politics

Mark Vonesch Removed; Susan Sinnott New Vice-Chair of the SRD

Mark Vonesch was removed from his position as Vice-Chair of the SRD through a non-confidence vote, and Campbell River Director Susan Sinnott was elected in his place.

The voting followed what is becoming a familiar pattern: the five Campbell River Directors and their allies voted to remove Vonesch, while the Directors from Gold River, Tahsis, and Electoral Areas A, B, and C supported him.

The Alleged Plot

The vote was preceded by a roughly two-hour in-camera session, after which Campbell River Mayor Kermit Dahl addressed the public meeting.

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Arts, Rivers & Oceans

Bringing Campbell River’s Tyee Legacy to Vancouver’s DOXA film festival


A documentary about Campbell River’s historic Tyee fishing culture will be screened at Vancouver’s DOXA Film Festival on Thursday, May 7. In this morning’s interview filmmakers Jevan Crittenden and Nate Slaco talk a little about ‘In Tyee Country,’ and how it came into being. 

Jevan: “When we started this project we expected certain things and a lot of those assumptions were accurate, but there were some surprising things that came up. To me the community aspect is the surprising thing. Peter Wipper talks about having a greater sense of community and home in Campbell River than he does in his own hometown, and he credits that to the community that’s come up around the Tyee Club. It really is a tight-knit group.”

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Politics

Campbell River Not Joining Electoral Area Land Use Planning Service

(Part One of the March 18, 2026 Area B Director’s Report )

By Regional Director Mark Vonesch

I’m really excited to share this newsletter with you. I have the results from the housing survey, but before we get to that, Cortes Island just had a big political win.

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