A Burnaby man ordered to spend more than a decade in prison for sexually exploiting girls in another country  has lost his bid to have his 11-year sentence reduced.

Kenneth Robert Klassen was hoping the BC Court of Appeal would rule the trial judge erred by not giving more weight to his guilty plea.

The now-60 year old admitted to committing 14 counts of sex with girls under 14 in Colombia and Cambodia, as well as one count of importing child pornography.

His lawyer argued the sentence --the longest for a sex-tourism case in Canada-- was too strong for a 'first-time' offender, but prosecutors pointed out Klassen deliberately travelled to countries where young girls can be easily exploited.

The province's highest court has now dismissed his bid to have the sentence reduced to seven years, maintaining the trial judge gave the guilty plea sufficient consideration as a mitigating factor.

The former international art dealer was arrested in 2004, after mailing himself a package containing child pornography from the Philippines.

His trial was Canada's third sex tourism case.

A group called "The Nobel Women's Initiative" is warning against pipeline expansion, and a federal treaty with China. 

Chair and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jody Williams says the impending investment treaty between Canada and China expected to be pushed through in November causes her great concern in relation to the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline. 

Her worries:

"That China will have rights over what happens in the tar sands, will have rights over what happens along the pipeline.  If people were to rise up against it and stop it you would be liable for lost profits".

Williams adds that agreement could tie the province's hands,

Hampering BC's ability to address environmental concerns and strike a fair deal with Enbridge.

Williams says Premier Christy Clark has refused to meet with the delegation.

The delegation found the majority of community members they spoke with along pipeline route do not support the project. 

Premier Christy Clark is playing down a controversy over mining jobs in BC going to Chinese workers.

Clark says the 200 Chinese miners are just doing exploratory work, and she's pushing for British Columbians to get any future jobs with the company.  

"We are advertising hard to try and get out there and find BC workers and train up bc workers for those jobs should they come, so this is an initial exploratory investment, but if that mine ends up getting started, we want BC workers in there and that's why we're advertising for them."

But NDP critic Leonard Krog says the provincial government is at fault for "mucking up" the skills training system and Clark's promise doesn't ring true. 

Charges have now been laid in connection with a crash on Highway 99 near Whistler this past January that killed a 54 year old limo driver from Delta.

Shafiqur Rahman was killed when his limo was struck by a northbound pickup truck.

The limo caught on fire and the victim was trapped inside.

20 year old Jacob Mitzimberg of Calgary is now charged with impaired and dangerous driving causing death.

He appears in court in early December.
 

Emergency crews are dealing with a shooting at the Peace Arch Border crossing. 

A Canadian Border Services Agency officer was shot in the neck shortly before 2pm and the man who shot her then  shot himself in the head.

Authorities have now confirmed that man is dead.

The border guard has been airlifted to hospital; her exact condition is not known.

Callers to CKNW say they heard two shots were fired, and then they heard the woman scream out and slump to the ground.

They say the shooter was in a white, 12 passenger van with tinted windows.

CKNW reporter Marcella Bernardo is on the way to the scene and will have updates throughout the afternoon on The World Today on CKNW.

Leah Holiove photo

Coquitlam RCMP looking into Amanda Todd's extortion say they're being overwhelmed by rumours, innuendo and those looking to make a profit off the teen's suicide.

In a release this afternoon, Sergeant Peter Thiessen says the Serious Crime Section is dealing with thousands of tips.

He says the rumours and misinformation are slowing the investigation down, including the hysteria that spread online on Monday supposedly outing Todd's tormenter.

Thiessen also points out that there are even websites springing up hoping to make some cash off the teen's suicide.

He says those sites purport to be raising funds in memory of Todd, when that's not the case.

The only legitimate fund set up in relation to Todd's death can be found at RBC branches.

Police are now giving us a little more information after a border officer was shot this afternoon shortly before two at the Peace Arch crossing.

 
The woman was confronted by a man in a van with Washington State plates.

Surrey RCMP Corporal Bert Paquet says the motive is unknown.

"We're working on that with all available resources at the scene to try to establish exactly what the sequence of events that took place between the arrival of this individual to the Peace Arch crossing and subsequently what lead to the events that unfolded after that"

He says the man turned the gun on himself before he could be taken into custody.

The injured border guard was airlifted to Royal Columbian Hospital.

Her condition is not known.

Delta's Brian White says he arrived just in time to see several border guards running with their hands on their guns.

