Tag Archives: City of New Westminster

Disaster

City of Burnaby prepares for possible Trans Mountain disasters

By Natasha Bulowski, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The City of Burnaby is preparing for a series of unlikely but potentially disastrous accidents stemming from the Trans Mountain pipeline system.

An animated video, released Sept. 5, depicts three hypothetical, fiery scenarios that could arise at the Burnaby Mountain tank farm and Westridge Marine Terminal. The city plans to carry out a full emergency exercise in 2027 to prepare for these worst-case scenarios.

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Jobs, Poverty

Vancouver’s Decision to Abandon Living Wage Program Creates Shockwaves

By  Zak Vescera, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

In 2017, the City of Vancouver committed to ensuring its employees — and workers for city contractors — were paid enough to live there. 

At the time, Vancouver was  the biggest employer in the country to offer a living wage based on the  cost of rent, food and other necessities. 

“It was the largest living wage  municipality, and it did a tremendous job over the years in encouraging  other businesses to sign on,” said Anastasia French, the director of Living Wage for Families BC.  Then-mayor Gregor Robertson told media it was a way to guarantee  workers “a basic level of opportunity” in an expensive place to live and  work. 

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