Tag Archives: Peace River Regional District

Northern B.C. preparing wildfire resilience plans in face of severe drought

Editor’s note: As of 7:20 AM on Tuesday, January 30, 2024 – the BC Wildfire Service Wildfires Map shows 91 active wildfires. None of them are in our area. The closest are three fires about 300 kilometres to the northeast in the Coldstream Creek area of the Cariboo. Beyond that: all the fires appear to be in the northeast quarter of BC.

There have not been any major fires in our area in recent decades. The largest known fire on Cortes was in Gorge Harbour during 1932. More than half of Quadra Island was consumed by fire in 1925, but the vast majority of fires since then are less than 4 hectares in extent. This may change as the summers continue to get drier. According to CleanBC, “Climate change is causing more frequent and severe wildfires, floods and extreme heat events across B.C.”

By Tom Summer, Alaska Highway News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With fire still burning in Northern B.C., the Peace River Regional District has begun development of community wildfire resilience plans for their four electoral areas, mapping wildfire risk and identifying high flammability areas. 

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Wildfire Smoke Is Making Us Sick

By Michelle Gamage, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It’s early June and there are 80 wildfires burning in the province, according to the BC Wildfire Service dashboard. 

There are evacuation orders in place for areas of the Peace River Regional District, and localities close to significant fires are blanketed in smoke.  

Fires are also bringing hazy skies to  Vancouver and other areas of the province farther away from active  fires. Across the continent, smoke is coating Toronto and New York right now. 

While smoky days and even weeks might be a  regular feature of future Canadian summers, they’re not something we  should be complacent with, according to health experts. 

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First Nations members believe TLE settlements open path for future generations

By Manavpreet Singh, Energycity.ca, Local Journalism Initiative

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Some local First Nation members are calling the Treaty Land Entitlement settlements a positive step for future generations.

Five Treaty 8 First Nations recently settled TLE claims with provincial and federal governments. According to a provincial release, the settlements resolved decades-old claims by the First Nations, stating they did not receive all the lands owed them in Treaty 8 claims. These First Nations first signed the Treaty of Land Entitlements in 1899.

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Site C a ‘horrible neighbour’

By Tom Summer, Alaska Highway News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Old Fort residents aired their concerns to BC Hydro last month about its shortcomings mitigating the impacts of Site C dam construction on their community, but the town hall ultimately did more harm than good, says the chair of the Peace River Regional District.

Brad Sperling, who also represents Area C which includes the riverside community downstream from the dam, attended the July 29 meeting in Fort St. John, and caught BC Hydro misleading residents by falsely claiming a community measures agreement had been made with the PRRD, offering compensation to residents.

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Green Candidate Explains What Her Party Wants For BC & Why It Must Be Now

Sue Moen is not willing to accept the status quo. She has a passion for change, for progress, for a re-balancing of society and society with nature. In the attached podcasts, the Green candidate for North Island explains what her party wants for BC & why it must be now.

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