Hi there,

This weekend, I met all the candidates running in the North Cowichan civic byelection at the Duncan Curling Club. By the time I arrived for their all-candidates meeting, the venue’s upstairs was standing-room only. 

Candidates were given just two minutes or more to answer a series of open-ended questions from moderator Charles Borg. He then asked a string of rapid-fire yes-or-no questions, which candidates answered by holding up a coloured paddle — green for yes, and red for no. 

On paper, this might be a good way to get through a large number of questions. But actually being able to stick to that format turned out to be tough. That’s because multiple candidates refused to answer some of his yes-or-no questions, saying they were poorly worded, too loaded, or leading. 

This is something the audience was also quick to pick up on, and a handful of attendees heckled Borg. 

Around me, I heard people criticising the questions as being biased, while others accused the moderator himself of introducing his own views into the meeting.

I did not envy the candidates' difficult job of answering questions about complex topics — such as the location of the overdose prevention site, or past decisions by North Cowichan Council —  with a simplistic yes-or-no response.

But the tense event had me wondering: Is there a way to remain completely unbiased while covering an election? 

It's a tricky question to answer. Here at The Discourse, we’re working on an election fact-checking guide, which I’ll share in an upcoming newsletter to help you make sense of what is said on the campaign trail leading up to the April 12 North Cowichan by-election and also in the federal election on April 28.  

But my biggest piece of advice is to make sure you expose yourself to a wide range of opinions and news sources. 

The spaces we as citizens inhabit, especially online, can often become an echo chamber of the same few loud voices pushing their points of view. 

With the advent of AI-generated writing and images, it makes it more important than ever to scrutinize everything we read and see to make sure we don’t inadvertently spread misinformation or even outright lies. 

We owe it to ourselves — and our community — to pause before we hit the share button or send the link to a friend. First, let’s all consider fact-checking those things first as best we can, being mindful of potential biases and that what we’re sharing aligns actually with our core values and beliefs.

Local news and updates.

• The city of Duncan is asking the public to weigh in on a new name for Station Street Park. A two-councillor panel selected three names from community submissions  and two Quw'utsun Elders — and each name translated into both Hul'q'umi'num and English. You can cast your vote and learn how to say each Hul'q'umi'num name on the Big Conversations website. 

• North Cowichan announced the development of a new child care facility next to Maple Bay Elementary, at the intersection of Donnay Drive and Kingsview Road. The public can learn more about the planned facility at a drop-in open house on April 8 from 3:30-6:30 p.m. in the Maple Bay Elementary library. Funding for the new facility came from an $18-million grant from the federal and provincial governments.

• Some residents in the CVRD are not happy with the regional district’s services, the Cowichan Valley Citizen reports. According to a report for the CVRD’s committee of the whole, 44 per cent of residents in Mill Bay, Shawnigan Lake and Cobble Hill said they were dissatisfied with the level of services they received, while 55 per cent said the cost of services, such as waste collection, were too high. 

• The Cowichan Tzinquaw Dancers attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of a new facility to refit, repair and maintain the Royal Canadian Navy’s arctic patrol ships in the Malahat Business Park. The facility is a partnership between the Malahat Nation and Thales Canada. The First Nation’s Chief, George Harry, says the new facility is an important step towards empowering his community and ensuring the nation has a voice in “technological advancements that will shape the future.” The Cowichan Valley Citizen has the story.

Canada Votes

If you haven’t taken our survey yet, you can tell us what’s on your mind this federal election at the link below! Your responses will guide our reporting and help us understand what we should ask candidates.

As we draw closer to the final voting day on April 28, we will update this section with our election coverage to help answer your questions before you head to the polls.

The Liberal Party of Canada announced Blair Herbert will run in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford.

The Conservative Party of Canada announced Jeff Kibble will represent the party in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford. Kibble will be in Duncan on Wednesday, April 2 to open his campaign office at 28 Station St. from 3-6 p.m.

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.

Residents of Berkey’s Corner and beyond attended an all-candidates forum at the Duncan Curling Club on Saturday. Photo by Eric Richards/The Discourse.

Community events.

• April 2-23: 🖼️ Natural Elements exhibition opens at the Ladysmith Gallery, featuring works that explore our connection to the natural world. Doors open at 10 a.m. and admission is free for everyone.

• Friday, April 4: 🐔 FARMILY Fridays returns to Providence Farm. Get outside, learn new skills, and make new friends at this volunteer group which guides participants through hands-on farming tasks such as gardening, landscaping, weeding, pruning and planting. Contact Sarah at communityrelations@providence.bc.ca to sign up. 

• Saturday, April 5: 🎉 Celebrate the era of dial-up internet, beanie babies and flannel shirts with Ladysmith Pride Society’s 90s Baby! dance. Listen to your favourite hits from the era and take a picture at the 90s-themed photo station, all while supporting the Ladysmith Secondary School Gender and Sexuality Alliance club. Tickets start at $25 for non-eagles members.

• Saturday, April 5: 🐰 Stop by the Honeymoon Bay Outdoor Market for handcrafted treasures, fresh baked goods and so much more! Support local makers and find that perfect gift for you or someone special. Market opens at 10 a.m. at the Honeymoon Bay Community Hall.

• Saturday, April 5: 🏡 Learn how to make your garden a thriving and happy ecosystem at Dinter Nursery. Participants will learn the basics of layering, zoning, companion planting and plant selection to make a garden that is lower-maintenance, creates less waste, and promotes diversity. The workshop starts at 10 a.m. and registration is $10.

• Sunday, April 6: 🎊 The Heritage Museum in Mill Bay is officially open for the 2025 season. Check it out every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Private group tours are also available Monday to Friday by appointment.

• Wednesday, April 9: 🇵🇸 Solidarity Cowichan presents, From Ground Zero: Stories From Gaza at the Hub at Cowichan Station. After the film participants can join in on a small-group discussion of the film. Entry is by donation and snacks will be provided.

• Thursday, April 10: 🎤 Queen Margaret’s School presents Mamma Mia!,the classic tale of love, family and self-discovery at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre. Come see senior students from QMS bring the show to life! Tickets start at $15 dollars for students and $30 for adults.

• April 12-13:🥫Got extra non-perishable food or toiletries lying around? Head out to the Sahtlam Firehall and drop off donations for the department’s 15th annual food drive. All items and cash donations will go to support the Cowichan Valley Basket Society. Firefighters will be on site accepting donations from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

• Saturday, April 12: 🎵 The Cowichan Folk Guild hosts Becky Prokova, an emerging artist from Hornby Iisland, for an evening of captivating and transformative music. Doors open at 7 p.m. at the Duncan United Church, and admission is $10.

• Saturday, April 12: 🪻Celebrate the change of the season with a trip to the Second Nature Spring Market, where are you’ll find a curated selection of artisanal vendors and seasonal food. Admission is free.

• Sunday, April 13: 🏄‍♀️ Get your feet wet and learn the basics of surfing in this introductory class for kids aged 7 to 12! Take part in demonstrations on land, paddling practice, surfboard relays and even stand up on your board in the wave pool. Registration is $22.50.

• Sunday, April 13: 🐱 Meet some of the furry friends available for adoption from local rescue organizations at the Royal Canadian Legion in Shawnigan Lake. Raincoast Dog Rescue, Amy’s Bunny Barn, Cowichan Cat Rescue and Stray Cats of South Cowichan will be there accepting donations and showing off some of the animals that can be adopted.

What did you think of this newsletter?

⭐️    ⭐️⭐️    ⭐️⭐️⭐️    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️