YEAR IN REVIEW: Some of what made the news in Williams Lake in March 2022

March 3, 2022

Tsilhqot’in Women’s Council hosts sacred fire after toxic drugs claim 3 lives in 4 days

Smoke rose from a sacred fire in Williams Lake on Sunday, Feb. 27 as around 80 Indigenous people gathered to honour a number of First Nations people who recently died.

Colby Hance passed on Feb. 19 in Williams Lake at the age of 31.

Tanya Mary Tenale died in Williams Lake on Tuesday, Feb. 22. She would have been 25 in April.

The sacred fire also honoured Shenita Myers who died on Feb. 19, Micheal Tenale who died on Friday, Feb. 18 and was 54 and Carmelita Abraham, 33, who was murdered in Quesnel over the Christmas holiday.

Injured abandoned cat finds loving home

After raising $850 with his mom to help pay for an abandoned, injured cat’s surgery, Sutter Rowse and his family have adopted her.

Hazel was found at a transfer station in the Chilcotin and brought into the Williams Lake BCSPCA.

Wanting to help, Sutter and his mom Leslie made cinnamon buns which they sold to raise the funds.

When the mother and son went to check up on Hazel last week to see how she was doing, Leslie surprised Sutter and announced they were adopting her.

Chief given Order of B.C.

Longtime Tsilhqot’in tribal chair and chief Joe Alphonse was one of 31 “exceptional people” invested into the Order of British Columbia during a formal ceremony at Government House on Thursday, March 3, 2022.

The Province’s highest honour, the Order of British Columbia’s evening ceremony highlighted the achievements of all the 2020 and 2021 recipients who were recognized for outstanding contributions to their communities and to the province.

March 17, 2022

Penalties for 3 engineers over Mount Polley Mine disaster

B.C.’s licensing body for professional engineering and geoscience has imposed penalties on three engineers in relation to the Mount Polley Mine tailings storage facility breach in August 2014 that released 24 million cubic metres of water and mine tailings into Polley Lake, Hazeltine Creek and Quesnel Lake. Penalties included suspensions, fines and the paying of legal fees.

WLFN signs agreement with Taseko Mines

The Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) and Taseko Mines Ltd. signed a participation and co-operation agreement on February 24, 2022.

The mine was granted a permit amendment to increase its release of tailings pond effluent water into the Fraser River by 50 per cent in 2019.

March 24, 2022

Mom has open heart surgery during pregnancy

Shina Biblow always knew she would have to have open heart surgery one day, she just never thought it would be when she was four months pregnant with her second child.

She was born with a narrowing of her aortic valve, the main blood vessel leaving the heart. She required surgery for this as an infant.

The condition meant that when she turned 18, she became part of the Pacific Adult Congenital Heart Clinic (PACH) at St. Paul’s Hospital, a multidisciplinary team that follows adults born with heart disease.

Issues arose during her second pregnancy and they found she had an infected heart valve.

On August 18, Dr. Bashir and his team successfully implanted a mechanical aortic valve to replace the severely infected one.

March 31, 2022

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits Williams Lake First Nation

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Williams Lake First Nation Wednesday, March 30.

All of Canada grieves with the feeling of loss that comes with the discovery of the 93 reflections at the site of the former St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School, said Trudeau.

Trudeau’s visit at WLFN lasted about four hours and included St. Joseph’s Mission site. It was his third trip to the region in less than five years.

ruth.lloyd@wltribune.com
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