Municipal Politics
MLA vows to fight BC plan to use farm land for foreign trade zone
By February 6, 2012 05:00 pm 3 commentsThe British Columbia government is likely eyeing precious agricultural land in the Lower Mainland for one of two proposed foreign trade zones, said independent Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington. Read more…
Supreme Court sides with B.C. community in tax fight with paper company
By January 20, 2012 04:33 pm 8 commentsOTTAWA - The Supreme Court of Canada dismissed an appeal Friday by a paper-making company over the property taxes assessed by a British Columbia community against one of its mills.
The court sided with the district of North Cowichan on Vancouver Island in a tax dispute with Catalyst Paper Corp. (TSX:CTL) which had argued its taxes were too high because they bore no relationship to the municipal services it actually used. Read more…
Filed inAddict turned expert says mainstream view of addiction needs rethink
By January 19, 2012 12:05 pmThe way that North Americans think about drug addiction is "mistaken, nasty, and stupid," says Dr. Peter Ferentzy, a Toronto-based addiction specialist and a recovering "crackhead." This Sunday, Ferentzy will be touting his book and speaking about Canadian drug policy at a lecture in Downtown Vancouver. Read more…
DTES tenants being squeezed by gentrification, says new report
By December 14, 2011 02:39 pm 1 commentsLow-income residents of the Downtown Eastside are being squeezed out of affordable housing by "rapacious" real-estate development, warns a Vancouver anti-poverty group in a report released today. Read more…
Occupy Vancouver leaves art gallery, moves to courthouse
By November 21, 2011 07:23 pm 3 commentsOrdered by the B.C. Supreme Court to shut down the tent city, Occupy Vancouver protesters packed up their belongings and left the grounds of the art gallery today -- only to resettle at the provincial courthouse on the other side of the block. Read more…
Abbotsford P3 water project rejected by voters
By November 20, 2011 12:19 pm 3 commentsA controversial public-private partnership deal for an Abbotsford water works project was rejected in a city referendum this Saturday. Read more…
Filed inCity election app struggles to interest voting Vancouverites
By November 18, 2011 10:21 amThe Vancouver Votes app was released on Oct. 27 to encourage more people to vote. By Nov. 14, it had only been downloaded 1,000 times, though the city has 400,000 registered voters. Read more…
Filed inBC consulting on changes to carbon neutral plan
By November 17, 2011 10:00 pm 3 commentsThe British Columbia government is consulting on its policy of requiring public bodies to be carbon neutral, said Environment Minister Terry Lake. Read more…
'Extreme challenges' for agricultural land commission, says delayed report
By November 14, 2011 05:35 pm 4 commentsThe British Columbia government released a year-old report today that found extreme challenges at the Agricultural Land Commission, but also announced plans and introduced legislation to fix those problems. Read more…
Mayoral homelessness debate a sham: DTES residents
By November 8, 2011 08:11 amAs Mayor Gregor Robertson faced his main election opponent in a tense homelessness debate tonight, residents of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES) in attendance called the debate a sham. Read more…
Filed inOccupy Vancouver tent dweller wins Last Candidate Standing contest
By November 7, 2011 07:56 amMore than 30 candidates running for Vancouver council or mayor vied to be the "last candidate standing" in a raucous competition of speechifying decided by cheers from a full house crowd last night. When it was over the winner was…Occupy Vancouver. Read more…
Filed inMayor says woman's death means Occupy Vancouver must be shut down
By November 5, 2011 09:44 pm 38 commentsVANCOUVER - The mayor of Vancouver says the death of a woman at the Occupy Vancouver camp means the site has become so unsafe that it must be shut down as soon as possible. Gregor Robertson says he's instructed city officials to look at how that can be done safely and without disruption. Read more…
Filed inProvince could override local pesticide rules, says committee chair
By November 2, 2011 08:37 am 2 commentsThe British Columbia government could replace the pesticide bylaws municipalities have put in place with its own law, the chair of a legislature committee said. Read more…
BC submitted revised RCMP contract proposal
By October 17, 2011 02:25 pm 1 commentsBritish Columbia has submitted a revised proposal on the province's contract with the RCMP, Solicitor General Shirley Bond said today. Read more…
Owner of 'infamous' properties running for Victoria council
By October 17, 2011 10:42 am 1 commentsA person described in the media as a "slumlord" is among the candidates running for Victoria city council. Read more…
Filed inOccupy Vancouver meeting mulls details of upcoming rally
By October 14, 2011 09:54 pm 4 commentsMembers of the Occupy Vancouver movement met in downtown Vancouver this evening to discuss details of the planned demonstrations beginning tomorrow morning in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Read more…
Filed inProvince welcomes mayoral vote to raise taxes for Evergreen line
By October 7, 2011 02:51 pm 7 commentsThe provincial government has applauded a decision made by the mayors of Metro Vancouver to raise regional taxes to help fund the construction of the Evergreen transit line. Read more…
Minister wants 'more compact' RCMP proposal from BC, says Bond
By October 6, 2011 03:12 pm 2 commentsCanada's public safety minister Vic Toews has asked for a shorter version of British Columbia's proposals for changes to a 20-year RCMP contract, Solicitor General Shirley Bond said today. Read more…
COPE throws support behind New City Market
By October 6, 2011 12:59 pm 8 commentsCouncillor Ellen Woodsworth would like to see permanent farmers' market space in Vancouver supported by public dollars. But after years of planning and a $100,000 investment, the proposed New City Market has yet to deliver a business plan to council. Read more…
Filed inPesticide committee appointment worries environmental campaigner
By October 4, 2011 01:58 pm 1 commentsThe appointment of East Kootenay MLA Bill Bennett to head a committee considering a cosmetic pesticide law is worrisome, says an environmental campaigner.
