Latest news with #TsleilWaututhNation
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Vancouver's growing marine traffic is putting Indigenous canoe culture at risk, says First Nations researcher
Marine researchers in British Columbia are weaving together traditional, Indigenous knowledge with science to protect the province's waters, and preserve a First Nations sport that holds deep cultural and historical significance. Leading the research is the Tsleil-Waututh Nation's Zoe George, a participant of Clear Seas' Indigenous Internship Program investigating the effects of marine traffic on Indigenous communities and their access to vital traditional territories and practices. At the centre of George's research is the cultural importance of canoeing to First Nations communities, and how the dwindling health of local marine ecosystems doesn't merely present a threat to nature but to the cultural identity and connection to the environment of local First Nations. 'There is a part of war canoeing that is like being a living culture, there are a lot of spiritual and Indigenous epistemologies that go along with war canoe culture and that's been since time immemorial,' says George. 'But then you have parts of colonialism and secular colonialism that really changed parts of war canoeing, and what that is for us.' George nods to the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) North Vancouver Canoe Club who struggle to access the shoreline at Sen̓áḵw, an area historically home to the nation. 'Where they paddle from they have to weave around huge ships, huge shipping containers, and it's actually quite dangerous for them to be paddling there, but it's the only place that they have access close to their home and to their reserve,' she says. George, who typically paddles every day for six months of the year, says there are around 30 different First Nations communities in the Lower Mainland alone hosting races and training throughout the year who would be impacted by a rise in marine traffic. 'It's a very big community,' she says. George's research is the basis of an exhibit at the Vancouver Maritime Museum, táywilh | snəxʷəɬ, designed to promote reconciliation and share the rich history and cultural significance of Coast Salish canoeing with the wider public. Ensuring there is ample education for the wider public on the importance of canoeing to First Nations communities is the first step towards protecting Indigenous culture for future generations, she says. 'Just having the public be interested in, and knowing and understanding the truth behind what we're living through means a lot, and a step forward in the right direction.'
CTV News
28-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
B.C.'s Eby tilts at Trump's dislike of windmills to jolt provincial call to power
A solar panel array is seen outside the administration building at the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, in North Vancouver, B.C., Thursday, June 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck VANCOUVER — Premier David Eby used British Columbia's latest call for more power sources to invite American clean energy producers to the province after U.S. President Donald Trump criticized 'ugly' windmills in Scotland. Trump called the wind turbines near his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland 'ugly monsters,' prompting Eby to issue the call to producers in the United States to come to B.C., where there's support for clean energy. In the latest call to power, BC Hydro is looking for renewable sources to generate almost as much energy as the new Site C dam in northeastern B.C. BC Hydro's request for proposals is looking for up to 5,000 gigawatt hours of electricity from large clean or renewable projects in partnership with First Nations and independent power producers. BC Hydro has said Site C will generate 5,100 gigawatt hours each year, enough to power about 450,000 homes. Eby says boosting the clean energy supply will support growing communities and industries, while creating thousands of good-paying jobs. BC Hydro completed its first call to power in more than 15 years in 2024, resulting in 10 new renewable energy projects. Energy Minister Adrian Dix says the request for energy will bring investment and accelerate progress toward B.C.'s economic and climate goals. 'We're doubling down on renewable power, expanding our grid and supporting First Nations leadership in energy development, all while helping communities and businesses access the clean electricity they need to grow,' Dix says in a statement released Monday. — With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025.
CTV News
11-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Health minister says rare-disease funds denied again for B.C. girl Charleigh Pollock
B.C. MLA Josie Osborne speaks at the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, in North Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday, June 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck VICTORIA — A family from Langford, B.C., hoping to extend the life of their little girl who has a rare disease has been rejected again for coverage of medication that costs about $1 million a year. Health Minister Josie Osborne says in a statement that she knows the outcome of the review process is not what the family of Charleigh Pollock wanted. Osborne says she met with Pollock's parents last week to accept further information about Batten disease that they said hadn't been considered by the B.C. rare diseases expert committee, which first recommended funding for the girl's medicine be stopped. But the statement says that information and much more was considered by the committee and the decision remains that the drug Brineura is no longer helping slow the progress of the girl's disease. It says that cost was not considered and all provinces rely on clinical criteria recommended by Canada's Drug Agency. B.C. is not the only jurisdiction grappling with the issue, the statement says, noting that the United Kingdom announced it would no longer provide coverage for Brineura for future Batten disease patients due to the limited evidence of its long-term effectiveness. 'This has been one of the most challenging issues that I have worked on since becoming health minister, and I take seriously my role to ensure that B.C. has drug review processes that are independent, evidence-based and treat people equally,' Osborne says in the statement. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2025.
