Vancouver news

• NDP announces task force to end B.C.'s medical services plan premiums

  02-11-2017 23:48 via vancouversun.com
  VICTORIA — The B.C. government has named a group of experts to advise the province on how to eliminate medical premiums within four years.
  The group will be chaired by a University of Victoria professor who is an expert in applied economic research and policy analysis.
  Paul Ramsey, a former NDP cabinet minister for health, environment and education, has also been appointed along with a law professor from the University of B.C.
  Finance Minister Carole James says in a news release that Medic
  
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• Supreme Court approves ski resort on Indigenous land

  02-11-2017 23:40 via globalnews.ca
  A legal ruling from Canada’s highest court paves the way for the development of a year-round ski resort in British Columbia. The Supreme Court ruled the Ktunaxa Nation’s religious freedoms were not violated because of the location of the project. Reid Fiest reports.
  
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• Never-before-seen video of driving through Vancouver 50 years ago

  02-11-2017 23:24
  
  Archival footage provides glimpse at what life was like before traffic snarls.
  
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• Mayor and First Nations chiefs welcome Maori All Blacks

  02-11-2017 23:21
  
  Mayor Gregor Robertson, Chief Ian Campbell of the Squamish Nation and Chief Maureen Thomas of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation welcomed members of New Zealand’s Maori All Blacks rugby team
  
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• Minister defends direct award of Massey tunnel review contract

  02-11-2017 23:14 via vancouversun.com
  VICTORIA — B.C.’s transportation minister is defending a decision to directly award a $350,000 taxpayer-paid consulting contract, saying it would have taken too long to put the work to the public in a normal bidding process.
  Claire Trevena said an open competition for the contract to review transportation solutions at the Massey tunnel crossing would have meant work couldn’t begin until January.
  “We wanted to make sure we could move on this as soon as possible,” Tre
  
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• Street flooding in Vancouver

  02-11-2017 23:03 via globalnews.ca
  Backed up storm drains along Broadway at Yukon cause problems for drivers and pedestrians
  
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• St. Thomas More inspired by memory of late coach in drive for football title

  02-11-2017 23:03 via theprovince.com
  Eight games, six shutouts.
  That alone makes the St. Thomas More Knights newsworthy. The Burnaby team is one of four or five legitimate contenders for the Subway Bowl Triple A football provincial title this fall, a fact further evidenced by their No. 2 spot in Howard Tsumura’s rankings at varsityletters.ca this week.
  Unfortunately, that’s just a small portion of their story. A morsel. They’ve managed all this despite undergoing tragedy.
  Longtime STM head coach Bernie Kully died
  
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• Variety Week: Radiothon

  02-11-2017 22:44 via globalnews.ca
  Prince George radio station “94.3 the Goat” goes all out in their fundraising to help support BC kids in need.
  
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• 5 things to do this weekend – Thursday, November 2, 2017

  02-11-2017 22:20 via globalnews.ca
  Here are your five things to do.
  
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• Variety Week on Global BC 2017: Day 4

  02-11-2017 22:05 via globalnews.ca
  It’s Variety Week on Global BC and we’re highlighting stories from children and families around the province who have been helped by Variety.
  
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• NDP launches task force to guide elimination of MSP premiums

  02-11-2017 22:01 via globalnews.ca
  B.C.'s government has taken the first step towards eliminating MSP premiums: it involves yet another review.
  
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• Jagmeet Singh calls on Ottawa to declare national health emergency over opioid crisis

  02-11-2017 21:59
  Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh toured an overdose prevention site in the Downtown Eastside Thursday and learned how to use Narcan.
  
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• Man crashes stolen car into Maple Ridge house

  02-11-2017 21:57 via globalnews.ca
  A short time later, police said Maple Ridge Fire Rescue reported a car had crashed into a house at 12397 Laity Street.
  
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• TSB says pilots should be tested for alcohol, drugs after deadly 2015 crash near Vancouver

  02-11-2017 21:50 via vancouversun.com
  VANCOUVER — The airline industry and Transport Canada should develop a program requiring pilots to be tested for drugs and alcohol, the Transportation Safety Board said Thursday after releasing a report into a crash that killed two people.
  Board chairwoman Kathy Fox called on both sides to work with employee representatives to implement a program that would protect public safety. She added that self-policing by the industry has not worked, so the issue of impairment will continue to go unr
  
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• TransLink reveals winter transit plans

  02-11-2017 21:41 via vancouversun.com
  TransLink has made some key changes to how it will prepare for and respond to snowy weather to avoid the issues with buses and SkyTrains that plagued the transit authority last winter.
  “Tire socks” for buses on Burnaby Mountain, heat tracing and cover boards for the Canada Line’s power rail and designated snow routes are some of the new initiatives TransLink announced on Thursday.
  “Last winter, we had extraordinary weather in Metro Vancouver. It caused great challenges fo
  
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• City to apologize for historical discrimination against Chinese people

  02-11-2017 21:31
  
  Vancouver's civic government will deliver a formal apology next April to Chinese people for the legislated discrimination enacted decades ago by previous city councils.
  
