Ha-Shilth-Sa Newspaper October 2nd, 2025 by Hashilthsa

INTERESTING NEWS

Reﬂecting on a decade of the 94 Calls to Action

Legislative progress over Trudeau era, but First Nations need more to be ‘in the fabric of Canada’s governance’

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Toﬁno, BC –At the top of the hill overlooking Toﬁno’s First Street Dock, Nuuchah-nulth elder Tom Curley, 86, paused for a moment to catch his breath.

He couldn’t ﬁnd his orange shirt for the annual Truth and Reconciliation Day Walk, but Tla-o-qui-aht gave him a new one, which he tucked in his jacket like a scarf.

Curley spent 15 years as a ‘student’of Christie Indian Residential School. He says it wasn’t the type of place you went to get into university.

“Alot of my friends committed suicide because of that,” said Curley. “There were a lot of my friends who I knew got abused every day; all of us did one way or another. It was constant. We didn’t have much freedom as a child growing up.”

It has been 10 years since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) released its Final Reports, along with 94 Calls toAction to guide Canada’s path toward reconciliation.

Under a decade of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government from 2015 to 2025, some important steps were taken; in 2019 the Indigenous Languages Act was introduced to help revitalizeAboriginal languages; Canada passed legislation in 2021 to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP); Pope Francis travelled to Canada in 2022 and issued an apology for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools; and work is underway to reduce the number of Indigenous children and youth in care with the Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (the Act) coming into force in 2020.

Progress on the national crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people included a federal commitment to 37 new shelters and 36 new transitional homes for Indigenous women and children seeking safety.

But Curley says more needs to be done, especially for the children.

“Apprehension, foster care, adoptions we don’t need. That’s what’s damaging us a lot,” he said.

Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations Chief Councillor Elmer Frank says they continue to be “stonewalled” when they try to make any movements with the Government of Canada.

“The federal government decided that they would create a day called Reconciliation Day.And as the chief council-

Teri Quick takes a moment of prayer before walking to remember the

school.

lor for Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, I’m ﬁnding that we are the only ones that are trying to reconcile with the federal government. There is little to no movement from them,” said Frank on Sept. 30 in the House of Wickaninnish at Tin Wis Resort.

“It’s a diﬀerent story with the provincial government. The provincial government will come to the table, they will negotiate and work with us. Same with the municipal government,” Frank continued.

Tla-o-qui-aht Natural Resources Manager Saya Masso also expressed frustration, pointing out that the Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal ParkAllies program is doing all the “heavy lifting” to close the gap and make up for the “dark time” when potlatches were banned and First Nations were forbidden to speak their language.

Since 2018, the Tribal ParksAllies program has connected with 130 Toﬁno businesses and raised over $1.1 million from collecting a one per cent stewardship fee from customers. Masso noted that the program establishes land rights without having to go to court.

“We’ve been here 10,000 years. Canada needs to make its changes so that we are built into the fabric of Canada’s governance,” he said to the standing-room only crowd of orange shirts.

Hemas Kla-Lee-Lee-Kla (Kory Wilson), chair of the BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC), said the justicerelated Calls toAction (number 25 to 42) are some of the most urgent, because they

speak directly to the overincarceration of Indigenous adults and youth.

She emphasized that reconciliation is not just symbolic, but must be tied to systemic change.

“The creation of the BC First Nations Justice Strategy, co-developed with First Nations and supported by governments, is one example of turning words into action,” Wilson wrote. “However, there is still a long way to go, particularly in addressing the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in custody, and ensuring our communities have the resources to restore their own laws and justice systems,”

Gord Johns, NDP MP for CourtenayAlberni, re-iterated the urgency to deliver on all 94 Calls toAction.

“The pace of action has been too slow,” said Johns. “Reconciliation must also live beyond governments—it must be carried in our schools, our workplaces, and our daily relationships. For me, reconciliation is about transforming our institutions and building a country where justice, equality, and respect are the foundation for every generation to come.”

“The next decade must not be another lost decade. It must be one of true change,” said MP Johns.

On Sept. 30 Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a speech on Parliament Hill and the traditional unceded territory of theAlgonquinAnishnaabeg People to mark the ﬁfth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Carney began

by describing an Indigenous painting he had installed outside the cabinet room at the beginning of his mandate as Prime Minister.

“The ﬁrst few of those panels burst with vibrant colours and then with contact those colours fade until the middle ones become smothered in white paint.Aculture literally whitewashed. The ﬁnal panels begin to resemble the original glory with images, though marked by what has been endured, that are renewed and resurgent. This painting captures the pain of suppression and assimilation and the possibility of reconciliation and renewal,” Carney shared.

“That possibility rests on truth. Truth is the foundation of justice.And the truth is for more than a century this country ran residential schools. Over 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children were taken from their families and their communities, torn from their languages, their cultures, and their identities. These residential schools represent the architect of a of a cancel culture. Residential schools are a truth survivors have carried with them when others would not,” said Carney.

The remaining buildings that were once part of Christie Residential School are slated for demolition on Oct 9, 2025. Curley is unsure he’ll attend the teardown event but thinks it’s a good thing those buildings are getting cleared away.

Nora O’Malley photo

children who never made it home from residential

Orange Shirt Day walk

on Sept. 30.

Crash

leaves one dead, another with ‘potentially life threatening injuries’

Car ‘appeared to have lost control on a series of curves’, according to police, after fatal crash Sept. 27

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Cameron Lake, BC -Ahighway collision by Cameron Lake has taken the life of a young man, while leaving a senior with “potentially life-threatening injuries”, according to police.

The car crash occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27 on Highway 4, when a Honda Civic “appeared to have lost control on a series of curves” near the lake, colliding with a Chevrolet Impala headed west, according to Oceanside RCMP.

“The Civic subsequently became engulfed in ﬂames and the sole occupant died at the scene,” stated the police.

“The driver of the Impala, a 70-year-old Alberta man, was extricated and taken to hospital with serious, potentially lifethreatening injuries.”

Police did not publicly release the name of the deceased driver, but family has since identiﬁed him as 20-year-old Nick Antoine. The young man was on his way to Sooke to play bass in a band he had recently joined.

“He just joined the band ‘DeadAhead,’ which is a punk rock genre,” said Nick’s mother, NancyAntoine, in a statement

provided to Ha-Shilth-Sa. “He was a bass player and such an amazing kid who had a great impact on everyone that he met.”

AGoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise funds for funeral costs, which exceeded its initial $7,500 fundraising goal after just one day of collecting donations.

“Nick was great young adult,” added the 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.”

The crash closed the highway for hours over the rainy afternoon, as four BC Ambulance units responded, including an air ambulance.

On Monday police stated that the investigation was in its early stages, but pointed to speed and road conditions as potential factors.

“Every fatal crash is a preventable tragedy,” said Oceanside RCMP Staﬀ Sgt. Travis De Coene. “With winter weather approaching, motorists are urged to slow down and drive to the conditions.”

Anyone with information or footage of the crash is asked to contact the Oceanside RCMP at 250-248-6111.

GoFundMe photo

Family have identiﬁed NickAntoine, who lost his life in a two-vehicle collision near Cameron Lake on Saturday, Sept. 27.

Christie Residential buildings to be demolished

The Ahousaht Ha’wiih invite survivors of the residential school to a healing event held Oct. 9 on Meares Island

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

Matsquiaht/Kakawis/Old Christie –

Survivors of Christie Indian Residential School are invited to witness the demolition of the remaining buildings that were once part of old Christie Residential School, located on Meares Island in Ahousaht traditional territory.

“Former students at Christie school will have the opportunity to witness and/or participate in the demolition of the three remaining buildings,” reads the invitation.

Hosted by theAhousaht Residential School Research team along with Ahousaht leadership, former students will be supported with free transportation from Toﬁno orAhousaht to the Meares Island site on Oct. 9, 2025. Support workers will be available for the cultural, clinical or emotional support.

Christie Indian Residential School opened on Meares Island in 1897. Children taken from their families to ﬁll the institution came fromAhousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht, Hesquiaht, Ehattesaht, Mowachaht/Muchalaht, Kyuquot and more.

According to survivors and information from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, the children attending the Catholic institution suﬀered abuse and trauma. They suﬀered physically, sexually, emotionally and/or verbally.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has a list of names of children that died at Christie.

Old Christie, as it was commonly known, closed in 1971 and the children were moved to a new complex located at the site of Tin Wis Best Western Resort, in Tla-o-qui-aht traditional territory.

New Christie Residence closed in 1983, making it the last of the Indian Residential Schools in the province of British Columbia.

