A statement from the Ehattesaht First Nation says the deceased killer whale near Zeballos was pregnant, and they are still working to help the stuck calf.

This comes after the First Nation community members were able to secure and move the mother Biggs Killer Whale for a necropsy. While they do not know if the whale was hunting and then got stuck or if an underlying health condition caused her death, they did find the whale had an unborn female fetus.

Efforts to remove the live calf from the lagoon are ongoing, including attempts to use whale calls at high tide to entice the calf out of the lagoon. However, the First Nation says this was unfortunately not successful.

Discussions between the First Nation and the DFO are ongoing to decide on a path forward. They add they also suspended their forestry operations yesterday and have provided helicopter support to see if the whale pod can be spotted.

The calf has been named kʷiisaḥiʔis, which means “brave little hunter,” and more meetings will be held so they can create a plan to help her.

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A new dementia care pilot project is getting good results and is expected to be implemented in a new care facility this summer.

Providence Living is doing the project in partnership with the UBC Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes - which is evaluating the care model. It was launched in January 2023 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Comox.

Providence Living says it is designed to prepare staff for the move to the new long-term care village, Providence Living at The Views this summer.

According to quality, practice and program development executive director Jennifer Gibson, the model is based on the concept of a dementia village. It aims to be a more person-centred, rather than an institutional approach.

“Within the social-relational model, the rhythms and patterns of the day are grounded in a person-centred approach and the residents drive the day,” said Gibson.

“Instead of coming to work and reporting at a facility like a hospital, staff honour the concept of home. Teams work collaboratively, they support residents’ plans and goals for the day.”

Gibson says they have learned over the years that seniors “flourish” when they can maintain their independent and social connections along with routines.

The work they are doing with UBC is evaluating the impact of the pilot, and Gibson says the feedback has been positive so far.

“What we’ve heard is that the experience of being in the pilot is calmer and overall the staff are more satisfied with the way they are able to work in the pilot,” said Gibson. “There’s more controls in how residents are experiencing their day, and that’s true for family members as well.”

The pilot is preparing staff for how the care model will work when the new facilities are launched. Providence Living at The Views is expected to open this summer in Comox and will have 155 publicly funded beds and one private pay bed.

The model is expected to be used at all future Providence Living locations in B.C., and they will require workers to be trained on the new model as they are hired.

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RCMP say they are investigating a reported assault that took place at a U15 minor hockey game that sent one player to hospital.

According to Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association president Al McCulloch, the incident was between two players, 13 and 14-years-old, on March 15 on Comox Valley and Nanaimo minor hockey teams.

McCulloch says the injured player was taken to hospital and is now out of hospital recovering in concussion protocol. He adds the other player is suspended indefinitely until the outcome of the investigation, which is also being done with BC Hockey.

McCulloch says the organization does not condone this type of behaviour in hockey, adding it does not belong in the game.

He adds they work to teach kids to play nice from the start, and situations like these are an anomaly.

“We try to work with them from a young age to explain proper rules, proper etiquette on and off the ice, proper behaviour,” said McCulloch.

“We don’t really condone stick work in general, if it’s a penalty it’s a penalty, but excessive, deliberate attempts to injure are the things we’re trying to remove from the game.”

McCulloch adds the subject of what is acceptable and what is not is brought up every year, but they need to teach kids at a younger age that things like this are not acceptable.

“It’s a continuous learning curve, much like ABCs in school, it’s a continuous lesson in life,” added McCulloch.

“Hopefully we get past it and our players do learn from it. Hopefully, the player is remorseful, and he’s learned from it eventually when he moves on and uses it as a lesson in life that there are repercussions to actions.”

He adds that he wishes the injured player a quick recovery.

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The province announced $39 million to benefit B.C. communities for disaster-risk reduction funding, many of which are on Vancouver Island.

According to the province, over 50 projects are getting funding through the community emergency preparedness fund. It will allow necessary changes like small-scale structural flood projects and improvements to community flood-mitigation strategies.

Projects include repairs to the Holland Creek weirs in Ladysmith to protect people from flooding and prevent damage to salmon-spawning grounds. They will get $2.75 million for the project and Ladysmith says the river has seen lots of damage over the last decade.

