Claim OwnershipThis is Vancouver Island
Subscribed: 139Played: 3,205
Subscribe
Copyright © CBC 2026
Description
This is Vancouver Island is by islanders, for islanders. Each week we catch you up on a local news story, or celebrate an element of life in our region. From ferries to bus strikes, public safety to outdoor swimming, we've got you covered. Hosted by Kathryn Marlow, with new episodes dropping every Thursday.
107 Episodes
Reverse
We went to Quw’utsun Secondary in North Cowichan to talk to three First Nations students about storytelling. They shared traditional stories from their communities (plus a new one about a raven who mountain bikes!) and talked about why it's so important to them to share stories and the lessons that can be learned from them. This was part of a bigger CBC Victoria project looking at the role of storytelling in community. Listen to a live recording of our afternoon radio show, All Points West, from the Cowichan library here.
Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar got endorsements from five of his colleagues this week in the race to replace John Rustad as leader of the B.C. Conservatives. The decision will be made in May - but does this make him the front runner? Our political panel discusses the state of the leadership race, concerns about ChatGPT and the Tumbler Ridge shooter, and business community frustrations about the expansion of the PST.
There is global demand for critical minerals, and those can be found right here on the island. This week, we hear about two proposals to mine critical minerals, including one that uses a process called “re-mining”. This is where gold and copper would be extracted from the waste piles of an old mine at the same time as hazardous materials are removed. That’s at the old Mount Sicker site in the Cowichan Valley. Plus, we’ll hear about the proposed Northisle copper and gold mine near Port Hardy.
The B.C. government is facing a record-setting deficit, but didn’t announce drastic cuts in this week's budget. While there are some job cuts and tax increases, there’s also spending on health care and education. Our three political insiders have different takes on whether they made the right moves. Former Green Party MLA and Tsartlip First Nation member Adam Olsen, former BC Liberal and BC United staffer Andrew Reeve, and former NDP cabinet minister Elizabeth Cull discuss with CBC host Gregor Craigie.
The province recently announced new funding to support families of children with disabilities. It means some children who live with conditions such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and fetal alcohol syndrome will get support they’ve never had before - but it also means some families of children with autism will lose that funding. We’ll hear from two Vancouver Island parents with two different perspectives on the news. Here’s the province’s website with information about the new program, and the transition away from the autism funding.
From Victoria to the Peace, the entire province is mourning the events and loss in Tumbler Ridge. The Province revamped its Throne Speech and start of the session, to support the community.Former Green Party MLA and Tsartlip First Nation member Adam Olsen, former BC Liberal and BC United staffer Andrew Reeve, and former NDP cabinet minister Elizabeth Cull weigh in on the week's top political stories with CBC host Gregor Craigie.
An independent forestry panel released its report to the B.C. government this week, saying massive change is required to fix the industry in this province. We ask our political panel what they make of the recommendations, plus the latest political moves to deal with the ongoing extortion crisis in Surrey and beyond and just how austere they think the B.C. budget will be when it's released on February 17. Former Green Party MLA and Tsartlip First Nation member Adam Olsen, former BC Liberal and BC United staffer Andrew Reeve, and former NDP cabinet minister Elizabeth Cull weigh in on the week's top political stories with CBC host Gregor Craigie.
Sport fishers in B.C. are raising concerns about proposed changes to the salmon allocation policy for B.C. - which Fisheries and Oceans Canada (aka DFO) uses to determine which who gets priority access to different types of Pacific salmon. A court ruling in 2018 said the federal government had to add First Nations' commercial rights to the list, and the ministry has been working with First Nations, sport, and commercial fishers to review the overall policy - which is nearly 30 years old. Sport fishers say a new discussion paper shows their rights are at risk - but First Nations say that's not the case. We walk you through it.
B.C. Premier David Eby, and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, met with the prime minister this week in Ottawa. Eby called the conversations "borderline friendly" - but he also used the word "treason" in response to Alberta separatists earlier this week. Our political panelists have thoughts about the word treason, and the current state of B.C./Alberta/Canada relations. Plus, they weigh in on the growing list of candidates in the race for B.C. Conservative leader. Hear political insiders Andrew Reeve (former press secretary and deputy director of communications with the BC Liberal and BC United parties), Elizabeth Cull (a former NDP cabinet minister), and Adam Olsen (former Green Party MLA, and a member of the Tsartlip Nation) speak with CBC host Gregor Craigie.
