People from Ladysmith to south Nanaimo are being advised to stay indoors and avoid using water

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People from Ladysmith to South Nanaimo are advised to stay inside and avoid using water

People from Ladysmith to south Nanaimo are being advised to stay indoors and avoid using water because of a toxic fire burning south of the Nanaimo Airport. The fire at the Schnitzer Steel recycling property is now under control, but smoke from burning tires and plastic continues to billow from the site. Environmental experts are on-site to assess whether groundwater has been contaminated. The fire broke out just after 10 a.m. yesterday morning and at its height, more than fifty firefighters from fifteen departments were battling the blaze.

COVID-19 pandemic funding

B.C.'s Auditor General wants to know what kind of government oversight is in place to measure how its pandemic program spending is benefiting British Columbians. Michael Pickup's report on COVID-19 Pandemic Funding Allocations and Other Financial Relief Measures was released today. It is not an audit. It is simply a list of where $5 billion dollars in government pandemic relief has been budgeted. Pickup says it's too early to say whether it is money well spent.

"Given the uncertainty around the magnitude of economic decline caused by the pandemic, the province's path to economic recovery is largely unknown. One driver of this impact of a second wave of COVID-19 cases will be and what measure will need to be taken to keep the people of British Columbia safe."—B.C.'s Auditor General, Michael Pickup.

BC's Minister of Finance says she will be announcing details next week, on how the government plans to spend one and a half billion dollars set aside to stimulate economic recovery.

There are no masks available for elementary school students in Nanaimo and Ladysmith

The Nanaimo Ladysmith School District is asking students to bring their own masks to school because it has not received its promised supply. A spokesperson for the district says there are no masks available for elementary school students and a very limited supply for those in high school. The Ministry of Education promised each student would receive two reusable face masks this year. Its return to class plan says high school students must wear masks when physical distancing is not possible. District spokesperson Dale Burgos says the lack of masks comes down to a supply problem.

"We've received some, but not enough for all schools. And so, we've got enough for our secondary students, who the masks are mandated for through the restart plan and through the province. I can't say if they are actually in the schools just yet. And we are waiting for another shipment of masks coming in, just so we can have masks available for every student if needed."—District spokesperson Dale Burgos.

Burgos says the district hopes it will receive its next shipment of masks early next week.