Latest news with #VancouverIsland
CBC
6 hours ago
- Health
- CBC
Vancouver Island family heartbroken as B.C. stops funding $1M drug for girl with terminal condition
A Vancouver Island family is in shock after learning the British Columbia government will stop funding an extremely expensive medication their young daughter needs for a rare genetic condition. Nine-year-old Charleigh Pollock is the only person in B.C. with Batten disease, or neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2). It's a rare and terminal genetic disorder that causes multiple seizures daily, eventually causing brain damage. Pollock's mother, Jori Fales, said the family is still processing the news, announced Wednesday, that the B.C. government will pull funding for Pollock's access to Brineura, a $1-million-per-year medication which is given through an infusion of fluid to the brain to slow the progression of CLN2. "Emotions have gone from sheer heartbreak to anger to sadness; it's just been a roller-coaster the last 24 hours," Fales said. Thursday marked Pollock's last infusion of Brineura. Fales called the government's decision to pull funding with one day's notice before the last infusion "a little heartless." She said her daughter has been let down. "At the end of the day, it should have always been the decision of her medical care team, and her family and Charleigh. And none of that has happened here." On Thursday, B.C. Minister of Health Josie Osborne said it was a tough decision to end the funding. She said the cost of the medication had nothing to do with the reason the funding was pulled, but that it was determined Pollock's condition had deteriorated to the point where she met "discontinuation criteria" for Brineura. "Clinical evidence shows that once a patient has declined in their motor and language functions by a certain amount, Brineura no longer has the benefit of slowing down the progression of the disease, although patients can continue to live on into mid-adolescence," Osborne said. Fales denied that her daughter's condition has worsened. "Charleigh is not in advanced progression of her disease. This is simply not true," she said. Dr. Ineka Whiteman, the head of research and medical affairs for the Batten Disease Support and Research Association U.S. and Australia and head of the Batten Disease Global Research Initiative, called the B.C. government's decision "appalling." She expressed frustration with the provincial government's emphasis on criteria to discontinue the medicine, which she said is based on old clinical trials. She added other families around the world are becoming concerned their access to the medication may also be reconsidered. "This is not just about a single child. This is really setting a very, very dangerous precedent." Fales said she plans to share her daughter's journey and advocate for others dealing with the disease.
CBC
14 hours ago
- CBC
B.C. jet skier fined $5K for approaching dolphins too closely
Social Sharing Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is reminding people that there are rules around approaching marine mammals after a man was fined $5,000 forgetting too close to a pod of dolphins. Stephen Michael White was fined last month after being found guilty in November 2024 of violating a section of the Marine Mammal Regulations. The incident took place in August 2022, in Broughton Strait near Port McNeill on Vancouver Island's northern coast, according to a media release from DFO. White was recorded speeding toward a pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins on his jet ski, coming within a few feet of the creatures while filming on his phone — much closer than the 100-metre legal approach distance. Witnesses immediately reported the incident. Evidence presented in court included images from White's own social media, as well as testimonies and images from witnesses. The court found his actions to be negligent and reckless, leading to a six-month ban from operating any motorized vessel on water. White is also prohibited from posting anything related to marine mammals to social media. DFO says the case's guilty verdict and court-ordered fine reinforces the rules' importance to prevent disturbances. Under the regulations, disturbances include approaching the animal to feed, swim, or interact with it; move it or cause it to move from the immediate area in which it is found; separate it from members of its group or go between it and its calf; trap it or its group between a vessel and the shore, or between a vessel and one or more other vessels; or approaching the animal to tag and mark it. Toothed-whale species, including dolphins and killer whales, use sound to navigate their environment, also called echolocation. The release says "close encounters with a vessel can disrupt their natural behaviours and interfere with essential sound signals used for communication, foraging, and socialization." DFO is reminding British Columbians and anyone taking to open waters this summer of legal approach distances: 400 metres from all killer whales in southern B.C. coastal waters. 200 metres from all killer whales in all other Canadian Pacific waters, and when a whale, dolphin or porpoise is in a resting position or with a calf. 100 metres away from other whales, porpoises, and dolphins. The restrictions apply to all motorized and self-propelled watercrafts, swimmers, and scuba divers — part of a host of protective measures designed to protect marine mammals in B.C. waters.
