Hi there,

With a return to warmer weather, I’ve found myself outdoors a lot more in the past weeks and have been trying my hand at wildlife photography (I’ve included one example below so you can judge my progress). But it got me thinking about the river and salmon. Well, I’m happy to share that it looks like chinook salmon returns are high, according to a report given to the Cowichan Stewardship Round Table by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Read more about it in the reporting from sixmountains.ca linked below!

I also have salmon on my brain for another reason that I’ll share more about later this week. Stay tuned!

Local news and updates.

• The Cowichan Valley Regional District voted unanimously at its recent committee of the whole meeting to help fund the Island Corridor Foundation to the tune of $30,000, the Cowichan Valley Citizen reports. The additional $30,000 will help fund the continuation of the foundation’s “vision-coordinator” position which is responsible for developing a shared vision of the E&N Rail Corridor. Staff were also directed to write a letter to the Ministry of Transportation and Transit requesting the province provide more funding to the Island Corridor Foundation.

• The Town of Ladysmith says it is aware of social media posts spreading misinformation about the 2025 mayoral by-election, calling it a “shameless attempt to undermine the validity of the by-election results.” The Town says that this week, an anonymous Facebook post falsely stated the results of advanced voting held on Feb. 19 even though advanced ballots and mail-in ballots are not counted until after polls close. Chief election officer Donna Smith says the false information has taken away critical time from election officials as they prep for final voting this week.

• A rally in Duncan last Friday called for “increased public safety,” stiffer penalties for criminals and involuntary care following the beating of a local shop owner, Chek News reports. A statement from North Cowichan Cop Watch says messaging at the rally “directly blamed and named ‘homeless people’ for every social ill and preached about “involuntary care” as the solution for the community.” They add the rally pulls attention away from the roots of the issues and serves to “invite more hate against the people already most likely to face violence, discrimination and criminalization.”

• The Cowichan River had the highest returns of adult chinook salmon in the last 36 years, sixmountains.ca reports. Federal fisheries officials say that they saw an estimated escapement of over 25,000 adult chinook aged three to five years in 2024 and are happy to see the trend of “positive returns” continuing in the Cowichan River. 

• A letter to North Cowichan from the Chemainus Valley Historical Society says they are planning a special exhibit next year to highlight the experiences of Japanese Canadians living in the community before the Second World War, the Cowichan Valley Citizen reports. The exhibit aims to tell the stories of Japanese Canadians who lived, worked and owned businesses in the community and their impact on the evolution of Chemainus, as many did not return after being incarcerated in interment camps in 1942.

🗳️ Ladysmith Votes 2025 🗳️

Ladysmith residents can vote in the town’s mayoral election tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at City Hall. It is the last day of advanced voting.

Read more about the six candidates running for mayor in this story from the Ladysmith Chemainus Chronicle.

Those looking to cast their vote by mail have until Feb. 28 to request a mail-in ballot. General voting starts Saturday, March 1 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the Frank Jameson Community Centre. For more information on how to vote, visit the Town of Ladysmith website.

Find The Discourse on Bluesky!

🦋 The Discourse has joined the conversation on Bluesky. Keep an eye out for more posts about our reporters' extraordinary work at @thediscourse.ca. You can also follow our journalists and sister publications in the Discourse Community Publishing network by clicking “follow all” in our starter pack.

Photo of the week.

A grey heron sits on a perch out in the Somenos Marsh Open Air Classroom. Photo by Eric Richards/The Discourse.

Community events.

• Tuesday, Feb 25: 🖋️ Learn how to find a story, prepare it and share it with an audience at VIRL Cowichan’s Introduction to Telling Stories for Adults, a workshop with storyteller and teacher Jennifer Ferris. The event is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Vancouver Island Regional Library Cowichan Branch. No registration is required!

• Thursday, Feb. 27 to Mar 9: 🌃 The Mercury Players presents Constellations, a story of star-crossed lovers in parallel universes, at the Duncan United Church. In a unique twist, each performance will alternate between pairs of lead actors depending on the night. Tickets start at $25. For a full schedule of the performances visit the Mercury Players website.

• Friday, Feb. 28: 🇬🇭 Celebrate Black History Month with the Cowichan Intercultural Society at a traditional Ghanaian beading workshop. Learn the art of beading with Arahamatu Zakari and enjoy a taste of traditional African foods. For more information contact nadiia@cis-iwc.org or call (250) 748-3112.

• Friday, Feb. 28: 📽️ The Oscars are almost here and to celebrate, The Hub Film Club is showing Memoir of a Snail, a stop motion animated film in the running for Best Animated Feature. Doors and concessions open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets start at $8.

• Monday, March 3: 🌱 Nature Cowichan hosts Amber Peters from the Valhalla Wilderness Society to screen its new film, Safe Haven, at the Fish Health Building. Can’t make it in person? Email cvns@naturecowichan.net for a virtual invite.

• Saturday, March 8: 💜 To celebrate International Women's Day, The Discourse and Cowichan IWD are teaming up to bring local speakers and advocates together to discuss how to support people with the right to choose and make informed decisions regarding childbirth. Tickets for Building a Circle of Care for Vancouver Island start at $20 and a portion of the proceeds will be contributed to the House of Honourable Mothers.

• Saturday, March 8: 🪈 The Cowichan Consort Orchestra and Choir hosts its spring concert, Featuring Our Youth!, at the Christian Reformed Church in Duncan. The night features music from distinguished youth performers Simi Luttrell on piano and Daniel Sanabria on flute performing music composed by French and American women from the 19th and 20th centuries.

• Sunday, March 9: 🎹 Chemainus Classical Concerts presents A Sunday of Sonatas featuring Kevin Ayesh on piano performing sonatas by Robert Starer, Beethoven and Chopin. Doors open at 2 p.m. at St Michaels Church in Chemainus with tickets starting at $30 for adults and $10 for anyone under 18.

• Wednesday, March 12: 🚜 Come down to the Cowichan Branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library for a special free performance of She Won’t Come in From the Fields, a one woman show tackling the topics of regenerative food growing and climate solutions, written by Dale Colleen Hamilton. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.