Blog

B.C. proposes 'first-step' amendments to laws governing condo insurance

By The Canadian Press Ending referral charges and disclosing commissions would increase competition and could lead to lower rates The B.C. government said it’s taking the first steps to address concerns about sky-high costs and the availability of insurance for condominiums that have seen premiums rise by as much as 50 per cent. Housing Minister […]

Watch out for fake job ads online, warns BBB

By Kirsten Clarke / Richmond News Nearly 75 per cent of people who lose money in employment scams are already in financial crisis Scammers are preparing elaborate schemes to take advantage of people looking for work. Typically, in an employment scam, job applicants are led to believe they are applying, or have just been hired […]

B.C. moves to eliminate annual licence plate decals

By Staff Reporter / Tri-City News If passed, Bill 20 will offer ‘flexibility’ to decals, extending them beyond their one-year expiry date or even making them non-expiring The B.C. government has introduced a bill that would extend licence-plate decals beyond their usual one-year expiry date. If passed, Bill 20 will offer “flexibility” to the validation […]

OPINION: Multiple crises signal the need to change course

By David Suzuki This pandemic could be a trial run for how we respond to the almost-inevitable next pandemic The virus spreading COVID-19 worldwide jumped from non-human animals to people-as have most new diseases, from AIDS to SARS to Ebola. We may not know the precise origin of this particular coronavirus, but we understand the […]

B.C. reopens non-essential travel, tourism and more

By Albert Van Santvoort/ Business in Vancouver B.C. enters Phase 3 of its restart plan British Columbia will begin a slow move into Phase 3 of the COVID-19 restart plan Premier John Hogan announced on Wednesday. This includes allowing non-essential travel within the province as well as reopening hotels, the film and television industry and […]

B.C. in best shape for COVID-19 recovery, economists say

By Business in Vancouver Resilient natural resource and construction companies have helped jump-start economic resurgence, but not all sectors will find it easy to shake off the pandemic’s financial devastation As part of BIV’s continuing coverage of the struggle to get B.C.’s economy back on track as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, BIV reporters Glen Korstrom, […]

A rational discussion on grizzly bears and habitat

LETTER: For the week of June 18 Since 1978, I have been watching and awaiting this moment when we as the Sea to Sky community come to face the challenge of living in unison with grizzly bears. For most of that time, people were generally in denial that these magnificent creatures actually inhabited many locales […]

Hiker rescued after night lost on Mount Seymour

By Jane Seyd / North Shore News A hiker who got trapped overnight in steep and snowy drainage on Mount Seymour this weekend was long-lined to safety Sunday morning by North Shore Rescue after spending a night on the mountain. The man in his 30s had gone hiking on Mount Seymour for the first time […]

B.C. legislation could extend emergency orders for one more year: attorney general

By Graeme Wood / Glacier Media Proposed act also allows for the creation of regulations that provide protections to “responsible” and compliant businesses and groups from civil liability related to COVID-19 A physically distanced B.C. legislature opened Monday to the announcement that the BC NPD government will seek to extend emergency orders for up to […]

‘Twins with a twist’: biological mom and surrogate were pregnant at same time

By Katie DeRosa / Times Colonist In the six years that Margo and Ian Sheldon tried to have a baby, they endured the pain of multiple miscarriages and a full-term still birth. Witnessing the couple’s heartbreak, Margo’s foster sister, Meena Buckham, offered to be a surrogate and in October, through in-vitro fertilization, she was implanted […]

Eight more weeks of CERB to cost $17.9 billion, budget officer says

By The Canadian Press OTTAWA — The parliamentary budget officer estimates in a new report that it will cost the federal government $17.9 billion to provide eight extra weeks of payments through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. The report this morning from budget officer Yves Giroux says that would bring the total cost of the […]

Many B.C. businesses haven't accounted for severance, ask for layoff extension

By Graeme Wood / Glacier Syndicated Extension to August aligns with emergency benefits and would give businesses “breathing room” to return furloughed employees upon re-opening: Coalition group B.C. business groups are asking the provincial government to extend the temporary layoff time period until Aug. 31, to prevent COVID-19-affected companies from closing permanently should paying severance […]

Minister must follow law on orders even during pandemic: B.C. ombudsperson

By The Canadian Press VICTORIA — British Columbia’s ombudsperson says the province’s public safety minister made two pandemic-related orders that were not authorized by law. Jay Chalke says Mike Farnworth made one order that waived time limits related to any civil or family lawsuits as well as other situations where deadlines may be involved, including […]

Face masks mandatory and only ticket holders and staff allowed at Vancouver airport

By Nono shen / Richmond News YVR launches new campaign to reduce the spread of COVID-19 Passengers are now required not only to wear face coverings during flights but also in all public areas at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR). These are part of the measures adopted by YVR’s new campaign, dubbed YVR TAKEcare, which […]

Province stands firm on not extending temporary layoff period in B.C.

By Chuck Chiang / Business in Vancouver Businesses fear that with no extension, having to pay out severance will cripple their chances of surviving pandemic The province is standing firm on not extending the temporary layoff period beyond the original 16-week stretch that will end in July, but added it is open to discuss possible […]