Chilliwack news

• Ottawa sends minister to Nigeria inauguration after accusing party of terror link

  31-05-2023 17:01 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  OTTAWA — The federal government has sent a cabinet minister to celebrate the inauguration of Nigeria’s new president, months after claiming the governing party is responsible for terrorist acts.
  Diversity and Inclusion Minister Ahmed Hussen went to Nigeria to attend the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu, whose All-Progressive Congress Party has ruled Nigeria since 2015.
  Yet in Immigration and Refugee Board filings, Canada has argued that the party is “responsible for numero
  
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• YOUR PERSPECTIVE: B.C. cancer care collapses

  31-05-2023 17:00 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  B.C.’s cancer care system used to be recognized as one of the best in the world, but now it is among the worst in the country. The recent announcement from the government that it will be sending cancer patients to Washington State is a stunning admission of the dire state of B.C. health care.This news strikes a lot of concern for many British Columbians, particularly those in rural areas who already face numerous challenges accessing quality healthcare. There is a lack of information regar
  
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• Nashville Predators hire Andrew Brunette as coach a day after firing John Hynes

  31-05-2023 16:45 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The coaching shuffle in Nashville is complete, with Andrew Brunette officially hired as the Predators coach on Wednesday, a little over 12 hours after the team announced that John Hynes was fired.
  The moves are the first being made by incoming general manager Barry Trotz and come about six weeks after the Predators missed the playoffs.
  The 49-year-old Brunette spent the past season as a New Jersey Devils associate coach under Lindy Ruff and has previous head-coachin
  
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• Who are the bride and groom in Jordan’s royal wedding?

  31-05-2023 16:21 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  He’s heir to the throne in one of the oldest monarchies in the Middle East and a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. She’s a Saudi architect with an aristocratic pedigree of her own.
  Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, 28, and Rajwa Alseif, 29, are to be married on Thursday at a palace wedding in Jordan, a Western-allied monarchy that has been a bastion of stability for decades as Middle East turmoil has lapped at its borders.
  The families have not said how the couple met or pro
  
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• Gaza Strip’s Palestinians polarized by unorthodox watermelon delicacy

  31-05-2023 16:21 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  KHUZAA, Gaza Strip (AP) — Locals call it “watermelon salad.” But this delicacy popular in the southern Gaza Strip at this time of year is far from the sweet, refreshing taste the name evokes.
  “Lasima,” “Ajar,” or “Qursa” are different names for the hot, savory meal that takes hours to prepare. There’s watermelon inside, but one can hardly taste it.
  In a territory that prides itself on its culinary traditions, Lasima is surprisingly divi
  
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• NHL free-agent frenzy: Some of the players poised to hit the open market July 1

  31-05-2023 15:44 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  The NHL’s free-agent frenzy is back in its regular time-slot.
  After three years of schedule disruptions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the league’s signing period returns to July 1.
  And while there might not be as many big names on the board as usual, general managers looking to upgrade or round out rosters should still have plenty of talent to choose from in the unrestricted free agent pool — from aging stars to role players to veteran goaltenders.
  With a month to go until
  
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• Surviving The Apocalypse In Style: The 15-Story Underground Shelter

  31-05-2023 15:00 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!Nuclear war, societal collapse, biological warfare, zombies? There are many ways the world could end — and the super-rich are already preparing for it.
  Billionaires have been building doomsday bunkers for decades, but the COVID pandemic triggered an even higher demand. In August 2022, billionaire Peter Thiel (who co-founded PayPal) was refused consent for building a bunker-like lodge in a remote area of New Zealand — but he’s not the first
  
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• For the Florida Panthers, celebrations getting a bit hairy, just in time for the Stanley Cup Final

  31-05-2023 14:42 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The tradition of hockey’s playoff beard goes back to at least the mid-1980s, with the Detroit Red Wings widely credited with beginning the facial hair phenomenon.
  The playoff beard rub might have started last month by accident.
  Go back to April 26, when the Florida Panthers staved off elimination by beating the Boston Bruins in overtime of Game 5 of the first-round series. Overjoyed in the moment, Panthers teammates Marc Staal and Aaron Ekblad gave each other a b
  
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• Olympic sports leaders meet amid uncertainty over Russians competing at 2024 Paris Games

