Eric Richards
@emrichards.bsky.social
I am a reporter and content creator living and working on unceded Quw’utsun lands on the west coast of so-called Canada.
Read my work in @thediscourse.ca and at ericmrichards.carrd.co
All opinions expressed here are my own.
Read my work in @thediscourse.ca and at ericmrichards.carrd.co
All opinions expressed here are my own.
In case you didn’t know, I write a newsletter for @thediscourse.ca that goes out every Tuesday and features a roundup of local news and events happening in the #cowichanvalley. Check it out at the link below!
How does logging affect rivers?
Plus, more news and...
thediscourse.indiegraf.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:12 AM
In case you didn’t know, I write a newsletter for @thediscourse.ca that goes out every Tuesday and features a roundup of local news and events happening in the #cowichanvalley. Check it out at the link below!
Reposted by Eric Richards
Nanaimo RCMP have confirmed that officers responded to reports of a plane crash in a wooded area near Twilight Way, south of Nanaimo, B.C., at approximately 3 a.m. this morning. RCMP say the plane was found "in a large debris field and there were no survivors." The investigation is ongoing.
November 27, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Nanaimo RCMP have confirmed that officers responded to reports of a plane crash in a wooded area near Twilight Way, south of Nanaimo, B.C., at approximately 3 a.m. this morning. RCMP say the plane was found "in a large debris field and there were no survivors." The investigation is ongoing.
I was on hand to witness the start of a decampment operation by the Municipality of North Cowichan last week. Read more about what happened and the massive spike in overdoses reported in the following days in my reporting below. #vancouverisland
North Cowichan began dismantling the Lewis Street encampment on Nov. 17 moving about 75 residents to new sites. The Cowichan Community Care Network says the move puts people at risk of violence and overdoses as the new sites are further away from the Warmland Shelter and overdose prevention site.
Advocates worry that moving Lewis Street encampment endangers residents who have nowhere else to go – The Discourse.
North Cowichan said it will service and provide ‘temporary’ sheltering sites, while Cowichan Valley sees a spike in overdoses.
thediscourse.ca
November 25, 2025 at 11:31 PM
I was on hand to witness the start of a decampment operation by the Municipality of North Cowichan last week. Read more about what happened and the massive spike in overdoses reported in the following days in my reporting below. #vancouverisland
Reposted by Eric Richards
Have you had a chance to see the salmon runs this year? We’ve put together a list of some great spots to watch them in action across the Cowichan Valley! #cowichanvalley
Salmon are returning to Cowichan Valley rivers — here’s where to see them – The Discourse.
While returns are improving, advocates say the vital fish still need protection.
thediscourse.ca
October 31, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Have you had a chance to see the salmon runs this year? We’ve put together a list of some great spots to watch them in action across the Cowichan Valley! #cowichanvalley
With the recent “town hall” in Richmond, it’s worth understanding how Tl’uqtinus was stolen by colonial officials. The court found it should’ve been set aside as reserve — but it wasn’t. Learn more about why, and the village’s long history, in my coverage ⬇️
What the Quw'utsun Nation court case reveals about private land ownership and Indigenous title in B.C. – The Discourse.
After an unprecedented 513-day trial, Quw'utsun Nation court case ruling sets high burden of proof First Nations need to be declared title-holders
thediscourse.ca
October 30, 2025 at 6:20 PM
With the recent “town hall” in Richmond, it’s worth understanding how Tl’uqtinus was stolen by colonial officials. The court found it should’ve been set aside as reserve — but it wasn’t. Learn more about why, and the village’s long history, in my coverage ⬇️
Love the final analogy in this piece. Well worth a read.
Setting the Record Straight on the Cowichan Tribes Title Decision
What the Cowichan Decision Really Means — and What It Doesn’t
open.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Love the final analogy in this piece. Well worth a read.
