BC Ferries sailings have been busier this year, thanks in part to strong tourist traffic and no net fare increase.
BC Ferries plans to continue its campaign of price promotions this fall and next spring in an effort to maintain increased passenger and vehicle traffic.
First-quarter results for the Crown corporation show passenger traffic up 2.5 per cent and vehicle loads up 5.1 per cent for the three months ended June 30, compared with the same period in 2015.
Buoyed by a strong tourist year for B.C. and no net fare increase, BC Ferries carried 5.3 million passengers and 2.1 million vehicles in April, May and June. The 1.9 per cent average fare hike was erased by a reduced fuel surcharge due to long-term contracts for cheaper diesel fuel.
Helped by reduced operating costs and higher retail sales from terminals and on-board gift shops, net earnings were $27 million for the quarter, up from $18.8 million in the same period last year. Revenues were up 4.9 per cent to $219 million, while costs for the quarter went up 1.5 per cent to $178.6 million.
BC Ferries CEO Mike Corrigan released the first-quarter results at the corporation's annual meeting in Victoria, where he also announced that unspecified pricing promotions will be offered this fall and next spring. This year BC Ferries has been offering discounts on over-length vehicles pulling boats or travel trailers.
Corrigan also announced he will be stepping down as CEO at the end of the fiscal year next March. He was promoted in 2012 to replace former CEO David Hahn, and presided over a controversial service review that saw sailings reduced on money-losing routes.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone praised Corrigan for reducing operating costs and embracing new technology, including three new medium-sized ferries using liquefied natural gas fuel that have been built in Poland.
LNG retrofits are also scheduled for the Spirit of B.C. and the Spirit of Vancouver Island, the workhorses of the main Tswassen-to-Vancouver Island route.
Corrigan's term also saw the first cable ferry in the BC Ferries fleet, the Baynes Sound Connector to Denman Island. Stone said the cable ferry cut fuel costs by half.

More discounts coming as BC Ferries traffic rises


Vehicle traffic up 5% with no net fare increase and discounts offered for vehicles pulling boats and travel trailers


ICBC wants to increase basic auto insurance rates by 4.9 per cent – the fifth straight annual increase – as it continues to grapple with rising numbers of crashes, claims and dramatically increasing costs.
The typical driver will pay $3.50 a month or $42 a year more for basic insurance if the hike is approved.
But the corporation is also raising optional rates by 2.8 per cent so the average customer who buys both basic and optional insurance with ICBC will see their insurance bill rise $5 a month, or $60 a year.
ICBC CEO Mark Blucher said the basic rate hike would have been much worse – 15.5 per cent translating into a $130 annual premium increase – had the province not approved another major transfer of $472 million from the optional to the basic side of operations.
A compounding factor has been the long decline of interest rates, which result in less investment income revenue to ICBC.
"These external pressures have really created a perfect storm and it's a really significant challenge for the organization," Blucher said in an interview Thursday.
ICBC had raised rates 5.5 per cent a year ago, and the province's rate smoothing policy requires the annual change be within 1.5 per cent of the previous year's increase.
The number of crashes has climbed 15 per cent in two years and damage claims are up 11 per cent.
Vehicles are increasingly reliant on technology and expensive materials that have become more costly in recent years as the loonie sagged against the U.S. dollar.
Despite much safer vehicles, injury claims have soared to $2.4 billion, up 60 per cent from $1.5 billion in 2008.
"We've seen no evidence that these strong trends are abating," Blucher said. "In fact, if anything, they're continuing to escalate going forward."
Blucher also noted there are more cars on the road in B.C. today – 3.1 million up from 2.8 million in 2011 – and people are driving more because of cheaper gas, contributing to more accidents, particularly in densifying urban areas.
And he pointed to personal injury lawyers as an aggravating cause of ICBC's spiralling claims costs.
"B.C. is the only province in Canada where you can sue another motorist for even a minor traffic accident," Blucher said, noting an increase in lawyer-represented claims and advertising by injury law firms.
Internal operating costs have been cut by $186 million a year, and ICBC is counting on more savings ahead, through its modernization program, by more aggressively combatting insurance fraud and from a hoped-for drop in distracted driving as motorists respond to stiffer penalties.
But transfers from the optional side to bolster the basic side will likely be needed for the foreseeable future, Blucher said, because basic premiums can't keep up with rising costs.
In a surprise move, the B.C. government will this year forgo extracting its usual $160-million annual dividend from ICBC's optional side into general revenue.
"Forgoing the dividend this particular year is one strategy amongst a litany of others we're employing to get that basic trate increase down," Transportation Minister Todd Stone said.
Stone said the $514 million the province has transferred out of ICBC in dividends since 2012 is small compared to the $1.4 billion over the same period that has been shifted from the competitive optional side to basic to apply downward pressure on basic rates.
The minister would not say if the government would permanently give up the ICBC dividend.
Adrian DIx, the NDP critic for ICBC, said the dividends to government have exceeded $1.2 billion since 2010 and predicted they'll resume after next year's election because the BC Liberals are "addicted" to using ICBC as a "profit centre."
Dix said the reliance on shifting huge amounts of capital from optional to basic raises troubling questions.
"Next year they've got to find that $472 million," Dix said. "What they've done is create a disaster at ICBC and their only hope is to deceive the voters until after the election."
He said ICBC's new move to hire more claims staff underscores problems with completing the computer modernization that was supposed to make operations more efficient.
"The transformation project has taken longer than World War 2 and is not close to finished."
ICBC's basic rates rose 11.2 per cent in 2012 and at least five per cent every year since.
The new rate hike is subject to B.C. Utilities Commission approval.
ICBC Rate Pressure Charts

ICBC seeks 4.9 per cent basic rate hike as crashes, costs climb


$60 a year increase for most drivers once optional auto insurance increase is included


The union representing most workers at Canada Post has issued a 72-hour notice of job action as it tries to bargain a collective agreement with the Crown corporation.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says the notice spells out what actions it is planning, but stops short of a full-blown walkout.
CUPW national president Mike Palecek says Canada Post forced the labour disruption by refusing to accept a request from the federal labour minister to continue negotiations with the help of a special mediator.
But a spokesman for the agency says that's not the case.
The union's strike mandate was set to expire at midnight.
The two sides have been in negotiations for more than nine months but are far apart on key issues including pay equity for rural carriers and proposed changes to the Canada Post pension plan.
The Canadian Press

Postal union issues strike notice after it says Canada Post refused special mediator


Notice means delivery could be cancelled as early as Monday


Unionized workers at the Empress Hotel gave 72-hour notice of job action on Tuesday morning, right before the Labour Day long weekend.
The earliest a strike could begin is Thursday morning if a deal cannot be reached.
“The ‘new’ Empress has a dirty secret: the renovations have led to harm and stress on the people who work there,” Stu Shields with Unifor said in a statement.
He said staff are being forced to work overtime because they aren’t enough people on shift. Some have worked 60 days straight.
The hotel announced its renovation plans earlier this year, including in the popular Bengal Lounge.
“The renovations are incomplete if the staffing levels remain stuck in the past,” Shields said.
Uniform Local 4276 represents nearly 500 workers at the Empress, including those in housekeeping, groundskeeping, serving, engineering and guest relations.
More to come.

Empress Hotel workers give 72-hour strike notice


Workers could take job action as early as Thursday -- right before the Labour Day long weekend.


A totally spontaneous expression of gratitude breaks out for Premier Christy Clark and Cariboo North MLA Coralee Oakes at the Quesnel rodeo after a rural school fund was announced in June.
Comedian Steve Smith, better known as Red Green, is touring B.C. in September, reprising his popular TV series in which he fixes every conceivable problem with duct tape.
Green’s “I’m Not Old I’m Ripe” tour hits Chilliwack, Victoria, Nanaimo, Courtenay, Surrey, Vernon, Kelowna and Prince George.
His formula for deploying the handyman’s secret weapon has proven so popular that Premier Christy Clark may have been inspired. She’s had quite a flurry of hasty repairs in the last few months. Here’s a recap.
The B.C. minimum wage was starting to lag behind other provinces, even after the overhaul it received in 2015, where annual increases are tied to inflation.
Like Red’s truck tires, there has been a lack of inflation, and a surge of government spending back east leaving B.C. in the dust. B.C.’s wage rose 20 cents last year and was set to go up by another whole dime this fall.
There was that familiar ripping sound in May as Clark and Jobs Minister Shirley Bond announced the September increase will be patched up to 40 cents, with another 40-cent increase next fall. Two wraps should hold it until after the election.
Remember the episode where Red taped two old Hyundai Ponies side by side to make a handyman’s Hummer? The school system has seen that kind of work in recent months.
The first roll was applied by Education Minister Mike Bernier when he announced in March that the ministry’s “fix-it fund” was going from $35 million to $40 million. Then in mid-May, he announced 80 successful projects. The “fix-it fund” had fattened to $45 million, and Bernier was just getting his sleeves rolled up.
Hey school districts, remember the $25 million in “administrative savings” the ministry demanded for the second year in a row? Now that you’ve squeezed that from your budgets, Bernier’s good news at the end of May was that the government’s giving it back to use for “front line services for students.”
One of those services could be “maintaining schools despite falling enrolment in certain regions,” Bernier announced May 31, foreshadowing the next layer of repairs.
Sure enough, a “rural schools fund” was rolled out on June 15. Clark and Cariboo North MLA Coralee Oakes made the announcement in Quesnel, where Kersley and Parkland elementary schools were going to close.
Also eligible for a special fund was Okanagan-Similkameen, where Osoyoos high school students were going to be bused a half hour to Oliver. This is hardly unusual in rural schooling around B.C., but these are swing ridings, you see.
Kootenay Lake district declined the opportunity to keep Yahk elementary open, with an anticipated fall enrolment of zero students. This all comes during the annual ritual combat between the ministry and Vancouver school board over keeping half-empty schools open.
Bernier had one more roll in his overalls. School bus service, one of those things jettisoned or saddled with hundreds of dollars in fees per student as districts scraped up those “administrative savings,” was selectively saved with another $15 million fund announced last week.
There have been a few other country fixes. They’re not going to ban weddings on farms any more, for instance.
That old jalopy in the back yard you’ve been trying to soup up and get back on the road? Soon you can get a collector plate for that thing, which is perfect if you can only get it running once or twice a year.
To paraphrase Red, if the voters don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc

BC VIEWS: Premier Red Green’s fast fixes


Premier Christy Clark has pulled out the duct tape to fix up rural schools, school buses and the minimum wage


Cameras were the focus as 70 photographers from across B.C., including Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Kelowna and Nelson, competed in the fourth annual Next Generation BC Amateur Photographer of the Year Contest at the recent Abbotsford International Airshow.
Sponsored by London Drugs and Black Press Media, the contest took place Aug. 12-14, as participants captured their best air, crowd, static, and wildcard shots.
Photographers experienced close-up action at the airshow including Friday's twilight show, and earned the "hot-side" tour at the airshow where they shot exclusive aircraft including the F-35, CF-18, FA-18, Breitling Jet Team, the Snowbirds and more for a chance to win the title of B.C.'s next Amateur Photographer title.
Awarding categories also include The Best in-air photograph ($750 grand prize), The Best ground/static scene photograph ($500 prize),The Best crowd scene photograph ($250 prize ), The Best video submission ($500 prize) all courtesy of London Drugs and honorary acknowledgement for Best Wildcard entry.
For the People's Choice Award Winner, the time has arrived for the public to vote on their favourite photo and be entered for a chance to win BC Lions game tickets.
For voting and contest information, click here.

