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West coast tourism back to normal
Photo by Melissa Renwick People enjoy Long Beach in June 2020, with Esowista in the distance. Bookings in Tofi no have approached pre-pandemic levels on the west coast, as businesses welcome international travellers following two years of COVID-19 restrictions. ‘Life is ge ing back to normal’ for tourism in Tofi no
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By Melissa Renwick Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Tofi no, BC - When B.C.’s proof of vaccination requirement expired on April 8, it was the last major COVID-19 measure removed by the province. Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation has followed suit by easing its COVID-19 restrictions, and after more than two years, the nation’s Tribal Administrator Jim Chisholm said “life is getting back to normal.” Face mask requirements have been relaxed, restrictions on the number of people at indoor and outdoor gatherings have been eased, and there is no longer a check-stop at the entrance of Ty-Histanis to monitor people coming and going from the community. This comes as a “relief” to many community members, Chisholm said. “We had a lot of our elders and a lot of our people that hadn’t seen their grandkids in a year,” Chisholm said. “Now, they can get back together with [their] family.” While the community is “joyful” overall, Chisholm said the tribal administration and emergency management continues to closely monitor COVID-19 case counts. The nation remains concerned anytime one of its members gets COVID-19, he said. “We still do get the odd [case], but obviously not as bad as we had it before,” Chisholm added. The nation is located near Tofi no, a popular tourist destination on Vancouver Island that is gearing up for a busy summer season, following a pent-up demand for travel with the easing of these restrictions. Tourism Tofi no Executive Director Nancy Cameron said hotel occupancy is expected to be 90 to 95 per cent for July and August. “After a challenging two years for many tourism operators, we are projecting that July and August visitation will be close to pre-pandemic levels,” she said. “We are thrilled to also see the gradual return of international visitors, although not yet at 2019 levels.” With the return of tourists visiting the area, Tofi no-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce President Laura McDonald said businesses are “extremely concerned about staffi ng shortages and the impact on their operations.” While a variety of factors are at play, McDonald said the lack of housing is one of the leading causes of the staffi ng shortages. The District of Tofi no fi nished construction on a 14-unit aff ordable housing project earlier this year and another is expected to be complete in 2023, said McDonald. “While these projects are encouraging, they won’t on their own alleviate Tofi no’s housing issues,” she said. “We still require new residential housing developments to be built in the district. The reality of staffi ng shortages is that businesses have to adjust and sometimes curtail services, and we are seeing this happen.” Lewis and Cathy George have been operating the House of Himwitsa, a First Nations art gallery and lodge, since 1991. While the lodge’s occupancy rate has returned to pre-pandemic levels and is already 95 per cent full for the months of July and August, Cathy said they’re keeping COVID-19 safety protocols in place. Staff are only permitted to enter guest rooms after they’ve managed to disinfect and clean for the next visitors, she said. “We’re having a hard time with staff ,” Cathy said. “I don’t want to put any pressure on them above and beyond what’s already going on.” Because of the specialized nature of the art gallery, Cathy said it’s been challenging to retain staff . The business is operating with four fewer employees than normally required. “Everybody here [in Tofi no] is struggling for staff ,” she said. Although Cathy said she would like to hire more people from Ahousaht First Nation, it’s not economically feasible for most to charter a boat to and from work every day. “If there was better transportation from Ahousaht, we would probably get a few more people working outside of the reserve,” she said. With more people turning to online shopping since the start of the pandemic, Lewis said the House of Himwitsa is creating an website store for their gallery. “It’s going to make a huge diff erence,” he said. Visitors are not required to wear masks in the gallery, but Cathy said many put them on before entering the business. For Cathy, it’s a show of “respect.” “I think it’s important,” she said. “Especially in small communities like this where things can spread so easily. “ Despite continuing to wear her mask when the art gallery gets busy and trying to protect family members with asthma, Cathy said she “looks forward” to welcoming international visitors back to her store. “I really enjoy talking to people from all over the world,” she said. “They just love our culture.”
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Jury makes recommendations, nearly two years after Chantel Moore was shot dead
By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor
Fredericton, NB- A fi ve-member jury from a coroner’s inquest into the death of Chantel Moore is calling the tragedy a homicide, with a list of measures to improve police response in crisis situations. The inquest released its fi ndings today regarding the death of the 26-year-old Tla-o-qui-aht member on June 4, 2020 during a police wellness check in Edmundston, New Brunswick. A coroner’s inquest is a formal court proceeding that cannot determine legal responsibility, but rather makes recommendations to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Moore died after being shot fi ve times by Const. Jeremy Son, who came to the young woman’s home at 2:30 a.m. after police received a call from her ex-boyfriend, who was concerned she was being stalked and was afraid for Moore’s safety. Son reported that he knocked on Moore’s window while she was asleep on the coach. She came out to the deck of her second-fl oor apartment, approaching Son with a knife, alleged the offi cer. She refused to drop it despite his commands, said Son, who testifi ed during the inquiry, leading him to fi re. After hearing from 16 witnesses, the jury concluded that the death was not accidental. “The classifi cation of ‘homicide’ in a coroner’s inquest is defi ned as any case of a person dying by the actions of another,” said the New Brunswick Department of Justice and Public Safety in a press release. “Coroners and juries can classify a death as a homicide, suicide, accident, natural causes or cause undetermined. The inquest found Moore’s death was a homicide.” Son was previously not deemed criminally responsible for Moore’s death by the Maritime province’s prosecution service, based on an investigation by the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, a police watchdog agency that serves Quebec and New Brunswick. “[T]he offi cer in question did believe, on reasonable grounds, that force or a threat of force was being used against him by Ms. Moore, that he shot at Ms. Moore for the purpose of defending or protecting himself and that his actions were reasonable under the circumstances,” stated the prosecutor’s offi ce in the written statement issued in June 2021. The Crown went on to say that the offi cer’s actions were reasonable given that he had few options available to him with “a potential lethal threat approaching him quickly.” After reviewing four days of details related to the tragedy, the coroner’s inquest jury recommended better police training in de-escalation and crisis intervention, as well as better access to “less lethal tools”. The inquest found that just one taser was available in the Edmundston Police Force at the time of Moore’s death, a tool that Son did not have with him while he was on the second-storey deck. Other recommendations addressed the ability of police to respond to medical emergencies. The jury called for offi cers to maintain standard certifi cation in CPR and fi rst aid, a review of the medical emergency policy and equipment that administers “combat casualty care.” The inquest stressed a review of “police policy on providing fi rst aid after force has been applied,” to ensure “that offi cers begin emergency medical aid as soon as possible and continue that aid until medical responders arrive and take over.” In November an investigation by the New Brunswick Police Commission concluded there was insuffi cient evidence to show a breach of professional conduct in Moore’s death. But the coroner’s inquest pushed for better police training on “the proper procedures following a serious incident involving serious injury or death,” and that supervisors be better educated on what’s needed “to ensure the integrity of evidence and witnesses.” Nearly two years after losing her daughter during police intervention, such recommendations are hard for Martha Martin to take. “We want to see hard action, we don’t want to hear any more recommendations,” said Martin to reporters as the inquest was underway. “We’re done, we need action now, because we shouldn’t be doing inquiries to fi ght for change for our children.”
Photo by Eric Plummer People gather outside the B.C. legislature in Victoria in June 2020, protesting the death of Chantel Moore during a police wellness check in New Brunswick.
Ha-Shilth-Sa belongs to every Nuu-chah-nulth person including those who have passed on, and those who are not yet born. A community 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 48th year of serving the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. We look forward to your continued input and support. Kleco! Kleco!
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