With the Coy Cup back in Powell River for the first time since 2010, the Regals are hoping to take another win in the historic tournament.

Kicking off this week, the Powell River Regals managed to take a tie game with rivals from Terrace and get a win over Penticton.

The team will face off with Williams Lake tonight, which will be a tough battle, according to archives and history volunteer Troy Butler.

The Coy Cup is very significant to the area, according to Butler. He says Regal hockey started in the 1950s when the mill was recruiting workers and put together a senior men's hockey team that had some success.

“In 1970, they won a Canadian National Championship, the Coy Cup, I think that was the third Coy Cup back in the late 60s,” said Butler. “The Regals won it again in 1991-92 at home and then they hosted the tournament in 2010 and won it for a fifth time.”

With Powell River playing host once again, the pressure is on, but Butler also says it brings a big boost to the local hockey community.

“The atmosphere has just been incredible. The first two nights, we had over 1,000 fans and going into Thursday night, we’re hoping for 1,500 and maybe we’ll have that building full by Friday night and Saturday night,” said Butler.

Butler adds he remembers watching the Regals play, and it is an inspiration for many minor hockey players wanting to move up in the sport. He says everyone comes out for Regal hockey, and it brings family and friends together in the city.

The Regals have their next game today (Thursday) at 7:30 p.m. If they win, it will push them straight into the final on Saturday night.

Terrace is also looking for their first-ever Coy Cup win, and Butler adds he is hoping for a Powell River vs. Terrace final.

He adds there will be a tribute to long-time Regals players, executives and volunteers Denny Dyre and Cliff Milne at 7:15 p.m.

“Between the two of them, they put in 98 years for the green and gold,” said Butler. “We lost those two during COVID, so the town never had a chance to pay their respects properly and tonight’s that opportunity.”

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More cycling education will be coming to the Powell River School District through a partnership with HUB Cycling.

The course is set to begin next week for students in grades 4 and 5. It will be taught in all six Powell River public schools, fully funded, to 450 students.

The course includes five lessons that teach students cycling safety theory and on-bike skills via school ground training.

“We are very excited to be one of two communities to receive this free bike education program pilot for grade 4 and 5 students,” said Instruction, Learning and Innovation director Kristen Brach.

“Providing students with the opportunity to learn about active transportation and bike safety is invaluable to our community.”

HUB says this pilot project was made possible by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure as part of the Move Commute Connect Active Transportation Strategy.

Bicycles, adaptive bicycles and helmets will be supplied by HUB Cycling to ensure all students can participate.

“With this pilot – and hopefully expansion to more small communities – Powell River’s School District becomes a leader in providing students with the skills and knowledge needed to use active transportation and stay safe on our roads,” said director of Bike Education Rose Gardner.

“Raising a generation of sustainable transportation users is critical to realizing our health, climate action and vision zero goals.”

HUB says they will monitor the pilot outcomes by surveying parents and teachers. More information can be found here. 

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A statement from the Ehattesaht First Nation says the deceased killer whale near Zeballos was pregnant, and they are still working to help the stuck calf.

This comes after the First Nation community members were able to secure and move the mother Biggs Killer Whale for a necropsy. While they do not know if the whale was hunting and then got stuck or if an underlying health condition caused her death, they did find the whale had an unborn female fetus.

Efforts to remove the live calf from the lagoon are ongoing, including attempts to use whale calls at high tide to entice the calf out of the lagoon. However, the First Nation says this was unfortunately not successful.

Discussions between the First Nation and the DFO are ongoing to decide on a path forward. They add they also suspended their forestry operations yesterday and have provided helicopter support to see if the whale pod can be spotted.

The calf has been named kʷiisaḥiʔis, which means “brave little hunter,” and more meetings will be held so they can create a plan to help her.

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A new dementia care pilot project is getting good results and is expected to be implemented in a new care facility this summer.

Providence Living is doing the project in partnership with the UBC Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes - which is evaluating the care model. It was launched in January 2023 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Comox.

Providence Living says it is designed to prepare staff for the move to the new long-term care village, Providence Living at The Views this summer.

According to quality, practice and program development executive director Jennifer Gibson, the model is based on the concept of a dementia village. It aims to be a more person-centred, rather than an institutional approach.

