BC politics

B.C. Finance Minister Selina Robinson outlines the province’s three-year budget in Victoria, April 20, 2021. (B.C. government video)

B.C. deficit to grow by $19 billion for COVID-19 recovery spending

Pandemic-year deficit $5 billion lower than forecast

B.C. Finance Minister Selina Robinson outlines the province’s three-year budget in Victoria, April 20, 2021. (B.C. government video)
Selina Robinson is shown in Coquitlam, B.C., on Friday November 17, 2017. British Columbia’s finance minister says her professional training as a family therapist helped her develop the New Democrat government’s first budget during the COVID-19 pandemic, which she will table Tuesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

B.C. finance minister to table historic pandemic-challenged deficit budget

Budget aims to take care of people during pandemic while preparing for post-COVID-19 recovery, Robinson said

Selina Robinson is shown in Coquitlam, B.C., on Friday November 17, 2017. British Columbia’s finance minister says her professional training as a family therapist helped her develop the New Democrat government’s first budget during the COVID-19 pandemic, which she will table Tuesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Paper Excellence took over Catalyst Paper operations in B.C. in 2018. (Paper Excellence photo)

Paper Excellence shuts Mackenzie pulp mill, investing in Port Alberni, Crofton

Powell River paper production set to resume in May

Paper Excellence took over Catalyst Paper operations in B.C. in 2018. (Paper Excellence photo)
MP Todd Doherty took to Facebook after his family recently received threats. (Todd Doherty, MP Facebook photo)

‘I don’t run and I don’t hide’: Cariboo MP says RCMP probing threats made against family

Todd Doherty has also notified House of Commons Protective Services

MP Todd Doherty took to Facebook after his family recently received threats. (Todd Doherty, MP Facebook photo)
Two men walk past a sign on Main Street in downtown Vancouver, B.C., Monday, April 5, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Calls for government transparency in COVID data continue as B.C.’s 3rd wave wears on

Social media, where both information and misinformation can spread like wildfire, has not helped

Two men walk past a sign on Main Street in downtown Vancouver, B.C., Monday, April 5, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
B.C. Finance Minister Selina Robinson speaks in the B.C. legislature, March 2, 2021. (Hansard TV)

B.C. NDP ministers defend ‘air tax,’ latest COVID-19 business aid

Empty home tax doesn’t apply to businesses, but space above them

B.C. Finance Minister Selina Robinson speaks in the B.C. legislature, March 2, 2021. (Hansard TV)
Burnaby MLA Raj Chouhan presides as Speaker of the B.C. legislature, which opened it spring session April 12 with a speech from the throne. THE CANADIAN PRESS

B.C. NDP promises more health care spending, business support in 2021 budget

John Horgan government to ‘carefully return to balanced budgets’

Burnaby MLA Raj Chouhan presides as Speaker of the B.C. legislature, which opened it spring session April 12 with a speech from the throne. THE CANADIAN PRESS
South Surrey farmland, March 2020. The province’s crackdown on secondary residences sparked protests that have the NDP government engaged in a lengthy rewrite of its legislation. (Tracy Holmes/Peace Arch News)

B.C. NDP now wants to keep even ‘non-farmers’ on the land

‘Grandfathering’ of second residences extended again

South Surrey farmland, March 2020. The province’s crackdown on secondary residences sparked protests that have the NDP government engaged in a lengthy rewrite of its legislation. (Tracy Holmes/Peace Arch News)
B.C. Premier John Horgan responds to questions during a postelection news conference in Vancouver, on Sunday, October 25, 2020. British Columbia’s opposition Liberals and Greens acknowledge the COVID-19 pandemic has presented huge challenges for Horgan’s government, but they say Monday’s throne speech must outline a coherent plan for the province’s economic, health, social and environmental future. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Horgan’s NDP to bring in throne speech in B.C., Opposition wants coherent plan

Farnworth said the budget will include details of government investment in communities and infrastructure

B.C. Premier John Horgan responds to questions during a postelection news conference in Vancouver, on Sunday, October 25, 2020. British Columbia’s opposition Liberals and Greens acknowledge the COVID-19 pandemic has presented huge challenges for Horgan’s government, but they say Monday’s throne speech must outline a coherent plan for the province’s economic, health, social and environmental future. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
B.C. Premier John Horgan speaks by video link to the annual Council of Forest Industries convention, April 8, 2021. (COFI video)

Horgan says B.C. logging licences to be bought back, redistributed

Premier ‘disappointed’ in big forest companies’ efforts

B.C. Premier John Horgan speaks by video link to the annual Council of Forest Industries convention, April 8, 2021. (COFI video)
Artist’s rendering of The Exchange, a mass timber commercial-industrial-office project in Kelowna to be completed in late 2023. (Faction Projects Inc.)

