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CBSA believes staff security level is where it should be

October 18, 2012, 10:39 pm
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As Canadian border officer Lori Bowcock continues her recovery in hospital, the conversation is turning to whether Tuesday's shooting at the Peace Arch could have been prevented.

Border officials seem to be saying, no.
 
CBSA Executive Director Kim Scoville says he's reviewed the security footage over and over again.

"I've lived this non-stop since it happened. Our officer was defenceless. And I, quite frankly, don't think that really there was a lot that could've been done."

A motive still hasn't been determined as to why Andrew Crews allegedly shot Bowcock before turning the gun on himself.

Scoville says Canadian Border guards have some of the best training and equipment in the world.
 
As for Bowcock's recovery, she's apparently already asking about returning to work.

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Amanda Todd vigil will be global

October 18, 2012, 10:40 pm
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Surrey's Holland Park will be the site of a large candlelight vigil Friday night as people gather to remember Amanda Todd.
 
The 15-year old took her own life last week after years of relentless bullying.
 
Organizer Lucky Gill is asking everyone to wear pink to show bullying doesn't have a place in society.

"By attending the candlelight vigil and lighting the candles wherever they are, to let the others know if somebody else is going through the bullying right now that they should look around, there's a lot of help that's available, a lot of people do care."

More than 30 cities around the world will also be holding vigils.

Locally, it begins at six p.m.

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Idea of leaving GVRD not dead yet

October 19, 2012, 8:11 am
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The Township of Langley hasn't made any official moves to opt out of Metro Vancouver and joing the Fraser Valley Regional District, yet.

Township Mayor Jack Froese says one of the things needing a look is if the move would generate any cost savings for Langley.

He says "Council made a resolution to have a study to see what our costs and benefits are but that was deferred so I could have a conversation with the Minister of Transportation about some of the issues and our MLA's and then we will be looking at doing a study to check that out but as far as officially making any moves to move out of the GVRD we haven't done anything yet."

Froese along with the Mayors of Langley City, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack met a few months ago to explore the idea.

Township councillor Kim Richter has twice tried to pass a motion to opt out of Metro Vancouver and create a new south of Fraser Regional District.

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Watts has ideas on transit funding

October 19, 2012, 8:16 am
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Among the ideas floated by those on the Mayor's Council for Translink to raise transit funds is region-wide road pricing.

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts says the idea works elsewhere, but it would have to be fair and equitable.

When asked for examples using road pricing to see what it might cost someone to drive from Surrey to Vancouver, Watts says, "as low as in areas 25-cents and in others areas 50-cents.  It depends on how it is implemented but it is at such a low rate that it is spread evenly.  And you have to take the social aspect who can afford it, who cannot afford it, and those measures and technology are used around the world and they are already there."

Watts says by adding road pricing, it would also mean a reducing the Gas Tax, and removing the Property Tax.

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Should the governance of Translink be changed?

October 19, 2012, 8:22 am
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While much of the Translink argument revolves around funding, the Mayor's Council also wants see governance changes.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson was asked if it is time for the region's transit system to be run by Metro Vancouver, and he says, "well, I think that governance is at the core of the challenges here.  The Mayors don't have the ability to make decision on the priorities we end up being asked to approve, at the end of the day, a budget and in this case it is not acceptable to keep asking property tax payers to chip in at this level."

When pressed if Metro Vancouver should run transit, Robertson would only say he is open to any system giving Mayors the authority and accountability to run Translink.

The Mayor's Council has given the Province until February 28th to "fish or cut bait" on funding transit.

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New head of cardiology at UBC

October 19, 2012, 11:18 am
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A prominent cardiologist who grew up in BC has come home from Ontario to take on a key role at Vancouver General Hospital.


Doctor Andrew Krahn has been appointed the Head of Cardiology at the UBC Faculty of Medicine as well as the VGH pacemaker clinic.


His specialty is treating patients by implanting heart rhythm devices.

"Much of this has started and is underway and it has its grassroots reputation, but i believe we can do much better and that's why I'm here, is to try and help to light that match to take us to the next level"

He plans to create a BC wide network of clinics to treat up to seven thousand patients.

 

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Shipyard ceremony

October 19, 2012, 12:00 pm
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A ground-breaking ceremony on the North Shore today to mark the start of Seaspan's 200-million dollar refurbishment of Vancouver Shipyards.

The upgrades are needed to fulfill an 8-billion dollar Federal contract to build ships for Canada's Navy and Coast Guard.