  31-05-2023 14:39 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Olympic sports bodies were meeting Wednesday amid ongoing uncertainty about if and how Russian athletes could return to their competitions ahead of the 2024 Paris Games.
  The annual meeting of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) comes more than two months after the IOC detailed advice on how individual athletes from Russia and its military ally Belarus could be reintegrated as neutral athletes, despite those countries’ ongoi
  
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• City of Chilliwack mails property tax bills to homeowners; taxes due July 4

  31-05-2023 14:10 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  CHILLIWACK — Chilliwack residents should have received their green-themed property tax notices in their Canada Post mailboxes by now in advance of a property tax deadline of July 4.The city notes that a five per cent penalty will begin accruing if property taxes are not paid by July 4. An additional penalty of five per cent will apply to any current taxes outstanding after August 3.The municipal tax bill is accompanied by a pamphlet from the city explaining how and where taxpayer dollars a
  
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• City urges Chilliwack residents to turn their lawns brown for a chance to win prizes

  31-05-2023 14:05 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  CHILLIWACK — The neighbours might give you grief for your awful-looking lawn, or disinvite you from a summer BBQ, but Chilliwack residents could win one of three Visa gift cards by going brown this summer.The City of Chilliwack wants to reward Chilliwack residents who trade in their normally green lawns for brown, dormant ones in the city-sponsored “Chilliwack Ugliest Lawn” contest.The city is inviting residents from all across the city, including homeowners and tenants alike,
  
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• Abbotsford tenant wins $33K settlement against landlord: RTB

  31-05-2023 14:00 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  ABBOTSFORD — An Abbotsford tenant has won a settlement of over $33,000 against three landlords from a home she rented in Abbotsford following a decision issued by the Residential Tenancy Branch of B.C.Nicole Crowder, a tenant who rented the basement suite of a home at 35692 Zanatta Place in Abbotsford starting in June 2021, was awarded a monetary award of $33,833.17 for a litany of violations committed by her landlords between the time she moved in and the time she moved out, March 2023.Th
  
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• UN appeals court increases sentences for 2 Serbs convicted of crimes in Balkan wars

  31-05-2023 12:31 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — United Nations appeals judges on Wednesday significantly expanded the convictions of two allies of late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, holding them responsible for involvement in crimes across Bosnia and in one town in Croatia as members of a joint criminal plan to drive out non-Serbs from the areas during the Balkan wars.
  The appeals chamber at the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunal overturned their acquittals of involvement in the
  
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• Pride Toronto director says Jays have opportunity to turn a negative into a positive

  31-05-2023 12:06 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  TORONTO — Pride Toronto executive director Sherwin Modeste feels the Toronto Blue Jays have an opportunity to turn a player’s negative action into a positive.
  Blue Jays reliever Anthony Bass apologized Tuesday for expressing support on social media for anti-2SLGBTQ+ boycotts of Target and Bud Light. A day earlier, he shared an Instagram post urging others to spurn the companies over the support they showed for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
  “I think (the team can) just continue to do
  
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• Weather Network summer forecast: El Nino to bring warm temp west, cooler temp east

  31-05-2023 12:03 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  A summer forecast warns western wildfires will likely continue to be “a major concern,” with higher-than-normal temperatures expected when the second fire season ramps up in July and peaks in August.
  The Weather Network released predictions Wednesday that point to a cooler season overall in Canada, although there will likely be periods of hot and dry stretches broken up by unsettled weather in June, July and August.
  While residents in the East can expect a relatively cooler summer, c
  
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• In The News for May 31 : How did Canada’s economy fare in March?

  31-05-2023 10:16 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  In The News is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to kickstart your day. Here is what’s on the radar of our editors for the morning of May 31 …
  What we are watching in Canada …
  Statistics Canada is set to release today its latest reading on how the economy fared in March, as well as for the first quarter of the year.
  The federal agency’s preliminary estimate suggested real gross domestic product grew at an annualized rate of 2.5 per cent during the fi
  
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• Quebec firm to pay $10M to avoid charges over bribes promised to Philippine officials

  31-05-2023 10:04 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  A Quebec forensics company promised millions of dollars in bribes to officials in the Philippines, including a cabinet minister and his brother, as it sought lucrative police contracts, according to a statement of facts attached to a deal the firm struck to avoid prosecution in Canada.
  The deal between Ultra Electronics Forensic Technology Inc. and federal prosecutors has been approved by the Superior Court of Quebec and is Canada’s second remediation agreement — also known as deferr
  