Thrilled to see my colleagues’ outstanding reporting getting the recognition it deserves! @thediscourse.ca
Exciting news! The Discourse is a finalist for the 2025 Webster Awards in the Excellence in Community Reporting category for TWO different stories by reporters @juliechadwick.bsky.social and Rowan Flood. 🎉
Find links to the stories in this thread:
Find links to the stories in this thread:
September 22, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Thrilled to see my colleagues’ outstanding reporting getting the recognition it deserves! @thediscourse.ca
Got a chance to dive a bit deeper into a recent decision by the Agricultural Land Commission to reject a plan to remove a small portion of a dike that runs through the Cowichan Estuary. One advocate told me this raises big concerns about the province’s commitment to reconciliation @thediscourse.ca
Plan to remove portion of dike at Cowichan estuary rejected by land commission – The Discourse.
Advocates for the Cowichan Estuary Restoration Project call on province to align policies with reconciliation.
thediscourse.ca
September 12, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Got a chance to dive a bit deeper into a recent decision by the Agricultural Land Commission to reject a plan to remove a small portion of a dike that runs through the Cowichan Estuary. One advocate told me this raises big concerns about the province’s commitment to reconciliation @thediscourse.ca
Reposted by Eric Richards
Our Nanaimo and Comox Valley reporters @micksweetman.bsky.social and @emrichards.bsky.social are at the @nifss.bsky.social screenings this afternoon at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. Come say hello and watch some international films.
September 7, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Our Nanaimo and Comox Valley reporters @micksweetman.bsky.social and @emrichards.bsky.social are at the @nifss.bsky.social screenings this afternoon at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. Come say hello and watch some international films.
Reposted by Eric Richards
From coal mining runoff in British Columbia to bacterial blooms in the Great Lakes, water pollution won’t be contained by the Canada-U.S. border. Our latest newsletter: thenarwhal.ca/newsletter-w...
Water pollution: 100% tariff-free | The Narwhal
From coal mining runoff in British Columbia to bacterial blooms in the Great Lakes, water pollution won’t be contained by the Canada-U.S. border
thenarwhal.ca
August 8, 2025 at 6:13 PM
From coal mining runoff in British Columbia to bacterial blooms in the Great Lakes, water pollution won’t be contained by the Canada-U.S. border. Our latest newsletter: thenarwhal.ca/newsletter-w...
Reposted by Eric Richards
Our August print issue is out now! What to know where to pick up a copy? Or maybe you're not in town this month and still want to read the latest issue. You can find all that on our website.
revelstokemountaineer.com/magazine/
revelstokemountaineer.com/magazine/
August 4, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Our August print issue is out now! What to know where to pick up a copy? Or maybe you're not in town this month and still want to read the latest issue. You can find all that on our website.
revelstokemountaineer.com/magazine/
revelstokemountaineer.com/magazine/
I had a great time out at the Shawnigan Lake Museum learning about the new additions, which include some repatriated Quw’utsun belongings!
Quw'utsun belongings have returned home. The expanded Shawnigan Lake Museum now holds repatriated items from the Royal BC Museum that tell the entire story of the area. Read more about the museum’s expansion and the items in our coverage.
Reclaimed Quw'utsun belongings on display at expanded Shawnigan Lake Museum – The Discourse.
Repatriated Quw'utsun belongings are now on display at the expanded Shawnigan Lake Museum, honouring Indigenous history and culture.
thediscourse.ca
August 1, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I had a great time out at the Shawnigan Lake Museum learning about the new additions, which include some repatriated Quw’utsun belongings!
Reposted by Eric Richards
It was a sunny weekend on the waterfront in front of Snuneymuxw First Nation’s Reserve #1 as hundreds of people from as far as Hope, B.C. gathered to participate in war canoe races, enjoy comfort food such as Indian tacos, and soak up the good vibes.
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/in-p...
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/in-p...
Snuneymuxw Days 2025 in photos – The Discourse.