“Within the social-relational model, the rhythms and patterns of the day are grounded in a person-centred approach and the residents drive the day,” said Gibson.

“Instead of coming to work and reporting at a facility like a hospital, staff honour the concept of home. Teams work collaboratively, they support residents’ plans and goals for the day.”

Gibson says they have learned over the years that seniors “flourish” when they can maintain their independent and social connections along with routines.

The work they are doing with UBC is evaluating the impact of the pilot, and Gibson says the feedback has been positive so far.

“What we’ve heard is that the experience of being in the pilot is calmer and overall the staff are more satisfied with the way they are able to work in the pilot,” said Gibson. “There’s more controls in how residents are experiencing their day, and that’s true for family members as well.”

The pilot is preparing staff for how the care model will work when the new facilities are launched. Providence Living at The Views is expected to open this summer in Comox and will have 155 publicly funded beds and one private pay bed.

The model is expected to be used at all future Providence Living locations in B.C., and they will require workers to be trained on the new model as they are hired.

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RCMP say they are investigating a reported assault that took place at a U15 minor hockey game that sent one player to hospital.

According to Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association president Al McCulloch, the incident was between two players, 13 and 14-years-old, on March 15 on Comox Valley and Nanaimo minor hockey teams.

McCulloch says the injured player was taken to hospital and is now out of hospital recovering in concussion protocol. He adds the other player is suspended indefinitely until the outcome of the investigation, which is also being done with BC Hockey.

McCulloch says the organization does not condone this type of behaviour in hockey, adding it does not belong in the game.

He adds they work to teach kids to play nice from the start, and situations like these are an anomaly.

“We try to work with them from a young age to explain proper rules, proper etiquette on and off the ice, proper behaviour,” said McCulloch.

“We don’t really condone stick work in general, if it’s a penalty it’s a penalty, but excessive, deliberate attempts to injure are the things we’re trying to remove from the game.”

McCulloch adds the subject of what is acceptable and what is not is brought up every year, but they need to teach kids at a younger age that things like this are not acceptable.

“It’s a continuous learning curve, much like ABCs in school, it’s a continuous lesson in life,” added McCulloch.

“Hopefully we get past it and our players do learn from it. Hopefully, the player is remorseful, and he’s learned from it eventually when he moves on and uses it as a lesson in life that there are repercussions to actions.”

He adds that he wishes the injured player a quick recovery.

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Harbour Air says it will increase its flight capacity to Powell River during the temporary closure of the Powell River Airport runway.

The runway will be closed between April 8 and June 9 for upgrades, and no flights will be running during that time. Harbour Air says it will increase flights to seven days a week to and from YVR South and Downtown Vancouver.

The increase in flights will help to mitigate inconveniences, and the airline says it is committed to stepping up efforts to ensure uninterrupted access.

A link to more information and to book flights can be found here.

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A Conservative motion in the House of Commons to stop the federal carbon tax increase was defeated today, and local politicians are offering opinions on the situation.

The motion would have frozen the carbon tax, which will see a 23 per cent increase on April first. The Tories say this is not supported by 70 per cent of the provinces and 70 per cent of Canadians.

However, the motion was defeated 205 to 119 in the House of Commons. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre plans to introduce a motion for a vote of non-confidence tomorrow. He said in parliament today that the vote would let Canadians decide if they want to continue with the tax.

On the Island, Courtenay-Alberni NDP MP Gord Johns says the motion would not have applied to B.C. because it has had its own carbon tax since 2008. On the provincial government’s website, it says the federal government’s carbon plan means all provinces must have at least a price of $65 per tonne for 2023.  

Johns says the move is simply a diversion from corporate greed, which he says is causing inflation.

“We heard from the governor of the Bank of Canada, we heard from the PBO, that on a $100 bag of groceries, the carbon tax has an impact of inflation of about 0.15 per cent, that’s $0.15 on a $100 bag of groceries,” said Johns.

“We did our own calculation on the big five grocery stores that are having record profits and on a $100 bag of groceries last year, that was $3.20 that went to corporate greed.”

Johns adds the Conservatives have not agreed with other taxes in the past, like the removal of GST on home heating, that would have impacted British Columbians and lower energy bills.