The main building at Old Christie housed the children’s sleeping quarters,

classrooms, kitchen and chapel. It burnt down in the mid 1980’s, leaving only a few outbuildings.

Spokesman Greg Louie says it is these three remaining outbuildings that will be demolished on Oct. 9. The old gym is one of the buildings slated for demolition.

Louie says the attic of the gym has been taken over by bats, which are a protected species. The nation is working with professionals to determine if and how the demolition will proceed.

There are two other small buildings that will be demolished, and survivors are invited to witness and even take part.

Louie says they have heard back from

some survivors that have been invited and have had mixed reactions. “It’s too emotional for some people, the former Christie students,” said Louie, adding that some of these survivors prefer not to be there.

For those that wish to take part, there will be free transportation provided from Toﬁno orAhousaht to Matsquiaht along with a light lunch.

Organizers are asking people to register so that they can plan for lunch and transportation. If you are interested in attending, please contact Vina Robinson at 250-729-1314 or email her at nuuvisions@gmail.com

Boats will be leaving from Toﬁno and Ahousaht at 8:00 a.m. and demolition at the Matsquiaht site starts at 10:00 a.m. There will be covered seating for visitors.

Ahousaht Ha’wiih will do their part to help their people return back to their homeland in a good way. “Our Ha’wiih are taking our people back, helping them to release some of what has been holding them back since they attended,” said Louie.

Following a light lunch guests will be transported back to Toﬁno, or they may choose to go toAhousaht where a community dinner is planned for that evening.

No serious injuries after lake embankment collapses

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

Nitinaht Lake, BC –Atruck driver escaped with his life after his industrial truck loaded with woody debris and trees slid into Nitinaht LakeAug. 26 when the embankment he was driving on collapsed.

Avideo of the incident has gone viral on social media. Posted by Roc-Star Enterprises, the video shows an industrial truck loaded with logs driving onto an embankment on Nitinaht Lake when the soil gives way, causing the truck to tumble sideways into the lake. The driver reportedly escaped through a window and swam ashore, uninjured.

In anAug. 28 post to their Facebook page, Roc-Star Enterprises said that the incident occurred during a ﬁsh habitat restoration project. “Roc-Star experienced a serious unexpected shoreline collapse at one of our works sites. The incident occurred while Heavy Equipment was operating near the shoreline, resulting in the submersion of a truck,” they wrote.

Roc-Star Enterprises went on to say that the experienced driver was able to escape the truck and swim to safety, uninjured. Roc-Star Enterprises say they shared the

video to underscore the need for vigilance, planning and safety training due to ‘the unpredictable nature of shoreline work’.

WorkSafeBC has been notiﬁed and is investigating the incident. Information provided to Ha-Shilth-Sa through WorkSafeBC says restoration work was being carried out in a stream that involved the removal of debris both in the stream and along the banks. “As the truck was preparing to back up the surrounding soil could not support the truck and it fell into the lake,” states the report.

“The driver exited the vehicle through the window and was assisted to shore by the dive team,” the report continues.

The truck, described as an articulating rock truck, went onto a beach that could not support its weight. WorkSafeBC wrote, “the soil became liqueﬁed and the truck became unstable and rolled into the lake.”

Roc-Star Enterprises declined to comment further but said that they are cooperating with WorkSafeBC during the investigation.

The company has been cited under regulation OHS4.1 by WorkSafeBC, meaning they failed to ensure the safety of the workplace for their employees. They are required to deliver a compliance report,

ensuring that their workplace ‘is planned, constructed, used and maintained to protect from danger any person working at the workplace.’

Their written Notice of Compliance Report must be submitted to WorkSafeBC no later than September 25, 2025.

“We are sharing this incident to raise awareness and support safer practises industry wide,” Roc-Star Enterprises writes on their social media page.

Ha-Shilth-Sa reached out to Ditidaht First Nation but id not receive a response.

Ha-Shilth-Sa archive photo

The Christie Indian Residential School operated on Meares Island from 1900 to 1971. It was run by the Catholic Church.

Facebook video still

AFacebook video shows an industrial truck loaded with woody debris and trees sliding into Nitinaht Lake onAug. 26.

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Ucluelet opens new health centre

Clinic oﬀers physicians, nurse practitioners and health specialists by appointment

By Antonella Medina Arias Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Ucluelet, BC —After years of anticipation and ongoing physician shortages, Ucluelet’s new health centre will oﬃcially open its doors on Monday, Sept. 22.

“It’s really exciting for us to see another health centre in our communities. I think that it’s really going to be beneﬁcial because it’s been a long time coming since we’ve been wanting to improve and increase the medical system,” said Chief Councillor Elmer Frank from the Tla-oqui-aht First Nation. “Having an added component that will serve our people and Ucluelet is going to [beneﬁt us] to see the health care improvements in our area.”

The new facility, located at 2049 Peninsula Road, oﬀers primary care and community health services to Ucluelet residents. This includes mental health and substance use care, physiotherapy, home care and laboratory services. Island Health has signed a 10-year lease for the clinic, which includes an on-site lab to improve access to services.

The centre is estimated to support more than 15,000 visits annually, with approximately 6,000 visits for primary care at the clinic.

“There is huge excitement in the community about the investment in primarycare and community services that is apparent in the new health centre,” said Dr. Caitlin Blewett, a Ucluelet family physician working as part of the staﬀ for the new facility. “Community members are so enthusiastic about the new space, both for the opportunities for primary care to improve and expand services, and the sense of pride that I think we all share, knowing our families and neighbours will be cared for in a beautiful, functional, team-based facility.”

In 2023, theAlberni-Clayoquot Local Health (LHA)Area represented approximately 3.95 per cent of Island Health’s total population, about 35,885 of 908,627 residents.

About three-quarters ofAlberni-Clayoquot residents have a regular physician, a rate lower than Island Health overall (77.5 per cent) but similar to the provincial average (75.9 per cent).

“The addition of this modern health centre to the Ucluelet community means

The new facility, located at 2049 Peninsula Road, oﬀers primary care and community health services to Ucluelet residents. This includes mental health and substance use care, physiotherapy, home care and laboratory services. more patients can receive care from a dedicated team of primary-care providers, now and into the future,” said Leah Hollins, board chair, Island Health. “Further, the addition of community-care services at the centre was done intentionally to create more timely access to services that support the health and well-being of area residents.”

“This is such a long-awaited and muchneeded new amenity for Ucluelet and area residents,” said Marilyn McEwen, mayor of Ucluelet. “Mayor and council have been working toward this day for over 10 years, and we thank Island Health for prioritizing the Ucluelet Health Centre. Our community will beneﬁt from the centre for years to come.”

As a growing community with increasing healthcare needs, the addition of a new health centre is excellent news for Ucluelet’s residents. Before the new centre, the community relied on the Ucluelet Medical Centre and the BC Mental Health andAddiction Centre.

Amidst the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ucluelet’s Medical Lab Centre was forced to close temporarily due to staff shortages. Patients requiring lab services were forced to travel to Tofino General Hospital, which increased traffic and extended the hospital’s service hours.

“We’re catching up from Covid-19... and following up with a lot of appointments that have to be put on the back

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!

burner since then,” said Chief Elmer Frank. “[Covid-19] really put a strain on the medical system where...there’s a real need for more service in our communities,”

Anew health centre was at the top of the Ucluelet wish-list when the only clinic in town faced closure due to ﬁnancial issues in 2022. Island Health stepped in to keep the clinic’s doors open, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the growing population.

The centre receives support from the Ministry of Health with an annual grant through Island Health, including a commitment of more than $1.5 million for estimated yearly operating costs and a one-time startup cost of approximately $160,000. Island Health provided funding for capital costs associated with the building, with additional support from the Long Beach Primary Network and BC’s Primary Care Strategy, which helped fund some of the centre’s human resources. For the Ucluelet community, the new health centre is not just an improvement in healthcare access but a long-awaited investment in their well-being and future health.

The centre will oﬀer primary-care services provided by physicians, nurse practitioners and health specialists visiting from other locations. The centre will be open Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., by appointment only.

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Nora O’Malley photo

Detox remains a struggle with lack of facility in PA

One year after declaring a state of emergency, an NTC plan to boost addictions recovery has yielded no funding

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

Despite being the urban hub for a region with the highest fatal overdose rate on Vancouver Island, there are no detox beds in PortAlberni.

This summer the BC Coroners Service released data on drug overdose deaths for the first half of 2025, numbers that put theAlberni-Clayoquot local health area fourth in the province for the rate of fatalities. Comprising almost 36,000 residents, this health area includes Port Alberni, Tofino, Bamfield and all communities in between, where a fatality rate of 74.1 per 100,000 was tracked from January until the end of June 2025.

