Island Insider

Canada's National Observer is a proud participant of the Local Journalism Initiative, which supports the creation of original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada.

Rochelle Baker will be covering Quadra and Cortes Islands in British Columbia.

555 Articles

Audit shows just one in three Canadian fisheries is healthy

Climate change and over harvesting continue to put Canadian fisheries at risk along with Indigenous and coastal communities’ food security and economic wellbeing, a new report indicates.

Oceans, Waterways & Coastlines

Rochelle Baker

November 19th 2024

Federal documents surface on plans to protect endangered orcas from oil spills

West coast environmental groups argue no measure would save southern resident whales from a catastrophic oil spill.

Rochelle Baker

November 18th 2024

Hereditary chiefs call for a fishing moratorium to safeguard herring stocks

WSÁNEĆ Hereditary chiefs are urging federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier to close the last commercial herring fishery operating along the West Coast.

Rochelle Baker

November 15th 2024

Canadian activist Tzeporah Berman named one of TIME's top 100 most influential climate leaders

Tzeporah Berman, a Vancouver-based activist and policy advocate, is at the forefront of climate action nationally and internationally and driving the surge of momentum for her latest brainchild the Fossil fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Rochelle Baker

November 12th 2024

Canada deploys high-tech international mission to net dark vessels and illegal fishing in Pacific

Canada has launched a two-month, high-tech mission spanning the seas as far as Japan to tackle illegal fishing in international waters of the North Pacific.

Rochelle Baker

October 21st 2024

Parties pitch energy plans before B.C. election

B.C.'s party leaders emphasize the need to meet growing energy demands while keeping rates affordable and fostering First Nation’s ownership of energy projects — but proposed courses of action vary wildly.

Rochelle Baker

October 4th 2024

BC Greens stand alone on the carbon tax

Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau is doubling down on the carbon tax, but staying the course on progressive policies abandoned by the NDP isn't helping draw voters in B.C.'s polarized election.

Rochelle Baker

October 3rd 2024

Rustad’s Indigenous policy announcement is insult to injury, say First Nations

BC Conservative Leader John Rustad is using First Nations as a "wedge issue", says Regional Chief Terry Teegee

Rochelle Baker

October 1st 2024

BC election 2024: where do parties stand on climate?

As part of its ongoing BC election coverage, Canada’s National Observer is providing a cheat sheet on parties’ climate plans to date

Rochelle Baker

September 25th 2024

Green Party leader is coming out swinging

B.C. Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau says she’s disrupted the province's two-party narrative before and intends to do it again in the upcoming election.

Rochelle Baker

September 20th 2024

North Island offers a case study for upcoming BC election

The North Island may well be a long held NDP stronghold but the recent spike in support for the BC Conservatives suggests a tight two-way race is in the making in the upcoming provincial election.

Rochelle Baker

September 13th 2024

Anybody but Rustad? B.C. United supporters step up to endorse NDP candidates

Two former members of the defunct BC United Party have opted to support NDP opponents in their ridings rather than the B.C. Conservative candidates.

Rochelle Baker

September 11th 2024

Quadra Island's last old-growth threatened without provincial oversight

A Forestry Practices Board has highlighted concerns with the future of old growth forests or any new ones on Quadra Island following an investigation into three logging companies.

Rochelle Baker

September 9th 2024

Courtenay-Comox a Vancouver Island wild card riding in upcoming election

The dust in the Courtenay-Comox riding has yet to settle following the collapse of the BC United Party and if the right leaning vote will be split between two candidates.

Rochelle Baker

September 6th 2024

UBC engineers devising solution to catch and destroy forever chemicals in polluted drinking water

PFAS chemicals are notoriously difficult to break down once they’ve found their way into the environment or human body, and even minuscule amounts pose big health risks.

Rochelle Baker

August 30th 2024