By: Tomos Land, Staff Writer

Editor’s note: The Peak spells nsyilxcən words in lowercase in accordance with syilx language holders who say that capitalization implies a hierarchy of importance, which does  not align with syilx ethics. 

Growing water insecurity, driven by climate change and its cascading effects in BC, has led to a recent declaration of a watershed emergency by the syilx Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA). The alliance is a First Nations government “comprised of seven member communities in the Southern Interior of BC: Okanagan Indian Band, Osoyoos Indian Band, [snpink’tn] Penticton Indian Band, Upper Nicola Band, Upper and Lower Similkameen Indian Bands, and Westbank First Nation; and in Northern Washington State, the Colville Confederated Tribes,” according to the ONA website.

The announcement comes after members of the ONA “observed accelerating environmental changes, including early hot temperatures; low snowpack; unusually dry upper watershed creeks, springs, and wetlands; increasing water temperatures, and ecosystem stress” across multiple watersheds throughout the region. The alliance members have also noted struggles of local biodiversity, including “early die-off of sp̓iƛ̓əm (bitterroot), and declining streamflows impacting xʷəxʷm̓ínaʔ (rainbow trout) populations.” 

In their statement, the alliance expressed that “current government and management systems have failed to adequately protect watershed health. This is compounded by major knowledge gaps around headwaters, groundwater interactions, and cumulative impacts that continue to limit informed decision-making.”

In order to mitigate the impacts of the emergency, the press release called on “the province of British Columbia and all relevant agencies to take immediate and coordinated action” on the issue. This includes the “establishment of a syilx Nation-BC co-governance forum on water scarcity” and the “inclusion of local governments in coordinated watershed management.”

The syilx Okanagan Nation also called for “a moratorium on new surface and groundwater licences.” A moratorium — the suspension of a certain activity, often of a legal nature, for a period of time — of these licences, would prevent corporations and groups from being granted permission for various types of non-domestic water use, although license holders would be able to continue operations. 

The Peak reached out to the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB), a government support organization who focus on water projects in the Okanagan Valley, for comment. “The OBWB supports the ONA’s call for urgent collective action.

“Working together now, with an ethos of One Valley, One Water, is required to protect water — the key to life in the Okanagan”

— Melissa Tesche, OBWB executive director

The Peak reached out to the Okanagan Nation Alliance and the City of Penticton for comment, but did not receive a response prior to the time of publishing. 

The ONA’s emergency announcement comes at the beginning of a summer season where scientists predict record heat. This is due to the beginning of El Niño, a stage of the weather-altering El Niño-Southern Oscillation cycle. El Niño, a “climate [pattern] in the Pacific Ocean,” happens about every two to seven years, according to the National Ocean Service. The Service shared that “areas in the northern US and Canada are dryer and warmer than usual.” El Niño will likely “turbocharge extreme weather across the planet,” according to CBC News.

By: Maya Barillas Mohan, Staff Writer

The Thomus Donaghy overdose prevention site (OPS) has experienced a series of relocations since its opening in 2021. Most recently, its planned reopening on June 1 was cancelled by the City Council. 

The OPS, which was named after an OPS peer worker who was tragically killed, is a supervised space that allows drug consumption without risk of criminal persecution, instead focused on providing drug testing or other support services if necessary. According to the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) website, OPSs “help save lives by responding to overdoses quickly,” “prevent the transmission of infectious diseases,” and connect “people to health services.” Further, they “bring stability to the community by [ . . . ] reducing consumption taking place on the street.” 

The past Thomus Donaghy locations have been the Seymour street location, which closed in 2024, and the Howe street facility, which was closed January 2026. These sites were reportedly shut at the request of building owners, according to CBC and VCH. By early May, a new location on Helmcken was secured by VCH for the Thomus Donaghy OPS.

However, the relocation was stopped in its tracks by mayor Ken Sim. According to Daily Hive, complaints have been made by business owners about “worsening street disorder, untreated mental health challenges, addiction, public safety, and the growing strain on downtown businesses.” Further, Daily Hive shared that business leaders expressed there was “not enough consultation” on the new OPS location. 

On May 27, minister of health Josie Osborne released a statement saying that VCH “will not proceed with the overdose-prevention site at 900 Helmcken St. at this time, and there is currently no planned date for opening.” 

According to CTV News, mayor Ken Sim proposed a motion to “use all tools available” to prevent the opening of the Thomus Donaghy OPS. CTV News reported, “The motion passed by Council on Tuesday directs city staff to conduct a ‘comprehensive review’ of permits and approvals to make sure they comply with city bylaws and rules, telling staff to consider revoking permits or licences for the facility if ‘legally supportable.’” 