North Vancouver M-L-A and Cabinet Minister Naomi Yamamoto told a crowd of hundreds her government believes in the future of BC's shipbuilding industry.

So does that mean no B-C Ferries will be built in Germany?

She says, "this industry revised itself and is competitive which I'm pretty sure it can be, then we may see B-C Ferries being built in British Columbia.  MAY SEE THOUGH, NOT WILL SEE?  I can't answer that, that's a hypothetical question."

Reporters were told Premier Christy Clark would be at the ceremony but she did not attend.

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Dangerous offender released

October 19, 2012, 11:57 am
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Authorities are putting out a warning about a violent sexual offender who has now been released from prison.

Danny Michael Perrault is considered a high risk to re-offend.

Parole board documents call the 39-year-old a "sexual sadist with a history of depression and violence dating back to childhood."

He raped a woman after a prison escape.

Authorities say he will be closely monitored and must follow 14 court ordered conditions.

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Nurses ratify new agreement

October 19, 2012, 12:00 pm
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By a vote of almost 85 per-cent, members of the BC Nurses Union have ratified a new contract with the provincial government.


The 32-thousand nurses will get wage hike of 7.1 per-cent over two years, but that includes extending their work week to 37-and-a-half hours.


Union president Deb McPherson says for the first time, the contract contains what she calls "clear, enforceable provisions" that allow more nurses to be called in on shifts based on the needs of patients, not budget concerns.

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Langley man to be sentenced next year for pointing laser at RCMP helicopter

October 19, 2012, 1:44 pm
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A Langley man will have to wait til next year to learn his sentence for pointing a laser at a helicopter.

Alexander William Schiller has pleaded guilty to aiming the laser at the pilot and passenger of an RCMP helicopter while it was assisting Vancouver Police in April of last year -- when Schiller was 30.

He was later charged with mischief, preventing a crew from performing its duties, and contravening the Aeronautics Act.

Crown Counsel Jason Krupa says it doesn't matter if the act was innocent or a prank. 

"With this case, when the laser beam hits the window, it will possibly disperse and flood the cockpit with light. So it's not like it would necessarily pass through the cockpit windows and out the other side, it will potentially flood the cabin with light and blind the pilot to what they're seeing outside and their instruments."

He's seeking a five-month sentence to be served in the community, with two months under house arrest. 

The judge is set to make his decision January 25th.

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Hundreds turn out for vigil in honour of Amanda Todd

October 19, 2012, 7:50 pm
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Hundreds of people turned out to a public vigil at Surrey's Holland Park.

It's all to pay tribute to 15 year old Amanda Todd who took her own life last week.

Candles lit the fountain in the middle of the park.

The crowd continued to grow as darkness fell.

Politicians, RCMP officers, firefighters and other officials were noticeable in the crowd but the focus was clearly on the fight against bullying with many people wearing pink. 

Amanda Todd killed herself after years of relentless bullying, much of it online.

Speakers told their own stories of struggles, each of them calling for changes to be made, both legally and socially, in the fight against bullying.  

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Enrollment drops in two of BC's largest school districts

October 19, 2012, 11:35 pm
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It has seen growth for thirty consecutive years but student enrollment is down in BC’s largest school district.  And it's the same story in Vancouver as well, except in Vancouver it was expected.

Vancouver School Board Chair Patti Bacchus says a drop of five-hundred students had been anticipated, but it turned out to be more like 700 fewer pupils.

"Fortunately because we had projected the five hundred, and in some cases held back staffing in some schools, I don't believe we have to make any staffing adjustments in terms of classrooms due to that."

In Surrey it's hardly a dramatic loss as much as it's a symbolic one.  It's a decrease of seventy two students.

The problem is the district forecast an increase of nearly two hundred kids, which means Surrey will likely lose out on more than five million dollars in Provincial funding.

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UPDATED: Province interested in a study looking at raising alcohol prices

October 19, 2012, 11:43 pm
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Provincial Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid says she's interested by a new report which found raising minimum prices for harder alcoholic drinks could help offset healthcare costs for alcohol-related illnesses.

"Certainly we know that direct and indirect costs of alcohol abuse and alcoholism are tremendous in our healthcare system, so anytime someone comes forward with a new idea, I’m interested in it. And I’ll certainly be having a look at the study."

MacDiarmid, a doctor herself, says she need to read the study in more detail.

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National day of action planned to support women's right for safe, legal abortions

October 20, 2012, 1:35 am
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All women should have access to a safe and legal abortion.  That's the message of a National Day of Action Saturday aimed at promoting women's rights.

