Latest news with #VancouverFireRescueServices
Global News
12 hours ago
- Business
- Global News
Vancouver forecasts 7% property tax hike next year, mayor wants it under 2.5%
With just over a year before the next municipal election, Vancouver's mayor is taking an aggressive approach to property tax increases. The city's budget outlook, presented at council on Wednesday, forecasts a seven per cent property tax increase. Staff say that figure would cover existing service levels across the city, while investing in necessary infrastructure upgrades. But council also approved a motion from Mayor Ken Sim on Wednesday, calling for staff to look at ways to hold property tax hikes to 2.5 per cent or below, including directing staff to game out a zero-per cent scenario, without cutting front line services. 1:52 Vancouver city council passes 2025 budget Sim, who campaigned in part on a platform of improved fiscal management, oversaw a 10.7 per cent property tax hike in his first year. Story continues below advertisement Since then, he said, council has been able to put a dent in the city's infrastructure and increase funding to the Vancouver Police Department and Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, while reducing the property tax hike to 3.9 per cent for 2024. 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 'We told the public we were going to reset and then bring back fiscal responsibility to the City of Vancouver, and that's what we've done,' he said. Opposition councillors pushed for staff to also include a transparent list of all potential service cuts under the proposed lower tax scenarios. That amendment, however, was voted down by council's ABC Vancouver majority, who called the request redundant. 'The difference between seven per cent and zero per cent … is about $84 million, so the fact that ABC did not support a transparent recording of where those cuts are going to come from leaves me very concerned about what this budget is going to look like in a few months,' independent Coun. Rebecca Bligh said. 'At the end of the day there are very real organizations, very real Vancouverites who are depending on these programs.' 2:04 Vancouver Police Department $10M over budget Sim was asked whether the proposal was related to the fact it was the city's last budget before voters go back to the polls. Story continues below advertisement 'I think the better question is, what are Vancouverites going through? We are probably going into a recession, we have the threat of tariffs, there is a lot of uncertainty, and there are a lot of people across this great city of ours who are struggling to put a meal on the table,' Sim said. 'It doesn't matter what year in the process it is.' Vancouver's next municipal election will be held in the fall of 2026.
The Province
12-06-2025
- General
- The Province
Vancouver Fire Rescue fights another blaze at Granville Street SRO
Vancouver firefighters attend a blaze at a downtown Vancouver SRO in the 1100-block of Granville Street on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Photo by Vancouver Fire Rescue Services Vancouver firefighters battled yet another blaze at a B.C. Housing-owned single-room occupancy (SRO) hotel on Granville Street downtown. The fire broke out at 1176 Granville Street around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, the building's 44th fire since 2020. When crews arrived, smoke was visible on the fifth floor, said Capt. Matthew Trudeau of Vancouver Fire Rescue Services. 'Crews went up and saw fire inside a unit that was being contained by a sprinkler system, but it was not extinguishing due to extensive hoarding and difficulty in access and getting inside the unit,' he said. Firefighters had to go through several air cylinders and it took time to get the gear in and out because of access issues posed by the amount of things inside the unit. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Firefighters are on scene of the 1100 block of Granville for a SRO fire. Crews conducting search and fire attack operations. Granville closed between Helmcken and Davie. 2 person injured and being treated. — Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (@VanFireRescue) June 11, 2025 The fire temporarily shut down Granville Street between Davie and Helmcken streets. Two people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation. By late afternoon, firefighters had managed to douse the blaze. Investigators were on-site to determine the cause of the fire and evaluate the damage to the building, which has 91 units. 'We're looking to assess how many units were affected, determine how many are habitable, how many people can return back and how many are going to be displaced,' said Trudeau. While the fire was contained to one unit, there is smoke damage to the back of the building and extensive water damage to the fifth and lower floors, including Aura nightclub, which occupies the ground-level of the building. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The building used to be the Howard Johnson hotel until the province purchased it in June 2020 and turned it into a supportive housing facility. There have been 43 fires at the building between Jan. 2020 to the end of May, said Vancouver Fire. Two weeks ago, a fire at the same building left one person with third-degree burns. The cause of that fire was a butane torch, a common culprit. In 2024, the City of Vancouver banned the sale of butane torches and lighters following a surge in fires caused by the improper use of the devices. About 3,128 fires were attributed to butane torches and lighters between January 2023 and April 2024, including 356 at SRO buildings. chchan@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Whitecaps Crime News News
Global News
12-06-2025
- General
- Global News
Crews battle 2-alarm fire at former Howard Johnson hotel in Vancouver
Crews were called to battle a serious fire in a supportive housing facility on Vancouver's Granville Street Wednesday afternoon. Vancouver Fire Rescue Services said it called in support from a second fire hall to help battle the flames in the former Howard Johnson hotel that now serves as a single-room accommodation housing facility. 4:00 Vancouver bar owners ask for help to deal with SRO damages Firefighters said at least two people were hurt, and that Granville Street had been closed between Helmcken and Davie streets. Story continues below advertisement The B.C. government bought the building at 1176 Granville in 2020, and controversially converted it to housing as it sought to quickly shelter the city's homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has since generated thousands of emergency calls, with residents setting fires, pulling fire alarms and setting off the building's sprinkler systems.
