An Indigenous ecologist on why we need to stop and listen to save the planet

Quirks and Quarks19:12An Indigenous ecologist on why we need to stop and listen to save the planet Indigenous ecologist Jennifer Grenz has spent decades working to protect ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest through restoration and invasive species management. But recently, frustrated by the limitations of her work, she set out on a mission to incorporate … Read more

Chief says rescue effort for stranded orca calf four, five days away as plans ramp up

Plans are settling into place for an attempt to rescue a young killer whale calf stranded in a tidal lagoon near the Vancouver Island village of Zeballos within four or five days, says the area’s First Nation chief. Ehattesaht Chief Simon John has previously said the plan to remove the female orca calf from the … Read more

Eleanor Catton among 3 Canadian authors shortlisted for $204K Carol Shields Prize

Eleanor Catton is among the five North American authors shortlisted for the second iteration of the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction.  The $150,000 USD ($203,971.50 Cdn) prize recognizes the best fiction book by a woman or non-binary writer from the U.S. and Canada. It is presently the largest international literary prize for women writers. Each of the four remaining finalists will … Read more

When is Canada’s next total solar eclipse? 2044 in B.C., Alberta

Thousands of people flocked to parts of Eastern Canada and the United States this week to catch a glimpse of Monday’s total solar eclipse, when the moon completely blocked out the sun. For 11-year-old Julian Falkin, who traveled with his family from Vancouver to Cleveland, Ohio, to view the event, it was well worth the trip. … Read more

Helicopter to airlift stranded orca out of B.C. lagoon

Plans are now underway to airlift a stranded killer whale calf out of a remote tidal lagoon off northern Vancouver Island in an effort to reunite the young orca with its extended family. Fisheries Department and First Nations officials say the plans involve placing the two-year-old calf into a sling, lifting it out of the … Read more

At least 3 right whale calves have died so far this year, conservation group says

An international environmental organization is calling on the federal government to step up protections for endangered North Atlantic right whales beyond the 2023 measures it’s opting to repeat this year, noting birth rates are already below expectations for the season and at least three of the 19 calves born so far are believed to have died. Oceana Canada campaign director Kim … Read more

P.E.I. river otters caught on camera as their population grows

River otters are making a comeback in at least one corner of Prince Edward Island, according to a recent journal article, and as a result measures are now being taken to protect the popular, water-loving mammal.   The Kensington North Watersheds Association started tracking river otters with trail cameras in late 2019. They began monitoring … Read more

‘CSI on the ocean’: Whale researchers comb B.C. waters for eDNA

It was just after 8 a.m. when Gary Sutton and his crew spotted the signature black dorsal fins cutting through the cool waters of the Salish Sea, off the coast of Vancouver Island. More than a dozen Bigg’s killer whales, also known as transient killer whales, swimming north in search of food. They surfaced every few minutes, the spray of their … Read more

Canadian Forces personnel deploy to Jamaica to train troops for Haiti mission

Approximately 70 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members were deployed to Jamaica on Friday to train military personnel from several Caribbean countries who are bound for Haiti as part of a multinational security force led by Kenya and backed by the United Nations. The Canadian personnel will provide training on core peacekeeping skills and combat first aid to troops … Read more