Jan 2021 This Article Is Part of the the Davos Agenda  Tipping Points Could Fundamentally Disrupt the Planet and Produce Abrupt Change in the Climate

NEWS-CLIPS December 18/2020 to

January 20/2021

A new hope.pdf North Van District approves 481 units in two major developments.pdf BC condo owner wins damages for noises.pdf North Van District council debates election sign size limits.pdf Burnaby to seek public input on its first-ever short-term rental regulations.pdf North Van new Ecole Argyle Secondary School.pdf Can we please have more sidewalks.pdf North Van school PAC group advocates for diversity education.pdf Canada locks in 20M more Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses.pdf Notice - DNV Jan 26th Public Hearing on Single Family Zoning Amendments.pdf Canada Population Growth Stagnates.pdf Notice - DNV on Winter Weather Preparations.pdf Canadians leaving big cities at record numbers.pdf Notice - Public Information -Virtual Meeting - about 342 Mountain Hwy.pdf Carbon Capture Is Not a Climate Savior.pdf OPCC reopens police conduct investigation into 2015 death of Myles Gray.pdf Christine Miller of North Shore Black Bear Society to retire this month.pdf Pandemic spurs tiny house interest.pdf City of North Vancouver continues to break down barriers to EV use.pdf Pay parking for some NV parks a terrible idea.pdf Climate change will be sudden and cataclysmic.pdf Potential routes for Chilliwack-Vancouver-Whistler high-speed rail.pdf CO2 already emitted will warm Earth beyond climate targets.pdf Property values continue to skyrocket.pdf Consumer spending and real estate boom inspire hope for economy.pdf Protect us from second-hand smoke in homes.pdf Covid update by MP Jonathan Wilkinson.pdf Province to pay 3.2 million dollars in public subsidies to political parties.pdf Covid-19 variant complicates provincial response.pdf Reservoirs in the Sky a 1947 film documenting how GVWD supplies water.pdf Covid-19 variant raises R number.pdf Residential property assessments continue to soar.pdf Cycling upgrades coming in new year to Lions Gate Bridge approach.pdf Salmon returning to North Van creek in shocking numbers.pdf DNV Councillor Back brings motion to limit size and height of elections signs.pdf Sea-level rise from climate change could exceed high-end projections.pdf DNV plaza plan for Deep Cove lower Gallant Avenue.pdf See the most-read North Shore News stories of 2020.pdf Five things we have learned about COVID-19.pdf Senior oversight.pdf Global Covid-19 Vaccinations Jan 1 2021.pdf Smoke from wood-burning fireplaces a health hazard.pdf Here are our picks for the top North Shore stories of 2020.pdf The development that will transform health care.pdf Here is what a lawyer says about the constitutionality of a BC travel ban.pdf The race is on between the vaccine and the virus.pdf Highway 1 pothole in North Vancouver pops more than a dozen tires.pdf Translink balances 2021 budget after a difficult year.pdf How Covid-19 caused Vancouver's condo conundrum _ Financial Times.pdf Uncivil war.pdf How quickly will the COVID-19 vaccines start.pdf Vaccination plan unrealistic.pdf How to slash buildings growing greenhouse gas emissions.pdf Vancouver faces both a humanitarian and existential crisis.pdf Impact of pandemic on cities.pdf Want more EVs on roads.pdf In post-pandemic Vancouver can building better rental make us a friendlier city.pdf Wetlands -not walls- may be key to managing flooding as sea levels rise.pdf Indigenous business owners share pandemic lessons.pdf Windstorm damages and closes popular bridge in NV Capilano River Regional Park.pdf Landslide takes out section of West Vancouver walking trail.pdf Work-From-Home does not mean you can work from anywhere.pdf Money not a single use plastic item.pdf More people moving to North Van - U-Haul says.pdf New tool calculates solar potential of any location in Canada.pdf No simple solutions to skyrocketing condo insurance costs.pdf North Shore Black Bear Society director reflects on 15 years of educating the community.pdf North Shore recorded 54 new COVID-19 cases to Jan 2.pdf A8 | OPINION WEDNESDAY,DECEMBER30, 2020 north shorenews nsnews.com