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• Stealth see need to lead with speed this NLL season

  02-11-2017 21:13 via theprovince.com
  The Vancouver Stealth open training camp Saturday morning, and it would be fitting for coach Jamie Batley to begin proceedings by firing off a starter’s pistol.
  The Stealth were quicker and more athletic in their first full season under Batley last year, and they ended up making the National Lacrosse League playoffs for the first time in four years based out of the Langley Events Centre, thanks to a 9-9 record.
  If the off-season is any indication, Batley wants to put his foot down on the g
  
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• Stealth GM says he’s not worried about Burnaby Lakers summer coaching woes

  02-11-2017 21:11 via theprovince.com
  Vancouver Stealth general manager Doug Locker insists he’s not concerned about the messy split this summer between Jim Milligan and the Burnaby Lakers.
  Milligan is the Stealth’s offensive co-ordinator. He’s a long-time ally of Vancouver head coach Jamie Batley. Milligan was head coach of the Lakers this summer until he was fired with three games to go in the Western Lacrosse Association regular season, despite the fact Burnaby had a 9-5-1 record at the time.
  There were rumours
  
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• Snow falling in Whistler and Kamloops

  02-11-2017 20:47 via globalnews.ca
  Thurs. Nov. 2: Heavy snow is falling in many areas of B.C. today – including Whistler and Kamloops. Here’s some shots from the snowy regions.
  
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• Grouse Mountain snow

  02-11-2017 20:40 via globalnews.ca
  Thurs. Nov. 2: It’s snowing up Grouse Mountain today as seen from their webcam. It’s starting to look like a winter wonderland up there.
  
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• New transit equipment, shelter spaces get the nod as Metro Vancouver temperatures drop

  02-11-2017 20:39 via globalnews.ca
  After last year's brutal winter, agencies around Metro Vancouver are taking steps to brace for the cold weather.
  
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• First snowfall: Whistler and Kamloops

  02-11-2017 20:36 via globalnews.ca
  Thurs. Nov. 2: It’s snowing in many parts of B.C. today, including Whistler and Kamloops. Here’s some video from those regions.
  
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• Variety Week: Challenger Baseball

  02-11-2017 20:32 via globalnews.ca
  Challenger Field provides a state of the art facility that provides children with special needs the full benefits of participating in baseball at a level structured to their abilities.
  
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• Iconic oak tree replaced atop Vancouver West End high-rise

  02-11-2017 20:29 via vancouversun.com
  An oak tree that that has been part of the English Bay skyline for three decades has been replaced.
  Crews used a crane on Wednesday to lift the 10-metre high, three metre wide pin oak tree up 60 metres to the roof deck of a condo tower on Beach Avenue in Vancouver’s West End.
  The first tree, also a pin oak, was planted on the roof deck in 1987 but was removed earlier this year after it died.
  Ron Rule, the  landscape architect who installed the first tree and oversaw the
  
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• Ktunaxa Nation responds to Jumbo ski resort ruling

  02-11-2017 20:25 via globalnews.ca
  Thurs. Nov. 2: The Ktunaxa Nation responded today to the Supreme Court ruling approving a ski resort in a region held sacred to them.
  
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• Government says B.C. input on legalizing pot an all time high

  02-11-2017 20:19 via vancouversun.com
  B.C.’s public consultations on how to legalize pot have wrapped up, and the government says engagement was high.
  More than 48,000 British Columbians contributed to the public and stakeholder engagement on the legalization and regulation of non-medical cannabis.
  “An unprecedented number of people shared their opinions to help shape the way non-medical cannabis will be regulated in B.C.,” a government release said Thursday.
  After five weeks of being live, the BC Cannabis Reg
  
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• Vancouver home sales take October jump

  02-11-2017 19:58 via vancouversun.com
  VANCOUVER — Canada’s two hottest housing markets experienced above-average home sales last month, according to local real estate board figures, as buyers appear to be snapping up properties ahead of new mortgage requirements in January.
  Vancouver area home sales jumped 7.1 per cent from September to October with 3,022 properties sold, and 35.2 per cent from the same month last year, according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.
  The federal government’s plans to tight
  
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• Amanda Todd one of four Canadian women celebrated in musical tribute

  02-11-2017 19:45 via globalnews.ca
  The National Arts Center Orchestra is commemorating Four Canadian women including Amanda Todd.
  
