March 29, 2024

Translink defends against Delta mayor’s criticism

Translink officials admit it’s hard to deliver transit south of the Fraser River, but they disagree with the Mayor of Delta’s claims that her community is poorly served.  Bob Paddon with Translink says service in north Delta is on par with elsewhere, but he admits south Delta is a different story. "The cost of somebody getting on … [Read more...]

Advanced Education minister responding to criticism over apprenticeship programs

BC's minister of advanced education is hitting back at NDP criticism of the Liberal Government's handling of the province's apprenticeship programs. Following accusations from NDP Finance Critic Bruce Ralston that the Liberals are only investing in apprenticeship programs because of May's election, John Yap says that couldn't be further from the … [Read more...]

MP faces criticism over shark fin soup event

A Vancouver City Councillor is shaking his head after local conservative MP Alice Wong invited media to watch her slurp up some shark fin soup. Kerry Jang says even worse, Wong appears to have excluded all major media outlets and instead focused on just one ethnic group. "You know I can't speak for her, but certainly you know it is very odd to me … [Read more...]

Health officer speaks out after criticism of new flu-shot measures

B.C.’s chief medical health officer is firing back at critics of new flu shot rules. Dr. Perry Kendall has announced healthcare workers must get immunized this flu season or else wear a mask to help protect patients. Nurses and seniors' care providers have cried foul, claiming there has been no consultation. Kendall says he suspects it might … [Read more...]

NDP criticism over Enbridge pipeline doesn’t sway BC’s Environment Minister

BC's Environment Minister calls a report on the Enbridge oil spill in Michigan several years ago ""on the surface from the executive summary a pretty damning report."  But Terry Lake says his government will stay the course in gathering all the information they can on the Northern Gateway Pipeline proposal before making any … [Read more...]

Feds launch online response to Coast Guard criticism

The Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans has come under fire for its plan to close the Kitsilano Coast Guard base, and now it has launched a website to counter critics.Keith Ashfield, the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, was in Vancouver to defend the federal government's decision to shut down the Kitsilano Coast Guard base.And on the back of telling … [Read more...]

Jackson Responds To “Hobbit” Criticism

As previously reported, the 48 frames-per-second presentation of Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" feature at CinemaCon in Las Vegas the other week met with a lot of complaints from journalists and exhibitors as to the look of this new filmmaking process. Now Jackson himself has responded to the discord, telling EW that "At first it’s unusual because … [Read more...]

Bay Responds To “Ninja Turtles” Criticism

Over the weekend Michael Bay dropped a rather unexpected comment that Platinum Dunes' "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" reboot would feature an alien origin for the half-shelled heroes. The news caused something of an online furore, fans of the characters quickly slamming the "Transformers" helmer and those working on the film for the change. Now, … [Read more...]

Oppal defends Pickton probe amid criticism

The head of a public inquiry into the Robert Pickton case defended the process Tuesday against allegations it’s ignoring the voices of aboriginals, as a lawyer appointed to represent that community resigned and one of the few remaining First Nations groups left in the process pulled out. Aboriginal activists have long dismissed the inquiry as … [Read more...]

Children’s rights watchdog adds to CLBC criticism

As controversy continues to swirl around Community Living BC, the province's representative for children and youth admits she too has concerns. Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond says many of her cases revolve around children with disabilities. "The challenge for me is, when they turn 19, I can no longer provide that advocacy, and I know for some of the … [Read more...]