Vancouver’s single use cup fee is headed for the trash. A statement from the city says the 25-cent fee will be repealed as of May 1st, along with the requirement for businesses to accept customers’ clean reusable cups. However, it says businesses are still encouraged to accept reusable drinking cups and offer discounts to customers who bring their own. The fee introduced by the previous city council took effect at the start of last year as part of a waste-reduction strategy, and the city now says it has directed staff to report back with recommendations for alternative policies.
RCMP in Surrey say they’re investigating after numerous people were pepper sprayed over the weekend inside a movie theatre. They say up to 30 people, including children, were watching a movie when a man entered the theatre, sprayed the viewers and fled. Corporal Vanessa Munn says the Mounties are aware of two similar cases in other provinces. Vancouver city council has voted to restrict the sale of bear spray after police noted an increase in the substance being used as a weapon, especially among youth.
Mounties in Burnaby are investigating after a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the campus of Simon Fraser University was vandalized. Police say they received a report Monday after someone noticed the head of the statue had been removed, likely with a power tool. They say officers are canvassing the area for witnesses and video footage. Corporal Mike Kalanj says police are looking at all aspects of the vandalism, including the possible motivation.
BC dentists are applauding the federal government for dedicating 13 billion dollars in its new budget to help people without private dental insurance. The BC Dental Association says it’s also happy to see the budget sets aside an additional 250 million over three years to establish an Oral Health Access Fund aimed at supporting people in rural and remote communities starting in 2025. President David Lim says the new funding reflects Ottawa’s recognition of the link between oral health and overall health. For the dental program to be successful, the association says it must meet patients’ needs, both preventive and restorative, and there must also be a strategy to boost skilled labour required by dental offices.
Metro Vancouver has expressed support for the new federal budget, which includes programs aimed at reducing living costs for Lower Mainland residents. The regional district says budget measures such as funding to boost the construction of affordable homes, a crackdown on fees and predatory lending, as well as grocery rebates, should help residents. Metro Vancouver is also praising tax credits and subsidies for clean energy and clean manufacturing, which align with its own climate plan.
The president of the Forests Products Association of Canada says the new federal budget signals renewed support for the sector and its workers. Derek Nighbor praised the budget for pledging nearly 370 million dollars to support Indigenous leadership in the sector, as well as research and development and low-carbon building construction. He says the budget also recognized that more must be done to build new markets for stranded wood fibre and waste in the form of biomass. Nighbor says the association is looking forward to working with Ottawa to ensure climate policies enable growth in the forestry sector.