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Report shows signs of rebound in Island’s salmon
Pacific Salmon Foundation links mass closures of commercial fisheries to increase of sockeye, chinook and coho
By Roniyah Sahin Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor
Certain salmon populations have rebounded at a considerable rate this year, but that isn’t enough to restore their longterm average, according to the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) in its recent annual State of Salmon Report.
The 2025 report assesses the decline of different Pacific salmon populations in 10 different regions across Western Canada.
The six salmon species studied are the chinook, pink, chum, sockeye, coho and steelhead salmon.
An average abundance is based on the raw, annual estimates of either how many salmon spawn – meaning, the number of mature salmon that return to their spawning grounds to reproduce after escaping – or the total abundance – which is the number of spawned and caught salmon that survive to maturity. The long-term average, then, is a collection of all data recorded over the years.
Though two-thirds of regional salmon populations remain below their long-term average, the spawning abundance of pink, chinook, and some species of sockeye
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salmon populations in the southern regions is increasing at a considerable rate.
The chinook salmon, for example, are above long-term averages for both spawner and total abundances in west and east Vancouver Island and the Mainland Inlets. The pink salmon are well above their long-term average in east Vancouver Island and the Mainland Inlets, with a 164 per cent spawner abundance increase.
Sockeye salmon in west Vancouver Island increased by 11 per cent in spawner abundance.
So, why are some salmon populations faring worse than others?
PSF’s 2024 State of Salmon Report highlighted that salmon migration up north is becoming increasingly difficult due to the declining condition of the species and climate change. This still rings true as the long-term averages for northern salmon species remain below average, with prospects of getting worse. However, salmon in the southern regions still comprise most of the rebounding species.
Threats of competition from hatcheryled interbreeding are still an issue. Wild chinook salmon, with a 32 per cent
Bamfield road expected to reopen Oct. 24.....................Page 3
homeless counts.................................................Page 5
increase in spawner abundance and 47 per cent increase in total abundance in west Vancouver Island over the past year, face a risk of being undermined by interbred hatchery fish if these facilities are excessively relied on. Chum salmon, a previous staple in commercial Canadian fisheries, now face the worst spawner abundance decline out of the studied salmon species. They also face increased competition at sea with hatchery-produced salmon.
Increasing water temperatures, low oxygen levels and droughts are all effecting freshwater. If salmon cannot easily access both freshwater and the ocean, their chances of returning to their spawning area decrease significantly.
For example, the pink salmon’s life span of just two years might be a major factor in their massive rebound this year.According to the report, pink salmon spend the least amount of time in freshwater and adapt to warming oceanic temperatures better than other species.
Industrial development, like logging on west Vancouver Island, stripped the land of old-growth trees which are important to the continuation of the natural water
cycle, stated in the report.
The urbanization and industrial development of east Vancouver Island are also contributing to the declining salmon population. The report highlights the Nanaimo River’s marina terminal as an example of how developments can obstruct, and sometimes destroy, natural aquatic ecosystems, disrupting the natural flow of salmon.
However, this year’s annual report provides more insight into how and why certain populations are rebounding.
Salmon populations on east Vancouver Island spend their early life in the Salish Sea, which was uninhabitable for salmon species in the ‘90s. But the increase in abundance of pink, chinook, some coho and sockeye salmon indicate that the conditions of the Salish Sea might be improving.
The PSF highlighted mass closures of commercial fisheries as a key reason why sockeye, chinook and some coho salmon are rebounding at an unprecedented rate. The release of hatchery-grown fish into the wild also helped chinook species increase.
Nora O’Malley photo
Hesquiaht boys Kalanis, 6, and Maya (Niumaia), 4, witnessed the excavator tear down the bad place with mean teachers on Meares Island. The boys went to the Oct. 9 healing event in support of their grandmother Marilyn Lucas and their late grandfather Pat Charleson Jr., who both attended Christie Indian Residential School.
read more about the event turn to Pages 8 and 9.
Tla-o-qui-aht alerted to a empted child abduction
Seven-year-old boy taken from home, carried through Ty-Histanis & left at nearby basketball court in Esowista
By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Ty-Histanis, BC – Tla-o-qui-aht Chief Councillor Elmer Frank (Hyou-sin-upshilth) is asking community members to be diligent about locking doors, especially at night, after a “scary situation” unfolded on Sept. 29 involving an attempted child abduction.
That evening a seven-year-old boy was taken from his home and carried through Ty-Histanis and left at the basketball court in Esowista, reads a memorandum released by Tla-o-qui-aht on Sept. 30.
Ty-Histanis and Esowista are Tlao-qui-aht First Nations communities located about 15-minutes from downtown Tofino. The basketball court in Esowista is roughly 10-minutes walking distance from Ty-Histanis.
The boy was returned home to his parents, unharmed, read the memorandum.
“RCMP are investigating. There have been conflicting reports. We don’t think there is any further risk,” said Chief Frank.
“Our priority is keeping a safe space for children,” continued Frank. “Places are being walked into at nighttime, so we are asking members to be more vigilant.”
The Person of Interest is an Indigenous male, about five feet three inches tall, and he was wearing an orange shirt, but no jacket, according to the TFN memorandum.
“He was carrying the little boy who is
In the evening of Sept. 29 a seven-year-old boy was taken from his home in Ty-Histanis, and left at a nearby basketball court in the neighbouring neighbourhood of Esowista (pictured). The Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation communities are located just outside of Tofino.
seven years old, he was wearing a green t-shirt and beige pants with white socks,” reads the memorandum.
“Officers followed up with TFN and the family, and the abduction report could not be substantiated.At this time, our investigation is concluded,” said Tofino RCMP Staff Sgt. Owen Smith in an email
to Ha-Shilth-Sa Oct. 8.
Chief Frank says in addition to the attempted abduction, there has been an unusual amount of break ins. He said there hasn’t been theft, but places are being “walked into”.
Tla-o-qui-aht is seeking volunteers to work with the Nation for a community watch program for Opitsaht, Ty-Histanis and Esowista.
If anyone has any information about the Person of Interest or is interested in supporting the community watch, email Chief Frank at elmerfrank@telus.net.
Melissa Renwick photo
Bamfield road expected to reopen October 24th
Mount Underwood fire leaves over 1,000 ‘dangerous’ trees along route, plus compromised slopes & a sinkhole
By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor
Bamfield, BC - The road to Bamfield is now expected to reopen by Oct. 24, two and a half months after the only southbound land route to Bamfield,Anacla and Nitinaht was shut off due to the Mount Underwood forest fire.
Announced by the province on Oct. 9, the road’s reopening is set to occur one week sooner than initially expected, as “significant progress has been made in recent weeks,” according to a press release from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
“More than 1,000 dangerous trees have been safely removed from the slope alongside the corridor, with some trees measuring up to half a metre in diameter,” stated the ministry. “This crucial work will continue through the week of Oct. 12-18.”
“Also in the past week, crews identified a sinkhole caused by burning organic material within the road base,” added the ministry. “Repairs to this section will begin when tree removal in the area is complete.”
Bamfield Main has been closed since Aug. 11, when the Mount Underwood wildfire emerged south of PortAlberni, near the China Creek Campground and Marina. Fueled by exceptionally dry forest conditions and sweltering heat, within days the wildfire grew to over 3,600 hectares, making it the most concerning ‘wildfire of note’in the province at the time.
The power was also shut off to Bamfield, the Huu-ay-aht village ofAnacla and the Ditidaht village of balaacadt at Nitinaht Lake, but BC Hydro restored electricity to these communities onAug. 23. Power lines that were temporarily set up along the road to restore electricity still need to be relocated, noted the ministry.
The wildfire affected 1.5 kilometres of the road, a section owned by Mosaic Forest Management.Although Mosaic is normally responsible for this part of
The Mount Underwood wildfire affected 1.5 kilometres of Bamfield Main, closing the road sinceAug. 11. Power lines that were temporarily set up along the road to restore electricity still need to be relocated, noted the Ministry or Transportation.
the road, the province has since assumed control of repairs and hazard mitigationa process that the ministry has compared to restoring Highway 4 after it was damaged by the Cameron Bluffs wildfire in the summer of 2023.
“The ministry is conducting repair work under authority granted by the TransportationAct to ensure the road is made safe as quickly and efficiently as possible,” stated the Ministry of Transportation in an e-mail to Ha-Shilth-Sa.
Bamfield Main sees an average of approximately 200 vehicles a day in the winter and 550 in the summer, according to the Ministry of Transportation. The road’s closure has forced those living in and visiting southwestern Vancouver Island communities to use a provincially
approved route from Lake Cowichan. Aseries of often-rugged logging roads that begin west of Youbou, this detour has added many hours to those seeking the services they regularly rely on in PortAlberni. On Oct. 5 a group of Bamfield residents defied the closure to walk through the roadblock and see the damage for themselves. They identified a detour that Mosaic is using for forestry activities, asking why this isn’t being shared with the public.