Voting open for People's Choice Amateur Photography Competition


Photographers from across the province competed in amateur competition


Premier Christy Clark and Environment Minister Mary Polak plug in an electric car at an announcement of the government's latest climate change plan in Richmond Aug. 19.
A B.C. Liberal operative was out with the online spin hours before Premier Christy Clark confirmed the much-leaked news in a Friday afternoon announcement at an obscure location in Richmond.
The, er, freeze is continuing for B.C.’s ground-breaking, world-saving carbon tax, which hasn’t changed since before Clark was elected in 2013.
The spin was Olympic-themed, with a picture labeled to show B.C. as a swimmer far out in the lead in the pool, to symbolize that it’s the other provinces that need to catch up in the race to save the planet.
Clark has been saying that for years, and there is merit to it. Even without a tax on “process emissions” such as from cement kilns, B.C.’s carbon tax encourages imports of non-taxed cement from the U.S. and China.
Alberta business professor Andrew Leach, who advised the Stephen Harper and then Rachel Notley governments on greenhouse gas policies, summed up the problem this way.
“Until the rest of the world has policies that impose similar cost, you’re not actually reducing emissions to the extent you think,” Leach said. “You’re just displacing the emissions and the economic activity to other jurisdictions.”
Alberta is moving to join B.C. with a modest carbon tax, but the NDP government plans to spend the proceeds rather than return them in income tax as B.C. has done. And Washington state and most of the rest of the world have no carbon tax as such, so their businesses benefit from B.C.’s “climate leadership.”
B.C.’s foreign-funded eco-radical community was, needless to say, appalled. The Pembina Institute’s Matt Horne and career protesters Tzeporah Berman and Merran Smith were named to the premier’s advisory committee last year, along with business, academic and aboriginal representatives.
They concluded that increases to B.C.’s broad-based tax on carbon fuels should resume its upward march in 2018.
Other committee members, including the mayors of Surrey, Comox and Burns Lake, were not heard from. Public discussion on this issue is now reduced to a staged conflict between those who demand a holy war on deadly carbon dioxide “pollution,” and those who don’t care if their grandchildren perish in a hell-fire of fossil fuel use.
We’ve just come off another El Nino year, like the hot year of 1998. Regular readers will recall the last time I discussed this topic was this spring, where I questioned the premier’s dire warnings of another horrendous forest fire season.
What followed has been one of the slowest forest fire seasons in the last decade, although dry conditions have finally emerged this month. Climate predictions, like next week’s weather forecast, are less than consistent.
I am regularly sent messages calling me a “climate change denier,” the nonsense term that continues to be used by federal Environment Minister Catharine McKenna among many others. I know of no one who denies that climate is always changing, at times dramatically.
If you wish to believe that paying an extra seven cents a litre for gasoline in B.C. is helping to slow the very gradual increase in temperatures we’re seeing in the northern hemisphere, you are free to do so.
You may even be persuaded to take a government subsidy and buy an expensive, short-range electric car. Me, I’m off to Prince Rupert and Revelstoke pretty soon, so I’ll stick with my little four-cylinder gas sipper for now.
Hydro-powered B.C. represents a small fraction of the less than two per cent Canada contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions. We’re not the problem, and no, the world is not looking to us for guidance.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc


Premier Christy Clark isn't going into next year's election with a promise to jack up Canada's only significant carbon tax


Eileen Zheng donated a kidney to her mother Wei and is encouraging other people to register as organ donors.
When Eileen Zheng wanted to donate one of her kidneys to her mother, family members were at first concerned about the effect of the procedure on both of them.
But five weeks after the surgery, Wei Zheng was recovering from polycystic kidney disease after seven years on kidney dialysis, and Eileen was logging up to 65 km a day on her bicycle. And a year later, Eileen is preparing to ride across Canada to encourage more people to support organ transplants.
"I want to raise awareness, so more people are willing to register after seeing that I'm healthy after donating an organ," Eileen said at a ceremony at the B.C. legislature to launch the bid Monday. "We're hoping to raise at least 1,000 more organ donors compared to last year, and around $75,000 for the Canadian Transplant Association, for the life-saving work they do."
She has three and a half months to make the journey, starting with a Terry Fox-inspired dip of her bike wheel in the Pacific before heading east towards St. Johns, Newfoundland. Eileen's ride is called Gift From Within has a website where people can link to organ donor registration sites in each province, and her route stops and updates will be posted.
There are more than 45,000 people currently waiting for organ donations across Canada. B.C. residents can check their registration status or sign up to become a donor here.

Cross-Canada ride to encourage organ donation


Gift From Within aims to register 1,000 more registered donors and raise money for the Canadian Transplant Association


Wood products exports from Canada to Asia were down 18 per cent in the first six months of 2016, with the biggest decline being softwood lumber from B.C. to China, according to the Seattle-based Wood Resources International.
Lumber sales to China are on pace to drop by 50 per cent this year compared to 2014, as B.C. lumber producers direct their sales to a healthy U.S. lumber market, according to customs data tracked for the Wood Resources Quarterly (www.woodprices.com).
The latest edition notes that by value, 75 per cent of B.C.'s exports to Asia in 2015 and 2016 are in the form of lumber, while 77 per cent of exports from Washington and Oregon are logs.
Asian demand reached a record high in 2013, with China passing Japan as the largest importer of North American wood products in 2011. The B.C. and federal governments promote wood construction in China and Japan, and B.C.'s forest minister is required to conduct an annual trade mission to China, Japan and other Asian countries.
The shift in demand provides extra urgency for talks to renew the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement that expired last year. B.C. sales are booming without the export cap that both Ottawa and Washington have agreed will be required.

Lumber exports shift to U.S. as China sales slump


Asian demand for B.C. wood products peaked in 2013, analyst says China sales on pace for 50 per cent drop


TORONTO – Few Canadian television events qualify as a momentous occasion for the nation, but Saturday's Tragically Hip concert promises to be special.
It seems like much of the country will be tuned into CBC's live broadcast of "The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration" from Kingston, Ont., when factoring in home screenings and community viewing parties.
Yet how many people will watch is anybody's guess at this point.
"This is an unprecedented event for us," said Jennifer Dettman, CBC's executive director of unscripted content.
The sentiment is true on many levels, she adds.
The last stop on the Hip's "Man Machine Poem" tour is widely expected to be their final performance, as lead singer Gord Downie is facing terminal brain cancer. After tickets to the tour sold out within minutes, fans launched a campaign urging the CBC to carry the band's Kingston show as a live TV event.
Dettman wouldn't speak to the contract negotiations that led to the Hip agreeing to the broadcast.
"CBC made both a competitive and financially responsible offer to acquire the broadcast rights, and we're thrilled to be able to offer this national celebration to as many Canadians as possible," she said.
The concert won't just be on the main CBC network, it will also be broadcast through various other platforms such as CBC Radio One, the CBC website and its YouTube and Facebook channels.
With so many viewing options, that will make it tough to capture how many eyes and ears are focused on the Hip this Saturday.
That's where ratings agency Numeris comes in. The Toronto-based company tracks viewership figures by using meters and viewing diaries prepared by a panel of Canadians representative of the population.
Their data shows that most huge audience draws are typically live programming, led by major sporting events.
The Super Bowl is the biggest TV event nearly every year â€” drawing about six million to eight million viewers in recent years â€” while a handful of other annual celebrations like the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and Grammys are perennial favourites too.
The gold medal game of the men's hockey tournament at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics is considered to be the most-watched broadcast ever in Canada. It drew 16.6 million viewers, according to data from Numeris, about double the number of people who tune into most Super Bowls.
Those kinds of numbers will be hard to beat, even for a rock band with as much Canadian clout as the Hip.
Numeris spokesman Tom Jenks wouldn't guess how many viewers will tune into the CBC broadcast, but acknowledges it'll probably be a pretty big number.
The agency said it will be counting every public screening â€” from restaurants to movie theatres to community viewing parties â€” and each person streaming the concert on their phone. Viewers who playback the show on their DVRs within seven days will also be included in the final numbers.
"Our system captures all viewing," Jenks said.
Potentially driving those numbers higher is the decision make the Hip's concert a one-time broadcast, with no encore presentation and no availability on on-demand platforms.
"Our goal was to bring the experience of this live concert to Canadians in that moment," Dettman said.
"I'm sure the band will figure out what they will want to do with the concert afterwards."
She said the goal is to give all Canadians the same "crescendo" feeling that will ripple through the arena in Kingston.
"Our goal is to bring the experience ... to as many Canadians as we can," she said.
"The idea that we're all together experiencing this moment at the same time is really special."
Follow @dfriend on Twitter.
David Friend, The Canadian Press

