Tag Archives: UBC’s Sauder School of Business

Energy, Politics

Parties pitch energy plans before B.C. election

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

BC Greens and Conservatives launched competing visions for energy generation this week in contrast to the NDP’s future plans to heat peoples’ homes, fuel cars and run businesses.

All the parties emphasize the need to meet B.C.’s growing energy demands, while keeping rates affordable and fostering First Nations ownership of energy projects — but proposed courses of action vary wildly.

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Housing

Number of Tri-Cities properties cashing in on short-term rentals spikes 45% in year

Editor’s note: To what extent are we looking at a province wide trend? Is this spike happening in our area, or is it a more urban phenomenon?

By Patrick Penner, Tri-Cities Dispatch, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The number of landowners in the Tri-Cities using their properties for short-term rentals spiked 45 percent in one year. 

In August, sites like Airbnb and Vrbo posted 807 active listings for Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, according to data provided by AirDNA, a market research provider.

That’s up from 446 total listings in August 2022. Despite the number of active listings being halved during the COVID-19 pandemic, overall rental growth still jumped 35 percent since 2018.

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Environment

Ottawa’s new research unit out to adjust attitudes on climate choices

By John Woodside,  National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Ottawa wants to know what it would take to convince Canadians to switch to electric vehicles and take other climate-friendly action. To find out, the government has designed a Behavioural Science and Climate Change Program to uncover the best ways to motivate people to change.

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Environment, Finances

BC Is Moving Forward With Site C

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By Roy L Hales

When he was the leader of the opposition, John Horgan argued that Treaty 8 Nations “ have entrenched constitutional rights to practice hunting and fishing” on the land that will be underwater if the Site C Dam is built. The BC Utilities Commission recently concluded that “increasingly viable alternative energy sources such as wind, geothermal and industrial curtailment could provide similar benefits to [BC Hydro] ratepayers as the Site C project, with an equal or lower Unit Energy Cost.” Never-the less, today Premier John Horgan announced BC is moving forward with Site C.

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Transportation

$900 Million For BC’s Aging Infrastructure

By Roy L Hales

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Good news for those concerned with the state of our province’s aging transportation system. The Federal, provincial and municipal governments are partnering to provide a total of $900 million for BC’s aging infrastructure.

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