Grieving parents say their nine-year old son died last week after a severe asthma attack made worse by wildfire smoke engulfing parts of British Columbia.
Amber Vigh said her youngest son, Carter, died in the emergency room with his parents at his side at 7:20 p.m. PT last Tuesday.
“They tried everything … I just stood there and just told him that I loved him and just to breathe,” Amber said in an interview from her home near 100 Mile House, B.C., on Monday.
“This time was just different.”
Vigh’s death comes as smoke from more than 360 wildfires sends air quality across B.C. plummeting, particularly in central and northern areas of the province.
Government officials and health authorities have warned people in those areas with pre-existing conditions to be cautious, acknowledging the contaminated air can make a person sicker or hasten their death.
The B.C. Coroners Service issued a public safety bulletin at 4 p.m. on Monday warning of the risks of wildfire smoke and calling the death of Vigh a “heartbreaking loss.”
“As the province experiences greater impacts from the effects of climate change, British Columbians are learning more about the risks associated with wildfire smoke, extreme heat and other environmental factors,” read the bulletin. “This greater awareness can help us respond when risks are identified.”
The province recommends people with pre-existing conditions follow these recommended guidelines if the air quality is poor:
Reduce or cease physical activity if experiencing difficulty breathing.
Stay cool and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
Amber said her son spent his last day happy as ever.
He played at the water park with his friends when the air was clearer earlier in the day, then celebrated a birthday for another boy — also named Carter — before running for a Slurpee with his mom at a 7-Eleven.
“He had a great day,” said Amber. “I had no indication he was struggling in any way.”
She said Carter had lived with asthma his entire life. He was prepared to use the puffer he carried everywhere and had been to hospital several times before to get his oxygen levels up after an attack.
Carter Vigh with his mother Amber in an undated photo. (Supplied by Amber Vigh)
His coughing started Tuesday evening, Amber recalls. She and her husband James said they reacted as they usually did — they gave Carter his puffer, told him to concentrate on his breathing and later ran him a cool bath to soothe any panic.
When the coughing got worse, Amber drove Carter to hospital. Emergency room staff took over after meeting them at the bay doors, but Carter later lost consciousness.
Doctors, nurses and paramedics performed CPR for 25 minutes before the boy was declared dead.
“When we walked back into that room, all of the nurses, everyone in there were just sobbing. They were all so professional and worked so hard,” said Amber.
“They didn’t let their emotions get in the way throughout the whole thing, but when it was all said and done, they were a wreck.”
Carter Vigh, second from right, is pictured with his parents and siblings in an undated photo. (Supplied by Amber Vigh)
Amber and James said the coroner told them their son’s cause of death was likely a severe asthma attack exacerbated by smoky air. The B.C. Coroners Service confirmed it is investigating the death, but a spokesperson said they could not comment further until the investigation is over.
“We took it seriously,” Amber said, referring to Carter’s asthma. “It was just his time and it’s not fair.
“He was perfect. He had the perfect little freckle on his earlobe and the cutest little nose … We raised the most loving little boy.”
The couple said they’re speaking about their son’s death in hopes they can reach other parents.
“I’m hoping that people realize how quickly it can turn because we had his asthma under control. We were so diligent.”
Poor visibility due to wildfire smoke in Prince George, B.C., last Wednesday. (Andrew Kurjata/CBC)
Air quality poor for days, data shows
Residents in parts of central and northern B.C. are experiencing extremely poor air quality caused by smoke from wildfires burning across the region.
According to data from the B.C. government, the area around Kamloops — the closest data point to 100 Mile House — had a score of 6 on the air quality health index (AQHI), indicating that people living there and in the surrounding areas face moderate health risks due to air pollution.
A light white ash has been seen falling from the sky in other cities like Quesnel, covering cars and buildings. Environment Canada has issued special weather statements warning of poor air quality for the central Interior and northeast B.C.
“The loss of a child is a profound tragedy. We extend our most heartfelt condolences to this child’s family and loved ones and all those affected by their passing,” read a statement from B.C.’s Ministry of Health, acknowledging wildfire smoke can be “dangerous” for people with pre-existing medical conditions.
B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth also offered his condolences on Monday.
“This is obviously a terrible, terrible tragedy — every parent’s worst nightmare — and our thoughts go out to the family at this heartwrenching time,” he said.
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
