The Discourse

02/02/2024

'They don't have enough housing for single women who struggle with life,’ says a member of the Nanaimo Women’s Poverty Response Circle.

08/04/2023

Two weeks ago, Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools emailed a statement to the district’s families that said after an investigation into concerns that the camp’s staff agreement is discriminatory, the school board decided to sever ties with the camp. Late last week, Sooke School District 62 informed The Discourse that it too would not approve any future programming or involvement with Camp Qwanoes.

Camp Qwanoes executive director says the camp is being misrepresented and questions the religious inclusivity of the school districts.

07/22/2023

“This is where the most Hosackia pinnata in the world occurs. Right here. It’s kind of a big deal,” says local botanist, Scott Black. “You’d think Nanaimo would just be like, ‘Hey that’s where our plant lives. You can’t build there.’”

One of B.C.’s rarest ecosystems is slated to become a subdivision. This community group is uniting to protect it.

07/21/2023

The 100 Houses in Lake Cowichan are a unique part of the Town’s development, and also part of a much larger story about how public housing provided a solution during a national housing crisis.

Learn more from historian Kelly Black in his latest for The Discourse.

This wartime development could point to housing solutions for the modern day.

07/21/2023

Roots to Thrive , in partnership with Vancouver Island University , launched the Naut sa mawt Centre for Psychedelic Research earlier this year. It is the first of its kind in Canada, and is working with universities across the country to advance the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy. The centre combines Indigenous knowledge with Western medicine and brings together research, education and practice.

Learn more 👇

The Naut sa mawt Centre for Psychedelic Research unites research, education and practice.

07/21/2023

Nanaimo Fringe Festival's artistic managing director will continue to advise so the August event proceeds as organizers vow to investigate community safety concerns this fall.

The artistic managing director will continue to advise so the August event proceeds as organizers vow to investigate community safety concerns this fall.

07/20/2023

A plan to solve homelessness in the Cowichan region is realistic and achievable, says Duncan Mayor Michelle Staples, but only if the provincial and federal government will step up to fund community-led solutions.

“We can actually address this, we can actually solve this,” Staples said at a news conference last month. “There has to be a willingness and a commitment from higher levels of government that are responsible for the support dollars that are required to take care of people.”

At the same event, the Cowichan Housing Association released data from its latest Point In Time Count, which seeks to identify as many people experiencing homelessness as possible in a 24-hour period. The survey counted 223 people without housing, and certainly missed many others.

The survey confirmed what frontline workers in the Cowichan Valley have been noticing in recent years: a population of people without housing that is growing and becoming more diverse. More seniors, youth and families are losing their housing, primarily because they can’t find an affordable place to live.

“People who are teetering on the edge have fallen into homelessness,” said Shelley Cook, executive director of the Cowichan Housing Association. Increasing unaffordability has “accelerated and escalated some of the things that we were already seeing.”

👉 For more on this story, head to The Discourse's website - thediscourse[dot]ca

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07/17/2023

The population of people without housing in the Cowichan Valley is growing and becoming more diverse, according to data from Cowichan Housing Association's 2023 Point in Time Count. Duncan Mayor Michelle Staples says a plan to solve homelessness in the region is achievable.

“We can actually address this, we can actually solve this,” Staples said. “There has to be a willingness and a commitment from higher levels of government that are responsible for the support dollars that are required to take care of people.”

Provincial and federal governments must step up to fund community-led solutions to combat homelessness.

07/16/2023

What a team! A big thanks to the everyone who showed up to support independent media in today's Duncan Days Parade — and to all who cheered us on!

07/12/2023

We heard you: The Comox Valley needs in-depth reporting on environmental issues, and too many important stories are going untold.

With funds from the Local Journalism Initiative, we are hiring a community reporter to tell solutions-focused stories of regional significance. The position is located on the Unceded Traditional Territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, the traditional keepers of this land.