Televised Tragically Hip show an 'unprecedented event:' CBC


Whether it's home screenings or community viewing parties, much of Canada will be tuning in for iconic rock band's final bow


Matt Carr, left, and Ian Bush are the new coaches of the Saanich Fusion Div. 1 men’s side.
The Saanich Fusion’s top men’s soccer team is entering a new era as it turns to new head coach Ian Bush and associate coach Matt Carr.
Bush and Carr come into the program after Steph Steiner led the team for 10 years, including the past five straight seasons contending for the Vancouver Island Soccer League’s top honours at the Division 1 level. Under Steiner, the Fusion won the league title three straight years from 2012 to 2014 and finished third the past two seasons. The Fusion also made three straight trips to the Jackson Cup Island championship final, winning it in 2014.
But after 10 years, Steiner, now 40, is looking to step away to focus on his full-time role as the Saanich Fusion technical director as well as owner-operator of the World Cup Soccer academy with Brett Hyslop.
“The team is in good hands with Bush,” Steiner said. “Bush is very passionate about our club, a great guy, super good coach, and he’s totally into it.”
Bush, 35, comes to the team from a grassroots approach that is unlike Steiner’s.
Steiner will always carry legendary status in the South Island soccer scene. He was the only player to score a goal in the 1996 national university final, propelling the Vikes to the Canadian championship. Thirteen years ago, Steiner helped rebuild the Gordon Head Div. 1 men’s side (before it merged with Cordova Bay to create Saanich Fusion), and has helped it qualify for the senior men’s provincials for the past 10 years.
But Bush knows that, and is building his reputation as a coach one season at a time. With seven trophies in three years, he’s off to a solid start.
“There’s a lot of little things you can do to get better,” Bush said. “I film every game and re-watch them, then email players the hot links. It’s part of the little things you can do to gain two, three or five per cent, because soccer is such a low scoring game, that per cent is enough to get you a lot of points at the end of the season.”
Last year, Bush and Carr coached the Fusion U21 men’s team to the George Smith Challenge Cup Island championship, and led the Fusion’s Harris Dodge Div. 3A men’s team to a division title, earning them promotion into Div. 2. While the Fusion Harris Dodge team fell in the George Pearkes Div. 3 Challenge Cup final, it’s the promotion to Div. 2 that will benefit the Fusion program.
“It’s something I’m proud of,” Bush said. “It’s important to have that ladder [in the VISL]. It means you don’t have to cut players, you can refer them to the appropriate team for development and availability.”
Bush is on the board of the Saanich Fusion and started with the club as a coach a few years ago. He has his Provincial B coaching certificate, standard for this level of coaching, and is proud to come through the ranks.
As a teacher, he was at Reynolds secondary the last two years where he also coached the junior girls team and, with J.J. Atterbury, helped the Reynolds senior boys finish fifth at the 2015 provincials.
“I feel like coming up through the ranks helps me earn my credit,” Bush said. “It takes a lot of trial and error to make mistakes and learn.”
This year, like any, the Fusion are expecting to lose a few core players. The team has remained strong the past two seasons but hasn’t been the same as 2014 when VISL stars Patrick Nelson and Cooper Barry made it a league powerhouse. Those two have since helped Cowichan FC to a Jackson Cup and are on the cusp of a dynasty.
While it’s not reasonable to expect the Fusion to challenge Cowichan for the title in 2016-17, Bush does put pressure on himself for a successful season.
“I’m told we’ll lose a few guys, and that’s typical with any coaching change, but we will return Chris ‘Tower’ Peereboom on defence, a Jackson Cup MVP, and [former VISL rookie of the year] Leo Falzon, so we already have pieces of a strong team.”
To fill in the gaps, Bush will turn to some of the U21 players that he and Carr coached. There’s also players moving to town that have already emailed him, as well as Reynolds grads looking for a spot in the VISL’s top division. Continuity within the club happens to be a focus of Bush’s in his role as a board member with the Fusion.
“As a club, there is a struggle not to lose players after U18,” Bush said. “Parents invest so much in their children and then after U18, they quit. In might be even more severe on the girls’ side.”
Bush is one person at the club who’s trying to bridge that gap between the younger players and the U21 and adult levels.
“Bush is a good choice for our club with all he’s done,” Steiner said. “He’s done a great job with Div. 2 and U21, a logical choice to continue on with the program. He keeps good relationship with the younger players there.”
In the meantime, tryouts for the Saanich Fusion’s Div. 1 men started Aug. 17.
“If you tell me this team is a cohesive group working to get better at the end of the season, that’s fine, thats what I want,” Bush said. “But at the same time, do I want to come sixth? No.”

New coach will guide top Fusion men’s team


Saanich Fusion Div. 1 squad expecting to lose a few core players


B.C. Day, on Monday, Aug. 1, is an opportunity to celebrate this spectacular province. See how well you know British Columbia.

B.C. DAY TRIVIA QUIZ: How much do you know about British Columbia?


Students return to public school next week, with changes to curriculum and some provincial exams.
Students are returning to class next week in most of B.C.'s public schools, with enrolment expected to be up province-wide for the second year running.
Education Minister Mike Bernier says early forecasts show about 529,000 students, an increase of 2,900 from last year. But that increase is centred on fast-growing school districts, while many rural areas continue to struggle with declining student numbers.
Among changes that parents and students will see this year is a new curriculum in place up to Grade 9, with a test year for changes in the senior grades. Bernier said the new emphasis on collaboration and communication skills does not mean a watering down of the basic skills, and is designed to improve students' ability to work at modern jobs.
Report cards are to continue this school year, but the ministry is reviewing its system with an eye to providing more frequent updates. Parents are being consulted on the changes, Bernier said.
Foundation Skills Assessment tests in grades four and seven are also continuing after years of protests from teacher unions, but that program is also being examined for possible changes. FSA tests will be "enhanced" but not eliminated, Bernier said.
Provincial exams continue for graduates in math and English, but science and social studies will now be assessed at a classroom level rather than school-wide tests, Bernier said.
The ministry provided a series of top-ups to education funding this year, for bus service and to keep selected rural schools from closing. Applications are still being taken for a transportation fund until Sept. 30, requiring districts to drop across-the-board school bus fees to qualify.
Districts may still charge transportation fees for international students or those from outside a school catchment area.
NDP leader John Horgan highlighted the crowding in Surrey school district, where 7,000 students remain in portables despite an expansion program. The NDP says the B.C. government's claim of record per-student funding ignores a reduction of education funding as a share of the provincial economy.
"Since 2001, the B.C. Liberals have dragged public education funding in this province from the second best in Canada to the second worst," Horgan said.

B.C. school enrolment up for second year


Some urban districts struggle with overcrowding, special funds for declining rural schools, bus service to take effect


Doug Kelly, chair of the B.C. First Nations Health Council
With patients in urban areas having difficulty finding a family doctor, the situation in rural B.C. is going from bad to worse, MLAs on the province's health committee were told Monday.
Ed Staples, a member of the B.C. Health Coalition, described his efforts to improve the situation in Princeton, a community of about 5,000 people that four years ago was down to one doctor providing on-call service.
Princeton now has four full-time doctors and two nurse practitioners, but there are still people who can't find a doctor in the region, including Penticton an hour and a half away. A recent search of the College of Physicians and Surgeons website turned up the nearest doctor accepting patients in Courtney on Vancouver Island, Staples said.
Health Match BC, the province's web portal for recruiting doctors, nurses and other health professionals, currently has more than 400 general practitioner vacancies, with 37 communities seeking 85 doctors. The result is "bidding wars" between communities to offer incentives to relocating doctors, and foreign doctors using a rural community as an entry point before relocating to the Lower Mainland, he said.
The B.C. government has announced its latest videoconferencing service for health care, linking psychiatrists with young people in Cranbrook. The service is available twice a month at the local Children and Family Development office, supplementing visits by specialists in communities such as Cranbrook and Princeton. Health Minister Terry Lake says video conferencing and electronic health records are a key part of the solution for reaching patients across B.C.
Doug Kelly, chair of the B.C. First Nations Health Council, told the committee of an Abbotsford doctor who travels to Carrier Sekani territory around Prince George for part of his practice, in a pilot project with Northern Health.
Kelly said video links and nurse practitioners are part of the solution to delivering rural and remote care, but the main obstacle is the business model for doctors that has them cycling through as many as 20 patients an hour to bill enough to cover their office overhead.
Committee members were also reminded that graduating doctors are increasingly reluctant to take on the demands of family practice, especially in smaller communities where they may find themselves on call around the clock.

Video links grow as rural health care shrinks


Small communities have more than 400 doctor vacancies, with 'telehealth' and visiting specialists filling gaps


Cameras were the focus as 70 photographers from across B.C., including Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Kelowna and Nelson, competed in the fourth annual Next Generation BC Amateur Photographer of the Year Contest at the recent Abbotsford International Airshow.
Sponsored by London Drugs and Black Press Media, the contest took place Aug. 12-14, as participants captured their best air, crowd, static, and wildcard shots.
Photographers experienced close-up action at the airshow including Friday's twilight show, and earned the "hot-side" tour at the airshow where they shot exclusive aircraft including the F-35, CF-18, FA-18, Breitling Jet Team, the Snowbirds and more for a chance to win the title of B.C.'s next Amateur Photographer title.
Awarding categories also include The Best in-air photograph ($750 grand prize), The Best ground/static scene photograph ($500 prize),The Best crowd scene photograph ($250 prize ), The Best video submission ($500 prize) all courtesy of London Drugs and honorary acknowledgement for Best Wildcard entry.
For the People's Choice Award Winner, the time has arrived for the public to vote on their favourite photo and be entered for a chance to win BC Lions game tickets.
For voting and contest information, click here.

