A political conflict is heating up in British Columbia over the repeal of DRIPA, the law on Indigenous rights. Meanwhile, two pedestrian collisions have occurred in Vancouver within days of each other, one of them fatal, and a humpback whale has collided with a BC Ferries vessel in Howe Sound.
British Columbia changes course: what lies behind the promise to repeal DRIPA
British Columbia’s incoming Conservative government is reaffirming its intention to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) during the spring legislative session. For some, this would be a long-awaited end to legal uncertainty; for others, it is a betrayal of a years-long reconciliation process. Here’s a look at what the government plans to repeal, why the issue is so contentious, and what the parties themselves have to say.
Conservative interim leader and premier-designate Lorne Doerkson makes no secret of the fact that repealing DRIPA is a priority. He says a bill will likely be introduced in the spring, while insisting that he remains committed to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. “We intend to do this as soon as possible,” he said. His argument is simple: the law has solved nothing, and the province does nothing but litigate—over docks in Pender Harbour one day, mining projects the next. “We need to work together for the benefit of everyone,” he added in an article by CityNews Vancouver.
To understand the scale of the dispute, it is worth recalling what DRIPA is. It is a provincial law passed unanimously by all parties in the legislature in 2019. It required the government to bring all provincial laws into alignment with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and to establish a joint decision-making process with First Nations on land and resource matters. This requirement to “review every law against UNDRIP” became the main sticking point: critics say it is impossible to implement in practice, while supporters see it as a necessary framework for a fair redistribution of power.
First Nations see repeal as a destruction of relationships that have been built over time. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, calls DRIPA “a blueprint, a road map, a way forward” for resolving issues related to Indigenous peoples’ inherent constitutional and legal rights to land and resources. “To simply crumple this up and throw it in the trash is worse than disappointing,” he says. And he warns: “We will not stand by and watch someone destroy this. It will not happen. We will be in the courts, we will be in the streets, and, if necessary, on the land.”
Curiously, the legal assessment is far less dramatic than the political rhetoric. Tom Isaac, a partner at Cassels Aboriginal Law Group, argues that DRIPA was unworkable from the outset: bringing every law into alignment with UNDRIP is simply impossible. In his view, repeal would not deprive Indigenous peoples of any existing rights, since constitutionally protected Aboriginal rights remain in force regardless of the provincial statute. “One of the key effects will be the elimination of uncertainty,” he says, adding that it would be “a positive step” toward greater certainty in the province and “will not negatively affect constitutionally protected Aboriginal rights.”
This is where the fundamental divide in perceptions lies. For lawyers, DRIPA is a procedural framework that can be removed without taking away the rights themselves. For First Nations leaders, it is not a formality but a political promise and a mechanism for joint decision-making, without which reconciliation becomes an empty declaration. The fact that the 2019 law was passed unanimously is telling: today’s situation shows how quickly consensus can give way to confrontation.
The key takeaways are clear. First, repealing DRIPA will be one of the incoming government’s first major moves and a signal of a shift in its approach to relations with Indigenous peoples. Second, the dispute will play out not only in the legislature but also in the courts: Phillip has explicitly promised legal and street-level resistance. Third, the economic subtext—the references to docks and mining—shows that the dispute is also about who gets to approve projects on lands claimed by First Nations, and how. Finally, the promise to “work together for the benefit of everyone” will be put to the test in precisely those cases where consultation with Indigenous peoples is required. As Doerkson put it, “We intend to do this as soon as possible”—which means the parties have little time left to find a compromise.
Vancouver: two deaths and an injury in a matter of days — police urge caution
A tragedy in downtown Vancouver has renewed concerns about pedestrian safety during the fall and winter months. Shortly after midnight on the night of Saturday into Sunday, a 45-year-old woman was struck and killed by an SUV while crossing at a marked crosswalk at Main Street and National Avenue. The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) announced the death on Tuesday, according to a CBC report.
According to police, the vehicle was travelling south when it struck the woman. The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation. Police do not believe alcohol or drugs were a factor, either for the driver or the woman who died. Weather appears to have been a key factor: it was dark and raining heavily at the time of the collision. “Police are once again urging increased caution on the roads this time of year, when visibility becomes more challenging for both pedestrians and drivers,” the VPD said in a statement.
This was not an isolated incident. Just three days earlier, on Thursday, a seven-year-old girl was injured in a collision at East Pender Street and Victoria Drive. Fortunately, she was released from hospital with minor injuries. In a short span of time, the city therefore saw two pedestrian collisions, one of them fatal.
