Province seeks input from British Columbians for next climate plan
To ensure B.C.’s future climate actions reflect the values of British Columbians, Premier Christy Clark today invited families and members of the public to tell government what they would like to see in B.C.’s new Climate Leadership Plan, to be released later this spring. The next public engagement for the Climate Leadership...
Guide Dog and Service Dog Act takes effect
On Jan. 18, 2016, new legislation will come into effect that modernizes guide dog and service dog guidelines in B.C., bringing higher training standards, improving accessibility to public spaces and strata properties, and strengthening public safety. “British Columbia is synonymous with diversity, and ensuring equality of...
Nine hurt in passenger bus accident near Prince George
Thursday morning near Prince George, nine people were taken to hospital after a passenger bus left the highway. North District RCMP Traffic services were called at 7:50 a.m. to a report of a single vehicle incident involving a passenger bus with unknown injuries approximately 38 kilometers south of Prince George. When ffficers...
South Okanagan area hit by rash of break-ins and theft of trucks
If you own a Ford F250 and F350 pickup truck, and you live in the South Okanagan, you might want to park it indoors. RCMP is reporting a rash of break-ins and theft of vehicles in the South Okanagan since the beginning of 2016. "The South Okanagan RCMP Detachments have been busy investigating a rash of stolen pickup trucks ...
With federal transfers at all-time high, provinces can’t blame Ottawa for a lack of money
Federal transfers to the provinces and territories are at an all-time high, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think tank. “After accounting for inflation and population changes, federal transfers to the provinces are higher now than they have ever...
Grants encourage girls and women to stay active
Staying healthy and active is important and fun for girls and young women. In response, sport groups throughout British Columbia have been encouraging more girls and women to join leagues and clubs, or participate in programs that promote this type of lifestyle. Girls Only (GO) and Forever Active Bodies (FAB) 55+ are examples...
Are Canada’s rich gaining at the expense of the poor?
One set of government statistics shows that the average incomes of Canadians in the lowest quintile of the distribution, the “poor”, remained constant during the period from 1990 to 2009. Another set of government statistics indicates that, over the same period, the “poor” enjoyed a 180% increase in income. The same two sets...
Buying local boosts B.C. bee industry in 2015
The year 2015 was successful for the beekeeping industry in British Columbia, with more and more people buying honey direct from beekeepers, bringing the estimated total farm receipts of the year to more than $25 million. British Columbians preferred to buy their honey straight from beekeepers in 2015, with estimated farm...
BC government increases home owner grant threshold in 2016
British Columbians are getting a bit of a reprieve a few days after the 2016 assessment notices were sent out to homeowners. The Liberal government has said in a media release homes valued up to $1.2 million may be eligible to receive a full home owner grant this year, while a partial grant may be available if the home is...
Interest payments exceed $60 billion as Canadian governments continue racking up debt
Interest payments on government debt in Canada consume substantial shares of taxpayer dollars and come at the expense of other budget priorities, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. The study, The Cost of Government Debt in Canada, finds...
