North Island Eagle

Help Dwayne reach his goal.

21 new cases in Island Health.

Dwayne arrives in Port Hardy! shout out to the amazing Fire Department Escort! !!

NEWS: The interim rate will come into effect on May 1st and stay in place until Utilities Commission settles on a final permanent rate.

Christmas continues http://porthardy.bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action

This post will be of particular interest to those who watched from land as this young Humpback bounded along past Sointula, Port McNeill, Hyde Creek and Alert ...Bay on December 29th. Meet "Ahto" who we estimate is between 1 and 2 years old and for who we have only 1 other known sighting - Nov 30th near Hornby Island. "Ahto" is the Finnish god of the depths, the giver of fish. It is exceptional NOT to have a nickname for a distinctive feature so how did this name come about? In the case of this little whale - the milky white colouration on the underside of its tail and the mottling on its sides are very likely to fade as is the case in young Humpbacks i.e. they're not durable, distinctive features. Therefore, we often wait to assign a nickname until we can discern distinctive features when the whale is older. But, this whale who had been seen by many, needed a name, especially because children were involved. We asked Gord Curry of Sointula to offer suggestions. He was among the 1st to provide reports of this whale and is a key MERS data contributor. Gord shared the challenge with his grandchildren, Lily and Oliver who wanted there to be an association with Sointula, a community founded by Finns. This led to a bit of research and learning the relevance of the name Ahto and . . . well there you go! We confirm again that it is NOT unusual to have Humpbacks off BC's coast during winter. The Humpbacks’ migration times are staggered - some leave later and some return earlier. To date, it has not been proven that any Humpback has overwintered off our coast. That would require having a photo of the same Humpback in every month of the year in BC waters. Also, why all the breaching and pectoral fin slapping by Ahto on Dec 29th? There are many reasons for Humpbacks to be acrobatic from play, to communication, to posturing, to play. But, some individuals become highly acrobatic in wind and waves. How fortunate that this was the case with Ahto . Great thanks to ALL who relayed reports and to the following for photos: @Gordon Curry Louis Jobidon and colleague Jared Towers who thankfully was able to get ID photos as Ahto passed Alert Bay

Dwayne ends his journey by diving into the freezing cold ocean! Crazy man! With two of his fellow firefighters (Dwayne is a firefighter in Alberta) and his ... journey to fight cancer is complete! ... for now.... Cancer has touched all of us, please donate for the cure! Hike for the Cure - FB page See more

Ending with a dive in the ocean in Port Hardy

Eagles Fundraiser time. Let me know if you would like anything. Order deadline is Jan 25th.

Three new cases on the Island.

Hi everyone, I just wanted to let you know that Woodland Drive will not be closed to traffic for Halloween Eve. I know this has been done on some previous Hal...loweens but in keeping with both Dr. Bonnie Henry’s and the BC CDC’s recommendations we can’t promote an event or public gathering. If you are going out trick or treating please consider the following: - Trick or treat in a small social group - Keep to your local neighborhood - Respect homes by staying away if the lights are out. - Carry a flashlight for visibility - Stay on the sidewalk when possible and look both ways when crossing the street - Finally, have fun! We’ll see you out there.

Northern Expedition ferry holding in Port Hardy https://www.bcferries.com/current-conditio/service-notices

Still smoldering in Sayward Golf course club house burned to the ground at Sayward

Rivers Inlet evacuation https://globalnews.ca//7/rivers-inlet-flooding-evacuation/

Virtual Pumpkin Crawl this year.

Unfortunately, the annual Halloween fireworks show has been cancelled in Port McNeill for this year. But on the positive side, members of the Port McNeill Fire... Department will be handing out candy to all the trick or treaters that come to the hall from 5:00pm to 7:30pm on the 31st. Measures to keep everyone safe will be in place, and parking will not be available at the hall, so please don’t bring your vehicles. We hope to see everyone there. Happy Halloween!

Wuikinuxv Nation is currently under a precautionary evacuation due to risk of flooding and landslides caused by the heavy rainfall that is expected to continue ...for the next 72 hours. Any community members who would like to evacuate, please contact Pam Johnson if you have not already been in contact with her. Please only pack 1 bag per person with essentials for the next 72 hours. This would include clothes, medication, wallet, etc. If you do NOT wish to evacuate, please also be in contact with Pam so we can keep an accurate list of those staying home. Provisions are being sent into the community for people who wish to stay. Details are still being ironed out and will likely happen fast so be ready to leave. Thank you for your patience and understanding during these difficult times. Our Emergency Operations team is working around the clock to keep everyone safe and we are doing our best. Gia’nakaci Danielle Shaw Chief Councillor Wuikinuxv Nation

Good to hear Michele Babchuk for North Island say she will fight to have municipalities at the table when it comes to moving forward on an Old Growth Strategy. ...Thank you! We look forward to being a part of the conversation. #bcpoli On The Island with Gregor Craigie: Hear from the newly elected NDP MLA for the North Island about challenges facing the forest industry and the impact of the pandemic in the region.

We are thrilled to announce that we will be opening our clinic in Port McNeill on November 9th! Please visit www.hshealth.ca or call 250-949-5353 to book your appointment. No referral needed!

Dr. Marla Shapiro discusses the role vitamin D plays in our health and the findings of a study examining the vitamin and COVID-19.

Foamboard fans to fill Port Hardy arena