Gabriola Island Trustee Tobi Elliot says concern over the concept of a shoreline buffer zone led a overflowing meeting room as residence turned out. Elliot wrote about the tensions present at that meeting in a post on her Substack, attributing them in part to apprehensions around the potential impact of last year’s supreme court decision around Cowichan title to certain land in Richmond. She spoke with Midcoast Morning about the issue.Also, plans to update British Columbia’s Heritage Conservation Act have been delayed. The act exists for the protection and conservation of sites with historical, cultural and archaeological value in the province, and major changes haven’t been made to the act since 1996. The province has been in the midst of reviewing the act for a number of years. Amendments to the act had been expected this spring, but earlier this month the province announced a delay, saying the extra time is to gather and incorporate additional feedback from industry, local governments and First Nations. Midcoast Morning spoke with Nuu-Chah-Nulth Tribal Council President Judith Sayers, who is also Co-Chair of the Joint Working Group on the Heritage Conservation Act.Support Midcoast Morning and our Nonprofit Newsroom with a monthly sustaining donation of $5 to $10 a month.Podcast Photo: Descanso Bay shoreline on Gabriola Island (Jesse Woodward/CHLY 101.7FM)Full program notes can be found at www.chly.ca/midcoastmorning

This is an extended podcast edition of our original broadcast.Members of the arts community in the Comox Valley are rallying in the face of the potential suspension of the fine arts program at North Island College. Fine Arts is one of 15 different programs that have been recommended for suspension following a review process, with a final decision expected to come from the school’s board of governors at a February 5th meeting. Midcoast Morning spoke with a trio of people in the local arts scene about the potential impact of the proposed suspension.Support Midcoast Morning and our Nonprofit Newsroom with a monthly sustaining donation of $5 to $10 a month.Podcast Photo: North Island College Comox Valley Campus (Joe Pugh/CHLY 101.7FM)Full program notes can be found at www.chly.ca/midcoastmorning

This is an extended version of the version that was originally broadcast.As rains once again battered Vancouver Island over the weekend, multiple regions grappled with the risk of flooding. For a period on Monday there were evacuation notices covering parts of Chemainus and a campground in Parksville.UBC professor Younes Alila says that while governments and media outlets are often quick to point to climate change as a driver of more frequent atmospheric rivers and increased flood risks, he feels more attention needs to be given to the role of forest management practices, especially clear cut logging in creating conditions for dangerous floods. He spoke with Midcoast Morning.We also speak with Trace Acers from the Road Safe at Work program about driving during periods of heavy rain.Support Midcoast Morning and our Nonprofit Newsroom with a monthly sustaining donation of $5 to $10 a month.Podcast Photo: Map of flooding in Chemainus.Full program notes can be found at www.chly.ca/midcoastmorning

This is an extended version of the version that was originally broadcast.Stories of hangings, explosions, and tragedies from Nanaimo’s past have been brought together in a book from lifelong history buff T.W. Paterson. Called Unknown Nanaimo, it focuses on events from the 1850s through to the turn of the 20th century, with much of the material sourced from newspaper accounts from that period.Speaking of newspapers, Paterson himself was the author of a historical column in the Nanaimo Free Press in the 1990s, and drew upon his work there for this collection. Paterson visited the CHLY studio to speak about 19th century Nanaimo.Support Midcoast Morning and our Nonprofit Newsroom with a monthly sustaining donation of $5 to $10 a month.Podcast Photo: T.W. Paterson in studio (Joe Pugh/CHLY 101.7FM)Full program notes can be found at www.chly.ca/midcoastmorning

We're marking Nanaimo's move from 2025 into 2026, with a focus on transportation. We talked transit and traffic calming with Jamie Rose, the City of Nanaimo’s Manager of Transportation about how things changed in the last year, as well as what's on the radar for the next one.We'll also touch on what some recent council decisions around active transportation projects mean for the city, and we'll hear a bit about how Nanaimo prioritizes what gets upgraded where.Support Midcoast Morning and our Nonprofit Newsroom with a monthly sustaining donation of $5 to $10 a month.Podcast Photo: Hand drawn “Slow the heck down” sign on Protection Island (Jesse Woodward/CHLY 101.7FM)Full program notes can be found at www.chly.ca/midcoastmorning