Courtenay will be getting $268,576 for a joint temporary flood-mitigation planning project with K’ómoks First Nation, Cowichan Tribes will get $150,000 for mobile flood control equipment and the Cowichan Valley Regional District will get $267,080 to create risk reduction policies and processes.

Funding of $42,402 has been approved for Parksville for an Arrowsmith dam inundation study. The Strathcona Regional District is also getting $400,992 to update the Oyster River floodplain map and help build its path forward with an understanding of balance and expression of culture.

Ladysmith mayor Aaron Stone says the project will help remove the risk of erosion along its banks, improve the restoration of aquatic habitat and ensure the continued enjoyment of the trail system.

“Additionally, funding to repair the intake weir further ensures the long-term supply of water to the town’s filtration plant,” said Stone. “Which is integral to distributing safe drinking water to the entire community, Stz’minus First Nation and the Diamond Water Improvement District.”

Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Nathan Cullen says they have worked with communities to develop B.C.’s first integrated vision for provincial flood preparedness.

“The new B.C. Flood Strategy will guide our continued work with First Nations, local government agencies, the agricultural sector, industry and conservation organizations,” said Cullen.

“Together, we can build stronger communities that are resilient to flood hazards in a changing climate.”

For more information, click here. 

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A Conservative motion in the House of Commons to stop the federal carbon tax increase was defeated today, and local politicians are offering opinions on the situation.

The motion would have frozen the carbon tax, which will see a 23 per cent increase on April first. The Tories say this is not supported by 70 per cent of the provinces and 70 per cent of Canadians.

However, the motion was defeated 205 to 119 in the House of Commons. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre plans to introduce a motion for a vote of non-confidence tomorrow. He said in parliament today that the vote would let Canadians decide if they want to continue with the tax.

On the Island, Courtenay-Alberni NDP MP Gord Johns says the motion would not have applied to B.C. because it has had its own carbon tax since 2008. On the provincial government’s website, it says the federal government’s carbon plan means all provinces must have at least a price of $65 per tonne for 2023.  

Johns says the move is simply a diversion from corporate greed, which he says is causing inflation.

“We heard from the governor of the Bank of Canada, we heard from the PBO, that on a $100 bag of groceries, the carbon tax has an impact of inflation of about 0.15 per cent, that’s $0.15 on a $100 bag of groceries,” said Johns.

“We did our own calculation on the big five grocery stores that are having record profits and on a $100 bag of groceries last year, that was $3.20 that went to corporate greed.”

Johns adds the Conservatives have not agreed with other taxes in the past, like the removal of GST on home heating, that would have impacted British Columbians and lower energy bills.

Meanwhile, Conservative candidate for North Island – Powell River Aaron Gunn says B.C. already has some of the highest gas prices in Canada and around $0.70 per litre of gasoline goes to the government.

He says that compounds and ends up increasing the cost of many goods.

“When you increase the price of growing the fuel for the farmer growing the food or the driver transporting the food, you end up taxing everyone who buys the food as well,” said Gunn.

Gunn adds a recent study showed the carbon tax means a family of four will pay $700 more for groceries in 2024, and the tax is planned to increase over the next few years.

He says the planned increases mean other provinces will have to continue to increase their taxes in line with the federal government.

Gunn says he is hopeful that the non-confidence vote motion will pass tomorrow. However, he says he is pessimistic that will happen, and the country will see an election this spring as it will depend on how the NDP votes.

The federal government says it is estimated that the carbon tax will contribute to around one-third of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions reductions. 

It adds that every province or territory can design its own pricing system tailored to local needs or choose the federal system. The feds only provide the benchmark, and if the localized system does not meet that, the federal system will be put in place instead.  

According to the government, around 90 per cent of fuel charge proceeds go back to families through the Canada Carbon Rebate payments, which reach eight out of 10 households. 

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According to the province, over $8.4 million will boost Island and Sunshine Coast school districts so they can make upgrades to buildings and transport.

This comes after it announced $291.9 million for school maintenance in budget 2024. They say the investment will help make schools more energy efficient, climate resilient and better able to support their school communities.

As a part of the funding, school food programs will get $5 million annually to help food programs.

Districts will also get nearly $23.8 million to get new busses, and $26.9 million from the Ministry of Education will be for electrical upgrades across 51 districts. To help upgrades last longer, the province says they are also adding $5.4 million to the School Enhancement Program.

