The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) Environmental Public Health Services e-newsletter is a quarterly compilation of important resources, news items and opportunities related to environmental health for First Nations individuals and communities in British Columbia. If you have been added to this list in error you may unsubscribe at the bottom of this email.

Celebrating WATCH Pilot Project as it Looks Ahead

Over 100 people gathered at Vancouver Island University’s Deep Bay Marine Field Station in late November 2024 to celebrate the conclusion of the We All Take Care of the Harvest (WATCH) pilot project and consider next steps. With the WATCH project wrapping up, November’s Celebration event included guest speakers, story telling, and knowledge sharing to carry learnings forward into the journey ahead.

Planning for Small-Scale Controlled Environment Agriculture in Indigenous Communities

This guide is based on first-hand interviews with individuals working in communities who have invested in or considered investing in shipping container-type growing systems, sharing what they have learned through the process. It is intended to assist communities and organizations in their local food and agriculture planning processes and support informed decision-making.

Indigenous Pathfinder Service

The Indigenous Pathfinder Service is a single source for support and referral to help navigate the relevant information, tools and funding available to start or expand activities in Indigenous food systems, food sovereignty, food security and the agriculture and food sector. Staff provide provincial wayfinding services and program referrals as required to connect people to current supports and other available opportunities.

How Gitanyow Law Could Save Salmon in Northwest BC

The Gitanyow, a small First Nation in northwest BC, are seeking Aboriginal title to their lands in order to better manage and rebuild salmon runs threatened by climate change. As the glaciers that feed their spawning channels recede, the Nation fights for sovereignty in their territory.

Lived Experience & Stories of Extreme Heat Among Indigenous Households in British Columbia

In the summer of 2021, BC experienced an acute extreme heat event, with some locations reaching a daily maximum temperature of above 45 Celsius. Maintaining a community’s well-being during an extreme heat event is closely intertwined with high-quality housing, adequate ventilation, reliable air conditioning, and collective capacity to keep different groups safe from the heat. To address some of the barriers and knowledge gaps in responding to the inevitable impacts of climate change, such as extreme heat, the Aboriginal Housing Management Association embarked on a research project to meaningfully engage Indigenous non-profit housing providers and bear witness to their lived experiences, challenges, and priorities.

Kwiakah First Nation Has Big Plans for Solar-Powered Science Hub on Former Fish Farm

The Kwiakah First Nation has just 19 members mostly based on Vancouver Island. Led by munmuntle (Chief Steven Dick), the community is launching what it calls a “return home” by transforming a former open-net salmon farm into a floating, solar-powered scientific hub anchored in their traditional territory along the wild central coast of B.C.

Restoring Indigenous Forest Gardens: The Influence of Ancestral Stewardship on Soil Processes

For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest planted and actively stewarded food forests. These agroecosystems are made up of beaked hazelnut, pacific crabapple, and a variety of berries, roots, and medicinal species. The virtual workshop, hosted by the BC Agricultural Climate Action Research Network provided an opportunity to learn about ancestral stewardship practices, the beneficial impact on soil processes and properties, and the work being done to revitalize these multifunctional ecosystems.

Environmental Public Health Bursary for Indigenous Students

The Environmental Health Foundation of Canada (EHFC) is offering a bursary designed to support Indigenous students pursuing education in Environmental Public Health through programs accredited by the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI). BCIT’s Environmental Public Health program is one of the qualified programs and the only CIPHI-accredited Environmental Public Health program in British Columbia. The application deadline has been extended to March 15, 2025.

Funding Opportunity: Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF)

The CHIF direct delivery stream provides funding to invest in drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and solid waste infrastructure that are needed to provide reliable essential services and support increased housing supply. To qualify, you must demonstrate a housing need with a project aimed to increase capacity of drinking water, wastewater, stormwater or solid waste infrastructure to enable increased housing supply, and/or demonstrate an infrastructure need to service current housing stock and support the community’s existing population. The deadline to apply is May 19, 2025.

British Columbia Assembly of First Nations: Water Forum 2025

BCAFN is hosting a two-day Water Forum at the Westin Wall Centre in Richmond, from March 3 to 4, 2025. Concurrent workshops and panels will include topics including First Nations’ water rights, governance and stewardship, watershed resiliency in the wake of the climate crisis and safe drinking water, including key considerations on the implementation of the First Nations Clean Water Act.

Bonaparte First Nation Celebrates Clean Drinking Water

After over four decades of intermittent boil water advisories, Bonaparte First Nation has installed new water treatment systems, providing clean drinking water to all three of its reserves. While progress is being made to provide clean drinking water to Indigenous communities, there's still more work to be done.

Conference: Honouring All Our Relations – Embracing Indigenous Perspectives on Cumulative Effects

The 2025 Indigenous Centre for Cumulative Effects (ICCE) Conference will be held in Vancouver from May 26-28, 2025. The event promises to bring together First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples from across Canada to feature Indigenous perspectives on Cumulative effects. 

For after-hours emergencies, please leave a message for the Environmental Health Officer On-Call at 1-844-666-0711 and/or e-mail ephs.afterhours@fnha.ca. This phone/email is being monitored between 6 am to 10 pm. Calls/emails sent after 10 pm will be responded to the following day.