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• Halifax fire officials worry about sudden ‘reburn’ of northwest of city

  31-05-2023 10:04 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  Halifax’s deputy fire chief says an out-of-control wildfire burning northwest of the city has not grown beyond the evacuation perimeter, where 200 homes and structures have been either damaged or destroyed since the fire started Sunday.
  But Deputy Chief David Meldrum stressed at a late-day news conference Tuesday that the blaze is not out, adding it can still “wake up and gain new energy.”
  No deaths or injuries have been reported as a result of the fire.
  But about 16,000 people
  
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• Northern Alberta community of Fort Chipewyan evacuated due to wildfire

  31-05-2023 06:14 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  FORT CHIPEWYAN, Alta. — A hamlet in northern Alberta has been placed under an evacuation order as a wildfire burns nearby.
  Residents of Fort Chipewyan, a community of about 800 people, had been told earlier in the day to be ready to leave with 15 minutes’ notice.
  Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation, Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo issued a joint evacuation order for the community.
  Officials say the out-of-contro
  
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• Petes beat Remparts 4-2, keep Memorial Cup dream alive

  31-05-2023 05:58 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  KAMLOOPS, B.C. — The Peterborough Petes avoided elimination from the Memorial Cup playoff picture on Tuesday night by beating the Quebec Remparts 4-2 at the Sandman Centre.
  The desperate Petes, who dropped their first two games of the four-team, 10-day tournament, scored twice in a span of 2 1/2 minutes midway through the second period to break a scoreless deadlock, then traded goals the remainder of the way with the somewhat passive Remparts, who were already guaranteed a berth in Sunday&
  
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• Private flight with 2 Saudi astronauts returns from space station with Gulf of Mexico splashdown

  31-05-2023 05:12 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private flight carrying two Saudi astronauts and other passengers returned to Earth late Tuesday night after a nine-day trip to the International Space Station.
  The SpaceX capsule carrying the four parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico, just off the Florida Panhandle, 12 hours after undocking from the orbiting lab.
  The Saudi government picked up the multimillion-dollar tab for its two astronauts: Rayyanah Barnawi, a stem cell researcher who became the first Saudi
  
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• Brother: Authorities told family that body of missing Missouri ER doctor was found in Arkansas

  31-05-2023 04:38 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  CASSVILLE, Mo. (AP) — The body of a Missouri emergency room doctor who has been missing for more than a week has been found in northwest Arkansas, his brother told The Associated Press on Tueday.Dr. John Forsyth was last heard from in text messages around 7 a.m. May 21. His brother, Richard Forsyth, said authorities called the family on Tuesday night to say his brother was found deceased. He had no other details.Messages left with the Missouri State Highway Patrol were not immediately retu
  
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• Toronto Blue Jays pound out 14 hits in 7-2 victory over Milwaukee Brewers

  31-05-2023 03:55 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  TORONTO — Alejandro Kirk and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three hits apiece and Whit Merrifield drove in a pair of runs as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 7-2 on Tuesday night. 
  The Blue Jays scored four runs in the first inning en route to their fourth win in seven games.
  Toronto starter Yusei Kikuchi (6-2) gave up a two-run homer to William Contreras in the opening frame but settled in after that, allowing just three hits over five innings. 
  The left-hander is
  
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• Canada loses 5-2 to the U.S. in group play at CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship

  31-05-2023 02:21 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Canada dug itself an early hole and fell 5-2 to the defending champion United States on Tuesday in group play at the CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship.
  Ally Sentnor scored twice and Madeline Dahlien, Gisele Thompson and Onyeka Gamero added singles for the Americans, who opened the scoring in the third minute and led 2-0 after just 11 minutes.
  Amanda Allen and Nyah Rose replied for Canada, which trailed 3-0 at the half.
  Both teams had already q
  
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• Canada Soccer faces independent audit into finances, new funding conditions

  31-05-2023 01:50 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  OTTAWA — The federal government is imposing new conditions on funding for Canada Soccer, the sports ministry confirmed to The Canadian Press on Tuesday.
  The announcement comes after several parliamentary committee hearings where the organization faced criticism for its handling of a sex abuse scandal, questions about a controversial broadcasting deal as well as the treatment of female soccer players, including women’s team captain Christine Sinclair, by former executives.
  The story w
  
