@emrichards.bsky.social
I am a reporter and content creator living and working on unceded Quw’utsun lands on the west coast of so-called Canada. Read my work in @thediscourse.ca and at ericmrichards.carrd.co All opinions expressed here are my own.
Island Health and local groups are urging North Cowichan to reconsider "uninhabitable" shelter sites in Somenos marsh.
Advocates warn that recent displacements are linked to health risks and a spike in overdoses. They’re calling for safer, accessible alternatives. #NorthCowichan #IslandHealth
A 7-metre red cedar log rolled into the Cowichan Valley Arts Council gallery this week and will soon become a canoe. Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw artist Rupert Scow is carving it live during the exhibition 'Many Hands — Working Together', and visitors can help carve. Read more 👇
Mike and Heather Trask’s Comox Valley-based fossil discovery in 1988 inspired a flood of amateur paleontologists. It also inspired the first paleontological society in B.C. and led to the creation of a policy to protect fossils.
Read the story:
thediscourse.ca/comox-valley...
People in the Regional District of Nanaimo may soon be able to live in RVs full time. The district is developing a policy on this as well as a rural housing strategy, a move that has been applauded by the B.C. RV Alliance. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/regi...
“I felt utterly, utterly honoured that they wanted to have his work and were able to receive it.”
How the Cowichan Public Art Gallery became the permanent home of 75 paintings by a renowned Dutch Canadian artist.
Read more in The Discourse.
It’s a small thing. But before this story in @thediscourse.ca came out, the Regional District of Nanaimo was actively working to prevent any long term living in RVs unless you were of means to build a new house. thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/regi...
TOMORROW THEY VOTE ON PERMITTING LONGTERM RV LIVING
“Everyone should be concerned that we were profiled and asked to leave for no reason.”
Three Cowichan Valley residents say they were threatened with arrest at a public town hall featuring Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and local MP Jeff Kibble — because of the messages on their T-shirts.
In case you didn’t know, I write a newsletter for @thediscourse.ca that goes out every Tuesday and features a roundup of local news and events happening in the #cowichanvalley. Check it out at the link below!
Nanaimo RCMP have confirmed that officers responded to reports of a plane crash in a wooded area near Twilight Way, south of Nanaimo, B.C., at approximately 3 a.m. this morning. RCMP say the plane was found "in a large debris field and there were no survivors." The investigation is ongoing.
I was on hand to witness the start of a decampment operation by the Municipality of North Cowichan last week. Read more about what happened and the massive spike in overdoses reported in the following days in my reporting below. #vancouverisland
Have you had a chance to see the salmon runs this year? We’ve put together a list of some great spots to watch them in action across the Cowichan Valley! #cowichanvalley
With the recent “town hall” in Richmond, it’s worth understanding how Tl’uqtinus was stolen by colonial officials. The court found it should’ve been set aside as reserve — but it wasn’t. Learn more about why, and the village’s long history, in my coverage ⬇️
Thrilled to see my colleagues’ outstanding reporting getting the recognition it deserves! @thediscourse.ca
Got a chance to dive a bit deeper into a recent decision by the Agricultural Land Commission to reject a plan to remove a small portion of a dike that runs through the Cowichan Estuary. One advocate told me this raises big concerns about the province’s commitment to reconciliation @thediscourse.ca
Our Nanaimo and Comox Valley reporters @micksweetman.bsky.social and @emrichards.bsky.social are at the @nifss.bsky.social screenings this afternoon at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. Come say hello and watch some international films.
From coal mining runoff in British Columbia to bacterial blooms in the Great Lakes, water pollution won’t be contained by the Canada-U.S. border. Our latest newsletter: thenarwhal.ca/newsletter-w...
Our August print issue is out now! What to know where to pick up a copy? Or maybe you're not in town this month and still want to read the latest issue. You can find all that on our website.
revelstokemountaineer.com/magazine/
I had a great time out at the Shawnigan Lake Museum learning about the new additions, which include some repatriated Quw’utsun belongings!
It was a sunny weekend on the waterfront in front of Snuneymuxw First Nation’s Reserve #1 as hundreds of people from as far as Hope, B.C. gathered to participate in war canoe races, enjoy comfort food such as Indian tacos, and soak up the good vibes.
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/in-p...
The tsunami watch has been upgraded to an advisory for B.C. In Victoria, our risk remains low. Stay out of water and away from beaches and waterways. We will continue to monitor. For future emergencies, subscribe to Vi-Alert to get local updates at victoriaready.ca.
x.com/EmergencyInf...
Scotch broom is one of the most notorious invasive species on Vancouver Island. It is also extremely flammable, leading to growing concern as the climate changes and Earth warms. thediscourse.ca/comox-valley...
reFRESH Market in Duncan is closing its doors after years of recovering surplus food. We wanted to know how the community was responding to this potential gap in food recovery and learned that a local food bank plans to keep the momentum going.
Nanaimo’s ‘bike lane Barbie’ says the city is working to make cycling more accessible for everyone.
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/how-...
Last week, the Quw'utsun Salmon, a giant puppet built by the Quw'utsun Stseelthun Friendship Project, performed at 39 Days of July in Duncan. Read more about the project in our previous coverage: thediscourse.ca/cowichan-val...
Kids make radio shows and podcasts at ‘super fun’ summer camp at Nanaimo’s community radio station @chly.ca.
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/chly...
“In a world with serious problems, where we have serious things to debate, people emphasizing a bylaw that is simply there to protect privacy as somehow an infringement of democratic freedoms is just silly,” Naniamo Mayor Leonard Krog said about a legal threat over a council meeting recording ban.
The Discourse was on hand last month to document a plant care workshop at the Hulitun Spulhxun/Tumuhw native plant nursery. Check out photos from the event below.
Our reporter @emrichards.bsky.social followed up with St. Ann’s Garden Club — first covered last year — and found that the original story by @shalumehta.bsky.social helped turn around the fortunes of the nature-based therapy provider.
Want to hear what Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog has to say about a legal warning letter sent by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms over bylaws that ban recording of city council meetings and in city spaces? Subscribe to our Nanaimo This Week newsletter for free! thediscourse.ca/newsletters