After this was reported Mosaic issued a statement on Oct. 9, saying that no permits will be issued for public use of the logging road, as it is intended for industrial drivers with “specialized training, radio-equipped vehicles and safety gear.”
“We understand people are frustrated seeing what appears to be a driveable road,” stated D’Arcy Henderson, Mosaic’s chief operating officer and senior vice-president of Timberlands. “But we’ve identified dangerous trees and boulders that could fall at any time. Making the Brenner corridor safe for public use would require the same weeks of intensive work currently underway on Bamfield Main. We cannot split our resources and double the timeline.”
Huu-ay-aht Chief Councillor John Jack added his voice to Mosaic’s press release.
“Safety must be our top priority as we work toward reconnecting our communities,” he said. “We need to remain patient and allow all the technical experts to complete the necessary work on Bamfield Main. We thank everyone for their continued patience.”
Many have died on Bamfield Main since forestry companies built the road in
the early 1970s, including at least nine Huu-ay-aht members.Abus crash that killed two University of Victoria students in 2019 pushed the province to seriously look at improving the road, leading to over $40 million in upgrades that replaced the gravel and dirt washboardlike surface with a smoother and durable chip-sealed coat.
Despite all this work building up the 77-kilomtre road, tragedy struck again last year when heavy rain submerged sections of the route. On Oct. 18, 2024 Bamfiled residents Bob Baden and Ken Duncan lost their lives when water swept their vehicles into a swelling Sarita River during high tide.
Following these incidents Chief Councillor Jack brought up the need to better inform drivers of road conditions.
“Would those individuals have made different decisions if the risks were understood and communicated more clearly and more promptly?” asked Jack in an interview with Ha-Shilth-Sa. “The most impactful thing we can change, I think, is monitoring, communication and who makes the call if closing the road or a section of the road is needed.”
The recent work on the damaged section of Bamfield Main includes a weather station to better monitor conditions during severe weather.
“Additionally, an operating protocol has been developed to guide closures during high wind or heavy rainfall,” stated the Ministry of Transportation. “These closures will be communicated in advance whenever possible to minimize disruption.”
Les Sam Construction
BC Hydro photo
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Ahousaht’s Citaapi Mahtii
Alberni.
New Ahousaht apartments set to open
Thirty-five-unit complex geared to lower-income families, with a range of options
By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter
PortAlberni, BC – The Citaapi Mahtii Housing Society is reaching an exciting milestone with the grand opening ceremony of their new apartment building set for Oct. 17, 2025.
Established in 2019, the Citaapi Mahtii Housing Society saw a need forAhousaht members living in PortAlberni.
“We have a housing crisis, and we have people waiting to get in,” said Citaapi Mahtii operations manager Jude Newman.
According to an interim housing report presented to its city council in December 2024, PortAlberni needs over 1,200 homes over the next five years to meet the anticipated need.An estimated 500 Ahousaht members live in the small Vancouver Island city, many of whom are in need of housing.
Amid PortAlberni’s long-standing and
well-known housing deficit, the Citaapi Mahtii development adds 35 new homes in a four-storey complex located at 4210 Cedarwood Street, near the Fall Fair grounds.
Newman notes that because it is part of the BC Housing registry, applicants need to be registered with BC Housing in order to be eligible for a unit at the new building.
Located near schools, shopping parks and health services, the building is an ideal fit for low-income families. The building includes a mix of studios, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, 3-bedroom, and 4-bedroom apartments. There are units for people with disabilities.
The residents will be multi-generational and will include singles, seniors, and families.As per the requirements of the Community Housing Fund program, 20 per cent of the spaces will be deep-subsidy units, 50 per cent for rent geared to income clients and 30 per cent for those
Ha-Shilth-Sa belongs to every Nuu-chah-nulth person including those who have passed on, and those who are not yet born.Acommunity newspaper cannot exist without community involvement. If you have any great pictures you’ve taken, stories or poems you’ve written, or artwork you have done, please let us know so we can include it in your newspaper. E-mail holly.stocking@nuuchahnulth.org. This year is Ha-Shilth-Sa’s 51st year of serving the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. We look forward to your continued input and support. Kleco! Kleco!
with a moderate income.
Newman says that the society has applications, but is waiting for final details to be completed before new residents can move in.
“We’re building a community and I’m getting calls from all over the island,” she said.
“Homelessness is everywhere, and homelessness doesn’t only mean those that live in the streets,” she added.
It also includes those that are “couch surfing”, staying with relatives where they can.
Because it is anAhousaht-led project, a bulk of the units will be rented to members of the First Nation, but the society has set some aside for other First Nations.
The grand opening will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony starting at 11 a.m. at 4210 Cedarwood Street. There will be guest speakers, and the public will get a chance to look at the new building.
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Chloe Wangler photo
Housing Society is about to open a 35-unit rental complex at 4210 Cedarwood Street in Port
Homeless counts show high Indigenous representation
Mental health and addiction issues are a common factor, while shelters offer ‘band aid’ assistance for unhoused
By Antonella Medina Arias Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor
PortAlberni, BC — The 2025 Point-inTime (PiT) Count shows shifting rates of homelessness across Vancouver Island, particularly in Campbell River, Port Alberni, and Nanaimo, three cities where Indigenous people continue to be overrepresented among the unhoused. Conducted across 20 communities, the count found homelessness decreased in eight and increased in 12 compared to 2023. The surveys for Campbell River and PortAlberni were conducted onApril 30, 2025, with funding from BC Housing, while Nanaimo’s report followed on July 21 under the federal Reaching Home program.
The PiT Count captures a 24-hour snapshot of people experiencing homelessness, recording demographics, service use, and causes of housing loss.Aperson is considered homeless if they have no stable place of their own, pay no rent, and cannot expect to stay in one place for at least 30 days.
In Campbell River, 174 people were experiencing homelessness, a decrease from the 197 counted in 2023. Of these, 49 were sheltered and 125 unsheltered, with 29 per cent of the latter staying temporarily with someone.
PortAlberni counted 180 individuals, rising from 163 in 2023. Seventy-three were sheltered and 107 unsheltered, with 21 per cent of the unsheltered staying with someone.
In Nanaimo, the count rose to 621 from 515 in 2023.Atotal of 154 were sheltered and 427 unsheltered, reflecting the city’s limited emergency and shelter spaces. Sheltered individuals refer to those who spend the night in a shelter, transition house, youth safe house, or institutional setting such as a hospital, jail, or detox facility. Unsheltered includes individuals sleeping outdoors, in vehicles, or temporarily staying with others.
In Campbell River, 19 per cent of participants were youth (under 25), 55 per cent adults (25–54), and 25 per cent seniors (55+). Gender identities were 58 percent male, 40 per cent female, and 2 per cent another gender.
PortAlberni reported 12 per cent youth, 67 per cent adults, and 21 per cent seniors, with 49 per cent male, 51 per cent female, and three per cent identifying as another gender.
In Nanaimo, eight per cent were youth, 60 per cent adults, and 23 per cent seniors. Seventy per cent identified as male and 30 per cent as female.
Indigenous people and former children in care continue to be over-represented in the counts. In 2025, Indigenous-led approaches were introduced to make the process culturally safe, trauma-informed, and more effective at including those often missed in traditional counts.
In Campbell River, 58 per cent of those counted identified as Indigenous, 82 per cent being First Nations with the rest from the Métis community.
PortAlberni had 49 per cent Indigenous participants, an overrrepresentation considering that 15 per cent of the Census population isAboriginal. Ninety 90 per cent of these respondents were First Nations, the rest being Métis and Inuit.
This shows a decline in the proportion of Indigenous respondents from the 2023 count, when 66 per cent of those counted identified asAboriginal.
In Nanaimo 163 were identified as Indigenous, representing a quarter of the homeless population, with 75 per cent of these respondents being First Nations.
In Campbell River, the main reasons for homelessness were insufficient income (36 per cent), substance use (17 per cent), and landlord/tenant conflict (17 per cent).
Health challenges included medical conditions (45 per cent), physical disability (36 per cent), mental health issues (71 per cent), addiction (72 per cent), and
learning disabilities (38 per cent).
PortAlberni reported insufficient income (32 per cent), substance abuse (24 per cent), and unsafe housing conditions (17 per cent) as the top causes. Health challenges included medical conditions (47 per cent), physical disability (24 per cent), mental health issues (75 per cent), and addiction (79 per cent).