AboveAlberni-Clayoquot are Quesnel, Terrace and Vancouver Centre North, an area of the city that includes the Downtown Eastside. Considered to have one of the highest concentrations of illicit drug use in NorthAmerica, the DTES health area posted a fatal overdose rate of 310, far outpacing anywhere else in the province.

As a harm reduction coordinator with the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, Brianna Rai works personally with illicit drug users every day on the streets of PortAlberni. She’s seeing more people approach her ready for treatment, but the lack of local detox services remains a problem.

“People want to detox and there’s no beds,” said Rai. “They want help right now, but there’s nowhere to go.”

Detox is considered the first clinical phase of a person’s recovery from substance addiction, a service that the Ministry of Health defines as “medical withdrawal management” for those who can check themselves into a facility. The closest detox facility to PortAlberni is in Nanaimo, an area that over the first six months of 2025 had a fatal overdose rate of 42.8, compared toAlberni’s 74.1.

“Island Health is planning to increase the capacity and accessibility of detox services in Nanaimo, which will improve access for people living in theAlberni Valley,” wrote the Ministry of Health in an email to Ha-Shilth-Sa. “While Port Alberni does not currently have inpatient detox beds, individuals from the region can access detox services in Nanaimo and may be supported with recovery beds in PortAlberni following discharge.”

The province plans to add six “stabilization and supportive recovery beds” this winter to what is already available in Port Alberni, although detox might ﬁrst be

Adisplay showing pictures of loved ones lost to drug overdose sat on a table before Tseshaht Chief Councillor Ken Watts (right), NTC Vice-president Les Doiron and NTC President Judith Sayers on Sept. 19, 2024. The Nuu-chah-nulth leaders declared a state of emergency for the ongoing overdose and mental health crisis, calling on more government support to help decline the tragedies.

required for some seeking recovery from substance addiction.

“Stabilization and supportive recovery services provide structured environments for 30-90 days for people living with substance use who have completed or do not need detox,” stated the ministry.

The agony of withdrawal

The detox process is extremely painful, and can be diﬃcult for loved ones to witness, says Rose Chester, who used fentanyl, heroin and cocaine for seven years. She’s been clean for over two years now, since she decided to leave the Downtown Eastside to return to her home Ditidaht First Nation community on Nitinaht Lake.

“All my friends on the streets were dying around me,” recalled Chester.

“I didn’t really have anybody.Alot of things were going through my head. I was so suicidal and alone.”

But things didn’t get easier after she returned home, as the eﬀects of withdrawal made her sick. She was at risk of having seizures, convulsions, heart attack or a stroke.

“Your body really, really aches,” said Chester of the withdrawal period. “It aches so much that you can’t get up and

you can’t barely walk. You’re walking like you’re hunched over because you can’t stand up straight.”

She admits that this became an ordeal for her family to witness.

“They wanted me home, but they didn’t understand the withdrawals because they weren’t drug addicts,” she said. “They didn’t like what they were seeing. It was terrible, I was getting angry, I felt hurt and I felt alone. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t drink or do anything when I was on the street. Then when I came home, I was like that.”

Chester was initially taking methadone, a medicine used to treat heroin addiction, and connected with a doctor in PortAlberni for treatment. But with no medical attention available in Nitinaht, the regular hour-an-a-half drives on a logging road to PortAlberni became a struggle as Chester fought to get better.

“They set me up in PortAlberni to get the juice. I couldn’t do it, I just couldn’t get the ride every day,” she said, noting that her treatment improved with a change of medication. “They made an emergency trip to Nitinaht for me to try the suboxone. They sat there all day with me, they gave that to me every half hour.”

After a few months Chester was able to get a suboxone shot just once a month in PortAlberni, a treatment she continued for one year until she was ready to go oﬀ it.

“I slowly started to eat and I slowly started to want to take care of myself and get better,” reﬂected Chester, who since January has worked as an educational assistant at the Ditidaht Community School. “I feel really good. It took me a year to be in the right state of mind to do anything for myself.”

First Nations gap widens

While Chester reﬂects on the progress of her recovery, many others remain in the grip of substance addiction. While the provincial rate of fatal overdoses has declined this year by 25 per cent, Indigenous people continue to be disproportionately impacted by the crisis. The gap betweenAboriginal people and the rest of the population has widened, as Indigenous people are 6.7 times more likely to

die of a drug overdose than the rest of the B.C. population, reported the First Nations HealthAuthority inApril.

It has now been a year since the Nuuchah-nulth Tribal Council declared a state of emergency for the overdose crisis, calling on provincial and federal governments for more support.Atwo-day summit on the crisis in May that involved Nuu-chah-nulth leaders and health providers found that tragedies are preventable by removing delays in the addictions treatment system. When someone is ready to detox, help must be available immediately, concluded the forum.

“All of our staﬀ in our communities - which are really good - they’re just stretched to the limit,” said Cloy-e-iis, Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chahnulth Tribal Council. “They can’t take on the extra strategies that we’re trying to put in place.”

The NTC determined that nearly $800,000 is required over three years to better resource the needs of Nuu-chahnulth communities, but provincial and federal oﬃcials have been reluctant to commit any additional funding.

“I think there’s recognition of our needs, but they’re in such a dire ﬁnancial situation – or they tell us that,” said Sayers.

Currently the provincial government faces a $11.6-billion deﬁcit in 2025, a shortfall that has increased over the past three years and is expected to grow in 2026. Government revenue has declined, due in part to Prime Minister Mark Carney dropping the carbon tax before the federal election last spring.As a government levy that drivers previously paid while fueling up, the loss of the carbon tax is expected to cut $2.8 billion from B.C.’s revenue this year alone.

“We presented our budget to implement a strategy to the health minister about a month ago. She just basically said she has no money,” said Sayers of a recent meeting with B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne.

The Courtenay-Alberni member of parliament has also tried to get federal dollars for the Nuu-chah-nulth cause.

“Gord Johns met with the health minister for us, and she said she has absolutely no money,” noted Sayers.

Eric Plummer photo

Province appoints new Downtown Eastside adviser

Former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell tasked to link partners and improve quality of life for DTES residents

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Vancouver, BC – Former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell has a new job with the NDP government as an adviser for the Downtown Eastside (DTES).

His contract is for six months from Sept. 29, 2025, until March 31, 2026, and he is getting paid $92,000, plus up to $10,000 in expenses.

“I am not a czar. I am not a saviour,” said Campbell during a Sept. 29 press conference in Vancouver. “I’m going to try. That’s all I can say.”

Campbell was Vancouver’s mayor from 2002 to 2005, a Canadian senator from 2005 to 2023, served as B.C.’s chief coroner and was also on the Vancouver Police Department’s (VPD) drug squad in the ‘70s.

He will work in collaboration with Christine Boyle, minister of Housing and MunicipalAﬀairs, and George Chow, the parliamentary secretary for the Downtown Eastside and Chinatown, to improve the quality of life for all people who live and work in the neighbourhood.

Campbell emphasized during the Sept. 29 press conference that moving people from the street into housing was priority.

“By working in partnership with the strong community and business leadership that already exists, and bringing my experience and relationships to this role, we will advance housing policy that meets local needs, and reduce barriers to strive for seamless care for our unhoused neighbours, especially women and Indigenous people, and those with complex mental health and addictions,” said Campbell in a provincial media release. “Working together on these solutions will help us address community concerns and move ahead in a focused, compassionate and eﬀective way.”

Chris Livingstone, executive director of theAboriginal Front Door Society, said they are looking forward to working together to improve the lives of people in the downtown neighbourhood.

“I have the pleasure of knowing Mr. Campbell as mayor of Vancouver and trust he can bring the right amount of focus, momentum and solutions for people of the Downtown Eastside,” said Livingstone in a media release.

Sarah Blyth, executive director of the Overdose Prevention Society, echoed the sentiment.

“Larry Campbell, former coroner, senator, and VPD, supported Vancouver’s ﬁrst safe-injection site when he was mayor. Larry understands harm reduction, poverty and the devastation the overdose

the Downtown Eastside, has had by far the highest rate of fatal overdoses in the province. Over the ﬁrst six months of 2025 the area recorded an overdose rate of 310 per 100,000 people. Terrace was second over this period with a rate of 104.

“From its very beginnings, Vancouver was shaped by the violence of men like Deighton, Stamp and Van Horne, who built a city on unceded xʷməθkwəyəm, Skwxwú7mesh, and Səlílwətaɬ lands, while erasing Indigenous women and girls from its story,” saidAngela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Battered Women’s Support Services, in a media release.

