Preparations are beginning in case it becomes necessary to pump water from Cowichan Lake into the river until the return of autumn rainfalls. The Environmental Manager for the Domtar pulp mill in Crofton says it appears pumping will be required early in September.
There is optimism the fish die-off of two years ago in the Cowichan River will not be repeated this summer, despite the challenging conditions. Tom Rutherford of the Cowichan Watershed Board says following the loss of more than one-hundred thousand fish in the summer of 2023, a comprehensive monitoring system was created for the river to assist management decisions.
The BC Wildfire Service says the fire danger for most of Vancouver Island is rated as high, with the southern portion of the Island from Nanaimo down to Victoria rated as extreme. Coastal Fire Centre Information Officer Julia Caranchi says it's the result of the hot weather and lack of rain, conditions that are currently expected to remain for at least another week.
Municipality of North Cowichan bans all open burning with its boundaries as pf 12 p.m. (noon) on Thursday), including campfires and small recreational fires, burning woody debris in outdoor stoves, torches such as Tiki Torches, fireworks and firecrackers, Sky Lanterns, and binary exploding targets used for target practice. The ban also covers Chimineas, burning barrels or burning cages of any size or description.
British Columbia’s water, land and resource stewardship minister is encouraging residents to conserve water, saying drought is worsening in parts of the province.Â
B.C. school officials say the province’s move to require AEDs and naloxone kits in all public schools is a positive step, but some are concerned about a lack of provincial funding to support the requirements.Â
The Public Health Agency of Canada has added more brands of Dubai chocolate bars to the list of recalled products due to a salmonella outbreak in certain pistachio products.Â
