Vancouver Rundown

Arson is now suspected in that Wednesday morning fire that destroyed three businesses in East Vancouver. Vancouver Police confirm the Major Crime Section is investigating the blaze that started at around 4:00 a.m. and quickly spread to several historic buildings along East Hastings. No one was hurt.

A large Wednesday morning fire has badly damaged several historic businesses along East Hastings in Vancouver. One of those is Wohlford & Company - formerly known as Dayton Boots - which had been operating in the same building for 75 years. Windsor Meats and The Indian Chefs have also been damaged. The fire started just after 4:00 a.m. - half a dozen people are displaced.

The massive Jericho Lands development has been approved. Vancouver City Council voted unanimously in favour of the First Nations project that will create 13,000 new homes in Point Grey over the next 25 years. The 90 acres of land is owned by the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh First Nations.

“Pope Francis was a tireless shepherd of the Church, a beacon of hope, and a champion of the Gospel.” That’s how Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller describes the late pontiff. Pope Francis died Easter Monday after a stroke and several weeks of illness. He was 88. The conclave should happen within two weeks - there is widespread speculation voting archbishops will choose a new pope from Asia or...

It’s about to get easier for new drivers to get their licenses in B.C. The provincial government is changing the graduated licensing system, getting rid of a second road test. Instead, new drivers will have their records closely reviewed for the first 12 months. It’s hoped the changes will cut down on long wait times for those road tests.

Most British Columbians will no longer have to cough up a sick note for their boss. The provincial government is changing the employment standards legislation allowing workers to miss a few days without proving their illness. The change comes after years of pushing from the Doctors of BC. It does not impact requests for notes involving longer periods of leave. It also doesn’t apply to those employ...

A couple dozen protestors, mostly unionized hotel workers, have staged a Monday afternoon rally at Vancouver City Hall demanding affordable housing. It comes has City Council considers a plan for the building of more hotel rooms. Destination Vancouver claims the city is short close to 10,000 hotel rooms. One campaigner says such an idea is insulting when people who live and work in Vancouver are b...

The Conservatives have narrowed the gap as the Liberal lead dips for the first time in this Canadian election campaign. An Ipsos poll for Global News shows the Liberals still ahead with 42 per cent of decided voters - a drop of four points. The Conservatives are up by two points to 36 per cent. The French leaders’ debate is Wednesday while the English debate is Thursday. The campaign has now passe...

Two RCMP officers have been slightly injured in a multi-vehicle crash in the Brookswood area of Langley. It happened Thursday afternoon at 200 Street and 32 Avenue with the crash involving the cops and a vehicle driven by a robbery suspect. RCMP will not say whether it followed a police chase but do say Mounties from Surrey, Langley and the gang unit were following up on a robbery at the South Sur...

Starting next school year, Surrey will be pulling the plug on all field trips to the U.S. That includes all sports events, band recitals, dance competitions and other experiential field trips. The move comes after several high profile cases of Canadian citizens being detained by U.S. border guards. Surrey appears to be the first school district in B.C. to make such a move.

“I’m confident I’ll be able to serve the people of Burnaby Central” - that’s what NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has told party faithful during a campaign stop in Vancouver. Those words come despite various tracking polls that suggest the New Democrats may only win a single seat in B.C. and four across the country. Polls also suggest Singh will be soundly defeated by the Liberals in his riding. The late...

Part official business…part campaigning. Mark Carney has made several stops in Greater Victoria before meeting with Premier David Eby. Carney and Eby have discussed the new tariffs on U.S. bound softwood lumber. The latest Angus Reid poll has the federal Liberals with 48 per cent support in B.C. compared to 37 per cent for the Conservatives and 11 for the NDP.

Two social advocates, running for left-of-centre civic parties, have been elected to Vancouver City Council in a byelection with near record turnout. COPE’s Sean Orr and Lucy Maloney with OneCity defeated all other candidates by at least a two-to-one margin. Former councillor Colleen Hardwick, the only candidate with elected experience, came in third. The two candidates running for Mayor Ken Sim’s...

