Tag Archives: Gord Johns

Politics

Election sees transformation of Vancouver Island representation

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

As the dust settles from the 2025 federal election, the Liberals have retained a minority government – but amid a growing Conservative presence in Ottawa and a devasted NDP party.

Under the new leadership of Mark Carney, the April 28 vote has resulted in the Liberals earning a projected 169 seats in the House of Commons – just three shy of the representation needed to for a majority. This is more than the 153 the Liberals previously held in the last Parliament, but Conservatives saw their representation grow more markedly, increasing from the 120 seats at the last sitting of the House to a projected 144. Meanwhile the Bloc Quebecois kept 22 seats – losing 11 from the last Parliament – and the New Democrats saw their representation fall from 25 to just seven. The Green Party’s representation fell from two to one.

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Forests

How Will the Parties Help BC Forest Workers?

By Isaac Phan Nay, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It’s been hard to keep up with the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff trade war on Canada.

Punishing tariffs have been levied on steel, aluminum and automobiles and — critically for B.C. — softwood lumber.

“Tariffs are the top election issue for workers,” Canadian Labour Congress president Bea Bruske said. “This uncertainty really has people very, very stressed out about the future of their jobs.”

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Politics

Vancouver Island NDP candidates aim to ‘make empathy great again’

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Unity, community and resistance were the rallying cries during a Vancouver Island NDP event Thursday night that drew more than 300 supporters. 

The election rally for Gord Johns, incumbent MP for Courtenay-Alberni and North Island-Powell River candidate Tanille Johnston featured live brass music and a jubilant and defiant crowd — some sporting orange wigs or draped in multicoloured Pride flags. 

A rainbow even made an appearance following a day of torrential rain.

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Environment

Vancouver Island community wants government held liable for ship-breaking pollution

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A Vancouver Island community long frustrated by a ship-breaking operation leaching toxic heavy metals into the ocean is pitching a legal argument that the provincial government may be liable for pollution violations. 

Union Bay residents are calling out provincial and federal regulators for failing to shut down Deep Water Recovery, a company dismantling ships for years on the shoreline of Baynes Sound, said Marilynne Manning, vice president of the Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound (CCOBS).

Pollution from the large-vessel dismantling operation is a concern for human health and the environment, on land and in water, Manning said. The sensitive area, she added, is also home to the last commercial herring fishery on the coast and half of B.C.’s shellfish farms. 

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Transportation

BC Ferries was in negotiations with controversial ship-breaking operation, email shows

Editor’s note: The following article is of interest because of BC Ferries involvement and the fact Union Bay is close to our broadcast area.

By Madeline Dunnett, The Discourse,  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

BC Ferries was at one point actively negotiating with Deep Water Recovery, a controversial ship-breaking operation in Union Bay, regarding the dismantling of an end-of-life vessel. That’s according to an email from BC Ferries, obtained through an access to information request.

“Everybody thought it was just here because they didn’t have a place to store it,” said Marilynn Manning, a Union Bay resident and member of Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound, during a rally against the operation in October. “But we found out through freedom of information that [Deep Water Recovery] was in negotiation to take it apart here.” 

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