Cowichan This Week: A community comes together

Welcome to Cowichan This Week, your source for the latest local news and events. Sign up to get this in your inbox every Thursday.

News and announcements

• Many community leaders and groups have stepped up in recent days with statements in support of Cowichan Tribes and against the racism and discrimination its members have faced since an outbreak of COVID-19. The Discourse compiled all the public statements it could find. 
• The Downtown Duncan BIA, Cowichan Tribes and the City of Duncan have partnered on a project to bring bilingual street signs, in English and Hul’qumi’num, to downtown streets. A short documentary on the project is on YouTube. 
• Residents displaced by the Lewis St. apartment fire in North Cowichan have secured three months’ accommodations while they get back on their feet, according to a Facebook post. Additional donations of clothing and furniture are not needed. The Cowichan Housing Association will help distribute funds raised through an online fundraiser to support the residents. 
• Daily COVID-19 case counts in Island Health have hit record highs over recent weeks. There are several potential exposures at Cowichan region schools. Capital Daily took community members’ questions about the virus and the vaccine to Island Health top doctor Richard Stanwick. 
• A Ladysmith developer is seeking to add a fourth storey to a proposed residential development on Belaire Street, the Ladysmith Chemainus Chronicle reports. 
• North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP have arrested a suspect related to two recent small fires outside Duncan-area schools, according to a news release. The fires resulted in cancelled classes at École Mount Prevost and Drinkwater Elementary. 
• The Town of Lake Cowichan will accept feedback on its active transportation network plan through Jan. 22. 
• Stz’uminus artist Luke Marston designed a new mask for Vancouver Canucks goalie Braden Holtby, featuring a Coast Salish sea wolf design, the Ladysmith Chemainus Chronicle reports. 
• Construction on the Malahat Skywalk tourist attraction should be complete by early summer, the Cowichan Valley Citizen reports. 
• Social Planning Cowichan is seeking community feedback on the household impacts of COVID-19 this winter. The deadline has been extended to Feb. 15.

Community events

• Thursday, Jan. 21: 🤝 Councillors for the City of Duncan and the Municipality of North Cowichan will gather for a joint committee of the whole meeting at 3 p.m. The meeting will include presentations on construction of the new Cowichan Secondary School building, on supportive housing developments planned to open this year and on the Cowichan Historical Society’s request for core funding. The virtual meeting will be livestreamed to the North Cowichan website and made available for viewing after the fact. 
• Thursday, Jan. 21: 📣 Cowichan-Malahat-Langford MP Alistair MacGregor is hosting a town hall on universal pharmacare at 6 p.m., on the Zoom platform and on Facebook. 
• Saturday, Jan. 23: 📱 At Save-On-Foods in Duncan, the Youth 20/20 Can Cowichan team will collect your used phones, tablets and laptops to refurbish and distribute to those in need, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, Jan. 24: ✊ The Cowichan Intercultural Society is hosting “I Stand With Cowichan Tribes,” a car rally and online panel. Details to come on Facebook. 
• Tuesday, Jan. 26: 🏫 Join the Cowichan Valley School District for a virtual conversation on the future of the Koksilah Elementary School site. 
• Tuesday, Jan. 26 and Wednesday, Jan. 27: 🏘️ North Cowichan invites you to join an online dialogue about community character, to help inform its official community plan.  
• Thursday, Jan. 28: 🐟 Join the Save Our Holmes Society and the Cowichan Lake and River Stewardship Society for a virtual presentation on the rare Cowichan lamprey, 6:30 p.m. 
• Thursday, Jan. 28: 🌊 North Cowichan is holding an online open house to answer questions about plans to reroute sewage outfall in Cowichan Bay. 
• Friday, Jan. 29: 🎤 Youth Can 20/20 Cowichan will host a virtual open mic night. 
• Through March 15: 🎭 You’re invited to contribute to Pandemic Theatre: Your Stories from the Covid World, an interactive, online community theatre production slated for late May of this year. Send your stories and questions to John Mowat Steven: [email protected]

What did I miss? Let me know what events are coming up by sending me an email.

Community Shout-out

A while back we sent out a survey asking what’s making you feel hopeful in these challenging times. 

“To see that the world still has good, genuine people,” writes Nedo Matilpi.

Thanks for sharing. I see them everywhere, too. [end]