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• 5 things to do this weekend – Friday, Nov. 3, 2017

  02-11-2017 19:44 via globalnews.ca
  Here are the five things to do this weekend for Friday. Nov. 3.
  
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• 5 things to do this weekend – Thurs. Nov. 2, 2017

  02-11-2017 19:35 via globalnews.ca
  Here are 5 Things to do this weekend for Thursday, Nov. 2.
  
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• Anti-Semitic posters appear at University of Victoria

  02-11-2017 19:06 via vancouversun.com
  Serious concerns are being raised about white supremacy posters circulating at the University of Victoria. 
  The posters say “(((Those))) who hate us will not replace us,” and provide links to white supremacist websites. 
   The triple parentheses are used by online neo-Nazis to identify Jews, while the slogan is similar to “Jews will not replace us,” chanted during the rally in Charlottesville, Va., said Daniel Koren, media coordinator for B’n
  
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• Edmonton police warn of ‘virtual kidnapping’ scheme targeting Chinese students

  02-11-2017 19:02 via globalnews.ca
  Edmonton police are warning residents of a “virtual kidnapping” scheme that may be making its way to Edmonton’s Chinese community from British Columbia.
  
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• Alcohol a factor in deadly 2015 Carson Air plane crash over North Shore Mountains

  02-11-2017 18:53 via globalnews.ca
  The TSB is now calling for the aviation industry and employee representatives to develop and implement requirements for a comprehensive substance abuse program.
  
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• Fake news is dictionary's 2017 word of the year

  02-11-2017 18:45
  
  Collins says cuffing season, echo chamber and unicorns made the short list
  
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• NZ Maori vs. Canada: Expect hard-hitting, fast-paced rugby

  02-11-2017 18:32 via theprovince.com
  Fast, hard-hitting, and a fresh look is what the particulars say they expect from Friday night’s rugby match at B.C. Place Stadium between the New Zealand Maori All Blacks and Canada.
  Beyond, that, who knows.
  Fans know they’ll get a Haka and almost certainly a good number of tries.
  “We expect them to play a fast, up-tempo game against us,” Canadian captain Phil Mack said.
  “A really tough game,” said Maori coach Clayton McMullin.
  “On the sevens circuit th
  
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• Giants and Blazers both missing key players for home-and-home series

  02-11-2017 18:15 via theprovince.com
  The Vancouver Giants and Kamloops Blazers will offer up some ideas this weekend on the age-old question of whether a top defenceman is of greater value to a team than a No. 1 goalie or vice versa.
  The Giants will be missing over-age rearguard Darian Skeoch to suspension and 16-year-old rookie phenom blue liner Bowen Byram to the Under-17 World Challenge tournament for both ends of a home-and-home set against the Blazers. Kamloops, meanwhile, is expected to be without starting netminder Dylan Fer
  
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• Head to Head – Rugby Canada vs. Maori All Blacks

  02-11-2017 18:07 via globalnews.ca
  Rugby Canada player Phil Mack and Maori All Blacks Captain Ash Dixon tell us what to look for in their big matchup.
  
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• Duane Brown settling in as new left tackle for Seahawks

  02-11-2017 17:22 via theprovince.com
  RENTON, Wash. — The whirlwind past 10 days for Duane Brown finally ended with the standout left tackle calling a new city home.
  It wasn’t a straightforward path for Brown from ending his holdout with Houston to arriving in Seattle as the newest member of the Seahawks. But somehow it ended up working very much in Brown’s favour.
  “It’s worked out pretty good for me, I’ve got to say,” Brown said on Wednesday.
  “I thought I did some great things in my c
  
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• TransLink to reveal winter transit plans

  02-11-2017 16:58 via vancouversun.com
  Winter weather is on the way, and TransLink will reveal on Thursday how it plans to prepare its fleet of buses and trains for the snow.
  This includes new initiatives that will be introduced based on lessons the transit authority learned during last year’s record-breaking winter weather, which wreaked havoc on bus and HandyDART service.
  In past years, TransLink has taken a number of measures to ensure SkyTrain and buses run properly when the weather takes a turn for the worse.
  There are thr
  
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• BUSINESS REPORT: Housing affordability to get worse, not better

  02-11-2017 16:57 via globalnews.ca
  Tighter mortgage rules and rising interest rates mean a gloomy outlook for would-be homebuyers.
  
