Blog

Feds offer $9b in relief to students

Many students do not qualify for previously announced benefits

The federal government is introducing new measures totalling $9 billion to assist students facing a summer in which seasonal work is unlikely to materialize. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday (April 22) the introduction of a monthly benefit worth $1,250 that would extend from May to August.…

Poisoned meat suspected to have killed coyotes, sickened dogs

Conservation officers ask anyone with information on Pemberton Meadows incident to call RAPP line

Conservation officers are investigating after the suspected poisoning of two coyotes and several dogs in the Sea to Sky corridor. In a Facebook post, the Conservation Officer Service (COS) said over the last several weeks two coyote carcasses were found in Pemberton Meadows “with signs that warranted further examination.”…

COVID-19 outbreak at United Poultry Company in Vancouver

Plant has 28 cases and has been shut down

In her daily briefing Tuesday, April 21, Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s chief medical officer, identified a new outbreak of COVID-19 in the Vancouver Coastal Health Region, at a poultry plant. “I do want to say that I know that there will be concerns about the products that have come out of this,” said Henry.…

Grouse Mountain’s resident grizzly bears emerge from hibernation

Grinder and Coola awake after 144-day dormancy

The mountain may be closed for business but the bears’ eyes are wide open. Grinder and Coola, Grouse Mountain’s two resident grizzly bears, emerged from hibernation Tuesday morning, according to the North Vancouver mountain resort.…

B.C. youth sports leagues could resume, with restrictions, in the coming months

Dr. Bonnie Henry says physical activity a priority but precautions need to be taken when athletes get back in action

British Columbia’s provincial health officer today opened the door to the possibility of youth sports leagues resuming play in the coming months, with the caveat that restrictions will need to be put in place to reduce the risk of transmitting the COVID-19 virus. In her daily media update today Dr. Bonnie Henry did not give a specific timeline for when sports teams will be able to hit the field again.…

Organizers cancel Squamish Constellation Festival 2020 event

Like many other large-scale events, the Squamish Constellation Festival has announced it won’t be happening this year, due to COVID-19 restrictions. The festival was slated for July 24 to 26.…

B.C. confirms 25 new cases of COVID-19, for total of 1,724

Vancouver Coastal Health Public Health has declared an outbreak of COVID-19 among staff working at United Poultry Company Ltd., a chicken processing plant.

There are now 1,724 cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in B.C., after health officials announced 25 new cases Tuesday. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reports that there are 707 cases in Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), 715 in Fraser Health, 109 on Vancouver Island, 153 in Interior Health and 40 in Northern Health.…

Pranks at Witsend

When describing summers spent at Alta Lake, Florence Petersen (founder of the Whistler Museum & Archives Society) once explained how she, June Collins, Kelly Fairhurst, Betty Atkinson and Jacquie Pope (her fellow Witsend residents) would plan their days: “You’d take a walk, and say ‘What’ll I do today?’ Something would happen that would lead to something else.” Sometimes these walks would lead to days that, though not necessarily the most productive, were still remembered by the Witsend group for their fun nearly 50 years later. Petersen remembered one walk in particular that ended with an elaborate prank being played on one of the seasonal forestry workers staying at Alta Lake.…

Ottawa commits $350m to help vulnerable populations

Funding will be deployed through community organizations and larger national organizations

The federal government is earmarking $350 million for the country’s vulnerable populations as they deal with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday (April 21) a portion of the new Emergency Community Support Fund will go to smaller community-based organizations but most of the $350 million will be directed to larger national organizations that can quickly deploy the funding.…

LETTER: Save the hikes for later

I’m disappointed by the selfishness on display by many in the hiking community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Too many of us are asking, “What loopholes can I find in the public-health advisories to justify my next hike?” instead of “What can I do to help limit the number of people who will die from coronavirus?”…

Nearly half of B.C. businesses may not or will not re-open

Roughly one in 12 businesses will not re-open after restrictions related to COVID-19 are lifted

Close to half of B.C. businesses may not or will not re-open when governments ease restrictions imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19, according to a new business survey. Of the nearly 1,300 businesses surveyed, 38 per cent are uncertain about their ability to re-open, while eight per cent will not re-open.…

OPINION: As it loses $1M a day, B.C. Ferries has few options

B.C. Ferries is losing more than $1 million a day and is trying to negotiate a way around a sticking point that could prevent the company from being eligible for federal aid. Qualifying for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy could mean millions in federal help for the company and employees affected by the drastic service curtailments brought on by plummeting ridership.…

SD48 outlines education plan during pandemic

School board briefs: Classrooms open for kids of essential services workers; grad students a priority

The Sea to Sky School District (SD48) laid out its plans to the school board for educating and caring for its students during the COVID-19 pandemic during its regularly scheduled meeting Wed., April 8, on Zoom. One example of the lengths local educators are going to, heard the board, was a principal went to a student’s home in the evening, sat outside a glass door, and, through it, taught a student and the parents how to use a specific electronic device.…

Expanding COVID-19 testing won’t have major impact on process for Whistler, say docs

Symptomatic patients interested in test should consult family doctor or virtual clinic

Last week, B.C.’s COVID-19 testing guidelines were amended so that anyone with symptoms can now be tested—but the process to obtain a test isn’t likely to change for Whistlerites, explained two local physicians. “As we don’t have a testing centre here, I still think the best advice is that if someone is ill or concerned, they should reach out to their family doctor or through our virtual walk-in clinic and have a virtual appointment either by phone or telehealth, and then with their GP, they can decide the next best steps,” said Dr. Karin Kausky of the Whistler Medical Centre.…

Fool’s rules

Anyone following the train-wreck known as the Trump administration is familiar with its combination of internal chaos, ham-fisted policy-making, childish diplomacy, and wilful, revenge-motivated rollback of Obama-era policy. Perhaps this cabal’s most insidious hallmark, however, can be seen in its continued efforts to dismantle environmental regulations-some of which go back decades to previous Republican administrations.…