Latest news with #SocialSharingB.C.
CBC
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
B.C. to end zero-emission vehicle rebate program
Social Sharing B.C. is halting its zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) rebate program this month, citing a government-wide spending review and economic instability for the decision. The fate of the program had been uncertain, after a similar federal program was abruptly paused in January, with officials saying funds had run out early due to a "surge of interest." The province said it was reviewing the program in early April, after removing the consumer carbon tax created a $1.8-billion fiscal hole in its budget. The program, Go Electric, provides income-based rebates. It offers between $500 and $2,000 for plug-in hybrids with a range of less than 85 kilometres, and between $1,000 and $4,000 for battery electric and long-range plug-in hybrids. In a statement this week, the Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions said people could still receive the rebate through May 15, "following which the Province will be pausing the program to consider next steps in view of progress to date." The ministry says since 2011, the province has put more than $650 million toward programs to help people switch to cleaner transportation, resulting in an increase from 5,000 ZEVs on the roads in 2016 to nearly 195,000 today. Stalled progress on targets Despite the increase, the new 2024 Zero-Emission Vehicle Update shows ZEV progress has stalled in the province. While sales continue to increase, the percentage of light-duty sales that are ZEVs has remained below 23 percent the last two years. The province has legislation in place, the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act, which establishes targets for the percentage of light-duty vehicle sales that must by ZEVs, with manufacturers facing penalties if they aren't met. In 2026, 26 per cent of sales in B.C. must be ZEVs, with that increasing to 90 per cent in 2030 and 100 per cent in 2035. 'Very optimistic' Bob Porter, president of the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association, says it's unfortunate the province is ending the rebates, particularly since the federal rebates have also stopped, and the targets may need to be reassessed. "I think it was very optimistic," he said. "They're going to have to re-calculate where they want to be with electric vehicles." Porter says, with the current economic situation, he understands why the government would end its rebate program, but he says it's played a major role in encouraging people to make the switch from internal combustion vehicles. "I'm hoping that rebates will come back both federally and provincially.... I mean, it's one way to clean up the air in the province. I mean, transportation adds a lot of pollution to the air," he said. Porter adds that removing the consumer carbon tax at the beginning of April — which lowered the cost of fuel for drivers — further removed an incentive for people to make the decision to buy electric vehicles instead of those requiring fossil fuels.
CBC
09-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
B.C. human rights commissioner finds guardianship detentions of vulnerable adults discriminatory
Social Sharing B.C.'s Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender says she has found "systemic discrimination" in how health authorities detain vulnerable adults who are at risk of harm. Vulnerable adults who appear to be abused, neglected, or facing self-neglect and are unable to give consent for care in hospitals or care facilities are sometimes detained under the Adult Guardianship Act (AGA). However, the 134-page report found that seniors, disabled people, and those living unhoused are being disproportionately detained. These detentions, Govender said, often lack transparency, oversight, and legal authority. "I have found that a significant number of vulnerable adults are being detained under this act through an opaque process with very little oversight," she said. "While adults are being held for their own safety, their rights to fair process, including knowing why they are being held against their will or what they can do about it, are often denied." The report found that between 2018 and September 2023, health authorities detained 300 people under the AGA. There were a total of 340 detentions — the shortest being six days, and the longest 212. Govender said 94 per cent of the people detained under the act during that period had disabilities, and 70 per cent were seniors. Changes to legislation expected in wake of report Govender makes 10 recommendations in the report for the B.C. Ministry of Attorney General, the Ministry of Health, and health authorities. They include: Providing those detained with written reasons for their detention and not holding them for longer than the emergency. Ensuring each detained person has legal representation. Creating an independent process for people to challenge their detentions. Amending the AGA to clarify legality of detention in emergency situations. The current legislation does not explicitly allow for people to be detained under normal circumstances, but Govender says health authorities have interpreted different parts of the Adult Guardianship Act to support their practice of detaining people in an emergency who are at risk of harm. She says she expects legislative changes to take place soon, something she signaled was overdue. "I reviewed documents that suggest government recognized the importance of taking timely and significant action and was aware of concerns about continuing risk of harm to vulnerable adults," said Govender. "Despite this, the government has not proposed any legislative changes or made any other significant policy changes to date to protect the rights of vulnerable adults." While B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said she intends to respond to all of the recommendations, she would not say what specific actions she intends to take in the legislature