Tag Archives: Kermit Dahl

Housing

A tale of two cities: Port Alberni’s new supportive housing is drafted for uptown while Campbell River takes a different approach

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

Port Alberni, BC – In the face of public dissent, Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions holds the line on the construction of a controversial 55-studio unit supportive housing complex in the Uptown core.

“I don’t for a second believe that housing people within a neighbourhood where they are currently homeless is going to make it worse. I think it will make it better, and I feel very strongly about that,” said Minions during the Feb. 9 regular council meeting question period. 

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Housing, Indigenous Nations

Gentrification of downtown Campbell River displaces services for the homeless

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

Campbell River, BC – Campbell  River’s Berwick by the Sea retirement community is lit up with holiday  flair, while across the street a mural portraying the word L-O-V-E fades  on the side of boarded up building that was once a lifeline for the  homeless.

Six months ago, at the end of June 2025, Kwesa Place and Hem’?aelas  Community Kitchen were forced to close after the City of Campbell River  bought the properties for redevelopment. 

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Forests

The State of Campbell River’s Forestry Sector

Forestry has been one of the three economic pillars of Campbell River. In the article that follows, Mayor Kermit Dahl states that ’70% of what the city does is resource-related, and their sales in the previous year were down by just over 20%.’ While many do not agree with the industry practise of cutting big tree old growth – the iconic subset which often comes to mind when hearing the words ‘old growth’ – there is much more to the story. The following article consists of select gleanings from statements made by Mayor Dahl and several MPs (including Aaron Gunn) at a recent meeting of the federal government’s Standing Committee on Natural Resources. 

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Food, Politics

SRD Will Not Use Gas Tax Funds for Cortes Island Food Bank

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The Strathcona Regional District will not use $28,000 of its gas tax funds to help the Cortes Island Food Bank. At their October 22 meeting, 7 of the 14 district directors voted against a motion to fund the food bank.

Directors opposed to the motion were concerned about the potential impact that supporting a third party organization could have on future SRD applications for gas tax funding. 

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Forests, Politics

BC’s Chief Forester Tells the SRD the State of BC’s Forests, or not

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Shane Berg, BC’s Chief Forester, has a message he is taking to trading partners around the world. On Thursday, October 2, 2025, he made a presentation to the Strathcona Regional District’s Natural Resources Committee. 

In today’s broadcast there are select clips from that presentation, including reactions from the committee. Also Bruce Ellingsen, one of the founding directors of the Cortes Community Forest Cooperative and a local thought leader on forestry matters, gave his opinion about the presentation and what he believes it lacks. 

Berg claims that the amount of old growth forests is increasing. According to Ellingsen what is not clear is that he is talking about the 80% of relatively small old growth trees growing in less productive areas, not the ‘big tree old growth’ that the environmental community is concerned about.  

Continue reading BC’s Chief Forester Tells the SRD the State of BC’s Forests, or not →