A news media website in Kelowna is reporting that a leak that was spilling millions of litres of sewage into Kootenay River has been stopped. The KelownaNow story said in the Ministry of Environment and Climate and Change confirmed the sewage leak has been “stopped” after divers spent Tuesday and Wednesday examining the three-kilometre pipe […]

New Denver and area residents are advised of temporary changes to emergency department hours at Slocan Community Health Centre due to limited nursing availability. Emergency services will be unavailable on Saturday, March 23. Patients can access care at Arrow Lakes Hospital at 97-1st Ave NE, Nakusp. Emergency services will reopen for regular hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. […]

In a media release Tuesday, Interior Heath issued a DRUG ALERT for the Grand Forks region after several samples of Cocaine were found to contain fentanyl. Interior Health urges users to now test cocaine before using adding that a fentanyl testing strip can determine if there is fentanyl in drugs. “Please ensure your clients are […]

B.C.’s auditor general has found that two provincial harm reduction programs that work to reduce toxic drug-related deaths and injuries weren’t effectively implemented by the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, and the Ministry of Health. The two ministries lead B.C.’s response to the toxic drug emergency, focusing on prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery. […]

The Province is taking several early steps to prepare for the wildfire and drought season, including working proactively with local governments and First Nations to help keep people and communities safe and informed. “We’re taking action earlier than ever and preparations for this year’s wildfire season are already well underway,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of […]

A leading voice for conservation in southeastern British Columbia said a report shows that the partial clean-up cost of water pollution from coal mines in the East Kootenay will be substantial. A new report commissioned by Wildsight, a non-profit charity that protects biodiversity and encourages sustainable communities in Canada’s Columbia and Rocky Mountain regions, has […]

Interior Health (IH) is asking individuals who worked at IH from 2003 to 2009 to contact a toll-free number to determine if their personal information is contained in a document that has been recovered in an RCMP investigation. In January, the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP informed IH about a document discovered during an investigation that contained […]

Isobel Mackenzie is retiring in a few months after spending the past 10 years as BC Seniors Advocate. But that did not stop the province’s first seniors advocate for making a whistle stop tour of the West Kootenay last week. Mackenzie, who recently announced that she is stepping aside, was in Nelson Thursday to address […]

Kids are vaping in classrooms. Dealers are directly messaging teens on Instagram and Snapchat. Cannabis is legal, with psychedelics soon to follow. The constant, 24-hour deluge of content pushing the normalcy of drugs, alcohol, and vaping on social media, TV, movies, ads, influencers, etc., is preying on our youth. The substance use culture has never […]

In a statement Tuesday, president and CEO Susan Brown said Interior Health is mourning the loss of Interior Health Board Chair Dr. Doug Cochrane. Brown said as Chair of Interior Health Board of Directors, Dr. Cochrane demonstrated a deep commitment to continuous improvement of patient care, quality and safety knowing it would lead to improved […]