By Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
‘Na̱mg̱is Chief Ho’miskanis, Don Svanvik, is on the phone when I walk off the little ferry in Alert Bay, B.C.
“Standing water and wood is never good,” he says to the person on the other end. “I can come by after I drop my truck off, maybe tomorrow.”
Continue reading Life on ‘Na̱mg̱is territory, at the edge of the ocean
By Nora O’Malley, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Clayoquot Sound, BC – Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation has partnered with Redd Fish Restoration Society (Redd Fish) and West Coast Kelp Ltd. to undertake a large-scale kelp restoration project on the Pacific Coast.
The total project budget is roughly $240,000 with a large portion of the funds coming from the provincial government, plus a patchwork of grants from the Pacific Salmon Foundation, World Wildlife Fund Canada, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, and Clayoquot Biosphere Trust, according to Redd Fish.
Continue reading $240,000 kelp restoration project aims to rebuild salmon abundance in Clayoquot Sound
With all the current hype about the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), Cortes Currents reached out to two rural politicians to ask how they see this legislation working at the local level. Mark Vonesch is the Regional Director for Area B (Cortes Island) and Robyn Mawhinney is the Regional Director for Area C, which includes Quadra and most of the other Discovery Islands. They both sit on the board of the Strathcona Regional District (SRD).
Continue reading Reconciliation: Two Regional Directors Speak Out on DRIPA and the Path of ReconciliationThe lengthy legal battle over salmon farming in British Columbia’s Discovery Islands reached a significant milestone on January 29, 2026, when the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed a challenge by MOWI. This decision follows five years of tension that began when former Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan mandated the removal of all salmon farms from the region by mid-2022. While the industry complied with the order, they simultaneously pursued a series of lawsuits to overturn the government’s directives. Following their latest defeat, Mia Parker, MOWI’s director of environmental performance and certification, emailed media “While we are disappointed that the federal court of appeal did not find in our favour, we respect the findings of the court.”
Continue reading Federal Court of Appeal Dismisses Mowi’s Challenge
By Sonal Gupta, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Disagreements over a proposal to build a pipeline to the BC coast has ignited a debate over who has the right to speak on behalf of First Nations.
After Prime Minister Mark Carney signed a memorandum of understanding with Alberta to advance a new bitumen pipeline to the Pacific coast, he met with Coastal First Nations (CFN) leaders in January.
BC Conservative leadership candidate Yuri Fulmer jumped in on X (formerly Twitter) to label CFN “just an advocacy group,” like a brand name. Fulmer claimed it is funded by foreign anti-energy groups and said if he becomes premier he will ban any foreign-funded organizations that attempt to influence BC politics.
Continue reading Coastal First Nations hit back after pundits and politicians challenge its legitimacy in pipeline debate
