Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
This article is part of a series by Canada’s National Observer that will take a look at Vancouver Island’s “ridings to watch” in the upcoming election.
The North Island may well be a long held NDP stronghold but the recent spike in support for the BC Conservatives suggests a tight two-way race is in the making in the upcoming provincial election.
Continue reading North Island offers a case study for upcoming BC election
British Columbia is heading for the polls on October 19, a little more than a month from now.
So far only two candidates have registered in our electoral district, North Island.
Michele Babchuk has been our MLA since 2020 and prior to that she was a Campbell River City Councillor for six years, as well as Chair of the Strathcona Regional District Board.
Dr. Anna Kindy is running for the Conservative Party of BC. She is an addiction specialist, and physician. On her campaign website it states “Throughout her career, Anna has been a tireless advocate for the marginalized and stigmatized populations of the North Island.”
Continue reading North Island: 38 Days from the Provincial ElectionThe Strathcona Regional District’s (SRD) long, drawn-out battle with former Regional Director Noba Anderson appears to be over. On January 24 of this year, the BC Court of Appeal ruled the SRD was wrong to not pay Anderson’s defence costs during a litigation brought against her in 2019. The three judge panel also found they were wrong to censure Anderson for showing confidential documents to her lawyer. The SRD filed for leave to appeal this judgement. On Thursday, August 29, 2024, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed their request and awarded costs to Anderson.
Continue reading SRD Petition to Appeal Dismissed by Supreme Court of Canada
It began with sacred songs, drumming and dancers. Executive Director Kristie Lamirande would later tell Cortes Currents that while many healing centres have Indigenous spiritual components, as far as she knows none of them possess the 50/50 blend of Indigenous and Western healing methodology that the new Tsakwa’luten Healing Centre will offer. Some will remember this property as the Tsa Kwa Luten Lodge, on the southern tip of Quadra Island. There will be 42 beds for people struggling with addiction. 20 of them should be ready when the Centre opens this Fall. Jennifer Whiteside, the province’s Minister for Health and Addictions, MLA Michele Babchuk, Councillor Susan Savoy of the K’omoks First Nation and a number of leaders from the health community joined the We Wai Kai First Nation for the dedication on Tuesday July 16, 2024.
Continue reading Dedication of the Tsakwa’luten Healing CentreMLA Michele Babchuk was on Cortes Island for a few days last week. She spoke to Cortes Currents after meeting with some of the island’s non-profits in the Village Commons. This was the third time she’s visited the island since she was elected in 2020.
“I’m hearing that Cortes actually has a lot of capacity and we’ve known that for a long time. There’s a lot of not for profit groups here. A lot of them are feeling extremely underfunded,” she explained.
Continue reading MLA Michele Babchuk visits Cortes Island