CTV News
18 hours ago
- CTV News
Violent crime in Vancouver reaches 20-year low, according to VPD report
A Vancouver Police Department patch is seen on an officer's uniform in Vancouver, on Jan. 9, 2021. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press) Vancouver has recorded its lowest number of violent crimes in more than 20 years, according to a new report going before the Vancouver Police Board Thursday afternoon. The VPD's quarterly Public Safety Indicators report tracks a number of trends, including violent crime, property crime, and apprehensions under the Mental Health Act. According to data collected in the first three months of 2025, total crime decreased by nearly one per cent. Violent crime declined by 11.2 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2024, with the number of cases dropping from 1,342 to 1,192. It marks the lowest number of violent crimes on record in Vancouver since the implementation of the Police Records Information Management Environment in 2002, a system used for managing police records. 'This decrease is driven by record low quarterly assaults and robberies. Violent crime declined across all patrol districts except District 4, and decreased in 15 of the 24 Vancouver neighbourhoods,' reads the report. District four covers a large area of Vancouver, including Point Grey, Kitsilano, Fairview, Dunbar-Southlands, Arbutus Ridge, Shaughnessy, South Cambie, Riley Park, Musqueam, Kerrisdale, Oakridge, and Marpole. The drop in violent crime presented in the data is in stark contrast to what many residents and business owners have reported anecdotally in recent months, including a series of high-profile stranger attacks. Robberies decreased by more than 23 per cent, according to the report. 'This decrease was driven by a 39.5 per cent reduction specifically in the Downtown Eastside,' it reads. Assaults decreased 12.6 per cent, but assaults on peace officers increased 28 per cent. Sexual offences increased by more than 7 per cent, rising from 168 incidents in the first quarter of 2024 to 180 in the first quarter of 2025. This includes a 6.5 per cent increase in historical reports of sexual offences. Vancouver recorded two culpable homicides and there were three attempted murders in the first three months of 2025. Property crime dropped by 4 per cent, continuing a sustained post-Covid decline. Mental Health Act apprehensions increased by 7 per cent. Calls for service increased slightly by 2.4 per cent, with 56,698 calls made between January and March in 2025 compared to 55,393 across the same three months in 2024. The average response time to emergency priority one calls increased by nine seconds compared to the same period the previous year. There was a significant increase in on-view calls, which occur when an officer witnesses an incident. According to the VPD, that was driven by District 2 which saw a 94.0 per cent increase from 3,372 to 6,540 on-view calls. 'This increase in on-view calls is likely attributable to Task Force Barrage and Project Brighthaven, which involved the deployment of additional officers in the Downtown Eastside,' reads the report. The VPD launched Task Force Barrage in February of this year. The initiative was intended to focus on targeting organized crime, violent offenders, and street disorder, particularly in the Downtown Eastside. The task force has been controversial. Critics have argued it disproportionately affects vulnerable populations in the Downtown Eastside. Advocates are concerned the increased enforcement could push these people into other parts of the city, which could disrupt their access to resources and support systems. Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has also sidestepped questions on how the budget for the $5 million task force was approved. A presentation on Task Force Barrage is also on the agenda for Thursday's police board meeting.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Construction Workers Dug Up a Sewer Line—and Found 3,800-Year-Old Tools
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: A construction project to upgrade a sewer conveyance system in Canada led to the discovery of an archaeological site containing ancient wooden tools. Archaeologists uncovered 3,800-year-old wooden wedges that were likely used to help split logs into planks. The team also discovered cordage made of plant and wood fibers that could have served a multitude of everyday purposes. Crews working to upgrade a sewer conveyance system on Vancouver Island in Canada unearthed a rare archaeological 'wet site' featuring 3,800-year-old wooden tools and cordage. Located on K'ómoks First Nation territory, the find includes wooden wedges likely used to split logs into planks—a common tool in home construction, according to a K'ómoks statement. 'Traditionally, wedges were made from fine-grained woods like yew, spruce, maple, and crabapple, and they were often scorched to increase their hardness,' the statement read. 