North Vancouver news

• Drugs being produced at West Kelowna house where blast killed man: police

  06-07-2018 23:44 via vancouversun.com
  RCMP say preliminary findings suggest a rental house that exploded and caught fire in West Kelowna was being used as a drug lab.
  Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey says the exact cause of the blast is not yet known but police strongly believe an arsonist was not involved and the public is not at risk.
  Four tenants were inside the house on Wednesday night, and one man died.
  Police say two other residents suffered serious burns and were airlifted to a hospital in Vancouver.
  O’Donaghey says investig
  
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• Emergency crews respond to Richmond apartment fire

  06-07-2018 23:33 via vancouversun.com
  Richmond Fire Rescue is on the scene of an apartment fire in the area of Westminster Highway and Garden City Road.
  The fire was reported at around 2 p.m.
  Dark smoke was seen pouring out the complex on Ackroyd Road near Arcadia Road near Kwantlen University’s Richmond campus.The cause of the fire is not yet known.
  MORE TO COME
  Many passerbyers and residents who were evacuated stand and watch. Smoke continues, not as thick as it was before. #RichmondBC pic.twitter.com/hnKxjWotPG
  — Nath
  
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• Douglas Todd: B.C.'s foreign-buyers tax is nothing special and not xenophobic

  06-07-2018 23:21 via vancouversun.com
  It is hard to find a country that allows foreigners to freely buy its land. It is much easier to find countries that restrict foreigners’ purchases of property.
  But that hasn’t stopped Chinese national Jing Li, assisted by some Canadian academics, from launching a lawsuit against the B.C. government’s 20 per cent tax on foreign buyers of residential properties.
  Li, an international student who used her family’s money to buy a townhouse in Langley, argues the tax illegally
  
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• City of North Van considers small lot infill areas for added housing

  06-07-2018 23:19
  
  City looking to eliminate minimum lot sizes in single-family and duplex zones
  
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• Here is a map of every restaurant patio in Vancouver

  06-07-2018 23:01 via vancouversun.com
  The city of Vancouver, obviously wanting its citizens to get outside and soak in some sunshine, has released an interactive map of every large restaurant patio in the city.“Summer is in full swing and now is the time to get outside and discover a new patio or to visit an old favourite,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “There’s no shortage of excellent food and music to enjoy here in Vancouver and I’m happy to see that establishments that have strong neighbourhood track
  
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• Input on Cannabis Policy, thoughts on Semisch Park, borrowing stuff from the lending library, all of this & more in… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

  06-07-2018 23:00 via twitter.com
  Input on Cannabis Policy, thoughts on Semisch Park, borrowing stuff from the lending library, all of this & more in… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
  
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• Ian Mulgrew: First Nations' lawyer deserved better from law society, judge says

  06-07-2018 22:20 via vancouversun.com
  An Indigenous lawyer facing client complaints in Alberta failed to prove the Law Society of B.C. discriminated against her by refusing to allow her to practise without conditions.
  But the regulatory agency was nevertheless scolded in B.C. Supreme Court for failing to adequately support the mother of five or appreciate the Aboriginal woman’s personal background and circumstances.
  Miranda Moore hauled the society into court and the judge said she also has a continuing human rights&
  
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• Conversations That Matter: Reducing carbon through regulation

  06-07-2018 22:06 via vancouversun.com
  Carbon taxes make governments feel good about their commitment to reducing the production of greenhouse gases. But some argue they are not an effective tool and annoy taxpayers who simply pay more while continuing to live their lives the way they did before.
  In B.C. the money, in part, goes to low income earners, northern and rural homeowners and as a tax incentive to industries that reduce their emissions. According the government’s website, these incentives help keep B.C. industries
  
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• Sorry Labyrinth fans & David Bowie groupies, Movie Night for July 6 is CANCELLED due to inclement weather forecast.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

  06-07-2018 21:52 via twitter.com
  Sorry Labyrinth fans & David Bowie groupies, Movie Night for July 6 is CANCELLED due to inclement weather forecast.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
  
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• Teen dies in Abbotsford crash

  06-07-2018 21:43 via vancouversun.com
  A teenager is dead after a car crash in Abbotsford Thursday.
  Emergency crews were called out at around noon after a collision involving a Dodge Ram pickup truck and a Toyota Camry at the intersection of Mt. Lehman Road and Automall Drive.
  Abbotsford police say the passenger of the Toyota Camry, an 18-year-old woman, was taken to hospital in serious condition. She later died.
  Police say the 32-year-old pickup truck driver and the 17-year-old driver of the Toyota Camry are co-operating with i
  
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• BC Hydro adds more vehicle charging stations across southern B.C.

