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1 month ago | 
vancouver.citynews.ca | Michael Williams
B.C.'s summer tourism season is just weeks away, and the province is now under pressure to adjust its short-term rental (STR) laws. The B.C. Real Estate Association (BCREA) is calling on the province to revisit elements of its Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act, warning that the current approach is creating "unintended consequences" for communities that rely heavily on tourism and temporary accommodation.
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1 month ago | 
vancouver.citynews.ca | Michael Williams
The Metro Vancouver Regional District has taken its first steps toward reform following a scathing audit that called for sweeping changes at the troubled organization. At a board meeting Friday - the first since the report was made public - members voted to eliminate some costly perks and strengthen internal oversight.
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1 month ago | 
vancouver.citynews.ca | Michael Williams
A dispute over how to deal with a rat infestation at Fraser Downs Racetrack in Surrey has landed in the B.C. Supreme Court - and the future of the upcoming fall harness racing season may hang in the balance. The Harness Racing BC Society (HRBC), which represents trainers, horse owners, and breeders, has filed legal documents to prevent the site's operator, Great Canadian Entertainment, from shutting down the racetrack for what could be several months to deal with rodents in the barns.
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1 month ago | 
vancouver.citynews.ca | Michael Williams
At the corner of Hastings and Abbott, London Drugs has long dealt with violence, theft, and mounting financial losses. But there are now signs of hope at one of the retailer's most challenging locations. Tony Hunt, the company's general manager of loss prevention, says conditions at the store - located in the Woodward's Building - have "significantly" improved since the launch of a new Vancouver Police Department (VPD) task force three months ago.
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1 month ago | 
vancouver.citynews.ca | Michael Williams
Former Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson is back in the spotlight, and this time on the federal stage. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed Robertson as Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, as well as the minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada. Robertson, who won the newly created riding of Vancouver Fraserview-South Burnaby for the Liberals in the April 28 federal election, has long framed housing as one of his top policy priorities.
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1 month ago | 
vancouver.citynews.ca | Michael Williams
As B.C. prepares for a sweeping review of its Mental Health Act, one local school trustee says a crucial voice is missing from the conversation: education. Danielle Connelly, a New Westminster school board trustee and chair of the the British Columbia School Trustees Association Metro branch, is calling on the province to ensure schools are at the table for any mental policy reform - warning that students are already slipping through the cracks. "We are at a crisis point," said Connelly.
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1 month ago | 
vancouver.citynews.ca | Michael Williams
After more than 65 years of steady service linking British Columbia and Washington State, the Black Ball Ferry Line's M.V. Coho is cutting back sailings ahead of its summer travel season. The company announced it will delay the start of its full summer schedule by two weeks, citing a 14% drop in traffic compared to the same period last year. The service, which runs year-round between Victoria and Port Angeles, typically ramps up in June.
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1 month ago | 
vancouver.citynews.ca | Michael Williams
U.S. President Donald Trump's latest trade threat has the Canadian film industry bracing for impact, but nobody is quite sure what that impact would be. On Sunday, Trump floated the idea of a 100 per cent tariff on all films made outside of America, labelling foreign film production a "national security threat" and claiming a "propaganda" campaign is pulling Hollywood out of the country.
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1 month ago | 
vancouver.citynews.ca | Michael Williams
A solemn hush fell over a portion of the University of British Columbia campus Wednesday as hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil to honour the lives lost and those forever changed by Saturday's tragic violence at the Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver. Students, faculty, and members of the wider community stood in silence, mourning, remembering, and showing solidarity with the victims of the senseless act that has shaken the city, province, and country.
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2 months ago | 
vancouver.citynews.ca | Michael Williams
Dozens of post-secondary instructors and staff gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery Friday to protest the federal government's cap on international student enrolment. The rally, organized by instructors from Vancouver Community College (VCC) and other institutions across Metro Vancouver, is a response to the widespread job losses and program closures caused by the restrictions. The cap on international students is part of an effort to curb housing and healthcare pressures in Canada.
