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Protests at the gates of South Island Aggregates near Shawnigan Lake continue.  November 30th saw one of the bigger turnouts after an incident the previous Friday where a driver allegedly assaulted a demonstrator.

They're trying to hold up trucks bringing loads into the controversial contaminated soil dump. Protests also broke out in Nanaimo late last week, where barges of soil headed to SIA have been docking.

Calvin Cook of the Shawnigan Residents Association says people are starting to see this as an Island-wide issue.

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The Association is calling on protesters to keep things peaceful, and within the law, but Cook says they understand the frustration with the Ministry of Environment's inaction on the file.

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The Province is offering more money to support anti-racism networks.

Bruce Curtis is the head of the Organizing Against Hate and Racism Network, which serves the Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo, and the Sunshine Coast as well as the rest of Vancouver Island

He says having these networks in place allows communities to share resources.

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Curtis says another part of the funding will be used to provide training programs and workshops throughout the region.

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A new report on child poverty in British Columbia puts the Cowichan Valley in the top 10 regions where the problem is bad... and getting worse.

The study by First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coaltion says in 2013, 27.5 per cent of Children in the CVRD were in families living below the poverty line - up from 2012. For the urban areas of Duncan and North Cowichan it's 31 per cent.

(see the full report here)

The Coalition's Adrienne Montani says a lack of affordable child care is one of the reasons.

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The Coalition is making more than 20 recommendations, including an increase in the minimum wage and welfare and disability benefit rates

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Demonstrators have been trying to block trucks hauling contaminated soil from getting into South Island Aggregates near Shawnigan Lake for days now, and on Monday a barge hauling soil was refused permission to unload at Bamberton.

CVRD Director Sonia Furstenau is praising the Malahat Nation for turning that barge away.

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Furstenau says she expects protests at the site to continue more-or-less daily.

This as hearings continue this week in the CVRD's court case against the company, and the Environment Ministry assesses the company's response to a letter warning it's considering suspending the dump's permits.

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The Cowichan Sportsplex "Pass the Torch" campaign is underway.

The event is a fundraiser for programs at the Sportsplex, but it's also a way to celebrate the benefits of a healthy and fit community.

Catherine Brandon is one of the organizers... she says that's a really important message.

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Pass the Torch wraps up on November 27th, and Brandon says by that time they hope to have seen the torch in the hands of 85 bearers, which would bring in 85-hundred dollars.

There are more details at: cowichansportsplex.com

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A Tuesday morning windstorm has knocked out power to much of the Cowichan Valley, and disrupted ferry service to the Southern Gulf Islands.

The Queen of Cumberland and the Queen of Burnaby have been holding in dock and BC Ferries says a combination of mechanical issues and bad weather had the Brentwood - Mill Bay service suspended for now.

Hydro says more than 7-thousand customers are off the grid in various parts of the Cowichan Valley, including Duncan.

Crews are still assessing the damage so there's no estimate for getting the power back on.

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