And he believes he heard the suicidal shot of the gunman...but not the shot that injured the border guard.

"It's incredible...border guards everywhere, and one girl was screaming and then they just closed everything....closed everything down and brought the tape out"

White says he thought he was making a quick trip to the U-S and a bottle of wine.

It is official, one of the loudest rebel voices opposing BC Conservative party leader John Cummins has been tossed from the party.

Allison Patton says her membership has been revoked per a letter from the party recieved tuesday.

As for what is next.

"Well it is pretty clear what the letter states which is I am no longer a member of the party as it stands there is a number of different options that I am looking at we are discussing each one and I will let you know in due time what my next step is."

Patton wouldn't say if a lawyer is involved.

"I don't want to comment on that part of it but all of the options are being looked at."

Patton says she has relinquished her responsibilities as Surrey White Rock constituency association president.

She also says she was not a member of the BC Liberals prior to joining the BC Tories.

"No I was never with any other party."
 
Patton challenged John Cummins to form a truth and reconciliation committee, or debate the dissidents on the airwaves.

"Or he can choose to come on the air with myself Ariane Eckardt and somebody who would be gracious enough to allow us to reconcile our differences on air."

The party had sent out 15 letter of discipline to rebel members.

The letter in full is below;

Dr. Patton

 The Provincial Board of the party has instructed me to inform you that it has passed the folling motion:

 WHEREAS Section 11.04 of our bylaws clearly outlines the process whereby our Party will consider a review of leadership and

 WHEREAS the members of our Party, in a vote announced at our Annual General Meeting on September 22^nd, 2012, (perSection 11.04,) clearly endorsed our present leader, and

 WHEREAS Alison Patton, [ADDRESS REMOVED FOR PRIVACY} membership # 2755 has clearly and demonstrably violated both the letter and spirit of section 11.04 with continued and ongoing calls, both in the conventional and social media, and by various communications with Party members, to revisit this question and

 WHEREAS per Section 2.01 membership is open only to those who “support the Party Constitution and Bylaws”, and the activities referenced above violate the intent of Section 2.01, and are clearly and demonstrably harmful to the unity, image, and effectiveness of the Party,

 THEREFORE be it resolved that, under the authority granted in Section 2.11(f) of the Bylaws of this Party, this board revoke the BC Conservative Party membership of Allison Patton, [ADDRESS REMOVED FOR PRIVACY] Membership # 2755, effective immediately, and that the President be instructed to inform Allison Patton of this decision by letter.

 The effect of this motion is that, effective immediately, your membership in the BC Conservative party (Membership # 2755) has been revoked per Section 2.11 (f) of our Bylaws.

 With Regret

 Al Siebring,

President,

BC Conservative Party.

The new Translink savings found in a provincial government audit are not carved in stone according to the chair of the mayors council.

Richard Walton says cutting service to create savings is simply not ideal.

"Eleven million dollars worth of savings from decreasing routes that aren't full and very often those are on weekends and late at night and there is a lot people who are very reliant on those services even though there are very few people on buses so you can always find efficiencies by cutting those routes but it doesn't mean that is the right thing to do to build transit."

Walton says on the surface the cuts needed to create the savings are not ideal.

"And this other 30-million dollars basically is saying don't be as conservative with your accounting and yet certainly Translink has been challenged in the past and saying it is potentially cannibalizing itself in order to meet its operating expenses so i think before you assume the 30-million dollars is automatic savings going forward there has to be a considerable amount of probing."

But he admits the mayors have limited options.

"Well the legislation provides us a very minimal role that really just appointing directors and approving major capitol increases I think there is a disconnect from the land planning function of Metro Vancouver that all of us have a major major challenge with that aside we have communicated that and we continue to indicate to the province, to the media, and to the public that this is not the optimal model."

Walton says the other 30-million dollars in savings comes from Translink being less conservative with their accounting.

He says don't assume the 41 million is automatic savings going forward, adding there needs to be a closer look at the audit's findings and impacts.

The Canada Border Services Agency says the customs officer who was shot yesterday remains in stable condition in hospital.

In a statement the agency adds Lori Bowcock is on the road to recovery and surrounded by family.

The agency says Peace Arch crossing will remain closed northbound for entry into Canada until Thursday morning at eight.

It re-opens at 4pm southbound for travellers heading into the U-S.

The BC Coroner's Service has confirmed the identification of the man who shot himself after shooting Bowcock.

Barb McLintock says, "his name was Andrew Michael Crews, and he was 32 years old.  It's our understanding that he lived somewhere in the greater Seattle area."