Voting open for People's Choice Amateur Photography Competition


Photographers from across the province competed in amateur competition


KAMLOOPS, B.C. – British Columbia's Fish and Wildlife Branch says all the fish in two lakes in the Upper Nicola watershed will have to be killed in order to get rid of an unwanted perch.
Biologist Steve Maricle says perch were spotted earlier this year in Windy Lake and Little Windy Lake, both about 50 kilometres northwest of West Kelowna.
Perch are not native to the lakes or the Nicola watershed and biologists say the rapidly breeding species competes for food with native fish and has the potential to wipe them out.
Maricle says barriers will be set up on waterways leading in and out of the lakes to contain the perch this year.
Rotenone, a poison lethal to fish but with limited effect on other animals such as frogs or waterfowl, will then be used to kill all fish in both lakes.
The lakes will be restocked once the perch have been removed, but Maricle says it will be next year at the earliest before any action is taken.
"It's just the logistics of all the permitting that's required to get the product, the rotenone, that we use to treat the lake. To get all the permitting in place to get (the rotenone) in, there's no way we could jump on it this year."
The Fish and Wildlife Branch believes visitors to Windy Lake and Little Windy Lake intentionally introduced the perch into the water. (CHNL)
The Canadian Press

Poison to be used in two B.C. lakes west of Kelowna after non-native fish species spotted


Windy Lake and Little Windy Lake to be poisoned to remove unwanted non-native perch


The union representing most workers at Canada Post has issued a 72-hour notice of job action as it tries to bargain a collective agreement with the Crown corporation.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says the notice spells out what actions it is planning, but stops short of a full-blown walkout.
CUPW national president Mike Palecek says Canada Post forced the labour disruption by refusing to accept a request from the federal labour minister to continue negotiations with the help of a special mediator.
But a spokesman for the agency says that's not the case.
The union's strike mandate was set to expire at midnight.
The two sides have been in negotiations for more than nine months but are far apart on key issues including pay equity for rural carriers and proposed changes to the Canada Post pension plan.
The Canadian Press

Postal union issues strike notice after it says Canada Post refused special mediator


Notice means delivery could be cancelled as early as Monday


Known infections of chronic wasting disease in deer and other wildlife as of 2014.
Provincial wildlife officials are concerned that a disease killing deer and elk on the prairies could soon spread into B.C.
Chronic wasting disease, a degenerative nervous system condition similar to so-called mad cow disease, has been discovered in an animal 30 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
That's the furthest west – by about 100 kilometres – that biologists have detected the deadly disease and the discovery intensifies concerns that infected deer may make their way to B.C.
No infected animals have been found yet in B.C. but wildlife health staff are stepping up monitoring efforts in the Peace and Kootenay regions, where deer are most at-risk.
Hunters are being asked to help by donating deer, elk and moose heads for analysis. Drop-off locations are listed at www.stopchronicwastingdisease.ca.
Anyone who encounters a sick or dead deer is urged to report it to B.C.'s wildlife health program by emailing wildlifehealth@gov.bc.ca.
Although chronic wasting disease is similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Alberta's agriculture and forestry ministry says there's no evidence it can infect humans, but notes the World Health Organization advises against allowing any meat source possibly infected by prions into the human food system.
It's thought to be unlikely that the disease could spread to domestic cattle or bison.
Outbreaks on game farms typically result in quarantines and culls.
Transmission is through saliva, urine and feces and is thought to be more likely to occur where elk and deer are crowded or congregate at man-made feed and water stations, according to the Alberta ministry.
Most of the Canadian cases have been in Saskatchewan.

B.C. wary of deadly deer disease in Alberta


Chronic wasting disease is similar to mad cow disease but infects and kills deer, elk and moose


Photo Contest Deadline July 4th 2016: UPLOAD YOUR PHOTO HERE
With summer-like weather providing great photo opportunities, there's no better time to put your skills to use and submit your best shots to a contest being presented by London Drugs, Black Press Community News Media and one of the top ten air shows in the world - the Abbotsford International Airshow.
Almost 2,000 entries have already been entered for the fourth annual "Your Best Shot" contest for amateur photographers around B.C. It's time for you to enter your best photo!
Photographers are encouraged to send in their favourite photos from the past 12 months, including those taken during major events.
Whether it's an action-packed sports shot, a colourful scenic landscape or an amazing portrait, budding photographers are encouraged to send it in.
Contestants can submit up to five of their favourite photos for a chance to win some spectacular prizes.
The contest is now open and runs until July 4th.
All photos will be judged by a panel of experts on subject, composition, impact and other criteria.
Finalists will receive full VIP access to the Abbotsford International Airshow, which runs August 12th to 14th, with preferred viewing to take photos of all the action.
They will also compete for more than $1,500 in prizes and the chance to be named the Next Generation Amateur Photographer of the Year.
TOP THREE PHOTO TIPS:
Last year, Black Press received more than 2,000 entries for the Your Best Shot contest from
amateur photographers from more than eighty communities including; the Fraser Valley,Kelowna, Vancouver and communities throughout B.C.
More than 60 finalists gathered at the Abbotsford International Airshow, submitting their best photos for the final competition. The winner of last year's Next Generation Amateur Photographer of the Year award was Ken McAllister of Surrey.
The winner of the 2014 Next Generation Amateur Photographer of the Year was Steve Dutt, Surrey, BC and in 2013 Rod Jones of Abbotsford was acclaimed the winner. To submit an entry, click here.
Are you a Youtube or Vimeo enthusiast?
If you have taken video in the last 12 months, you could be eligible to participate in the Amateur Videographer of the Year contest. Simply send us a link to a video taken in the last 12 months. Video to be no longer than 3 minutes in length. Any genre of video may be entered. Maximum of five video links per entry.
A select number of videographers will be invited to join us at the Abbotsford International Airshow to compete for great prizes and the overall title. All photographers attending the show will automatically be entitled to enter the Videographer of the Year contest. Deadline July 4th 2016. Send entries to contests@abbynews.com . Please mark subject line Videographer of the Year Contest.
Make taking better photos a snap: new camera products, features, tips, and techniques from London Drugs PhotoLab experts. Sign up for a newsletter.
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Abbotsford International Airshow : August 12, 13 and 14
This year's airshow will feature all-time favourite static and air displays, as well as the fourth annual twilight show complete with pyrotechnics.
A few of this year's performers include:
USN F/A-18 Super Hornet
CF Hawk and Harvard II
422 Sqn SAR Demo
Canadian Skyhawks
Screamin Sasquatch
HFM A1 Skyraider
HFF Spitfire Mk IVe
HFF F8F Bearcat
Indy Boys Jet Bus
Team Rocket Aerobatics
CF-18 Hornet
Plus another year of amazing AV8FX Pyrotechnics.
The Breitling Jet Team, a seven-plane civilian jet team, has been added to the lineup for a second year running. The team, based in Dijon, France, will provide another incredible flying display.
“Our patrons will get to see two of the world’s finest jet teams in one venue, with both the Canadian Forces Snowbirds and Breitling Jet Teams set to perform in 2016,” said airshow president Jim Reith.
The Breitling Jet Team was created by Breitling, a major Swiss watchmaker, and will be flying fast and powerful L-39C Albatros aircraft.
Organizers say the show will be "a meticulously co-ordinated ballet in which planes sometimes fly within three metres of each other, at speeds of over 700 km/h" and fly "a rapid-fire succession of figures that are perfectly calculated, mastered, synchronized and fine-tuned down to the smallest details."
Gates open August 12th at 3.30pm. Enjoy your afternoon and evening prior to an amazing Fireworks finale. Saturday August 12th/13th gates open at 9am. Don't forget, the Twilight and Daytime Programs are very different. Check online for details. http://www.abbotsfordairshow.com/tickets/
For more information, visit www.abbotsfordairshow.com.


Your BC 'Best Shot' photo contest is now underway. Check out our top 3 photo tips. Entry deadline July 4th 2016


ICBC wants to increase basic auto insurance rates by 4.9 per cent – the fifth straight annual increase – as it continues to grapple with rising numbers of crashes, claims and dramatically increasing costs.
The typical driver will pay $3.50 a month or $42 a year more for basic insurance if the hike is approved.
But the corporation is also raising optional rates by 2.8 per cent so the average customer who buys both basic and optional insurance with ICBC will see their insurance bill rise $5 a month, or $60 a year.
ICBC CEO Mark Blucher said the basic rate hike would have been much worse – 15.5 per cent translating into a $130 annual premium increase – had the province not approved another major transfer of $472 million from the optional to the basic side of operations.
A compounding factor has been the long decline of interest rates, which result in less investment income revenue to ICBC.
"These external pressures have really created a perfect storm and it's a really significant challenge for the organization," Blucher said in an interview Thursday.
ICBC had raised rates 5.5 per cent a year ago, and the province's rate smoothing policy requires the annual change be within 1.5 per cent of the previous year's increase.
The number of crashes has climbed 15 per cent in two years and damage claims are up 11 per cent.
Vehicles are increasingly reliant on technology and expensive materials that have become more costly in recent years as the loonie sagged against the U.S. dollar.
Despite much safer vehicles, injury claims have soared to $2.4 billion, up 60 per cent from $1.5 billion in 2008.
"We've seen no evidence that these strong trends are abating," Blucher said. "In fact, if anything, they're continuing to escalate going forward."
Blucher also noted there are more cars on the road in B.C. today – 3.1 million up from 2.8 million in 2011 – and people are driving more because of cheaper gas, contributing to more accidents, particularly in densifying urban areas.
And he pointed to personal injury lawyers as an aggravating cause of ICBC's spiralling claims costs.
"B.C. is the only province in Canada where you can sue another motorist for even a minor traffic accident," Blucher said, noting an increase in lawyer-represented claims and advertising by injury law firms.
Internal operating costs have been cut by $186 million a year, and ICBC is counting on more savings ahead, through its modernization program, by more aggressively combatting insurance fraud and from a hoped-for drop in distracted driving as motorists respond to stiffer penalties.
But transfers from the optional side to bolster the basic side will likely be needed for the foreseeable future, Blucher said, because basic premiums can't keep up with rising costs.
In a surprise move, the B.C. government will this year forgo extracting its usual $160-million annual dividend from ICBC's optional side into general revenue.
"Forgoing the dividend this particular year is one strategy amongst a litany of others we're employing to get that basic trate increase down," Transportation Minister Todd Stone said.
Stone said the $514 million the province has transferred out of ICBC in dividends since 2012 is small compared to the $1.4 billion over the same period that has been shifted from the competitive optional side to basic to apply downward pressure on basic rates.
The minister would not say if the government would permanently give up the ICBC dividend.
Adrian DIx, the NDP critic for ICBC, said the dividends to government have exceeded $1.2 billion since 2010 and predicted they'll resume after next year's election because the BC Liberals are "addicted" to using ICBC as a "profit centre."
Dix said the reliance on shifting huge amounts of capital from optional to basic raises troubling questions.
"Next year they've got to find that $472 million," Dix said. "What they've done is create a disaster at ICBC and their only hope is to deceive the voters until after the election."
He said ICBC's new move to hire more claims staff underscores problems with completing the computer modernization that was supposed to make operations more efficient.
"The transformation project has taken longer than World War 2 and is not close to finished."
ICBC's basic rates rose 11.2 per cent in 2012 and at least five per cent every year since.
The new rate hike is subject to B.C. Utilities Commission approval.
ICBC Rate Pressure Charts