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• Abbotsford Police Department opens satellite office at Highstreet shopping mall

  31-05-2023 01:36 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  ABBOTSFORD — While it won’t be open 24 hours a day nor will it be equipped to take police reports in person, the Abbotsford Police Department was still optimistic Tuesday (May 30) in announcing that its new satellite police office will be located at Highstreet Shopping Centre on Mount Lehman Road.“This location will provide our frontline officers a platform to connect with our community in the west Abbotsford region,” Sgt. Paul Walker said in a statement. “Throughou
  
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• Vancouver council announces Komagata Maru street name to address historic wrongs

  31-05-2023 01:29 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  Vancouver councillors have approved the honorary street name of Komagata Maru Place for an iconic landmark in a move to redress a case of systemic discrimination that took place more than a century ago. 
  The city says Canada Place will get the second name to acknowledge historical discrimination against South Asian communities.
  The Komagata Maru docked near the current location of Canada Place in 1914 with 340 Sikh, 27 Muslim and 12 Hindu passengers on board, most of whom were denied entry
  
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• North Korea launches rocket likely connected to military spy satellite, South Korea says

  31-05-2023 00:57 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched a purported rocket Wednesday, a day after the country announced a plan to put its first military spy satellite into orbit, South Korea’s military said.
  The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not immediately provide further details. Following the launch, officials in South Korea’s capital of Seoul sent alerts over public speakers and smartphones for residents to prepare for evacuation, but there were no immediate reports of dam
  
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• Predators fire coach John Hynes more than 6 weeks after missing playoffs

  31-05-2023 00:02 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Nashville Predators fired coach John Hynes on Tuesday, moving on from him more than six weeks after missing the playoffs.
  Incoming general manager Barry Trotz announced his decision hours after reports emerged that Hynes had been informed he was out and Andrew Brunette was expected to be hired to replace him as coach. The team announced only the dismissals of Hynes and assistant Dan Lambert.
  “John Hynes is a good man and a good hockey coach,” Trotz s
  
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• Chilliwack RCMP investigates male chasing small group of people, but parties uncooperative

  31-05-2023 00:02 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  CHILLIWACK — Chilliwack RCMP responded to the area of Hodgins Avenue and Ashwell Road, near the Chilliwack Coliseum, late Monday night (May 29) for a possible stabbing, but the parties involved did not want to cooperate with RCMP members.
  Chilliwack RCMP media relations spokesperson Martin Godard said Tuesday afternoon that Mounties responded sometime Monday night for the report of a male chasing a small group of people on Hodgins Avenue.
  RCMP members located the male who complained of hav
  
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• Fraser Health emergency wait times now viewable online, including Chilliwack Hospital

  30-05-2023 23:27 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  CHILLIWACK — Fraser Health says it is launching new information about average wait times for care at hospital emergency departments across the region, including Chilliwack General Hospital.In a post from its website Tuesday (May 30), Fraser Health reports that it in light of the busy and unpredictable nature of ER department volumes, the new information will help patients and families make informed decisions about accessing care.“These estimates help demonstrate how long it may take
  
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• Whitecaps look to home comforts after latest road loss, referee frustration

  30-05-2023 23:15 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps are returning home and looking to put their road trip woes behind them.
  The Whitecaps have not won away from B.C. Place in Major League Soccer regular-season play this year and have taken 14 of their 17 points at home.
  “I think we should be getting more points than what we’ve got,” said midfielder and captain Ryan Gauld.
  Vancouver (4-5-5) is tied for fourth in goals in the Western Conference but has failed to turn that offence into cons
  
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• New Jersey prosecutors announce murder charge against Virginia man in fatal shooting of councilwoman

  30-05-2023 23:15 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — A Virginia man was arrested Tuesday on murder and gun charges in the February killing of a local councilwoman who was found fatally shot in her SUV outside her home, New Jersey prosecutors said.Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said 28-year-old Rashid Ali Bynum, of Portsmouth, Virginia, was arrested without incident on first-degree murder and two second-degree handgun charges in the death of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour.Ciccone said the inves
  
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• Andreescu advances to second round at French Open with win over Azarenka