Meanwhile, Conservative candidate for North Island – Powell River Aaron Gunn says B.C. already has some of the highest gas prices in Canada and around $0.70 per litre of gasoline goes to the government.

He says that compounds and ends up increasing the cost of many goods.

“When you increase the price of growing the fuel for the farmer growing the food or the driver transporting the food, you end up taxing everyone who buys the food as well,” said Gunn.

Gunn adds a recent study showed the carbon tax means a family of four will pay $700 more for groceries in 2024, and the tax is planned to increase over the next few years.

He says the planned increases mean other provinces will have to continue to increase their taxes in line with the federal government.

Gunn says he is hopeful that the non-confidence vote motion will pass tomorrow. However, he says he is pessimistic that will happen, and the country will see an election this spring as it will depend on how the NDP votes.

The federal government says it is estimated that the carbon tax will contribute to around one-third of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions reductions. 

It adds that every province or territory can design its own pricing system tailored to local needs or choose the federal system. The feds only provide the benchmark, and if the localized system does not meet that, the federal system will be put in place instead.  

According to the government, around 90 per cent of fuel charge proceeds go back to families through the Canada Carbon Rebate payments, which reach eight out of 10 households. 

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There will be no Pacific Coastal Airlines flights from the Powell River airport to Vancouver while upgrades are made to the runway.

In an announcement today, Pacific Coastal says flights will be suspended starting on April 8. Flights are expected to resume June 9; updates will be available on its website.

The airline says they will contact customers with reservations booked during the period of the runway closure and then will offer reservation changes to new dates at no additional cost. Customers can also choose to cancel their flights and get a full refund.

“We understand there may be frustration with this swift closure, and we are diligently working with our teams to notify affected passengers,” said President Quentin Smith.

“This runway rehabilitation is imperative for the safety of our passengers, the long-term sustainability of the airport, and the continuity of our service to Powell River. We eagerly anticipate the project’s completion and the resumption of our services for the summer.”

For more detailed information, click here. 

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A three-year audit into the province’s implementation of overdose prevention and supervised consumption says it was not effective.

The audit from auditor general Michael Pickup issued seven recommendations to the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and the Ministry of Health.

The audit found that the ministries did monitor operational performance, funding, and reported publicly on the implementation of overdose prevention and supervised consumption services.

Other positives included framework development for data collection, funding monitoring and funding adjustment and evaluation of prescribed safer supply.

However, it says deficiencies in operational guidance lacked minimum service standards and did not always reflect engagement with health authorities, people with lived and living experience and Indigenous peoples.

It also found “persistent” challenges and barriers to province-wide implementation were not addressed and there were deficiencies in target setting and evaluation. The ministries also didn’t develop strategies to address prominent barriers to implementation and did not report publicly on the performance of prescribed safer supply.

With the findings, the auditor general is recommending the ministries work collaboratively with health authorities, service providers and Indigenous peoples to make appropriate minimum-level standards province-wide.

It also will aim to update guidance for OPS/SCS to ensure it meets the needs of all these groups.

The ministries are also recommended to work proactively with health authorities to develop targets that are achievable within given time frames, create new systematic evaluation, and strategies to articulate the ministries’ and health authorities’ responsibilities for implementation and continue to work with health authorities to create community-level guidance.

The audit also asks the ministries to develop an action plan to address barriers to prescribed safer supply access, and ministries report regularly to the public and health sector partners on whether the program is effectively meeting its objectives.

The ministries have accepted all the recommendations.

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Temperatures are around five degrees warmer than normal, and Environment and Climate Change Canada says multiple records fell over the weekend.

Meteorologist Derek Lee says temperatures of near or over 20 degrees were recorded in some areas between Saturday and Sunday. That includes a record of 19, which broke a 1947 record for Victoria.

Port Alberni, however, took the lead on the Island with a Sunday afternoon high of 20.6 degrees. That beat out a record of 18.7 set in 1930.

On the Sunshine Coast, Gibsons and Sechelt set new records on both Saturday and Sunday. Gibsons and Sechelt hit 13.7 on Saturday, breaking records from 1996. They also hit nearly 19 on Sunday, which broke a record set five years ago.

Lee says the reason for this weather is down to a high-pressure system hanging over the area. It’s expected to stick around until Wednesday before temperatures return to seasonal norms.

