Daily News Update from CHLY 101.7FM

Tuesday COVID-19 update

Island Health continues to fare poorly in terms of recent pandemic numbers. 39 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the past 24 hours and one more death. There are 260 active cases currently and so far there have been 23 deaths in our region. 

Health orders lay the groundwork for mass vaccination clinics

The Provincial Health officer has issued a new health order, to allow more people to help run the mass vaccination clinics that are being planned for next month. The Provincial Health Office order will allow dentists, pharmacy technicians, paramedics, retired nurses and midwives to either administer vaccines or assist with duties like monitoring people for side effects or assisting elders at the clinics. Dr. Bonnie Henry says plans are underway to set up 172 clinics across the province with up to 500 staff in each health region.

"We are moving forward and doing a lot of work behind the scenes to make sure that the systems in our health authorities across the province, we have the tools and resources to take on this incredible and significant task. So we are very excited to be able to have the workforce that we are going to need over the next six months to ensure that we can get vaccine into as many people as wanted as efficiently as possible."
—Chief Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry.

Henry says more details about the mass vaccination clinics will be presented next Monday. 

Police act needs reforms to protect children and youth

BC's Advocate for Children and Youth is urging the province to change the Police Act to help young people in crisis. Jennifer Charlesworth presented a series of recommendations to an all-party committee that is tasked with reforming BC's 50-year-old Police Act. Charlesworth says young and vulnerable children have frequent contact with police because of domestic violence, sexual exploitation, child neglect, drug addiction and mental health breakdowns, but police are not always equipped to do the best for these children. 

“Currently, police are now having to do work that was never envisioned as policing, because other systems are falling short. And not only are systems falling short, but police are not trained or prepared to do the work they're now being called upon to do in a good way. So children and youth who are living with vulnerabilities are experiencing interactions with police at very young ages, and when they may be at their most vulnerable.”
—BC's Advocate for Children and Youth, Jennifer Charlesworth.

Charlesworth is asking the committee to involve young people in its consultations. She is also asking that all police be trained in trauma-informed practice and that there be specialized training in child development for officers who have the most contact with children. The all-party committee is expected to present its report and recommendations to the legislature in mid-May.

Mayor emphasizes cost will not be borne by the city alone

It's been more than a year in the making, but Nanaimo City Council has approved the recommendations from its Health and Housing Task Force. The plan includes the creation of a funders' table, made up of representatives from groups like BC Housing, Island Health, Vancouver Island University, the City of Nanaimo, Snuneymuxw First Nation and others. Its goal will be to contribute $65 and a half million dollars over five years on housing and health supports for Nanaimo's most vulnerable populations. Mayor Leonard Krog points out the financial burden will not be borne by city taxpayers.

"I want to emphasize, the City of Nanaimo is not budgeting itself $65.5 million dollars, but we are certainly going to ask the levels of government that have the jurisdiction and legal responsibility to step up to the plate and coordinate their spending in a way that effectively uses significant monies that have already been spent and are being spent with not much improvement in sight for a number of our fellow citizens, we estimate over 600, who are without housing in Nanaimo."
—City of Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog.

The next step includes the creation of a self-sustaining group, made up of social service agencies, government representatives and others, to implement the Health and Housing Plan and to attract and coordinate the funding for various projects. The chair of the task force and city councillor Don Bonner says he's confident in that model.

"The work that we're going to start out on, cannot be done by one organization alone. And I think that coming out of this task force and this report, we now how the groundwork for a very good partnership, where we will create a made-in-Nanaimo solution to what is afflicting the most vulnerable in our town."
—City of Nanaimo Councillor Don Bonner.

The city has set aside $300,000 for this work during 2021. It expects other funders will contribute to what will eventually become a million dollar a year budget for the group.

Winter coats for the homeless

Meanwhile, homeless people in Nanaimo may be feeling a little more comfortable these days, thanks to a donation of winter coats. Dodd's Furniture store on Uplands Drive has collected forty coats so far, and it continues to take donations of gently used coats, hats, scarves and gloves. The winter wear is being distributed by the 7-10 club and the Society for Equity, Inclusion and Advocacy. Both groups are also offering warming centres that are open 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday at 489 Wallace and seven days a week at 285 Prideaux. 

Vancouver Island Regional Library online services down during upgrades

Online library users will not be able to access services for most of today. The Vancouver Island Regional Library system is undergoing upgrades until 5 p.m. That means library users will not be able to log into their account to place holds, renew items or access any e-resources like the online catalogue. However, library branches will be open for checkouts although there will be no access to public internet computers.