Global News
27-05-2025
- Global News
Fire in Vancouver rooming house leaves person with 3rd-degree burns
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook A fire in a single-room occupancy hotel in Vancouver left one person with third-degree burns on Tuesday. Vancouver Fire Rescue Services was called to a fire in a unit on Granville Street near Helmken Street around 7 a.m. 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 Crews were able to extinguish the flames, and the victim was taken to hospital for treatment. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Gun-shaped lighters: Councillor seeks ban as they proliferate in Vancouver
If you think selling lighters that closely resemble a real gun is a terrible idea, at least one Vancouver city councillor has your back. ABC Vancouver Coun. Mike Klassen has introduced a motion aiming to ban the sale of gun-shaped lighters in the city. The motion, which goes before council on Wednesday, says the sale of the questionable lighters has 'proliferated in the City of Vancouver over the past year, with an estimated 50-75 stores selling multiple (gun-shaped lighters), particularly in the Downtown Eastside and downtown core.' Because the lighters look so much like real firearms, they have led to 'public distress and a significant increase in 911 emergency calls.' There were 162 police calls about the lighters last year, more than half of which were classified as 'priority weapons calls' — meaning they led to a response involving several officers armed with Tasers, less-lethal beanbag shotguns and Arwen guns. Klassen's motion notes that the presence of the lighters in public spaces 'has resulted in multiple dangerous encounters where police officers have had to draw their firearms, creating a risk of fatal outcomes should a suspect fail to comply or appear to threaten officers or the public.' They've also been documented as being used in violent crimes and leading to charges for robbery, assault and weapons possession. Calls about gun-shaped lighters were predominantly in the city's core, with 46 per cent happening in the Downtown Eastside and 39 per cent in other parts of downtown Vancouver. The drain on police resources is significant, the motion says: 32 of the calls led to 10 or more police units being dispatched and the average time required to resolve each call was two and a half hours. They may be a bad idea, but gun-shaped lighters are not specifically prohibited for possession or sale under the Criminal Code of Canada. They only become illegal when used in the commission of a crime, leaving law enforcement with little recourse. 'A proactive ban on the sale and distribution (of gun-shaped lighters) in the City of Vancouver through a bylaw or bylaw amendment would serve to enhance public safety and reduce the burden on law enforcement while other legislative measures are being explored,' the motion reads. It asks city staff to come up with recommendations for bylaw amendments that would ban the lighters and set a range of penalties for selling them. It also urges Mayor Ken Sim to write to the provincial government asking for legislative changes that would prohibit the sale, distribution and possession of gun-shaped lighters in B.C. and make it possible for police to seize them. This isn't the first time city council has cracked down on questionable lighters over safety concerns. A year ago, councillors voted to ban the sale of butane lighters that can be locked to produce a continuous flame. The ban was championed by Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, which said they posed a risk of fire, injury and death due to misuse. Continuous-flame lighters were ordered removed from shelves as of June 2024 and retailers who sell them now face a $1,000 fine. jruttle@ Vancouver council seeks to reinstate school meal programs Despite rebuke of ABC Vancouver, towers to rise higher