On Vancouver Island, the Nanaimo Ladysmith School District is getting over $2.12 million. This will be used for interior upgrades at Rutherford Elementary and John Barsby Community School, HVAC upgrades at Randerson Ridge Elementary and kitchen equipment upgrades at Woodlands Secondary.

The Campbell River School District will get over $1.9 million for roofing upgrades at Sayward Elem-Jr Secondary, Carihi Secondary, Cedar Elementary, Cortes Island School and nine others, and HVAC upgrades at Sandowne Elementary.

Cowichan Valley’s school district is getting nearly $1.8 million for HVAC upgrades at Quamichan School and Tansor Elementary, food equipment upgrades at nine schools including Crofton Elementary and Community School and Drinkwater Elementary, and three new busses.

The Vancouver Island North School District is getting $1.38 million for roofing upgrades at North Island Secondary and HVAC upgrades at Sea View Elem-Jr Secondary.

SD 71 in the Comox Valley is getting $1.24 million for exterior wall upgrades at Tsolum Elementary, energy upgrades at Denman Island Community School, and kitchen equipment upgrades at 11 schools including all three high schools.

On the Sunshine Coast, SD 47 in Powell River is getting over $2.1 million for HVAC upgrades at Henderson Elementary, energy upgrades at Henderson, James Thomson and Texada elementaries and Kelly Creek Community School and one new bus.

The Sunshine Coast School District is getting $850,000 for interior upgrades at Cedar Grove Elementary and at Chatelech, Elphinstone and Pender Harbour Elem-Secondary. Roofing upgrades will also be done at Langdale Elementary, electrical upgrades at Chetelech Secondary and seven new busses will be bought.

BC School Trustees Association president Carolyn Broady adds the upgrades will benefit students across B.C. and contribute to efforts to address climate change.

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A three-year audit into the province’s implementation of overdose prevention and supervised consumption says it was not effective.

The audit from auditor general Michael Pickup issued seven recommendations to the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and the Ministry of Health.

The audit found that the ministries did monitor operational performance, funding, and reported publicly on the implementation of overdose prevention and supervised consumption services.

Other positives included framework development for data collection, funding monitoring and funding adjustment and evaluation of prescribed safer supply.

However, it says deficiencies in operational guidance lacked minimum service standards and did not always reflect engagement with health authorities, people with lived and living experience and Indigenous peoples.

It also found “persistent” challenges and barriers to province-wide implementation were not addressed and there were deficiencies in target setting and evaluation. The ministries also didn’t develop strategies to address prominent barriers to implementation and did not report publicly on the performance of prescribed safer supply.

With the findings, the auditor general is recommending the ministries work collaboratively with health authorities, service providers and Indigenous peoples to make appropriate minimum-level standards province-wide.

It also will aim to update guidance for OPS/SCS to ensure it meets the needs of all these groups.

The ministries are also recommended to work proactively with health authorities to develop targets that are achievable within given time frames, create new systematic evaluation, and strategies to articulate the ministries’ and health authorities’ responsibilities for implementation and continue to work with health authorities to create community-level guidance.

The audit also asks the ministries to develop an action plan to address barriers to prescribed safer supply access, and ministries report regularly to the public and health sector partners on whether the program is effectively meeting its objectives.

The ministries have accepted all the recommendations.

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Temperatures are around five degrees warmer than normal, and Environment and Climate Change Canada says multiple records fell over the weekend.

Meteorologist Derek Lee says temperatures of near or over 20 degrees were recorded in some areas between Saturday and Sunday. That includes a record of 19, which broke a 1947 record for Victoria.

Port Alberni, however, took the lead on the Island with a Sunday afternoon high of 20.6 degrees. That beat out a record of 18.7 set in 1930.

On the Sunshine Coast, Gibsons and Sechelt set new records on both Saturday and Sunday. Gibsons and Sechelt hit 13.7 on Saturday, breaking records from 1996. They also hit nearly 19 on Sunday, which broke a record set five years ago.

Lee says the reason for this weather is down to a high-pressure system hanging over the area. It’s expected to stick around until Wednesday before temperatures return to seasonal norms.