For years Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside has had one of the highest rates of poverty and addiction in British Columbia. trees, the Downtown Eastside carries that legacy, a neighbourhood where systemic inequities, licit and illicit substance use, and the devaluation of women’s and girl’s lives converge most brutally,” continued MacDougall. “For decades, womenserving organizations have stood in that breach, resisting the ongoing crisis of gender-based violence and the national emergency of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.As we move forward, our task is clear: centre women and girls in every intervention. That means investments rooted in equity, wellness and housing so that safety, dignity and justice are not exceptions, but the rule. I am eager to work with all partners to ensure that the voices and needs of women and girls are at the heart of every solution for the Downtown Eastside.”

crisis has had on the Downtown Eastside community. I can’t think of a person with so much experience spanning decades, and we welcome his leadership and support as we work towards ﬁnding solutions to the serious issues we are facing,” said Blyth in the media release.

According to recent federal government statistics, 18 people die each day due to apparent opioid toxicity. In 2024, BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) paramedics responded to a total of 40,543 overdose/poisoning patient events for the year, an average of 111 calls a day.

Vancouver was the top community for overdose / poisoning calls in 2024 with 9,564 calls.

For many years Vancouver-Centre North, the local health area that includes

“Formally known as Skwxwú7mesh community Kum’kum’a’lay and at Luq’luq’I - the Grove of beautiful maple

Larry Campbell

Delving into unknown changes in alpine climate

It’s

unknown how much coastal mountain glaciers have receded, say researchers with a new research initiative

By Roniya Sahin Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Agroup of researchers led by the University of Victoria (UVic) are investigating the possible impacts of overuse on the B.C. coastal mountains and its connection to climate change.

Environmental researchers are collaborating with the Squamish Nation and BC Parks on theirAlpine Horizons research initiative. B.C.’s alpine region is an understudied area, says lead researcher Dr. Noémie Boulanger-Lapointe, a UVic assistant professor in the Department of Geography.

“[W]e have no idea what’s in the lakes in theAlpines,” said Boulanger-Lapointe, citing an example of the understudied region. “And so, if things start changing, we’re not going to know about it because we didn’t know what was there in the ﬁrst place.”

Traditional Squamish territory is within the coastal mountains, which range from southern B.C., all the way up into Yukon andAlaska. Harsh winters, heavy snowfall and prolonged winters are the norm for the jagged and expansive area.

According to a 2006 provincial report on the ecology of the alpine zones, the region is home to the harshest winter climates in the province. Changes in temperature throughout the year are minimal, with the “mean annual temperatures ranging from 0° to 4°C.”

However, the data from the report is now almost two decades old.

One of the primary motivations for the research initiative is the observation of climate change in the alpine ecosystem, including glacier retreats and the loss of snow in traditionally snowy areas. Yet, the coastal mountains have received little to no previous research attention in the aﬀected areas.

Evaluation of the impact of anthropogenic activity on the alpine ecosystems is still in its early stages. The initiative is currently focusing its attention on the effects of trampling – the excessive ﬂattening of natural areas in an environment –to provide accurate data to both BC Parks and the Squamish Nation.

The data will then help inform BC Parks

and the Squamish Nation on how to form public policy in the area.

“All [the researchers] do is provide some baseline information about the system so that [policymakers] could make these decisions with more information,” said Dr. Boulanger-Lapointe.

Since the COVID-10 pandemic, B.C.’s alpine backcountry has seen a spike in activity, with a more diverse population of outdoor recreationalists. The Outdoor Recreation Council of British Columbia (ORCBC), a provincial non-proﬁt organization, encourages new recreationalists to enjoy the outdoors safely and responsibly in accordance with new scientiﬁc data.

“One of our core mandates is to advocate for responsible access to the outdoors,” said ORCBC Executive Director Louise Pedersen, “and if research shows that there are detrimental impacts to the areas, we do believe in science-based [data] informing transparent decisions to help guide how outdoor recreation is managed.”

The question of how to balance the public’s appetite to enjoy the outdoors with the need to not disturb natural areas remains unanswered for the researchers, policymakers and the Squamish Nation. With the research just in its infancy,

researchers are hesitant to provide a concrete answer to help public policymakers.

Dr. Boulanger-Lapointe thinks the starting point to answering the question lies in finding compromises between different activities, the preservation of ecosystems and understanding why people visit natural environments in the first place.

Organizations like the ORCBC are open to integrating research in their policymaking. Pederson emphasizes having open dialogue and understanding the concerns of both researchers and outdoor recreationalists to create informed policy on how to better enjoy the outdoors. However, the process of research informing public policy is not so easy. Researchers with theAlpine Initiative had previously tried to answer questions the Squamish Nation and BC Parks previously had; however, lack of funding prevented them from properly providing answers.

The initiative is now starting fresh with a bigger research team and more funding for the next ﬁve years.

Creating strong relationships between researchers, policymakers, and Indigenous Peoples is another barrier, notes Dr. Boulanger-Lapointe. Ensuring the best possible research methods can only hap-

pen if all parties come to a consensus.

“We need to build bridges between research, the nations, and the provincial institution because, too often, people work in silos and come up with ideas that the other parties do not agree with,” expressed Dr. Boulanger-Lapointe when asked about concerns with the project.

Currently, Dr. Rudy Reimer, an associate professor in the Department of Archaeology at SFU and a member of the Squamish Nation, is working with the initiative to document ancient use of the alpine environment in the traditional lands of the Squamish Nation. He collaborates with Boulanger-Lapointe to also understand current barriers to land access by the Nation.

Renata Rovelo, project manager for the ClimateAction Strategy at the Squamish Nation, is collaborating with the initiative to communicate the project’s goal to organizations in the hopes of gathering support.

Sharilynn Wardrop and Kym Welstead are the two BC Parks representatives in theAlpine Horizons research initiative, according to theAlpine Horizons’website. Wardrop works as their Conservation Program Manager, and Welstead is a Conservation Specialist at BC Parks.

River o!er a!ack on boy ‘unusual and rare’, says COS

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

PortAlberni, BC - Tseshaht First Nation tween Taiaha Watts has one epic summer story to share on the playground.

OnAug. 25 the 10-year-old boy from PortAlberni was attacked by a river otter while ﬂoating at a family swimming hole along the Somass River.

Taiaha’s dad Len Watts was playing cards on the beach when the shocking incident took place.

“This otter comes ﬁve feet in front of my son - usually they will look at you and go away - but it looked at him and went right for him, tried jumping on his face and chest,” Watts said.

“We’re lucky it was low tide. When he stood up, the water was only to his hips. (Taiaha) was punching and yelling trying to punch it away. It kept coming at him. When it went underwater it latched onto his leg and started biting,” he continued.

The otter swiftly took oﬀ when Watts ran into the water. Taiaha exited the river with a bleeding gouge on the shin of his leg that would require six to eight stitches.Arabies shot was not necessary.

“It took a pretty good chunk out of his skin when it bit him,” said Watts. “He is ﬁne now, but he had nightmares a couple nights after,” said Watts.

His family has been swimming at the same beach near the Orange Bridge for decades. When they posted up on that hotAugust day, he said they had spotted a bevy of otters about 100 yards up the shoreline.

“They’ve never come near us. They keep to themselves. For this one to come attack him, we couldn’t believe it,” said Watts.

He says he’s been going to the same spot for roughly 45 years and never dealt with an aggressive otter. No one he talked to had ever heard of an otter attack either. Watts said maybe it was protecting its young, but noted that his son was “nowhere near the babies”.

“They were across the river on the other side,” he said.

Tseshaht First Nation administration posted a public bulletin after learning Taiaha was attacked, reminding people to be extra cautious if swimming in the area above the log boom towards Rudy’s dock.

Tseshaht First Nation photo

In lateAugust the Tseshaht First Nation warned members of an aggressive mother otter with babies in the area above the log boom towards Rudy’s dock.

The BC Conservation Oﬃcers Service (COS) said the river otter attack was “unusual and rare” but went on to note that “river otters can be aggressive if they have their young around”.

“We’ll still swim there,” said Watts. “We’re always cautious of otters now, but we’re not gonna let those little buggers push us away.”

Taiaha’s school friends have taken to calling him “Otter Boy” and he told his dad he wouldn’t mind turning his attacker into some sort of dance regalia.

The Conservation Oﬃcers Service recommends the public be aware of their surroundings and keep their distance from any wildlife. For additional safety tips and resources, visit WildSafeBC.com

BC Parks photo

Hikers traverse the slope above Cheakamus Lake in Garibaldi Provincial Park.Anew study from the University of Victoria is looking into the little-known eﬀects of a changing climate on the coastal mountains, while investigating the impacts of recreational usage of mountainous areas.

