Yasmin Gandham

1 month ago | ctvnews.ca | Yasmin Gandham

Ongoing drought conditions across B.C. could be bad news for the summer wildfire fight. Several regions are already showing elevated risk, but a change in weather could yield different results. Richard Carr, a fire analyst with Natural Resources Canada, says conditions are not as dry as they were in 2024, but they are still concerning. “It can be quite dry and quite windy, so those factors could of course lead to wildfires and wildfire spread,” he says.

1 month ago | ctvnews.ca | Yasmin Gandham

City councillors unanimously approved a motion Wednesday to re-instate funding for the Vancouver School Board to provide meals to students in need. The motion, put forward by councillors Rebecca Bligh and Pete Fry, brings back $325,000 in annual support for the school meal program, until the VSB can secure alternative funding. The city previously announced it would reduce the funding to $162,500 due to budget pressures, and because of additional support coming from the B.C. government.

1 month ago | ctvnews.ca | Yasmin Gandham

A group of parents and teachers in Surrey, B.C., have launched a joint campaign requesting funding in the wake of severe cuts to the city’s education services. The campaign was announced at the CUPE 728 office in Surrey by staff from the union for district support, the Surrey Teachers Association and the Surrey District Parents Advisory Council. “This is a growing crisis in our public education system,” said Tammy Murphy, president of CUPE 728.

1 month ago | ctvnews.ca | Yasmin Gandham

Parents are furious after a Vancouver School Board trustee posted email screenshots of an inclusive education survey to X, formally known as Twitter. VSB trustee Alfred Chien published the names of parents via a social media post April 23, and did not take the post down until Sunday – after receiving backlash from parents.

2 months ago | ctvnews.ca | Yasmin Gandham

Schools in Surrey will have fewer education assistants as the district will be cutting approximately 50 positions. The decision was announced at the public school board meeting earlier this month as the district grapples with a $16 million budget shortfall. Claudia Chiesa, a parent in the district, has a 14-year-old son with autism. The news is devastating for her. “That’s crazy because – just as it is – it’s really hard for not just the parents, but for the kids”, explains Chiesa.