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Environment champions want voters to make climate their main priority this fall

OTTAWA — Two leading Canadian activists say voters need to think about climate change as if we are a country at war against greenhouse-gas emissions. “There’s never been a moment quite like this in human history,” said Stephen Lewis, a former Ontario NDP leader, who chaired a 1988 international conference on climate change on the initiative of then prime minister Brian Mulroney.…

Court allows six of 12 Trans Mountain appeals

VANCOUVER — The Federal Court of Appeal says six of 12 proposed legal challenges to the Trans Mountain pipeline project can proceed. The federal government approved the plan to triple the capacity of an existing pipeline from Alberta’s oilpatch to the coast of British Columbia for a second time in June.…

Nobody died but the lions in these cases in Colorado

MOUNTAIN NEWS: For the week of Aug. 29

KREMMLING, Colo. – It’s been a bad month for big cats doing what big cats do in Colorado. Consider first the man who was being followed by a mountain lion in the rumple of ridges between Winter Park and Steamboat Springs.…

Federal Court of Appeal to rule on letting pipeline challenges proceed

OTTAWA — The Federal Court of Appeal is to reveal today whether a new set of legal challenges to the Trans Mountain pipeline project can proceed. The federal government has twice approved a plan to twin an existing pipeline from Alberta’s oilpatch to the B.C. coast.…

E-Bikes can co-exist on Valley Trail

LETTER: For the week of Aug. 29

I would like to offer an alternative opinion to the recent column by Joel Barde (“The Valley Trail is for everybody—but not e-bikes,” Pique, July 11) and subsequent negative opinions on Class 1 e-bikes being allowed on the Whistler valley trail system. As a family with two young children, we have been using this network year round, (studded tires in the winter) with a cargo e-bike.…

Banff, the town, on the cusp of cap for building footage

MOUNTAIN NEWS: For the week of Aug. 29

BANFF, Alberta – A 175-room hotel planned in downtown Banff may be the last one. The resort community located entirely within Banff National Park is nearing its federally mandated cap on commercial development.…

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stops for selfies as he hikes Grouse Grind

PM provides a birthday bonus before besting 2015 time

A woman who was celebrating her 83rd birthday by doing North Vancouver’s Grouse Grind Friday morning got an unexpected bonus when Canada’s prime minister stopped to take a photo with her as he hiked up the trail. Robert Horne, who grew up in Lynn Valley, said his mom, Mary Horne, was stopping for a rest on the trail when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came briskly hiking up behind them.…

Teen rescued from rock ledge on North Van’s Quarry Rock

Rescue-filled weekend for North Shore Rescue, fire crews

The last long weekend of the summer was a busy one for North Shore rescuers. A camper suffering dehydration, a lost hiker, and a teen trapped below Quarry Rock were just a few of those who ventured on to local trails and ended up needing a helping hand.…

Salt Spring, Galiano islands crack down on short-term vacation rentals

Salt Spring and Galiano islands are cracking down on short-term vacation rentals. The Islands Trust is taking legal action on each island against a specific property that is unlawfully being used as a short-term rental, including one home with eight bedrooms.…

Gas prices in B.C. appear ‘choreographed’ : BCUC

Inquiry into high gas prices in B.C. finds unexplained price swings and offers two options for regulation

Spikes in gasoline prices in Vancouver appear to be “choreographed,” says the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC). The commission released a final report on its inquiry into high gasoline prices Friday August 30.If the government decides to regulate gas prices, the commission is recommending two possible options: regulating prices themselves or supply chain access.…

Sea to Sky School District briefs

In briefs: Immunization records, head lice, gender-neutral language and facilities, and 36 facility projects underway

In the week before students headed back to school, the Sea to Sky School District held their board meeting on Aug. 28 to review what’s to come this school year and what was accomplished over the summer. Here’s some of what they discussed and decided.…

Adults should adopt the back-to-school mindset to be healthier

My wife has a lot of patience. I’m not saying that because she’s been married to me for 30 years; she’s a kindergarten teacher.…

Lil’wat Nation says ‘no’ to unsanctioned parties

Organizers of the Impact festival relocate party to Kamloops after officials warn they would be trespassing

The organizers of a three-day electronic music festival planned for Mount Currie have changed locations after the Lil’wat Nation declared that the festival was unsanctioned and that partygoers could be arrested. The event, known as the Impact Transformational Charity Festival, was set to take place from Sept. 6 to 8 in Mount Currie, with all proceeds going towards harm reduction and clean-water projects, according to the organizers.…

Jacquie Pope’s ‘Vatican’

Earlier this month, we were invited to attend the Alta Lake Road Block Party. While sharing information about the neighbourhood’s history with residents, a couple came by to share some history of their friend Jacquie Pope with us.…

Topless march in poor taste

LETTER: For the week of Aug. 29

I’m reaching out to protest the topless march that took place in Whistler Village last Sunday, Aug. 25. Whistler is a family-friendly venue and this type of display is not appropriate for the local families or unsuspecting visitors.…