Tag Archives: Vancouver Island

Rivers & Oceans

BBC’s Planet Earth does a deep dive on West Coast whale poo

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Editor’s Note: Most of what follows is applicable to our waters, doubly so because MERS operates in our waters. Stay tuned to see if there are any scenes from Cortes or the surrounding islands in the BBC story.

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Whale researcher Jackie Hildering and her colleagues never imagined their work on humpbacks would capture the attention of the globe’s premier documentary series.  

Or that whale poo would be of such interest to Planet Earth — BBC’s famous nature show. 

Continue reading BBC’s Planet Earth does a deep dive on West Coast whale poo →
Water

When it comes to water security, small rural communities in B.C. largely left high and dry

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

B.C.’s small rural communities striving for water security as droughts become the norm still sink or swim without much assistance from the province, policy experts say.  

Most of the province has been in the clutches of unprecedented — but long anticipated — climate-induced drought for most of the summer. About 55 per cent of B.C.’s water basins are at Level 5 on the provincial drought scale — the point when adverse socioeconomic or ecosystem impacts are almost certain. 

Continue reading When it comes to water security, small rural communities in B.C. largely left high and dry →
Water

Small island community launches big effort to develop water security

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Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

As a landscape architect specializing in wetland restoration, Bernie Amell knows how water moves across the landscape. 

However, he has had a crash course in drought after Amell and his wife moved to their Quadra Island agricultural acreage on B.C.’s so-called “Wet Coast” three years ago. 

“We arrived in 2021, in the ‘heat dome’ summer, and the shallow well dried up,” said Amell, a member of Quadra Island’s Climate Action Network (I-CAN).

Continue reading Small island community launches big effort to develop water security →
Justice

Breaking down crime statistics on Vancouver Island

Editor’s note: Trends to watch in Campbell River as well as other urban communities on Vancouver Island.

By Mick Sweetman,  CHLY 101.7 FM Nanaimo, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

Violent crime in several Vancouver Island communities is on the rise according to new numbers from Statistics Canada.

Warren Silver, an analyst with Statistics Canada says that’s part of a broader trend across Canada where violent crime peaked in the mid to late 1990s before falling until recent years.

“Violent crime is something that we’re really tracking right now, because we’ve seen increases in quite a lot of places,” he said.

Continue reading Breaking down crime statistics on Vancouver Island →
Transportation

CCEDA encourages Cortes to take the Survey on Rural Passenger Transportation

Cortes Community Economic Development Association

Recently, the province announced a new rural intercommunity transportation study. Cortes Islanders will be familiar with efforts over the years to explore improvements in transportation options for residents and visitors while reducing the island’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.

This new transportation study will address rural intercommunity transportation. For residents of Cortes, Sonora and Read Islands, this is mainly about finding affordable and reliable ways to get across Quadra Island to access essential goods and services without the use of a personal vehicle.

Continue reading CCEDA encourages Cortes to take the Survey on Rural Passenger Transportation →