While denouncing any talk of western separatism, Premier David Eby does say he wants to bring in more U.S. immigrants. He says that would help bolster the B.C. economy. The comments come in reaction to Wednesday’s tariff announcement by Donald Trump that left the province mostly unscathed. Eby claims American medical professionals, researchers and entrepreneurs increasingly want to leave the State...

Many business leaders in B.C. and the rest of Canada are expressing tenuous relief as they escape Donald Trump’s additional tariffs. Canada will still be charged 25 per cent tariffs on most autos, steel, aluminum and other non-USMCA goods. The U-S president used his so-called ‘Liberation Day’ speech to list sweeping tariffs on most countries - starting at 10 per cent for those such as the UK and g...

A Lower Mainland candidate is the third Conservative to quit in a single day. A local Conservative campaign manager has confirmed Lourence Singh is no longer running in New Westminster-Burnaby-Maillardville. No reason has been given. Singh joins Windsor area candidate Mark Mackenzie and Montreal area candidate Stefan Marquis in squashing their bids to become an MP.

A man from B.C. is sitting in a federal jail in Seattle, charged with smuggling military technology from the U.S. to Pakistan. Mohammad Jawaid Aziz was arrested just over a week ago while trying to enter the U.S. at the Peace Arch crossing. The 67-year-old with Canadian-Pakistani citizenship is accused of using his company to obtain American tech for those in Pakistan who are linked to that countr...

The federal Liberals continue to lead the Conservatives heading into this second official week of the Canadian election campaign. An Ipsos poll for Global News finds the Liberals up two points to 44 per cent while the Conservatives have 38 per cent - also up two - and the NDP have dropped a point to nine per cent. The statistical margin of error is 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20. Donald Trump an...

Former long-time provincial cabinet minister Mike de Jong will run as an independent in this federal Election. It comes after the federal Conservative party rejected his bid to run in Abbotsford-South Langley - choosing 25-year-old blueberry farmer and university student Sukhman Gill instead. According to de Jong, party staffers declared him not qualified to run for Parliament as a Conservative.

‘A direct attack on Canada.’ That’s how Prime Minister Mark Carney describes Donald Trump’s newly announced 25 per cent tariffs on most auto imports to the U.S. The tariffs are expected to start April 2 when most other Canadian exports are hit. Carney says the tariffs will hurt the Canadian auto sector but retaliatory action may soon be introduced.

The B.C. carbon tax will be scrapped on April Fools Day. The provincial government is urging gas stations to get ready for the change which will take place on April 1 and comes after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the feds will back-off consumer carbon taxes next week. B.C.’s tax is said to add about 17 cents per litre to the price of regular gas.

The B.C. carbon tax will be scrapped on April Fools Day. The provincial government is urging gas stations to get ready for the change which will take place on April 1 and comes after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the feds will back-off consumer carbon taxes next week. B.C.’s tax is said to add about 17 cents per litre to the price of regular gas.

The federal leaders will take part in broadcast debates on April 16 and April 17 but there will not be a third debate in the election campaign after the Liberal’s Mark Carney said no to Quebec’s TVA. The debates will be hosted by Radio-Canada (CBC) in Montreal. Meanwhile, former Premier Christy Clark now says she will not be running for the Liberals in this federal election. Sources say Clark had...

Former Premier Christy Clark will run for the federal Liberals in Surrey’s Fleetwood-Port Kells riding according to long-time political watcher Bill Tieleman. That word came this weekend before current Liberal MP Ken Hardie confirmed he won’t be seeking re-election in the riding. Meanwhile, former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson has announced he’s been tapped to run in Fraserview-South Burnaby. T...

Canadians will go to the polls in a snap federal election. On Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney will ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call an election. That vote will take place either April 28 or May 5. The latest polls show a huge uptick in support for the Liberals following Justin Trudeau’s resignation - the Liberals and Conservatives appear to be in a dead heat right now.