Biologists are lending a helping hand to salmon in the B.C. interior that are struggling to make it to their spawning grounds due to severe drought conditions. Jason Hwang, vice-president of salmon with the Pacific Salmon Foundation, has joined Sarah Ostoforoff, a habitat restoration biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, at Kamloops Lake to reconnect it with Tranquille Creek so pink salmon currently trapped in the lake can start their spawning journey.
As drought continues, new restrictions and an experiment in one Vancouver Island region
Nearly two months after drought Level 5 was declared on Vancouver Island, steps are underway in the Comox Valley to conserve water and aid returning salmon. Drought Level 5, declared when "adverse impacts to socio-economic or ecosystem values are almost certain," is the highest level on British Columbia's drought scale.
Province declares state of emergency for Stikine region
The Province is declaring a state of emergency for the unincorporated Stikine region in response to the ongoing wildfire situation and is expanding campfire bans throughout the province. An evacuation order is in place for specific areas in the region affected by the Little Blue River wildfire. The Stikine region is B.C.’s only unincorporated region. The Province is responsible for implementing evacuation orders for the region, which requires the Province to issue a state of emergency for the region.
Montreal experiments with urban water features that could protect the St. Lawrence River
With both feet sinking into damp dirt, urban planner Pascale Rouillé surveys a narrow strip of land that will soon be used to not only retain runoff, but also be bursting with greenery that the community can enjoy. Tucked in next to a warehouse known as Bâtiment 7 in the Montreal neighbourhood of Pointe-Saint-Charles, near the intersection of Le Ber and Sainte-Madeleine streets, the terrain will become what has been dubbed a "blue-green alley."
NWMO encouraged by Swedish facility
“It is irresponsible to leave nuclear waste in water basins year after year without a decision,” said Strandhall, who was quoted in a nuclear-industry publication based in London, England. “We must not hand over the responsibility to our children and grandchildren,” she added. “We, and Finland, are the first in the world to take responsibility for nuclear waste.”