Isabella Zavarise

3 weeks ago | ctvnews.ca | Isabella Zavarise

A Vancouver mother is demanding answers from her son’s elementary school and the Vancouver School Board. Jasmine Barahona’s six-year-old neurodivergent son came home from school Wednesday in a different outfit than the one he wore that morning, prompting questions. “He said, a man took him to the basement and changed him in a closet,” Barahona said. “I immediately tried to hold my cool.”Barahona’s son came home wearing new pants, shoes and underwear.

1 month ago | ctvnews.ca | Isabella Zavarise

A former Vancouver Police Board member is questioning what role the board played in how the budget for an initiative targeting crime on the Downtown Eastside was approved. Faye Wightman served as a member on the board for about three years before resigning last January, citing political interference from the mayor’s office.

1 month ago | ctvnews.ca | Isabella Zavarise

The Vancouver Police Department is expecting to be millions of dollars over budget by the end of year, according to a report. The Q1 Variance Report, which covers the first quarter ending on March 31, states the VPD is over budget by 3.7 per cent or $3,868,735, and is projected to finish the year over budget by 1.6 per cent or $6,999,302. The VPD attributes the overspend in the first quarter to backfilling vacancies, policing protests, and equipment purchases for its body-worn camera initiative.

1 month ago | ctvnews.ca | Isabella Zavarise

Vancouver city council has approved a policy to generate thousands of new hotel rooms. On Tuesday, councillors heard from senior planners, who presented a report outlining an urgent need to create 10,000 hotel rooms by 2050. The report, titled, ‘Hotel Development Policy Update,’ said that if the city reaches this goal, it could generate billions of dollars in economic impacts.

1 month ago | ctvnews.ca | Isabella Zavarise

The Vancouver School Board will no longer be a living wage employer, citing significant yearly fluctuations in the rate. A living wage is the hourly amount that a worker needs to earn to afford basic essentials like food and rent. The current rate for Metro Vancouver is $27.05. The VSB said it will not equip contractors with supplemental funding to provide their employees with wages that align with Living Wage B.C’s hourly rate. The VSB became a Living Wage employer in 2022.