The Province of British Columbia ended the fiscal year with a smaller deficit than forecast. “Better economic conditions and our prudent approach to spending mean we’ve been able to close the deficit gap considerably, ending the year with a deficit of $309 million and keeping us well on course to balance the budget in 2013-14 […]

The City of Nelson took home over $500,000 as the Province handed out its second installment of the Strategic Community Investment Fund (SCIF) — part of a total of $91 million province-wide. The investment includes advance payments of Small Community and Regional District Grants and the Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing program. A first installment was […]

This summer, BC Hydro will begin exchanging existing meters with smart meters across the province. These modern devices are part of an integrated system that measures the flow of electricity through the grid and can capture and record the amount of power that is consumed, and when. Smart meters enable a range of new benefits that […]

Proposals are being sought for new industry-specific programs to provide more skilled workers in the Kootenay region, as well as North Coast, Nechako and Cariboo areas. It’s anticipated that B.C. will have one million job openings in the next 10 years, and much of the demand will be in the Interior and northern B.C. To […]

The City, Vancouver Police and provincial appointees, former Olympic czar  John Furlong and former Nova Scotia deputy justice minister Doug Keefe are all busy investigating what went wrong and led to Vancouver’s latest riot: they will fail. The problem is they all have a lot in common: they all are or have been members of the public establishment, now investigating […]

Skip Triplett was appointed to lead the Community Gaming Grant Review, with the final report to be delivered by Oct. 31. The former president of Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Skip Triplett is now a partner in the governance consulting firm Triplett & Triplett. During his long career, he has held executive, board and management positions with […]

There have been more sudden infant deaths in British Columbia in the first half of 2011 than for all of 2010. Sudden infant deaths occur when a previously healthy baby dies in sleep-related circumstances, and no cause of death is found on autopsy. The BC Coroners Service is urging parents to educate themselves on safe […]

Public comments are now being sought on a new report that recommends short- and long-term actions to protect B.C.’s species at risk. Developed by an independent, 10-member task force announced in the August, 2009 speech from the throne, members were chosen for their experience or expertise in a wide range of sectors, including environmental protection, […]

B.C. businesses now have access to a comprehensive guide that provides information on how to create a business environment that is safe and comfortable for seniors. Creating an Age-friendly Business in B.C. is a collaborative release between the Ministry of Health and the BC Chamber of Commerce. The guide is designed to help new and […]

Mosquuitos and the threat of West Nile virus are back. West Nile virus, a disease that is spread from infected birds to humans through mosquito bites, has been present in B.C. since 2009. The virus (WNv) was first detected in B.C. in the South Okanagan during the summer of 2009 with the identification of WNv […]