  06-07-2018 21:37 via vancouversun.com
  BC Hydro is expanding its network of electric vehicle charging stations.
  The Crown utility says 28 new stations complete the second phase of its fast-charging network and are in addition to the 30 stations opened in 2016.
  Thirteen of the stations are in Metro Vancouver, seven are on Vancouver Island, including one at the Pacific Rim Visitor Centre near Tofino, another is in Campbell River, and two have opened on the Coquihalla Highway at the Britton Creek rest area.
  A further six stations are lo
  
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• Bulls & Bears: Toronto turns over a (rich) new Leaf with mega deals

  06-07-2018 21:15 via vancouversun.com
  Sorting out the major winners and losers of this week — with a bottom-line twist — in the world of sports:
  Bulls of the week
  This FIFA World Cup began without Italy, the Netherlands, the United States and Chile. It lost reigning titleholder Germany in the first-round pool and then 2014 runner-up Argentina, 2010 World Cup champion Spain and 2016 Euro Cup winner Portugal in the second round.
  Yet despite those problems with traditional soccer powers that tend to drive television ratings
  
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• We still have positions available working for the upcoming election this October. Looking for meaningful, short-ter… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

  06-07-2018 21:01 via twitter.com
  We still have positions available working for the upcoming election this October. Looking for meaningful, short-ter… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
  
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• Vancouver, Horseshoe Bay part of new network of fast-charge stations for electric vehicles

  06-07-2018 20:46
  
  Locations include two Superstores, 500 block of Homer Street and 5000 block of West Boulevard
  
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• #SemischPark survey closes today at 4pm. Last chance to give us your feedback on our preliminary improvement plans.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

  06-07-2018 20:30 via twitter.com
  #SemischPark survey closes today at 4pm. Last chance to give us your feedback on our preliminary improvement plans.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
  
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• This Week in History: 1934 — The rum-running Reifels are charged in Seattle

  06-07-2018 20:00 via vancouversun.com
  Prohibition was repealed in the U.S. on Dec. 3, 1933. But the American authorities were still determined to nab some of the bootleggers who had made millions of dollars during the roaring ’20s.
  On July 7, 1934, they went after Vancouver’s most infamous rum-runners, the Reifel family.
  “Allegations of a ring which flooded the Pacific Coast with illicit liquor in the last five years were disclosed today in charges against two Canadian distillers,” reported an Associated Pres
  
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• Summer entertaining: Patio-party decor mixes old with new

  06-07-2018 20:00 via vancouversun.com
  When it comes to planning decor for an outdoor party or event, it’s all about eye appeal.
  “My top tip for outdoor entertaining is to make it beautiful,” Ami McKay of Pure Design in Vancouver says. “We spend so much time at work, when we have time to get together with friends we need to make it special and memorable.
  “Life is about creating memories.”
  But playing up the pretty doesn’t have to mean going crazy with decor. McKay points to a recent part
  
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• 'Mind-blowing' B.C. Seafood Festival grows bigger and tastier by the year

  06-07-2018 20:00 via vancouversun.com
  You risk gluttony at the B.C. Seafood Festival.  Think of it. Two dozen Vancouver Island oyster growers with bushels and bushels of oysters, and shuckers shucking as fast as they can for hours. All yours. That is, as much as you can eat. And this was but one of many edible events at the 12th annual festival in Comox, held June 8-17.
  Laura Matting and Leif Jason knock back oysters at the B.C. Seafood Festival.
  “It’s mind-blowing. It’s decadence,” exclaimed attendee La
  
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• Gene Simmons gives B.C. medical marijuana firm a big Kiss

  06-07-2018 20:00 via vancouversun.com
  When it comes to cannabis, Gene Simmons of Kiss is no dope.
  “I’ve never rolled anything, smoked, ever been drunk, nothing in my mouth save Aspirin maybe,” said Simmons, 68. “I’m straight, and always have been.”
  So why is the towering bassist who describes himself as “perpetually sober” joining up with B. C.-based Invictus MD Strategies Corp as the chief evangelist officer for “Canada’s Cannabis Company?”
  At a recent sit down
  
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• Fab 5: Square up

  06-07-2018 20:00 via vancouversun.com
  When it comes to summer prints, it’s time to look beyond the florals and geometric motifs. Enter plaid and gingham. While checks may feel more fitting in the fall, on the right silhouette, they can still feel elegant and right for now. From universally flattering gingham separates to printed accessories that will add a bit of interest to every look, Rebecca Tay presents five plaid and gingham styles for summer.
  HOT TO TOTE
  Looking for an alternative to this season’s ubiquitous basket
  
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• Brian Minter: Love lavender? It's easy to grow with our expert tips

  06-07-2018 20:00 via vancouversun.com
  Lavender, with all its rich beauty and enticing perfume, is in full bloom right now, creating a highlight in many gardens. Bees, too, are appreciating the blooms for the nectar and pollen they provide.
  In B.C. we are fortunate to have a great selection of lavenders available to purchase for our gardens, but did you know there are numerous lavender farms throughout the province?
  Many of you will remember the original Tuscan Farms in Langley, which is now closed. I have fond memories of the farm b
  