'The wedge would include a cordage collar or 'grommet,' which helped to prevent the edge of the wood from fraying when hammered.' The team also located the traditional cordage rope—typically made from plant and wood fibers—that could have been a commonly used tool in everyday life tasks ranging from making clothes or baskets to hunting, fishing, harvesting, or fishing. The wedges look similar to railroad spikes, and can easily fit in a hand. Cordage was still wrapped and tied on the end, likely to provide cushioning when the wedges were hammered. Crews worked with the Royal BC Museum to aid in the wet site's conservation, and teams hope to explore both the tools and cordage further to uncover which plant species and manufacturing techniques were used in their creation. Gaining more information about the materials could lead to a better understanding of the purpose of the tools. A wet site is a waterlogged archaeological location. That may at first feel like a negative quality, but water is known to help preserve organic matter—particularly vegetation and wood. These unique preservation characteristics can lead to rich archaeological finds. 'Organic materials like wood plant fibers, basketry, fishing nets, and leather typically only survive in waterlogged archaeological sites, where a lack of oxygen means that microbes and bacteria can't break them down,' said the K'ómoks First Nation. 'In most archaeological sites, archaeologists find tools and other cultural materials made of more hardy materials like stone, antler, shell, and animal bones. However, in wet sites, they can find tangible and remarkably preserved organic materials as well.' As work on the sewer conveyance project—which was meant to protect the shorelines and waters throughout the Comox Valley—has continued, project officials have worked with the K'ómoks First Nation to document and recover archaeological materials impacted by the project, which runs through many of the Nation's ancestral settlements and villages. 'These new findings,' the Nation wrote, 'underscores the importance of archaeological analysis in construction projects. Without archaeological monitoring, excavation, and analysis, these fragile materials that teach us about deep-time history can be destroyed, and information can be permanently erased.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Ruth Jones' former husband has already left his life in the UK behind and has settled in a small Canadian village with his new Gavin & Stacey lookalike girlfriend
Ruth Jones' former husband David Peet has left his life behind in the UK to relocate to a small village in Canada to be with his new girlfriend. And the pair have already gone social media official after she posted a new picture of the pair kissing on Facebook. Mailonline can reveal the TV executive has moved to Port Hardy, located on the northern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Home to just 4,000 people, David has chosen to start afresh with Jayne Charity Cook, a 46-year-old digital creator, despite having three children and businesses back home. And now Jayne has posted her first snap of the couple since their relationship was revealed by MailOnline on Thursday morning, sparking a flurry of supportive comments from pals. One wrote: 'I'm so glad you found someone that makes you absolutely happy, you are glowing so bright.' Another added: 'You both look so happy. I love this for you.' David split from the Gavin & Stacey star, who he was married to for 27 years, 18 months ago and is believed to have been living in Canada with his new partner for several months. An insider said: 'It's a bold move across the Atlantic. 'But David saw it as a new chapter in his life and an exciting opportunity he couldn't ignore.' David, 71, and Ruth, 58, announced their marriage split on Wednesday, 24 hours after Mailonline approached his new girlfriend in Canada to ask if they were in a relationship. They released a joint statement, writing: 'We amicably went our separate ways 18 months ago and are now legally separated. We remain good friends. 'Since our separation, Ruth is living in London and David is living in Canada, where he is in a new relationship.' Jayne appeared to make her relationship with David public via her Facebook page in April after setting a cosy snap of the pair as her profile picture. She also shared snaps of the couple on her Threads page around the same time, writing 'spent the weekend with my love and had an amazing time.' She describes herself as 'a MommaBear and being a great Friend, Lover, Partner, Daughter, Sister' and has two adult children – Alexander and Isabella – plus she is a doting grandmother to Alexander's son and Isabella's two girls. She has worked as an Education Assistant at the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw School on the Tsulquate Reserve since 2016. Meanwhile national treasure Ruth is stepmother to David's three children from a previous relationship - Fiona, 35, Louise, 33 and Alex, 31 - and is believed to be close to them, taking on the role of grandmother to their children. The former couple used to split their time between their two properties in Cardiff and the Scottish Highlands, where they own a holiday home. In recent months, Ruth has made a string of appearances without her wedding ring, including on stage at the Bath Literary Festival in May, where she was promoting her new novel, By Your Side. Intriguingly, the book centres around a recent divorcee, Linda, who Ruth says is loosely based on herself - and is a fuller-figured teetotal woman in her 50s. She told her audience Linda had recently abandoned a long marriage after realising she had become 'friends' with her husband, but triggered a break up after he had an affair with a work colleague. The star added: 'The other thing I really love about her is that she (Linda) was married and she got divorced and she gets on fine with her ex-husband. 