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CTV News
11 minutes ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Temperatures to surpass 30 C in much of B.C. Wednesday
People cool off in Lynn Creek in North Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday, July 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Wednesday is set to be a scorcher for most of British Columbia, where temperatures are forecast to soar beyond 30 C in several regions. Heat warnings are in effect for swaths of the southern Interior, central B.C. and the northeast. According to Environment Canada, temperatures will reach between 35 and 38 C in the Okanagan, Fraser Canyon, Boundary, and West Kootenay regions. Farther north, heat in the low 30s is forecast. Officials say the heat poses a 'moderate risk' to public health and advise people to keep cool and watch for early signs of heat illness. In Metro Vancouver, there are no heat warnings in place but Wednesday will still be the warmest day of the week, with highs of 25 C forecast by the water and 31 C inland. It's expected to feel much warmer due to humidex values of 30 C on the coat and 36 C inland. The weather agency says temperatures will return to seasonal norms later in the week. The government reminded residents to be fire smart during the coming days as the heat and drought conditions challenge wildfire suppression. Read more: B.C. experiencing slow wildfire season, but officials urge caution and preparedness
Global News
15 hours ago
- Business
- Global News
Metro Vancouver legal battle with contractor may have halted $3.86B wastewater plant review: sources
No one at Metro Vancouver is talking about a secret vote which shelved a review of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant and its massive budget overruns, but new information suggests ongoing litigation with a former contractor may have played a role. Global News emailed all directors, but no one would disclose how they voted. Some said they couldn't because the meeting was in- camera. However, sources inside Metro Vancouver have told Global News board members received legal advice encouraging them to suspend the review due to litigation with former contractor Acciona Wastewater Solutions LP. A motion was then put forward by Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie calling on directors to pause the review. It was seconded by West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager. It passed, although not unanimously. 2:19 Outrage grows over Metro Vancouver review decision Acciona is suing for what it says are $250 million in damages and unpaid bills, while Metro Vancouver says the company signed contracts it failed to fulfill. The trial isn't scheduled to start until 2027. Story continues below advertisement Critics fear there could be a settlement involving non-disclosure agreements and believe the review could have continued. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy '(Premier) David Eby should be stepping in and asking for that review to continue,' Municipal Affairs Critic MLA Tony Luck said Monday. 'There's no reason for it to be shut down.' Eby also commented on Monday, saying the province would have to look at the reasoning for the Metro Vancouver board's decision and how to move forward. 'The bottom line is that Metro Vancouver needs to ensure accountability for taxpayers and we'll make sure that that happens,' Eby said. 2:00 A tour of Metro Vancouver's controversial wastewater treatment plant The review was announced in February yet Metro Vancouver says it 'has not received, and is not expecting to receive, any invoices from MWGK Independent Review Team, led by Peter Milburn.' Story continues below advertisement The board added there has been no payment and did not provide an explanation.
Global News
2 days ago
- Business
- Global News
Metro Vancouver blasted for shelving review of sewage treatment plant debacle
The North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant is $3 billion over budget and will cost taxpayers for decades. Late Friday, Metro Vancouver directors held a secret vote and decided to shelve a review of the debacle. Metro Vancouver claims it's putting the review on hold because of ongoing litigation with the project's former contractor, Acciona. The trial isn't scheduled to start until 2027. 2:00 A tour of Metro Vancouver's controversial wastewater treatment plant 'Absolutely deplorable that they did this,' said New Westminster Councillor Daniel Fontaine. Story continues below advertisement 'Taxpayers are not going to get answers likely now until at least after the next civic election, which is completely unacceptable.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy BC Conservative MLA and municipal affairs critic Tony Luck also weighed in, saying, 'David Eby should be stepping in and asking for that review to continue. There's no reason for it to be shut down.' Over the past year, Eby has promised repeatedly to take action on Metro Vancouver's failures. On July 17, 2024, he said, 'It is high time for Metro Vancouver to bring in an auditor to have a look at that.' On July 24, 2024, he commented, 'If Metro Vancouver fails to meet those standards, the province will step in.' 1:59 Fired wastewater plant contractor fires back at Metro Vancouver On Sept. 10, 2024, Eby said, 'But if they fail to do it, the province will step in.' On Jan. 22, 2025, 'This review can't come a moment too soon.' And on July 25, 2025, Eby said, 'If they can',t then the province is prepared to step in.' Story continues below advertisement Monday morning, July 28th, he said, 'We'll have a look at the justification for the decision by Metro Vancouver and how to move forward. But the bottom line is that Metro Vancouver needs to ensure accountability for taxpayers and, we'll make sure that that happens.' For its part, Metro Vancouver refuses to say which directors voted to delay the review, and claims it 'has maintained a clear and consistent record of public disclosure.' Fontaine said Eby needs to call an inquiry through the Local Government Act or allow the auditor general to intervene.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Calls for B.C. premier to reverse Metro Vancouver's pause on wastewater review
The North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant is seen during construction in Fall 2020. (Metro Vancouver) A group of councillors from several municipalities is calling on B.c. Premier David Eby to reverse a decision by the Metro Vancouver Board to pause an independent review of the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant. The beleaguered project has ballooned in cost from an original estimate of $700 million to $3.86 billion – and the estimated completion date has been delayed by a decade, from 2020 to 2030. 'The taxpayers of Metro Vancouver and Surrey absolutely need to get to the bottom of this to know why their taxes are going up so much, and we haven't had a clear explanation,' said Surrey Coun. Linda Annis, who signed her name to the letter urging the premier to step in. Kash Heed of Richmond, Richard T. Lee of Burnaby and Daniel Fontaine of New Westminster are the other councillors calling for the review to proceed. On Friday, Metro Vancouver cited ongoing litigation as the reason for suspending the independent review, which it launched in June of 2024. 'After careful consideration, the board has decided the public interest is best served by resolving the legal dispute with the previous contractor before undertaking the review,' Metro Vancouver Board Chair Mike Hurley said in a news release. Metro Vancouver has filed suit against Acciona Wastewater Solutions LP – and the company has filed a counterclaim against the political body. Barring any new developments or settlements, the litigation is scheduled to go to trial in March of 2027. Annis wants the review to proceed in the meantime. 'I think it's critical we get on with it now. And I was very disappointed to hear this was done as a closed vote,' she said about the decision being undertaken at a closed-door meeting. 'The directors need to disclose how they voted on this. The directors are not elected by taxpayers. They are appointed by their respective municipalities. There isn't transparency, and it's the taxpayer's money that's being spent through all of this.' At an unrelated news conference Monday, CTV News asked Eby about the councillors' request for him to take action and order the review to continue. 'We're reviewing the decision of Metro Vancouver to delay doing a full review,' the premier said. He added that he is aware of the ongoing litigation. 'There are two obviously crucial values for taxpayers at home here. One is to know that Metro Vancouver has the tools and capacity to deal with big infrastructure projects and do it responsibly in a way that minimizes costs for people at home,' Eby said. 'The other is that Metro Vancouver, if they were wronged by the contracting company, that they're able to recover in court, and offset some of the losses that taxpayers and all of us are facing as a result.' Metro Vancouver did not immediately make any of the directors available for an interview following a request from CTV News.
