Port Hardy RCMP officers are hoping the public can help identify two theft suspects.

Last week, police received a call after two  downriggers were stolen at the government dock just after 1:00am.

Police say video surveillance was able to show two individuals driving up to the dock in a red car. 

Once parked, the smaller (believed to be female) individual goes down to the dock and comes up with what looks to be the downriggers in her arms.

 The female puts the stolen goods into the vehicle and the two drive away. The Port Hardy RCMP are hoping that the public can help positively identify the two persons involved.    

A photo of both individuals can be seen below.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the Port Hardy RCMP at 250-949-6335. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or visit their web site at www.crimestoppers.ca. 

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The Penelakut First Nation near Chemainus says over 160 undocumented grave sites have been discovered on their grounds and foreshore.

In a letter posted on social media, the first nation invites neighbouring tribes and organizations to help raise awareness of the Kuper Island Industrial School, where it says many local children attended, and never returned home.

It is planning an awareness march in Chemainus on August 2nd, starting at 9:00am at the Salish Sea, Market in Chemainus . They will also be holding two healing sessions, on July 28th, and the second on August 4th, at the Penelakut School gym .

In the invitation, the Penelakut say “many of our brothers and sisters from other communities attended the Kuper Island Industrial School. We also recognize with a tremendous amount of grief and loss, that too many did not return home.”

The First Nation goes on to say, “we are at a point in time where we must face the trauma because of these acts of genocide.”

The Kuper Island Industrial Residential School earned the nickname of Canada’s Alcatraz after it opened in 1889 because of its island location.

The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of his or her Residential school experience or for those affected by these reports. The 24-hour crisis line is available at 1-866-925-4419.

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New rules to the Agricultural Land Reserve are going to increase housing flexibility on Vancouver Island.

Starting December 31st, those living in ALR areas will have the option for a secondary home, meaning they will be allowed to have both a primary residence and small secondary residence on their property.

The second residence can be used for extended family, agritourism accommodation, housing for farm labour or a rental property, and no longer needs to be used by the landowner or immediate family.

Some examples of flexible housing options permitted under the regulation include, but are not limited to:

• garden suites, guest houses or carriage suites;
• accommodation above an existing building;
• manufactured homes; and
• permitting a principal residence to be constructed in addition to a manufactured home that was formerly a principal residence.

Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.says the changes are coming after some feedback was received in regional engagement sessions and to the ministry's policy intentions paper, where ALR landowners made it clear they wanted this type of residential flexibility.

"We took the time to listen and come up with solutions that will help both farmers and non-farmers alike, while protecting the integrity of our valuable agricultural land. We hope this regulatory change will assist new farmers starting their businesses, encourage landowners to partner with new farmers to get their land into production, and address the needs of British Columbian families,” explains Popham.

“Having an option for housing opens up new doors to families and provides more opportunities for more agricultural land to go into production, increasing our province's food security”, she added.

You can see a map of all the ALR’s on Vancouver Island below. 

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Some Port Hardy RCMP officers used a unique way to teach bike safety at local elementary schools.

The Indigenous Policing section of the Port Hardy RCMP joined forces with other officers to host bike rodeos at the Quatsino First Nation for K’ak’ot’lats’I School, Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda-xw Nations Elementary School, and lastly the Kwakiutl Nation - Wagalus School.

They were held back in June and included free bike tune-ups (led by Constable Dupuy who used to be a bike mechanic), safety talks, and most importantly, an obstacle course. 

The interactive obstacle course allowed officers (and volunteers) to teach safe bicycle riding methods in a dynamic and memorable way to the elementary school students. 

Each rodeo ended with a ceremony that included a certificate for all participants. The tired and hungry students were provided juice, chips, and freezies to help recover from their rigorous bike obstacle training.

The Port Hardy Indigenous Policing Section would like to thank everybody who volunteered and the local elementary schools for hosting the events. The officers would especially like to thank the many eager participants who put in the hard work to earn their certificate.

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Another 160 people lost their lives this May due to illicit drug toxicity.

It's the 15th consecutive month where B.C has seen deaths related to toxic drugs get above 100, and it’s not something to be proud of, explains B.C’s Chief Coroner, Lisa Lapointe.

"More than five years into this public health emergency, we continue to lose our loved ones, friends and neighbours at an almost unimaginable rate. There is no way to measure the catastrophic impact that the loss of these lives have had on every community in our province. Today, I grieve with all those who have lost someone close to them as a result of this crisis."

The 851 lives lost between January and May are the most ever reported in the first five months of a calendar year, passing the 704 deaths reported in 2017 by almost 21 percent.

Another scary statistic announced today is that the supply is a continued threat to drug users in the province, with 27% of the samples tested in April, and 25% of samples tested in May contained extreme concentrations (more than 50 micrograms per litre) of fentanyl.

Carfentanil, a more potent analogue of fentanyl, has now been detected in 75 deaths in 2021, and 60% of returned tests in May were positive for benzodiazepines, which create significant life-saving challenges for first responders when used in combination with opioids.

Chief Coroner Lapointe says as we continue to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, we should be focusing our efforts on the other, more serious problem in B.C. 

"As the COVID-19 pandemic begins to wind down, we must turn our attention to combating B.C.'s other public health emergency with the same sense of urgency," Lapointe said. "We need to ensure that safe alternatives to toxic illicit drugs are available throughout the province, and that we are taking meaningful steps to reduce stigma and offer substance users access to the support they need and are seeking."