In Nanaimo, insufficient income (48 per cent), substance abuse (25 per cent), and unsafe housing conditions (14 per cent) were the leading causes. Health challenges included medical conditions (15 per cent), physical disability (13 per cent), mental health issues (20 per cent), addiction (22 per cent), and learning disabilities (eight per cent).
“[Shelters are] helpful, but it’s a bandaid,” said Fran Hunt-Jinnouchi, CEO of theAboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness Society (ACEH). “If you look at how shelters are structured . . . people line up, they go in, they have to leave early in the morning. So the time that we have to actually connect with them, provide services, and get a sense of their needs, we lose it because . . . they have to [get] out. We have to reimagine shelters and develop a model that leads to housing sustainability, not only addressing the immediate need, although those are important.”
Since 2017, nearly 93,600 homes have been delivered or are underway in British Columbia, including more than 9,600 supportive homes for people experiencing homelessness, with 6,200 in Greater Victoria and 1,400 in Saanich.
“Housing . . . is important, but that is only the first step,” said Hunt-Jinnouchi.
“[Housing gives] us the place to connect [and] determine how we can support [people] physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, which is often the missing piece in services that are available.”
ACEH is developing a 10-year housing strategy for Vancouver Island and is meeting with First Nations and Indigenous organizations to share knowledge. The group is also developing a wellness house. This recovery centre helps individuals transition to independent market housing through education, life skills, and job training, working with the city’s highest at-risk and most vulnerable.
They are running a three-year pilot project in Victoria, Courtenay, and Port Hardy, where approximately 200 individuals and families have been housed, achieving a 90.4 per cent housing sustainability rate. The organization also operates 21 units of women’s housing, including the House of Courage, which features a floor dedicated to the IndigenousAlcohol Harm Reduction Residence Program, and the Sacred Cradle House, which supports Indigenous women and girls who wish to remain with their children while continuing their recovery journey.
“[Our model] has two pillars: culturally supportive housing and [decolonized] harm reduction,” Hunt-Jinnouchi explained. “[It’s] deeply rooted in landbased healing [and focuses] on creating pathways for healing and recovery. Our goal is to influence policy change at the highest levels to address systemic barriers. If we don’t address the system [or policies] that don’t support Indigenousled solutions, we [won’t] move forward.”
Eric Plummer photo
Alarge proportion of Vancouver Island’s homless continue to identify as Indigenous, with mental Health and addictions issues cited as common struggles. Pictured are tents on PandoraAvenue in Victoria in January 2024.
Indigenous Support Workers kick off new school year
ISWs provide academic supports while promoting First Nations culture, helping students complete high school
By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter
PortAlberni, BC – In what has become an annual tradition, staff ofADSS (Alberni District Secondary School) along with the Indigenous Leadership Team threw a barbecue dinner as they welcomed new students for the 2025/26 school year.
According to Deborah Potter, who is an Indigenous Support Worker (ISW), the barbecue was held atADSS on the evening of September 25.
“Primarily, the incoming Grade 8 students and their families attend this event, but we open it up to any student that wants to attend because we believe it is a positive and powerful thing to get parents and families into the building,” she told Ha-Shilth-Sa.
Indigenous support Workers are a team that assistAboriginal student in their academics and also in the promotion of First Nations culture in the school. The team is made up of former Nuu-chah-nulth Education Workers (NEW) that transitioned from employment with the Nuu-chahnulth Tribal Council to SD70.
Jaime Hansen, anAhousaht member and director of Instruction Indigenous Education for SD70, says the Indigenous Support Workers primarily carry out the same duties they had in previous years when they were employed with the NTC.
Achange in federal funding forced the end of the NEW program in June 2024, but since then the school district has been able to continue with the additional support.
This is the third year that SD70 has had Indigenous Support Workers atAlberni Valley public schools and also in Bamfield, Tofino and Ucluelet.
“They (ISW’s) support Indigenous students around cultural teachings, language… they all have different skill sets that they bring to table,” said Hansen. An important goal of these workers is to keep Indigenous students engaged in their education journeys, helping improve graduation rates. They provide academic supports while promoting First Nations culture in the schools.
Based on data from the B.C. Ministry of Education, this assistance appears to be working. Back in 2010, just 34 per cent of SD70’sAboriginal students completed high school within six years of starting Grade 8 – thirty points behind other students in the district. But by 2024 the Indigenous high school completion rate had risen to 81 per cent, while other Pacific Rim students increased to 90.
Hansen pointed to a song composed by Tseshaht’sAaronAngeli that was given
On Sept. 25Alberni District Secondary School staff along with the Indigenous Leadership Team threw a barbecue dinner, as they welcomed new students for the 2025/26 school year.ADSS is located at 4000 Roger Street in PortAlberni.
to the students of SD70 schools to inspire them and for use in cultural activities.According toAngeli, the song našukʔaƛin, which means “we are strong”, is being taught to SD70 students by ISWs.
In addition to drumming and singing, the children learn from First Nations elders that the ISWs bring into the schools from time to time.An ISW may also assist teachers with the students during regular class time, like a teacher’s aid.
The work of ISWs is overseen by the Indigenous Education Council, which is made up of local First Nations. Hansen explains that the Council was formed when the provincial government amended Bill 40.
Known aS the SchoolAmendmentAct, Bill 40 was revised “to fulfill provincial commitments in the DeclarationActAction Plan and the BC Tripartite EducationAgreement and included SchoolAct amendments relating to Indigenous Education Councils, Model Local Education Agreements, and First Nations School of Choice,” according to information from the government of British Columbia.
EffectiveApril 2024, Bill 40 mandates the establishment of Indigenous Education Councils (IECs) across all school districts in the province.
“We have a pretty active committee,” Hansen said, noting that it includes representation from local First Nations.
The Indigenous Education Council brought over 10 former NEWs who were
interested in continuing their work in the schools. They are supported through SD70 funding.
Because the program is supported by SD70, the funding stays within the district, which includes public schools in PortAlberni, Bamfield, Tofino and Ucluelet.
According to Potter, a group called the Indigenous Leadership Team made up of teachers and ISWs (Indigenous Support Workers) help shape cultural activities withADSS students.
“We host events, support students dayto-day, bring culture into the classroom, participate in school-wide events such as assemblies and TOTEM,” she shared, referencing the popular basketball tournament hosted atADSS each January.
In an email to Ha-Shilth-Sa, Potter stated that the goal of ISWs is to connect with students and bring Nuu-chah-nulth culture, language, and protocol in as many meaningful ways as they can.
Potter went on to say that the 2025 ƛayaḥuʔał Welcome BBQ went very well.
“An estimated 175 people showed up, families and students alike,” she wrote to Ha-Shilth-Sa.
Those that attended were welcomed by administrators ofADSS and invited to meet the teachers.Activities were set up for students and everyone enjoyed the door prizes and dessert.
Hosted by theADSS Indigenous Leadership Team, the barbecue was supported by local First Nations. “This year, we have received fish donations from the Uchucklesaht and Ucluelet First Nations.
Multiple businesses have donated door prizes,” Potter wrote.
Jaime Hansen encourages all students to pursue advanced education.As 37 per cent of the Pacific Rim School District
currently identifies asAboriginal, Hansen said there is a need for more Indigenous leaders in teaching and administrative roles in the education system.
Deborah Potter photo
Re-elected leaders continue to prioritize drug crisis
The NTC’s overdose emergency remains a top concern as Sayers and Doiron head into another four-year term
By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor
Parksville, BC - Judith Sayers and Les Doiron have been elected serve another term as the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council’s president and vice-president.
Voted in by a majority of society members, the incumbent leaders were re-elected at the NTC’s annual general meeting on Oct. 1, which was held at the Tigh-NaMara resort in Parksville. Reflective of populations in the tribal council’s 14 First Nations, there are currently 108 NTC society members, who are determined by the leadership of their respective nations. Sayers and Doiron were the only candidates to step forward to be on the ballot.
For the newly re-elected leaders, the most urgent matter remains the ongoing state of emergency from the prevalence of toxic drugs and its underlying mental health crisis. With every Nuu-chah-nulth family affected in one way or another by drug overdose, in September 2024 the NTC declared the state of emergency in the hopes of gaining more support from other levels of government.
But one year later there remains no drug detox facility in Nuu-chah-nulth territory on western Vancouver Island. This includes PortAlberni, which has the Island’s highest rate of fatal overdoses over the first half of this year.
“I know that they’re building new facilities, but the minister of health hasn’t asked us where these facilities should be located,” said Sayers of her dealings with the provincial government. “We need to have more of a presence there so we can put some of these facilities into Nuuchah-nulth territories.”
InAugust Doiron visited the Downtown Eastside, a Vancouver neighbourhood that has consistently had by far the highest rate of fatal drug poisoning in B.C. Now the NTC plans to hire two outreach workers to serve this area.