as a result of the report. "We need to make sure in the province that vulnerable people are protected, and that piece of legislation hasn't been updated in quite some time," said Sharma. "We've been looking at it since 2019, where we need to strengthen the protections for adults in that piece of legislation, and I'm grateful for the work that [Govender] did." Detentions take significant toll on individuals, report says A 2019 B.C. Supreme Court decision found that a woman who had been detained by Fraser Health for over 11 months under the AGA without being given reasons for her detention or legal representation violated her charter rights. The report also shares composites of the experiences people detained by the AGA and their loved ones went through, with anonymized quotes from those affected by the detentions. One woman, who the report calls Rose, fought to get her husband of 10 years out of detention after he had a fall when she was not home. Her husband, who had a history of seizures and dementia, was taken to a hospital by police following a wellness check. Although she was able to visit him daily, the report says he was moved one day to a long-term care facility based on his son's substitute consent — and no one would tell Rose where he had gone. After searching for three months, the report says Rose finally found the long-term care home where he has been moved. "He just looked up at me — he couldn't believe it was me — he just started to cry.... He said, 'I thought you'd never find me,'" the report says. Erika Cedillo, director of public policy at Inclusion BC, says that in trying to protect people from harm, this report shows further harm is being done — particularly to vulnerable people. She hopes to see these changes made in a way that puts an emphasis on making information about detentions accessible to people with disabilities and improving accountability. "It really shines a light where there has been little attention and where rife violations are happening," Cedillo said.
CBC
03-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Trump's tariffs didn't hit B.C. as hard as feared — but add to air of uncertainty
Social Sharing B.C. escaped the brunt of the tariff broadside announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, but businesses say the ongoing uncertainty of the U.S.-Canada trade war is taking its toll. On Wednesday, Trump put into order a broad swath of tariffs from the White House Rose Garden that targeted dozens of countries, and included new 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian-made passenger vehicles. The levies add to existing tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, as well as tariffs on Canadian goods that do not comply with the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). B.C. businesses and analysts say Wednesday's announcement could have been much worse for the province, but that the on-again, off-again tariffs and Canada's counter-tariffs are creating an air of uncertainty for local businesses, regardless. "I actually came away from the Rose Garden press conference a little bit relieved, to be candid," said Jock Finlayson, the chief economist for the Independent Contractors and Business Association in B.C. "Because I was expecting worse from sort of a Canadian and B.C. perspective, but we didn't see that today." All the same, Finlayson said, "we're still facing headwinds." Abbotsford among most affected Abbotsford is the B.C. metropolitan area that's set to be most affected by U.S. tariffs, according to a recent Canadian Chamber of Commerce report. Alex Mitchell, the CEO of the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce, said that's due to the community's high reliance on exporting products to the U.S. "Abbotsford is home to over 300 exporters and many of those are manufacturers, agricultural businesses, who for 90 per cent of them, their primary customer is the United States," she said. WATCH | Abbotsford to be hit hard by trade war: Abbotsford businesses the most vulnerable in B.C. to Trump's tariffs, report says 1 hour ago Duration 2:17 Abbotsford is the B.C. city most vulnerable to tariffs, according to a report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. CBC's Jessica Cheung spoke with some business owners about what they're doing to weather the storm. Mitchell said that, for a long time, it had been easy to rely on the U.S. as a qualified and solid trade partner. "But of course, now we see the erosion of that relationship that's happened so quickly within a matter of time," she said. "And we're now at the place where many of these companies need to be looking elsewhere for opportunity." BRC Aircraft, a plane manufacturer in Abbotsford, does 80 per cent of its business with the U.S. Its CEO, Zrinko Amerl, said the company is heavily reliant on U.S. parts, and if tariffs were to directly impact the B.C. aerospace industry, it would be devastating. "It will decimate us, we will probably lose 50 per cent or 60 per cent of business right away," he said. Marcus Janzen, the president of Abbotsford-based Calais Farms, said he aims to have his greenhouse-grown peppers over the U.S. border within 24 hours of them ripening — but he's facing a 25 to 30 per cent uptick in packaging prices, as he buys cardboard packaging from the U.S. The farmer said he doesn't blame the manufacturers for lifting the prices, given how uncertain the supply and cost is amid the cross-border trade war. "It's this, you know, on for three days, off, postponed, not sure what we'll do next," he said of the volatile tariff situation. "That's what's difficult to manage." Amerl, like many B.C. business owners, said he's now trying to engage more with markets other than the U.S., such as South America. The CEO said that, eventually, the global trade war initiated by Trump will benefit the Canadian aerospace industry, as other countries look to move production outside the U.S. "There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and hopefully it's not a train coming at us," he said.
