Vancouver Rundown

A Spanish multinational company has reached a settlement in competing lawsuits over Metro Vancouver’s wastewater treatment plant. Acciona has agreed to pay $235M over the cancellation of the North Shore plant. Metro Vancouver says those funds will go back into project planning as part of next year’s budget process. The cost of the plant ballooned from $700M to close to $4B. A review of what went wrong will now get underway.

Members of the BC Nurses Union have voted overwhelmingly in favour of job action. The BCNU says 98.2 per cent of votes cast backed labour action, although there are no immediate plans for a strike. Union negotiators have been trying to reach a deal since October. B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne has already pointed out the government has reached deals with other health care unions. The nurses have been without a contract for over a year.

Mayor Brenda Locke says she’s outraged by the recent shootings in Surrey and is demanding a review of cuts to the local gang squad. The comments come after two teens - one 16 and the other 18 - were shot dead in the parkade of a Newton townhouse complex late Sunday evening. That shooting comes after two men were critically wounded by gunfire at a gas station on 152 Street over the weekend. Locke says the violence is deeply troubling for the people who live and work in Surrey. The shootings are both connected to B.C.’s gang conflict. Officers from the Surrey Police Service were moved to patrol duties in Cloverdale following pressure to speed up the transition from the RCMP to the new city police force.

B.C. has arranged a quarantine for four Canadians from the hantavirus infected cruise ship. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says they’ll be monitored for 21 days while in isolation. None of the Canadians has symptoms - they’ve been picked up by a plane chartered by the Public Health Agency of Canada. Three people have died, four others are ill from hantavirus which was spread by a passenger on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius on May 2.

The personal information of millions of students, including those at UBC and SFU, is being held ransom by online hackers. The universities are among the schools that have had private information stolen from the online learning platform Canvas. Canvas estimates its platform is used by 275 million people worldwide including those in post-secondary schools, K-12 schools and other institutions. UBC is telling its students not to log in to the platform and to change their passwords. The breach includes student names, emails, birthdays and financial information. The hackers say they will release the information on May 12 if their demands are not met.

Two people have been arrested after a deadly stabbing on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside Wednesday morning. James Andrew Slater, 49, died in hospital after being stabbed near East Hastings and Columbia Streets at around 2:30 a.m. Charges are pending against a man and woman as investigators try to figure out why it happened.

Many people are expressing outrage after a grey whale was hit by a jet ski off Siwash Rock, on the west side of Stanley Park. Video of the incident has been shared on social media - the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and Vancouver Police are investigating. Regulations require watercraft to stay at least 100 metres from whales. In this case, there’s no word yet on the extent of injuries to the grey. The jet ski driver was picked up by a nearby yacht and later taken to hospital.

No arrests have been made and Surrey Police are saying very little about a Monday afternoon shooting at a business in the Newton neighbourhood. Police do say a man was found with gunshot wounds when officers arrived at a building on 76 Avenue. First responders provided medical help but the victim died at the scene. The shooting happened on the second floor of the same building that’s home to Radio Swift 1200 AM - which has recently been targeted in an extortion case. However, staff say the shooting was at another business and not connected to the station.

It’s the downside of the current warm, dry weather - at least ten new wildfires are burning in B.C. One of those is a small but growing fire discovered between Stave Lake and Chehalis, north east of Mission. It started Sunday morning and is believed to be human caused. Two other fires are growing on Vancouver Island - one near Ladysmith and the other not far from Parksville. Meanwhile, a wildfire continues to burn in the Fraser Canyon near Hell’s Gate. Temperatures near 30C are keeping crews on standby through Monday.

Talks have broken off and B.C. nurses are a step closer to strike action. The BC Nurses Union continues to push for wages higher than the three per cent for each of four years, currently being offered. The union is preparing to hold a strike vote. Right now, B.C. has the highest paid nurses in the country.

Seven families of victims of the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting are suing ChatGPT parent company OpenAI. The action filed in a San Francisco court claims the company and founder Sam Altman failed to take the actions that would have prevented the deaths and injuries in the northern B.C. community. They’re suing for negligence and liability saying the shooting by the 18-year-old was an entirely foreseeable result of deliberate design choices made by OpenAI. The allegations have not been proven in court.

The federal government will kick in $146M toward the overall security cost for the FIFA World Cup games in Vancouver and Toronto. That word comes as the B.C. government continues to stall on saying how much it will spend on security costs. The provincial government also hasn’t provided any updated cost of putting on the event in Vancouver. Old projections from the summer pegged that cost at $624M. The tournament is only 43 days away.

The discovery of two bodies on a rural property in South Langley is being treated as a possible homicide. RCMP say first responders were called to a property on 16 Avenue near 212 Street late Monday morning. That’s where two people were found dead. There’s no indication the bodies are in any way linked to a couple wineries on either side of the street.