Visit https://discoursemedia.bamboohr.com/careers/38 to apply by July 27. Please consider sharing this post to help spread the word!

07/03/2023

VIU’s p’hwulhp project restores the rare and endangered ecosystem on campus while researching how the drought-hardy tree could survive a warming climate.

VIU is working to restore a patch of p'hwulhp ecosystem on campus and researching ways the drought hardy tree could survive a warming climate.

06/29/2023

Do you rely on Facebook for local news and information? Bad news: the tech giant Meta will soon block Canadians from accessing news on Facebook. It's a retaliation against the new Online News Act, which will force big companies to pay for news links shared on their platforms.

Luckily, the independent local reporters at The Discourse send regular news and updates by email to people in the Cowichan Valley and Nanaimo. Sign up now, for free, if you care about community news and information.

Unlike Big Tech, we believe everyone should have access to local news. Like and share this post if you agree!

Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley news, in your inbox.

06/27/2023

"We’re going to give [members] the opportunity to come home now," said Chief Mike Wyse (Xumtilum) at a June 21 dinner celebrating two years of progress on developing housing rooted in SFN teachings and community knowledge.

Snuneymuxw First Nation and B.C. celebrate two years of historic MOU housing partnership.

06/26/2023

Rising sea levels and human development are squeezing the Cowichan estuary habitat out of existence. This project aims to make space for estuary life into the future.

Rising sea levels and human development are squeezing the Cowichan estuary habitat out of existence. This project aims to make space for the estuary into the future.

06/26/2023

A water sustainability plan is one of few legal tools that could fundamentally change how resources are managed, including on private lands. Here's what that might mean for the Koksilah watershed.

Cowichan Tribes and B.C. have agreed to a collaborative process to reimagine land and water management, from the ground up.

06/20/2023

🎉🎉🎉 The Discourse Community Publishing family is growing! We're expanding our impact on B.C.'s local news ecosystem with the purchase of the Revelstoke Mountaineer. 🎉🎉🎉

Discourse Community Publishing to expand its impact on local news ecosystem with purchase of Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine and revelstokemountaineer.com.

06/16/2023

“We're having to pay for the cost of maintaining [a] building that isn't even ours,” says one tenant who is leading the fight against additional rent increases from their landlord

B.C.’s new rental increase formula aims to ensure landlords actually complete repairs, but tenants are left wondering why they have to pay.

06/15/2023

A study of the Xwulqw’selu (Koksilah) and Chemainus watersheds has surfaced new information about their poor state of health — and opportunities for restoration.

“If we want to make real change, real differences, we have to completely rewrite the model on how we manage our ecosystems,” says professional forester Heather Pritchard, who is the Twinned Watershed Project’s riparian habitat lead.

A years-long study is identifying ways to improve watershed and fish habitat health in the Koksilah and Chemainus rivers.

06/09/2023

Jules Sherred has been passionate about cooking his whole life, but lost the desire to cook when a disability causing chronic pain and fatigue made it a difficult task. With the help of an electric pressure cooker, Sherred found his way back to the kitchen and wrote a cookbook to help make cooking more accessible for others, too.

“The kitchen is the most ableist room in the house,” Sherred says. “That’s why I want to ‘crip up the kitchen.’”

'The kitchen is the most ableist room in the house,' says Jules Sherred. 'That’s why I want to "crip up the kitchen.”'

06/09/2023

Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls make specific demands to change and improve police services, justice systems and supports that are available to Indigenous people.

After a "miscommunication" regarding the suspicious death of 15-year-old Carsyn Mackenzie Seaweed, The Discourse asked RCMP about its training related to missing and murdered Indigenous people.

Amid calls for justice for Carsyn Mackenzie Seaweed, The Discourse asked RCMP about its response to missing and murdered Indigenous people.

06/08/2023

Wow! We're just $375 away from our goal of raising $20,000 for local independent journalism. Will you help get us over the finish line?

