National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Hundreds of people in Campbell River’s Spirit Square took to their knees and bowed their heads in silence for eight minutes, 46 seconds on Saturday.
The exact amount of time a Minneapolis police officer knelt on George Floyd’s neck.
Following the silence, speakers got on stage to speak about their experiences with racism and to call for justice and healing.
Continue reading Campbell River’s Black Lives Matter RallyOn February 23, the Quadra Island Emergency Support Services Team will practise setting up an Emergency Reception Centre at the Quadra Island Community Centre. Two weeks ago, the SRD’s Protective Services Coordinator asked how feasible it was for CKTZ to deploy its’ “radio in a suitcase” to different locations on Cortes Island. The SRD is currently considering extending its fire protection zones on both Cortes and Quadra Islands. At its last meeting, the SRD Board approved funding to purchase mobile radio kits to enhance emergency “ … communications between the City of Campbell River, Homalco First Nation, and Wei Wai Kai First Nation.” These are only a few recent examples of how the SRD is preparing for an emergency in our area.
Continue reading The SRD Is Preparing For An EmergencyCortes Island’s best known housing project took another step towards realization at the January 29th, Strathcona Regional District Board meeting. The public hearing for rezoning a 2.45-hectare portion of the 20.75-hectare Rainbow Ridge property will be held in Mansons Hall at 1 PM on April 30, 2020.
Continue reading Rezoning Hearing For Rainbow Ridge(This is the third in a series of articles from the 2019 Campbell River Emergency Preparedness Trade Show.)
By Roy L Hales
People in the remote indigenous communities surrounding Vancouver Island occasionally wait days before they can access the advanced medical facilities in Vancouver. According to David Carsen, of Land Forest People Consulting, “Air ambulance does the very best they can … [but] there is only so many machines and, from time to time, they are not able to respond.” Patients in Kyuquot, for example, have been forced to make a 6 – 8 hour trip to Campbell River by ambulance. Homalco Air Rescue is a First Nations initiative that will provide much needed evacuation and medical transportation service in less than an hour.
Continue reading Homalco Air RescueBy Roy L Hales
They occupied Cortes Radio’s broadcast area for thousands of years before the European advent. The Homalco, Tla’amin, Klahoose, and K’ómoks nations’ shared language testifies to their common ancestry. Their neighbours, the Laich-kwil-tach were fierce warriors, whose canoes carried raiders into the southern Georgia Strait, Puget Sound and up the Fraser River. (They attacked the Hudsons Bay Company post at Fort Langley in 1837). When the influx of settlers was sufficiently numerous, they took over. The indigenous population was deprived of lands they had occupied for generations. Their customs and governance was superseded. Prior to 1960, the native population could not vote in a Federal election unless they first surrendered their treaty rights and Indian status. This situation is slowly improving. The BC Treaty Commission was set up in 1992, but so far has only signed a single treaty within our area. So I asked the candidates running in the Powell River – North Island what their parties will do about unresolved indigenous issues
Continue reading Unresolved Indigenous Issues