Third annual Snuneymuxw Days featured canoe races, a longhouse jam and basketball and brought the community together
thediscourse.ca
July 30, 2025 at 6:25 PM
It was a sunny weekend on the waterfront in front of Snuneymuxw First Nation’s Reserve #1 as hundreds of people from as far as Hope, B.C. gathered to participate in war canoe races, enjoy comfort food such as Indian tacos, and soak up the good vibes.
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/in-p...
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/in-p...
Reposted by Eric Richards
The tsunami watch has been upgraded to an advisory for B.C. In Victoria, our risk remains low. Stay out of water and away from beaches and waterways. We will continue to monitor. For future emergencies, subscribe to Vi-Alert to get local updates at victoriaready.ca.
x.com/EmergencyInf...
x.com/EmergencyInf...
Emergency Preparedness | City of Victoria
victoriaready.ca
July 30, 2025 at 1:52 AM
The tsunami watch has been upgraded to an advisory for B.C. In Victoria, our risk remains low. Stay out of water and away from beaches and waterways. We will continue to monitor. For future emergencies, subscribe to Vi-Alert to get local updates at victoriaready.ca.
x.com/EmergencyInf...
x.com/EmergencyInf...
Reposted by Eric Richards
Scotch broom is one of the most notorious invasive species on Vancouver Island. It is also extremely flammable, leading to growing concern as the climate changes and Earth warms. thediscourse.ca/comox-valley...
Scotch broom increases wildfire risk. What can we do about it?
Scotch broom can exacerbate wildfires, but communities are working hard to remove these invaders from local ecosystems.
thediscourse.ca
July 24, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Scotch broom is one of the most notorious invasive species on Vancouver Island. It is also extremely flammable, leading to growing concern as the climate changes and Earth warms. thediscourse.ca/comox-valley...
Reposted by Eric Richards
reFRESH Market in Duncan is closing its doors after years of recovering surplus food. We wanted to know how the community was responding to this potential gap in food recovery and learned that a local food bank plans to keep the momentum going.
Cowichan food recovery program to continue with local food bank – The Discourse.
Duncan’s reFRESH market and its food recovery program is closing.Here’s how local food banks plan to keep the work going.
thediscourse.ca
July 25, 2025 at 1:00 AM
reFRESH Market in Duncan is closing its doors after years of recovering surplus food. We wanted to know how the community was responding to this potential gap in food recovery and learned that a local food bank plans to keep the momentum going.
Reposted by Eric Richards
Nanaimo’s ‘bike lane Barbie’ says the city is working to make cycling more accessible for everyone.
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/how-...
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/how-...
Addressing Nanaimo's patchwork of bike lanes – The Discourse.
Nanaimo’s ‘bike lane Barbie’ says the city is working to make cycling more accessible for everyone.
thediscourse.ca
July 25, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Nanaimo’s ‘bike lane Barbie’ says the city is working to make cycling more accessible for everyone.
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/how-...
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/how-...
Reposted by Eric Richards
Last week, the Quw'utsun Salmon, a giant puppet built by the Quw'utsun Stseelthun Friendship Project, performed at 39 Days of July in Duncan. Read more about the project in our previous coverage: thediscourse.ca/cowichan-val...
July 28, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Last week, the Quw'utsun Salmon, a giant puppet built by the Quw'utsun Stseelthun Friendship Project, performed at 39 Days of July in Duncan. Read more about the project in our previous coverage: thediscourse.ca/cowichan-val...
Reposted by Eric Richards
Kids make radio shows and podcasts at ‘super fun’ summer camp at Nanaimo’s community radio station @chly.ca.
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/chly...
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/chly...
CHLY radio summer camp teaches kids media skills – The Discourse.
Kids make radio shows and podcasts at ‘super fun’ summer camp at Nanaimo’s community radio station.
thediscourse.ca
July 16, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Kids make radio shows and podcasts at ‘super fun’ summer camp at Nanaimo’s community radio station @chly.ca.
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/chly...
thediscourse.ca/nanaimo/chly...