Monday COVID-19 update

COVID-19 cases counts spiked in the Island Health region over the weekend, with 99 new cases reported since Friday. 63 are on the Central Island, 13 in the south and 23 in the north. 16 people are in hospital and one Islander, a member of the Cowichan Tribes has died. So far in the pandemic, 24 islanders have died from COVID-19.

Vaccination delayed for Cowichan Tribes

Meanwhile, the Cowichan Tribes has been forced to delay a planned vaccination clinic because of a shortage of Pfizer vaccine. The Director of the Ts'ewulhtun Health Centre says 600 Cowichan Tribes members were scheduled to receive their second dose of vaccine at clinics that were supposed to begin today. Derek Thompson says that plan changed over the weekend when Island Health informed the community its vaccine shipment was delayed.

"It's disappointing but we also understand our community, like every nation and municipality across the province, are in the same queue awaiting the vaccine and like many nations and municipalities across the province we know that that time frame is going to shift here and there are we are ready to respond accordingly."
—Derek Thompson, Director of the Ts'ewulhtun Health Centre.

Thompson says the clinics have been postponed for two weeks until March the 8th. He says that's how long it will take to reschedule those receiving the vaccine and the availability of those who will administer them.

Gaps in complaints process allows no recourse against IIO or civilian employees of RCMP

BC’s Ombudsperson says people who feel mistreated by guards at RCMP lockups or by BC's Independent Investigations Office have no formal recourse to make a complaint. Jay Chalke says his office is not allowed to investigate any complaints against police officers' conduct, however, there are agencies that do. But he says there is no process at all for people who want to file complaints against civilian employees who work for the RCMP, including guards at holding cells in RCMP detachments. Chalke urged a legislative committee that's examining BC's Police Act to fill that gap.

"This gap concerns the most significant intervention the state can make in an individual's life: the deprivation of their liberty. The circumstances and issues here implicate fundamental human rights and international law."
—BC’s Ombudsperson Jay Chalke.

Chalke says people detained under the mental health act also have no recourse to complain, nor does anyone who is unhappy with how BC's Independent Investigations Office has handled investigations into police-involved injuries and deaths.

"I want to point out that there is no independent investigation of the complaints process set out in the regulation, and therefore no public accountability for how complaints are handled."
—BC’s Ombudsperson Jay Chalke.

Chalke says BC's Solicitor General has acknowledged the gaps but so far, has not offered any legislative or regulatory changes.

Legal petition filed by West Moberly First Nation regarding Site C

The former chair of the Joint Review Panel into Site C says it's time to draw back the veil of secrecy surrounding the ten and a half-billion-dollar project, the largest ever in BC's history. Harry Swain says the cost of the project represents twice the amount of revenue it will collect over twenty years. He points out BC Hydro has not filed its last two quarterly reports into Site C's progress with the BC Utilities Commission, and the Premier has refused to release two independent reports into whether the dam can be built safely.

"I think Mr. Horgan is in quite a dilemma right now. If all the advice that he's been getting from BC Hydro, from consultants and so on was to the effect: 'yes this can be safely built, yes the price is going to be acceptable. If that were the case, there would be no secrecy, there would be no reports out back. we would have had an announcement by now about where we're going to go. and the fact that it's taken this long means it’s highly controversial within the government because those assurances aren't there.”—Harry Swain, former chair of the Joint Review Panel into Site C. 

Meanwhile, the West Moberly First Nation has filed a legal petition to force the government to release that information. Roland Willson is also urging Horgan to suspend work on the dam until cabinet makes a decision on the project. The Premier has not responded.

Province focused on the culturally safe delivery of COVID-19 vaccine for First Nations

BC's Provincial Health Officer is promising Metis people that health officials are working on ensuring the COVID-19 vaccine rollout will be a culturally safe experience. Dr. Bonnie Henry spoke at a panel discussion at the annual general meeting of Metis Nation British Columbia over the weekend. She said officials are planning for 172 vaccination clinics that will begin mid-March. The acting Chief Medical Officer for the First Nations Health Authority says it is in discussions with the province on how to make mass vaccination clinics culturally safe. Dr. Shannon McDonald says clinics on reserves have including blessings of the vaccine and the time needed to ensure those receiving them feel confident about what's happening to them.

"I know the province's goal is to maximize the number of people that can be vaccinated, but we also want to make sure that the people who walk in the door are happy with what happened when they're inside the doors before they go home.”
—Acting Chief Medical Officer for the First Nations Health Authority, Dr. Shannon McDonald.

Metis and other Indigenous people ages 65 and up will be eligible to get their shots at the same time as clinics begin for non-indigenous people over the age of 80.