  30-05-2023 23:00 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  PARIS — Canada’s Bianca Andreescu has advanced to the second round of the French Open with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over 18th-seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
  Andreescu started to take control of the match after a poor first set, overpowering Azarenka with an aggressive pace and confident shotmaking.
  The 22-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., went up with an early break in the third set to take a 2-1 lead, then fought off a break point for a crucial hold.
  Azarenka did not go quietly, howev
  
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• ‘A big step forward’: Canada’s Tousignant brings exposure to women’s para hockey

  30-05-2023 23:00 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  Raphaelle Tousignant dreams of being a Paralympic hockey player.
  But as a woman, that means making a men’s team because there isn’t a women’s Paralympic hockey team to play on.
  That hasn’t stopped Tousignant from chasing her goal of taking the ice for Canada on the sport’s biggest stage.
  “When I learned that the woman’s side of the game wasn’t at the Paralympic Games, I changed my dream and said, ‘I want to be part of the men’s team,&rs
  
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• Auditor general calls for immediate action to protect children and youth in Nunavut

  30-05-2023 22:57 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  IQALUIT, Nunavut — Canada’s auditor general says early findings in a review of child and family services in Nunavut were so alarming that her office immediately raised concerns with the territorial government. 
  A report by Karen Hogan released Tuesday found the territory is failing to protect vulnerable children and youth and to provide support to families, front-line workers and communities.
  “This report is more than statistics, trends and a compilation of facts — i
  
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• Quebec legislature committee calls for governance changes at QMJHL in hazing report

  30-05-2023 22:44 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  QUEBEC — A Quebec legislature committee is calling for governance changes at the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League as part of a report on hazing in the sport.
  The committee is calling for the league to be run by an independent board of directors that doesn’t consist mostly of team owners and employees.
  The report released today also recommends that the QMJHL establish what activities are acceptable during initiations and what constitutes hazing.
  It says the league needs to take steps
  
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• B.C. housing non-profit at heart of controversy names interim CEO

  30-05-2023 22:37 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  VANCOUVER — The Atira Women’s Resource Society says it has named a new interim CEO after former head Janice Abbott stepped down amid a conflict-of-interest controversy involving her husband, former BC Housing CEO Shayne Ramsay. 
  Atira says its new CEO Catherine Roome is an experienced leader in both the public and private sectors and will head the organization until a permanent replacement for Abbott is found. 
  Atira board chair Elva Kim says recruiting Roome is part of its
  
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• B.C. government to provide additional $25 million for marine restoration projects

  30-05-2023 22:37 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  PARKSVILLE, B.C. — British Columbia’s Environment Ministry has announced another $25 million in funding for coastal cleanup and restoration of the marine environment.
  This brings its total investment for the Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative Fund to about $50 million.
  Environment Minister George Heyman told a news conference Tuesday that debris from more than 4,600 kilometres of shoreline has been removed so far, while creating more than 1,700 jobs.
  He says the new funding will al
  
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• ‘I’ll be more ready:’ Canadian decathlete LePage aims to build on Hypo Meeting win

  30-05-2023 22:29 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  Pierce LePage feels there’s another step he could take with the world athletics championships approaching in August.
  The Whitby, Ont., native edged fellow Canadian and Olympic champion Damian Warner to claim decathlon gold on Sunday, his first at the Hypo Meeting event in Götzis, Austria. LePage had 8,700 points, one shy of his personal best that won him silver at the 2022 world championships.
  “This meet for me, it’s given me a lot of confidence,” LePage told The Can
  
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• Chilliwack to receive funding for illuminated, flashing crosswalk on Yale Rd.

  30-05-2023 22:18 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  CHILLIWACK — A busy pedestrian crosswalk just a few steps from the downtown Save-On-Foods on Yale Road will get some much needed safety improvements thanks to a provincial grant.
  The B.C. government announced Tuesday (May 30) the City of Chilliwack will receive $9,901 to install a rectangular rapid-flashing beacon crosswalk at the intersection of Yale Road and Kipp Avenue, across from Save-On Foods.The location is within the city’s downtown core, not far from the downtown transit exc
  
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• Blue Jays reliever Anthony Bass apologies for sharing homophobic social media post

