Retired Detective Honours Forgotten Veterans
Ted Usher aims to ensure that those who served and returned to Canada are properly identified and honored with military markers
Category
Looking Back
73 stories
Forgotten Demo Tape Finds New Life
Band member decided to finish album to commemorate lead singer
From Backyard Trees to Tables, From Branches to Plates
The Alberni Valley Gleaning Project bring the old saying "waste not, want not" to life
Want To Honour National Indigenous Peoples Day? Read This.
Namwayut: In the Kwak’wala language, this word conveys the deep understanding that we are all one
From Hell to Harmony: The Story of Sointula, a Utopian Adventure!
Saunas and solidarity: Sointula's unique beginnings didn't quite go to plan.
Another Island Heritage Building Gets The Boot
These kids are getting kicked to the curb because of it
Lost and Found: Storage Locker Reveals Forgotten Legacy of Native Carver
Love transcends time as a daughter from Comox joyfully reunites with her late father's treasures
Alberni Indian Residential School Has Blood On Its Hands
At least 67 children died at Alberni Residential School
Gone, But Never Forgotten
Canada's greatest songwriter, Gordon Lightfoot, passed away at the age of 84.
60-Year-Old Problem Being Fixed
Restoration of the old Field Sawmills site will have a huge positive impact on fish and wildlife
Are We On The Brink of Another Big One?
VanIsle's recent 6.0 magnitude earthquake raises questions about how prepared we are for a potential mega-thrust quake
The Inspiring Story of Port Alberni's First Black Family and Teacher
Winston Joseph became known as Mr. Positive Port Alberni and embodied a "love one another" philosophy.
Farmer Digs Up Lost Language During Spring Cleaning
Discovering treasures in unexpected places is not uncommon, but stumbling upon a historical collection of microfilms documenting indigenous languages is…
The Little Train That Can't
More studies and talks to come about the future of Island Rail
How Well Do You Know Your Family's Roots?
Descendant of the Islands first black pioneers tells a forgotten history
What We Love: The Old Comox & Campbell Lake Logging Tramway
This photo is from 1912 when crew members still rode the loads
What Really Happened to Maggie Sutlej?
This story doesn't end up where you think it will
Bones Of Crows – A Stunning Film You Don't Want To Miss
Free showings across the Island, and we've got the dates
A Ship Carrying Comedians Sank. Believe it or Not, Funny Business Ensued
What would you do if you found a floating tickle trunk?
Royal BC Museum's Future in Question
Public support for RBCM is at an all-time low.
This Sunken Ship Could Make You Rich
No Click Bait – 10 Million in gold for relatives of those who sank with the ship
The Plywood Girls
They were Port Alberni's Rosie the Riveters
The Great Tsunami of 1964
It moved houses across town, flung cars into trees—but everyone helping each other saved Alberni
The White Kwakiutl?
Was he preserving culture or profiting from it?
Do You Remember Your Roots?
All cultures have amazing mythology, this group is here to explore it together
Biologist Put The Comox Valley On The Bigfoot Map
Sold-out conference brought bigfoot believers to the Comox Valley last month to hear and share stories
Why We Remember
Honouring those who have fought takes more than just a moment of silence
The Island's Real War Site
Back in the day, Tofino was on the front line
What We Love: Long Beach in the Old Days
Long Beach wasn't always a tourist destination
This Ghost Town Stands Out From The Crowd
Welcome to Paldi!
Residential School Sites Should Be Treated As Crime Scenes
No school should have a graveyard
This Island Woman Killed 70 Cougars.
11 kids, 4 husbands, mystery gardens, a post office? This was the crazy life of Cougar Annie.
A Great Big Fire
In 1938, a massive fire destroyed logging camps, farms, thousands of hectares of old growth and nearly burned Campbell River and Courtenay
Comox's "Man of Mystery" Put the Town on the Map
Was he a Navy hero or a shuckster?
One Last, Lonely Dinosaur
This fossil still has some life left in it
Looking Back: The Day Campbell River said F*#@ That Rock
The good old days: when we blew up underwater mountains for entertainment
A Window Into the Future from 5,000-year-old Fisheries
Ancient fish bones give new insight into how we can adapt to warming waters
The Forestry Service De-Fanged
40 years of intentional deregulation has left the forests ministry toothless
Honouring Alec Thomas
Through honouring the past, we can make a better future
Did You Write This Note?
