When the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted human activities around the world, the positive effects on the environment were visibly apparent. Now, nearly a year later, a waste crisis involving disposable items such as plastic bags, take-out containers, and personal protective equipment like masks and gloves has surfaced.

Front line RCMP officers mobilized early Friday morning to respond to a report of shots fired into a Salmo area home.

 As was demonstrated in the U.S. last week, many who are motivated by fear and ignorance are feeling emboldened — and desperate. It’s not just in the United States. Irrational, authoritarian, anti-science rhetoric and action has been heating up from Brazil to India to Hungary, and is fully entrenched in places like Russia and China. 

By Susan Brown, President and CEO, Interior Health

As we look back on 2020, we might be tempted to focus on the challenges. However, I want to take a moment to reflect on the strength and resilience demonstrated by individuals and communities as we overcame unimaginable odds together.