“We have a lot of people that are on the Downtown Eastside,” said Doiron.
Sayers is also concerned about enabling Nuu-chah-nulth nations to better prepare for emergencies. These include tsunamis, as many of the NTC coastal communities reside right by the Pacific’s shore, as well as the risk of wildfire. During a blazing August in 2025 the Mount Underwood forest fire grew south of PortAlberni faster than any over the past generation in the region, further reinforcing the hazard Nuu-chah-nulth communities face.
Two months after Mount Underwood started, the road from PortAlberni to Bamfield,Anacla and Nitinaht remains closed due to the wildfire’s damage.
“They’re saying it’s going to be open by the end of October, but I saw BC Hydro bring in all kinds of extra crews to get the electricity to Ditidaht, Huu-ay-aht, Bamfield quickly,” said Sayers of the province’s repairs to the Bamfield road. “I think they got power on two weeks earlier than they expected. That’s the kind of service we expect of the B.C. government to get this highway open, but we’re not seeing that.”
Part of Doiron’s portfolio is gaining federal support for a long-term capitol infrastructure plan the NTC is developing.
“We’re trying to coordinate with the feds a 35-year plan for infrastructure,” he said. “What we’re looking for is a lump sum in order to be able to develop that 35-year plan, which would involve a lot of different things as well. It might be changes to the tribal council, growth for the tribal council, or maybe another entity
Les Doiron begins his first full term as NTC vice-president, after an election at the tribal council’s annual general meeting on Oct. 1. Doiron is pictured hosting a forum in PortAlberni addressing the opioid crisis on Oct. 30, 2023.
in itself for the finances because it would be that big.”
Afundamental part of this plan is to update the facilities serving on-reserve Nuu-chah-nulth communities.
“Reservations, from the inception of the IndianAct, have never grown in size, so we’re limited to the amount of real estate that we’re working with,” noted Doiron. “However, the infrastructure that’s existing is aged.”
The vice-president is confident of the capitol infrastructure plan, but the NTC is dealing with a different Liberal government than the last decade under former
prime minister Justin Trudeau. During the spring election Mark Carney campaigned under a platform to cut $15 billion in annual government spending by 2028 to better bring federal revenue in line with operational costs. Then over the summer Carney’s cabinet minsters were tasked to find 15 per cent in savings from their departments operations over the next five years.
“It could be First Nations that they’re taking 15 per cent from, and that’s what we’re fighting so hard against,” said Sayers.
Meanwhile, developments like Bill C-5
have sparked fears that the new government in Ottawa will steamroll over First Nations rights in order to get national projects built. The recently passed Building CanadaAct enables the feds to identify projects that are in “the national interest” to strengthen Canada’s economy, thereby streamlining assessment and approvals.
“That’s a bit scary to me that this government is heading in that direction,” said Sayers. “The priority of this federal government seems to be in economic development, they just feel that Canada is failing economically, and that they need to do everything they can to push through major projects.”
“This really signals to me that so much of what we worked on, collaboration, cooperation, consultation, is really being pushed to the back burner, like we saw with Bill C-5,” she added.
This will be Sayers third term as NTC president, after first being elected Sept. 25, 2017. Over this time she’s found it critical to build strong relationships with everyone she deals with.
“We just have to keep educating, keep promoting, using media as much as possible and trying to raise our voices loud enough so that Ottawa can hear,” said Sayers. “It’s just never giving up, continuing to find that advocacy wherever you find the need.”
“It’s so important that you know who you’re dealing with, and that they know who they’re dealing with,” added Doiron, who was first elected Feb. 22, 2023, halfway through the last vice-president term.
“I can’t help but think about our ancestors. For me, I merely walk in their footsteps,” he added. “Being elected means victory, and the victory belongs to all of Nuu-chah-nulth nations that show their belief in myself and the governance of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council.”
Eric Plummer photos
Judith Sayers (pictured) and Les Doiron have been re-elected to serve as the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council’s president and vice-president for another term. Sayers is pictured on Sept. 19, 2024, when the NTC declared a state of emergency for the overdose crisis, an issue that remains a top concern for the leaders.
Former residential school demolished on Meares Island
Survivors used sledgehammers and threw stones at the Christie Indian Residential School buildings on Meares Island as part of a
By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Editor’s note: The following story contains strong language from former students of the Christie Indian Residential School and references that may be upsetting to some readers.
Meares Island, BC – Shattered glass. Wailing cries soothed by traditional drums. Wood cracked as the digger excavator tore into the roof of the old Christie Indian Residential School, releasing decades of bridled sorrow and anger.
“They gave me a sledgehammer. I went to town,” laughed Hesquiaht First Nation’s Cecil Sabbas, 74, who went to the Christie Indian Residential School for eight years.
“As I was hitting it I said, and pardon my language, ‘Take that you mother fucker!’ Every hit I did. Take that. When I finally finished and demolished it, I said, ‘Fuck you!’I totally obliterated it,” he said.
Sabbas was one of dozens of Indian Residential School survivors to attend an Oct. 9 healing event on Meares Island. The site is inAhousaht traditional territory, where the old Christie Indian Residential School was operated by the Roman Catholic Church from 1900 to 1971.
The main building at Old Christie, which housed the children’s sleeping quarters, classrooms, kitchen and chapel, burnt down in the mid 1980s. On Oct. 9, theAhousaht Residential School Research team along withAhousaht Haw’ił (hereditary chiefs) hosted a demolition event of the Old Christie gymnasium.
Sabbas said he knew it would be a hard day, but he wanted to attend because it would bring him some closure.
“For this place,” he said. “I have another place.”
After Grade 8, he was sent to St. Mary’s Residential School in Mission. B.C.; demolition of that former institution is under consideration, according to Sabbas.
“I remember them telling me how useless we would become, that we were just a burden on society. You’re never gonna amount to anything.And that was my driving force. I’m gonna show you mother fuckers. I’m going to amount to something. Today I own my own water taxi business, Full Moon Water Taxi. I showed them,” Sabbas shared.
He says his eyes often start to water when he sees his grandchildren dancing and singing traditional songs because he was never allowed to practice his language or traditions as a child.
“I got slapped. I got beat up. My grandson
Ahousaht members and Ha’wiih stand on the former site of Christie Indian Residential School, as
Survivors of the residential school came from across the B.C. coast for the healing event. knows more about the language than I do. I always remind my children that they are so fortunate,” said Sabbas.
Hesquiaht Chief and leadership wrapped him and other Hesquiaht survivors in blankets during the healing day. The blanket gesture symbolizes wrapping of the inner child, so the place no longer has a hold on them; they are coming home.
“Whatever theAhousaht First Nation decides to do with this piece of property will be infinitely better than what was here,” said Sabbas.
Janet Webster, 83, who comes from the Hesquiaht andAhousaht First Nations, was wrapped in two blankets – one from Ahousaht leadership and another from Hesquiaht.
Webster attended Old Christie Residential School for nine years.
“I threw a stone at the door,” said Webster. “It didn’t’really do anything for me. I’m okay now. Before I used to be so angry. One day, I just said to myself, ‘You know it’s no use being so angry’.”
“I used to be so angry because I wasn’t allowed to be close to my brothers or my parents,” she shared. “I forgave people that mistreated me years ago and I quit being angry. I think that’s when I started healing
myself. Otherwise, I was always so angry. I think that was good for my health.”
Elder Michael Hunt survived St. Michael’s Residential School inAlert Bay.
“I was a young boy when they grabbed me. They separated a lot of family members,” he said beside the fire that burned throughout the length of heavy day.
“I’m happy to see no nuns or priests are here today because it’s a trigger. They sexually abused us. They raped us. It’s a reaction when we see them,” he said. “It took me a lot of years to get rid of that. I was an alcoholic for years. That’s how I got rid of my hurt.”
Hunt says he’s been sober for 24 years now. He joined the healing event on Meares Island to keep the fire going and to stand with anyone who needs support.
“Fire is our light. It’s what our ancestors have always given us. That fire is a life; it’s a living thing. In our smoke houses, in our big houses, we always have a fire going,” he said.
“Some people don’t want to leave the fire. They sit here. It’s a safe place to be. I’ve had people come here and talk to me.
I understand what they’re going through because I went through the same thing,” added Hunt.
Ahousaht leader Greg Louie spoke about resilience.
“Some of us had very difficult lives. It
one of the institution’s structures is demolished behind
Cecil Sabbas says the healing event gave him closure.
Michael Hunt supported the event by tending to the fire all day. He says the fire is a safe place to sit and
Janet Webster, 83, stands with her son Hudson in front of a tie. Webster went to the residential school for nine years.
on Meares Island
Meares Island as part of a healing event
wasn’t easy when we left here. They may have taken away our clothes and cut our hair, but they didn’t take away our soul. They didn’t take away our łimaqsti (spirit). We are still here, and we will be here forever,” said Louie.
