Supreme Court of Canada upholds BC Supreme Court's landmark decision protecting public health care
Today, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed Cambie Surgeries Corporation’s (CSC) attempt to overturn previous decisions made by BC’s courts that upheld the BC Medicare Protection Act. This decision marks the end of the corporation’s lengthy legal battle to overturn key provisions in the BC Medicare Protection Act that ensure...
Bringing Canadian water priorities to the UN Water Conference
Living Lakes Canada, the award-winning water stewardship NGO based in the Canadian Columbia Basin, will be represented at the first United Nations conference on water in 45 years. The UN 2023 Water Conference is taking place in New York and kicks off on World Water Day on March 22. “It’s a significant opportunity to be granted...
Report: Daily routines and electricity use patterns changed by COVID-19
A new BC Hydro report finds a change in daily routines that started at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have permanently shifted how many British Columbians use electricity at home. The report titled “Powering the permanent new normal: How COVID-19 changed British Columbians’ daily habits and electricity use” finds...
BC police investigate shooting of 17 wild horses near Walhachin
On March 10, the Tk’emlups Rural RCMP received a report of several horses killed on BC Crown land, north of Walhachin, BC, approximately 65 km West of Kamloops. Investigators were led to the specific location, where it was confirmed 17 horses had recently been shot. They appeared to be from a herd of feral (wild) horses which...
Firefighter injured in Golden Courthouse arson blaze
On March 13, at 3:25 a.m., Golden RCMP received multiple alarms from the BC Provincial Courthouse in Golden, according to RCMP Cpl. James Grandy. "Frontline officers attended and observed the building to be on fire." Grandy said. "Shortly thereafter, the Golden Fire Department arrived, and in their attempt to fight the fire,...
At least 211 British Columbians killed by toxic drugs in January
Preliminary reporting released by the BC Coroners Service shows that the toxic, unregulated drug supply claimed the lives of at least 211 British Columbians in January, with the total number of deaths surpassing 200 for the eighth time in the past 16 months. “Once again, our agency is reporting on preventable losses of life...
Province touts use of Electronic logging devices to make roads safer
Starting this summer, provincially regulated commercial vehicle operators will be required to use electronic logging devices (ELDs) to track drivers’ time behind the wheel, reducing the likelihood of driving while tired. ELDs automatically record driving time, helping to ensure commercial drivers do not drive longer each day...
Power couples: British Columbians quarrel over home energy use
New BC Hydro research shows many couples in B.C. are engaged in power struggles over home energy use – from room temperature and lights left on to running the dishwasher half full. The survey, conducted on behalf of BC Hydro, finds over a quarter (26 per cent) of British Columbians who are in a relationship said they regularly...
COLUMN: Paradigm shift needed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss
Despite Canada’s important commitments at the December UN COP15 in Montreal, we’re not halting, let alone reversing, biodiversity loss. More than 5,000 wild species face some risk of extinction, according to the recently released report “The Wild Species 2020: The General Status of Species in Canada.”...
Hybrid and Electric vehicles explained
By Gaoliang Fang, Postdoctoral Fellow, McMaster Automotive Resource Centre, McMaster University As part of its goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, Canada has introduced new regulations to mandate one-fifth of all vehicles sold in Canada be electric by 2026. With the price of gasoline being projected to rise again, and...
