Skip to content
Cindy E. Harnett

Cindy E. Harnett

Cindy Harnett is a Times Colonist reporter focused on health.

Cindy is originally from Toronto, where she attended York University and Ryerson University before taking her first newspaper job in northern Ontario, where she learned about forestry, wildlife, block heaters, and snowstorms in May. She has worked as a reporter in Quesnel and a managing editor at Black Press, and has contributed to publications including Maclean’s magazine.

In 2008, Cindy and her Times Colonist colleagues picked up a Jack Webster Best News Reporting of the Year award for coverage of the 2007 Lee family murder-suicide, which highlighted gross inadequacies in domestic violence and child protection services and police co-ordination.

Over the years, Cindy has gravitated to issues of justice, including the 1997 swarming and murder of teenager Reena Virk, the 2012 botched firing of eight B.C. Health Ministry researchers during which one committed suicide, the 2018 toxic drug poisoning death of Elliot Eurchuk, and the 2019 William Head jailbreak that saw two prisoners charged with murder.

Email
[email protected]

Recent Work by Cindy E.

B.C. vows to retain overdose-prevention sites no matter who wins federal election

B.C. vows to retain overdose-prevention sites no matter who wins federal election

“These are services that save lives and they connect people to the supports and the people they need to talk to access those supports,” says Health Minister Josie Osborne
Program offering B.C. cancer patients radiation treatment in Washington to end next month

Program offering B.C. cancer patients radiation treatment in Washington to end next month

Health Minister Josie Osborne says radiation therapy wait times now meet national benchmarks
Series of mistakes led to first-year UVic student's death from fentanyl-laced cocaine: report

Series of mistakes led to first-year UVic student's death from fentanyl-laced cocaine: report

Missteps included failure to administer nasal naloxone to reverse the effects of the toxic drugs until it was too late
'Unless you’ve walked in those shoes': Langford mom makes plea for involuntary care

'Unless you’ve walked in those shoes': Langford mom makes plea for involuntary care

Luanna Larusson has seen her 22-year-old drug-addicted daughter overdose, sleep on the streets and walk out of hospital with an IV tube still stuck in her arm.
B.C. Ferries to open field to Canadian satellite internet providers, not just Starlink

B.C. Ferries to open field to Canadian satellite internet providers, not just Starlink

Ontario Premier Doug Ford cancelled that province’s $100-million contract with Starlink in response to U.S. tariffs
Obituary: Saanich veteran was oldest man in Canada at almost 110

Obituary: Saanich veteran was oldest man in Canada at almost 110

Born in 1915, Albert Middleton immigrated to Canada at age 14 with the help of a charitable group, and worked for three years on a farm to repay the cost of the ship’s passage.
B.C. premier continues to 'strongly' discourage travel to U.S., saying it's important to keep pressure up

B.C. premier continues to 'strongly' discourage travel to U.S., saying it's important to keep pressure up

“If you do have a choice about where you travel with your family, if you do have a choice about how you spend your money, [I] strongly discourage people from going to the States until this is resolved,” B.C. Premier David Eby said Wednesday.
Victoria addictions doctor says witnessed drug model won't work for many patients

Victoria addictions doctor says witnessed drug model won't work for many patients

“We’re quite upset as an addiction medicine community at the prospect of having a very useful tool removed from our toolbox,” says Dr. Caroline Ferris
Inquest to be held in April for UVic student who died of toxic-drug poisoning in residence

Inquest to be held in April for UVic student who died of toxic-drug poisoning in residence

First-year student Sidney McIntyre-Starko died January 2024 of cardiac arrest due to fentanyl poisoning while in residence at the University of Victoria
Health Ministry to look into case of Langford girl losing life-saving drug funding

Health Ministry to look into case of Langford girl losing life-saving drug funding

Nine-year-old Charleigh Pollock, who attends Happy Valley School, will soon lose funding for the enzyme replacement infusions she receives for a fatal neurodegenerative disorder called Batten disease.
More work by Cindy E. >
push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks