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.

Victoria to spend $10M to combat rising street disorder downtown

Victoria to spend $10M to combat rising street disorder downtown

Some of that money for more policing, bylaw enforcement and shelters — $2.5 million — will come from a controversial plan to revitalize Centennial Square
Parents of terminally ill Langford girl 'cautiously optimistic' about meeting with health minister

Parents of terminally ill Langford girl 'cautiously optimistic' about meeting with health minister

The family of Charleigh Pollock is fighting the province’s decision to discontinue coverage of the drug Brineura to slow the progression of Batten disease, a fatal neurodegenerative disorder.
B.C. looks for ways to remove criminal element from supportive housing

B.C. looks for ways to remove criminal element from supportive housing

Changes to the Residential Tenancy Act are among the items a new working group will examine as it looks for ways to remove drug-trafficking and weapons from supportive housing buildings.
Indigenous midwives call for more stable funding

Indigenous midwives call for more stable funding

They want the Health Ministry and Island Health to fund four full-time midwifery contracts to ensure sustainable and equitable Indigenous-led care.
Dad's prolonged hospital hallway stay raises questions for Edroff family

Dad's prolonged hospital hallway stay raises questions for Edroff family

Angie Edroff and daughter Frankie, formerly Jeneece, posted a video this week saying Denis Edroff has been on a bed in a hallway for three weeks.
Courtenay woman wants changes after being sent home in pain from ER

Courtenay woman wants changes after being sent home in pain from ER

Jillian Darbyshire turned out to have an ectopic pregnancy that could have killed her.
Funding helps expand clinic trials in immunotherapy for cancer patients

Funding helps expand clinic trials in immunotherapy for cancer patients

Dr. Brad Nelson has been named B.C. Cancer Victoria’s Lynda and Murray Farmer Immunotherapy Research Chair.
'A lot of tears': Langford girl, 9, gets last publicly funded drug infusion

'A lot of tears': Langford girl, 9, gets last publicly funded drug infusion

Mother Jori Fales says daughter Charleigh, who has a rare fatal condition, likely won’t see her 11th birthday due to the decision to stop covering the drug
Drug coverage to be discontinued for Langford girl with fatal condition

Drug coverage to be discontinued for Langford girl with fatal condition

The drug, which costs about $1 million a year, is intended to slow the decline in patients’ ability to walk and talk until they reach the end stage of the disease.
Woss man sent by taxi to Victoria hospital — a $2,148 round-trip fare

Woss man sent by taxi to Victoria hospital — a $2,148 round-trip fare

Nigel Poulton was grateful when Island Health provided a drive to and from his medical appointment in Victoria, but floored by the cost to the health authority.
More work by Cindy E. >