Reconciliation march walks away from residential school

Tseshaht progresses plans to tear down Caldwell Hall, with the future aim to replace Maht Mahs with a new gym elsewhere on its

By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor

PortAlberni, BC - On Sept. 30 the annual tradition continued in PortAlberni with a march of orange through the small city’s streets, but this year the procession began at the former site of theAlberni Indian Residential School, walking away from where the institution once stood.

In the morning hundreds gathered around the Maht Mahs gym, one of the two remaining structures from the residential school that operated on Tseshaht First Nation territory for 80 years. Before the walk commenced Tseshaht Chief Councillor Ken Watts announced to the crowd how this year’s event would progress beyond the painful legacy of theAlberni Indian Residential School. Starting at Maht Mahs, the walk crossed several kilometres through PortAlberni along River Road, progressing up Roger Street to pass theAlberni District Secondary School and end at theAthletic Hall.

“We want our survivors to know that that’s where you should have gone to school, you shouldn’t have been brought here from your communities,” said Watts while on the former residential school site, referencing those who attended the institution which closed its doors for good in 1973.

Since 2017 walks have been held in Port Alberni in recognition of those who attended residential school. In 2021 the event was declared a country-wide holiday, as Sept. 30 is now National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The movement has brought an ideological reckoning for Canada, as the nation undergoes a process of reassessing the forced assimilation of its Indigenous inhabitants throughout the 20th century.

Orange Shirt Day has become particularly prominent in PortAlberni, which housed a residential school in various forms from 1893 to 1973 that came to be known as one of the most notorious in the country for its treatment of students. In his 1995 sentencing of a formerAlberni dormitory supervisor, Justice Douglas Hogarth called the residential school system “nothing less than a form of institutionalized pedophilia.”

After the conclusion of the reconciliation walk formerAIRS student Charlie Thompson stood with other survivors of the residential school to address the hundreds gathered at theAlberniAthletic Hall.

“I want to say to our children, we’re sorry. We let you down. I’m sorry we didn’t teach you to be respectful. I’m sorry we didn’t teach you our language and our culture,” said Thompson. “We weren’t given the

crowd gathers at Maht Mahs on Sept. 30, with

are the only that remain from theAlberni Indian

tools to be good parents, we weren’t brought up by our parents, we were brought up by an evil institution.”

But Thompson, who has often served as a spokesperson for formerAIRS students, also raised his ﬁst to give his peers hope, urging them to say, “I survived!”

“We didn’t deserve to be treated the way we were treated, but we’re here,” said Thompson to the crowd. “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being the kind people that you are.”

The Tseshaht First Nation plans to invite AIRS survivors to witness the demolition of Caldwell Hall, a former boys’residence that still stands at the site. The federal government has provided a written commitment to fund this tear down, and awaits quotes from potential demolition companies that are currently being assessed by the Tseshaht.

Watts said this could be done by spring 2026, although the First Nation wants to ensureAIRS survivors will have adequate notice to travel to the event.

While Caldwell Hall is being vacated, Maht Mahs remains a frequent venue for diﬀerent events. But the Tseshaht have prioritized to also have this formerAIRS structure demolished, and hope to build

another gymnasium elsewhere on its main reserve.

On Sept. 26 Watts met with federal Indigenous Services Minister Many Gull-Masty to express the need to replace Maht Mahs.

“She heard it loud and clear,” said the chief councillor, although he is concerned when the ﬁscally tight Carney government would release funds for the project.

“They’re looking at making more cuts than actual investments.”

In the meantime, the First Nation has installed a heat pump into Maht Mahs to provide a more manageable temperature in the gym.

“It was so hot in there in the summer, in the winter it was freezing in there,” said Watts. “We’ve got to make do with what we have until we get a new one.”

Whenever the formerAIRS buildings are torn down, the First Nation doesn’t plan to rebuild at the site, which lies within its tsunami inundation zone. Instead plans are underway for a memorial park, featuring a totem pole carved in honour of former students from the residential school.

“We’d like it to be a place where our kids

can actually enjoy themselves,” said Watts.

Answering a call for others to help in

the former Caldwell Hall building in the distance. The Tseshaht First Nation plans to tear

Residential School.

Charlie Thompson speaks on behalf of residential school survivors at theAlberni Athletic Hall on Sept. 30.

Hundreds took part in the Orange Shirt Day walk, which progressed along River Road after Pictured are people stopping for water and snacks provided by Hupacasath members.

residential school site

new gym elsewhere on its main reserve

In recognition of the upcoming National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, on Sept. 25, 700 students and

gave the song to the children of School District 70.

Singing in unison, Alberni Valley students converge to celebrate Orange Shirt Day

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

PortAlberni, BC – There was a time when Canada’s Indigenous children were gathered up and placed in residential schools where they were forced learn the English language, nearly losing their own mother tongue. Now, in 2025, hundreds of children from schools in PortAlberni came together on a school ﬁeld in their orange shirts to sing našukʔaƛin, and they all knew the lyrics, and they sang loud and proud.

September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day. It is a Canadian day of memorial to recognize the atrocities and multi-generational eﬀects of the country’s Indian residential school system.

EighthAvenue Learning Centre (EALC)

Principal David Maher invited Ha-ShilthSa to the school on September 25, where guests were treated to lunch.

Before long, dozens of children began

lining up quietly on the edges of a large playing ﬁeld behind EALC.According to Maher, 700 students and teachers came from EALC, E.J. Dunn and Maquinna Elementary schools to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

“The elementary schools will be doing a reconciliation walk to the event where they will be holding artwork, cards, letters and other artifacts that they have worked on at school while learning about the concept of reconciliation,” Maher told Ha-Shilth-Sa. The children were welcomed by Maher and also representatives of Hupacasath and Tseshaht First Nations.

Speaking on behalf of Hupacasath, Serena Mayer thanked the children for wearing orange, for walking together and learning together.

“And thank you for saying you’re going to learn with us and remember with us,” she told them.

Michelle Colyn welcomed everyone on behalf of Tseshaht and spoke of the concept

many Nuu-chah-nulth people go by, that everything is connected. Because we share the world, we have to look after it and everything in it, including the people.

“We have to learn to share, to have fun and be kind to each other, because you all matter,” she said.

Tseshaht memberAaronAngeli wrote the song našukʔaƛin, which means “we are strong”. He gave it to the school children of SD70, and led the singing of the song in the ﬁeld at EALC.

When he asked how many children knew the song, all of the hundreds present proudly raised their hands. ThenAngeli invited them to come to the center of the ﬁeld to sing with him so that all of PortAlberni could hear.

The children did not disappoint. They excitedly converged aroundAngeli and his drum, sing proudly in a sea of orange to mark a memorable Truth and Reconciliation Day.

Eric Plummer photos

plans to tear down both structures, which

Denise Titian video still

teachers came from the EighthAvenue Learning Centre, E.J. Dunn and Maquinna Elementary schools to sing našukʔaƛin, which means “we are strong”. Tseshaht memberAaronAngeli

essed along River Road after starting on the Tseshaht reserve. Hupacasath members.

Grant Watts

hosting the Sept. 30 walk, PortAlberni Mayor Sharie Minions announced that the city can co-host the event next year.

Spirit of Yuquot expressed through bentwood box

The arts of carving and photography come together in a rare project commissioned by Paciﬁc Rim Arts Society

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Ucluelet, BC – Two traditional artists from diﬀerent cultures came together to create a remarkable project that tells the story of the Wolf Clan at Yuquot on Nootka Island, B.C. – a place of ﬁrst contact with Europeans and Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations.

Over the span of seven years, master carver Sanford Williams (Ahtsik-sta Qwayachiik) of Mowachaht First Nation and large format ﬁlm photographer Ron Smid from Orillia, Ontario worked on a bentwood box pinhole camera.

The finished bentwood box and a selection of black and white prints were displayed for the first time from Sept. 15 to 21 at Black Rock Resort in an exhibit titled ‘Spirit of Yuquot’as part of Pacific RimArts Society’s (PRAS) Cultural Heritage Festival.

“It took me about three tries of steaming the box to ﬁt the exact size of the ﬁlm. Eventually I got it to the right size,” said Williams over the phone from his studio in Hope, B.C.

“The whole box itself was a big challenge. I’ve never done a camera before. Ron was guiding me along to line things up so he would be able to use it correctly,” he shared.

Smid took the pinhole camera to Yuquot this July and took photos on special order 16 x 20 inch ﬁlm from the Ilford Film in U.K. The cost of the ﬁlm was $1,250 CAN for a box of 25.

“It was obviously windy,” said Smid. “We had to pick up pieces of driftwood to help stabilize the camera. There wasn’t one blurry photo and I took 14 photos in one week. Some exposures are up to an hour, so you have to be still for an hour.”