Why support The Discourse? “Meaningful local investigative reporting.” – Parker Jefferson, Duncan ​​”Great reporting in my neighbourhood.” – Lynn Bakken, Nanaimo “Integrity, intelligence and the focus on local news.” – Heather Cameron, Gabriola 🖐️ Frequently Asked Question...

06/02/2023

* This is an excerpt from the Cowichan This Week email newsletter. Sign up here to get local news and updates delivered to your inbox: https://thediscourse.ca/newsletters *

I’ve noticed so much hurt, struggle and trauma in our communities lately. When I hear about a quadrupling in police shootings in B.C., I’m reminded of the depth and complexity of the issues our communities face. I’m also reminded that these issues are so much bigger than the Cowichan region, that we are facing a particularly hard moment, provincially, nationally and globally.

But our communities also hold strength and resilience that continues to astound me. And I’m so glad to give a bit of space this week to the massive success of The Village temporary housing project, which has proved itself as a model for compassionate community care.

At a council meeting on May 15, the City of Duncan renewed the temporary use permit for The Village, located at 610 Trunk Rd., for another 18 months. Since 2022, the site has housed, fed and supported 34 people. The residents each have their own tiny-home-like space.

Lee King, operations director with Lookout Health and Housing, shared evidence of the program’s success at the council meeting. Here are some highlights:

-In a recent survey of more than 450 close neighbours, 98 per cent agreed that the program has had a positive community impact. “A lot of our previous detractors have become our biggest supporters,” King said.

-RCMP report an 18 per cent decrease in crime in the immediate neighbourhood.

-Two thirds of residents say they are now regularly accessing health care. Just 15 per cent say they regularly accessed health care before moving to The Village.

-Nearly 90 per cent of residents participate in neighbourhood clean-ups and peer outreach. Nearly a third of residents are employed by The Village’s peer outreach program.

-The site has been transformed by residents through art and gardening programs, including a mural project created in partnership with Cowichan Tribes and local schools.

-The Village has welcomed visits from representatives of various municipalities, provincial and federal governments and non-governmental organizations who are interested in spreading this model to other communities.

All of this is thanks to community partnership and support, King said. “The community support at all levels — public, private, non-profit — has been remarkable and is a real testament to the community of the Cowichan Valley.”

Photo: Eddie checks out his new home in The Village, March 2022. Photo by Philip McLachlan/The Discourse

06/01/2023

Hundreds of people took part in a march in Quw’utsun’ territories to show support for the family of Carsyn MacKenzie Seaweed on Wednesday. The event in Duncan was held as a call for justice for the 15-year-old Na̱mǥis and Quw’utsun’ girl whose suspicious death is now under investigation.

“The family wants some answers. Carsyn comes from a really strong family. There needs to be an investigation. We need to find out what happened.”

Story by The Discourse's Shalu Mehta and Anna McKenzie of IndigiNews.

Family and allies gather in Duncan for the Na̱mǥis and Quw’utsun’ teen, Carsyn Mackenzie Seaweed, who was loved by many.

05/29/2023

Carsyn’s family have been advocating for answers about their loved one’s death. A hashtag, , has also been created to raise awareness about what happened and how police are handling the case.

Story by Anna McKenzie of IndigiNews and The Discourse's Shalu Mehta.

Family and friends are rattled after the tragic loss of 15-year-old Carsyn Mackenzie Seaweed, remembered as ‘a very caring person.’

05/22/2023

"It's not just a piece of land, it's a connection," says Elder Xulsimalt (Gary Manson).

"It's not just a piece of land, it's a connection," Elder Xulsimalt (Gary Manson) explains.

05/19/2023

Several local businesses recently received threatening calls and emails because of their support for a community drag show fundraiser. But an act of kindness from community members Ray and Cathie Camley helped demonstrate "there’s more love than hate in the world, in Duncan and in Cowichan."

Event sponsors received threatening calls and emails, but ‘there’s more love than hate in the world, in Duncan and in Cowichan.’