EcoWest News, April 7, 2026

Welcome to EcoWest News, a weekly round-up of news and resources that you can put to use in addressing environmental issues and protecting the wild in your community.

Biodiversity

The Wilderness Committee is concerned the federal government’s new nature strategy shifts the focus from halting the biodiversity crisis to supporting “nature-based sectors”:

• Mapping biodiversity hotspots to "accelerate permitting" and provide data to resource projects;
• Designating almost half of the proposed protected areas as Other Effective Conservation Measures, which still allow industrial activity;
• Emphasis on market mechanisms and outside capital; and
• No connection between human health and nature. [Wilderness Committee]

Cowichan Valley Naturalists Society says bear den habitat should be protected under the Forest Planning and Practices regulation as current logging practices in BC are removing black bear den trees, forcing bears to try and raise their young underneath homes and outbuildings. [The Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle]

BC has Canada’s largest variety of species and ecosystems. A university research study highlights the lack of adequate protection and the need for proactive efforts to improve the status of at-risk species before they're at the brink of extinction. [CBC]

An outbreak of white-nose syndrome in Idaho is putting bats in BC’s Interior at risk. Dosing bat roosts with a probiotic could be preventive but would need to be applied soon. [The Tyee]

“Once fully operating, it [Great Bear Sea network] could be a global model of ecological and cultural preservation and of collaborative management between three levels of government: federal, provincial and Indigenous.” [Canadian Geographic]

Housing & Construction

Vema Deconstruction systematically takes buildings apart to preserve the materials. Since 2022, the Vancouver company has rescued somewhere between 300,000 and 500,000 pounds of material to be reused in other projects. [The Tyee]

The deconstruction of an old dairy processing plant in Burnaby is on track to be the largest project of its kind in BC. Materials are being repurposed into new homes and part of a new energy centre for the city. [YouTube]

Building retrofits are “investments in stronger buildings, healthier communities, and a more resilient economy,” creating benefits across health, insurance, energy and housing. [Pembina Institute]

Communications

“Hairdressers have an untapped ability to weave climate change into everyday conversations and actions.” [Katharine Hayhoe]

“Only when abstract data becomes tangible — whether through a disappearing skating rink, a parched wetland or a vanishing stream — does the urgency of climate change truly hit home.” [The Conversation]

Energy

External consultants estimate it will cost $2.6 billion to refurbish Saskatchewan's coal-burning facilities. SaskPower is proposing two rate increases of nearly 4% to cover this and other costs, while knowingly violating 3 federal climate change policies. [CBC]

A city council paid the upfront costs for almost 1,200 low-income and vulnerable homeowners to obtain 4.8 million dollars Australian of home energy improvements. The loan is attached to the property taxes and can be paid back interest-free over 10 years. [The Conversation]

Making a Difference

University of Saskatchewan students are applying what they’ve learned to 8 real-world sustainability challenges, from encouraging gardeners to substitute native for non-native plants to restoring a fruit tree shelterbelt. [USask]

Nature’s Wonders

The Nechako River Migratory Bird Sanctuary and surrounding farm fields near Vanderhoof, BC, provide a safe place for thousands of tundra and trumpeter swans to rest and forage before they continue on their journey. [CBC]

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/apmckinlay/55180996238

EcoFriendly West informs and encourages initiatives that support Western Canada’s natural environment through its online publication and the Nature Companion website/app. Like us on Facebook, follow us on BlueSky, X, and Mastodon, or subscribe by email.