"I don't take it as a good sign," said Ben West, healthy communities campaigner for the Wilderness Committee. Read more…
The next page contains:
Foe of 'eco-fascists' to chair cosmetic pesticide committee
Provincial police force might be cheaper, says Premier Clark
Clark commits $30 million for recreation centres, encourages 'circle of love'
Local government most important level, Green leader tells UBCM
UBCM to vote on for-profit healthcare moratorium
Dix criticizes Clark's municipal auditor general proposal in UBCM speech
Municipal election issues: 'Finance, finance, finance': Walton
Provinces can decide on RCMP contract offer, say feds
Feds have threatened to withdraw RCMP from BC, says Bond
Municipal auditor general law coming this fall, despite UBCM concerns: Chong
Routine HIV testing to be introduced at Vancouver hospitals
Vancouver's new sex-trade strategy praised by advocacy group
A peek inside city hall's 'Stanley Cup Citizen Feedback' file
‘You wonder why the public is upset?’ Riot revisited at City Hall
Vancouver Canucks riot update: 3 reports, no charges
Broader arts initiatives may have mitigated risk of riot, says group
Another Liberal MLA fired up by Metro Vancouver plan to incinerate trash
'Time out' for Cumberland's big culture fest
City approves sweeping homelessness and housing strategy
Boost in B.C.'s red light cameras to reduce rising traffic fatalities: province
The page after that contains:
VANOC's Furlong to co-chair riot review
$38 million supportive housing project breaks ground in Vancouver
Video shows riot 'kissing couple' mowed down by police
Mayor, top cop finger-pointing wrong, says anarchist
Cleaning up the mess: you're invited
Health care lacking for homeless BC youths
Vancouver restaurants, bars rake in the cash, cities shovel it out
Former MLA to make Saanich council announcement
Canadians score high on 'better life', but not our political system
Foreign trade zone threatens Delta farmland, says MLA
Port Moody tackles suburban cycling plan
Delay on election reform shows government incompetence: NDP critic
Province says it's too late to make local election changes for 2011
Paragon gone, with defeat of mega-casino?
Sea to Sky Women's Campaign School in session May 28
Vancouver considering restricting how protesters can send a message
Municipalities can lead on living wage, say councillors
Olympic Village lawsuits inevitable, observer says
Energy savings missed when retrofits punished: Victoria mayor
Bush, Clinton to speak at Surrey Economic Summit
Off the Throne
The British Columbia legislature resumes sitting this week, but not before Premier Christy Clark outlined her spring agenda in an appearance on the Vancouver radio station where she used to work in what was pitched as a replacement for the throne speech. That agenda amounted to staying the course: focus on the economy, no money for teachers or anything else, and no higher taxes.
This from a premier who won the leadership of her party on a "change" platform. Perhaps appropriate then that the government didn't bother with a more formal speech from the throne at a time when polls suggest an increasing number of people are wondering if the premier's going to, as they say, piss or get off the pot.
-- Andrew MacLeod
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BC's Double Standard on FOI Secrecy Perplexes Researcher
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Time to Zip John Baird's Loose Lips
As if to embody the opposite of diplomacy, he fans hazardous flames in Middle East.
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Local talent churns out hot new enterprise! If that's such a good story here, why does it keep ending someplace else?
Becoming the Ethical Hunter
Knife in hand, I remember the maxim that brought me to Deadman Valley: if you eat it, you should kill it. At least once.