Indigenous guardians train to protect B.C.'s coastal ecosystems
The lands and waters of Vancouver Island and British Columbia's south coast will soon be better protected by a group of Indigenous stewards.
Vancouver Island University (VIU) signed an agreement Wednesday with the Nanwakolas Council to deliver an intensive environmental protection course, supported by provincial funding.
"You could really go anywhere with the training," said Candace Newman of the K’ómoks First Nation, who earned her Stewardship Technician Training Program (STTP) certificate in 2021.
The STTP started in 2017, preparing students for careers in the environmental sphere. Learning outcomes include field skills, habitat monitoring, cultural awareness, and marine first aid.
Graduates can move on to become Indigenous Guardians, who are hired by First Nations to monitor and protect fragile ecosystems.
"You are the eyes and ears of the land and sea," Newman said. "You’re out in your traditional territory and really learning how to be a steward of the land like we always were."
The 20-week training begins this month in Campbell River.
“The Nanwakolas member nations are taking on increased responsibilities for environmental governance and management as we exercise our rights and title in the territories,” Nanwakolas Council president Dallas Smith said.
Member nations include the K’ómoks, Mamalilikulla, Wei Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum First Nations on Vancouver Island, along with the Tlowitsis and Da’naxda’xw Awaetlala Nations on the mainland.
"We need many more guardians actively engaged in monitoring forestry harvesting, hunting, protection of cultural sites, gathering data on key species, rehabilitation of damaged habitat, assessing resource development proposals, and ensuring compliance with land use plans and regulations," Smith said.
Moving forward, there's hope the guardians will earn enforcement status.
“We want to continue this program until we have full-blown equality between the B.C. Conservation Service, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans wardens, and our guardians,” Smith said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.