The Hook: Political news, freshly caught
Provinces can decide on RCMP contract offer, say feds
It's up to the provinces to decide whether or not they want to continue contracting with the Canadian government for the RCMP's provision of policing, a federal spokesperson said. Read more…
Should There Be More Regulations on Big Tech?
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Are you watching the winter Olympics this year? Read the results of that poll here.
Feds have threatened to withdraw RCMP from BC, says Bond
An ultimatum from the federal government may spell the end of the RCMP, said British Columbia's Solicitor General Shirley Bond. Read more…
Municipal auditor general law coming this fall, despite UBCM concerns: Chong
The provincial government will bring in legislation this fall to create a municipal auditor general's office, despite despite concerns raised at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention, said Ida Chong, the community, sport and cultural development minister. Read more…
Routine HIV testing to be introduced at Vancouver hospitals
Hospitals across Vancouver will begin routine HIV testing of all patients beginning next month. Read more…
Vancouver's new sex-trade strategy praised by advocacy group
A new municipal strategy on the sex trade put forth yesterday by the City of Vancouver has won the tentative support of a prominent sex worker advocacy group. Read more…
A peek inside city hall's 'Stanley Cup Citizen Feedback' file
It’s one of the biggest files contained in the City of Vancouver’s Sept. 9 online dump of Freedom of Information documents related to the riot-ruined Stanley Cup fan zone. “Stanley Cup Citizen Feedback” is a 73-page compilation of comments made to the 3-1-1 hotline and via email by people around Metro Vancouver and North America. Read more…
‘You wonder why the public is upset?’ Riot revisited at City Hall
The public finally got a chance to say something to politicians about the Stanley Cup riot on Sept. 6. "Alcohol is a legal drug. Hockey is a violent game, we allow people to drink publicly, we don't put any stops on them taking over the city," said one citizen. Read more…
Vancouver Canucks riot update: 3 reports, no charges
As sports riots go, it’s a most unusual statistics package. None charged so far and the three-month anniversary is rapidly approaching. Read more…
Broader arts initiatives may have mitigated risk of riot, says group
As revelations from Vancouver's riot review pour out, one local arts organization says the best defense in riot prevention may have been an army of brass instruments. Read more…
Another Liberal MLA fired up by Metro Vancouver plan to incinerate trash
KAMLOOPS, B.C. -- A third B.C. Liberal MLA has joined growing opposition to the province's backing of a garbage incinerator in Metro Vancouver. Read more…
'Time out' for Cumberland's big culture fest
The Big Time Out festival in Cumberland, B.C. may be issued a time out this year after city council voted to hold the downtown festival away from city limits fearing a lack of security, a month before the festival is supposed to begin. Read more…
City approves sweeping homelessness and housing strategy
The strategy aims to end homelessness in Vancouver by 2015 and to add over 38,000 new affordable housing units by 2021. Read more…
Boost in B.C.'s red light cameras to reduce rising traffic fatalities: province
Thirty-five new red light cameras went live across B.C. today, as part of a larger effort to curb the growing number of traffic fatalities. Read more…
VANOC's Furlong to co-chair riot review
John Furlong, former head of VANOC will co-chair the independent review of the lead up to the riot that followed the Stanley Cup final. Read more…
$38 million supportive housing project breaks ground in Vancouver
A new supportive housing project – the eighth and largest created under a partnership of provincial and Vancouver city governments – broke ground this morning. When the $38 million building is completed in early 2013, it will accommodate 147 studio and single-bedroom units on West 2nd Avenue in the city’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. Read more…
Video shows riot 'kissing couple' mowed down by police
A video circulating the internet and found by The Tyee on Alternet shows the moments leading up to the famous photo of Scott Jones and Alexa Thomas, widely assumed to have been kissing in the picture amidst the June 15 melee in downtown Vancouver. Read more…
Mayor, top cop finger-pointing wrong, says anarchist
Mayor Gregor Robertson and Police Chief Jim Chu were quick to blame "anarchists" for the city's hockey riot. They even claimed that some of the perpetrators were also involved in unrest at the 2010 Winter Olympics and Toronto's G20 summit. Read more…
Cleaning up the mess: you're invited
Even as rioters were still roaming the streets of downtown Vancouver last night, Facebookers were organizing a spontaneous post-riot clean-up for Thursday morning. Read more…
Health care lacking for homeless BC youths
While fewer people may live on the streets of Metro Vancouver overall, significant gaps remain in the availability of primary health care for B.C.'s homeless, according to new data presented at Vancouver's Health of the Homeless Summit on Tuesday. Read more…
Vancouver restaurants, bars rake in the cash, cities shovel it out
VANCOUVER - Restaurants and bars in downtown Vancouver have been raking in the cash during the Canucks' unprecedented run toward the Stanley Cup, but the party isn't coming cheap for the city. Read more…
