In the second episode of “Behind the Headlines” where we take a deeper look at the local stories, we feature a number of reports, including: the City's initiative to learn more about the history of the many First Nations who have some claim on the land on which the city is located; the City's animal shelter and the pressures it has been under during the pandemic. Also, Peter Julian, MP, talks about the inadequate contracts that the federal government has made with vaccine makers, and City Councillor, Jamie McEvoy, brings us up-to-date on the Covid cases in the area and what this pandemic looks like for us compared to for those who lived through the major flu epidemic of 1918.

First up is Nadine Nakagawa, who is the City Councillor who put forth several motions at City Council – all passed – for the City to uncover the “truth” of the many First Nations, who before European settlement, used the land on which New Westminster was built. Post-settlement, the people of these nations were treated poorly, but little is known about what happened here.  As Nakagawa points out, it is very hard to reconcile with the First Nations if we don't know the history.

In the second story, we learn that the City's Animal Shelter has had to cut back on its pet population as the volunteers had to be temporarily suspended due to the pandemic. While there has been an uptick in pet adoptions everywhere, at New Westminster, the story is different as they have a vary rigorous screening process to make sure the pets will fit with their new home.

Our MP, Peter Julian, speaks to the rollout of the vaccines in Canada. While the beginning of the vaccinations in Canada are cause for great hope, the reality is that the inoculation of the Canadian public will be much slower than many of us expected.  Peter Julian blames the government for poor negotiations and contracts with the vaccine makers, and he also questions why none of the vaccines are to be made in Canada.

Finally, City Councillor, Jamie McEvoy, delivers the hard news that the Covid cases in our health authority are many and worrisome if people don't hunker down and follow the rules for staying home, wearing masks, and social distancing. He speaks also about what life was like during the 1918 flu pandemic – a virulent disease brought by soldiers arriving home from Europe after the first World War. It is certainly gives you pause for thought, for the conditions of lockdown then would have been very difficult and exceedingly boring for most. And the death toll was horrendous.