Click below for online version
Take a Peek Inside this Week...
Potential for drone medical supply delivery
North Island Eagle, January 31 2025
​
The future of health-care service delivery in the Island Health region took a promising first step recently, thanks to a successful drone demonstration at the North Island Hospital, Comox Valley. The demo, given recently by the University of Victoria Centre for Aerospace Research (CfAR), involved an electric, six-bladed hexacopter drone making a few flights with a simulated medical supply delivery across a field next to the hospital.
The event highlighted innovative opportunities that could lie ahead – such as the use of drones to deliver pharmaceutical supplies or lab samples, which could especially benefit harder-to-reach communities. “I am very excited, and my mind’s already going in a million different directions about the ways we could use this to better serve our patients – especially our patients in very rural and remote communities,” says Dr. Dieter de Bruin, executive medical director for Clinical Service Delivery on the North Island. For example, the ferry to the Cormorant Island Health Centre (only accessible by water or air) sometimes doesn’t run to due to weather or night-time conditions.
“A drone solution to move lab supplies back and forth will allow us to better serve the community and also provide another service for our clinicians and physician partners,” says Max Jajszczok, executive lead, Rural and Remote Health Sustainability and Clinical Services Planning. David Hall, operations director for Laboratory Services for the Central and North Island, says the use of drones could be a “technological transformation” for Island Health. “If there was a network of these semi-autonomous drones moving medical supplies, lab samples, blood supplies, all of that stuff – it would just be amazing.”
Island Health and UVic CfAR are exploring a potential partnership under the umbrella of the new North Island Research and Innovation Hub – and the demo was an important first phase in that process. “I think our first exploration with Island Health will really get us a better understanding of how we can use our technology to meet the needs of healthcare on Vancouver Island,” says Jay Matlock, manager of UVic CfAR.
Further demos in the new year are expected, likely north of Campbell River. And a range of issues related to privacy, security, regulations, budgets and more will need to be addressed moving forward. This work could also have far-reaching impacts.
“What we’re able to trial and pilot here within Island Health would benefit numerous communities across British Columbia,” says Jajszczok. “So, we’re also really excited about creating a capability here that could be utilized across the province, and perhaps even across the country.”
Photo —Island Health
Drones could be used to deliver pharmaceutical supplies or lab samples, which could benefit harder-to-reach communities such as the Cormorant Island Health Centre.
Indigenous Justice Centre opens in Port Hardy
By Kathy O'Reilly, North Island Eagle, January 31 2025
​​​​
​An Indigenous Justice Centre opened its doors in Port Hardy Jan. 23 with the office crowded with interested residents.
The BC First Nations Justice Council was created by the First Nations Council of BC to implement the First Nations Justice Strategy.
Indigenous Justice Centres offer free legal services and support for Indigenous people.
There are 15 offices across the province. Each centre is unique - offering legal supports and services that align with local community needs and vision for justice and community wellness.
“This is really amazing. Some of our bigger sites in Vancouver and Surrey, Victoria, we don’t get this turnout. This really makes my heart swell,” said Director of IJC Operations, and lawyer, Cedar Dodd.
“What’s important here today is getting to know each other and really getting to know how we can hopefully stand a chance of doing a really good job in the community,” Dodd said.
“We really want to see our Indigenous people treated differently in the judicial system,” said Resource and Support Worker Jane Watts-Ellens.
“We all have at least one family member that is impacted by court or criminal matters or family matters, so we really want people to have an opportunity for new resources,” Watts-Ellens said.
“This is a really great opportunity to create that, and it’s not just for one nation, it’s for all, and you can be a guest from another territory (and) access the services here,” she said.
“What we have here is an organization that has a consensus across the province, and a mandate to do something differently, and deliver services in a way that isn’t fragmented,” said Dodd.
“This is completely unique all the way across this country. When I talk to people in Ontario and on the Prairies, they don’t have the kind of consensus that we have with respect to this opportunity to provide justice services to our people. This is really important work,” he explained.
“I am here today to open up the Port Hardy Indigenous Justice Centre bearing in mind that we all come to this from different paths and a lot of those paths are paved with struggle, challenge, pain, but we are here.”
“I can tell you with a pure heart that what we do in this community, starts right here in this room. It starts with conversation, collaboration, but most of all building trust,” he said.
“For me, there is no bigger responsibility that a person can have than to have somebody trust you in their time of need.”
The office will provide a lawyer to help people but also offer outreach and wraparound services.
“In some of the centres, we’re working on having elder support. We hope to have elders in residence who can guide people if they are not quite ready to talk to a lawyer, or outreach or resources support worker,” said Dodd.
“We’re still looking to try to hire a lawyer for this centre, but I can promise you this, we’re always going to be listening, and we’re always going to be responsive because this community is really our boss. This community is who we serve. This community is who gives us the direction but also gives us the feedback and we hope that feedback is brought forward in a constructive and positive way,” he said, “because I promise you that we are always looking to do better, we’re always going to be listening.”
First Nations people have not always been welcomed in law offices.
“Those places weren’t for us. We weren’t allowed to hire lawyers, so it’s very important that we change that.”
The Indigenous Justice Centre is not coming to this community “with any sort of intention of stepping on any toes. There’s a great deal of excellent organizations already working in this community and our hope is to really work very closely with them and develop those relationships because if we can’t provide a service, it’s very important to us that we are able to help somebody access other resources they may need and we do that by way of what we call a ‘warm handover’,” Dodd said.
“Those relationships that start with the community, extend to the community partners who also work in the justice and unhoused population space as well.”
The Indigenous Justice Centre is located at 6990 Market Street. For more information call 250-902-5100.
Photo — Kathy O'Reilly
Resource and Support Worker Jane Watts-Ellens and Director of Indigenous Justice Centre Operations Cedar Dodd welcomed people to the grand opening.