Yuquot translates to “where the wind blows in all directions” in Nuu-chahnulth language. There are four faces on the front of Sanford’s cedar bentwood box to represent the winds and a large blue face in the centre to represent his family.

“It’s me and my brother because we are the last family to live in Yuquot after my dad died. The ﬂapper represents me because I only go home once a year to carve. That’s me going back home once a year,” he said.

On the sides of the bentwood box, Wil-

ﬁlm photographer Ron Smid captured a series of photos in Yuquot this July

era made for him by master carver

liams carved two ships to represent European ships; one is Captain Cook and the other are Spaniards. The top of the box expresses the Yuquot people living on Badger Point before they found Yuquot and on the back, there are two wolf sticks that symbolize his family who came from the Wolf Clan.

His late dad Ray Williams’traditional name was Ghoo-Noom-Tuk-Tomlth, which means “spirit of the wolf”. Ray spent his life protecting his ancestral home by taking on the role of guardian of Yuquot.

When the Government of Canada began relocating members of the Mowachaht/ Muchalaht First Nation from Yuquot to a reserve on the shore of Muchalaht Inlet, south of Gold River in 1967, Ray watched friends and family close up their homes and move to the reserve.

But Ray’s family never left, eventually becoming the last to reside in the village where archaeological excavations have uncovered evidence showing 4,300 years of human habitation.

Ray’s son Darrell took over the Yuquot property after Ray’s passing on Oct. 31, 2022.

When Williams thinks of the spirit of

Yuquot, his dad is top of mind.

“Just hearing my dad. The way he talked to me all the time. Being back home, just always listening to my dad all the time. I can hear his voice in the background, praising me. He’s the one that kept me going all these years,” said Williams.

Former executive director of PRAS Jacqueline Chamberland recalls travelling to Yuquot in 2018 with PRAS board members Vi Mundy of Ucluelet First Nation and Mark Penney to meet Ray and discuss telling the story of Yuquot.

“Vi was able to talk in Nuu-chah-nulth with him. They were able to understand each other,” Chamberland recalled. “If Vi was here today she would be super impressed with this.”

Williams received a $17,000 commission to create the bentwood box with funding from the BCArts Council, the Hamber Foundation and the Wenjack/ Downie Foundation while Smid received compensation for his travel expenses. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the trauma of losing both his parents, Chamberland says the two-year project was stretched into seven years.

“It brings you back,” said Chamberland of the Spirit of Yuquot project. “To tell

the story that way is very touching. There is nothing digital in there. Everything is very natural.”

Smid describes the art of large format photography as a spiritual practice.

“You don’t know what you are going to get with a pinhole. You have to use your intuition,” said Smid. “You have to tap into something deeper than what you would normally use by using another camera. You have to feel and be aware of the landscape and see what it’s communication to you on a deeper level.”

He spent three days in the dark room processing 14 sheets of ﬁlm; ﬁve or six turned out well, he says.

“It was like the spirit was behind us and made it happen,” said Smid.

There is a limited number of Spirit of Yuquot black and white prints for sale, starting at $1,500 for a framed 16x20.

Smid said he is giving half of the proﬁts to the Williams family, and he also wants to gift them a set of all the work from Yuquot.

The bentwood box pinhole camera is owned by PRAS with Smid being authorized as the sole camera operator.

Phrase†of†the†week:†t~iit~~ii%at~a+%iš††>ay~iiptm~inh=

Pronounced ‘tee-tee-uh-tutl-ish thla-yeept-min-h’, it means ‘the leaves are falling now.’Supplied by Ḥakaƛ.

Nora O’Malley photo

Landscape

with the bentwood box pinhole cam-

Sanford Williams.

Illustration by Koyah Morgan-Banke

Clayoquot Sound Biosphere celebrates 25 years

‘Today was a reﬂection of what’s possible when we come together in a culturally safe, inclusive way’: HurwiÅ

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Toﬁno, BC –As one group of people gathered in southern Vancouver Island to protest the logging of B.C.’s old-growth forest in the Walbran Valley, another came together in Clayoquot Sound to celebrate 25 years of conservation and community building.

For decades, Clayoquot Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island was a region in conﬂict as hundreds of people stood on logging roads to save a temperate coastal rainforest from being clearcut.

At the height of the conﬂict in 1993, over 800 people were arrested, marking one of the largest acts of civil disobedience in Canada until the Fairy Creek blockades near Port Renfrew in Pacheedaht First Nations territory saw nearly 1,200 arrested in 2021 and 2022.

Around the same time in the early ‘90s, a small but passionate group of individuals began considering the UNESCO Biosphere model as a way to bring the region together. United Nations Educational, Scientiﬁc and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was created in 1945 in the wake of the Second World War to champion equity, peace, and sustainable development.

Clayoquot Sound, a region that includes the traditional territories of the Hesquiaht,Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, was oﬃcially designated as the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region (CSBR) in Jan. 2000.

To mark this designation, in May 2000, the federal government entrusted a $12 million grant to Clayoquot Sound communities through the creation of the Canada Fund.

Canada currently has 19 UNESCOdesignated biosphere regions, including MountArrowsmith on the east coast of Vancouver Island (also designated in 2000) and Howe Sound, a mountainous coastal ecosystem which received its designation in 2021.

“Community voices are the North Star that guides the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust,” said Rebecca Hurwitz, CBT executive director.

“When we face a challenging topic or tough decisions, we look to the community for direction. The perspectives and experiences of our committee volunteers, advisory groups, and board always help us navigate the way forward,” she said. Saya Masso, Tla-o-qui-aht’s Natural

About 500 people came together on Sept. 20 at the Wickaninnish Community School Field to honour the 25th anniversary of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region designation. stand why.”

Resources Manager, gave a speech during the CBT 25th anniversary celebration on Sept. 20 at Wickaninnish Community School Field.

“Toﬁno’s drinking water comes from Meares Island. These waters today only ﬂow because they are in an old growth forest. Had it been logged the rain would just wash right through. Tla-o-qui-aht invested to protect Meares Island,” said Masso.

He shared that Tla-o-qui-aht is currently arguing with the province about issuing a mining permit within unceded Tla-o-quiaht territory and the CSBR. The UNESCO designation does not provide legislated protection, but it does acknowledge aboriginal title and rights as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

“We hope the UNESCO strength will have us allied together; a founding principle is to work with Indigenous people to ensure land-use visions are met,” said Masso.

Hesquiaht elder Dolores Bayne, 86, spoke to the crowd in Nuu-chah-nulth language before switching to English.

“I speak for our ancestors,” said Bayne. “Our ancestors welcomed the people that come over on a boat. Welcomed them, and a lot of things happened. They didn’t hear us say welcome. What happened is that we got pushed aside. We were called a lot of names that we couldn’t under-

“What’s happening today is we’re making our younger generation rise; teaching them not to be ashamed, not to be shy. Our residential school taught us to be silent, don’t cry, don’t speak you are not important,” she continued.

“We are very strong nations. We want the whole world to know that we are here. We welcome everyone to come together from all nations. I’m really proud that this (gathering) is happening. You welcomed us as we welcomed you,” said Bayne.

Sharmalene Mendis-Millard travelled from Waterloo, Ontario to attend CBT’s milestone event.About 20 years ago, Mendis-Millard did research on how the biosphere concept is applied on the ground.

“It’s not just about preserving, it’s about learning,” said Mendis-Millard. “This place left a big impression on me and really shaped who I’ve become and what I’ve thought of the world. The lessons I learned there, I’ve taken with me.”

Master carver Joe Martin also gave a speech at the gathering along with Toﬁno Mayor Dan Law, MLAJosie Osborne, MP Gord Johns, Toquaht member Dennis Hetu, Tla-o-qui-aht member Chris Seitcher, Ucluelet councillor Mark Maftei and Toﬁno Poet Laureate Janice Lore.

For the short-term, Hurwitz says CBT is focused on securing the remaining

funding to build the Biosphere Centre in Toﬁno. She says they’ve raised $12.5 million with a total project cost of $20 million.

“What’s next for CBT is building a lasting legacy. Today was a reﬂection of what’s possible when we come together in a culturally safe, inclusive way—and it showed how vital it is to create spaces where everyone feels they belong. That’s exactly what the Biosphere Centre will be: a home for collaboration, learning, and community leadership,” said Hurwitz.

Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 54 is the only TFL within Clayoquot Sound. The tenure for TFL 54 is currently held by Ma-Mook Natural Resources, which is owned by a partnership of theAhousaht, Tla-o-quiaht, Hesquiaht, Toquaht and Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ. In June 2024, the province announced that roughly 76,000 hectares of Crown land within TFL 54, including old forests and habitat for several endangered and threatened species, would be permanently protected to align withAhousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht’s land-use visions. That ﬁgure encompasses about 60 per cent of TFL 54, leaving another 55,00 hectares under the forestry tenure.