A reported kidnapping is under investigation by the RCMP in Richmond. Mounties say it took place Friday evening at the Bamboo Grove Restaurant at No. 3 Road and Granville Avenue. Officers responded after reports of a person being forced into a pickup shortly after 10:00 p.m. They’re looking for a dark coloured Ford 150 and information from those who can shed light on the incident.

Apologize - that’s the demand from Premier David Eby who claims MLA Tara Armstrong used ‘Nazi rhetoric’ to slam the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples while speaking in the Legislature. Armstrong says the K’ómoks Treaty Act promotes UNDRIP’s blood and soil theory that people with Indigenous ancestry have their own inherent rights. Independent MLA Elenore Sturko calls the remark extremely offensive and disgusting. Interim Conservative leader Trevor Halford calls it ignorant and abhorrent. Armstrong withdrew the remark after it was declared out-of-order.

Vancouver-Strathcona NDP MLA Joan Phillip is in grave condition in hospital. Premier David Eby is asking for prayers from British Columbians saying Phillip is very ill. No other details have been released about her illness. Phillip is the wife of Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs Grand Chief Stewart Phillip.

Gangster Jamie Bacon has been released from prison. The former Red Scorpion - convicted for his part in the Surrey Six murders - is out after serving six years for conspiracy to commit murder. The 40-year-old mastermind behind the province’s biggest gang hit is now living outside the province. Police say they are in close contact with Bacon’s probation officer.

It’s official. Premier David Eby has back down on changing B.C.’s Indigenous Rights legislation following an outcry from several chiefs. Eby now says his government will take the next six months to consult with First Nations. Surrey-Cloverdale Independent MLA Elenore Sturko - who was willing to support the government’s bill - now says the premier is flip-flopping and has to be more transparent about the legal liability.

Premier David Eby is using a Monday news conference to back down on his previous plans to suspend DRIPA - the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Instead, he’s outlining next steps as MLAs and First Nations voice concerns over the NDP government’s handling of the legislation. Eby has already reversed course on making the matter a confidence vote, meaning if it failed, the government would dissolve, prompting a provincial election. First Nations promise a legal challenge if the BC government changes or suspends DRIPA.

RCMP are trying to find the person responsible for a targeted stabbing in Langley Thursday afternoon. It happened at a townhouse complex near 199 Street and 64 Avenue in the Willoughby area at around 4:00 p.m. A 46-year-old has suffered serious injuries. Police say it happened after some sort of disturbance and there is no risk to the public.

The BC Ferry Queen of Surrey is out of service due to a mechanical issue. Sailings between Horseshoe Bay and the Sunshine Coast were cancelled Wednesday morning after a generator failed. BC Ferries had to add water taxi service to the run. An unrelated issue on the same ferry forced delays during the busy Easter long weekend.

Mayor Ken Sim wants Vancouver to land a Major League Baseball team. Sim hopes an ownership group can put together a competitive bid as MLB contemplates expansion. He says Vancouver has a strong sports culture and proven track record of supporting professional teams. A fleshed out plan has not yet been presented to council.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals now have a majority in the House of Commons, sweeping all three Monday by-elections. The Liberals now have 171 seats in the House after winning two Ontario races and one in Quebec. Carney has issued a statement congratulating the three newly elected MPs - he also promises to work collaboratively in the reshaped Parliament.

Police in West Vancouver are alarmed over a car being torched in the parking lot of a synagogue. The fire happened early Sunday morning in the parking lot of Har El Synagogue on Taylor Way. There are no injuries and no damage to the synagogue itself. No arrests have been made and West Vancouver Police say they understand how the congregation and the greater Jewish community may be concerned. Police say the situation is stable and the community is safe.

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on Mark Carney’s Liberal government to protect B.C.’s private property rights. Poilievre used a Thursday stop in B.C. to push a four point plan on property rights. That plan includes making sure fee simple property takes priority over land claims, rights are secured in future federal deals with First Nations, those rights are safe across B.C., and Ottawa sets up a parliamentary committee to study the issue. Both the federal and B.C. governments are appealing the recent Cowichan decision that found Crown and city titles over land are defective and invalid.

Mayor Ken Sim says Vancouver will spend $400M to rebuild and renovate five community centres. The promise comes in Sim’s state of the city address. The mayor calls it the most ambitious funding package in the city’s history. Details, including which community centres will be included, have not been unveiled. Last September, the city’s independent auditor said Vancouver had not put aside enough money for the replacement of pools, rinks and community centres which have reached the end of their useful lives.

