National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A small First Nation on the coast in B.C. is starting to reap the rewards of taking a risk on seaweed farming. The Klahoose First Nation is among the first coastal communities to partner with Cascadia Seaweed in an attempt to scale up kelp aquaculture along the West Coast.
Continue reading first Kelp harvest for Klahoose/Cascadia partnershipBy Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
Clear plastic bags hang from small spigots plugged into birch trunks in a mixed stand of deciduous and coniferous trees on a hillside above the Kispiox River in northwest B.C. Denzel Sutherland-Wilson and his 19-year-old niece, Hailey Wilson, pour the birch water collected overnight from five trees into a 20-litre bucket, explaining they’ve been doing this every day for a couple of weeks.
Continue reading Searching for solutions in the Kispiox ValleyBy Aly Laube, Fraser Valley Community Radio, CIVL 101.7 FM, Local Journalism Initiative
To understand the nature of systemic racism and white supremacy in Abbotsford, you have to understand the history. But that history can be hard to find, tucked away in archives and couched in vague language. The information is there if you look, and it speaks volumes about the area’s past in relation to upholding structures that support white settlers.
In 1925, American Klu Klux Klan members came to Abbotsford in search of new recruits. For $10 apiece, residents born in Canada, the US, the UK, and Northern Europe who were white, male, able-bodied, Protestant, and “of sound mind” could sign up to join the KKK and become part of an organized effort to “maintain forever White Supremacy.”
Continue reading The Klu Klux Klan comes to AbbotsfordBy Aly Laube, Fraser Valley Community Radio, CIVL 101.7 FM, Local Journalism Initiative
Interviews have been edited for length and clarity. This content might include some explicit language.
Abbotsford, BC is the largest municipality in the Fraser Valley Regional District, an exurban area about an hour east of Vancouver. It’s growing very quickly, with a 2013 City of Abbotsford Official Community Plan expecting 40,000 new residents within 20 years.
Continue reading Abbotsford’s secret History of Racism: IntroductionBy Anna McKenzie, The Discourse, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Canada’s child-welfare system is broken and “will cost billions to fix,” says Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller.
Continue reading Budget 2021: Indigenous children & families