This also means we will have more cloud cover and rain in the forecast. While there is the potential for more cold temperatures to arrive, he says it is not likely to affect the coast much.

“It is looking like a wet pattern is in store for us for the rest of March, and for the cold coming in, I think it will mainly affect the interior where they’re going to see major temperature swings of up to at least 20 degrees,” said Lee.

“For the coast itself, we can get a bit cooler than what we’re experiencing now but the temperatures are more or less seasonal with some cooler nights in the forecast.”

Lee adds that the higher temperatures will likely make the snow melt a bit faster, but cooler overnight lows and short sunlight hours mean it won’t melt as quickly.

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BC Wildfire Service is trying to prepare for this year’s wildfire season by using real-time predictive technologies.

The move is a part of the premier’s Expert Task Force on Emergencies and last year’s “successful” trial of the system. It will be first introduced in the Coastal and Kamloops fire centres, where it has already been tested.

The remaining four fire centres will get the technology in a phased-in approach. Minister of forests Bruce Ralston says this is necessary as we learn to respond to climate change impacts.

“During a wildfire, every second counts as wildfire professionals deploy aircraft and firefighters to tackle blazes,” said Ralston. “By adding more technology to the BC Wildfire Service’s tool kit, our talented firefighters will be able to make critical decisions faster when it matters most.”

The province says the tech will not replace the experience and skills of BC Wildfire Service staff, but it will help them make decisions and plan future operations. They add it works by using data from weather models, topography and fuel maps.

It can also use existing geospatial data and fuel maps and uses an app-based interface to allow for on-the-ground inputs in real-time.

“The availability of a common operating picture when facing rapidly evolving emergencies can be the difference between life and death,” said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection former director Thom Porter.

“I’ve experienced the power of technology to transform the way response organizations work together to reduce impacts to communities and natural values.”

Senior wildfire officer of operations for the Coastal Fire Centre Greg Boyachuck says the software came particularly in handy when a slew of lightning strikes hit the area in late August.

“We were able to triage the new starts as they were discovered. The software was able to produce a predicted 12-hour fire spread for each new incident in less than 15 minutes, compared to a previous manual process which could take up to several hours for each incident,” said Boyachuk.

“That allowed us to identify which wildfires were a priority for initial attack resources based on their potential to spread and threaten communities.”

The province says other technologies are being trialled including using drones for aerial ignitions, infrared scanning for hazard assessments and 5G tech for more sensor networks used to monitor forest conditions.

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The Comox Valley Rent Bank is looking forward to its expansion and new name next month, but more funding will be needed to provide services.

Starting April 1, the rent bank will add the Strathcona, Mount Waddington and qathet regional districts to its service. It will then be renamed to the North Island Rent Bank, and they say this is because they have had great success and realized other areas did not have the benefit of a local rent bank.

Case manager Dawn Schroeder says a rent bank works with renters who are experiencing a short-term financial crisis that is impacting their ability to pay rent or essential utilities. This could look like someone fleeing an abusive relationship, a health crisis that is preventing them from working or someone who has to choose between paying their Hydro bill or feeding their family.

Tenants can apply for a rent bank loan, which is interest-free, and they can make their repayment spread out between 12 and 36 months. The goal is to prevent people from becoming homeless due to an unexpected life event.

“We really work with the individual to make that even the repayment of the rent bank loan is not a financial barrier,” said Schroeder.

However, the expansion means the organization is looking for more funding and they would also like to provide grants to clients to lower payments.

“Because the cost of living is so high, we are hoping to reduce their payments to us and we can offset those costs by offering grants,” said Schroeder.

While the cost of this service is expected to fluctuate, she says getting the word out and that the program will be available in these areas.

“Right now, if there’s a renter in one of those areas that needs help from the rent bank, they are getting service from the Elizabeth Fry Society, which is based out of Kamloops,” said Schroeder.

“The benefit of having a local rent bank is that we are working with community partners to really make sure that the person is getting all of the help they need to get them through the financial situation they find themselves in.”

To qualify for a rent bank loan, it must be under $3,000, the applicant cannot be more than two months behind in rent, can repay the loan and be able to show the rental/lease agreement along with two pieces of ID (one photo) along with three months of bank statements.

More information can be found on the rent bank's website.