'It was never a really great big romantic marriage. They got on fine. They had a good sex life but that was kind of it. 'They were good friends. When he (the husband) went off with Denise at his place of work, and ran off to run a cafe in Spain called Doolallies, she was quite happy to see him go.' Their split comes after Ruth's iconic character Nessa finally married on-off lover Smithy, played by co-writer James Corden, in the 2024 Christmas Special of Gavin & Stacey, watched by 12.3million viewers. The episode, titled The Finale, was the last ever instalment of the comedy classic, which first aired in 2007. She previously worked with her husband on the 2009 Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special. Her performance as the no-nonsense Welsh fantasist earned Ruth a BAFTA for best female performance in a comedy last month, where she was seen wearing her wedding ring. However Ruth omitted David from her acceptance speech after collecting her BAFTA in May, in which she paid a huge tribute to the cast and crew of Gavin & Stacey, namely her writing partner James whom she said: 'I love you James, I love writing with you and long may it continue.' Ruth and David first met while filming a pilot episode of a BBC comedy, and the actress once admitted he was in a relationship at the time. Getting together then sparked his divorce from the mother of his three children, who are all now in their 30s. She said: 'Affairs cause a lot of pain, they're not something one aspires to do. You don't aspire to cause pain to people in their life.' They married in 1999 and went onto work with each other again, co-creating her Sky comedy Stella, in which she plays the title character - a struggling single mother - which ran for 58 episodes from 2012. In 2008, they co-founded production company Tidy Productions - named after Ruth's Gavin & Stacey catchphrase - which made Stella, plus they also co-produced the comedy star's Radio Wales show Sunday Brunch in the same year. However, David and two business associates recently set up a new film production company called Toffee International with the TV executive giving a correspondence address - for the first time - in Inverkirkaig in the far remote north west Highlands of Scotland. Ruth is not a part of this new company. Away from the television industry, David owns a restaurant located near their holiday home in Lochinver, a pretty fishing village in the north-west coast of the Scottish Highlands. The eatery - called Peets - is one of just a handful of attractions in the region and sits on a sheltered bay on the edge of Loch Inver, offering spectacular views of the 2,389 feet high Mount Suilven. Mailonline revealed earlier this month that Ruth is frequently seen waiting tables and serving food and drink when she's in the area, which she uses as an escape from her hectic work life. Georgia Riggins, 24, who works at Peet's restaurant said: 'Ruth has been known to do a couple of shifts in the restaurant when she's up here and we've been told that she's coming again in July. 'She's not been coming as much recently but that's because she's probably busy with her work. 'David comes up here more often. He's a lovely man and great to work for. Everybody around here knows how famous Ruth is and when's she's working in the restaurant is happy to pose for selfies with the tourists. But the locals don't bother her.' Ruth is often seen walking around the village enjoying its breath-taking scenery, popping into its only convenience store or visiting a van parked by the village hall to buy fish and locally caught langoustines. David McDonald, 51, who drives around the Highlands selling local seafood told MailOnline: 'I supply fish to Peet's, and Ruth has also come to my van to buy fish. I must admit that I've never watched Gavin and Stacey, but I know she's very famous and can tell you what fish she likes. 'It's very quiet and beautiful around here and couldn't be more different from Ruth's celebrity life. She's famous for her love of Wales but the Highlands are very dear to her too but not a lot of people know that.' David purchased the restaurant in 2014, the year after they bought their holiday home close by for £240,000. Their other home is a semi-detached mock Tudor semi overlooking leafy Roath Park in one of Cardiff's most sought after suburbs, worth over £1million, which they've lived in for 24 years.