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• Book review: Acclaimed B.C. poet Linda Rogers makes the leap to short fiction

  06-07-2018 20:00 via vancouversun.com
  Crow Jazz
  Linda Rogers | Mother Tongue Publishing
  264 pages, $22.95“My maternal grandmother died the week I was born,” former Victoria Poet Laureate Linda Rogers writes in Mud Pies in her debut collection of short fiction Crow Jazz.
  “I was travelling feet first, positioned to retrieve her Mrs. Beeton’s cookbook, every lady’s guide to menu planning and servant management, while she flew first-class in the opposite direction. In my usual left-handed way, I failed to m
  
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• Anthony Gismondi: Liquor policy report sounds like a call for a level playing field

  06-07-2018 20:00 via vancouversun.com
  As the sun heads back toward the southern hemisphere a mid-year wine update seems in order, beginning with the much awaited Business Technical Advisory Panel (Liquor Policy) Report and Recommendations issued by Mark Hicken. The report delves into a plethora of issues plaguing the B.C. liquor industry and makes 24 recommendations.
  It’s an excellent, well-reasoned look at the current liquor policy mess. But for regular readers of this column there is nothing new in the report with the except
  
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• B.C. says fund will help create 22,000 childcare spaces by 2021

  06-07-2018 19:55 via vancouversun.com
  British Columbia’s children’s minister visited a childcare facility in Coquitlam today to explain how the government intends to create thousands more childcare spaces across the province.
  Katrine Conroy says providers can now apply to a new fund for a portion of the $237 million that was announced in the spring budget for such programs.
  She says $221 million has been earmarked specifically for the new spaces fund and it will be available to private-sector, non-profit and public-secto
  
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• Tour the 2018 PNE Prize Home

  06-07-2018 19:51 via vancouversun.com
  Tour the contemporary designed home and discover the many amenities and features the home has to offer. The 2018 PNE Prize Home built by Freeport Industries is West Coast modern and Net Zero Ready. ShareInside the 2018 PNE Prize HomeTumblr Pinterest Google Plus Reddit LinkedInEmail GALLERY:Inside the 2018 PNE Prize HomeA look outside the 2018 PNE Prize Home.  Francis Georgian/PNGA look outside the 2018 PNE Prize Home.  Francis Georgian/PNGA look inside the 2018 PNE Prize Home.  Fr
  
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• Doug Ford blames housing crisis on ‘illegal border-crossers’

  06-07-2018 19:40
  
  Ontario Premier says Feds’ liberal stance on asylum seekers and refugees has caused housing crisis
  
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• Want to learn more about our proposal to allow short-term rentals under some circumstances, while protecting long-t… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

  06-07-2018 19:01 via twitter.com
  Want to learn more about our proposal to allow short-term rentals under some circumstances, while protecting long-t… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
  
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• David Bowie night in Civic Plaza tonight. Watch Labyrinth movie on the BIG screen under the stars, + enjoy DB imper… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

  06-07-2018 18:01 via twitter.com
  David Bowie night in Civic Plaza tonight. Watch Labyrinth movie on the BIG screen under the stars, + enjoy DB imper… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
  
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• Daily Poll: Should municipal governments give pot dispensaries preference?

  06-07-2018 16:19 via vancouversun.com
  New legal pot regulations came out on Thursday, and under the new laws municipal governments can deny private retailers that want to sell recreational pot in their communities. The regulations say operators of cannabis dispensaries that are open illegally now may apply for a retail licence but won’t receive any preferential treatment in the process.
  Read The Canadian Press story here.
  What do you think? Should municipal governments look first to cannabis dispensaries for retail licens
  
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• Town Talk: Blood cancer research on verge of making a difference

  06-07-2018 16:00 via vancouversun.com
  BLOOD NEWS: Pioneer Pallet principal Dave Uppal and wife Jas hosted a reception for donors and supporters of the B.C. Cancer Foundation’s Inspiration gala. That Nov. 3 event will help fund blood-cancer research. B.C. Cancer’s Dr. Keith Humphries reminded attendees that acute leukemia treatments “have remained unchanged for over three decades (and) are all too often ineffective.” But with young scientists recruited, “We are seeking ways to harness the immune system a
  
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• Public hearings scheduled for North Van affordable housing projects

  06-07-2018 15:00
  
  Kiwanis seniors’ apartment, Delbrook below-market rental up for vote Tuesday
  
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• Vancouver Weather: Partly sunny with a risk of thunderstorm tonight

