On August 11, 2025, host Manda Aufochs-Gillespie was joined by Nawel Izard, a Campbell River lawyer who cares deeply about community. Tune in for insights from her work, and clear, engaging explanations of legal issues that affect the Cortes community. Full of practical advice and personal reflections, Nawel makes complex topics accessible and relevant for all listeners.
Continue reading Folk U: Legal Issues That Affect Cortes
By Nora O’Malley, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Tofino, B.C. – Direct efforts are underway to address the distrust and problematic history First Nations face within Canada’s justice system.
At the beginning of May, Tofino Provincial Court was relocated from the Tofino Community Hall to the Tin Wis Conference Centre on Tla-o-qui-aht-First Nations traditional territory. Court will continue to be held at this new location on Tla-o-qui-aht land for the next few years.
Tin Wis is the former site of Christie Indian Residential School.
“It used to be the gymnasium of the residential school. It holds a lot of significance,” said Tla-o-qui-aht Justice Manager Curtis Joseph (Tayiisimčił).
Continue reading Reshaping a B.C. court to include Indigenous values
There are some Cortes Island elements in the story of a boat stolen from Campbell River on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
Someone living in the Potlatch Road area of southern Cortes Island observed ‘big military type planes’ and some helicopters flying around the ocean that morning and thought it might be a Sea-Air Rescue excerise. He did not think about it again until reading about the incident on CHEK News.
Continue reading Cortes Island Elements In A Boat Theft Story
By Jeremy Appel, Alberta Native News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
(ANNews) – Canada’s special interlocutor for missing children and unmarked graves and burial sites associated with Indian Residential Schools has released the final report of her mandate, providing recommendations on how the government can honour the memory of the thousands of children who were killed at forced assimilation institutions.
Continue reading Canada’s Special Interlocutor calls for reparations and accountability in final report on unmarked gravesEditor’s note: Body cameras might have invaluable in cases like the shooting of Jared Lowndes in Campbell River or the logging protests at Fairy Creek. Of course the next step is rectifying the situation in a way that restores public trust.
By Nora O’Malley, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
In effort to increase transparency in policing and improve accountability, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canada’s federal police force, will soon be equipped with body-worn cameras.
Frontline general duty officers that work in the communities of: Ucluelet, Ahousaht, Tofino, Mission, Prince George, Cranbrook and Kamloops will be amongst the first to start recording evidence from the first-person perspective or point of view (POV), according to B.C. RCMP, or “E” Division, senior media relations officer Staff Sgt. Kris Clark.
Continue reading RCMP introduce body-worn cameras this winter