This week a group of Parksville-Qualicum residents presented a petition to their MLA, calling for more respite for caregivers who look after their aging loved ones. It came as B.C.’s seniors advocate pointed out there are nowhere near enough publicly-funded long term care beds to match the growing number of seniors in the province. Some island communities have the highest populations of seniors in Canada, so on today’s episode we hear from folks in Parksville-Qualicum and the Comox Valley about how some people are struggling to look after their aging spouses, with few opportunities for a break. We’ll also speak with the head of an island hospice society about how non-profits like hers are trying to support people, and their loved ones, and the end of their lives.
The whole world is talking about that speech the Prime Minister made at Davos this week - including our B.C. politics panel. They also weigh in on Premier Eby's confirmation that his government will amend the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) this spring. Hear from our political insiders Elizabeth Cull (a former NDP cabinet minister), Adam Olsen (former Green Party MLA, and a member of the Tsartlip Nation), and Andrew Reeve (former press secretary and deputy director of communications with the BC Liberal and BC United parties).
This week Lighthouse Brewing in Esquimalt announced it’s shutting down operations and selling its brand - saying it costs more to brew beer than they can bring in by selling it. On this week’s episode we hear from co-owner Ben Thomas about the difficult decision, and how the BCGEU strike was the breaking point. Plus, we talk to Chris Bjerrisgaard of Sidney’s Small Gods Brewing about how they’re managing to stay afloat as beer sales decline across the country. While you’re here, check out this previous episode of This is Vancouver Island, about how two local breweries are expanding into non-alcoholic drinks to adapt.
Welcome to a new edition of This is Vancouver Island! Starting today, we'll bring you a weekly dose of B.C. politics with our political insiders. Hear former Green Party MLA Adam Olsen, former BC Liberal and BC United staffer Andrew Reeve, and former NDP cabinet minister Elizabeth Cull weigh in on the week's top stories with CBC host Gregor Craigie. This week: the end of decriminalization, Prime Minister Carney's meeting in Prince Rupert with Coastal First Nations, and post-secondary institutions (like North Island College) worry about further cuts.
A plan to redevelop the Capital Irons lands, at the north end of downtown Victoria, got an important vote of confidence from city council this month. It means that hundreds of units of housing will likely be built, as well as a new home for the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and a place where a local fish company can dock its boats, and process and sell its stock. We get the details on this week's episode.
Whether you commute by bike, bus, or car, you’ve likely encountered detours and delays in Greater Victoria lately…and that’s not going to change in the short term. A number of construction projects have lanes closed and/or detours in place. On this week’s episode: are construction closures becoming more common? And what could ease traffic? We ask Susan Brice, a current Saanich councillor and Capital Regional district director, and longtime local politician who’s also worn many other hats.BTW, if you want info on the BC Hydro-related road closures we mention in the episode, check them out here. Get updates on the Galloping Goose closure here. The city of Victoria also has some upcoming work on both Blanshard and Bay, details should be posted here.
Every once in a while, frustrated ferry users bring up the idea of a “fixed link” - a bridge or tunnel that would permanently connect Vancouver Island to the rest of B.C. It happened this week when stormy weather led to nearly a hundred sailing cancellations just before Christmas. It also came up this summer, as discussions dragged on about the new ships that B.C. Ferries ordered from a shipyard in China. So this week, a repeat of our July 17 episode: do we need a bridge or tunnel? What it take to build one?
The provincial government is trying to get more housing built, and more quickly. But some local developers who are trying to build missing middle housing in Greater Victoria (ie duplex, triplexes, and townhouses), say they’re still facing roadblocks. Meanwhile, some local governments are ramping up their fights against the bill. CBC Victoria’s Rohit Joseph has been looking into it all, and joins us to share what he heard.
Leonard Sylvester, a 38-year-old Penelakut man, died in hospital last month -- less than three weeks after a routine medical procedure. Throughout his hospitalization, his wife Boedaya Sylvester says she was not properly communicated with, and she says they were treated differently because they’re Indigenous. In this episode we hear from Boedaya and from Island Health, which has promised to review what happened.
The community of Crofton got devastating news this week, with Domtar announcing it’s closing its mill there, putting 350 people out of work. In this episode we hear about why, and what’s next. We’ll also check in on a retraining program in Port Alberni, for laidoff mill workers there.
Downtown Victoria business owners say they’re seeing a positive impact, four months after the city launched the first phase of its community safety and wellbeing plan. City staff say they’ve completed 2 of their 11 priorities, with the other 9 underway. Folks on Pandora have mixed reviews. We take a look at it all in this week’s episode.Want to learn more about the plan? Check out our episode from when it was first launched.You can also read the whole thing on the city's website.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States