ICBC seeks 4.9 per cent basic rate hike as crashes, costs climb


$60 a year increase for most drivers once optional auto insurance increase is included


B.C. has 300 seniors' care facilities, and residents and their loved ones are to be surveyed on conditions.
More than 250 volunteers have signed up to compile a survey of seniors in residential care, and B.C.'s Seniors Advocate is looking for more.
The 27,000 seniors living in 300 residential care facilities around the province are being asked about their experience with care home staff, the quality of food, privacy, medications and other conditions.
It's the first comprehensive survey done in B.C., to measure resident satisfaction and provide a "roadmap" for improvements, said Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie.
Interviews will be conducted in person by trained volunteers, and a matching mail-out survey will be sent to each resident's most frequent visitor.
The project is seeking volunteers with a range of professional backgrounds, ages and ethnicities. To apply as a volunteer, visit www.surveybcseniors.org or call the Office of the Seniors Advocate at 1-877-952-3181.


Volunteers to ask seniors about staff, food, privacy, medications and other conditions in residential care


OTTAWA – Contract talks continue between Canada Post and its largest union, but neither side is hinting as to whether any progress has been made.
A federally appointed mediator has been meeting with the two sides since Friday to try to reach a deal.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers says if there is no deal by midnight, it would begin job action on Monday by having its members refusing to work overtime on a rotating basis, starting in Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
CUPW served 72 hour strike notice Thursday night, accusing Canada Post of forcing a labour disruption by refusing to bargain in good faith.
The two sides have been deadlocked for months on the issues of pay scales for rural letter carriers and proposed changes to pensions for future employees.
A CUPW news release says the initial job action will cause little disruption to Canada Post customers and that its members will still be delivering mail every day.
The Canadian Press

Postal workers union give details of job action if no deal is reached Sunday


Talks continue, with rotating overtime ban set to begin Monday if no agreement by midnight Sunday


Wood products exports from Canada to Asia were down 18 per cent in the first six months of 2016, with the biggest decline being softwood lumber from B.C. to China, according to the Seattle-based Wood Resources International.
Lumber sales to China are on pace to drop by 50 per cent this year compared to 2014, as B.C. lumber producers direct their sales to a healthy U.S. lumber market, according to customs data tracked for the Wood Resources Quarterly (www.woodprices.com).
The latest edition notes that by value, 75 per cent of B.C.'s exports to Asia in 2015 and 2016 are in the form of lumber, while 77 per cent of exports from Washington and Oregon are logs.
Asian demand reached a record high in 2013, with China passing Japan as the largest importer of North American wood products in 2011. The B.C. and federal governments promote wood construction in China and Japan, and B.C.'s forest minister is required to conduct an annual trade mission to China, Japan and other Asian countries.
The shift in demand provides extra urgency for talks to renew the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement that expired last year. B.C. sales are booming without the export cap that both Ottawa and Washington have agreed will be required.

Lumber exports shift to U.S. as China sales slump


Asian demand for B.C. wood products peaked in 2013, analyst says China sales on pace for 50 per cent drop


Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have reached tentative agreements, averting the prospect of a labour dispute that has loomed over the talks for months.
In a statement, Labour Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk says the agreements were reached "voluntarily," but provides no other details about the deals themselves.
The issue of differences in paycheques for rural mail carriers — most of whom are women — and urban letter carriers had been at the forefront of protracted contract talks between the two sides.
The negotiations were extended twice since the weekend, when a deadline expired on a 72-hour job action notice issued last Thursday by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
The two sides were in talks nearly around the clock at the request of a special mediator appointed Friday by Mihychuk.
Canada Post described the tentative agreements as short-term. It said they are for two years and that four-year contracts were typically negotiated in the past.
"The agreements will avert a work disruption, bringing much-needed certainty in the postal system for our employees and customers," said Canada Post in a statement. "Canadians can now use the postal system with confidence."
The tentative agreements, however, still must be ratified by the members.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is Canada Post's largest union, representing more than 50,000 postal workers
The Canadian Press

Canada Post, postal union reach tentative deals


Two sides avert job action that has loomed for months


Jordan Bateman, Canadian Taxpayers' Federation
The B.C. government is hearing objections from businesses and individuals faced with increasing Canada Pension Plan contributions in the coming years, and is the last province needed to ratify the increase.
Instead of joining other provinces in meeting the federal government's July deadline to adopt the change, the B.C. government launched a consultation phase expected to run through August. And they are getting push-back on a plan that would increase payroll deductions and employer contributions starting in 2019.
Jordan Bateman, B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation, said he's receiving hundreds of responses to his call to supporters to make their views known to the B.C. government. Most concerned are employers who would pay higher contributions for each of their employees.
Employer and employee contributions are to go up from the current 4.95 per cent of earnings to 5.95 per cent by 2023. For each employee earning $54,900, the employer contribution goes up $7 to $8 per month in each of the first five years of the phase-in.
"Obviously, lots of people are concerned about having to pay more," Bateman said. "But the interesting ones are the small business owners who talk about just how close to the edge they are financially."
B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong joined other provinces in agreeing in principle to the expansion in June. Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau said he is concerned about the decline in workplace pension plans and wants the CPP to move from replacing one quarter of employment income to one third by 2025.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business surveyed its members nation-wide when the CPP plan was announced, and more than 80 per cent wanted consultation and a delay of implementation. Morneau has indicated he plans to table legislation this fall.
B.C.'s refusal to sign on could derail the federal plan, but it shows little intention of doing so.
"British Columbia is committed to engaging with stakeholders in advance of ratifying the agreement in principle," said the statement from de Jong's office announcing the consultation.
The province's consultation website and feedback address can be found here.


B.C. stands in the way of Justin Trudeau government's plan to hike Canada Pension Plan contributions, but likely not for long


Canada's softwood lumber agreement with the U.S. expired last fall, and U.S. interests are pushing to reduce the share allowed to go south.
Premier Christy Clark and other provincial and territorial leaders have written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asking him to refute the latest lumber trade action by U.S. interests.
"Unfair and inaccurate allegations of Canadian lumber subsidies" have been made by 25 U.S. Senators to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, seeking a reduction in the cap on Canadian lumber sales, the premiers wrote from their meeting in Whitehorse this week.
The premiers cited decisions by the World Trade Organization and NAFTA in 2006 that found Canadian subsidies to be less than one per cent and ineligible for trade action.
Trudeau and U.S. President Barack Obama reported progress on negotiating a new softwood lumber deal after their meeting in Ottawa in late June.
Trudeau and Obama's joint statement acknowledged the increase in cross-border ownership of forest products producers, and said a key feature a new agreement would be "designed to maintain Canadian exports at or below an agreed US. market share to be negotiated."
The last Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement expired in the fall of 2015, leaving trade unrestricted as Canadian producers benefit from a stronger U.S. dollar and housing construction.

U.S. Senators 'inaccurate' on lumber claim: Premiers


Premier Christy Clark protests to Prime minister Justin Trudeau about latest claims of softwood subsidy


City of Kelowna
The Agricultural Land Commission cleared the way for an expansion to Kelowna Airport and approved the agricultural land reserve exclusion application.
YLW applied to the ALC to exclude four properties at the south end of the airport lands to be used for aeronautical-related, airside development. The exclusion of these 22 hectares are needed for future airside development and expansion at YLW, securing long-term sustainability of operations.
“This decision was exceptionally important,” said Sam Samaddar, Airport Director, in a press release. “As we’re unable to move the airport, we need to ensure that we have the available land to support the growth of YLW for future generations.”
As a part of the ALC’s application process, YLW incorporated extensive public feedback. The ALC’s approval is subject to conditions including YLW’s completion of the mitigation measures and agricultural enhancement strategies as outlined in the Agricultural Impact Assessment, submitted as part of the proposal.
“YLW recognizes the importance of agriculture and agri-tourism as an economic driver for both the Okanagan Valley and the airport,” said Shayne Dyrdal, Senior Airport Finance and Corporate Services Manager. “YLW has been active in supporting the local agri-tourism economy by identifying opportunities to highlight the sector to travelers, partnering with local agri-tourism businesses and involving community partners wherever possible.”
The full decision record and approval conditions will be posted by the ALC on its website at www.alc.gov.bc.ca.

Agricultural Land Commission clears the way for Kelowna Airport expansion


“As we’re unable to move the airport, we need to ensure that we have the available land to support the growth of YLW ...


