The Ministry of Transportation will hold public hearings next week on its long range plan to replace the George Massey tunnel. It's called phase two of public consultation, and it includes meetings in Richmond, Surrey and Delta from next Wednesday through Saturday. Phase one of that consultation in December saw eleven hundred people weigh in, … [Read more...]
Picket lines could soon come down at BC Place
February 18, 2013 by
The BC Government and Service Employees' Union is pleased with an agreement reached Monday with the BC Pavilion Corporation, which operates BC Place. Karen Tankard with the Union says they were able to get many of the things they were seeking, "For instance, we were asking for a wage increase for our members, we got them four percent over two … [Read more...]
Work starts soon on Evergreen line
January 29, 2013 by
A consortium lead by SNC-Lavalin, "EGRT Construction", has been awarded an 890 million dollar contract to design, build and finance the Evergreen line. It's expected eight thousand jobs will be created during the construction of the line. Work begins in February. And that work will include building a two kilometre tunnel, and seven stations. CKNW … [Read more...]
BCTF says FSA tests could soon be a distant memory
January 7, 2013 by
The BC Teachers' Federation sees a light at the end of the tunnel in their long fight against the Foundation Skills Assessment tests. BCTF President Susan Lambert says NDP Leader Adrian Dix has pledged to end the FSA tests should he win the May election. "And within the ministry themselves aren't supportive of the FSA's so it seems to me that … [Read more...]
Surrey Memorial Hospital ER opening again soon
November 29, 2012 by
Surrey Memorial Hospital's Emergency Room will be back to business as usual Monday, December 3rd. Construction-related flooding on November 19th shut down the ER and most medical imaging areas. Since then, patients have been cared for at the Jim Pattison Centre where a temporary emergency department was set up. Dozens of surgeries have also … [Read more...]
West End MLA happy Robson Street soon to re-open
November 23, 2012 by
The MLA for Vancouver’s West End says it is about time the city re-opened a part of Robson Street to car and bus traffic. The NDP's Spencer Chandra-Herbert says he's lobbied city and council on behalf of West End residents who are tired of being on buses routing around the closure. "It sounds like the city is finally hearing that and … [Read more...]
Generic drug price break coming soon
November 23, 2012 by
Starting in April the province is making changes so you will pay less for generic medication. Health Minister Margaret McDiarmid days new drug price regulation will drop the cost of geric drugs from 25% of brand name drug price in 2013 to 20% in 2014. McDiarmid uses the drug Lipitor as an example of the savings. "The current cost of the … [Read more...]
Victoria bus drivers could soon strike
October 10, 2012 by
The labour dispute between unionized bus drivers and BC Transit continues in Victoria, but there won't be a work stoppage for the next two days. Ben Williams, President of Canadian Auto Workers Local 3-33, says his union is willing to stop the busses if its employer won't negotiate, but not yet, "Any disruption that would actually disrupt service … [Read more...]
Education Minister to decide soon on replacing fired school board
October 1, 2012 by
BC's new Education minister will soon determine if a fired board of education will be replaced using by-elections or not. The now former trustees of the Cowichan Valley school board want early elections so a new board of education can be put in place. Don McRae was asked if he supports holding by-elections. "Well I have meeting actually set up Mike … [Read more...]
A freeze on some drug research companies will be lifted soon
September 19, 2012 by
The BC government is lifting a freeze on at least some drug research contracts in the wake of an alleged privacy breach. Health Minister Margaret MacDiarmid says the freeze should be lifted in the next few days. "I'm happy to announce that in the next few days we will be able to restart just over about one million dollars worth of these … [Read more...]
