The Sayward Elementary School Parental Advisory Committee was thrilled to learn that their grant application to Mid Island Co-op was selected for funding to the tune of $4000! This contribution will help to ensure all students can participate in the school hot lunch program at no cost.
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The post office in a small community is often an essential hub for small businesses and individuals alike. However, when the regular postal service is not available, it has a disproportionate impact on small communities such as Sayward. Most product deliveries actually dispatch on a courier service, but in rural areas such as Sayward, most couriers do not deliver to the door. Rather, most parcel deliveries are passed off to Canada Post for final delivery to PO boxes.
Christmas is a peak time for any delivery service, and the lack of product delivery to Sayward has been causing frustration already as the postal strike enters its second week. Even once the strike ends, the postal service will be very backlogged for the coming weeks.
Local Sayward business Sayward Delivery has stepped up to provide an alternative solution for people to shop online and receive their parcels delivered to their door this holiday season. Visit www.SaywardDelivery.com for more details on this new service.
North Vancouver Island has significant highway closures due to storm damage. Highways impacted include:
Visit DRIVEBC.CA for updates.
Winter driving can be both beautiful and treacherous. Snow-covered landscapes might look like a scene from a postcard, but those slick roads and unpredictable weather conditions can quickly turn a serene drive into a hazardous journey. Here are some essential tips to help keep you safe on the road during winter weather.
Before venturing out, ensure your vehicle is winter-ready:
Winter driving demands extra caution and preparedness. By taking these steps, you can help ensure that you and your passengers arrive safely at your destination. Remember, it’s always better to arrive late than not at all. Stay safe out there!
A fuel truck carrying 17,000 litres of diesel that sank off the east coast of Vancouver Island has been successfully recovered.
The B.C. Environment Ministry reported that the truck was hoisted out of the water on Friday evening with minimal fuel release during the lift.
The truck had plunged 27 to 36 metres deep into Chancellor Channel, a rockfish conservation area by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, after rolling off a barge during a windstorm on April 20.
The barge, operated by Marine Link Transportation, was en route from Menzies Bay to Hardwicke Island to deliver fuel to a logging operator when the incident occurred. The operator promptly reported the incident to the Canadian Coast Guard.
Responders from the Coast Guard, a marine spill response company, and First Nations were on site the next morning. Using an underwater, remote-operated vehicle, they detected fuel leaking from one of the truck’s five tanks.
In a joint statement last week, the ministry, Coast Guard, Marine Link, and the Wei Wai Kum, We Wai Kai, and K’ómoks First Nations described the leaks as “intermittent and minimal.” Divers worked to patch the leaks while surveying the truck’s orientation.
Following the truck’s removal, containment crews remained on-site overnight to monitor the situation. Crews will continue to inspect the shoreline for any signs of environmental damage.
Aggie Pringle celebrated her 54th birthday on Wednesday by embarking on a challenging 26-kilometre walk in the pouring rain.
“One word – damp. Very, very damp. Yeah, it’s been raining the whole time,” said Aggie.
A dedicated paramedic from Sayward, Aggie chose part of the scenic route from Ucluelet to Tofino for her walk, dedicating a kilometre for every $100 she raised. In total, she raised $2,600 for mental health programs offered by Wounded Warrior Run BC.
“Well, I’m raising money for Wounded Warrior Canada and the Wounded Warrior Run BC specifically. I just wanted to help veterans and other uniformed professionals like myself, a paramedic, get the programming they need. All the programming is funded by Wounded Warrior,” she said.
Aggie has been volunteering as paramedic support for the run since 2018, often trailing runners in an ambulance between Port Hardy and Victoria.
Now, she’s contributing financially as well.
“Two years ago, I could never have imagined doing anything like this. But learning from those super-fit runners, I realized that physical health is just as important as mental health. So I’ve really started to work on the physical part now that my mental health is more squared away,” Aggie shared.
With 33 years as a paramedic, serving communities from Zeballos to Vancouver, Aggie has faced her share of PTSD. She was among the responders at the multi-fatal train derailment in Woss in 2017.
“Thankfully, I’ve not had many ‘Woss’s’, but there are a lot of tragedies I’ve seen throughout my career. The programs I’ve used have really helped me in my healing,” she added.
Aggie’s partner, Vern Coward, supported her during the walk.
“There are people out there who need help, and what she’s doing today is really going to help those folks,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud.”
Aggie hopes to make this an annual fundraiser, aiming to walk the full 42 kilometres next year if she raises $4,200.