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While not a record, BC Wildfire Service says they are seeing a high volume of applicants which may help if 2024 becomes another devastating season.

According to minister of Forests Bruce Ralston, the service has got around 1,700 applications this year and it is an encouraging sign.

“I think the season last year was so intense that it did attract a lot of public attention, and I think that reflects public anxiety about what we experienced last summer and what we might experience in the summer to come,” said Ralston.

“The season for applications has been a bit longer and it’s been a bit more intense.”

Ralston adds that so far, ministry staff have interviewed over 500 applicants for this upcoming season. He says there is always turnover from season to season since many college and university students work in the summer and choose not to return.

He says they also have a goal of making the wildfire service a year-round service, instead of just seasonal.

“Although, the bulk of the action will still be in the summer, but it begins earlier and the seasons are continuing longer,” said Ralston.

Even with the rise in applications, public concern is at the forefront of decision making, according to the ministry. A task force last year looked at areas that may need improvement, that included the application and training system.

Ralston says that includes a training and recruitment model, and a boot camp will be coming up in Parksville this spring. The recruitment ramp up is in preparation for a potentially difficult season with a continuing drought and low snowpack.

“Climate change is bringing dramatic changes to the prospects of wildfire in the province and indeed across the country,” said Ralston. “We want to be prepared, we want to make sure the public, communities and families are safe.”

He adds another key aspect to fighting fires will be building relationships with municipal fire departments and creating more integration. That includes joint training between BC Wildfire and municipal departments.

Ralston says over 170 municipal departments participated in the firefighting last summer.

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A declining number of workers at IMP Aerospace in the Comox Valley could cause problems for safety, especially when it comes to search and rescue operations.

That’s from the Public Service Alliance of Canada and UNDE Local 21018, whose members are picketing outside 19 Wing Comox today to protest the situation.

IMP Aerospace has been the In-Service Support provider for the Department of National Defence for over 20 years. They keep the Cormorant search and rescue helicopters at 19 Wing in mission-ready condition.

However, UNDE members are protesting as low wages have caused more than half of its 50 employees to move on to other opportunities. This means less than 20 workers remain to work on the helicopters, and they say IMP started forcing workers from other parts of the country to leave their families and work in Comox to fill vacancies.

“Normally they have about 30-something technicians, they’re down to 14 technicians right now. That has to impact the capabilities of the search and rescue service,” said UNDE national president June Winger.

“Without a doubt, the number one cause of these issues is underpaying their staff. The staff are walking from one hangar right into the next hangar and getting more than $10/hr pay increase doing identical work just on a different aircraft with a different contractor.”

UNDE acting local president Grant Golem adds that people are feeling the pressure and leaving. He adds there will be “a point when they’re not going to be able to meet their contractual obligations.”

Members are currently in bargaining negotiations with IMP where staffing shortages, recruitment, and fair wages that keep up with the cost of living are key issues.

Winger adds that while things are still running, it may only be a matter of time before it fails.

“Then it’s too late. Either somebody didn’t get a response to their call for search and rescue or there’s going to be an issue with the aircraft with our people already in it,” said Winger.

“That could be risking cab members, risking the IMP employees and that could be risking whoever they are also trying to rescue. That’s the really difficult piece to it.”

Winger says they are hoping National Defence will see an issue before it becomes catastrophic, and make sure IMP man their operations with enough staff.

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While BC RCMP says prescription drugs like narcotics and opioids that are no longer in the possession of their prescribed owner are something they deal with on many occasions, it still is not common.

That comes in a release from assistant commissioner John Brewer. Brewer says that the presence of confirmed safer supply prescriptions is in the minority of drug seizures.

“While there have been recent investigations that have resulted in notable quantities being seized, there is currently no evidence to support a widespread diversion of safer supply drugs in the illicit market in B.C. or Canada,” said Brewer.

“We’ve increased awareness to our police officers in order to better identify cases where safer supply drugs may be present within their investigations.”

Brewer says they are also working with their partners to test seized drugs, to both definitively confirm and source them.

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A project funded by the federal government to clean up coastlines off Vancouver Island is “just touching the surface” of how much cleanup needs to be done.