Meanwhile, a group of people are waiting on a logging road in the Walbran Valley for the RCMP to come and arrest them.

Nora O’Malley photos

PA Friendship Center elects four new board members

Kelly Sport and Agnes Keitlah are re-elected while the PAFC board welcomes Claude e Wa s and April Lucas

By Denise Titian Ha-Shilth-Sa Reporter

PortAlberni, BC – The doors were open at the PortAlberni Friendship Center on the evening of September 23 as they kicked oﬀ their annual general meeting starting with a free roast beef dinner, prepared and served by PAFC staﬀ.Attendees signed in upon arrival and were given complimentary PAFC Society membership cards, allowing them to participate in nomination and voting activities.

The PAFC, founded in 1965, is a nonproﬁt service organization that provides a plethora of programs and activities to the community. Those services include addictions and mental health counseling, sports and recreation programs, youth and adult employment training programs, family law and legal advocacy programs for those living in poverty, family support services, programs for children from infancy to youth, elders programs, homelessness support,Aboriginal Head Start Program – Childcare Centre, Tiny Home Village & Shelter, some public health services, social events, crafts and cultural events.

Following dinner, PAFC Society members were asked to vote on things like the appointment of an auditor for the year ahead. Following comments from the audience, PAFC Executive Director Cyndi Stevens committed to delivering more auditor options at the nextAGM, allowing society members a selection to choose from.

The next order of business was the election of four PAFC board members. Emcee and elder Wally Samuel told the crowd that the terms of four board

Denise Titian photo

The PortAlberni Friendship Center held itsAnnual General Meeting on Sept. 23. of whom were present, there was no need for a formal election. The four nominees were acclaimed to the PAFC Board of Directors.

members had expired. The eight-member board includes Chairman Richard Samuel, Roman Frank, John Barney, Sasha Pielak, Kelly Sport,Agnes Keitlah,Alice Sam, and Leslie Taylor.

The PAFC board members are elected for two-year terms. The terms are staggered so that half the board is up for election each year while the other half has one year remaining on their terms. Outgoing board members, Kelly Sport, Agnes Keitlah,Alice Sam, and Leslie Taylor were thanked for their services.

The ﬂoor was opened to nominations. With only four individuals nominated, all

Kelly Sport andAgnes Keitlah were re-elected to serve renewed terms while the PAFC Board of Directors welcomed newcomers Claudette Watts andApril Lucas.

In his acceptance speech, director Kelly Sport noted that he was pleased to continue working to improve staﬀ wages and working conditions for the 70 plus PAFC employees. Better working conditions means better employee retention.

Board memberAgnes Keitlah said she is proud to continue working on projects and programs that serve the homeless community and those in addictions. She vowed to keep focus on these eﬀorts, saying the tiny homes and addictions programs are saving lives.

“It’s hard to see our people on the streets,” she said, adding that even with the successes, more work needs to be done.

Newly elected board members are sisters,April Lucas and Claudette Watts. Their late parents, Simon and Julia Lucas, were inﬂuential in the development of PAFC over the decades. Watts indicated that she was proud to carry the torch forward on behalf of her parents.

Lucas said she has been involved in PAFC activities as far back as when it was at its original home on 2nd Avenue and said it has always felt like a home to her. She shared that she lost two of her children – one to suicide and the other to illicit drugs. For that reason, the two issues will be foremost on her mind as she begins work with the board she said.

In addition to the eight elected PAFC board members, two spaces are reserved for youth. Currently there is no youth representation on the board of directors. Youth board members are appointed by the elected board of directors.

If you are a youth between the ages of 18 and 24 and would like to serve on the PAFC Board of Directors, you are encouraged to contact Executive Director, Cyndi Stevens.

The PortAlberni Friendship Center invites the community to celebrate their 60th anniversary on October 14, 2025.

High-speed internet spreads in rural Vancouver Island

By Antonella Medina Arias Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

PortAlberni, BC — More than 750 rural households on Vancouver Island and surrounding coastal communities will soon gain access to high-speed internet, thanks to federal and provincial investments.

The Ministry of Citizens’Services announced that 11 rural communities will receive last-mile ﬁbre and transport infrastructure.

The project includes services for 123 households in the rural areas of Texada Island, 129 households on Piers Island, and 500 families in Jordan River, as well as the Pacheedaht First Nation communities of Gordon River 2 and Pacheena 1.

Other areas set to beneﬁt include the Oona River on the northern coast; Echo Bay, Health Bay, and Gwayasdums 1 of the Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation on Gilford Island along the central coast; Firvale in the Bella Coola Valley; and Oclucje of the Nuchatlaht First Nation on Vancouver Island

“This investment is an important step forward in closing the connectivity gap for Oona River and similar remote communities. Reliable internet opens doors to education, health care and economic participation, but it’s only part of the solution,” said Karl Bergman, director in ElectoralArea C of the North Coast Regional District. “We’re deeply grateful for this support, and we continue to advocate for reliable transportation infrastructure that ensures our communities are fully connected, both digitally and physically.” Additionally, the Government of Canada plans to invest $7 million in three projects

focused on providing high-speed internet and cellular connectivity to 727 households in the Spallumcheen (Splatsin First Nation) and Hullcar communities.

“By connecting rural and First Nations communities to high-speed internet, we also help the voices, ideas and passions of the people of the north Island, and north and central B.C. coast succeed in helping build a more prosperous and resilient B.C. that stands on its own two feet,” said Spencer Chandra Herbert, minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation.

“Expanding connectivity means greater access to jobs, education and government services that people rely on,” said Tamara Davidson, MLAfor North Coast-Haida Gwaii. “With improved access to highspeed internet, people can remain rooted in their home communities, while still accessing the services they need.”

Improved connectivity will assist emergency alerts, virtual health consultations, distance learning, online business operations, and remote work. Visitors to Port Renfrew and the Juan de Fuca region will also beneﬁt, as tourism remains a major economic driver in many communities.

The urgency of reliable service was reinforced last year, when a young man in the Ditidaht community at Nitinaht Lake was shot to death. Emergency responders were unable to coordinate a timely rescue due to limited internet and almost no cellular service, according to a statement from the Ditidaht First Nation.

“This incident underscores the urgent need for reliable, high-speed internet and cellular connectivity in our community,” said Chief Councillor Judi Thomas in a news article. “The safety, health, and

well-being of our members and visitors are being compromised due to outdated and unstable digital infrastructure.”

Chief Thomas said the Ditidaht First Nation is prepared to adopt cloud-based accounting and payroll systems to support its growing business and tourism sector. Still, unreliable internet continues to hold back the community’s progress.

“With current internet speeds and no cellular service, critical operations are at risk of failure, further impeding the First Nation’s ability to manage essential services eﬀectively,” said Thomas.

The federal government remains on track to reach its goal of providing highspeed internet access to 98 per cent of Canadian households by 2026. They expect to oﬀer this service to 100 per cent of Canadian households by 2030.

The government aims to help create new opportunities for rural and remote communities while ensuring that all Canadians, regardless of their location, have access to high-speed internet and reliable mobile connectivity. The purpose of these reliable connections are to encourage people to participate in the digital economy and beneﬁt from Canada’s online services, according to the federal government.

Since 2017, the province has invested $584 million to expand connectivity across British Columbia.As of January 2025, the federal government estimated that 74 per cent of rural homes and 83 per cent of First Nations homes on reserves had access to high-speed internet.

Funding for the latest projects includes over $1 million from the province through the Connecting Communities BC program, $1.25 million from the federal Universal Broadband Fund, over $1 million from CityWest, and $224,000 from the First Nations HealthAuthority for central coast communities, including Health Bay, Echo Bay, and Tsatsisnukwomi Village on Harbledown Island.

“Access to high-speed internet is about more than just getting online - it’s about being able to study, see a doctor virtually, run a business or connect with loved ones,” said Buckley Belanger, federal Secretary of State in the Rural Department. “These projects are going to make a real diﬀerence for people in rural communities, and that’s why our government is committed to making sure every household in Canada, no matter where it’s located, has the reliable connection it needs.”

Tamara Davidson

Port Alberni Friendship Centre Volunteers Needed

Need work experience? The Port Alberni Friendship Centre is looking for interested applicants for various positions. Call 250-723-8281

Le er to the Editor

Ge!ing back their culture. Ge!ing back their land. Each and everyone, each and every band.