A real life hidden treasure!
Local Author Weaves a Tale of BC's Oldest Provincial Park
Catherine Marie Gilbert's book on Strathcona Park reveals the region's little-known past
Dreams That Died on Cape Scott
More than a century ago, Danish settlers thought they could make a new life on Cape Scott
Paddle Politics To Boost Local Economy
The Kyuquot/Cheklesahht First Nation hope to strengthen local tourism by buying a sea kayaking company
What We Love: Cameron Lake Big Trestle at Dawn
Did you ever take the train to Port Alberni?
What's In A Name? Cortes Island
Cortesians can thank Cortez the Killer for their island's name
There Aren't Enough Songs About Fishing the Sockeye Run
The Canadian Cowboy sings about good fishing and good living
What's In A Name?
Care for a peek into history?
What's In A Name? Zeballos
How control over this remote region almost started a colonial war
Citizen Ruth—Remembering a Legend
She crossed swords with powerful people often, but at her core Ruth Masters was a humanitarian with a big heart
A 100 Years Later, Port Alice is Booming Again
The town grew by 11 percent over the last five years.
How Did 15 Ghost Ships End Up In Royston?
One wrecks was known as the "ship of romance and death," because sailors believed it was cursed by an old woman stowaway who was forced to walk the plank.
What We Love: "This Land is Your Land"
The song was so popular that some people called it Canada's second national anthem
NorthIsle Was a Good Place to Ride Out the Ice Age
Researchers dug 18,000 years into the past and found flowers, not ice
Go Climb a Rock
The founder of the Alpine Club of Canada led the first successful climb of Elkhorn Mountain in 1911
A Guy With a Big Heart and A Dream
Poole's Land in Tofino was a haven for the homeless and people who wanted to live -and love – in a different way
Ontario Court Ruling Could Have Huge Impacts on VanIsle
Anishinaabe are entitled to billions in compensation for the immense wealth extracted from their territory
Guilt-free Hot Rodding – Is It Possible?
Classic car owners can have their cake and eat it too
How Dare AntiVaxxers Try to Spin Remembrance Day
How dare pro-virus/anti-vax/anti-mandate blowhards sully the legacy of courageous Canadian soldiers with their nonsense
Time to Put This Racist Where He Belongs
The long overdue renaming of a Port Alberni elementary school helps to put the racist legacy of a local politician to rest
Port Alberni School Gets a New Name
Public buildings named after racists are on their way out
March in Port Hardy for Orange Shirt Day on September 30
"Be together today for our children tomorrow"
The Big One's Overdue – So Remember Drop, Cover and Hold On!
Experts say the big one is coming so get prepared
Another Coastal Icon Bites the Dust
After 75 years of service, the MV Lady Rose will sail its last trip, leaving remote coastal communities to wonder how they'll get their essential groceries
Are They, or Aren't They? – The Mystery of Old Bones in Kyuquot
Sometimes when you're cleaning up you find something you don't expect
Artifacts Coming Home to Huu-ay-aht
Huu-ay-aht treasures are "scattered all over the world"
WATCH: Four Hopeful Lessons from WW II that Can Help Now
Back during World War II, Canada's governments, people, and businesses all came together to overcome a major threat. How can we do it again to head off new…
A Preview of the Big One?
Some of the old timers might still remember the earthquake of 1946
Who Was Haig-Brown?
Roderick Haig-Brown was ahead of his time, he may also be one of Campbell River’s most under-appreciated citizens
The Sour Legacy of the E & N Land Scam
The E&N Land Grant shows how bad decisions – and shady deals – made more than a century ago can affect the lives of ordinary people on Vancouver Island for…
Turning a Negative into a Positive
First Nation seeking funding demolish residential school and to build a healing centre and new gymnasium for survivors
Goodwin and Kurikka and Their Legacy of Social Activism
How two characters from Vancouver Island's gritty past made a lasting impact on Canada
Happy Hikers
A century of trailblazing gets award
Cowichan Valley Trail is safe again
After more than a year, the washout on the Cowichan Trail got fixed