McLintock doesn't have much other information about Crews.

She adds there is still lots of investigating happening -- both by the Coroner's Service and the RCMP.
 

Road pricing is the best way to pay for transit.

That's according to an international panel of transportation experts speaking to Metro Vancouver mayors.

The panel says the funding shortfall translink faces is not unique to our region.

It is a worldwide problem and sustainable, long term funding is what is needed.

The best and most equitable option they feel is road pricing, something Langley city mayor Peter Fassbender supports.

"......and so we're not just tolling bridges, we're looking at pricing throughout the region. User pay."

They say tolling certain infrastructure is unfair and relying on the gas tax to fund transit isn't sustainable either, with more fuel efficient vehicles on the road.

Upping property taxes doesn't work either.

They say that only turns people away from taking transit.

While Metro Vancouver mayors hear international experts warn against a property tax hike to fund transit the business community doesn't agree.

BC Chamber of Commerce President John Winter says they and the Vancouver Board of Trade want mayors to approve the temporary property tax increase.

Winter says it would buy the time needed to hammer out a long term transit funding strategy.

"Taxation sources are many and varied there has been much discussion in recent years about what the proper sources might be, what the balance ought to be, who pays, who doesn't, the reality is the taxpayer is going to pay in one form or another so it is up to our elected politicians to figure out the best way that, that can possibly happen."

But he admits the two year property tax hike is really just a band aid solution.

"It is a stop gap formula for sure but it is important that it be followed through upon at this stage to buy the time to really delve into what the right formula might be."

Winter says any transit reduction would add to clogged roads and increase costs for businesses.

Meanwhile Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts says she is not in favour of raising property taxes to help pay for transit

"Property taxes, that is not a sustainable revenue source and there is no correlation to the transportation system so like I said you know you either want good public policy or you want to play politics."

Metro Vancouver mayors will resume meetings tomorrow as they search for a solution to transit funding woes.

The province is still not happy with the answers they are getting from Enbridge at the review panel into the Northern Gateway proposal.

Environment Minister Terry Lake says Enbridge officials didn't have much to say when grilled about oil spill response.

"I would say we were disappointed in the level of detail that Northern Gateway was able to provide in answer to our questions around spill preparedness this is a remote area in many cases and access is difficult and yet the company was unable to provide details of response plans which I think cause some concern for British Columbians."

Lake says the province and the people in BC expect world class oil spill prevention and response. 
 
"The company says they are commited to that level of oil spill prevention and preparedness and yet I would say that the detail...the lack of detail...that we have seen in the responses and certainly their record would not back up that verbal commmitment and I think that British Columbians want to see that at the beginning of the approval process rather than wait for those details to come later."
 
Lake says Enbridge is promising more details to come later.

"Well the company says that more detail will come later and we certainly understand that you can't have all of the details necessary at this stage but i still think there is a big gap between what people would expect in terms of there responses that we have seen to date and what the company has priovided."

The province will continue to cross examine Enbridge officials but focus on the marine environment when the review moves to Prince Rupert.

The numbers are staggering.

CKNW news has learned there were several million people riding the Metro Vancouver bus system for free last year.
 
On board Coast Mountain buses is a button drivers are to push if someone gets on and refuses to pay.

Last year drivers pushed that button 2.1 million times.

If you multiply that number with the minimum bus fare of two-dollars-50 cents for one zone that's 5.2-million-dollars that Translink's losing out on.

And that does not include fare jumping on Skytrain.

The Vancouver transit centre reported the highest 'fares not paid' of 1.2-million.

Even worse many bus drivers off the record say they don't even bother to push that button anymore because there are so many freeloaders on board.

Jordan Bateman with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation says he's shocked.

"fare evasion is a serious problem we've all been talking about this for months now but it seems like every few weeks we get a little bit more dipper glimpse into just exactly how deep the problem runs and 2.1 million times the driver pushed the botton on fare evasion it's a shocking number it's a disgusting number no wonder so many of these drivers are demoralized about what's going on with the system."

CKNW News has learned Coast Mountain bus drivers pushed the 'fare not paid button' on board their coaches 2.1-million times in 2011. If you multiply that with the cheapest fare of two-dollars-50 cents, that's just over five-million-dollars in lost revenue.
 
Bus drivers union boss Don McLeod figures that number's on the low side, "You we'd like to see the money in the fare boxes five, ten, 15 million, whatever it is. You know what you calculated on $2.50 a ride, that's the minimum. You know some of these are quite possibly three zones, you know, so that's the minimum from the stats that show that and it's no secret it's there."