When a school has its own cemetery
As many as 46 children died at Christie Indian Residential School while it operated on Meares Island 1900-1971, but details are fading on what exactly happened to them
By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter
Meares Island, BC – When you go up the road from the dock to the site of the former Christie Indian Residential School, there is a barely noticeable clearing off the side of the road surrounded by a weathered split rail fence. It is a cemetery with a single stone grave marker and, in another area, a Madonna statue sheltered from the weather by a wooden structure.
Back in the 1980s there were other wooden grave markers but they have since withered and gone back to Mother Earth. The stone cross was lovingly dedicated by the parents of Samson McLean. His school records show his first given name was Bertram and he was only nine when he died in March 1949. The last line on the stone reads, “our beloved one.”
At the back of the cemetery is a wooden board carved with names of some of the students who passed at Christie Indian Residential School, proof positive that children died there and that sometimes their remains didn’t make it back home.
There are seven names on the board with some missing information:AgnesAmos, 1942-1952, Cecilia George 1937-1945, Edith Charleson, Rose Johnson, 1934-1944, Hamilton Charleson, 1944-1948, Reynhold Michael died 1971 and Lorena.
At the healing gathering hosted on Oct. 9 by theAhousaht Residential School Research Team and the first Nation’s leadership dozens of former students showed up to witness the demolition of one of the last remaining outbuildings that was part of Christie. Some of those that attended did so to honor the memories of their parents or grandparents
Two smaller buildings were already torn down, their rubble left in heaps where they once stood. Organizer Vina Robinson said this was done so that participants could get a better look at the larger building, known as the gym, which was to be torn down that day.According to the Government of Canada, the gym was built in 1923 and contained a bowling alley.
Former students were invited to look inside the gym before demolition began, taken in small groups of two or three. They were allowed to break things if they wanted to. Robinson said that there would be a bonfire where survivors could take things from the demolition piles to throw in the fire, to help them get some closure.
As people came outside from the gym, they were immediately met with cultural workers who brushed everyone off. The organizers were well-prepared with dozens of support workers helping people in many different ways as they went through their emotions.
Two of the heavy equipment operators were former Christie students. Bruce Lucas of Hesquiaht and WilfredAtleo ofAhousaht each ran excavators, tearing down sections of the gym. They were cheered on by the crowd when they exited their machines.
Greg Louie, a formerAhousaht chief councillor and the spokesperson for the event, told the crowd that he was at Old Christie from 1966 to 1970. He said he recognized many of the faces in the crowd as his former school mates.
With the scent of sage and sweet grass wafting through the air, theAhousaht Ha’wiih and other Nuu-chah-nulth Ha’wiih that were there were acknowledged for being there to support their people. Tyee Ha’wilth Maquinna, Lewis George, was there with his son Hasheukmiss, Richard
Members of theAugust family of Ahousaht stood before the crowd, acknowledging their familial roots to the site.
“There is a stigma attached to this place,” saidAhousaht elder CliffAtleo.
He said it was theAugust family that lived there prior to the construction of Christie. Atleo called for healing and the removal of the residential school negative energy from the site.
“Having our language is a sign of resilience. It is who we are and shows our connectedness to the land,” said Louie. “When we got here, they cut our hair, took our clothes, but they couldn’t take away our souls – resilience is the reason we’re here today. We’re still here and we will be here forever!”
During the tour of the inside of the gym, loud bangs, breaking glass and the occasional loud cry could be heard. Excavators began tearing down the building as visitors were fed lunch, observing the work in the cool October sun.
Following lunch, leaders from other Nuu-chah-nulth nations were invited up to blanket their survivors. It was, the Hesquiahts said, a way to comfort the survivor and to let them know their inner child is leaving this place and coming back home.
Her voice heavy with emotion, Hesquiaht Chief Councillor Mariah Charleson said, “MyAunty, uncle and two cousins are buried here.” She noted with sadness that they never came back to their Hesquiaht home. There were at least 18 Hesquiaht survivors that attended the healing gathering.At least a dozen survivors from the northern Nuu-chah-nulth Nations were blanketed. When it was her turn to be blanketed, Cathy Michael of Nuchatlaht said her people watched as they tore that “ugly building” down, “Like they tore our lives down!”
Michael went on to say that she has been angry all these years, but she wants to leave that at the site.
With all the residential school unmarked graves denialism happening across the country, it is noteworthy that the Christie Residential School cemetery was built behind the school, specifically for the chil-
dren that died there.
The Find-a-grave website collects information about cemeteries and records information about burials at each one. It lists 23 memorials at ‘Kakawis Christie Residential School Cemetery’.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation lists 46 names, which includes all 23 from Find-a-grave.
They note six confirmed student deaths between the years 1939 to 1941 caused by tubercular meningitis.
Most of the information on the Find-aGrave memorial site for Christie is complete but there are a few that are not, like the earliest recorded death of Juliana at Christie on September 13, 1903. We don’t know her last name, her birthdate or where her home was.
Also noteworthy is that the students were referred to as numbers in government records. For example, “I have the honour to enclose Memorandum of inquiry concerning death of Pupil No. 250, Cecil Williams, and No. 253,Andrew Tom, both of the Christie Indian Residential School.”
Dated Oct. 2, 1939, the letter was signed by IndianAgent P.B.Ashbridge, and addressed to the Secretary, IndianAffairs Branch, Department of Mines and Resources.
According to federal archive records, some of the deaths were recorded in government and church correspondence. Of those, most were due to tuberculosis, meningitis or pneumonia. One girl died of peritonitis after suffering for days with a ruptured appendix.
InApril 2024Ahousaht delivered a report from their ground penetrating radar scans at the site ofAhousaht Residential School on Flores Island and also at Christie on Meares Island. While they didn’t deliver numbers in their report, they indicated that there are presumed graves inAhousaht and a cluster of unknown features that need to be investigated further.
AnneAtleo, manager of theAhousaht Residential School Research Team, has said that further investigation needs to be done and long-term funding and better access to archival material is needed.
Nora O’Malley photos s structures is demolished behind them on Oct. 9.
George.
a safe place to sit and talk.
stands with her son Hudson in front of a demolished Old Chrisresidential school for nine years.
Denise Titian photo
At the site of the former Christie Indian Residential School, there is a clearing off the side of the road surrounded by a weathered split rail fence. It is a cemetery with a single stone grave marker and, in another area, a Madonna statue sheltered from the weather by a wooden structure.
Port Alberni Friendship Center celebrates 60 years
Since start in 1965, local organization for urban First Nations has grown to over 70 staff working in 30 programs
By Denise Titian & Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter and Editor
PortAlberni BC – From its humble beginnings at the corner of SecondAvenue andAngus Street, the PortAlberni Friendship Center has grown in leaps and bounds to over 70 employees at its current home base on 4th Avenue.
PAFC Executive Director Cyndi Stevens started working there in 1986. She said in those earlier days of the PAFC there may have been five staff members delivering three programs.
“Now we have over 70 staff and probably more than 30 programs,” she told Ha-Shilth-Sa
The PortAlberni Friendship Center was established in 1965 as a non-profit Indigenous social service organization. Its goal was to provide programs and support to Indigenous peoples living away from their home communities.
Ahousaht elder Wally Samuel also worked at the PAFC in the early days. He said in 1966 he was a teenager just getting out of residential school. Instead of returning toAhousaht, he got married and started work to support his growing family.
Laid off from his regular job in the 1970s, Samuel began working at the PAFC, first as the program director.
“My first job was to get the teenagers off the street,” he said.
Working with the teens came easy for Samuel because, he said, they were just like him…transplants from the village.
“They came from dysfunctional homes. They’d hang out in front of the pubs… that is what they used to do. They just needed a little guidance and leadership,” he added.
Samuel spent 15 years at the PAFC, first running sports and recreational programming for the youth and finishing as the executive director. He was there when PAFC opened at its 4th Avenue location on the traditional territories of the Tseshaht and Hupacasath First Nations.
Today the PAFC offers culturally sensitive services such as counseling, recreation, public health support, social events, and employment assistance, serving as a welcoming gathering place for all community members.As Wally says, you don’t need a status card to access services at PAFC.
There are friendship centres across Canada. They were founded in the mid1960s, a period when Indigenous people were increasingly migrating to urban centers after residential school.
As a first-generation transplant from the village, Samuel recalled the feeling of not having a home in the city. The PAFC has always been a welcoming place for people to drop in, maybe share some culture, have a meal.
“That’s why we started the Friendship Center, to have a home, a place to go,” said Samuel.
The PAFC is a non-profit society offering services to the community. It is governed by its members through an elected board.
