This just in from Nelson Paramedic Keri Whitfield
“Hello! I’m a paramedic with BCEHS in Nelson, we along with other local agencies would like to do a shout out at Kootenay Lake Hospital tomorrow night [Thursday, April 2nd] as well as Mountain Lakes Seniors and Lakeview Village, to show our support and solidarity during this trying time.
We plan to muster at the Nelson RCMP detachment tomorrow night Apr 2nd at 18:50 and make our way to KLH first then the other facilities with our lights on while driving in convoy.
If nothing else, just a shout out to all the emergency services, those deemed essential services, basically everyone working hard during this time to ensure life continues as normal as possible and that the people of our communities remain safe and well taken care of in every way.
Tomorrow night several of us want to come together to show our appreciation and support and most of all solidarity during this crazy time.
We hope people will join us from their doorsteps or windows at home!”
I would like to offer the businesses that are open for us, during this Covid 19 period. Free advertising. First of all, thank you for risking your health for ours.
During the self isolation period of covid 19. I Love Nelson would like you to use this site to let people know what your business is doing, so we may continue to support our local businesses. If you know of business that may not see this, please pass this along.
Please contact info@ilovenelson for details.
KOOTENAY CO-OP RADIO REMAINS ON-AIR, EXPANDS PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAMMING
On March 17th, Kootenay Co-op Radio (KCR) took the difficult decision to close its doors to the 80-plus volunteers that pass through the Hall Street studios every week. And with the closure,
the 20-year-old community radio station’s staff and volunteers have responded energetically
to keep on the air with fresh and relevant programming during these unusual times – all
without coming into the station.
The big news is that KCR is expanding the coverage and frequency of its flagship public affairs
program, Kootenay Morning. This one-hour program will now be aired Monday, Wednesday
and Friday, live at 8 am with a same-day repeat at 5 pm. There’s also a “best of” compilation
shared on Sunday mornings at 8 am. COVID-19 and other local coverage will be supplemented by current content from trusted local, national, and international sources. Volunteers are also increasingly active with specific local updates to the KCR Facebook page.
“Community radio and local media are needed now more than ever, ” says KCR board chair Jeff Flood. “Our volunteers immediately recognized the opportunity to be a helpful and supportive community voice — on the airwaves and online.” Flood also notes that KCR is connected to the BC Emergency Alert system, which allows government officials to issue public safety alerts as
necessary.
“Kootenay Morning is now focused on news that listeners can use in these turbulent times, as well as stories of our neighbours who are also navigating these waters,” says KCR Operations Manager Rob Andrew. “Recent shows featured extended phone interviews with Nelson Mayor John Dooley, Director of Emergency Management Len MacCharles, Jenny Robinson of Nelson CARES, and with Selkirk College psychology instructor Dr. Todd Kettner, who talked about managing stress and isolation.” Andrew notes that KCR has an extensive line-up of experts and informed voices booked for the days and weeks ahead.
The decision to restrict station access has disrupted the in-studio broadcast of more than 50
different shows. But volunteer programmers are rising to that challenge. “Eighty percent of our programmers are working to record their shows remotely,” says Andrew. “Hosts are jumping into audio editing software to keep their regular shows coming, with an ear to the times we’re in.”
KCR knows its sponsors are facing unprecedented challenges, including many forced to limit
public access. “We’re encouraging them to share special updates with listeners on-air,” says
Amélie Saquet, KCR’s Sponsorship Coordinator. “Their businesses are evolving and they need support, like everyone.”
Flood notes that KCR depends on its listeners for roughly one-third of its annual budget. “We know a number of people in the Kootenays are losing jobs and income. We would encourage any listeners who are able to consider financial support for community institutions — for KCR and many others. All non-profits are feeling the effects of this disruption.”
Over its 20-year history, it’s estimated that more than 1000 different local residents have
hosted shows on the station, which can be heard from Castlegar to Kaslo and the East Shore
communities, and up the Slocan Valley to Silverton and New Denver.
In addition to sharing meaningful news and information, KCR’s famously eclectic mix of music and spoken word programming continues to be a welcome voice in homes across the West Kootenays.
The local frequencies for Kootenay Co-op Radio are:
Nelson – 93.5 FM
Crawford Bay – 96.5 FM
New Denver – 107.5 FM
Slocan Valley – 101.5 FM
Listen online at www.kootenaycoopradio.com.
