Tag Archives: Saanich

Indigenous Nations

RIEP Presentation: Ways To Further Support The Success Of BC’s Indigenous Economy

Editor’s note: Some of the SENĆOŦEN words do not appear in the following text, but can be inserted when the correct spelling is known. 

One of the most popular presentations at RIEP’s 2025 Virtual forum was Former Green Party MLA Adam Olsen’s identification of ways to further support the success of BC’s Indigenous economy.

Francine Carlin, Chair of the Rural Island Economic Partnership (RIEP) introduced Olsen, “ Adam is a proud member of the Tsartlip Nation. He currently serves as the lead negotiator for the Tsartlip, representing the nation’s interests on land and resource management, governance and the treaty land entitlement process. His leadership and negotiation plays a crucial role and advancing the nation’s rights and self determination, Adam’s expertise of bridging gaps between environmental concerns, indigenous rights and sustainable development makes him a true champion of the greater good.”

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Indigenous Nations, Rivers & Oceans

‘Industry doesn’t understand what our people know’: WSÁNEĆ chiefs call for halt to commercial herring fisheries

By Spencer Sacht-Lund, IndigiNews, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.

WSÁNEĆ* hereditary chiefs are calling for an immediate moratorium on all commercial herring fisheries in the Salish Sea prior to the season’s expected start later this month.

Surrounded by relatives and members of the community at Tulista Park in “Sidney,” overlooking the ocean, four hereditary chiefs read aloud a joint declaration Wednesday morning — coming together for a public, unified call to action for the first time in 40 years, the leaders said.

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Cost of Climate Change, Energy

Carrie Saxifrage’s Climate Mitigation Presentation To The SRD Board

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Cortes Island author Carrie Saxifrage made a climate mitigation presentation at the May 22 SRD Board meeting. This is an abridged version of that talk. 

She began with a simple admission, “This is my first time. Thank you so much for having me. If I were to do it again, I’d do it a little differently, but here we are. We’re going to whisk through some slides, and I’m going to emphasize what I think is most important.”

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Arts

Doug McCaffry’s Heaven: Coffee and Films

 The first time many Cortes Island residents heard of Doug McCaffry was when he and his wife, Melanie, took over Becca’s beans. Prior to that they were living in central Saanich.

“We came  for a vacation. It was a beautiful August, and I’d always wanted to come to Cortes.  I thought, ‘hey, just for fun, let’s look at some real estate.’ The place we’re at now had just come up for sale and came with  the optional coffee roastery.  I thought, ‘well, I love coffee, let’s learn coffee roasting.’  It all happened so fast. Two of the things I love most in life, coffee and film, and I’m in heaven,” he explained.

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Energy, Politics

BC Greens call out Alberta fossil fuel war room’s attack on Nanaimo

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

B.C.’s Green Party Leader is dismayed Alberta’s fossil fuel “war room” is targeting Nanaimo, B.C., for its leadership in phasing out natural gas hookups to reduce the community’s emissions.

After a summer of record-breaking wildfires and sustained heat and drought, every level of government needs to be seeking solutions to the climate crisis, not sabotaging those that do, said Sonia Furstenau, the Greens’ leader and MLA for Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island.

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