Friday COVID-19 update

There are 22 new cases of COVID-19 in the Island Health region. Province-wide, there has been another large increase with 508 new cases and six more deaths.

Vaccination will lead to increased access to family in long-term care

BC's Minister of Health says despite vaccine delays, the province will immunize all citizens over the age of 80 by the end of March. Adrian Dix says starting March the 1st, British Columbians over the age of 80 who receive home care will begin receiving vaccine, and others in that age group who are not connected to health care programs will start receiving vaccine on March 15th. Dix says almost all seniors in long term and assisted living will receive their second dose of vaccine this month. He says that means it won't be long before visiting restrictions now in place will be lifted.

"What we hope is going to change soon in long-term care, what we hope is going to change soon in assisted living, we believe in the month of March where people are going to have more access, not less and more opportunities to engage and not less."
—Minister of Health Adrian Dix.

Dix notes COVID-19 outbreaks in care homes have declined from 59 in December to 14 today is a result of immunity that residents have with the first dose of vaccine.

Replacement of NDSS highlighted in school district plan

Nanaimo District Secondary School is at the end of its useful life and desperately needs to be replaced. That's one recommendation in Nanaimo-Ladysmith Public School's latest long-range facility plan. The report says the school needs significant maintenance, is a high priority for seismic upgrades and is environmentally unfriendly. The school district's secretary-treasurer, Mark Walsh, identifying NDSS in the plan is meant to send a message.

“It's our number one seismic priority, it's end of life, school districts around the province are getting replacement schools right now, and NDSS, this again is a message to our community, to the ministry, to political partners, that this needs to happen.“
—Mark Walsh SD-68 Secretary-Treasurer.

The plan also projects other schools could be seriously overcrowded in the next 10 years. Dover Bay Secondary and Pleasant Valley Elementary are already feeling the strain and are predicted to reach more than 180 per cent capacity by 2030. Walsh is recommending developers pay a School Site Acquisition Charge to help fund expansion.

"We are certain, at least in Nanaimo and Lantzville, that the school site acquisition charge is an absolute slam dunk. There's hundreds of thousands of dollars waiting for the district to go collect from development."
—Mark Walsh SD-68 Secretary-Treasurer.

The next step is for the board to discuss the plan with the community.

City of Nanaimo, Nanaimo RCMP, and VIU criminology students team up to conduct neighbourhood safety audits

The City of Nanaimo, the RCMP and student criminologists from Vancouver Island University are teaming up with selected neighbourhoods to help make them safer. The group is preparing to conduct safety audits. Nanaimo's community policing coordinator, Christy Wood says the audits are a response to what citizens have been asking for.

"Community members wanted to have a voice, and they wanted to not feel helpless and feel empowered to build some resiliency in their neighbourhoods and communicate their concerns to those social service agencies and local decision-makers about what was happening for them in their neighbourhood."
—City of Nanaimo Community Policing Coordinator, Christy Wood.

The process is underway, with a crime analyst crunching statistics about the type of crimes committed and the harms they cause in various neighbourhoods. Census data and anecdotal information is also being collected to select neighbourhoods that need the most help. Wood says after that, local surveys will measure the perception of neighbourhood crime and the level of fear people are feeling. The team will present a final audit report to the neighbourhoods and to decision-makers and organizations in late March or early April. The audits will include what can be done to address the safety issues in each neighbourhood and identify partnerships to implement the recommendations. 

Decline in enrollment cited as a factor, Ministry of Advanced Education approves deficits

Vancouver Island University says a decline in student enrolment and extra costs due to COVID-19 has led to a deficit in the current fiscal year and will likely lead to another deficit next year.  The university says international student enrolment dropped by 34 per cent while domestic enrolment dipped by 13 per cent. It says pivoting to online instruction and extra cleaning has also affected the bottom line. VIU is not alone. That's why the Ministry of Advanced Education is allowing post-secondary institutions to run deficits. 

VIU's Provost, Carole Stuart says post-secondary institutions would have preferred increased funding from the Ministry.

"You're speaking to the converted [laughs] we have tried."

The Ministry says colleges and universities will have to dip into their reserves to pay for the deficits. Stuart won't reveal the projected size of the deficit for 2020-2021, but she says dipping into reserves will have a long-lasting impact.

"While we can accommodate that over the next two years and deal with it we also have to come up with a deficit recovery plan so that means we'll be running very lean for the next two years in order to do that."
—VIU Provost, Carole Stuart.

Stuart says at best, running deficits will allow the university to keep its focus on students and programming, while areas like building maintenance take a back seat.

