Cortes Islanders will be going to the polls on October 15th and Mark Vonesch hopes they will elect him as their next Regional Director. In the third of a series of interviews, he talks about how the example of former Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson inspired him to enter politics.
Continue reading Mark Vonesch 3: the Gregor Robertson connection
By Moira Wyton, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A British Columbia-led lawsuit against more than 40 pharmaceutical companies has resulted in a proposed $150-million settlement with Purdue Pharma Canada for health-care costs related to the company’s marketing of opioid pain medications.
But advocates say the lawsuit is also an exercise in distracting the public from the government’s failure to make changes — including introducing safe supply — that would have saved thousands of lives lost to toxic drugs.
Continue reading BC’s Opioid Lawsuit Win No Cause for Celebration, Say AdvocatesTrends to watch
By Cloe Logan, National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
If a Vancouver gas station or commercial lot with 60 spots or more wants to avoid a $10,000 annual licence fee, it will need to have electric vehicle (EV) chargers available by 2025.
On Thursday, Vancouver city council approved a report first brought forward in April. Currently, gas stations and commercial parking lots pay a $243 fee for licensing. If they install EV charging infrastructure by 2025, that fee will remain; if not, the cost will jump to $10,000 each year.
Continue reading Gas stations, commercial lots in Vancouver must have EV chargers by 2025 or pay $10K a yearBy Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
In the wake of a precedent-setting Indigenous Rights case in June 2021, B.C.’s ministry of energy did something rather unprecedented: it immediately cancelled summer auctions for new oil and gas tenures.
This sudden closure of oil and gas opportunities in response to the Blueberry decision — a B.C. Supreme Court ruling, which determined the province violated the Treaty Rights of Blueberry River First Nations by permitting and encouraging damaging industrial development — sent a shudder through the industry that continues to reverberate across the country today.
Documents released to The Narwhal through freedom of information legislation show petroleum and natural gas (PNG) lobbyists told public servants that B.C. could lose more than $90 million in annual revenue and up to 10,000 jobs as a result of the Blueberry decision. These stark warnings were then passed on to senior B.C. government officials, including Fazil Mihlar, deputy minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.
Continue reading Document reveals influence of oil and gas lobbyists on B.C. officials after Indigenous Rights rulingBy Charlie Carey, North Shore News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
In response to the toppling of Gastown’s Gassy Jack statue Monday (Feb. 14), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) has asserted its need to lead the work involving its ancestors and colonization through “respect and collaboration.”
Continue reading Squamish Nation asserts need to lead reconciliation after Gassy Jack statue toppled