The Peak reached out to the City of Vancouver and VCH for a statement, but did not receive a response prior to the publication date. At the time, it is unclear what tools the Council used to prevent the OPS opening. 

The Peak also reached out to the BC Centre for Substance Use (BCCSU) for a statement, and was directed to BCCSU research scientist and interim director of research, Dr. M-J Milloy. He stated, “Evidence also shows that [OPSs] work best when located within areas with high rates of drug harms, such as the local health area around the Donaghy OPS, which has the second-highest rate of fatal overdose in BC.” 

Milloy expressed that OPSs are “linked to lower risks of fatal overdose, infection with blood-borne pathogens, and higher rates of uptake of medical care, including treatment for substance use disorders.” He shared that “although they are not meant to resolve drug-related disorder — such as public drug use, drug-related litter, and crime — nine studies from around the world, including Vancouver [ . . . ] found [little to] no increases in crime in the wake of the opening of OPS there.

“By not worsening drug crime but improving important measures of public health, I believe OPS contribute to their communities.”

—  Dr. M-J Milloy, BCCSU research scientist and interim director of research

Without the Thomus Donaghy centre, there are only 11 centres to respond to a far-reaching crisis. “Vancouver City Centre Local Health Area [records] the second highest rate of overdose deaths in the VCH region, and the second highest number of calls to BC Emergency Health Services,” according to VCH. As of May 5, VCH shared that the Thomus Donaghy OPS had received almost 150,000 visits and responded to nearly 500 overdoses. Without this OPS, no overdose support is provided to users in the downtown core.

By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer

The diet of a juvenile Chinook salmon doesn’t normally contain cocaine.

But in the Lower Fraser River, these fish are being exposed to a myriad of chemicals, toxins, and substances such as cocaine, alongside other “pharmaceuticals and personal care products, [as well as] pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, flame retardants, and polychlorinated biphenyls.” For humans and salmon alike, these substances are linked to potential harms to growth and disease.

According to a recent study headed by SFU doctoral student Bonnie Lo, Harrison Chinook salmon tested for upwards of 368 organic contaminants, 16 of which are considered “priority” for their “potential for adverse effects” for “aquatic life,” an indicator of high risk level for those studying the salmon.

The Peak corresponded with Bob (Galagame’) Chamberlin, founder and chair of the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance, for more information.

“This science paper’s outcomes can hardly be called a surprise,” Chamberlin told The Peak. “The list of impacts and stressors to the health and abundance of wild salmon continues to grow as this science outcome clearly demonstrates.”

Still, more information is needed in order to better understand exactly how this mix of chemicals impacts the salmon. “Toxicity data is mostly based on single-chemical exposures, but these fish are being exposed to hundreds of chemicals at once,” said senior study author Tanya Brown to SFU News. “We simply don’t yet understand the additive effects of this chemical cocktail.”

In an SFU press release, salmon biologist and co-author of the SFU study Dave Scott noted that the young salmon “depend heavily on these [river] habitats for growth prior to entering the ocean.” The study highlights that their environment, the Lower Fraser River, has been impacted by “activities including, but not limited to, forestry, mining, pulp and paper, wood preservation, chemical manufacturing, runoff (e.g. stormwater, agriculture) and wastewater (sewage) treatment.” 

Researchers noted that “these past and current activities have contributed to the presence of a [wide] range of organic contaminants, including legacy contaminants and contaminants of emerging concern in the river.” Contaminants are labeled “legacy” when scientists have gathered “a firmly established body of research spanning decades on aspects relating to their prevalence, transport, and transformation in the environment,” according to Cornell University.

Serious vulnerability for the Chinook salmon is not new, with “15/17 of assessed populations classified as ‘endangered’ or ‘threatened.’” A lack of salmon affects the food chain in many ways. Endangered Southern Resident killer whales rely on the fish for up to 90% of their diet during summer months, and the low numbers of Chinook salmon are a major reason for these killer whales’ endangerment. Additionally, Chamberlin shared, “Chinook salmon play an integral part to Food Security for First Nations across British Columbia. As do all species of pacific salmon.” 

Whether for humans or whales, “salmon is far beyond a food staple or menu choice,” Chamberlin added. These fish “are foundational to traditions and culture. And not just for First Nations but many British Columbians both coastal and interior,” he added.