It's being organized by the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, who claims many women are forced to travel long distances to have the operation.

"Abortion is not a thing by itself, it's often the target because it's so controversial.  But it's a part of women's reproductive health services and women deserve a whole range of services, sexual health and reproductive health services.  Not just women but everyone,” says Joyce Arthur, Executive Director of the Coalition.

The BC Federation of Labour will be among the groups taking part in a rally Saturday afternoon.

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Children and youth representative says BC government spends less on mental health programs than it claims

October 20, 2012, 1:54 pm
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BC's Representative for Children and Youth is disputing figures from the provincial government -- over the amount of money spent on mental health programs.

The minister responsible -- Stephanie Cadieux -- claims $94 million are spent each year to address concerns.

But Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond isn't buying that number.

"I think they spend closer to 70 million, not 94 million firstly... and secondly when someone comes in with a crisis, I like to think they go to the front of the line, but my experience as an advocate with individual cases is that they don't... because in order to put someone at the front of the line, you have to actually do the assessment to see where they belong."

Turpel-Lafond says she's also in the process of completing a review of the services available to children and youth.

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Granville Street store claims work at Orpheum Theatre is keeping customers away

October 20, 2012, 2:22 pm
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The City of Vancouver is coming under fire from a Granville Street army surplus store.

The shop's manager claims work at the Orpheum Theatre -- is hurting sales.

Crews are working on the Orpheum's vintage sign -- with several trucks blocking the area in-front of the theatre.

But employees next door at "Camouflage" claim they showed up to work -- the store-front blocked -- and told they weren't allowed in.

Not only that -- Manager Baseer Khudayar says they had no idea the work was even happening.

"Today is supposed to be the second busiest day of the year for us, and next week which is the Halloween weekend, that's the busiest weekend, and they're going to be here, same thing again next weekend."

A small make-shift path has now been set up to let customers inside -- but Khudayar says they've already seen an 80% drop in customers.

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New Westminster man facing charges after allegedly assaulting woman while on a bus

October 20, 2012, 2:51 pm
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A 30-year old New Westminster man is facing charges -- after allegedly assaulting a woman on-board a bus.

Transit Police say it happened Thursday morning -- when the man started yelling at a group of strangers.

When one of the women intervened, he allegedly spat on her, and started to kick and punch her.

He also apparently threatened to hit the driver if he didn't let him off the bus.

Brandon Joseph Johnson will undergo a psychiatric assessment Monday.

He's well known to police -- and has a previous conviction for assaulting a bus driver back in 2006.

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Four people okay after small plane veers off runway in Chilliwack

October 20, 2012, 3:57 pm
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Four people were able to walk away from a small plane crash in Chilliwack this afternoon.

RCMP Corporal Keith Harwood says the Cessna was coming in to land around 1:00.

"Ran into a little bit of trouble and it veered off the runway slightly and came to rest in a ditch just on the edge of the runway."

Heavy winds may have played a role.

Transportation Safety Board officials will be investigating.

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NDP to on decide Vancouver-Fairview candidate Sunday

October 21, 2012, 3:41 am
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Decision day has arrived for New Democrats in Vancouver-Fairview as they choose the man who will run for the party in next May’s election.

Vancouver City Councillor Geoff Meggs is in a hotly contested race with Sierra Club Executive Director George Heyman.

"There's a lot of enthusiasm because of my experience on council and the issues that have been identified with there like housing and transit, so I’m feeling a lot of support and I’m sure it will be very intense," says Meggs.

For his part, heyman says the party will be unified, no matter who takes the nomination:  "We all have the same goal, and that's to win the election. It's healthy to have a contest, people have told me how lucky they feel to have two really good candidates.”

The riding is currently held by Liberal Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid.

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Campaign aims to bring lapsed Catholics back to church

October 21, 2012, 3:45 am
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One of the world's biggest religions is buying advertising to bring Metro Vancouver’s stray Catholics back to the church.

The Catholics Come Home campaign, developed by a non-profit organization in Atlanta, reaches out to lapsed parishioners using television ads.

This is the first time they've partnered with a Diocese outside the United States.

Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller says the goal is to help those who've stopped going to mass rediscover the joy of believing.

From December 14th through January 20th, nearly 1700 commercials will air in English, Mandarin and Cantonese across the Lower Mainland and Victoria.

Organizers say past campaigns in America have seen attendance grow to eighteen per cent from ten.

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