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
David Eby threatens to step in if Metro Vancouver ducks external probe of huge sewage plant cost overrun
VICTORIA — Metro Vancouver's decision to delay a review of the $3-billion-overbudget North Shore wastewater treatment plant does not let the regional district off the hook on accountability to taxpayers, Premier David Eby said Monday. 'We're reviewing the decision of Metro Vancouver to delay doing a full review … that Metro had committed and promised to us that they would deliver,' the premier told reporters. 'We'll have a look at the justification for the (delay) decision. But the bottom line is that Metro Vancouver needs to ensure accountability for taxpayers and we'll make sure that happens.' A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Metro board's rationale, announced Friday, was that it wanted first to resolve a lawsuit with the former contractor on the troubled project, which is now expected to cost nearly $4 billion. 'There are two obviously crucial values for taxpayers,' Eby conceded. 'One is to know that Metro Vancouver has the tools and the capacity to do and deal with big infrastructure projects and do it responsibly and in a way that minimizes costs for people at home. 'The other is that Metro Vancouver, if they were wronged by contracting companies, that they're able to recover in court and offset losses the taxpayers and all of us are facing as a result.' Metro chair Mike Hurley cited the latter consideration in explaining the board's decision, taken in private on Friday, to suspend the independent review. 'The board has decided the public interest is best served by resolving the legal dispute with the previous contractor before undertaking the review,' Hurley said by news release. Hurley had launched the independent review just five months ago, citing it as evidence of his commitment to transparency and accountability since he took over as Metro chair in July of last year. 'When I came in as the chair, I committed to bringing in an independent party to review the North Shore wastewater treatment plant,' said Hurley. 'We look forward to sharing the results of this work with the public once complete.' The lead reviewer was Peter Milburn, former deputy minister of finance in the B.C. government. Milburn reported on the overrun on the Site C project, which led to the budget being increased from $10.7 billion to $16 billion. Hurley announced the appointment of Milburn and his associates on Feb. 28. Then in April, Metro went to court to try to delay its two-way legal battle with Acciona, which the region's sewerage and drainage district terminated as contractor on the wastewater treatment plant three years ago. Acciona is claiming $250 million in damages over the termination. The regional district's counterclaim 'exceeds $1 billion,' court was told. The two sides were set to square off in B.C. Supreme Court starting on March 1, 2027. But Metro asked for the proceedings to be delayed to September 2028, a request that raised a judicial eyebrow with the presiding B.C. Supreme Court judge, Bruce Elwood. 'The district says in effect it cannot be ready for a trial in the one year and 10 months that remain before the trial date and that an adjournment of one and a half years is necessary to ensure that it receives a fair trial,' the judge observed. 'Three years have already passed since the termination of the project agreement, four to five and a half years since the events leading to the termination, six years since the project agreement was negotiated and 10 years since the procurement period commenced. 'If the trial is adjourned there will be a further 3½ delay before the witnesses can start to provide their testimony.' Though Metro asked for more time to process some four million documents produced by Acciona, the judge said the case is also dependent on the memories of dozens of witnesses whose testimony will be heard over an estimated 130 days of court time. Some key witnesses have moved away, others have retired and one has died. Instead of granting the lengthy delay, the judge urged Metro to put more staff to work on preparing for trial. The case is still set to go ahead March 1, 2027, well after next year's civic elections. But rumours persist that Metro is exploring an out-of-court settlement, probably including non-disclosure agreements for both sides. The Metro politicians have already gagged themselves by making decisions in private on this fiasco. Last year, they were sworn to secrecy on what their own internal reports said about the overrun. On Friday, they refused to disclose how individual board members voted on the decision to suspend the review. This week, a quartet of local political leaders — New Westminster Coun. Daniel Fontaine, Richmond's Kash Heed, Surrey's Linda Annis and Burnaby's Richard Lee — called on Eby to intervene with a review of his own. Eby hasn't ruled out the possibility. 'There's no question that work has to be done at Metro to get things under control and in hand,' he said last week. 'We're counting on the chair and the Metro Vancouver council to deliver that — and if they can't, the province is prepared to step in.' He should do just that, if Metro's pattern of delay and coverup persists. vpalmer@