CBC
11-03-2025
- Climate
- CBC
B.C. snowpack trending low raising drought concerns
Social Sharing B.C.'s latest Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin shows dry January and February weather has driven the average provincial snow pack levels lower than earlier expectations. The current provincial snowpack level now sits at 73 per cent of a normal year, while in January, snowpack levels were close to normal, at 87 per cent. Forecasters say it is raising concerns of continued drought conditions through 2025. "Low snowpack and seasonal runoff forecasts combined with warm seasonal weather forecasts and lingering impacts from ongoing drought are pointing toward elevated drought hazards for this upcoming spring and summer," said the B.C. River Forecast Centre in its report. The risk is greatest in the Similkameen, Central Coast, Bridge, Chilcotin, Nechako and Skagit districts. The Chilcotin is the driest region in the province this winter, receiving just 16 per cent of normal snowfall. The Liard district is the wettest, tracking at 98 per cent of a normal snowfall year. It's welcome moisture for the northeast region, which was hit by severe wildfires last summer, and where so-called "zombie fires" or "overwintering fires" continue to smoulder underground and send smoke into the air. Conditions in the Similkameen and East and West Kootenays have improved slightly from February's reports, with the regions adding one to three per cent to the average snowpack levels. The Lower Thompson sub-basin, within the Fraser River district, reported the largest month-over-month snowpack increase with levels increasing from 42 per cent to 87 per cent of an average year. Overall, the snowpack is higher than this time last year, when the average of all snow stations in British Columbia was lower at 66 per cent of normal. Forecasters say, so far, that isn't enough snow to trigger freshet concerns. A below normal spring flood hazard is expected. There are still four to eight weeks left in the snow accumulation season, especially in the higher elevations and mountains, when typically some 20 per cent of the season's snow falls. WATCH | February snowpack report showed similar levels: Provincial data shows B.C.'s snowpack at about 72% of normal 28 days ago Duration 1:54 A drier-than-normal January has translated to a below-average snowpack in February. New data from the province shows B.C.'s snowpack is about 72 percent of normal. As Michelle Gomez reports, experts say it raises the prospect of drought if precipitation doesn't increase. "Precipitation, which is more difficult than temperature to predict at a seasonal scale, is showing a greater likelihood of above normal precipitation for March through May 2025 for areas on north Vancouver Island, the Central Coast, Omineca, and Peace," the report notes. "The rest of the province is not showing a statistical trend in the forecast." Environment and Climate Change Canada released a seasonal weather outlook in late February, forecasting a greater likelihood of above-normal temperatures for B.C. from March through May.