Dramatic finishes in triathlon and epic battles on the soccer pitch were among the high points of the action in Abbotsford this morning at the BC Summer Games.
See our coverage from today so far:
Waterskiing: Kelowna's Isaac Athens, Halle Gainey takes firsts in slalom
Rugby: North-south battle in girls action (video)
Golf: Mission golfer Claggett leads after first day of Games
Wake boarding: North Van's Harman soars to gold
Canoe and kayak: Paddlers love cutting through the water
Swimming: Opening race kicks off competition
VIDEO: Equestrian dressage at Summer Games
Softball: Scores from Games opening day (with video)
Swimming: Opening race kicks off competition (with video)
Synchronized swimming: Celebrating the beauty (video)
Shotput: New record set by Surrey's Gabri
Rugby: Fraser Valley defeats Thompson-Okanagan 17-12 (with video)
Soccer: Fraser Valley boys down Kootenays 1-0
Javelin: No record, but golden throw for Chong
High Jump: Langley's Sara Enzo leaps to gold
Long Jump: Surrey's Malcolm Borsoi is golden
Baseball: Fraser Valley boys 4-3 over Island-Central Coast
Paddling: Canoe and kayak racers hit the water
Girls beach volleyball: Opening action (with video)
Girls Triathlon: Victoria's Leipoldt claims gold in girls triathlon
Triathlon: Okanagan boys sweep
Girls soccer: Fraser Valley 4-0 over Caribou North (final)
Boys soccer: Vancouver 2-1 over Vancouver Island (final)
Boys soccer: Fraser River 5-0 over North West (final)
Girls soccer: Island girls lead Thompson Okanagan 1-0 at half
Slideshow of Friday afternoon action:
Slideshow of Friday morning action:
In case you missed it, check out our slideshow and video from the BC Summer Games opening ceremony.
View our digital online magazine about the BC Summer Games.

GAMES ROUNDUP: Triathlon drama, soccer action Friday


Soccer foes faced off and triathletes endured to claim gold at the BC Summer Games in Abbotsford


The B.C. government's plan B for income assistance cheques and other time-sensitive documents could be re-activated as the long-running Canada Post labour dispute reaches another deadline.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is in a legal position to strike as of Monday, but postponed threatened rotating strike action after weekend talks with a federal mediator. Its initial action would be an overtime ban rather than a full-scale walkout that would disrupt mail delivery.
Canada Post served lockout notice in July, with the two sides far apart on issues including pension changes for future employees and pay for rural carriers.
Income assistance, rent subsidy and other B.C. government payments are not affected if they are direct deposit. For mailed cheques and information, updates on possible postal strike effects to the Ministry of Social Development will be available as necessary at this website or at 1-866-866-0800.
Phone and online contacts are set up for questions about affected provincial departments:
• Ministry of Advanced Education and StudentAidBC online here.
• Ministry of Children and Family Development 1-877-387-7027
• Medical Services Plan payments online here or 1-877-405-4909
• ICBC inquiries 1-800-663-3051
• Family Maintenance and Enforcement program 604-660-2528
• Public Guardian and Trustee online here or 604-660-4444
• Vital Statistics 1-888-876-1633
• WorkSafe BC online here or 1-888-967-5377

B.C. prepares for possible postal disruption


Province has alternatives if Canada Post employees begin strike action


A routine check-up at the hospital has turned into a nightmare for a Prince Rupert woman.
A month-and-a-half after having an endoscopy to inspect her nose and throat, Joan Dudoward received a letter from Northern Health stating that the endoscope used at the Prince Rupert Regional Hospital was not cleaned properly.
From April until the end of June 2016, the endoscope, which is a flexible tube with a light and a camera used in nonsurgical procedures, was being cleaned with the wrong cleaning solution to disinfect the equipment. There were 104 patients affected and Dudoward was one of them.
“I was majorly stressed out,” she said in an exclusive interview with the Northern View. “I'm a cancer survivor. I try to keep my health up for my mom, I'm a caregiver for a 95-year-old woman.”
Dudoward had gone to the Prince Rupert hospital for an endoscopy on June 29 at 3:30 p.m. after complaining to her physician about reoccurring plugged ears and a sore throat. She received the letter from Northern Health on Aug.24, which stated the error did not impact the diagnostic outcome of the tests and the process error has been corrected.
The letter also states that the BC Centre for Disease Control has been consulted and “the risk of a patient being exposed to a virus as a result of this process error is extremely low.” The contact number for the director of acute care services is offered in case she has any other questions or concerns. Dudoward has many.
She called to find out why the instrument wasn't cleaned, what had happened and how many people had gone through the procedure before and after her. “She said she's not permitted to tell me anything about this,” was the response Dudoward said she received.
The vice-president of medicine for the Northern Health authority, Dr. Ronald Chapman, was quick to respond to media inquiries and stressed the importance of transparency. He said, based on previous experience, once they realized the mistake had occurred they consulted the BC Centre for Disease Control as well as the Northern Health infectious disease specialist in Prince George.
“The risk for the patient is extremely low. We're not concerned that it will at all have any negative impact on their health,” Dr. Chapman said. He added that it's Northern Health's policy to make patients aware even if the risk to them is low. “We believe it's important to be open with those patients and to be fairly transparent so at least they are aware of the mistake. In this case, we don't recommend any particular follow up or tests for the patients.”
This type of process error has happened before, Dr. Chapman confirmed. Not with the same scope, but he said there are many different endoscopes used and each are made by different manufacturers that have various recommendations on how to clean the equipment.
“The health sector is run by human beings and it's fairly complex. If mistakes do happen what we encourage our staff to do is to make management aware so they can learn from that experience,” he said. “I'm happy to say where those mistakes have happened in our environment, a process has been put in place and we haven't had any repetitions after some of those learning experiences.”
For the 104 patients that were affected by this incident, Dr. Chapman said their general practitioners have been notified and if they have any questions they can speak to them and the infectious disease specialist. They can also contact Northern Health's Patient Care Quality Officeto register a complaint.
For Dudoward, who had a bone marrow transplant in 2011 to battle leukemia, she is concerned and has already scheduled a meeting with her physician in early September.
“I'm thinking that my body is not going to be able to fight off infection like I was able to before the cancer because chemo takes a lot out of your body so this is like a bomb exploding in my life,” she said.

VIDEO: Prince Rupert woman treated with unclean medical equipment, Northern Health, B.C. Centre for Disease Control confirms more than a hundred affected


Two months after having an endoscopy Joan Dudoward received a letter telling her that the endoscope used was not cleaned properly.


Water bombers soar over Okanagan Lake as they tackle a fire near Predator Ridge Saturday.
Progress is being made on a fire burning near Predator Ridge.
As of 8 p.m. Saturday, the fire is about seven to nine hectares in size and is relatively contained at its perimeter.
"It's showing as a rank one and two ground fire with some flames," said Rachel Witt, a fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service.
"Ground crews are still working on the perimeter."
Air support has been grounded for the evening because of darkness but they have been able to place retardant around much of the fire.
"Ground crew will be fighting the fire through the night and provincial wildfire crews will have more ground crew arriving in the morning," said Tanya Laing Gahr, communications officer with the City of Vernon.
The evacuation alert continues for 45 residences in the Sunset Properties subdivision off of Okanagan Landing road.


