Opposition Leader Kevin Falcon has lowered the curtain on the BC Liberal Party and ushered in a new name, BC United. Falcon told party members yesterday in Surrey that the changes capture an “energetic, new feel” that reflects what he calls a bright future for the province. He says the new logo includes a stylized bridge and replaces the party’s former primary colours of red, blue and yellow with pink and teal tones. Falcon says the colours are great because they’re not typically political colours and they represent a vibrant, fresh approach.
Canada’s public safety minister says a meeting in Vancouver has confirmed the need for a foreign-agent registry to combat improper influence. Marco Mendicino says he met with a robust cross-section of the local community, including people with Chinese heritage or cultural links. He says they told him there is intimidation, harassment and abuse within the community fuelled by foreign influence. The federal government announced last month that it wants to hear from Canadians on creating a foreign influence transparency registry to help prevent other countries from meddling in Canada’s affairs.
RCMP and Metro Vancouver Transit Police say they will be stepping up patrols at transit hubs after a 17-year-old was fatally stabbed on a bus in Surrey. Police say no arrests have been made and that the stabbing appears to have been targeted, but with no connection to gang conflict in the Lower Mainland. The Tuesday night stabbing is the latest in a rash of violence on buses and other public transit settings in Metro Vancouver and other communities in Canada. Premier David Eby acknowledged the teen’s death at a news conference in Nanaimo where he announced details on the government’s plan to tackle repeat violent offenders.
One person is dead and three were injured in an avalanche in northern BC. The Last Frontier Heliskiing Team says five people were caught by the slide Tuesday in the area of a lodge about 360 kilometres north of Smithers. There were no details about the condition of the three people who were injured. Avalanche Canada has warned about unstable snowpack across most of BC this season, during which 13 people have died.
Housing Minster Ravi Kahlon says the BC government is taking steps toward digital permitting, a move aimed at getting new construction projects approved more quickly. The BC Building Code is currently only available in print or PDF format, and the province says a “digitally enhanced” code will include features that will make it faster and easier for builders and building inspectors to use the information. It says the building permitting process also varies widely across local governments, with some using digital tools and others relying on paper. The province says it’s working to digitize the building code and the permitting process with pilot projects in select municipalities next year.