CBC
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Brian Thomas Isaac's latest is a coming-of-age novel set on the Okanagan Indian Reserve — read an excerpt now
Social Sharing B.C. author Brian Thomas Isaac is back with a new novel. Bones of a Giant, which is set on the Okanagan Indian Reserve in the 1960s, tells the story of 16-year-old Lewis Toma as he navigates grief, responsibility and family secrets. It continues the story Isaac began in his acclaimed debut novel All the Quiet Places. This 71-year-old writer's coming-of-age novel is a debut like no other Bones of a Giant takes place in 1968, when Lewis is finally shaking off the grief of his brother Eddie's disappearance. When his mother, Grace and her friend Isabel go south to the States to pick fruit to make some quick cash for renovations, Lewis is left to spend the summer with his Aunt Jean, Uncle Ned and his cousins in their house along the Salmon River. Their home is an opposing force against the legacy of residential schools and racism that have negatively impacted his community — leaving the women to carry most of the load. When Lewis's absentee father shows up scheming to use the Indian Act to steal the land Lewis and his mother have been living on, Lewis has to find a way to avoid the traps and secure a future for himself. "I was inspired to write this book by the time I spent as a kid staying with an aunt and uncle on the reserve where I grew up," Isaac told CBC Books in an email. "They passed away much too soon. They were kind, confident and hard-working. I still remember how safe I felt in their company." Isaac, who was born in 1950 on B.C.'s Okanagan Indian Reserve, said that the 1960s setting is taken from his own memories of that time. " Bones of a Giant takes place over one summer in 1968. First Nations people were influenced by the 1960s in the same way as others," he said. "Back then, I was a pimple-faced teenager living on reserve. It was a time of weak pot and good rock and roll music on AM radio, and I wore long hair, bell-bottomed blue jeans and said 'man' a lot. My main character in the novel, Lewis Toma, is also a sixties youth." Isaac's debut novel All the Quiet Places won an Indigenous Voice Award in 2022. Longlisted for Canada Reads 2022, the story follows six-year-old Eddie as he grows up on the Okanagan Indian Reserve in B.C. in the 1950s and faces tragedy as he navigates his culture and the landscape. All the Quiet Places was also on shortlist for the the Amazon Canada First Novel Award, the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist and was a finalist for the 2022 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction. Bones of a Giant will be out on May 27th, 2025. You can read an excerpt below. Lewis sat on the step to put his shoes on, then looked toward the trees that shielded the river. Birds flew up, scattering in all directions as if they couldn't make up their minds where to settle. Crows on treetops presided over the world below. The river was quiet now, unlike in the spring, when it had risen so high it had spilled onto the shore, the current so strong he could feel a gentle shivering in the bedsprings at night. He jumped off the porch steps and wandered past the outhouse to the network of forest trails he and Eddie had made long ago to throw off anyone trying to find them. Now they were overgrown with thick brush and weeds. He threaded his way along a barely visible path he thought was the shortcut through the woods. But he was quickly surrounded by rose bushes and hawthorns. Ducking under a branch, he tripped over an exposed root and fell, scratching his face, and knew he was on the wrong trail. Backtracking, he came to the pointy stump where he and his brother had taken turns to hack away at a tree with an axe. When he spotted the large fir riddled with holes that looked like they were made by a shotgun blast instead of diligent woodpeckers, he knew he was getting close to the water. When he spotted the large fir riddled with holes that looked like they were made by a shotgun blast instead of diligent woodpeckers, he knew he was getting close to the water. Entering a small clearing, he saw the burl shaped like a woman's breast on the trunk of another tree that he and Eddie rubbed for good luck each time they walked by. Minutes later he stepped out onto the riverbank, surprising a blue heron. It gave a honking squawk that echoed like a trumpet as it scrambled off the river. Water fell in glassy ribbons from trailing feet as powerful wings lifted it skyward. Tipping to its side, it glided around the bend like a great prehistoric bird. Lewis's eyes were drawn to a heap of broken trees on the far side of the river. His heart began to race. Was that someone's legs caught up in the tangle? Afraid of what he might find, he waded across and picked