B.C. funds 12 mass-timber research and development projects

Saanich fire station, Kelowna commercial building included

Artist’s rendering of The Exchange, a mass timber commercial-industrial-office project in Kelowna to be completed in late 2023. (Faction Projects Inc.)
Young salmon are released after being grown in a hatchery. (Photo by Fernando Lessa/www.fernandolessa.ca)

Judge grants injunction to restock two B.C. salmon farms

1.2 million hatchery fish about to be euthanized

Young salmon are released after being grown in a hatchery. (Photo by Fernando Lessa/www.fernandolessa.ca)
B.C.’s fishing, hunting and ecotourism operations are mainly on Crown land, and have been shut down or struggling due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. (Tom Fletcher/Black Press)

B.C. reviews Crown land residential rent after hikes of up to 300%

Rent relief for fishing, hunting lodges hanging on in COVID-19

B.C.’s fishing, hunting and ecotourism operations are mainly on Crown land, and have been shut down or struggling due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. (Tom Fletcher/Black Press)
B.C. Liberal leadership candidate Gavin Dew (gavindew.ca)

Second candidate joins B.C. Liberal leadership contest

Gavin Dew joins MLA Ellis Ross for next year’s vote

B.C. Liberal leadership candidate Gavin Dew (gavindew.ca)
B.C. employers can apply for a tax credit for hiring, rehiring laid-off employees or increasing hours. (Vernon Morning Star)

B.C. opens applications for COVID-19 hiring, rehiring tax credit

Credit can be applied to outstanding employer health tax

B.C. employers can apply for a tax credit for hiring, rehiring laid-off employees or increasing hours. (Vernon Morning Star)
Indoor Tai Chi classes are among the “low-intensity” group exercises that are prohibited across B.C. until April 20. (Grand Forks Gazette)

Indoor yoga, Tai Chi, ‘low-intensity’ fitness machines off limits in B.C.

Youth sports carry on with strict limits under COVID-19 orders

Indoor Tai Chi classes are among the “low-intensity” group exercises that are prohibited across B.C. until April 20. (Grand Forks Gazette)
Kettle Valley Rail Trail winds through the Okanagan and Similkameen on railbed left from B.C.’s historical silver-mining boom. (Tom Fletcher/Black Press)

B.C. forest job program gets COVID-19 aid, expands to coast

Short-term work on trails, bridges, forest firebreaks

Kettle Valley Rail Trail winds through the Okanagan and Similkameen on railbed left from B.C.’s historical silver-mining boom. (Tom Fletcher/Black Press)
BC Municipal Affairs Minister Josie Osborne said the extra funds were meant to build on earlier grants by the province and federal government last November. Westerly file photo

Local governments in B.C. to split $10M in extra COVID restart funds, says Municipal Affairs Minister

Minister Josie Osborne said the money will be split among B.C’s 27 regional districts

BC Municipal Affairs Minister Josie Osborne said the extra funds were meant to build on earlier grants by the province and federal government last November. Westerly file photo
Cheslatta Carrier Nation chief Corinna Leween speaks to the annual B.C. Natural Resources Forum, Jan. 27, 2021. Leween is president of Carrier Sekani Family Services, a delegated agency of the B.C. government serving northern B.C. communities. (B.C. Natural Resources Forum)

B.C. addiction treatment centre rejected because it’s on ‘agricultural’ land

Remote fishing lodge on Tachick Lake has never been farmed

Cheslatta Carrier Nation chief Corinna Leween speaks to the annual B.C. Natural Resources Forum, Jan. 27, 2021. Leween is president of Carrier Sekani Family Services, a delegated agency of the B.C. government serving northern B.C. communities. (B.C. Natural Resources Forum)
Lehigh cement plant in Delta is one of the industries affected by B.C.’s carbon tax, giving a price advantage to U.S. and Asian producers. LNG plants add another major emitter. (Black Press files)

Tripling carbon tax will cost B.C. jobs, add to debt, study estimates

B.C. to match federal tax in 2022, then rise from $50 to $170

Lehigh cement plant in Delta is one of the industries affected by B.C.’s carbon tax, giving a price advantage to U.S. and Asian producers. LNG plants add another major emitter. (Black Press files)