Reposted by Eric Richards
“In a world with serious problems, where we have serious things to debate, people emphasizing a bylaw that is simply there to protect privacy as somehow an infringement of democratic freedoms is just silly,” Naniamo Mayor Leonard Krog said about a legal threat over a council meeting recording ban.
Nanaimo city council recording ban faces legal threat – The Discourse.
A warning letter has been to the City of Nanaimo over two bylaws that ban recording public meetings or taking photographs or video in any city facility or recreation area.
thediscourse.ca
July 7, 2025 at 9:25 PM
“In a world with serious problems, where we have serious things to debate, people emphasizing a bylaw that is simply there to protect privacy as somehow an infringement of democratic freedoms is just silly,” Naniamo Mayor Leonard Krog said about a legal threat over a council meeting recording ban.
Reposted by Eric Richards
The Discourse was on hand last month to document a plant care workshop at the Hulitun Spulhxun/Tumuhw native plant nursery. Check out photos from the event below.
Inside the project restoring Indigenous plants and a vital estuary – The Discourse.
Students from Quw'utsun Secondary School and Le'lum'uy'lh Daycare Centre learned how to care for Indigenous plants at the Hulitun Spulhxun/Tumuhw nursery.
thediscourse.ca
July 4, 2025 at 6:51 PM
The Discourse was on hand last month to document a plant care workshop at the Hulitun Spulhxun/Tumuhw native plant nursery. Check out photos from the event below.
Reposted by Eric Richards
Our reporter @emrichards.bsky.social followed up with St. Ann’s Garden Club — first covered last year — and found that the original story by @shalumehta.bsky.social helped turn around the fortunes of the nature-based therapy provider.
Reporter’s notebook: How a news story brought ‘a most favourable ending’ for St. Ann’s Garden Club
St. Anns Garden Club is looking to the future after a story from The Discourse helped raise awareness about its programming and funding challenges.
thediscourse.ca
July 4, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Our reporter @emrichards.bsky.social followed up with St. Ann’s Garden Club — first covered last year — and found that the original story by @shalumehta.bsky.social helped turn around the fortunes of the nature-based therapy provider.
Reposted by Eric Richards
Want to hear what Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog has to say about a legal warning letter sent by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms over bylaws that ban recording of city council meetings and in city spaces? Subscribe to our Nanaimo This Week newsletter for free! thediscourse.ca/newsletters
Subscribe to our newsletters – The Discourse.
Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley news, in your inbox.
thediscourse.ca
July 4, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Want to hear what Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog has to say about a legal warning letter sent by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms over bylaws that ban recording of city council meetings and in city spaces? Subscribe to our Nanaimo This Week newsletter for free! thediscourse.ca/newsletters
Reposted by Eric Richards
The little brown bat is the only federally protected bat species on Vancouver Island. In the Comox Valley, volunteers are on guard against white-nose syndrome, a disease that is killing millions of bats in the U.S. and Canada. Read the latest from Dave Flawse:
thediscourse.ca/comox-valley...
thediscourse.ca/comox-valley...
Comox Valley bat count volunteers monitoring devastating disease
As this year’s Comox Valley bat count kicks off, the flying mammals remain at risk of white-nose syndrome.
thediscourse.ca
July 4, 2025 at 6:53 PM
The little brown bat is the only federally protected bat species on Vancouver Island. In the Comox Valley, volunteers are on guard against white-nose syndrome, a disease that is killing millions of bats in the U.S. and Canada. Read the latest from Dave Flawse:
thediscourse.ca/comox-valley...
thediscourse.ca/comox-valley...
The fire discovered by BC Wildfire Service late yesterday afternoon between Lake Cowichan and Port Renfrew is now three hectares in size. Three initial attack crews and a helicopter are responding to the blaze.
BC Wildfire Service
BC Wildfire Service App
wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca
July 3, 2025 at 7:46 PM
The fire discovered by BC Wildfire Service late yesterday afternoon between Lake Cowichan and Port Renfrew is now three hectares in size. Three initial attack crews and a helicopter are responding to the blaze.