Latest news with #LionsBay
CTV News
29-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Family sues over deadly landslide
The family of a Lions Bay couple killed in a massive landslide last winter has filed a lawsuit against the province, the municipality and a neighbour.
CTV News
29-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Lawsuit filed, counterclaim threatened over deadly Lions Bay, B.C., slide
Part of Lions Bay, B.C., remains under a local state of emergency more than five months after a large debris flow claimed two lives when it sent tons of trees, rocks and mud tumbling through a residential neighbourhood. Long-time Lions Bay residents David and Barbara Enns died in the December 2024 slide, which is now at the centre of a civil suit filed in B.C. Supreme Court. Several neighbours, along with representatives of the estates of Barabara and David Enns have named the province, the municipality and Steven Vestergaard, who owns a large plot of land in the area as defendants. The plaintiffs are Michelle Medland, Sean Barry, Fiona Fourie, Barbara Dyer, and Michael Enns, who is listed as the executor of the estates of the deceased. The allegations laid out in the suit pertain to a road and water reservoir the plaintiffs refer to as 'illegal works'. In their statement of claim, the plaintiffs allege the slide was 'caused, or alternatively contributed to,' by construction of the road and reservoir up the slope from where the Enns' home was swept away. Vestergaard denies the infrastructure contributed to the debris flow. 'First, my heart goes out to the Enns family. These were the nicest neighbours that I could wish for, and they didn't deserve this,' he wrote in an email to CTV News. 'The litigation against me is completely frivolous and I will be filing for a motion to dismiss and will be counterclaiming for damages.' The Village of Lions Bay has filed a response to the statement of claim which disputes the allegations against it. Representatives for the village declined a CTV News request for comment. None of the allegations have been tested in court.
CBC
15-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Metro Vancouver has 41 directors. After a governance review, will that change?
Social Sharing After a year of upheaval and reviews, Metro Vancouver directors are awaiting a report that could tweak a few parts of the biggest regional government in B.C. — or could kickstart massive reforms in the way the area from Lions Bay to Langley is overseen. "I've heard the word amalgamation," said Metro Vancouver Vce-Chair John McEwen, referring to the concept of merging some or all of the patchwork of 21 municipalities that comprise the Metro Vancouver Regional District. "I don't know how to change the governing model so that everybody still has a say. Right now, we allow a say from the mayor of Vancouver or Surrey, but also the mayor of Anmore or Port Moody." Metro Vancouver initiated an independent review of its governance by Deloitte Canada following months of media reports about the oversight, cost overruns and remuneration of its directors and senior staff. That report is expected by the end of the month. Directors have pledged to have an open mind on whatever recommendations are made. But regardless, Metro Vancouver faces a question similar to municipalities across British Columbia — whether people can disagree agreeably and move forward, or suffer potential consequences. "When you have a council that is rowing in the same direction, you can achieve some very positive things," said Brad West, the mayor of Port Coquitlam and one of the 41 board members of the Metro Vancouver board. "If you have a council that is at war with each other, and everything is political? You know what usually happens is voters say you're all gone." 'There's not the same degree of nimbleness' In advance of the governance report, CBC News interviewed four directors at the centre of debates over Metro Vancouver over the past year: West, the high-profile mayor who put forward a number of reforms to Metro Vancouver in February. Delta Coun. Dylan Kruger, who helped remove Delta Mayor George Harvie as Metro Vancouver chair a year ago. Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley, who replaced Harvie as board chair. Anmore Mayor John McEwen, who has served as vice-chair before and after Harvie's replacement. In addition, CBC News spoke on background with another eight past and present directors across the region. Together, they paint a picture of an organization that has struggled to respond in the aftermath of the negative attention. Different municipalities took different strategies in dealing with the fallout, with the two biggest — Vancouver and Surrey — effectively boycotting different parts of the regional government. The subsequent politicization created plenty of split votes and a lack of clear direction. "It is really challenging to have 41 people around the table," said Kruger, who has pushed for Metro Vancouver to focus more clearly on the 80 per cent of its budget dedicated to water and waste. "We