Translink executive Bob Paddon admits fare evasion's just as bad on Skytrain, "I'm not sure I'm surprised. We're concerned with the amount of fare issues that we have on board the bus. When you look at the total dollars involved with fare evasion on our system the bus has as much fare evasion as the Skytrain system."

NDP Transportation critic Harry Baines says the solution is simple, get Transit cops on board the buses, "I have spoken to many drivers, they are frustrated they are not getting the support they need and at the same time they know the money is not being collected. People are not paying when they should be paying."

Many drivers say they don't even bother to push the 'not paid button' because there are so many freeloaders and Translink doesn't do anything about it.

Amanda Todd’s tragic story has caught the world's attention like no other.

Her heart-wrenching YouTube video about being bullied has helped her story to be picked up in the U.S., the U.K. and even as far away as Japan – where bullying is also a big problem.  

Vigils have been planned locally for Maple Ridge and Surrey, but also as far away as Calgary, Halifax, California and Ohio.

Amanda's mother says talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has even reached out to her.

The 15-year-old is not the first teen suicide to gain notoriety.

But cyber bulling expert Julia Hengstler says Amanada put her own face and name out there, in the same medium in which she was bullied. So, she says, the video has become a sort of rallying point.

"Amanda Todd’s video has sort of drawn a cyber line in the sand that has reached out and said, 'This is so in your face now. You need to do something about it, and what are you doing to do?'

Hengstler says just as Amanda couldn't get away from her online tormentors, society now cannot ignore her story.

"It was just a cry for help for her,” says Hengstler. “It was a cry for help for, I think, her generation, and saying, you know, 'Look at me. We need help. We need help in dealing with how to be in technology, how to use these technologies and even to come back to common values on how to be with each other."

The three municipalities on the North Shore continue to take a look at dropping the RCMP and moving to another policing option.
North Vancouver District Mayor Richard Walton says they are still trying to determine the cost benefits, if any, of moving away from the mounties and sharing the West Vancouver police instead.  

But he cautions there will be no quick answers.

"It is a long road even with the report we are going to...obviously it is going to take a year or more before we reach a point probably where we can decide whether or not we can...we'll go it alone. We are very comfortable with our local RCMP service they are providing excellent service in North Vancouver the challenge for us is the larger issues and that is the funding uncertainty."

Mayors unhappy with the new 20-year RCMP contract can take advantage of a two year opt-out clause.

RCMP have taken down a large marijuana grow operation in east Maple Ridge.

Mounties stumbled across the grow-op at a home on Ferguson Avenue on Monday while visiting the home on an unrelated matter.

They found  nearly one thousand plants in various stages of growth, along with several guns.

A 42 year old man and his 35 year old wife were arrested.

They've been released from custody and ordered to be back in court in February.

The Ministry of Children and Families have also been notified because the couple has two young children.

The fight against bullying dominated this morning at the annual "We Day" event at Rogers Arena.

Premier Christy Clark opened the show to an audience 20-thousand strong.

She told the crowd of kids to stand up for change and fight for local causes, like cancer research for Terry Fox and bullying for Amanda todd, who left a video of her story.

"And she did that because she wants each of us to remember that she needed someone to stand up, to move from me to we."

Singer-songwriter Demi Lovato, an idol of the 15-year-old Todd, is expected to address bullying this afternoon.

This national event sponsored by "Free the Children" aims to ignite a spirit of change in children.

A new calendar raising money for charity features a dozen of the Vancouver Police department's finest.

They're all from the 18-member police dog squad.

All proceeds from the 4th edition will go to the BC Cancer and Children's Hospital foundations.

Each year, they've reached their goal of $15,000.

The calendars are being sold for $10 at various locations in the city.

The company behind the Northern Gateway Pipeline proposal is inviting the Provincial Government to go for a tour.
 
Enbridge is hoping BC officials take them up on the offer of visiting the pipeline's route, as well as the company's control room in Michigan, the site of a large spill two years ago.

Northern Gateway President John Carruthers was asked if he's frustrated by the lack of public support.

"Pipelines move product all across North America safely. And I think they need to understand what we're putting in place, to drive the chance of a spill to as low as practicable, that means using the latest technology process and goes to route selection. And that would also be replicated in the marine environment as well."

Enbridge also claims the Province has turned down its recent requests to meet.