A few points of context may be helpful. Under Canadian traffic laws, a “marked crosswalk” is a crossing marked with road paint or special signs where pedestrians have the right of way, unless traffic signals dictate otherwise. Unlike an unmarked crossing, a marked crosswalk formally requires drivers to yield. But markings alone cannot guarantee safety when visibility is poor: darkness combined with heavy rain sharply reduces the distance at which a driver can see a pedestrian, while wet pavement increases stopping distances.
Another important point is the police department’s wording. The phrase “police are once again urging” suggests that such warnings are frequent and part of an ongoing pattern. This underscores that the problem is not a single driver’s mistake, but a seasonal deterioration in road conditions that requires everyone to change their habits: reduce speed, pay closer attention and, for pedestrians, wear reflective items in the dark.
The key takeaways are clear. First, the death of a 45-year-old woman in a crosswalk shows that markings alone do not protect pedestrians; weather and visibility play a decisive role. Second, with no signs of impairment on the driver’s part, attention shifts to environmental conditions and the broader culture of driving in bad weather. Third, the injury to a seven-year-old just three days before the fatal collision shows that the risks are spread across the city, not confined to a single location. Police have not yet said whether the SUV driver will face charges, and the investigation is ongoing—this remains the main unanswered question. But it is already clear that Vancouver’s dark, rainy season is becoming a period of heightened danger, calling for more serious measures by the city and its residents than another reminder to be cautious.
Whale struck by ferry: how British Columbia is trying to protect humpbacks returning to their home waters
The collision between a humpback whale and a BC Ferries vessel in Howe Sound is both good news and a warning sign. It is good news because the return of humpbacks to these waters reflects the success of decades of conservation efforts: the whales are once again inhabiting feeding grounds that were once familiar to them. But it is also cause for concern: the more whales there are, the greater the risk of encounters with vessels. The October 18, 2026, incident shows just how fragile the balance remains between population recovery and everyday marine traffic.
The collision occurred between Grace Point and Keats Island: the ferry Queen of Surrey struck a humpback, and Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is investigating to determine which whale was involved and what condition it is in. No official information about the animal’s fate is available yet. In the meantime, local marine wildlife watchers are trying to work out for themselves which of the area’s humpbacks may have been injured. Alex Cole, an administrator of the Howe Sound and Sea to Sky Wildlife Sightings Facebook group, documented and identified several whales in the area and was relieved to report that one of them, a whale named Grizzly (BCY1330), spotted near Hutt Island northwest of Bowen Island, appeared healthy and was feeding. “Although we don’t know which whale was hit the other day, we now know for certain that it wasn’t Grizzly, who was in great shape and continued feeding,” he wrote. According to Cole, Grizzly was bubble-net feeding alongside another humpback known as Commander (BCY1541).
Bubble-net feeding deserves a brief explanation. It is a highly synchronized hunting strategy in which whales dive beneath a school of fish and release bubbles, forming a kind of “net” that herds the prey toward the surface. The behaviour requires coordination among a group and is considered one of the most complex examples of cooperative hunting among marine mammals—which makes it especially remarkable to witness in the waters of Howe Sound.
The return of humpbacks to Metro Vancouver waters is a relatively recent phenomenon, but it is gaining momentum year by year, with local nature enthusiasts documenting each sighting. However, a growing population inevitably means more interactions with people. Asked by Vancouver Is Awesome what is being done to protect whales, the DFO emphasized that protecting whale populations across Canada remains a priority. The department listed a range of measures: increasing the distance vessels must keep from animals, reducing underwater noise from marine traffic, and addressing the risk of whales becoming entangled in fishing gear. In addition, this year’s spring economic update allocated more than $258 million for further protection of whales and the health of their habitats. According to the department, BC Ferries is cooperating with the investigation and helping identify the injured animal.
One important point is that the DFO says measures to reduce disturbance and collisions with vessels are regularly reviewed in light of scientific research, monitoring and collaboration with partners. In other words, the system is not static: it adapts as more data becomes available, and this incident is likely to provide further grounds for strengthening protections in the busy shipping area of Howe Sound. The department is also urging the public to report whale disturbances, collisions and entanglements through the Observe, Record, Report/Marine Mammal Incident Hotline at 1-800-465-4336 or by email at DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca. This reporting channel effectively turns every observer into a participant in monitoring efforts.
The main takeaway is twofold. On the one hand, humpbacks in Howe Sound are living proof that conservation measures are working, and local communities have welcomed their return with enthusiasm, documenting and identifying each whale. On the other, the ferry collision is a reminder that population recovery creates a new vulnerability unless shipping practices adapt accordingly. As the investigation continues and the fate of the injured animal remains unknown, the main question is not whether the whales have returned, but whether the region can organize marine traffic in a way that ensures their return does not lead to further losses.