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Power is still out for many on the North Island, but crews say they are trying to get it back as soon as possible.

BC Hydro updated its website this morning for residents in Port Hardy, Port Alice, Alert Bay, and Port McNeill who are experiencing widespread power outages as a result of a transmission circuit failure.

The company says it conducted aerial patrols early this morning to find out what caused the power outage, and are hoping to have power back up in the region by 12:00pm this afternoon.

Over 6 thousand residents on the North Island are currently experiencing power outages. For the latest updates on the restoration or to see the outages in your area, visit the BC Hydro outage list here.

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With the hot temperatures continuing this week, Island Health is reminding you to take it easy.

A heat warning is in effect for most of Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast with Environment Canada calling for daytime highs ranging from 33 to 42 degrees, and overnight lows of 18 to 21.

With many struggling with the heat, Island Health Medical Health Officer, Dr. Mike Benusic says one great way to beat the hot weather is to get into the water. 

“Seeking relief in the water is a great idea. Make sure of course, for people going out into the water that they are used to the water. That they know how to manage the ocean or the lake if they're in it.”

He adds that the number one thing you should be doing when heading outdoors in this weather, is to apply sunscreen.

“Anyone going outside should be wearing sunscreen at all times. At least SPF 30 if not 40. This includes all spectrums of ages, and reapply it throughout the day, one time is not enough.”

Benusic also says if you are outside, you should keep an eye out for the symptoms of serious heat-related illness, like dizziness/fainting, and extreme thirst.

Some other tips to make sure you stay safe this week include drinking plenty of water even before you feel thirsty, and taking breaks from the outdoors to cool down.

Environment Canada says the heat wave should taper off later in the week when temperatures return to normal for this time of year.

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Another North Island city is not celebrating Canada day this year.

The City of Port McNeil had planned to host a community BBQ on July 1st, but after
receiving backlash on social media, council members decided against the event.

Mayor Gaby Wickstrom, along with other council members made the announcement Friday afternoon.

“We hope this gesture shows we have heard your voices, that we stand with you in grief, and are sincerely wanting to work together towards reconciliation,” read a statement from the city.

Port McNeill is now part of a bunch of communities on the North Island choosing to cancel Canada Day celebrations to honour Indigenous Peoples across the country.

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With record high temperatures rolling out across Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, the BCSPCA is asking pet owners not to leave animals in parked cars.

 “We can’t stress strongly enough how dangerous it is to leave your pet in a hot car,” says Lorie Chortyk, general manager of communications for the BC SPCA. 

“Last year, the BC SPCA responded to more than 800 calls about animals in distress in hot cars. The temperature in a parked car, even in the shade with windows partially open, can rapidly reach a level that can seriously harm or even kill a pet.” 

She notes that because dogs have no sweat glands, being locked in a hot car can be very devastating for them. 

“Dogs cannot withstand high temperatures for long periods, particularly older pets and brachycephalic breeds such as pugs, bulldogs, Boston terriers and others with compressed faces.” 

Chortyk says SPCA officers are called out to “worst case” situations every summer, where a beloved pet is in critical distress or has died after being left in a hot car. 

“It is a completely preventable tragedy for both the poor animal and their distraught guardian.” 

The BC SPCA urges pet owners to leave their furry friends at home when running errands on a hot day.

The organization is also sharing some tips if you see a dog in distress including writing down the licence plate number of the car and asking nearby businesses if the owner is inside.

If you can see that the dog is clearly in distress, the SPCA says you should call to report the situation to the BC SPCA, animal control or a law enforcement agency, and not break a window to get the animal out, as it is illegal to do so. 

For more tips on what to do if you see a pet in distress on a hot day, visit the BCSPCA’s website.

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Effective at noon Wednesday, June 23rd, most open burning activities will be prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre.

This prohibition is being introduced to help reduce wildfire risk and protect public safety.

Category 2 and Category 3 open fires will be prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre's jurisdiction with the exception of Haida Gwaii. 

This prohibition applies to all public and private land, unless specified otherwise (e.g., in a local

government bylaw). People are asked to check with local government authorities for any other

restrictions before lighting any fire.

Specifically, this prohibition refers to the following activities:

"category 2 open fire" which means an open fire, other than a campfire, that

• a) burns material in one pile not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
• b) burns material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width, or
• c) burns stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 ha.

 "category 3 open fire" which means an open fire that burns

• a) material concurrently in 3 or more piles each not exceeding 2 m in height and 3 m in width,
• b) material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 m in height or 3 m in width,
• c) one or more windrows, or
• d) stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 ha.

Other prohibited activities include fireworks, sky Lanterns; binary exploding targets; burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description; and, air curtain burners.

This prohibition does not apply to campfires that are a half‐metre high by a half‐metre wide or smaller, or to cooking stoves that use gas, propane or briquettes. 

Anyone lighting a campfire must maintain a fireguard by removing flammable debris from around the campfire area and have a hand tool or at least eight litres of water available nearby to properly extinguish the fire.

If you don’t follow the burn ban, you could face a violation ticket for $1,150 or even face jail time.

A map of the affected areas is available online on the Coastal Fire Centre’s website.

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