That’s from Cathy Kaardal of the Campbell River Association of Tour Operators. The group was a part of the Clean Coast, Clean Waters initiative for the second time. This year, they managed to clean up over 38 tonnes of material from the islands North of Campbell River including Phillips Arm, Jackson Bay and East and West Thurlow Islands.

It comprised around 350 km of coastline, and materials collected included over 15 tonnes of steel, five tonnes of tires and nearly three tonnes of rope.

However, the item of most concern was polystyrene. The group of 12 collected over four tonnes of polystyrene over the 72 days at sea cleaning up. Kaardal says this is most concerning because of the way the material breaks down.

“That had the greatest mass by far, even though it wasn’t the greatest weight obviously, but it was everywhere, either broken down because it had been there for years or still in large forms,” said Kaardal.

“Polystyrene starts to get aqua botanicals and other seaweed-type things growing inside it. When that starts to happen, the wildlife – particularly birds and smaller fish – can't tell the difference [between it and food] because it smells the same.”

Kaardal says the next most scary item they found was a rope from netting because they are made out of plastic and behaves similarly to polystyrene. She adds it gets wrapped around logs, animals and rocks when storms push the debris into these channels.

In all, Kaardal says the 38,000 kilos of trash was removed from the environment and around 80 per cent of it was upcycled into new products. However, she adds it barely made a dent in what is out there in the environment.

“There’s lots, lots more. The tires are really concerning and it’s amazing how many people think that these things are fine to just throw in the water,” said Kaardal. “If it’s going to break down, and it breaks down in the water, it’s a problem.

“The tires that are just too heavy for what we had are still there and it would be a different project to go back and get them.”

She adds the $2 million in funding that has been provided by the federal government has been injected back into the Campbell River community since 2021. Kaardal asks you to do your part in cleaning up the coastline and doing your best to keep it that way.

“Clean it up, take it with you. If see other stuff, take it with you,” said Kaardal. “You’re out there because you love it because it’s a beautiful pristine area with the wildlife but it’s not going to stay that way if you keep dumping on it.”

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A new Royal Canadia Mint silver coin features the artwork of a Vancouver Island-based artist.

The coins, a part of the This is Canada collection, depict various species that can be found across the country. This year’s theme is Wondrous Waters and one of the collectable coins features a pod of orcas.

Created by artist Glen Green, the orcas are travelling in the water near a rocky island. Mint adds in the background that large forests and mountains line the shore.

As a Campbell River resident, Green says he jumped at the opportunity to make an orca picture as it is an icon of the area.

“I live on Vancouver Island and occasionally get to see pods of killer whales on my travels,” said Green. “The background of this design, with the rocky islands and the heavily forested mountains cascading down to the rugged shoreline is typical of the West Coast.

“To many who witness these whales patrolling the coast, especially with a calf in tow, it is one of the most spectacular experiences one can have in their lifetime.”

The coins are the first in a four-part series from Mint, made on 99.99 per cent silver coins.

For more information, you can click here.

Green is well known for his paintings of NHL athletes and has done other coin designs for Mint including for the 2010 Olympics.

"For an artist, this is what you call a great gig," said Green. "Once you do one coin and they like it, it seems like you're on their list. The challenge of these coins is really fun."

The post Vancouver Island artist’s orca design found on new silver Mint coin appeared first on My Powell River Now.

A new Royal Canadia Mint silver coin features the artwork of a Vancouver Island-based artist.

The coins, a part of the This is Canada collection, depict various species that can be found across the country. This year’s theme is Wondrous Waters and one of the collectable coins features a pod of orcas.

Created by artist Glen Green, the orcas are travelling in the water near a rocky island. Mint adds in the background that large forests and mountains line the shore.

As a Campbell River resident, Green says he jumped at the opportunity to make an orca picture as it is an icon of the area.

“I live on Vancouver Island and occasionally get to see pods of killer whales on my travels,” said Green. “The background of this design, with the rocky islands and the heavily forested mountains cascading down to the rugged shoreline is typical of the West Coast.

“To many who witness these whales patrolling the coast, especially with a calf in tow, it is one of the most spectacular experiences one can have in their lifetime.”

The coins are the first in a four-part series from Mint, made on 99.99 per cent silver coins.

For more information, you can click here.

Green is well known for his paintings of NHL athletes and has done other coin designs for Mint including for the 2010 Olympics.