The PortAlberni Friendship Centre is one of the more than 100 friendship centres across Canada, all stemming from a grassroots movement that began in the 1950s to support urban Indigenous populations.
Stevens says that she believes the PAFC has been successful because government, which funds a majority of the programs, sees what a valuable resource the organization is to the community.At the PAFC you can be First Nations with or without a status card, you can be Métis or nonIndigenous.
“We serve everyone,” she says.
The center offers a wide range of programs for all ages, with a focus on improving the well-being of families, youth, children and elders. Programs that can be found at PAFC include addictions and mental health counselling for individuals, couples, and families dealing with substance use or mental health issues.
There are family and youth services like the Early Childhood Development Program, the Brighter Futures parenting program, and a Youth Drop-in for ages 10 to 29.
When it comes to housing the center operates an emergency shelter and supportive housing for adults experiencing homelessness. It also runs the Wałyaqił Tiny Home Village.
Employment and training programs include the Steps to Success program, which provides employment skills and
training rooted in the Nuu-chah-nulth language and culture.
There is a legal program that provides free information, advocacy, and assistance with various issues, including family, poverty, and disability law.
For the elders there are activities and fun events.
There are also cultural gatherings, social events and seasonal parties with the doors open to the community.
“People have come to know that you can come to PAFC for services and if you can’t get the service there then we probably know a place to go,” Stevens said.
Echoing Samuel’s words, Stevens said the Friendship Center is a home away from home.
The PAFC served up a community roast beef dinner to celebrate its 60 years on October 14.
Pronounced
Eric Plummer photo
Nelson Keitlah (above) speaks at the gathering, as Wally Samuel passes around the microphone. The celebration packed the Friendship Center’s main hall (below), where staff served a hungry crowd on Oct. 14, when the service organization celebrated 60 years of operation
Families left uninformed after passing of loved ones
Accounts speak of delays and unanswered questions from the BC Coroners Service after unexpected deaths
By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor
PortAlberni, BC -Amother who recently lost her son in a car accident is calling for systemic changes, after being left in the dark of the deceased’s whereabouts for most of a week.
It took five days for NancyAntoine to get any information from the BC Coroners Service. Her son Nick was killed in a collision by Cameron Lake on Sept. 27.
“I had to look for my son and look for his car. Stand by and wait,” she said in correspondence with Ha-Shilth-Sa. “It should not be like this for grieving families.”
“The frustration as a parent is waiting for the coroner or the police to get back to us on where he was taken, where his car was taken so we can see if anything was recoverable,” added Nancy. “No one called us. We had to seek this information out ourselves.”
NickAntoine lost his life on a Saturday afternoon when, heading eastbound, his Honda Civic collided with another car on Highway 4.
“Speed and road conditions” were believed to be a factor, according to the Oceanside RCMP, adding that the other driver was sent to hospital with possible life-threatening injuries.
NickAntoine was 20, a member of the Saik’uz First Nation, with ancestral ties toAhousaht and Ditidaht. He was on his way to Sooke to play in a punk rock band he had recently joined.
“Nick was great young adult,” said his mother. “Didn’t drink or do any substances. He was always the sober driver. We changed the intergeneration trauma, broke the cycle of alcoholism for Nick
and his brother.”
Nancy has sent a letter to government agencies and politicians, calling for a review of the communication standards followed by the Coroners Service and the RCMP. Her letter stresses the need for “transparent communication practices that ensure families are provided with timely and complete information without having to seek it themselves.”
The lack of information delayed the young man’s funeral, leading the mother to call for the “implementation of clear, culturally respectful guidelines for handling deaths in Indigenous families, including funeral protocols.”
Nancy said that critical information about her son’s passing was withheld, which forced the family to seek out answers themselves.
Normally, the police are the first to notify next of kin about an unexpected death.
“Receiving a death notification can be an extremely stressful experience,” said Corp.Alex Bérubé of the RCMP Island District Media Relations. “Every death notification has a long-lasting impact on family members. How the notification of the death is provided can positively or negatively affect family members.”
Investigations into a death are a cooperative effort between the RCMP, a medical examiner, pathologist, coroner or other necessary agencies.
“Generally speaking, the RCMP will assist with next-of-kin notifications by providing family members with the details of when, where and how the death occurred,” explained Corp. Bérubé
“They will provide family members with the current location of the victim, and the process to make arrangements to see and/
or recover the victim and advise family members of the medical examiner’s or coroner’s contact information.”
But this wasn’t Rhonda Charlie’s experience. In the summer of 2024 she was about to leave her home to volunteer at the Lakedown Shakedown concert, when two female police officers approached the door. They informed Charlie of the death of her younger brother.
“I fell apart. I was left dealing with something devastating...Steven’s funeral,” she said.
Steven Robert Johnson was found in his apartment at the Beaufort Convention Centre, a rough, low-rent building in PortAlberni’s uptown neighbourhood. Although Steven was identified by other tenants, his sister wasn’t notified until almost a weak after his death, according
to an outreach worker who asked not to be identified.
Making matters worse, the family had no idea where Steven’s body was.
“I made numerous phone calls starting with Yates funeral home. They told me that they didn’t have his body and to try the other funeral homes,” said Rhonda. She called other funeral homes, only to get no information about the whereabouts of her brother’s body. With every call the situation became more devastating for Rhonda and her children.
“They loved him so much,” she said. “I couldn’t locate him, my baby brother. I even called the hospital in Port to see if he was still there, he wasn’t.
The search for his body continued for a week as questions about Steven persisted from other family members. Through the efforts of multiple outreach workers and agencies, the body was eventually located in Nanaimo. But this was too late for the open casket funeral that Rhonda had hoped for.
The BC Coroners Service investigates all “unnatural, sudden and unexpected, unexplained or unattended deaths”, according to the agency’s website. For each death, the coroner identifies the deceased and determines cause of death.
Family and the outreach worker believe that the cause of death was likely a drug overdose, but this was never confirmed amid the delayed messaging from the Coroners Service.
“I was told that because it took so long that his body was not viewable,” said Rhonda. “So no open casket for my baby brother. I did not get to see him one last time!”
The BC Coroners Service did not respond to questions by press time.
Tourism Tofino exhibit presents student-led projects
By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Tofino, BC – Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation Dwayne Martin opened the Truth, Honour & the Way Forward exhibit at the Tourism Tofino Visitor Centre on Oct. 8 with a chant called Winds of Change are Coming.
The exhibit is available to the public until Oct. 19 and showcases the work of Ucluelet Secondary (USS) students, including poetry, screen printed orange shirts and investigations into the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls toAction. It also features the latest exhibit from the Legacy of Hope Foundation calledANational Crime.
“It’s been 30, 40 years, and our people are still really healing. Tin Wis Christie closed in 1983,” said Martin.
“It’s still pretty fresh. It still impacts our people even though some generation today didn’t go. They are impacted by it because of how their parents were treated. Those schools were designed to take us away from our family unit. They were designed to break us from our culture. They were designed to take away our language,” he said.
Nuu-chah-nulth artist Elizabeth George spoke about her father who went toAlberni Residential School. Choking back tears, she told the intimate crowd at the opening event that her father paid dearly for speaking his language.
“They raped him. They beat him. They shaved his head. It brings back memories hearing those poems. I wanted to cry. Those poems are true. They really hurt
my dad,” said George.
“My dad was broken. For years he was broken,” she said.
George went on to share that her auntie
Grace George took everything her dad knew before he passed away and now she’s fluent in Nuu-chah-nulth language.
“She works at the school,” said George.
Martin said it’s especially hard for men to talk about being molested.
“Because people say, ‘oh he’s going to be a molester’. That’s one of the worst feelings for a man to carry. Our men, when we talk about it, is usually with anger. It’s a lot of recovery,” Martin said.
Creative writing teacher Heather Hendry and two USS students read poems from the high school’s latest poetry book, which features 20 poems and artwork by USS students. The poems honour the experiences of residential school survivors and can be purchased at the visitor centre.
Nora O’Malley photo
Elizabeth George, left, and Winston Curley listen to Dwayne Martin chant Winds of Change are Coming at the Tourism Tofino Visitor Centre on Oct. 8.
Steven Robert Johnson
President’s Message
Greetings Everyone! Hope this fall season is starting out well with a lot of our harvests over and our freezers and cupboards are filled with seafood and berries.
I know there is sadness and grief in some of our First Nations who have suffered the loss of a loved one and my heart goes out to you all. Sympathies and condolences to all the families, friends and loved ones who have left us to walk with the ancestors.
I am also thinking as well of those that were at the old Christie School to watch it being demolished and to end that site. There is still healing to be done around the abuses and mistreatment of the survivors and of those that have left this earth. Feels good to get rid of the building bringing power back to everyone. There are memories that will never go away but I send my prayers to all on their healing journey.