  06-07-2018 14:50 via vancouversun.com
  VANCOUVER, B.C. –  Happy Friday, Metro Vancouver! Today’s weather is expected to be a mix of sun and cloud, with a summery high of 22 C. Tonight though, the rain is likely to return, according to Environment Canada, along with the risk of a thunderstorm. Saturday looks rainy, with a high of 20 C, and then on Sunday we head into a stretch of warmer, sunny weather. The temperature on Sunday should reach around 21 C and then steadily climb back up to around 25 C by mid week.Weather
  
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• Fuel truck 1, bike 0: Right turn leaves flat result

  06-07-2018 09:09 via vancouversun.com
  Unlike her bike, a cyclist on Rupert Street appears to be unscathed after an encounter with a fuel truck.
  In a video posted to YouTube on Thursday, a cyclist and a large fuel truck can be seen travelling south on Rupert Street, between Broadway and Grandview Highway. The time stamp on the video says the recording was made just before 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
  There is a bike lane on that stretch of Rupert and while the truck was travelling in the right vehicle lane, the cyclist catches up with the tr
  
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• Desire to have ships built in B.C. could sink goal of affordable fares

  06-07-2018 06:07 via vancouversun.com
  VICTORIA — Amid news this week that B.C. Ferries was taking a step toward replacing its aging C-class vessels, Premier John Horgan reiterated he’d sooner the ships were built here in B.C.
  “Absolutely, that would certainly be my preference,” he told reporters Wednesday, referring to the prospect of an eventual tender call for five replacement ferries with capacity in the 300-vehicle, 1,500-passenger range.
  But he conceded the provincial shipbuilding industry might not
  
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• Fire destroys popular Kitsilano restaurant Topanga Café

  06-07-2018 05:35 via vancouversun.com
  In the end, there was nothing left to do but demolish a 1912-era heritage building on West 4th Avenue in Kitsilano after an early-morning fire that raged through it and a neighbouring commercial building, destroying three businesses including a landmark neighbourhood restaurant.
  “The heritage building is coming down,” said Assistant Chief Dan Stroup of Vancouver Fire and Rescue. “It’s unsafe to leave it for any traffic or pedestrians passing by.”
  Stroup said fi
  
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• Summer fun: July festivals in and around Metro Vancouver

  06-07-2018 05:25 via vancouversun.com
  Summer has arrived, the kids are out of school and another festival season is upon us. July’s lineup serves up a wide variety of outdoor concerts, theatre and dance performances, multicultural celebrations, food, food and more food, children’s entertainment, farm animals and a whole lot more. Admission to many of the festivals is free, so gather up your friends and family, slather on the sunscreen, grab a blanket and soak up the fun.40th Annual Harrison Festival of the Arts
  From the
  
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• Dan Fumano: Chernen acknowledges new Green candidacy may already be at risk

  06-07-2018 03:46 via vancouversun.com
  Nicholas Chernen, newly minted as a Vancouver school board candidate, says his Green party nomination could be in jeopardy a week after he won it.
  Chernen confirmed Thursday that when he applied to run with the Greens this year, he failed to disclose his involvement in a pending lawsuit, filed in 2014, accusing the mayor and other civic politicians of conflict of interest.
  Chernen said he didn’t intentionally hide anything from the Greens, but that when he filled out his application f
  
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• Dr. Patrick McGeer: Cannabis — soon to be legal — is far from harmless

  06-07-2018 03:00 via vancouversun.com
  The Trudeau Government has proudly passed Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act. It legalizes homegrown marijuana and authorizes its recreational use. This unprecedented move permits Canadians to indulge in this allegedly harmless practice. The truth, however, is that cannabis is far from being harmless. That is why, in this particular case, the G7 is the G6+1 with Canada being the outlier. Canada is destined to remain alone in this doubtful category.
  Most jurisdictions have long recognized the harmful ef
  
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• Barj Dhahan: Tackling Surrey crime problem requires more than just more police officers

  06-07-2018 03:00 via vancouversun.com
  Surrey has Canada’s third-worst crime problem after Grande Prairie and Red Deer, according to Statistics Canada. The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit says there are over 180 established criminal gangs in B.C. The RCMP’s 2015 annual report on organized crime ranked the Indo-Canadian groups third after bikers and Asian gangs for their strength and sophistication in B.C.’s hierarchy of criminal organizations.
  Why is Surrey now the epicentre of gang activity and gun violenc
  
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• Robson's Empire Landmark Hotel being (slowly) erased from city skyline

  06-07-2018 02:52 via vancouversun.com
  By March of next year, the 44-storey Empire Landmark Hotel on Robson Street will be demolished and the concrete turned into 40,000 tonnes of recycled fill.
  JMX Contracting expects to start taking down the former hotel and restaurant this week. JMX will be using several Brokk demolition machines that crush concrete and cut steel reinforcing for recycling.
  Brokk machines are considered to be much quieter and produce less dust than traditional pneumatic machines used in demolitions.
  Planned complet
  
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