“They form an integral component of First Nations ties to their traditional lands and waters and stewardship responsibilities handed down through generations.”

—  Bob (Galagame’) Chamberlin of Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation, founder and chair of the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance

“Wild salmon need to be cared for beyond the four year cycle of federal and provincial elections. Protecting and rebuilding salmon runs and associated habitats must be elevated to that of a Nation Building Project for them to have any measure of returning to what once was.” A Nation Building Project is a project supported by the federal government that is mutually beneficial to Canada’s economic and sustainability goals, alongside goals of Indigenous Nations. 

The project was solidified into a resolution by the BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) on May 5, titled, “Rebuilding Wild Salmon as a Nation Building Project.” It included resolutions to call “upon the Government of Canada and the province of British Columbia to formally recognize wild salmon recovery as a core Nation-to-Nation priority, requiring coordinated, long-term, and First Nations-led action” across multiple government and habitat efforts. Since this resolution, a letter has been sent to the Government of Canada, in part by the BCAFN, furthering the conversation around this project. 

By: Niveja Assalaarachchi, News Writer

Ahead of the expected wildfire season, the City of Burnaby has opened a new wildfire detection system across different points of the city, including on Lhuḵw’lhuḵw’áyten (Burnaby Mountain). The system includes new technology such as “ground-based sensors and strategically placed smoke detection cameras to identify early signs of wildfire, such as heat and smoke, in near real time,” according to an announcement from the City. The project, which is funded via an agreement with Trans Mountain, comes a year before the city’s planned full-scale emergency exercise which will use the new system.  

In a statement to The Peak, the City of Burnaby said the new technology would aid emergency services to “respond quickly, helping to contain small fires before they grow and protecting nearby neighbourhoods, critical infrastructure, and forested areas.”

The City noted that Lhuḵw’lhuḵw’áyten is one of the municipality’s richly forested areas, and the technology would add a “layer of protection in this area, while supporting broader wildfire readiness efforts across the city.” The City also shared in a document that the mountain is “unceded land of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwxwú7mesh sníchim speaking peoples,” and today is a city-designated conservation area.

The Peak reached out to Sarah Thompson, director of emergency management and business continuity at SFU, to learn more about the detection system and SFU’s role in the 2027 emergency exercise. 

She highlighted that the new wildfire system is innovative: the cameras are designed to only detect anomalies in the environment. “The idea is that it does 360 degree scanning of the environment via a live feed, but it blurs any items that could be buildings, things like that,” shared Thompson. “It’s designed to look at forests and the horizon so that it can detect patterns, or rather anomalies to the patterns, like smoke plumes. It also does not record, so the privacy of our community was paramount in this initiative.” 

According to the City of Burnaby’s website, the 2027 full-scale city-wide emergency exercise is a “multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional, multi-discipline exercise designed to evaluate the operational capability of interdependent emergency management systems” in the municipality. The city shared that the test, which may occur in 2027, will aim to simulate “the high stress environments that unfold during actual response conditions.” Although no details about the type of emergency this exercise plans to simulate, it will involve “multiple City departments, engagement of First Nation Host Communities, neighbouring municipalities, government and regulatory agencies, non-government stakeholders and community response partners.”

Thompson added, the exercise is planned to “test our decision making capabilities at our Safety and Risk Services Emergency Management Program,” SFU’s leadership program that “looks at the community needs and how we’re supporting large-scale disasters.” Additionally, the team has an emergency shelter that can host 125 people. According to SFU, there are almost 29,000 undergraduates alone that attend SFU, many of whom attend classes on the mountain. 

The Burnaby tank farm expansion adds more tanks between the existing ones, meaning that “buffer space that was built originally to prevent the spreading of a potential fire from one tank to another will be compromised.” Following the expansion, there have been concerns raised by SFU leaders, the City of Burnaby, and community members about the heightened risk of a fire, and the potential entrapment of the people on Burnaby Mountain in the case of a tank farm explosion. 

To help SFU community members stay safe this summer, Thompson stressed, “it’s really important to think about [emergency planning] ahead of time.” She highlighted how your commute to campus could be impacted in the event of a disaster and carrying emergency provisions or resources “would better prepare you if something unexpected happened.” 

Thompson also identified support systems as being key in the event of a disaster. “What is your network in the local community?” She urged individuals to talk “about disasters with that network beforehand to think through what you might do with friends, with family, with loved ones.” 

Download the SFU Safe app, which has access to campus services in the event of a natural disaster and/or other disturbances on campus.