Environment

A climber is dwarfed by the massive rock face of the Chief in Stawamus Chief Provincial Park in Squamish, B.C., on August 16, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Many Stawamus Chief climbing routes closed after tons of rock tumbles in Squamish

Hot weather suspected cause of collapse at popular B.C. rock-climbing destination

 

Cherries at Pravin Dhaliwal’s family farm in Oliver, B.C., are seen cooked on their trees, when the temperature hit a record 41.5 C in a June 2021 handout photo. Dhaliwal is trying to maintain his passion as a third-generation farmer while dealing with the reality of climate change and says farmers need more support from provincial and federal governments. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Pravin Dhaliwal

Farmers say heat wave, drought show vulnerable agricultural sector needs support

Farmers across Canada look to provincial and the federal governments for help

 

Stuart LePage, of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, sprints to place a salmon in a vessel to be lifted by a helicopter and transported up the Fraser River past a massive rock slide near Big Bar, west of Clinton, B.C., Wednesday July 24, 2019. Officials say thousands of migrating salmon are making their way past an area of British Columbia’s Fraser River that was the scene of waterway restructuring efforts following a massive rock slide more than two years ago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Salmon getting through Fraser River slide zone as officials ponder permanent fix

Protected fishway at the slide site is allowing salmon to make it upstream

 

The weir at Cowichan Lake will be used to reduce the flow of water from Cowichan Lake into the Cowichan River due to drought conditions. (Citizen file)

Catalyst reducing water flow into Cowichan River due to drought

Catalyst confirms cubic metres per second going down to 5.5 by Friday

The weir at Cowichan Lake will be used to reduce the flow of water from Cowichan Lake into the Cowichan River due to drought conditions. (Citizen file)
Bill Merilees, a retired B.C. Parks regional information officer, collected mollusk shells from B.C. and Washington state coastlines for 50 years and has donated his 140,000-specimen collection to University of British Columbia’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)

Vancouver Island man donates 140,000 mollusk specimens to biodiversity museum

UBC’s Beaty museum grateful for Bill Merilees’s historical record of B.C. marine biodiversity

Bill Merilees, a retired B.C. Parks regional information officer, collected mollusk shells from B.C. and Washington state coastlines for 50 years and has donated his 140,000-specimen collection to University of British Columbia’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)
Bill Merilees, a retired B.C. Parks regional information officer, collected mollusk shells from B.C. and Washington state coastlines for 50 years and has donated his 140,000-specimen collection to University of British Columbia’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)

VIDEO: B.C. man donates 140,000 mollusk specimens to biodiversity museum

UBC’s Beaty museum grateful for Bill Merilees’s historical record of B.C. marine biodiversity

Bill Merilees, a retired B.C. Parks regional information officer, collected mollusk shells from B.C. and Washington state coastlines for 50 years and has donated his 140,000-specimen collection to University of British Columbia’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)
The invasive seaweed Japanese sargassum is rapidly spreading in Maple Bay. (Sue Fryer photo)

Event aims to uproot invasive seaweed sweeping through Vancouver Island bay

Japanese Sargasso now taking over from Campbell River to Baja, California

The invasive seaweed Japanese sargassum is rapidly spreading in Maple Bay. (Sue Fryer photo)
The MV Schiedyk is shown in this handout image. Tonnes of bulk fuel has been safely removed from a ship that sank off the west coast of Vancouver Island more than half a century ago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Bligh Island Shipwreck Response *MANDATORY CREDIT*

Tonnes of oil, diesel pumped from leaking B.C. shipwreck 53 years after sinking

The 147-metre cargo ship went down in Nootka Sound in 1968

The MV Schiedyk is shown in this handout image. Tonnes of bulk fuel has been safely removed from a ship that sank off the west coast of Vancouver Island more than half a century ago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Bligh Island Shipwreck Response *MANDATORY CREDIT*
Halfpipe with his mother Split Fluke in 2019. Photo courtesy Kaitlin Paquette.

