Island Insider

Canada's National Observer is a proud participant of the Local Journalism Initiative, which supports the creation of original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada.

Rochelle Baker will be covering Quadra and Cortes Islands in British Columbia.

541 Articles

UBC engineers devising solution to catch and destroy forever chemicals in polluted drinking water

PFAS chemicals are notoriously difficult to break down once they’ve found their way into the environment or human body, and even minuscule amounts pose big health risks.

Rochelle Baker

August 30th 2024

Alda Grames Secret Cove land. Photo submitted by Alda Grames.

How one partnership preserves the natural beauty of the Sunshine Coast

The collaborative effort, run through the B.C. Parks Foundation, protects more than 250 acres of previously privately-owned land on the Salish Sea — home to a rare ecosystem of endangered coastal Douglas fir.

Hope Lompe

August 29th 2024

B.C. coastal strategy not enough to curtail waterfront development

Groups say the B.C. Coastal Marine Strategy should be the first step toward a law to protect coastal habitats from shoreline development, but similar attempts out east have not gone to plan.

Hope Lompe

August 28th 2024

Extended nightmarish drought strains British Columbia water systems

A nearly year-long drought that lasted through the winter and brought both record heat and unprecedentedly low snow levels have left the province under drought conditions from the Lower Mainland to northern B.C., straining the vital resource for communities and farmers alike.

Marc Fawcett-Atkinson

August 26th 2024

B.C. fish farm slapped with hefty fine for illegal operations

West Coast Fishculture, a fish farm owned by AgriMarine Holdings, was ordered to pay $350,000 for illegally operating on Lois Lake in B.C.

Rochelle Baker

August 23rd 2024

Gitanyow Nation 12' well production pump site which will be the primary source of water for hatchery. Photo submitted by the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs

First Nation and feds hatch plan to save sockeye

More than 50 years after the Gitanyow first raised concerns over the diminishing Kitwanga sockeye salmon population and halted harvest, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is building a hatchery for the species to be operated by the nation.

Hope Lompe

August 23rd 2024

Migrant workers in Norfolk County, Ontario. Michael Swan/Flickr

Employers given heads up in 70% of migrant worker inspections

70 per cent of federal temporary foreign worker inspections are announced to the employer prior to inspection, despite being triggered primarily by worker complaints

Hope Lompe

August 21st 2024

B.C. migrant workers suffer extreme heat: study

A study by UBC Centre for Climate Justice and Radical Action showed housing reforms are urgently needed for temporary foreign workers

Hope Lompe

August 19th 2024

Cameron Lake wildfire on June 7, 2023. B.C. Ministry of Transportation/Flicker

Fires of 2023 burn holes in tourism operator pockets

The federal government says Canada's appeal as an international tourist destination has been damaged by the 2023 forest fire season — the country’s most destructive on record.

Hope Lompe

August 19th 2024

In this tiny Indigenous community, a clean power project is driving the economy

The Hesquiaht First Nation community of Hot Springs Cove is celebrating a long-awaited victory for energy security and the environment.

Hope Lompe

August 15th 2024

Art by Ata Ojani/Canada's National Observer.

Sharp rise in temporary foreign workers in Canadian logging

Analysis of government data by Canada’s National Observer takes you through the rise in temporary foreign worker permit holders in Canada's forestry industry.

Hope Lompe

August 14th 2024

Our tires shed toxins that kill fish. Here's a partial fix

Scientists at the University of British Columbia are experimenting with ways to keep chemicals shed by vehicle tires from entering waterways and causing widespread coho salmon deaths.

Hope Lompe

August 13th 2024

Citizen scientists track the shift in B.C.'s seasons

Citizen scientists partner with the Ministry of Forests and VIU to understand how climate change is hitting Vancouver Island’s forests and plant species.

Hope Lompe

August 7th 2024

A sink-or-swim moment for on-land fish farming

Industry hurdles like secure supply of hatchlings, a future-proof feed supply and regulatory challenges for new entries to the market, have limited the prospect of a thriving land-based farming industry.

Hope Lompe

August 2nd 2024

Southern Resident Killer Whale mother and her calf swimming.

Feds slow-walk promise to help protect killer whales

Federal government slow-walks 2019 promise to implement recommendations that could protect Southern Resident Killer Whales.

Hope Lompe

July 26th 2024