Dr. Al Longair, the former team leader at Duncan’s Prevost Veterinary Clinic, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s Distinguished Member Award.
The prestigious award is presented to a CVMA member for long and outstanding service on CVMA council, executive, boards and committees, or for outstanding contributions to the veterinary profession.
Longair was the Society of BC Veterinarians’ nominee for this award, and was selected by the CVMA’s president and executive committee.
“Dr. Longair deserves national recognition for his quiet, consistent, unwavering dedication to animal welfare and the promotion of the veterinary profession,” said Dr. Fraser Davidson, president of the Society of BC Veterinarians.
Longair graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1977.
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The Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society is sending a huge thank you to the Telus Business Customer Experience Team for their gift of 30 cedar nest boxes that were hand built by the team for their annual Telus Days of Giving.
SMWS board member Colleen Terlien said the society is very grateful that the Telus team choose to do this as their “giving” project.
“We will be using some of these boxes to replace aging boxes along the amazing boardwalk and in the open air classroom in the Somenos Marsh, (located just off the Trans-Canada Highway, heading north after the Beverly intersection),” she said.
“We will be able to use the remaining boxes to expand our nest-box program into suitable areas around our wetland.”
The SMWS is a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the entire Somenos/S'amunu watershed.
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Small businesses in B.C. should receive a rebate on WorkSafeBC’s ballooning surplus, says the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
According to documents recently released by WorkSafeBC, the Crown corporation is sitting on a $2-billion surplus, entirely funded by B.C. businesses.
“Despite WorkSafeBC being 141 per cent funded, well above the 130 per cent target, B.C. is one of the few provinces that doesn’t have a policy to give that money back to employers,” said Ryan Mitton, CFIB’s Director of Legislative Affairs for B.C.
“With small business confidence at pandemic-level lows, returning a portion of this surplus to WorkSafeBC ratepayers would help small businesses fight back against U.S. tariffs and make ends meet.”
CFIB estimates that returning these excess funds could provide a B.C. small business with five employees up to $3,810.
While nine of the 12 provincial workers’ compensation boards have set policies to return surplus funds to employers, only British Columbia, Quebec, and Nova Scotia do not.
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Local businesses are warned to be cautious after a Cowichan Valley business was the victim of a highly targeted e-transfer scam recently.
The Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce said the fraudsters gained access to the business owner’s email and banking, disabled auto-deposit, and impersonated the owner to intercept client payments.
The chamber said it was a well-executed scheme, and a strong reminder that no business is too small to be targeted.
“After consulting with local cybersecurity experts at DataStream Networks, we’re encouraging all businesses to take precautions,” the chamber said.
They include enabling auto-deposit for e-transfers to prevent interception; using strong, unique passwords and enabling two-factor authentication on email and banking accounts; training your team on how to spot phishing and fraud attempts; reviewing your cybersecurity regularly to stay ahead of emerging threats; and being cautious with payment requests that involve extra steps or changes, and always verify by phone.
“This incident is a reminder that even well-established, trusted businesses can be vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated fraud attempts,” the chamber said.
“If you have concerns about your cybersecurity or want guidance on best practices, don’t wait until something goes wrong. Reach out to DataStream Networks if you have any questions or need any advice.”
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The Cowichan Valley Regional District is reminding Cowichan residents that compostable, biodegradable and oxodegradable plastic bags and liners are not permitted in their food scrap bin or organics tote bins.
The district said that composting facilities in B.C. are not able to accept plastic bags, liners or any plastic items, including those labelled “compostable,” “biodegradable” or “oxodegradable.”
“Although these bags seem like a great way to keep your totes/bins clean, they don't break down properly, requiring specific lab-based temperature/moisture conditions that do not reflect the composting process,” the CVRD said.
“As a result, microplastics contaminate the finished compost, which is a health and environmental concern."
Acceptable alternatives include paper bags, or lining your totes/bins with shredded paper, paper towels, newspaper, cardboard or yard waste before putting in kitchen scraps.
For more information on accepted items in the green organics tote, visit https://www.cvrd.ca/3611/Green-Organics-Tote.
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The Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce is welcoming back its “Wine Down Wednesday” on June 25 at the Cobble Hill Winery.
“We’re uncorking summer with the return of Wine Down Wednesday which is our favourite excuse to gather, sip, snack, and soak up the Cowichan charm,” the chamber said.
“First stop is the picturesque Cobble Hill Winery. Expect vineyard views, great company, and that sweet spot where casual connection meets summer evening magic. Whether you’re catching up with familiar faces or making new connections, this is your chance to ease into summer with a glass in hand and Cowichan in full view.”
Food and drinks at the event, which runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., are at your own expense, but remember that you must RSVP with the chamber first.
Register online, call 250-748-1111 or email admin@duncancc.bc.ca.