I am very pleased to have been re-elected as president of NTC for my third term. There is an immense amount of work that needs to be done and I am glad I can continue working on many of the files I have been working on. I am honoured that the Nuu-chah-nulth leaders have entrusted me to carry on with the work that will help our communities.
At ourAGM, our theme was Treasuring Our Children. Usma provided three panels on what they are offering to our families and children. Their parenting 101 presentation was well received and everyone liked the cultural foundation that is the center of the course. Usma has been in place now for 40 years and has evolved over the years to be more responsive to Nuu-chah-nulth needs. Usma returned home 43 children in the past year. Usma was put in place 40 years ago with the intention of making sure our children returned home. Many things have been accomplished across Canada with a federal law on children and family and the large settlement at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for children who had been in care and very underfunded and Jordan’s principle. I am pleased that Deb Foxcroft is the co-chair of the National Children’s Chiefs Commission so I know a lot of good work is being done by her for Indigenous children across this country.
There was a very interesting court case involving the Cowichan, Halalt, Stz’uminis, Lyackson and Penelekut Tribes claiming 1846 acres of land along the Fraser River in Richmond. Musqueam and Tsawwassen First Nations were in opposition to their claim. The court ruled that the Cowichan and others did have title to the land fishing rights in this area. This case caused a lot of turmoil in the province where the premier announced opposition to the decision as well and private property owners were all upset that their lands would be taken. Many racist comments from the Conservative party and members eliciting a lot of fear mongering. This court case went on for 513 days and much evidence from all the First Nations was given. The court ruling was quite significant in that the court ruled most of the area is the site of a village that was maintained in summer and year round. The court also stated that some of the submerged lands also had title. They reiterated that Aboriginal title burdens fee simple title and both exist and have to be reconciled. This case is being appealed. Aboriginal title cases can be very complex using the mamulthne courts.
As you may know I have been on the working group to change the Heritage
ConservationAct, to modernize it, bring it in alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the provincial Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Over four years we have been getting feedback from First Nations, local governments, other organizations and peoples. We used this feedback to guide the work of the drafting of concepts for the legislation. No drafting of legislation has happened yet. So when this phase was announced, things also went a little crazy in the media and opposition parties. Again, fear mongering, panic, and racism arose. People were trying to kill this initiative as they did the LandAct. Anything that gives First Nations shared decision making on Crown lands strikes fear in non-Indigenous peoples. The other thing people reacted to is intangible heritage, not understanding that sacred sites leave little to no trace of physical evidence that is required under the HeritageAct. The intent is to expand the definition of heritage to include intangible heritage as every society has it and should be protected. As well, the Union of BC Municipalities started complaining they hadn’t been “consulted” even if they have been. B.C. decided to extend engagements for six more weeks, which means the act will not go before the legislature this spring but will have to go next fall. This is very disappointing as we have worked so hard to get this done but it is better to have most everyone on side than opposition.
I have also been working on justice issues, in particular how police treat our Nuu-chah-nulth people.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip was acclaimed for this 10th term as President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs and was honoured at the UBCIC meeting for having served 27 years. He plans to retire after this term. He is a well respected and vocal spokesperson for the First Nations in B.C. and my thanks to Stewart for all his years of service. He has worked tirelessly on making many changes.
I look forward to reporting to you next month.
Respectfully, Cloy-e-iis, Judith Sayers
NCN Mental Health Counselling
Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30am – 4:30pm
4841 Redford Street, PortAlberni
NCN Mental Health Services – DropIn Counselling with Margaret Bird, Registered Clinical Counsellor and Play Therapist. For on and off reserve members of all ages of the Nuu-chahnulth Tribal Council. Call (250) 724-3939 to book your appointment.
Making Connections Women’s Group
Tuesdays: October 21, 28, November 4, 18, 25
ʔumʔiiqsu Centre, CFW Boardroom
ʔuʔaałuki quqʷaasʔi (Look after other people). Making Connections:A group for Nuu-chah-nulth women to
&Community Beyond
come together and grow. Through the creativity of vision board making, we’ll explore healthy relationships, stress management, effective communication, setting boundaries, and defining what success means to each of us. Together, we’ll reflect on our past, embrace our present, and shape our future in a safe and supportive space. Light snacks and refreshments will be offered. Open to all Nuu-chah-nulth women ages 18+. To ask questions please contact: Celine Sauve: celine.s@huuayaht.org or call or text 250-731-5676
Healthy Babies
Mondays: 10am – 12:00pm
4841 Redford Street
NTC Child and Youth Services presents Mondays Healthy Babies Group. 10am12pm. Please enter the building through the 4th avenue side of the orange stripe building. Ring the doorbell to be let in.
Hard work, focus and determination pave the way to success for young Tseshaht-’Namgis scholar
In working to complete her Practical Nurse training at North Island College, Ganao (Elissa) Fred-Cranmer with strong family support, has garnered a major Chief Joe Mathias Scholarship in recognition of her outstanding academic performance in addition to making the Dean’s Honor Roll for 2024-2025 at North Island College.
The accompanying poster highlighting Ganao’s learning journey is the fifth contribution to a student poster recruitment series featuring Kwakwaka’wakw health professionals who each shared highlights of their learning journeys. These posters grace the walls of high schools, post-secondary institutions, and health departments of the various nations on Vancouver Island—wherever high school students can pause to consider words of encouragment to choose health care training after high school graduation.
Ganao’s grandmotherAda’s words, “There is nothing you can’t do” provided deep inspiration, so in Grade 10, Ganao decided to pursue a health care training path—following in the footsteps of her belovedAda—a retired Registered Nurse. While our daily news diet continually reports on long wait times, various Emergency Room shutdowns, and lack of professional staff, primarily in rural towns and villages, there are now strong infrastructural supports in place at BC’s
Ganao (Elissa) Fred-Cranmer
post-secondary institutions to attract our up-and-coming Indigenous high school graduates to Nurse training departments, as well as generous scholarships for those seeking meaningful ways to contribute to community wellness as confirmed by Ganao’s experience.
Submitted by Dr. Laura Cranmer, (‘Namgis/Haida), Professor Emerita (Vancouver Island University, Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies), one of Ganao’s many proud aunties.
25 Years Ago in Ha-Shilth-Sa
Vol. 27 – No. 21October 19, 2000
HuupuKwanum – Tupaat: Treasures of the Nuuchah-nulth Chiefs opens in Denver, Colorado display of local Kiowa, Shoshone, and Lakota singers drummers and dancers, before Ditidaht dancers Brian Tate and Ralph Edgar performed a thunderbird dance. The twenty-two Nuu-cha-nulth delegates were warmly welcomed by the host Nations with performances throughout the day.
On October 7, 2000 over 250 residents of Denver, Colorado joined in the celebration of the opening of HuupuKwanum – Tupaat: Treasures of the Nuu-cha-nulth Chiefs at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Within the sunlit atrium of the museum, the assembled crowd witnessed the colourful
Flashbulbs sparkled from the two mezzanines above the floor as Brian Tate (above) and Ralph Edgar performed the Thunderbird Dance, and Nuu-chahnulth singers sang Ya-ya-hweet-la-lay, a song owned by Richard Tate, which echoed throughout the museum’s corridors.
Sex assault lawsuit underscores discourse on consent
‘How drunk does a girl have to be before she can’t give consent?,’ asks lawyer in case against ex-NHL player
By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Tofino, BC –Alcohol and consent are at the heart of another high-profile sexual assault court case involving an ex-NHL hockey player.
Plaintiff S.D.K., a Tofino resident with an academic background in oceanography, is suing former NHL player William Reid Mitchell and for an incident that allegedly took place in his Tofino home on Sept. 11, 2022.
At the time of the alleged sexual assault, S.D.K. was 26 and working at Tofino Resort + Marina (TRM) in the 1909 Kitchen + Bar as a server. Mitchell was 45, the acting general manager of the resort and one of three directors of TRM. He ceased being a director in February 2023.
S.D.K. has also named the resort and the land title owner in the civil lawsuit, pleading that they are all jointly liable for negligence.
S.D.K. was served alcohol after her shift and became “visibly impaired” as the night went on, according to court documents.
“She recalls dancing on the dance floor but has little to no memory thereafter,” reads the civil claim filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on Oct. 1, 2025.
Mitchell allegedly drove her to his Tofino home and “without her express or implied consent, Mitchell engaged in unprotected sexual activity,” according to court documents.
S.D.K.’s memories are “fragmentary”, but she recalls “Mitchell’s hands on and/ or around her neck held her neck in a strangle-like hold”.
S.D.K. reported the sexual assault to the local police the following day, Sept. 12, 2022, and had a forensic exam at the Tofino General Hospital.
