British Columbia Today Archives

NDP government unveils $5-billion COVID-19 relief plan atop tax deferrals, freezes

By Shannon Waters March 24, 2020

British Columbia announced a $5-billion response to address the COVID-19 pandemic Monday, with $2.8 billion focused on people and health services and $2.2 billion focused on businesses and recovery.

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Public safety minister declares provincial state of emergency to support provincial health officer’s recommendations

By Shannon Waters March 19, 2020

The province of British Columbia is now under a state of emergency — on top of the health emergency declared earlier this week — ramping up cabinet’s powers to address the COVID-19 outbreak.

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Surrey to bear the cost of ‘ambitious’ switch from RCMP to municipal police

By Shannon Waters March 12, 2020

A redacted version of the Provincial Municipality Policing Transition Study Committee’s report was published on Tuesday, outlining the next steps for the City of Surrey to make the switch from federal to municipal policing.

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Poor cannabis sales leads to drop in provincial revenues, angry municipalities

By Shannon Waters February 26, 2020

The amount the province expects in transfers from the federal excise tax on cannabis plummeted by 92 per cent in Budget 2020.

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Process to transition Surrey from RCMP to municipal police force continues behind closed doors

By Shannon Waters February 11, 2020

The next public update on the future of Surrey’s switch from federal policing to a municipal force is expected to happen later this month.

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Future of B.C.’s office of the innovation commissioner uncertain

By rein February 6, 2020

The NDP government may be ditching its innovation commission office — backtracking on a promise made by Premier John Horgan in his inaugural budget.

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How a coordinated effort from the NDP failed to establish trust with Wet’suwet’en First Nation

By Shannon Waters January 27, 2020

Last week, Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Minister Scott Fraser headed to Smithers to meet with the five hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation who oppose the Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline.

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Rental compliance unit handling nearly three times as many complaints about landlords as tenants

By Shannon Waters January 21, 2020

In B.C.’s overstretched rental housing market, the interests of renters and landlords seldom align.

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Trudeau and Horgan ‘giddy’ over possibility of Harry and Meghan’s move to Canada

By Shannon Waters January 14, 2020

Winter weather prevented Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from reaching Victoria yesterday for a face-to-face with Premier John Horgan, so instead, the two leaders spoke via “telepresence.”

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After two years of collaboration, Weaver feels ‘weird’ about the idea of campaigning against the NDP

By Shannon Waters December 18, 2019

B.C. Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver has fought his last election; next month, he will step down just as the race to become his successor as party leader gets underway.

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