Death of young humpback shows tragic impact of ship collisions, 2 experts say

Two-year-old ‘Halfpipe’ found dead July 8

Halfpipe with his mother Split Fluke in 2019. Photo courtesy Kaitlin Paquette.
A pumpjack works at a wellhead on an oil and gas installation near Cremona, Alta., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Injection of public funds didn’t increase Alberta oil well cleanups, study suggests

Parkland Institute: Province may have simply replaced money energy companies would have spent anyway

A pumpjack works at a wellhead on an oil and gas installation near Cremona, Alta., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
FireSmoke Canada predicts light smoke throughout eastern and northern Vancouver Island the night of July 6. (FireSmoke Canada)

Light blanket of wildfire smoke to reach Island by Tuesday; no major events predicted

Western winds, mountains to likely protect coastal B.C. from wildfire smoke: expert

FireSmoke Canada predicts light smoke throughout eastern and northern Vancouver Island the night of July 6. (FireSmoke Canada)
A beautiful Saltair sunset in late June. (Photo by Opie Williams)

Record-breaking heat wave wiped out a wet start to June on Vancouver Island

Surprisingly, precipitation total for the month close to normal for Chemainus and Thetis Island

A beautiful Saltair sunset in late June. (Photo by Opie Williams)
Gates Creek, 274-acres of land now in trust with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. (Nature Conservancy)

New conservancy will protect 274-acre corridor B.C. grizzly bears use to meet, mingle

Maintaining connectivity between Stein-Nahatlatch and South Chilcotin grizzly populations essential for species’ survival

Gates Creek, 274-acres of land now in trust with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. (Nature Conservancy)
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra speaks while Ottawa South MP David McGuinty looks on during a press conference at the Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. The Liberal government is speeding up its goal for when it wants to see all light-duty vehicles sold in Canada to be electric.THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Kawai

Liberals say by 2035 all new cars, light-duty trucks sold in Canada will be electric

The government had set 2040 target for when it wants to see all passenger vehicles sold be electric

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra speaks while Ottawa South MP David McGuinty looks on during a press conference at the Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. The Liberal government is speeding up its goal for when it wants to see all light-duty vehicles sold in Canada to be electric.THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Kawai
Crews with the $3.5-million provincially funded Marine Debris Removal Initiative remove discarded and lost gear from B.C.’s central coast in the summer of 2020. (Photo supplied by Simon Agar)

Coastal Cleanup stages sequel of bid to rid B.C. coast of garbage

West Coast cleanup nets over 200 tonnes of marine debris

Crews with the $3.5-million provincially funded Marine Debris Removal Initiative remove discarded and lost gear from B.C.’s central coast in the summer of 2020. (Photo supplied by Simon Agar)
The Site C Dam location is seen along the Peace River in Fort St. John, B.C., Tuesday, April 18, 2017. A United Nations agency says Canada’s largest national park is now so threatened that it could likely be placed on the list of World Heritage sites in danger. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Alberta’s Wood Buffalo National Park nears endangered status

UNESCO says industry, poor governance ‘likely’ endanger Canadian World Heritage site

The Site C Dam location is seen along the Peace River in Fort St. John, B.C., Tuesday, April 18, 2017. A United Nations agency says Canada’s largest national park is now so threatened that it could likely be placed on the list of World Heritage sites in danger. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Fire consumed a condo development project under construction at 208th Street and 80th Avenue Monday night, April 19. Many spectators shared their images. (Daniel Gerstner/Instagram: @gerstner/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Creek impacted by ‘millions of litres’ of chlorinated water used to fight B.C. condo fire

Local watershed group concerned about harm to creek and wants better protocols in place

Fire consumed a condo development project under construction at 208th Street and 80th Avenue Monday night, April 19. Many spectators shared their images. (Daniel Gerstner/Instagram: @gerstner/Special to Langley Advance Times)
An aerial view of the marine oil-spill near Bligh Island in Nootka sound that the Canadian Coast Guard posted in a live social media feed in December. ( Canadian Coast Guard/Facebook)

Oil from vessel that sank in 1968 off Vancouver Island to be removed

DFO hires Florida firm to carefully remove oil from MV Schiedyk in Nootka Sound starting in mid-June

An aerial view of the marine oil-spill near Bligh Island in Nootka sound that the Canadian Coast Guard posted in a live social media feed in December. ( Canadian Coast Guard/Facebook)
The Neucel Specialty Cellulose pulp mill in Port Alice has remained dormant since shutting down production in 2015. (Tyson Whitney - North Island Gazette)

Abandoned Port Alice pulp mill decommissioning costs double to nearly $40 million

Court approves request for increased funding by Neucel bankruptcy manager PricewaterhouseCoopers

The Neucel Specialty Cellulose pulp mill in Port Alice has remained dormant since shutting down production in 2015. (Tyson Whitney - North Island Gazette)
After 800 visitors were granted partial stays at BC Parks this summer in error, the ministry responsible is now saying sorry. (Black Press Media files)

BC Parks’ system grants 800 campsite bookings against provincial policy

The online portal granted numerous 1-night stays at campgrounds this August long weekend

After 800 visitors were granted partial stays at BC Parks this summer in error, the ministry responsible is now saying sorry. (Black Press Media files)