  30-05-2023 22:13 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  TORONTO — Blue Jays reliever Anthony Bass says he’s sorry for sharing a homophobic social media post.
  Bass spoke ahead of Toronto’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers tonight.
  The 35-year-old Bass shared an Instagram reel yesterday where another content creator made the “Biblical case” for why Christians should boycott Bud Light and Target after they openly supported the LGBTQ+ community.
  Bass says he apologized to his teammates and is using the Blue Jays’ res
  
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• AG largely praises B.C. COVID-19 tourism supports, cites ‘minor’ shortfalls

  30-05-2023 21:49 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  VICTORIA — B.C’s auditor general says the province’s COVID-19 support program for the devastated tourism industry followed most required guidelines, though he raised some concerns about the way it was documented and monitored.
  Michael Pickup says there were “minor inconsistencies” with the otherwise well designed and implemented destination development grant program that handed out more than $41 million in 2021 and 2022.
  He says in his report released Tuesday that t
  
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• John Hannaford named new clerk of the Privy Council, as Janice Charette retires

  30-05-2023 21:42 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed a new head of the federal public service.
  John Hannaford, who is currently the deputy minister of natural resources, will become clerk of the Privy Council next month.
  Janice Charette, the current clerk, is set to retire June 24 after nearly 40 years in the public service, including as Canada’s envoy to Britain.
  Hannaford was also a deputy minister of international trade and a foreign policy adviser to Trudeau, and served as Canada
  
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• Amid hot, dry weather, Quebec forest fire prevention group on high alert

  30-05-2023 21:07 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  MONTREAL — Quebec’s forest fire prevention agency is maintaining a high alert and says the current weather is a cause for concern.
  The province on Sunday ordered a ban on open fires and the agency, known as SOPFEU, says that ban will be maintained for the time being.
  Fire information officer Mélanie Morin says after a wet, rainy start to the season, the danger index was at “high” for the past two weeks and is now at “extreme,” where it is expected to re
  
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• Supporters of missing human-rights defender say he is being detained in China

  30-05-2023 21:02 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  OTTAWA — Family and supporters of a missing Chinese human-rights defender say they have credible word he has been imprisoned in China since October.
  They say in a statement that Dong Guangping is being held by Chinese authorities in the Zhengzhou No. 3 Detention Centre in Henan province, apparently without charge or pending trial.
  The Toronto Association for Democracy in China and the Federation for a Democratic China are urging Chinese authorities to release Dong immediately and allow him
  
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• Government amending Atlantic Accords to include offshore wind energy, spur production

  30-05-2023 20:45 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  OTTAWA — Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says new legislation will let Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador tap into the potential of offshore wind power development.
  He introduced changes to laws implementing the Atlantic Accords today that would expand the mandates of each province’s offshore petroleum boards to include renewable energy. 
  The proposed amendments would enable the development of offshore wind farms by allowing for government regulation.
  Wilkin
  
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• ‘Frightening’ Halifax wildfire shows risk when hot, dry weather hits Maritimes

  30-05-2023 20:05 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  The wildfire that ignited Sunday outside Halifax seemingly came out of nowhere, but experts say factors including a string of dry days, gusty winds and debris from post-tropical storm Fiona set the stage for the disaster.
  John Clague, a professor of geosciences at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., called the fire “a black swan event,” something unexpected but with a significant impact. Raging fires such as the one that has damaged or destroyed an estimated 200 buildings are n
  
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• Canada will keep up with U.S., won’t cut corners on permitting reform, Wilkinson says

  30-05-2023 19:52 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  WASHINGTON — Canada’s natural resources minister says he won’t be “cutting corners” when it comes to the environmental assessment process for energy projects. 
  Jonathan Wilkinson says the government is focused on delivering a new permitting process before the end of the year. 
  Industry experts say it’s more urgent than ever, now that the U.S. is poised to eliminate duplication and require shorter timelines for environmental assessments.
  The U.S. perm
  
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• Drug policy advocate group Moms Stop the Harm wants meeting with Poilievre

  30-05-2023 19:50 via fraservalleytoday.ca
  
  OTTAWA — The co-founder of a network of mothers whose children died of drug overdoses says she wants to speak with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre about his opposition to prescribing a safer supply of opioids to those living with addiction.
  Leslie McBain of the group Moms Stop the Harm joined other advocates and Green Party MPs at a news conference today, where she said she wants to tell Poilievre that she believes the practice of offering drug alternatives saves lives.
  The Greens joi
  
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