The evacuation alert continues for 45 residences in the Sunset Properties area


Have your say! Your vote is required by June 29th 2016 to help us determine the winner of the 2016/17 People's Choice Award in the Miss BC, Miss Teen BC and Mrs. BC Pageant development program. Check out all of the contestants at our contest page.
Inspiration - Check out these comments from the 2015/16 winners:
Shakti Shunmugam. My year as Miss BC: "My reign as Miss BC 2015-16 has been a remarkable, surreal and beyond memorable experience. Between being a full time student and working, my year has been filled with a plethora of enriching opportunities; from working with non-profits and organizations both local and global, to working alongside my fellow title holders (who I am proud to call my sisters) to make a positive difference in people's lives and give back to the community, to meeting many amazing people, and so much more! Words cannot express my gratitude for this title, which has most importantly given me a voice to share my platform and bring awareness and action to make my vision a reality, to be a role model and mentor, and to inspire others to make a difference. My journey has been filled with many valuable lessons, new experiences and opportunities, self-growth and memories that I will cherish and hold on to for the rest of my life.
With my reign coming to an end, I am more than humbled to spend 2 weeks of my final month in Thailand. I have been given an opportunity to voice my platform and work with local NGOs and non-profits to empower underprivileged children and women to pursue an education. I believe this is a possible solution and step towards social and economic change, poverty alleviation and closing the gap between social injustices and inequality. A year ago I wouldn't have thought this dream of empowering others was even close to becoming my reality and am more than thankful to the Courage Productions family for making this dream possible. In less than a month from now, I will be passing on my title and welcoming the next Miss BC as she embarks on a life changing journey. Although the moment will be bittersweet, I will be happy knowing that I will be taking away from this experience so much more.
Kirti Singh. Miss Fraser Valley 2015: Leaving, sometimes, isn’t a matter of choice. It is hard to believe that my reign as Miss Fraser Valley BC 2015/16 is about to come to an end. This has been a remarkable experience, and one that I will forever treasure in my heart. Representing my region and platform has helped me to discover and create the person that I am today. Raising awareness for domestic violence, and fundraising for developing countries that require vital health care supplies furthers the belief I know, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” - Mother Teresa. Throughout my reign as Miss Fraser Valley, I was given the opportunity to dedicate my time to charities, organizations, and events.
Katelynne Herchak - Miss Vancouver Island-Victoria 2015: This experience has truly changed my life, I am so grateful to have been able to represent Vancouver Island as an indigenous woman. I've had the opportunity to attend the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centre's Back to School Picnic where we gave away school supplies to aboriginal families, surrounded by Cedar Winter Feast for Aboriginal Children In Care and Gathering of Our Voices Aboriginal Youth Conference. Aboriginal Education is very close to my heart and I am so glad I had the support of the Miss BC organization to help achieve my goals of a more indigenized education system.
I am thankful to the people who became a part of my journey. To my beautiful pageant sisters, there are no words to describe the amazing memories we have made. I love you all so dearly! To my parents, thank you for showing me that I am capable of achieving anything that I put my mind to and supporting me in every way possible. Girlfriendz Studio 7 & the rest of my generous sponsors, thank you for believing in me. To the next Miss Fraser Valley, get ready for the most exciting, stressful, memorable, and beautiful year of your life! It is your time to shine. Strive for success and do what you love and believe in. Qujannamiik, (thank you)
Emily Henderson - Miss Interior BC - Summerland: I first applied for Miss BC at the end of my first year of university, not knowing where it would take me. I needed some new adventure, and Miss BC was exactly what I had been hoping for! I have never felt so warmly accepted and so much a part of a sisterhood. The first half of my reign was a flurry of activities and volunteer opportunities, parades, photoshoots and speaking engagements. To name a few, I was in the Pride and Torchlight parades, volunteered at the Ronald McDonald house and the wedding show, and spoke at UBC and with a local Indian band's youth group about body image and self-esteem, my platform. I felt strong and on the right path.
Illness and trauma have turned my focus away from pageant activities for the past few months, but I'm going to try and enjoy the last month of my reign to the fullest. I will be in a local parade and I hope to pick up more volunteer hours! All in all, Miss BC had changed my life.
Chiantelle Rey-Miss Greater Vancouver 2015-16 - I had been given the honor and the privilege to be Miss Greater Vancouver 2015-2016 at the Miss BC Pageant. As I get ready to pass on my title to the next wonderful young lady, I can’t help but think about how amazing and how blessed this year has been. I utilize my platform to raise awareness to current issues about health and wellness, eco-sustainability, and community. It has given me wonderful opportunities to give back in any way that I can. I’ve connected and collaborated with a variety of communities whether it be guest-speaking at elementary schools about health living, to becoming a mentor for young women, to volunteering at local events for businesses and charitable organizations.
Honestly I never thought that I would get into the pageant world - let alone receive a regional title. But being a part of this community has allowed me to rediscover my passions, meet new people and hear their stories, and challenged me in different aspects of life. With or without a title, I will continue my work in advocating for healthier living and giving back. If you would like to know more about myself and my platform or stay connected, please feel free to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter: @chiantellerey.
Nica Derakhshannia - Miss Teen Lower Mainland - Richmond. Where to begin?
Participating in a pageant was completely new territory for me and I never expected it to be the meaningful experience it was. In the back of my mind, all of the negative preconceived notions of “pageant girls” had me worried that I wouldn't fit in, but the Miss BC pageant gave me a new perspective. Right from the beginning, I made strong connections with the other girls and soon grew friendships I will cherish for the rest of my life.
If the friendships weren’t an amazing prize to the crown, the opportunities of community development that a simple sash and tiara can do will surprise you. From parades to fundraisers- various organizations welcomed me with open arms and loving smiles, and in turn I worked my hardest to contribute and share my passion for volunteering.
From all of the events that I was involved in, one of my most cherished memories was Halloween at the Ronald McDonald House. The titleholders from this year's pageant helped with a scavenger hunt and the afternoon was filled with many emotions. I have a lot of experience working with young kids as a camp leader and childcare assistant- but I had never seen such a happy ensemble of kids in my entire life. Though these kids were dealing with various serious health issues, they all found such joy in the activities and genuinely enjoyed our company. A kind smile, a caring hug or even time spent with someone can have so much of an effect on anyone. With or without a tiara, we all have the ability to go out in the world and make a difference. I am, and will forever be grateful for the impact the title “Miss Teen Lower Mainland BC 2015/16” has had on me and the community around me.
Shalom Reimer. Miss Teen Canada 2016/17. I never would have expected my life to change so dramatically at the age of 17. On July 5th, 2015, I was crowned Miss Teen BC. This opportunity has allowed me to develop leadership skills and connect with my community to a greater capacity. This year I have been able to support many non-profit organizations such as: the Terry Fox Run, the Global Fire Run for Leukemia, the Fort Langley Cranberry Festival, the Ronald McDonald House, Cops for Cancer, #pinkpromise week at Guildford Town Centre and the Variety Show of Hearts Telethon. I also launched a program at my school for grade 6-8 students, who gather at lunch once a week, to talk about issues in their lives and the world around them. As a leader, I have helped them work through strategies to overcome tough situations that they are facing in their pre-teen years, as well as challenge them to build others up and take positive steps to combat change. I have seen these students develop into unbelievable leaders, as they are making a difference within their own school hallways. My title, Miss Teen BC, has also opened the door for me to compete on a national level at the Miss Teen Canada Pageant, which was held in Laval, Quebec. On March 6th, 2016, I was crowned Miss Teen Canada and was honored to bring home this title to the province of British Columbia and my hometown of Fort Langley. My most treasured moments over the past year have been the opportunities I’ve had to speak to young teens about being leaders within their schools and local communities. Now in my senior year, as Miss Teen BC and Miss Teen Canada, I am excited to continue to share and develop the pre-teen leadership program that I have created to schools on a national level. My parents have always taught me that in order to be a leader, you must be a servant, and that is something I will continue to live by. Zana Ng - Mrs. Charity BC 2015-16. The Difference a Title Makes. I almost wish I could say I feel my personal impact this year as Mrs Charity BC was vastly increased from years past, but actually I think the things I did as a volunteer that may have made a lasting impact were same as before I was crowned. The first event I went to was a Community Block party that Chiantelle Rey: Miss Greater Vancouver 2015 was already helping to organize and was slated to host before she was crowned as well. It may have helped add a point of interest that we were there with crowns and sashes, but we served like we would have without them. It was a privilege to walk this year out with the other Miss BC Title Holders, and to have my awareness opened up to their platforms, and the many excellent events we have going on in our communities like the Khatsahlano Street Party, The Edmonds City Fair, The Torchlight Parade in White Rock, Walk for Children With Apraxia of Speech,Variety The Children's Charity Show of Hearts - all events I probably would not have participated in without my Pageant Community to invite and partner with me. It's amazing the opportunities that can be created when we have a heart for something. I have been teaching about Sexual Integrity since 2006, starting at my former High School Eric Hamber, just because I had a passion for that subject, and my former counsellors allowed me to come and share, and then gave me reference letters to approach other schools and youth groups. I continued that this year, and plan to carry on for the rest of my life. It has been incredible though, to see their Titles give my friends the confidence and impetus to really make a difference in the platforms they stood for, and to be able to stand with them. Take Ava Vanderstarten -Miss BC 2013 for example - the non-profit foundation she started to help rehabilitate child soldiers has now raised $32,770 out of $862,000 needed towards building their Kabala Community Centre in Sierra Leone which could make a huge tangible difference in the lives of many children devastated by war. Navneet Kaur Nanan - Miss Northern BC 2015-16. My year as Miss Northern British Columbia has taught me incredible lessons, connected me with remarkable individuals, and has empowered me to continue my efforts to impact others and to serve. To those competing this year or planning on competing in the future, I hope you feel grateful to stand among such brilliant and accomplished women. Most importantly, I hope you use your title to make a difference and I hope you’re proud with your results because what you do will impact people and it will make a difference. Advocate and educate people on issues that are incredibly important. I’ve spend the last few months of my reign focusing on self-love. There are far too many people that spend their lives hating themselves. Make a vow to talk about the things unsaid. There many people out there that are suffering in silence for many different reasons, be their voice of guidance. Be a positive influence in the lives of people that can sometimes be heavily influenced by negativity. Trust me when I say that the world has the most beautiful things to offer you. But it is upon you to get out there and seize everyday. Find a group of people who inspire you and relentlessly push you to be your best. Spend as much time with them as you can and I promise it will change your life in ways that you could never have imagined. A large space will open up before me after the moment that I crown my successor, and it will be up to me to fill it with something new. I hope that I can continue to make people proud and continue to make a difference. To my friends and family, thank you for showing me that I am capable of achieving anything that I put my mind to and supporting me in every way possible. Dad, thank you for always being my biggest fan, motivator, and constant source for guidance. Thank you for teaching me that no distance will ever be too far for me conquer and that no hurdle placed in front of me will be too high for me to jump. Thank you for encouraging me to run wild with my dreams because “the sky is the limit” and ensuring me that everything that I want to achieve in my life is possible if I make it so. Black Press Media is partnering with the Miss BC, Miss Teen BC and Mrs. BC Pageant this year, as its official media partner.
Pageant organizers will then be in touch with the applicants to provide further information leading up to the pageant weekend, which takes place July 1 to 3 at the Chief Sepass Theatre in Fort Langley.
The final pageant takes place July 3 at 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public, as well as being broadcast on Shaw Television.
Black Press will cover and report on the pageant, where three women will be named Miss BC, Miss Teen BC and Mrs. BC. Other regional titles, such as Miss Fraser Valley and Miss Northern BC, will also be presented.
Creator and producer Darren Storsley emphasizes that this is not a beauty pageant, but a “development program.”
There is no maximum age limit to participate nor are there height or weight restrictions.
“There is something in this for everyone. Some girls who are on the shy side and not outgoing want this program so that they can get some skills and confidence in all the workshops and training we offer … Others are excited to be part of a huge TV production,” he said.
Photo Album highlights from 2015
“Some girls are very vocal and want a venue to share a passion … and this is a great way to get an important and passionate message out there.”
Leading up to the final pageant, all contestants receive professional training in areas such as public speaking, interview skills, media relations, modelling, manners, and even self-defence.
They also attend a leadership seminar run by female leaders in the community.
The women compete in a private judge’s interview, an on-stage interview, sportswear and evening gown presentations, a sponsor costume introduction, and charity fundraising.
The charity of the Miss BC Pageant is the Cops for Cancer Tour of the Canadian Cancer Society. Since 2007, the pageant has raised more than $250,000 for the cause.
Storsley said he is proud of the road the pageant has travelled over the years.
“In the end, it is about giving back, reaching out, creating leaders and providing a venue for women to take leadership roles across B.C.”
For more information, visit missbc.ca. The public is invited to log on and vote for their favourite contestant for the People’s Choice Award closer to the pageant date.
2015/16 WINNERS
Miss BC – Shatki Shunmugam of Vancouver
Mrs. BC – Shalini Gambhir of Vancouver
Miss Teen BC – Shalom Reimer of Fort Langley
Mrs. Charity BC – Zana Gray of Burnaby
Miss Fraser Valley – Kirti Singh of Surrey
Miss Greater Vancouver – Chiantelle Rey of Vancouver
Miss Lower Mainland – Questa Lee of Richmond
Miss Vancouver Island – Katelynne Herchak of Victoria
Miss Northern BC – Navneet Kaur Nanan of Prince Rupert
Miss BC Interior – Emily Henderson of Summerland
Miss Teen Lower Mainland – Nica Derakhshannia of Richmond