Shelter in place order extended by Cowichan Tribes

The Cowichan Tribes has extended its shelter in place order until March the 5th in the wake of two deaths from COVID-19 last weekend. Chief William Seymour delivered the news on social media that the two people who died were young adults. They were in their 30s with pre-existing health conditions. Seymour says their deaths underline the danger the virus presents.

"It's not only a high risk disease for our elders. We all need to be careful and to take it seriously. I am asking you, please, get tested at the first sign of symptoms. If you catch this virus early you will have a much better chance of recovering from it."
—Cowichan Tribes Chief William Seymour.

There are currently 14 active cases of COVID-19 among the Tribes. CTV News is reporting there will be a delivery of 600 doses of Pfizer vaccine to Cowichan Tribes next week, which will allow elders to receive their second doses. Meanwhile, the Snuneymuxw nation, near Nanaimo has wrapped up two days of second dose vaccinations for 300 of its members. Chief Mike Wyse says there is one active case of the virus on reserve and two others off-reserve. 

Thursday COVID-19 update

Meanwhile, BC has hit its highest daily new case count since early January, with 617 new cases and four deaths. There are 19 new cases of COVID-19 in the Island Health region, bringing the total active cases to 169 on Vancouver Island.

City of Nanaimo to vote on the creation of SPO on Monday

Nanaimo city council will be asked on Monday, to give its blessing for the next steps toward the goal of providing a range of housing and other supports for vulnerable people. The city's Health and Housing Task Force has completed its work with a Health and Housing Action Plan. Step one is to create an entity to implement it. That entity, a Systems Planning Organization, or SPO, would be responsible for a number of duties. Task Force co-chair and city councillor Don Bonner says the SPO's main job would be to coordinate the needs of existing social service organizations with the funding agencies.

"If we all sit down and coordinate the work that they're doing, and we create a coordinated ask to the province and the feds, we will be successful in getting the money that we need in making a serious dent in this issue...and we'll have a lot less homeless people on the street and when people are approaching homelessness, there will be a lot more services to help them out.”
—City of Nanaimo Counsillor Don Bonner.

The SPO is also expected to attract members to what's being called a "funders' table," made up of groups like BC Housing, Island Health, local government and the Snuneymuxw First Nation. And the SPO must come up with self-sustaining funding. In its first year, it will be mostly funded through a $300,000 dollar contribution from the city. The recommendations to accept the Task Force Report and to create a working group to design the SPO goes to council on Monday.

Henry cites delay in vaccine delivery for late second dose

Thousands of seniors and long-term care workers in BC will not be getting their second dose of anti-COVID-19 vaccines before the 42-day maximum recommended interval. More than 30,000 seniors in care and 30,000 care workers in BC have received their first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. As of the end of January, less than half of 1% had received their second dose. At that time, BC's provincial health officer said because of a shortage of vaccine, the dates between doses would be extended from the 21 to 28 days recommended by the manufacturers to 42 days, which is the maximum recommended by Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization. Earlier this week, Dr. Bonnie Henry revealed the 42 day extended interval period will not be met in all cases.

"The Pfizer vaccine most people are still within the 42 days, at least starting to get second doses at day 42. We have some challenges with Moderna because the amount we are getting next week is lower than expected, so there will be some people will be delayed, so it's in the range of four to six thousand for both."
—Chief Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

Henry says she is confident people will not lose their immunity to the virus because of the delay. She says although there are no studies to prove this with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, she says the history of vaccine efficacy shows people can go for months between doses without losing immunity.

Provincial Government loosens restrictions for COVID-19 recovery grant

BC's Minister of Labour is sweetening the pot, in an effort to entice more small and medium-sized businesses to apply for a COVID-19 recovery grant. Businesses can be granted up to $30,000 and tourism businesses, up to $45,000 but so far, less than a third of the $300 million dollar pot of cash has been accessed. The province changed the criteria for the grants in December to enable more businesses to qualify. Now, Ravi Kahlon is hoping to remove another barrier to business, namely the need to create a business plan to qualify.

"So we've streamlined the process. The amount of paperwork you are required to submit is minimal. And the biggest change I think now, is that now you can go to your own bookkeeper, you can go to your own accountant to have them do the work and we will pay them to do the work for you. So they will do your business recovery plan, and they will submit it for the money and we will pay them up to $2000 for the work they're doing."
—Minister of Labour Ravi Kahlon.

But, larger businesses, including Victoria-based Harbour Air have complained they don't qualify because they employ more than 150 people. Kalon is promising a new program for them will be introduced soon.