An early season wildfire is burning out of control near Pemberton’s airport. The 100 hectare fire is burning in a grassy area on Lilwat Nation land. There’s no early word on how it started but at least on nearby resident says he heard a couple loud bangs late Tuesday afternoon. So far, there are no reports of any damage to buildings.

pecial Weather Statements have been posted by Environment Canada as the B.C. south coast gets hit by strong wind. Gusts of up to 70 km/h are expected over a wide area of Metro Vancouver, Greater Victoria and the Gulf Islands - BC Hydro crews and contractors are on standby to deal with expected outages. BC Ferries is closely watching the situation in anticipation of possible cancellations.Meanwhile, some BC Ferries customers are now making unexpected Tuesday trips following a long weekend of delays and cancellations. BC Ferries had to deal with three ships experiencing mechanical problems while two others remained out of service during the busy long weekend. That forced several cancellations on main routes between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. The BC Conservatives blame the BC Ferries Board and the NDP government for failing to fix serious issues over the past nine years.

Premier David Eby is spending Thursday meeting with First Nations trying to get approval ahead of changing DRIPA - the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Chiefs invited to a virtual meeting are asking questions about watering down legal language that aligns B.C. with the UN Declaration. The BC Conservatives have attacked the NDP government over its handling of the issue.

A new mechanical issue has removed a BC Ferry from the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay run, two days after she was put back in service. An electrical problem on the Spirit of Vancouver Island forced the vessel to return to Tsawwassen Tuesday morning - cars had to back off the ferry to unload. The Spirit of Vancouver Island broke down over spring break - it’s unclear whether she will be back in service for the Easter long weekend.

A pilot has survived the crash of a small plane at Pitt Meadows Regional Airport. The Cessna 172N, owned by one of the flight schools, hit the runway during flight training circuits late Monday morning. The pilot was rushed to hospital with serious injuries - no one else was onboard at the time of the crash. The outer runway remained closed for most of Monday.

Documentary filmmaker Avi Lewis has been chosen the new leader of the federal NDP - replacing former Burnaby South MP Jagmeet Singh. Lewis, who is Jewish but an outspoken anti-Israel pundit, hasn’t held political office but has worked as a TV host and CBC journalist. He had two failed bids to become and NDP MP - one in West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky, the other in Vancouver Centre. Lewis is a self-proclaimed social democrat and also the son of former United Nations Ambassador Stephen Lewis.

The BC Conservative MLA for Richmond Centre has been kicked out of the party caucus. Hon Chan has been removed immediately after being charged with assault, assault by choking and uttering threats. The counts relate to an investigation into a domestic file dating back to January of 2024. Hon Chan disagrees with the allegations - a Special Prosecutor has been appointed. Hon Chan was a journalist and anchor for Fairchild TV before entering politics.

Using public transit in Metro Vancouver will cost a little more, starting July 1. TransLink has approved an average five per cent fare hike for buses, SkyTrain and SeaBus. An adult commuter who uses buses and SkyTrain to get from Cloverdale to Downtown Vancouver will now pay $6.70 for a three zone ticket - that’s $13.40 a day for a round trip. The TransLink board is also pushing for an increase in the transit portion of property taxes - one of half a dozen tax and levy streams it uses to raise cash from taxpayers.

A Tuesday windstorm has knocked out power for thousands of people in several parts of B.C. At one point, over 50,000 BC Hydro customers on Vancouver Island had to look for power alternatives. Other areas hit by high wind have included Prince George, the Peace region, the Cariboo, Thompson-Nicola and parts of the Central Coast. Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley have been mostly spared. BC Hydro Crews and contractors continue to work to restore power to all areas.

Two separate Sunday avalanches in northern B.C. have claimed four lives. Three heli-skiers died in a snow slide on Mount Knauss, north of Terrace, early in the afternoon. A fourth skier is being treated for serious injuries. A second slide, a few hours later, killed one person in a remote area near the B.C.-Alaska border. Four others survived that avalanche, unhurt.

Two hikers are injured, one critically, after sliding down a treacherous area on Brunswick Mountain, near Lions Bay. It happened on Saturday as a group of 14 hikers tried to make their way down the hill. Lions Bay Search and Rescue, along with North Shore Rescue, used the help of two helicopters to bring the hikers to safety. A doctor provided advanced medical care on the scene before the injured hikers were hoisted.

Several people had to be rescued and power was knocked out for close to 5,000 BC Hydro customers following a mudslide in Coquitlam. It happened shortly after 5:30 a.m. Thursday, hitting four homes and two industrial properties. Search and Rescue used a private helicopter to rescue eight people, two dogs and a cat on Pipeline Road, north of Upper Coquitlam River Park. The heavy rain also forced a temporary closure of the West Coast Express at Port Haney Station. The atmospheric river is responsible for several advisories along Metro Vancouver’s North Shore and in Sea-to-Sky.Meanwhile, the Fraser Valley Regional District has declared a local state of emergency in Electoral Area E - east of Cultus Lake. There’s been at least one small slide along Chilliwack Lake Road and more flooding and slides are anticipated. More than 1,500 people live in that area.

