RCMP reports no road fatalities on Victoria Day weekend for the first time in 6 years
A Tesla driver was among those ticketed by BC Highway Patrol over the past month, one of over 9,600 speeding tickets issued in May.
This year's Victoria Day long weekend was the safest B.C. roads have seen in years.
According to a statement issued by the BC Highway Patrol, the May long weekend was the first time in six years where no vehicle-related fatalities were reported. It comes after three were reported in 2024, and an average of four fatalities annually between 2019 and 2023.
'We had a lot of positive public feedback about the impact of BC Highway Patrol's high-visibility enforcement, and we're very happy to do our part to reduce deaths on our roads,' said Supt. Mike Coyle in the statement.
'We still find too many examples of irresponsible driving.'
While no deaths marred the spring weekend this year, that's not to say all drivers on the road were travelling safely.
Over the course of the three days, traffic officers wrote almost 2,000 speeding tickets across the province, and 79 vehicles were impounded due to excessive speeding, the RCMP said.
Throughout the whole of May, during month-long high-risk driving and motorcycle awareness campaigns, the BC Highway Patrol dished out over 9,600 speeding tickets.
Over 1,500 of those nabbed were travelling on Vancouver Island, while over 2,200 were ticketed in B.C.'s central and Okanagan regions.
Among those left to pay the price of their dangerous driving was one motorcyclist on a learner licence in Burnaby, who was clocked May 19 travelling 152 km/h in a 90 km/h zone, and a Tesla driver whose speed of 191 km/h in a 100 km/h zone on Highway 1 landed him his third excessive speeding ticket in two years.
On May 18, two drivers were caught in the Kootenay region after a husband who was collecting his inebriated wife after she had been stopped and suspended also failed the breathalyzer.
With the BC Highway Patrol's Summer Impaired Driving Campaign nearing, Coyle said he urges those getting behind the wheel to refocus, and take safe driving more seriously.
'The heat of summer will bring a lot more traffic on B.C. Highways.' he warned.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
44 minutes ago
- CBC
Montreal police searching for missing man, 72, with cognitive impairment
Montreal police are asking the public for help locating a 72-year-old man with cognitive impairment who has difficulty navigating. Richard Bastien is described as white, five feet 11 inches tall and 170 pounds. He has brown eyes and grey hair. He speaks both English and French. Bastien was last seen Friday afternoon at around 2 p.m. at his residence in the Sud-Ouest. He mainly uses a wheelchair or walks to get around, police say. Bastien doesn't have access to his medication, and investigators are concerned for his health and safety. He was last seen wearing black pants and a blue, plaid shirt.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Bank of Canada head Tiff Macklem says mandate should evolve in a ‘shock-prone' world
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem takes part in an interview at the Bank of Canada in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA — Tiff Macklem is wearing an Edmonton Oilers pin as he reflects on coming very close to beating big odds. It's a significant day for the governor of the Bank of Canada: he's just laid out his reasons to the entire country and a global audience for keeping the central bank's benchmark interest rate steady for a second straight time. That night is also Game 1 of the NHL's Stanley Cup finals; Macklem ends his press conference with a hearty 'Go Oilers!' It's a rematch from last year's heartbreak, when the Oilers came oh-so-close to mounting a seemingly impossible four-game comeback against the Florida Panthers, only to fall short by a single goal in Game 7. Macklem, too, was almost safe to declare victory last year. He had just about secured a coveted 'soft landing' for Canada's economy — a rare feat that sees restrictive monetary policy bring down surging levels of inflation without tipping the economy into a prolonged downturn. 'We got inflation down. We didn't cause a recession,' Macklem said in an interview with The Canadian Press after the rate announcement Wednesday. 'And, to be frank, until President (Donald) Trump started threatening the economy with new tariffs, we were actually seeing growth pick up.' Fresh out of one crisis, the central bank now must contend with another in U.S. tariffs. Five years into his tenure as head of the Bank of Canada, Macklem said he sees the central bank's role in stickhandling the economy — as well as Canada's role on the world stage — evolving. Many Canadians have become more familiar with the Bank of Canada in recent years. After the COVID-19 pandemic recovery ignited inflation, the central bank's rapid tightening cycle and subsequent rate cuts were top-line news for anxious Canadians stressed about rising prices and borrowing costs. That was all in pursuit of meeting the central bank's inflation target of two per cent, part of a mandate from the federal government that's up for review next year. Macklem said the past few years have led the Bank of Canada to scrutinize some of its metrics, like core inflation and how it responds to supply shocks in the economy. But he defends keeping the bank's inflation target, particularly at a time of global upheaval. 'Our flexible inflation targeting framework has just been through the biggest test it's ever had in the 30 years since we announced the inflation target,' he said. 'I'm not going to pretend it's been an easy few years for anybody. But I think the framework has performed well.' Macklem said, however, that he sees room to build out the mandate to address other areas of concern from Canadians, such as housing affordability. Whether it's the high cost of rent or a mortgage, or surging prices for groceries and vehicles, Macklem said the past few years have been eye-opening to Canadians who weren't around the last time inflation hit double digits in the 1980s. 'Unfortunately, a whole new generation of Canadians now know what inflation feels like, and they didn't like it one bit,' he said. Monetary policy itself can't make homes more affordable, he noted — in a nutshell, high interest rates make mortgages more expensive while low rates can push up the price of housing itself because they stoke demand. But Macklem said one of the things he's reflecting on is that inflation can get worse when the economy isn't operating at its potential or when it's facing great disruption. 'There is a role for monetary policy to smooth out some of that adjustment — support the economy while ensuring that inflation is well-controlled.' He didn't offer suggestions on how the mandate might expand to address housing affordability specifically, but said 'the work is ongoing' and will be settled in meetings with the federal government next year. Right now, he's trying to make sure that the economic impacts from Canada's tariff dispute with the United States don't result in prolonged inflation. The Bank of Canada is not alone in debating how monetary policy ought to respond in what Macklem called a more 'shock-prone' world. The G7 Finance Ministers' Summit in Kananaskis, Alta., last month also featured roundtables with the bloc's central bankers. Conversations at the summit were 'candid,' Macklem said, and though the nations issued a joint statement at the close of the event, that doesn't mean they agreed on everything. 