Miss BC: People's choice award closes June 29th


Miss BC, Miss Teen BC and Mrs. BC Pageant takes place July 1 to 3 at the Chief Sepass Theatre in Fort Langley


The B.C. government has approved a master development plan for a new year-round ski resort in the Cariboo Mountains west of Valemount.
Valemount Glacier Destination Resort is a $175 million project led by Oberto Oberti, who designed the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden and the controversial Jumbo Glacier Resort proposal west of Invermere.
The Valemount plan includes lifts and gondolas that would carry skiers and sight-seers to the summits of Mount Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Mount Arthur Meighen. Its vertical drop of 2,050 metres would be higher than Whistler-Blackcomb and the largest in North America.
"There are very few places in the world, and none in North America, where you go and ride a lift to the very top and the glacier is below you," said Jill Bodkin, a director of the company.
Valemount is a remote community of about 1,000 residents near the Alberta border east of Prince George. The region is west of Jasper National Park, which attracts visitors from around the world.
On the project's website, Oberti says people will travel to Switzerland for this kind of mountain resort experience, so a three-hour drive from Prince George isn't an obstacle to success.
Valemount Mayor Jeanette Townsend called the master plan approval "exciting news." She said the community attracts visitors who stay there to avoid the expensive accommodation in Jasper and the resort will take it to the next level.
Chief Nathan Matthew of the Simpcw First Nation said his community has been involved since the beginning, and he sees the project as an important economic development for the northern part of Simpcw's traditional territory.

B.C. approves Valemount glacier resort plan


Designer of Kicking Horse and Jumbo resorts gets approval to proceed with $175 million project east of Prince George


Students return to public school next week, with changes to curriculum and some provincial exams.
Students are returning to class next week in most of B.C.'s public schools, with enrolment expected to be up province-wide for the second year running.
Education Minister Mike Bernier says early forecasts show about 529,000 students, an increase of 2,900 from last year. But that increase is centred on fast-growing school districts, while many rural areas continue to struggle with declining student numbers.
Among changes that parents and students will see this year is a new curriculum in place up to Grade 9, with a test year for changes in the senior grades. Bernier said the new emphasis on collaboration and communication skills does not mean a watering down of the basic skills, and is designed to improve students' ability to work at modern jobs.
Report cards are to continue this school year, but the ministry is reviewing its system with an eye to providing more frequent updates. Parents are being consulted on the changes, Bernier said.
Foundation Skills Assessment tests in grades four and seven are also continuing after years of protests from teacher unions, but that program is also being examined for possible changes. FSA tests will be "enhanced" but not eliminated, Bernier said.
Provincial exams continue for graduates in math and English, but science and social studies will now be assessed at a classroom level rather than school-wide tests, Bernier said.
The ministry provided a series of top-ups to education funding this year, for bus service and to keep selected rural schools from closing. Applications are still being taken for a transportation fund until Sept. 30, requiring districts to drop across-the-board school bus fees to qualify.
Districts may still charge transportation fees for international students or those from outside a school catchment area.
NDP leader John Horgan highlighted the crowding in Surrey school district, where 7,000 students remain in portables despite an expansion program. The NDP says the B.C. government's claim of record per-student funding ignores a reduction of education funding as a share of the provincial economy.
"Since 2001, the B.C. Liberals have dragged public education funding in this province from the second best in Canada to the second worst," Horgan said.

B.C. school enrolment up for second year


Some urban districts struggle with overcrowding, special funds for declining rural schools, bus service to take effect


This year, the Lake Country Art Gallery's contribution to ArtWalk will go 'Off the Rails.'
Art works chosen for the annual artistic extravaganza will relate to the theme.
Artists are invited to create a work of art for the Theme Gallery, which could be part of the exhibition at the Lake Country Art Gallery from Aug. 27 to September 24.
This is a Juried exhibition.
“The Lake Country Art Gallery is a pubic gallery and provides an opportunity for artists to display artwork that may not fit in a more conventional venue. I encourage artists to challenge, expand and interpret this years Art Walk theme, Art Off the Rails.
As curator, Wanda Lock will work with the ArtWalk artists to create a cohesive Art Off the Rails theme exhibition. All art work will be thoughtfully selected and hung in a way that brings out the best in all of the work.
The curator reserves the right to make selection decisions about the work included in the theme exhibition.
● Artists Participating in Artwalk: It is free for artists participating in Artwalk to submit work to the Artwalk Theme Gallery at the Lake Country Art Gallery.
● For artists who are members of the Lake Country Art Gallery but not participating in Artwalk, there will be a $10 exhibition fee to submit work for the Artwalk Theme Gallery.
● For artists who are not members of the Lake Country Art Gallery and are not participating in Artwalk, the exhibition fee will be a $35 which gives them membership to theart gallery.
If you have any questions, contact Wanda Lock at 250-766-1299 or wandalock@shaw.ca


‘Off the Rails’...off the intended path, out of control, behaving strangely…malfunctioning condition.


Premier Christy Clark and Environment Minister Mary Polak plug in an electric car at an announcement of the government's latest climate change plan in Richmond Aug. 19.
A B.C. Liberal operative was out with the online spin hours before Premier Christy Clark confirmed the much-leaked news in a Friday afternoon announcement at an obscure location in Richmond.
The, er, freeze is continuing for B.C.’s ground-breaking, world-saving carbon tax, which hasn’t changed since before Clark was elected in 2013.
The spin was Olympic-themed, with a picture labeled to show B.C. as a swimmer far out in the lead in the pool, to symbolize that it’s the other provinces that need to catch up in the race to save the planet.
Clark has been saying that for years, and there is merit to it. Even without a tax on “process emissions” such as from cement kilns, B.C.’s carbon tax encourages imports of non-taxed cement from the U.S. and China.
Alberta business professor Andrew Leach, who advised the Stephen Harper and then Rachel Notley governments on greenhouse gas policies, summed up the problem this way.
“Until the rest of the world has policies that impose similar cost, you’re not actually reducing emissions to the extent you think,” Leach said. “You’re just displacing the emissions and the economic activity to other jurisdictions.”
Alberta is moving to join B.C. with a modest carbon tax, but the NDP government plans to spend the proceeds rather than return them in income tax as B.C. has done. And Washington state and most of the rest of the world have no carbon tax as such, so their businesses benefit from B.C.’s “climate leadership.”
B.C.’s foreign-funded eco-radical community was, needless to say, appalled. The Pembina Institute’s Matt Horne and career protesters Tzeporah Berman and Merran Smith were named to the premier’s advisory committee last year, along with business, academic and aboriginal representatives.
They concluded that increases to B.C.’s broad-based tax on carbon fuels should resume its upward march in 2018.
Other committee members, including the mayors of Surrey, Comox and Burns Lake, were not heard from. Public discussion on this issue is now reduced to a staged conflict between those who demand a holy war on deadly carbon dioxide “pollution,” and those who don’t care if their grandchildren perish in a hell-fire of fossil fuel use.
We’ve just come off another El Nino year, like the hot year of 1998. Regular readers will recall the last time I discussed this topic was this spring, where I questioned the premier’s dire warnings of another horrendous forest fire season.
What followed has been one of the slowest forest fire seasons in the last decade, although dry conditions have finally emerged this month. Climate predictions, like next week’s weather forecast, are less than consistent.
I am regularly sent messages calling me a “climate change denier,” the nonsense term that continues to be used by federal Environment Minister Catharine McKenna among many others. I know of no one who denies that climate is always changing, at times dramatically.
If you wish to believe that paying an extra seven cents a litre for gasoline in B.C. is helping to slow the very gradual increase in temperatures we’re seeing in the northern hemisphere, you are free to do so.
You may even be persuaded to take a government subsidy and buy an expensive, short-range electric car. Me, I’m off to Prince Rupert and Revelstoke pretty soon, so I’ll stick with my little four-cylinder gas sipper for now.
Hydro-powered B.C. represents a small fraction of the less than two per cent Canada contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions. We’re not the problem, and no, the world is not looking to us for guidance.
Tom Fletcher is B.C. legislature reporter and columnist for Black Press. Email: tfletcher@blackpress.ca Twitter: @tomfletcherbc


Premier Christy Clark isn't going into next year's election with a promise to jack up Canada's only significant carbon tax


Revelstoke dam on the Columbia River is due to have a sixth water turbine added, but Site C is BC Hydro's priority today.
BC Hydro is going ahead with its planned four per cent rate increase this year and deferring more debt to future years as it revises its electricity demand forecast downward.
The provincially-owned utility has not asked for an increase in its government-imposed rate plan despite a revised demand forecast with $3.5 billion less revenue over the next 10 years. BC Hydro has filed a three-year plan with the B.C. Utilities Commission that would increase rates four, 3.5 and three per cent in the next three years. The four per cent increase is already showing up on customer bills as an interim increase.
With the Site C dam on the Peace River and other upgrades amounting to $2 billion a year, the plan includes additional deferred debt until 2023, when Site C is due to be completed. BC Hydro CEO Jessica McDonald said the long-term nature of capital projects means its capital cost savings don't start until the next decade.
BC Hydro has also cut some of its familiar Power Smart activities, such as the fridge buy-back plan and incentives for energy efficient light bulbs.
McDonald said BC Hydro is seeing lower revenues due to two warm winters and downturns in mining and forest products. It still projects growing overall demand as population and economic growth continue.
NDP energy critic Adrian Dix said the new deferred debt represents roughly $500 for each of BC Hydro's two million customers, and it is a political move to get the B.C. Liberal government past next year's election.
The 10-year rates plan imposed by Energy Minister Bill Bennett in 2013 overstated demand to justify the construction of Site C, and translates to a 28 per cent rate increase. It allows the utilities commission to regain control over approving customer rates by 2020, after five years of political direction.
Dix said with the new demand forecast and commodity prices expected to remain low, BC Hydro should have added a sixth turbine to its Revelstoke dam for $450 million before embarking on the $9 billion Site C project.


Four per cent rate hike already in effect, more to come as BC Hydro looks for savings to offset slow industrial demand