“I anticipate that the forensic medical will demonstrate that there was unprotected sex,” said S.D.K.’s lawyer Sandra Kovaks.
“What steps did the defendant take, if any, to ensure he had her consent to unprotected sex?And I think that’s where the issue of impairment comes in. Can someone with that level of impairment consent?” asked Kovaks.
In Canada, consent is a voluntary, informed agreement to an act or purpose made by a capable individual. In civil law, any touching that is nonconsensual becomes battery.
Kovaks says there is evidence that S.D.K. was only wearing one shoe when she was in Mitchell’s car and when she walked home the following morning.
According to court documents, S.D.K.’s mobile phone, jacket and purse were left at the pub the night of the incident.
“How drunk does a girl have to be before she can’t give consent? It’s like hunting and taking out the weakest antelope in the herd. It’s predatory,” said Kovaks. No criminal charges were laid in this case, BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) confirmed. Police investigated the incident and then forwarded a report to Crown Counsel for consideration of charges.
“The prosecutor reviewed the file materials submitted by the investigators and concluded that the charge assessment standard was not met. In these circumstances, not laying charges is the appropriate course of action,” said Damienne Darby, BCPS communication counsel, in an email.
“Except in rare circumstances, we do
not share the reasoning behind decisionmaking in individual prosecutions,” Darby continued.
Five players of Canada’s 2018 junior hockey team – Michael McLeod, Carter Hart,Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé and Cal Foote – were criminally charged with sexual assault after an incident in a hotel room in London, Ontario, seven years ago. The trial played out over several weeks this May 2025 and concluded with the acquittal of all five players.
After the not guilty verdict was delivered, the NHL stated on July 25, 2025 that the allegations, even if not determined criminal, were “very disturbing” and that the behaviour was “unacceptable”.
“We will be reviewing and considering the judge’s findings. While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the League,” said the NHL.
“What’s interesting about that whole (junior hockey) scenario and what’s an interesting question for society at large is, even though it was not criminal behaviour as determined by a judge, is it wrongful behaviour? Yes. Is it harmful behaviour? Yes. So as a society how do we address it,” Kovaks said.
Criminal charges require proof beyond a reasonable doubt, while civil lawsuits operate on a “balance of probabilities”, meaning Kovaks will have to prove it is more likely than not that the sexual assault occurred. Criminal conviction can lead to a jail sentence, community service and/or a fine, while successful civil lawsuits generally lead to monetary compensation.
“At this point I’m not in a position to put a number on it. It’s the jury or the judges’job at the end of the day to assess the injury or the loss,” said Kovaks.
S.D.K. said her career path was “delayed and altered” because of the many injuries she sustained as a result of the alleged sexual assault, which led to a loss of past earning capacity and future earning capacity.
Dezerae Joseph (hašiłʔaqsa) is the coordinator for the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation’s projects that uphold women and girls. Joseph runs women’s only dropin basketball in Tofino, a weekly girls/ women’s group and is the main contact for victim services and court proceedings tied to sexual assault.
“Alot of my work is prevention-based and relationship building work,” said Joseph. “When I grew up, it was very taboo
Health show significantly higher rates of sexual assault on Vancouver Island’s west coast, especially in Tofino andAhousaht, than in other neighbouring or similar municipalities in BC. This is according to a report released by the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust and the Westcoast Community Resources Society (WCRS). In 2023, Level 1 sexual assaults in Tofino andAhousaht were at a rate of 347 per 100,000 population, compared to 191 in Ucluelet, 200 in PortAlberni, and 191 in Whistler. Level 1 sexual assault includes attacks of a sexual nature that do not cause physical injuries, states the report.
“We need men to step up, and we need to step up as a society. In that moment, if you see a scenario where clearly a woman is drunk, then you step in. Don’t let her be alone. Often men will listen to other men in certain situations,” WCRS executive director Laurie Hannah.
to talk about anything. Let’s have these conversations and let’s show that we won’t sit back and tolerate it anymore.”
She told the Ha-Shilth-Sa she handles a “high number” of clients impacted by domestic violence and/or sexual assault; many of the cases are alcohol related. “And that’s only the number that are reported. We are trying to change the culture of ‘we don’t talk about it’to ‘let’s support you and let’s hold space’,” she said.
“I never try to convince someone to do what I think is right because I have my own traumas and I never reported mine. But we’re trying to support women, or any other individual who identifies as female, in saying you have options,” Joseph continued. “You don’t have to be silent anymore if you don’t want to and you don’t have to face this on your own anymore.”
Data from British Columbia police services (Statistics Canada, 2024) and Island
WCRS offers third-party reporting as an option for adult survivors of sexual assault to make an anonymous report to police. In 2023, the non-profit also started offering educational workshops for west coast businesses on sexual harassment and consent.
Current TRM general manager Jon McKeon says the WCRS sexual harassment and consent workshop is mandatory staff training and has been a “valuable addition to our onboarding process”. He declined to answer any further questions at this time.
Mitchell was raised in the small town of Port McNeill on Vancouver Island. He played 15 NHL seasons from 1999 to 2016 and won two Stanley Cups.
S.D.K. intends to call evidence from other female complainants with similar allegations of sexual harassment against Mitchell. Kovaks says it could take three to four years for S.D.K.’s lawsuit to get to trial.
Nora O’Malley photo
Former NHLplayer Willie Mitchell, Tofino Resort + Marina and a numbered company are being sued for an alleged sexual assault that took place three years ago.
Huu-ay-aht hires ombudsman to handle disputes
First Nation contracts a human resources service to ensure fairness, accountability, and community well-being
By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter
PortAlberni, BC – When problems erupt between the people and their First Nations administrative workers or leadership, it can feel like there is little that can be done to resolve it. That’s because members are often connected by familial relationships to those in leadership or in the band office.
When dynamics like that happen, members often cite favoritism or nepotism, with certain individuals or families getting preferential treatment, while other issues are seemingly swept under the rug. Huu-ay-aht is working to resolve this with the introduction of their HFN Ombudsman Program.
An ombudsman, by definition, is an unbiased government official who investigates and tries to resolve complaints, usually through recommendations or mediation.
Huu-ay-aht Chief Councillor John Jack said their Ombudsman Program has been in place for a few months. It came as a result of tribunal work within the nation. During that work, the tribunal came up with recommendations to improve conditions in the workplace.
Jack said the tribunal identified issues needing to be addressed in the workplace, like fear of coming forward to report concerns.
“Sometimes they feel like they can’t say anything when they see something,” said Jack.
The Huu-ay-aht First Nations has contracted Highbridge Human Capital for its ombudsman program “to promote fairness, enhance trust, and facilitate communication within the community”. Pictured are Huu-ay-aht members and guests in front of the House in Huu-ay-aht inAnacla.
The hesitation to come forward often stems from fear of having identity exposed and subsequent backlash - or simply being ignored.
“Out of an investigation following tribunal work, they gave suggestions on how to move forward – how to manage investigations on code of conduct challenges,” said Jack.
The Huu-ay-aht First Nations’Ombudsman Program is designed for its citizens to reinforce the nations’commitment to fairness, accountability, and community well-being.
According to their website, the Huu-ay-
aht’s Ombudsman Program is designed to offer a confidential, independent, impartial, and easily accessible dispute resolution service for employees and citizens of Huu-ay-aht.
Key to the success of the program comes from hiring a neutral, independent agency to handle citizen concerns. Highbridge Human Capital is a human resources service that Huu-ay-aht has contracted to handle issues raised through their Ombudsman Program.
“This initiative seeks to promote transparency and fairness within the community by addressing and resolving com-
plaints and concerns in a constructive way,” reads the Huu-ay-aht website.
The Huu-ay-aht Ombudsman Program is paid for through their own budgeting process, according to Jack. He said the program is important and ensures leadership is doing right by the people.
Not only will the program help to resolve internal conflicts and grievances, but it will promote and facilitate fair and equitable treatment within the community.
“It is an independent place where concerns between citizens and public officials of our nation, staff or elected officials can be responded to,” said Jack.
The Huu-ay-aht website says it’s a safe and impartial platform for addressing concerns.
“The program will enhance trust, communication, and overall harmony within the community and organization. The program aims to promote fairness, enhance trust, and facilitate communication within the community by addressing issues constructively,” it states.
Jack says the Ombudsman Program has been in place for a few months and has been advertised internally over that period. To his knowledge, the program has yet to be used.
The Huu-ay-aht Ombudsman Program is open to Huu-ay-aht citizens. Concerns or complaints may be submitted to the HFN Ombudsman by visiting their website hfnombuds.ca to learn how to submit online, or by calling 1-855-511-3525.
Eric Plummer photo