'International co-operation, to be honest, has never been easy. It is particularly difficult right now, but that doesn't make it less important. That makes it more important,' he said. 'I do think Canada, as the chair of the G7, has a leadership role to play.' The Bank of Canada is also changing the way it has conversations with Canadians and the kind of data it considers. A day after the June interest rate decision, deputy governor Sharon Kozicki told a Toronto business crowd how the central bank is using data more nimbly, relying heavily on surveys and more granular information to make monetary policy decisions in an uncertain time. These sources offer a faster way to see what's happening on the ground in the economy than traditional statistical models allow. Macklem said the central bank would previously have dismissed most supply shocks as transitory — likely to pass without the need for central bank adjustments, such as rising and falling oil prices. But he said the Bank of Canada needs to be running a more 'nuanced playbook' now to respond to some increasingly common shocks: supply chain disruptions, trade conflicts and extreme weather to name a few. An overheating economy running up against a supply disruption is the kind of inflationary fire Macklem is trying to avoid in this latest crisis. 'The economy does not work well when inflation is high,' he said. 'And the primary role of the Bank of Canada is to ensure that Canadians maintain confidence in price stability. That's all we can do for the Canadian economy. That's what we can do for Canadians. And that's what we're focused on.' Later in the day on Wednesday, the Edmonton Oilers took Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. The Canadian team was down but roared back to win 4-3 in overtime. It's still early in the Bank of Canada's response to the latest global shock. But with any luck, Macklem's team might also get a leg up with lessons learned the last time they faced big odds. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2025. Craig Lord, The Canadian Press
Globe and Mail
an hour ago
- Globe and Mail
Road lines fading faster after environmental rule, say local politicians – raising costs and safety concerns
Municipalities across the country say a government regulation that limits a group of chemicals used in painting road lines is hitting their budgets hard. Without the chemicals, they say, road lines fade more quickly, putting drivers at risk and forcing municipalities to repaint them more often. 'It seems like something small but it's actually something that affects every municipality across the country,' said Tim Tierney, vice-president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and an Ottawa city councillor. The federal regulations limit the allowable concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) − chemicals in paint products used for road markings − to 150 grams per litre in those products from 450. VOCs are also found in nail polish and hairsprays. The lower limit is required only from May 1 to Oct. 15, when the weather is mild and air pollution is a concern. These are the months during which most municipalities paint their road lines. The regulations by Environment and Climate Change Canada were put forward because VOCs contribute to the formation of both particulate matter and ground-level ozone, which are the two main components of smog. 'Health impacts from smog include irritated eyes, nose and throat. Smog can worsen existing heart and lung problems or may cause lung cancer with regular long-term exposure,' spokesperson Brandon Clim said in a statement. Gary LeRoux, president of the Canadian Coatings Association, said a steep drop in VOC concentration results in 'inherent issues with adhesion and durability.' Councillors across the country say the regulations overlook safety concerns on roads. They say municipalities now require multiple rounds of repaints a year as fading road lines continue to put drivers, pedestrians and motorists' lives at risk. Clark Somerville, councillor for the Town of Halton Hills and the region of Halton, said the regulation is ultimately costing Canadian taxpayers more, with their money being spent 'unnecessarily.' 'As the road painting is disappearing quicker, we are now spending taxpayers dollars to go out and repaint the roads more than what we had to before,' Mr. Somerville said. Rural municipalities say it's particularly an issue for them because their roads are darker and more dangerous at night. 'Anyone that gets behind a vehicle knows how important and key it is to have those lines on the road,' said Kara Westerlund, president of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta and councillor for Brazeau County. 'Especially when you're in rural areas where we don't have [adequate] street lighting.' Ms. Westerlund, who represents 69 rural municipalities in Alberta, said it's not just councillors or elected officials who have been raising this issue. She said first responders, police services and volunteer firefighters are pointing to disappearing road markings to explain some road accidents. 'It's really tough because everyone wants to be a good steward to the environment, but I just think we have to pick and choose our battles,' said Mr. Tierney, the Ottawa councillor. 'And safety is a real one.' While councillors such as Mr. Somerville are calling for more funding to cover the cost of keeping up road lines, arguing that municipalities do not have the necessary 'wiggle room' in their budgets, Ms. Westerlund said more attention should be paid to the paint. 'Before throwing more funding at crews to paint the lines, let's get to the root of the issue and that is the paint itself,' Ms. Westerlund said. 'Let's find solutions there and move forward from there.' Mr. Clim, the Environment Canada spokesperson, said other factors also determine how long road markings last – traffic volume, weather conditions and how snow and ice are managed. The department 'has not received any technical information indicating that the VOC limits for traffic markings affect the product's performance,' Mr. Clim said. David Saucier, director of issues management at the Canadian Coatings Association, said the federal government should go back to the drawing board and consult industry experts. 'What are we compromising here?' Mr. Saucier said. 'If we're going to compromise health and safety for pedestrians and motorists, what are we saving?' Mr. Tierney said the regulation has had a positive impact when applied to products such as hairsprays or nail polish, 'even wall paint.' 'But when it comes to road painting specifically there doesn't seem to be a magic formula to make it work yet.'