"For an artist, this is what you call a great gig," said Green. "Once you do one coin and they like it, it seems like you're on their list. The challenge of these coins is really fun."

The post Vancouver Island artist’s orca design found on new silver Mint coin appeared first on My Powell River Now.

On International Women's Day, local women in politics and automotive say there has been a marked improvement over the years, but there’s still more room for improvement.

According to Comox mayor Nicole Minions, the political landscape for women and girls has massively improved and so have interest levels.

“Now I have the opportunity to meet with different high school classes, girl guides, some elementary school classes. I get a lot of really inquisitive questions from some of the girls in class,” said Minions.

“It’s having those one-on-one conversations. It seems like there’s more interest and more engagement from kids as young as six or seven upwards to definitely the teenage ages.”

Minions adds that the Comox Valley has a very encouraging environment for women in local government. This is partly because two of the area’s three mayors are women, along with its local MP and MLA.

Changes have also been noted in the automotive industry. Georgia Strait Collision general manager Melanie Mentlein says it is far more accepting.

“I started cleaning washrooms; it was a weekend job when I was a teenager. Back in the day, you’d be cleaning the bathrooms, and it would be the Penthouse and the Playboys under the sink and females outside the office weas normal,” said Mentlein.

“As I developed and grew my career into parts management, it was still an anomaly versus today where our workspace is very inclusive, teams are very receptive of females in the workplace.”

Despite improvements in both sectors, they say barriers still exist. But time seems to be affecting how frequently they come up and how they are dealt with.

“There’s still some barriers with the economics of childcare or sometimes the women tend to be more of the caregiver side or its hard for females a little more to take on those second jobs,” said Minions.

“I think it’s important to acknowledge the some of the barriers and be supportive of those things.”

Cumberland mayor Vickey Brown echos Minions’ comments, adding that it can also be very difficult to get into politics as the cost of living rises.

“We don’t get paid enough to make it a job, and yet it takes a lot of time and a lot of time away from your kids if you have kids,” said Brown. “If we want diverse perspectives, we need to find ways to support women to run and other BIPOC community members.

“This work is really challenging to do with a full-time job. I’ve noticed that change on our council. This time, three out of five of us are working full time and trying to do council.”

Brown adds social media has also had a large impact on councillors with negative comments and safety concerns.

Mentlein says stereotypical career paths also influence where women work.

“Women are still encouraged in different directions, it’s not the first place that a woman thinks to go and work in automotive,” said Mentlein. “There’s still room for both, and that’s learning on both sides.

“I have an incredible crew behind me and they’re super respectful, but not everywhere is there yet. It is changing, the workplace is cleaner, it’s far more transparent than it ever was as far as our industry goes.”

While improvements are being made, all three women say the more women and girls are in the industries and politics, the better it will become. They all encourage you to go for it and promote balance in the workplace.

“Dream big, dream outside of the box because you’re capable of so much more. What a female can bring to every trade is so much more different,” said Mentlein.

“We need dynamics, we need different ways of thinking, you need to have a whole well-rounded crew to make a successful business. Our brains are wired differently than men – for painters, females can see colour better – those things make a business successful and the rewards going into these careers are very rewarding.”

“If there are women out there considering leadership positions, please reach out to the other female leaders,” said Brown. “We want to support you.”

“If you have that interest of passion, try to find someone you can connect in some kind of a mentorship role or go to work with them and ask any questions you have,” added Minions.

“I think the hardest part is a lot of people think they’re not ready or don’t know enough, the reality is a lot of us are learning as we go as well.”

The post Political, automotive landscapes changing for B.C. women, still more work to be done appeared first on My Powell River Now.

The runway at Powell River Airport will not be aircraft-friendly for over two months as the city makes upgrades to its pavement and electrics.

The city says this is in line with its 2020-2045 Airport Master Plan. It is a grant-funded project and is expected to proceed quickly but needs a full runway closure.

A review of bids is now underway after the process closed on Tuesday. The runway will need to be closed for a maximum of eight weeks once the contract is awarded to the successful bidder, and more details will be announced once that is decided.

Helicopter services will still operate along with floatplane service out of Powell Lake while the project is ongoing, according to the city.

The post Powell River airport runway to close between April and June for upgrades appeared first on My Powell River Now.