Tag Archives: Squamish

Energy

The B.C. agency overseeing oil and gas is about to get more powerful. Here’s why you should care

By Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporters

One of British Columbia’s government agencies is poised to get a lot more power.

Premier David Eby’s NDP government has just introduced legislation to give new responsibilities to the BC Energy Regulator (BCER), which oversees the province’s growing oil and gas sector and other energy projects.

The changes will put the regulator — largely funded by the oil and gas industry — in charge of fast-tracking renewable energy projects like wind and solar, along with the $3-billion North Coast transmission line that will power liquefied natural gas (LNG), mining and other industrial projects.

Continue reading The B.C. agency overseeing oil and gas is about to get more powerful. Here’s why you should care →
Energy

how 2025 is shaping up to be a big year for LNG in B.C.

By Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

After years of construction, nearly 100 arrests, billions in government subsidies and dozens of environmental infractions, B.C.’s long-promised liquefied natural gas, or LNG, export industry is poised to start shipping overseas this year.

It’s been more than a decade since an idea to transform a little northern B.C. industry town into the first community in Canada to export LNG across the Pacific Ocean was just a twinkle in a corporate boardroom. This year, LNG Canada will send its first shipments from Kitimat, B.C., to Asia, marking Canada’s entry into the global LNG market.

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Animals

Black bear killings drop to ‘historic low’

By Bhagyashree Chatterjee, The Squamish Chief, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Have you ever wondered how your actions, like keeping your garbage secure, might help protect the B.C. wildlife?

In 2024, the number of black bears “dispatched,” meaning killed by conservation officers, hit its lowest point in over a decade, thanks to a mix of public effort and natural factors, according to a release by the Conservation Officers Service published on Jan. 20.

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Cost of Climate Change

How climate change impacts insurance costs

By Bhagyashree Chatterjee, The Squamish Chief, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As home insurance costs increase due to climate change, mitigation efforts can help residents stabilize their costs.

“We’re seeing more wildfires, floods, and storms driving up insurance costs,” said Justine Bowman, branch manager at Westland Insurance Group.  

Over the past decade, the cost of claims related to natural disasters in Canada has tripled, reaching over $2 billion annually on average, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).  

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Rivers & Oceans

Salmon vs. climate change: How salmon are surviving climate shifts in Squamish

Editor’s note: The similarities this story has to our situation on Cortes Island, with Basil Creek having come close to drying up in 2022 and 2023 and the way that fish eggs are being harvested to try boost the population, made this story a must read.

By Bhagyashree Chatterjee, The Squamish Chief, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

What happens when a creek runs dry, and the fish that call it home can no longer make their way upstream?

For the team at Tenderfoot Creek Hatchery in Squamish, it’s a challenge they’re tackling head-on as the impacts of climate change ripple through the watershed.

While many hatcheries focus on large-scale harvests, Tenderfoot Creek is all about conservation.

Continue reading Salmon vs. climate change: How salmon are surviving climate shifts in Squamish →