I humbly oﬀer these thoughts

From my heart into their hands

For I can only listen

Hope and try to understand I can’t imagine the hurt and pain

That all those people endured

The constant embodiment of white man way

They were told not to speak a word

Not to speak their language white man told them what to do

They took away their children

From their families and everything they knew

Inconceivable treatment for those kids

Their parents never knew

You were treated less than human

Told where to live, how to live

You were left out in the cold

No one cared how you felt or what you thought

They hoped you’d go away

They forgot about your spirit

Beautiful, bright and strong

And that’s where we are today

It took such a long, long time

But they didn’t get their way

Now it’s the white man’s turn to listen

To everything you say Its time to right wrongs Its time to start to heal

To start a brand new day!

~ Cheryl Rosiak

25 Years Ago in Ha-Shilth-Sa

Vol. 27 – No. 20

October 5, 2000

First Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Annual General Meeting held at Ahousaht

TheAhousaht community hosted the inauguralAGM on September 16, 2000.

Political, environmental, and industry representatives attended the meeting to learn more about the $12 million Biosphere trust, a grant presented on May 5 by the Federal Government to the CBT Society.

Participants were served lunch and entertained by Maaqtusiis Elementary School students who performed traditional songs and dances.

Ahousaht Chief CouncillorAnne Atleo introduced the board of directors and stated, “Sixty to seventy per cent of the designated lands lie within

Ahousaht traditional territories. Our priorities are training, education and research and we want to have a say for our community in your meetings”.

AGM Chairman Larry Baird gave the overview of how CBT came to be.

With the project being formed in 1991, the CBT transition committee formed in 1997, oﬃcial UNESCO designation given in January 2000, and ﬁnally the federal funding on May 5, 2000. In his closing comments, Baird said that First Nations and non-First Nations, got the CBT through solidarity.

“We may argue our diﬀerences, but our vision is the same. Let’s go forward together as communities.”

Ahousaht member takes lead role at Indigenomics

J’net Ayayqwayaksheelth takes managing director role in development institute started by Carol Anne Hilton

By Sam Laskaris Ha-Shilth-Sa Contributor

Toronto, ON - J’netAyayqwayaksheelth

had an inkling that one day she would join forces with a fellow Nuu-chah-nulth relative on a professional working basis. That time has arrived as it was announced on Sept. 23 thatAyayqwayaksheelth, a member ofAhousaht First Nation, has been hired to be the new managing director of the Indigenomics Institute.

Hesquiaht Nation member CarolAnne Hilton, who has more than two decades of experience working in Indigenous economic development, coined the term Indigenomics in 2012.

And Hilton is also the founder and CEO of the Indigenomics Institute, an First Nations economic design platform that oﬀers services to Indigenous Nations, economic development corporations, businesses, governments and those in the corporate sector.

Ayayqwayaksheelth has actually been working for the Indigenous Institute since mid-August. She was on a small contract, in part to serve as the logistics person for a November conference the institute in staging in Toronto.

“While we were talking about that as part of a team meeting, CarolAnne mentioned that they had posted the managing director position,”Ayayqwayaksheelth said.

She was interested in the position since she had been actively searching for more

work since this pastApril.Ayayqwayaksheelth had been working as the manager of Indigenous curriculum at Toronto’s George Brown College, but she was let go in the spring due to school budget cuts.

As a result, she decided to apply for the Indigenomics Institute’s managing director position.

“She could clearly see that I had a lot of organizational background, a lot of networking and in a vast numbers of sectors,” she said of Hilton.

Ayayqwayaksheelth’s resume includes prestigious jobs in the arts, post-sec-

ondary sector, educational ﬁelds and at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum. “I had links provincially, nationally and internationally over the time that I’ve lived here (in Toronto). So, she could see that I was a ﬁt.”

No doubtAyayqwayaksheelth will be playing a vital role with the Indigenomics Institute.

The advertised job included the following information:

“The Managing Director role is designed for a leader who thrives at the intersection of vision and execution. This is an opportunity to guide an internationally recognized movement, expand the national and global inﬂuence of Indigenomics, and shape the economic futures of Indigenous business. This is a leadership role at the forefront of national and global economic transformation.”

Ayayqwayaksheelth had been working 60 hours a month as part of her shortterm logistics contract with the Indigenomics Institute. But with her new role she will work four days per week.

Hilton’s father isAyayqwayaksheelth’s uncle. The pair call themselves ‘sister cousins’.

“I’ve always tracked her successes and she’s tracked mine,”Ayayqwayaksheelth said. “And we knew that one day our energy would be a good good mix.”

Ayayqwayaksheelth is pleased to join the Indigenomics movement, which she believes is heading in a positive direction.

“I prefer to think it’s already on the move,” she said. “Some of the work that

I’ll be doing is just helping to stay on track with some of the goals within the organization already.

There’s another reason why she’s thrilled to be working alongside Hilton, who will continue to be based in Vancouver whileAyayqwayaksheelth will work out of Toronto.

“I think what I like most about working with CarolAnne is that we’re both Nuu-chah-nulth,” she said. “As Nuuchah-nulth leaders, we can also incorporate that spiritual or cultural aspect of acknowledging how our ancestors ﬁt in and guide us.”

More than a dozen others in various parts of the country are also employed by the Indigenomics Institute in various roles.

“She’s already planted seeds as a rising Indigenous economic leader, not just in Canada but the world,”Ayayqwayaksheelth said of Hilton. “And those seeds and this cross-continental team will help keep those seeds growing.And it will build the momentum of making people aware of alternatives to a colonial economic system that we all live and breathe as capitalism.”

Ayayqwayaksheelth will continue to operate her own company, Still Standing Tall Design, a consultancy dedicated to experiential learning.

“I will take sidebar contracts,” she added. “I’m a skill facilitator. I’m an education curriculum developer. I do strategic plans.”

henna artist

By Aleesha Sharma

Book your henna session for community events, weddings, birthday parties, school events or any special event.

Phone: 250-730-1262 or 250-720-3096

E-mail: aleesha_sharma1@hotmail.com

J’netAyayqwayaksheelth

Nation-owned sableﬁsh farm proposed in Kyuquot

Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k:tles7et’h’ plans to bring another sableﬁsh rearing site to Vancouver Island’s northwest coast

By Nora O’Malley Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Kyuquot, BC - Tiicma Fisheries Inc., a venture of Ka:’yu:’k’t’h’/Che:k:tles7et’h’ First Nations (KCFN), is in the process of applying to the Ministry of Transport for a tenure site and licence to operate a sableﬁsh facility in Kyuquot Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

The proposed aquaculture ﬁnﬁsh facility is located 11.5-kilometres from Houpsitas, a KCFN village, and about 12-kilometres from Fair Harbour, the marina facility owned by the nation.

Pinnace Channel is the presented waterway for the site, which will be ﬂoating adjacent to Hohoae Island.

According to Tiicma’s Transport Canada application (file number 2001-500751), the sablefish facility will include a floathouse, feed barge and 10 cages within a 30-by-30-metre area.

“Acompliment of three staﬀ (minimum) will reside on the ﬂoathouse to manage aquaculture operations,” reads Tiicma’s application.

Currently, there are three marine aquaculture facilities for sableﬁsh in British Columbia, two of which are active and situated in Kyuquot Sound, while a single inactive facility lies in Barkley Sound, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).

The two active facilities, Charlie’s Place and Centre Cove, are currently licensed for 2,700 and 2,202 metric tons of sableﬁsh, respectively, whereas the Barkley Sound facility is licensed for 550 metric tons, according to DFO.

Golden Eagle Sableﬁsh operates the

buttery taste. There are currently two active farms in Kyuquot Sound. two active sablefish sites in partnership with KCFN and produces sablefish, also known as black cod, products for both local and international markets. The licences for all three sablefish facilities were issued on July 1, 2024 and expire in 2030. Salmon farms have until 2029 to remove their open net pens from Pacific waters, but this ban does not apply to sablefish aquaculture.

“Sablefish farms are not included in the Government of Canada’s plan to phase out open net-pen salmon aquaculture in B.C.,” according to DFO. Sablefish, also known as black cod, are deep-water marine fish with a northern amphi-Pacific distribution and high fisheries value, estimated at approximately $27.9 million per year between 2012 and 2022, according to DFO.

Rabu, Tiicma Fisheries general manager, says the new finfish facility at Hohoae Island will be wholly owned by Tiicma Fisheries. He declined to comment further until the application process is finalized.

Public comment for the proposed Hohoae sableﬁsh facility closes on October 10, 2025 at 1 a.m.

Ian G. Taylor/Wikimedia Commons photo

Sableﬁsh, also known as black cod, are a deep-water ﬁsh with a luscious,

Daniel