Wednesday COVID-19 update

There has been another death from COVID-19 in the Island Health region. It's the third death this week, bringing the total number of COVID-19 fatalities in our region to 23. Island Health is reporting 18 new cases of the virus over the past 24 hours, while the province is reporting 427 new cases and 3 deaths.

Ladysmith approves BC Housing project

Ladysmith council has cleared the way for BC Housing to turn the Island Hotel on First Avenue into a homeless shelter for the duration of the pandemic. BC Housing and the Ladysmith Resources Centre Association plan to open a 15-bed shelter that has space for physical distancing. The current shelter in the Rialto building had to reduce capacity from 10 beds to five due to COVID-19 precautions. Mayor Aaron Stone says the new shelter could help lead some to find permanent housing.

“Creating trust and a welcoming space is step one to getting them into an opportunity to have a connection with somebody that could lead to better things. I know that through the shelter and through the tenting site that was temporary through the summer we were actually fortunate to find a couple homeless in our community more stable long-term housing.“
—Town of Ladysmith Mayor Aaron Stone.

Councillor Duck Patterson, who ran for the BC Liberals in the last election, opposed the application and suggested the old hospital site would be better.

"Having a temporary homeless shelter there will probably cause the same feelings that this application has caused by the neighbours but for me it is a bit of an easier pill to swallow than kicking our downtown merchants and residents while they are still down."
—Town of Ladysmith Councillor Duck Patterson.

The current cold-weather shelter at the Rialto building is scheduled to close at the end of March.

Deputy Fire Chief is promoted

Nanaimo's Deputy Fire Chief will take the helm as the new Fire Chief. Tim Doyle has been with Nanaimo Fire Rescue for the past 20 years and has been Acting Chief since the new year when the former Chief Karen Fry became Vancouver's fire chief. Doyle will officially begin his tenure next Monday.

Nanaimo creator wins film prize

And finally—Sound Clip—That's The Short Lebowski, a one-minute movie of a movie that has won a Nanaimo man the fan favourite prize in a contest that had close to 350 entrants. Todd Cameron is a local filmmaker who used plastic dolls and home-made sets in his stop motion production. Cameron estimates it took 70 hours to produce his one-minute masterpiece, which he says is a labour of love.

"It's all stuff that I really love doing. Most of the time it was using my hands in a way that's fun for me so it was just kind of a cool opportunity to use some of the toys that I have."

You can watch The Short Lebowski on YouTube or on the CFOX-FM website, which sponsored the contest.

Fraser Valley churches to be heard by BC Supreme Court

BC's Provincial Health Officer has lost her bid for an injunction against three Fraser Valley churches that continue to defy COVID-19 rules banning in-person religious gatherings. Dr. Bonnie Henry applied for the injunction in response to the churches launching a legal challenge to her orders. But the chief justice of the BC Supreme Court has turned down the request. Justice Christopher Hinkson says the health orders already prohibit in-person religious services and Henry and the province have the power to escalate enforcement. Earlier this week, Henry said she isn't sure about that.

"My ability to under the public health act, to add additional measures to the orders, I don't think. I'm not aware that I have that authority, let's put it that way. But I think it is important that we needed to ensure that people realized that while the court challenge that the churches brought was being heard, that these rules still apply."
—Chief Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

The larger court challenge to the health orders by the Riverside Calvary Chapel in Langley, the Immanuel Covenant Reformed Church in Abbotsford and the Free Reformed Church of Chilliwack will be heard next month.

Social service agencies impacted by pandemic

An interim report on the effects of the pandemic on social service agencies has found some good and some bad.  Researchers from the Department of Social Work at Vancouver Island University interviewed representatives from eleven social service groups in greater Nanaimo last September. They found the organizations felt they were thrown into chaos when the pandemic was declared last March. The agencies had to respond to dramatic shutdowns, public health orders, and local directives they say changed from one day to the next. In the months that followed, some organizations were able to resume some in-person services. Many said they benefited from having time to train employees in online services and to collaborate with others to share best practices. The report found the organizations were grateful that emergency funding did not come with strings attached. That allowed them to act on what was urgently needed but not predicted. However, researcher Holly Bradley says some challenges remain unresolved.

"Who is becoming invisible? Not everyone is getting the same kind of service through remote service delivery. Not everyone is able to access it. Not everyone has access to free internet, to cell plans with phone minutes, with internet data, so there is that awareness that there are gaps, that there are people falling through the cracks, that there are needs that are not being met."
—Survey Researcher Holly Bradley.

Bradley and her research partner, Jeanette Schmid hope to delve into that topic in the next round of research that begins next month when they re-interview the agencies' representatives. Their final report is planned for September.