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• Snowfall warning issued for Coquihalla, Highway 3, Whistler, Sea to Sky Highway

  02-11-2017 16:55 via globalnews.ca
  Heavy snowfall is expected, with some areas getting up to 30 centimetres.
  
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• Snowfall warnings in effect for several B.C. highways

  02-11-2017 16:27 via vancouversun.com
  Motorists heading up to the B.C. Interior are being urged to take extra caution Thursday as forecasters expect a huge dump of snow.
  Environment Canada has posted snowfall warnings for several highways, including the Coquihalla and the Okanagan Connector, with 20 centimetres or more of snow expected in some areas.
  The federal weather agency says the snow is a result of a low pressure system and a passing Arctic front over the South Coast.
  The snow will likely be mixed with rain before turnin
  
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• Prince George Mounties issue warning after child finds blade in Halloween candy

  02-11-2017 16:20 via globalnews.ca
  Police said no one was hurt after the pencil sharpener blade turned up in a small chocolate bar.
  
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• In key freedom-of-religion case, Supreme Court sides with B.C. government over Jumbo ski resort

  02-11-2017 15:53 via vancouversun.com
  OTTAWA — Approval of a ski resort in a region held sacred by Indigenous people does not violate their constitutional right to freedom of religion, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Thursday.
  The high court decision means the proposed resort development in southeastern British Columbia is a step closer to reality.
  The Ktunaxa Nation consider the land at the foot of Jumbo Mountain to be sacred and say construction of the resort would drive away Grizzly Bear Spirit, a principal figure of thei
  
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• Could a tax on ride-hailing help fund transit in B.C.?

  02-11-2017 15:49 via vancouversun.com
  The idea of taxing ride-hailing services to pay for transit projects — a concept proposed by one U.S. city — has captured the interest of local experts and politicians.
  Last month, B.C.’s government launched an independent review of ride-hailing services, which aren’t yet allowed in the province, in order to come up with a “made-in-B.C. approach” to ride-hailing. A report is due in early 2018.
  Three days later, the City of Chicago announced that it’s aim
  
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• Fare cuts in spring may bring 5% rise in B.C. ferry rides

  02-11-2017 15:41 via vancouversun.com
  B.C. Ferries expects to see its ridership increase by up to five per cent once the provincial government cuts fares on minor routes and restores the full seniors’ weekday discount in the spring, says Transportation Minister Claire Trevena.
  Trevena told the legislature that the ferry corporation has been using forecasting models to predict the impact of fare reductions on traffic volumes.
  “They’re obviously very conscious of this because this is their business,” she said.
  
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• Supreme Court OKs development of B.C. ski resort on sacred Indigenous ground

  02-11-2017 15:15 via globalnews.ca
  The Supreme Court of Canada says approval of a ski resort in a region held sacred by Indigenous people does not violate their constitutional right to freedom of religion.
  
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• Condo Smarts: Holidays can present potential conflicts for stratas

  02-11-2017 14:59 via theprovince.com
  Dear Tony: What types of decorations are a strata allowed to put up during the holiday seasons? Our condo has traditionally decorated our lobby and club rooms for Halloween, Christmas and Easter, but this year our strata council has told us that due to too many conflicts with the owners, we will not be able to host any events and put up decorations.Our bylaws clearly permit the hanging of decorations for festival periods and they must be removed within seven days of the festival. Is council enti
  
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• TSB to release report on deadly cargo aircraft crash near Vancouver in 2015

  02-11-2017 14:53 via vancouversun.com
  VANCOUVER — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will be releasing a report today on a cargo aircraft crash near Vancouver that killed two pilots.
  The Swearingen operated by Carson Air crashed on April 13, 2015, in the mountains north of Vancouver en route to Prince George.
  The B.C. Coroners Service had said toxicology tests found pilot Robert Brandt had a blood-alcohol level of 0.24 per cent, or three times the legal limit for driving.
  Brandt, 34, was captain of the twin-engine plane
  
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• Vancouver eyes San Francisco program to protect cherished community businesses

  02-11-2017 14:46 via vancouversun.com
  VANCOUVER — It wasn’t until he announced plans to shut down that Jerry Wolfman learned just how much the outdoor store his father started 70 years ago means to Vancouver.
  “It’s like we’re having a wake,” Wolfman said. “Tears in people’s eyes, a hug, people recounting stories of first coming in with their grandparents, their parents, themselves and now bringing their children.”
  Wolfman puts much of the blame for the pending closure of Three Ve
  
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