Tag Archives: Nora O’Malley

Indigenous Nations, Rivers & Oceans

$240,000 kelp restoration project aims to rebuild salmon abundance in Clayoquot Sound

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

Clayoquot Sound, BC – Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation has partnered with Redd Fish Restoration Society (Redd Fish) and West Coast Kelp Ltd. to undertake a large-scale kelp restoration project on the Pacific Coast. 

The total project budget is roughly $240,000 with a large portion of the funds coming from the provincial government, plus a patchwork of grants from the Pacific Salmon Foundation, World Wildlife Fund Canada, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, and Clayoquot Biosphere Trust, according to Redd Fish.  

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Transportation

West Coast bus service connecting Tofino and Ucluelet set to expand in January

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

West Coast, BC – The public bus service connecting Tofino and Ucluelet is expanding in the new year.

Starting Jan. 4, 2026, West Coast Transit riders will benefit from more frequent midday trips and a late-night service will also be reintroduced, with buses departing Ucluelet at 9:20 p.m. and Tofino at 10:25 p.m. 

Operated by BC Transit and the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD), the West Coast Transit System has stops in Tofino, Ucluelet, Long Beach, the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ community of hitaću, and the Tla-o-qui-aht communities of Esowista and Ty-histanis.

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Forests

High-stakes fight over old growth trees intensifies as police make seven arrests

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

The 15-foot wooden cougar sculpture erected this summer to block forestry workers from accessing the Upper Walbran Valley in Pacheedaht First Nations territory is a pile of cold ashes on the dirt road. 

Pacheedaht elder Bill Jones, 85, has been a constant advocate for the old growth forest within Pacheedaht lands. He says his prayer hut and guest cabin were also torched during enforcement of the court-ordered injunction that was granted to C̕awak ʔqin Forestry (Tsawak-qin), which is 35 per cent co-owned by Huu-ay-aht First Nation and 65 per cent co-owned Western Forest Products (WFP), began on Nov. 25.

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Food

Food insecurity in Canadian households hits record high of 25.5%, says report

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

Vancouver Island, BC – Food insecurity has reached a record high of 25.5 per cent in Canadian households, according to the latest Canadian Food Sentiment Index report published by the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.

Another recent report from Island Health shows one in five Vancouver Island residents were concerned about food security. 

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Indigenous Nations, Justice

Reshaping a B.C. court to include Indigenous values

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

Tofino, B.C. – Direct efforts are underway to address the distrust and problematic history First Nations face within Canada’s justice system.

At the beginning of May, Tofino Provincial Court was relocated from the Tofino Community Hall to the Tin Wis Conference Centre on Tla-o-qui-aht-First Nations traditional territory. Court will continue to be held at this new location on Tla-o-qui-aht land for the next few years.

Tin Wis is the former site of Christie Indian Residential School.

“It used to be the gymnasium of the residential school. It holds a lot of significance,” said Tla-o-qui-aht Justice Manager Curtis Joseph (Tayiisimčił).

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