up a stick to prod at the legs. When he realized it was just an old pair of jeans, he pulled them out and tossed them into the brush. Downriver was the large cedar he had crawled over the day before. When he was little, he would straddle the trunk like he was riding a horse, toss in his fishing line and watch the baited hook float downstream on top of the water. It was a place where a person could fish and never leave empty-handed. Lewis stumbled over slippery stones until he reached a wide spot on the bank and sat down. Sweat burned his eyes, so he cupped a handful of the water and splashed his face. A light wind shook the leaves of the trees around him and small birds lifted into the air from the branches. For a moment he sat watching them, then he stood, brushing off his rear end. He jumped onto the cedar log and slid down the other side, his feet sinking in the mud close to shore. He waded through the shallows until the cool river water came up to his chest, and he was thankful for the instant relief. The sun beat down hot on his head, so he dove in. Water burned his nose and pressure pushed at his ears until he surfaced. He waded onto a rock-strewn bar of land and tipped his head back to shake the water from his hair. Just ahead was the bottomless hole he and his brother had discovered a long time ago, where part of the river disappeared underground. His uncle said he was sure this was the place where Eddie had ended his life. When Lewis asked his mother if it was true, she walked out of the house and over to Alphonse's place and yelled at his uncle to stop saying such things. Lewis thought about Eddie every day. Lewis thought about Eddie every day. Lewis went down on his stomach and cupped his hands around his eyes to look past the reflections and down into the hole. Unable to see much, he stood and picked up a piece of soaked driftwood and tossed it into the centre of the hole. He watched the stick fight back for a moment, twisting and reaching up like a desperate arm, before the river sucked it down into the gloom. A pebble bounced off the rocks, striking his leg. He turned to see his Uncle Alphonse standing near his fishing log, rubbing his sore back with one hand while waving for him to come back with the other. Ever since he injured his back in a sawmill accident a few years ago, his once-muscular physique, toned by years of working on the green chain pulling heavy lumber off the line, now caused him such bother that he walked with a stoop, like he was falling forward on his legs. Lewis went over to him. His uncle asked, "Whatcha doing?" "Just looking around." "I seen you staring into that hole. It's darker down there than three feet up a cow's ass, ain't it? I don't know what you're hunting for, but I found something you should take a look at." As Alphonse led the way through the thick brush along the bank of the river, Lewis kept his eyes down to watch for booby traps left by nature. Once, when he'd tried to walk across a deadfall of branches, he had fallen in and his legs were badly scratched. Brushing up against devil's club was the worst. Its needles shot out such hot, searing pain that, now, walking through the stinging nettles that grew hand-high didn't hurt much at all. His uncle stopped so suddenly Lewis bumped into him. "Listen," Alphonse whispered. Lewis heard a low hum but couldn't see what was making the sound until his uncle pointed to wasps circling above a small hole in the ground. Both stepped quietly away. They passed the place where Lewis filled his water pails and continued until they came to a clearing at the edge of the river a hundred yards from the Salmon River Bridge. Alphonse pointed to where a huge cottonwood had broken off six feet above the ground. The rest lay on the forest floor, its large broken branches reaching out. Bark hung down like ragged clothes on bleached arms. Eddie had told Lewis the tree looked like the bones of a giant. I seen this before but didn't notice there's a trail that goes right up to the stump. Maybe a bear used it," Alphonse said. "Listen to all the birds whistling and singing. It's like a different world down here. "I seen this before but didn't notice there's a trail that goes right up to the stump. Maybe a bear used it," Alphonse said. "Listen to all the birds whistling and singing. It's like a different world down here." No one but Lewis knew that this was Eddie's hidden place. And Lewis had only come upon it because he followed Eddie to the spot and saw him crawl inside the tree stump. Eddie never would have caught his little brother spying if Lewis hadn't sneezed. When he tried to run away, Eddie grabbed him by his T-shirt and made him promise not to tell anybody his secret or he would get the beating of his life. When he sat here by himself, Lewis could almost feel Eddie's presence.
