I was the only male among eighteen female writers at a week long retreat called Tapping the Stream. One of the things that set this program apart was the relaxed atmosphere in which widely recognized writers mixed with would-be authors. Personally, I might have totally frozen up had I known more about the company I was with. (That came as a series of surprises, which continues as I google their names.) Instead, we got to know each other as people as we all worked to improve our craft. This was only one of three programs during the week I was at Hollyhock.
Hello and happy summer! This report has news for you: the Hospital Board is exploring ‘front-loading’ long-term care project costs, an Evans Bay aquaculture report was made public, plus a refresher on Siting Permits for construction on Quadra Island. Many thanks to all who’ve reached out since I declared my intent to run for re-election, I appreciate the positive encouragement.
By Maddi Dellplain, Vancity Lookout, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The heat dome that has caused an estimated 20,000 deaths in Europe and North America over the past few weeks has served as a stark reminder of the 619 lives claimed across B.C. during the province’s heat wave five years ago.
“It all happened so fast that it wasn’t until afterwards that we were trying to catch up … [and able to understand] who was most impacted by it,” said Jeannie Furmanek of B.C.’s deadliest weather event. Furmanek is the director of the adult day centres at the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, but was a part of the organization’s Seniors Team at the time.
“We’re living through a time of great disruption. The global trading system, in which we’ve long relied as a country, is being dramatically restructured. Global conflicts have sharpely increased gas and food prices around the world and right here at home. The rapid rise of artifical intelligence is beginning to transform how we live and how we work. Climate change is worsening, with bigger storms, heavier flooding, more devastating wildfires. Canadians are feeling the impacts at their kitchen tables, at the pimps and on their factory floors. The good news is that unlike many countries, we can control our future, but that will require doing things differently – movng faster, building bigger and working together. And nowhere is that more the case than energy.” – Mark Carney
The new West Coast Pipeline will closely follow the existing Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMX) route. BC has been promised billions of dollars through a new prosperity agreement, and Prime Minister Mark Carney has stepped back from Canada’s emissions targets because they are too divisive.
In this morning’s broadcast, two experts provide their insights into these matters. Jennifer Lash is a former senior analyst with Environment and Climate Change Canada and ran as a Liberal candidate in the 2025 election. She endorses the Prime Minister’s actions. Ian Sanderson, a senior analyst in the oil and gas division at the Pembina Institute, explains his reservations.
A First Nation chief says a major landowner waited too long to challenge the Cowichan Aboriginal title case after a BC court rejected the company’s bid to reopen the trial this week. BC Supreme Court Justice Barbara Young rejected Montrose Properties’ attempt to reopen the case, calling it an “abuse of process” after a 513-day trial over Cowichan title in part of Richmond, a Metro Vancouver city where homes, businesses and public land already exist.
