The District of Tofino has opened its first wastewater treatment plant, with officials calling it a “major milestone” for the community of around 2,500 people. The facility, which took around two years to build, will enable the district to end its decades-long practice of sending raw sewage into the ocean.
For centuries, the Haida people have known that the impenetrable forests and bountiful waters of Haida Gwaii – “the islands at the boundary of the world” – were both a life-giving force and their rightful home. Now, after decades of negotiation, the province of British Columbia has come to the same conclusion: the title over more than 200 islands off Canada’s west coast should rightfully be held by the Haida Nation.
The Canadian federal government has signed its first major nature agreement with a province and First Nations to mutually support protecting 30% of lands and waters by 2030. The agreement is meant to protect old growth forests in the B.C., support the recovery of at-risk species, and restore ecosystems.
It was a historic “rematriation” for the Indigenous nation of around 600 people in what is now known to many as Canada’s British Columbia. The return of the Ni’isjoohl pole could also set a precedent in a broader repatriation movement gaining steam around the world.
Seeing just two humpbacks in Puget Sound was noteworthy in the 1980s. Today, the number of humpbacks has grown by an order of magnitude from about 500 on the West Coast to more than 5,000, including about 2,000 in Washington and southern B.C. waters.
Environmentalists say the mix of traditional knowledge from Indigenous elders, hands-on community engagement, and Western science offer a model for improved conservation.
“By decriminalizing people who use drugs, we will break down the stigma that stops people from accessing life-saving support and services.”
British Columbia’s minimum wage is the highest among the provinces in Canada, and it is about to go even higher.
Parks Canada says it’s backing a nature prescription program so doctors and nurses can prescribe a Parks Canada Discovery Pass to patients suffering mental and physical health problems.
During the study, research, medical, and therapist staff at Numinus will collect data on the safety and effectiveness of MDMA-assisted therapy to inform Health Canada and support making MDMA-assisted therapy available to individuals living with PTSD in Canada.