A flood watch is now in effect for the Fraser Valley as bands of heavy rain continue to hit parts of the south coast. The atmospheric river coincides with significant snow melt on area mountains - localized flooding is expected in areas like Chilliwack and Abbotsford. Some area trails are now closed and people are warned to stay away from fast flowing streams.

Premier David Eby is pushing back against the federal government’s planned expansion of the temporary foreign worker program. That plan would allow employers outside of urban centres to increase the number of lower paid TFLs until at least next year. Eby says it ties vulnerable workers to employers who often exploit them. He says there should be a path to permanent residency instead.

‘There’s no evidence of extortion’ - that’s what the Surrey Police Service says after a Surrey home was shot up early Monday morning. Police say the homeowner found bullet holes in his door and front window. He did not witness the shooting that occurred near 76th Avenue and 126A Street in the Strawberry Hill neighbourhood. While Surrey’s police chief claims extortion is on the decline now, there have been 77 reports of extortion so far this year.

A man’s been shot dead at a home in Surrey. It happened at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday as neighbours reported hearing gun fire. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests have been made. While there is no word on a motive for the shooting, it comes only days after Surrey Police Chief Norm Lipinski praised his force saying extortion related violence is on the decline.

The stabbed body of a Vancouver man has been found on a small sailboat off the coast of Belize. Thomas David Harmon, 72, was found on a catamaran - investigators in Belize say a woman rescued from the same boat claims Harmon suffered a heart attack but authorities found the stab wounds and indications of decomposition. Harmon’s son is reportedly making arrangements to return the body to Canada.

A Wednesday evening windstorm has knocked out power to thousands of BC Hydro customers in eastern parts of the Fraser Valley. By about 11: 30 p.m., crews had been trying to restore power for up to 35,000 customers as 100 km/h winds hit some areas. At least one home has been hit by a fallen tree in Mission. Fire crews have been dealing with numerous reports of downed power lines. The storm has dumped close to two feet of snow on parts of the Coquihalla Highway - blizzard conditions are responsible for several crashes.

At least 16 people have been checked out for smoke inhalation and 142 residents are displaced after that massive Monday evening fire at a retirement home in Mission. Crews are being praised for the massive evacuation effort as flames engulfed Chartwell Carrington Place on 7 Avenue. There were no serious injuries or fatalities but a woman, over 100 years old, was found on some stairs close to two hours after the fire started.

A huge fire has engulfed and destroyed a retirement home in Mission. Flames broke out at the Chartwell Carrington House on 7 Avenue early Monday evening and quickly spread to other buildings, prompting a massive response from Mission Fire Rescue as well as departments in Abbotsford, Maple Ridge and North Fraser. First responders and retirement home staff have been trying to determine whether all residents are accounted for. Many of the evacuees have been taken to the Mission Leisure Centre - at least one has been checked out by paramedics. There’s no official word yet on any victims. The Salvation Army is one of several agencies lending assistance to those impacted by the fire.Breaking News…shots have been fired at a home near Bevan and Cannon Avenues in Abbotsford. Police surrounded area streets and an RCMP helicopter was called-in after people reported hearing the gunfire early Monday evening. There are no early reports of damage or injuries.

The Coquihalla Highway, north of Merritt, has reopened after being shut down for several hours on Sunday following a messy snow storm. Several people have been injured in a serious of crashes on Highway Five. Drivers say conditions changed quickly and switched between heavy snow, slush and rain. Environment Canada continues to warn drivers to beware of more snow and strong wind Monday and Tuesday.

An RCMP officer is injured but in stable condition after a police cruiser smashed into a utility pole and flipped at 208 Street and 74B Avenue in Langley late Thursday afternoon. Langley RCMP say the officer was responding to a call when it happened. No other vehicle crashed. The RCMP have not released any further details.

A ‘fireball’ meteor - that’s what NASA says thousands of people in parts of B.C. and Washington state witnessed on Tuesday evening. Experts say a meteor travelling through the earth’s atmosphere was responsible for the bright light and loud booms heard in many parts of the Lower Mainland including Coquitlam, Burnaby, Port Moody, Delta, Surrey and Langley. The meteor was likely no larger than a softball when it streaked across the sky, at about 9:10 p.m.

Breaking News: Thousands of people in parts of the U.S. Pacific Northwest and southwestern B.C., including Metro Vancouver, have reported seeing a flash of light and/or hearing a large boom. Those on social media say they heard or saw something at around 9:10 p.m. Tuesday evening - local amateur sky watchers say it may have been a meteor. It’s shown up on area seismographs. Nothing has been officially confirmed.