This also means we will have more cloud cover and rain in the forecast. While there is the potential for more cold temperatures to arrive, he says it is not likely to affect the coast much.

“It is looking like a wet pattern is in store for us for the rest of March, and for the cold coming in, I think it will mainly affect the interior where they’re going to see major temperature swings of up to at least 20 degrees,” said Lee.

“For the coast itself, we can get a bit cooler than what we’re experiencing now but the temperatures are more or less seasonal with some cooler nights in the forecast.”

Lee adds that the higher temperatures will likely make the snow melt a bit faster, but cooler overnight lows and short sunlight hours mean it won’t melt as quickly.

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BC Wildfire Service is trying to prepare for this year’s wildfire season by using real-time predictive technologies.

The move is a part of the premier’s Expert Task Force on Emergencies and last year’s “successful” trial of the system. It will be first introduced in the Coastal and Kamloops fire centres, where it has already been tested.

The remaining four fire centres will get the technology in a phased-in approach. Minister of forests Bruce Ralston says this is necessary as we learn to respond to climate change impacts.

“During a wildfire, every second counts as wildfire professionals deploy aircraft and firefighters to tackle blazes,” said Ralston. “By adding more technology to the BC Wildfire Service’s tool kit, our talented firefighters will be able to make critical decisions faster when it matters most.”

The province says the tech will not replace the experience and skills of BC Wildfire Service staff, but it will help them make decisions and plan future operations. They add it works by using data from weather models, topography and fuel maps.

It can also use existing geospatial data and fuel maps and uses an app-based interface to allow for on-the-ground inputs in real-time.

“The availability of a common operating picture when facing rapidly evolving emergencies can be the difference between life and death,” said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection former director Thom Porter.

“I’ve experienced the power of technology to transform the way response organizations work together to reduce impacts to communities and natural values.”

Senior wildfire officer of operations for the Coastal Fire Centre Greg Boyachuck says the software came particularly in handy when a slew of lightning strikes hit the area in late August.

“We were able to triage the new starts as they were discovered. The software was able to produce a predicted 12-hour fire spread for each new incident in less than 15 minutes, compared to a previous manual process which could take up to several hours for each incident,” said Boyachuk.

“That allowed us to identify which wildfires were a priority for initial attack resources based on their potential to spread and threaten communities.”

The province says other technologies are being trialled including using drones for aerial ignitions, infrared scanning for hazard assessments and 5G tech for more sensor networks used to monitor forest conditions.

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The Comox Valley Rent Bank is looking forward to its expansion and new name next month, but more funding will be needed to provide services.

Starting April 1, the rent bank will add the Strathcona, Mount Waddington and qathet regional districts to its service. It will then be renamed to the North Island Rent Bank, and they say this is because they have had great success and realized other areas did not have the benefit of a local rent bank.

Case manager Dawn Schroeder says a rent bank works with renters who are experiencing a short-term financial crisis that is impacting their ability to pay rent or essential utilities. This could look like someone fleeing an abusive relationship, a health crisis that is preventing them from working or someone who has to choose between paying their Hydro bill or feeding their family.

Tenants can apply for a rent bank loan, which is interest-free, and they can make their repayment spread out between 12 and 36 months. The goal is to prevent people from becoming homeless due to an unexpected life event.

“We really work with the individual to make that even the repayment of the rent bank loan is not a financial barrier,” said Schroeder.

However, the expansion means the organization is looking for more funding and they would also like to provide grants to clients to lower payments.

“Because the cost of living is so high, we are hoping to reduce their payments to us and we can offset those costs by offering grants,” said Schroeder.

While the cost of this service is expected to fluctuate, she says getting the word out and that the program will be available in these areas.

“Right now, if there’s a renter in one of those areas that needs help from the rent bank, they are getting service from the Elizabeth Fry Society, which is based out of Kamloops,” said Schroeder.

“The benefit of having a local rent bank is that we are working with community partners to really make sure that the person is getting all of the help they need to get them through the financial situation they find themselves in.”

To qualify for a rent bank loan, it must be under $3,000, the applicant cannot be more than two months behind in rent, can repay the loan and be able to show the rental/lease agreement along with two pieces of ID (one photo) along with three months of bank statements.

More information can be found on the rent bank's website.

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