have to adjust our expectations. It is a different creature than a council table. And if we put the same expectations of a council table on it, I think we're going to be naturally disappointed by the result." West, whose motion ruffled some feathers with directors in several municipalities, said the sheer number of directors made it difficult to move quickly. "There's not the same degree of nimbleness that you might find in a city council in responding to issues that emerge," he said. "What you saw play out was 41 people kind of waiting for someone to do something." Many directors believed media criticism of expenses was excessive relative to Metro Vancouver's billion-dollar annual budget, or lacked comparison to other jurisdictions. "I think we certainly put a lot of materials out that weren't reported or for whatever reason … I didn't think that was fairly done," said Hurley. But at the same time, he and other directors agreed the criticisms were warranted, and a review was helpful. "I think both things can be true at the same time," said Kruger. "This is a multibillion-dollar organization that does incredibly great things every single day … but we need to get back to focusing on those fundamentals and stop getting distracted by things that just don't deliver good value for taxpayers." ' manageable' One of the reasons it's hard to compare Metro Vancouver to other regional governments is that there's nothing like it in Canada. In most big urban centres, the same mayor and council elected for the whole city are also responsible for water and sewage. There are a few exceptions where a number of municipalities oversee services, like the Montreal Agglomeration Council or the Regional Municipality of Peel, but they are dominated by one or two cities, and have around 25 directors. Metro Vancouver's 41 directors from 21 municipalities (along with a representative from the Tsawwassen First Nation and the UBC-dominated lands of Electoral Area A) is a unique creature for delivering utility services, the flip side of allowing individual areas of the Lower Mainland to retain their own local government. The question the Deloitte review will have to effectively rule on is whether it can still produce effective and concentrated oversight for utility services or if another model is needed. "It's very complex, but at the same time, if you take the time to dig in and fully understand, I think it's very manageable," said Hurley. "But we have to compromise, and we have to see everyone else's point of view. And I think it's become a challenge." If Deloitte thinks otherwise? The ultimate decision, then, would not lie with Metro Vancouver, but with the provincial government. "When it's convenient, the province really tries to divorce itself from any involvement that they have in this," said West. "All of these big issues right now around who Metro Vancouver is? At the end of the day, it's going to be the provincial government having to make a change if there's going to be a change."
CBC
06-05-2025
- CBC
16-year-old hiker dies after fall in Lions Bay area
A teen has died after they fell down a gully during a hike in the Lions Bay area, officials say. According to a release from Sea to Sky RCMP, officers, alongside members from Lions Bay Search and Rescue and North Shore Rescue, responded to a call of two hikers who had become separated and lost around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. One of the hikers was located and rescued by helicopter, while the other was found unresponsive. They were taken to the hospital but, despite life-saving efforts, police said they did not survive. Both hikers were 16 years old, according to a statement posted to social media by North Shore Rescue. Lions Bay SAR team leader Brent Calkin said the teens were coming down from hiking the Mount Brunswick Trail when one of them fell and slipped in a steep and snowy gully near the Yahoo Creek area on Hat Mountain. He said there have been a number of incidents in the past few weeks of people slipping and falling in icy and snowy conditions, with several recent deaths. "It absolutely terrifies me what the potential is for slipping and falling in the backcountry right now," said Calkin. He said it is a treacherous time of year, with snow and ice on many trails. He stressed those who are not experts should stick to trails where snow has already melted. "When something is easy to climb in August, it is a completely different proposition this time of year where it's still winter in the mountains and summer in the city," said Calkin. Following the teen's death, the RCMP said it is working with the B.C. Coroners Service to advance the investigation. "Our thoughts and condolences go out to the friends and family of the deceased," said Sgt. Dallas Langley of the Sea to Sky RCMP.
CTV News
06-05-2025
- CTV News
Teenager killed in hiking accident in Lions Bay area, RCMP say
File image: Motorists travel on the Sea-to-Sky Highway between Horseshoe Bay and Lions Bay, B.C., on April 23, 2021. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