Caption: Kootenay Co-op Radio Operations Manager Rob Andrew says the community radio
station has an extensive line-up of experts and informed voices booked for the days and weeks ahead. The station is now closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But broadcasting willcontinue with expanded frequency of its flagship public affairs program, Kootenay Morning, remotely produced shows from nearly 80 per cent of KCR’s show hosts and trusted local, national, and international news sources.
For further information, contact:
Rob Andrew, Operations Manager, KCR: (250) 505-9829
Jeff Flood, Chair, Board of Directors, KCR: (250) 354-3656
During this time of uncertainty, one thing is for sure – our community rallies together in times of trouble.
Nelson Helps is an unofficial group of volunteers working together to help the people of Nelson during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are reaching out to offer assistance as good neighbours.
Many in our city are in a group particularly vulnerable to the virus and don’t want to go out for prescriptions, groceries, or other essentials. Some are in isolation and unable to leave their homes. There are many Nelsonites willing to help! If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out to them:
on Facebook facebook.com/groups/NelsonHelps/
on Twitter @nelsonhelps
via email nelsonhelps@shaw.ca
Or by talking to your favourite pharmacy or grocery store – many of them know how to reach us if you are not online.
INTERIOR HEALTH AUTHORITY COVID-19 TESTING SITE NOW OPERATIONAL IN NELSON
As of March 13, 2020, the COVID-19 testing site is now operational in Nelson. The site will run 7 days a week. Testing will be by appointment only and must be booked through the testing site triage phone number at (250) 551-7500.
It is important that only those persons with symptoms or those concerned they may have been exposed to the virus utilize this resource to ensure there is availability for those who require this service.
When a patient phones the testing line, they will speak to a trained professional that will determine if they require screening using the Ministry of Health Guidelines. If it is determined that they should be screened, they will be given a date, time and location for the testing. Persons arriving at the testing location without an appointment will not be admitted.
There will be someone staffing the testing site triage phone during regular office hours. Outside of regular hours, patients can leave their name and phone number and someone will return their call.
For further information regarding COVID-19, patients can call the Healthlink number 8-1-1.
Patients can also visit the BC Centre for Disease Control at: www.bccdc.ca.
As you are aware, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global pandemic in relation to COVID-19. While the risk to our community remains low, it is important for our community to know that the City of Nelson is being proactive and taking precautionary measures to the extent possible to reduce the potential spreading of the virus.
First and foremost, our role as your local government is to support our community by helping to protect our staff through a safe and healthy workplace, to ensure that essential and valuable services such as electricity, water, sewer, emergency services, etc. continue to be available with as little disruption as possible. The City has developed business continuity plans for all of our departments and is providing the necessary education and tools to help our staff stay healthy.
As we head into spring break, BC health officials are discouraging all non-essential travel outside of Canada and have banned events larger than 250 people. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced that anyone who travels outside of Canada should stay home from work or school for 14 days upon their return to the province, as part of their civic duty. We do understand many in our community will be travelling and ask that you review the advice and advisories from the Government of Canada at https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories.
The heart and soul of our community are our local businesses, and we all need to continue with business as usual at this time. We understand extra precautions may need to be taken in some cases, but if we are careful and take the time to thoroughly wash our hands, use hand sanitizer and keep a social distance of 3-6 ft (1-2meters), we will maintain the ability to visit retail and restaurants as normal. We also encourage businesses to share with the community on social media platforms and other means, what they are doing to protect their staff and customers as we move through this pandemic. Staff at the City of Nelson will continue to work closely with Emergency Management BC and Interior Health to provide updates as new information becomes available.
The City of Nelson relies on Interior Health, BC Public Health, and the Federal Government for information related to the virus itself. If you believe you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, please contact your physician, the Healthlink line at 811, to be assessed or call the testing clinic hotline at (250) 551-7500 to be triaged for testing. Symptoms of COVID-19 include coughing, sneezing, fever, sore throat, and difficulty breathing. These symptoms may not present themselves for up to 14 days, but you may be a carrier of the virus; therefore, it is important to follow the guidelines set out by the health experts.
We thank you for doing your part to help maintain a safe and healthy community and for understanding the importance of this evolving situation.
For up-to date information on COVID-19, please refer to the following authoritative websites.