PUBLISHEDBYNORTH SHORENEWSADIVISION OF LMPPUBLICATION LTD. PARTNERSHIP 116-980 WEST 1STST.,NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. V7P3N4.PETER KVARNSTROM, PUBLISHER. Anew hope

ou’ll be forgiven if you didn’t familiar with. We believe thereisapent-up make good on the New Year’s demandfor alittle exuberance. resolutions you wereputting As you welcome2021 with members Ytogether this time last year. of your own household, you may start Thanks to you-know-what, 2020 to think about resolutions for personal was our annushorribilis. growth that go beyond simply getting by. But it delights us to tell you the year To be sure, challenges await us. We 2020, and many of the thingsthat made it need to act everybit as urgentlyon so daunting, arenearly over. climate change as we did on COVID-19. It is no longer aquestion of if we can be The systemic inequality that we and our vaccinated but rather when and which one. governments must confront demands our In time –afew months probably –we attention. Our economy has had ashock to can hug our friends and extended family the system. again. Therewill be concerts and live But this year,wehave been tested in a sports. No morewaiting in the rain to pick way not seen in generations, and we know up aloaf of bread or feeling anxiety about what we arecapable of. someonestanding alittle too close. Right now,onthe cusp of putting alittle Thereisalso abadly needed change of physical distancingbetween us and the leadership happeningimminently to our pandemic, the futureislooking brighter south. The 2021-’22 school year will hope- than it has in along, long time. fully feel alot morelike the ones we are Happy new year. ArrivalofU.K.variant complicatesCOVID response

It was inevitable, Isuppose, that the Luckily,how- (beforethe pandemic began, we were so-called COVID-19 “U.K. variant” ever,early scientific often at 105 per cent capacity of regular would make its way into Canada and evidence suggests bed use). this province. the variant is not So the introduction of avariant COVID- Afterall,the novelcoronavirus does morelethal than 19 virus may not create carnage, but its not respect boundaries, and given that COVID-19. apparent high transmission rate has Dr. some Canadians weretravelling back This is poten- Henryasking for moreresourcesinorder and forth to the United Kingdom around View From tially good news for to increase and enhance the monitoring of the time the new strain was discovered – TheLedge our hospital system those people required to be in quarantine beforeatravel ban was instituted –itwas Keith Baldrey because even a or self-isolation. only amatter of time beforeitshowed up large spike in vari- However,she told me she has no plans here. ant cases may not necessarily overwhelm for an inter-provincial travel ban to thwart “This was not unexpected,” Dr.Bonnie our hospitals. the spread of COVID-19 or its U.K. variant, The U.K. variant of COVID-19 has arrivedin Henrytold me, in explaining the discov- On that front, we remain in good acontinuation of her position on that B.C.,raisingnew concerns about the spread eryofthe first variant case in B.C. “There shape compared to most other provinces. issue since the pandemic began. of the virus. MIKE WAKEFIELD will be morecases.” Ontario went into amajor lockdown after Still, it would come as asurprise to see Ahuge question raised by the appear- seeing its hospitalizations increase by the public health order that bans gather- descending recent trends. ance of the U.K. variant of COVID-19 in morethan 60 per cent in one month, while ings and events not be extended past its In addition, who knows how rampant B.C. is: what impact will it have on public its ICU cases have exploded by morethan Jan. 8expirydate. Even the fact that going the U.K. variant will actually become in health orders? 80 per cent in that time frame. into last weekend our daily average num- the weeks ahead, and thus further compli- For now.Dr. Henrytold me no changes By contrast, B.C.’shospitalization bers weresteadily declining as was our cating things? areplanned. However,she and other numbers have gone up by less than 20 per average mortality the numbers arelikely Nevertheless, Iwill end on apositive infectious disease experts have expressed cent and our ICU cases areupless than 30 not low enough to satisfy Dr.Henrywhen note: it appears the recently developed concern about how much moretrans- per cent in the same period. it comes to easing restrictions. COVID-19 vaccines will be effective on the missible the variant is compared to the As well, our hospital bed capacity Any cases arising from improper U.K. variant as well! original version of COVID-19. remains at healthy levels, with less than Christmas and New Year’sEve gatherings Keith Baldrey is chief political In other words, the variant can spread 90 per cent of regular beds in use and will begin showing up over the next two correspondent for Global BC. Reach him by quicker and have adeeper reach. about 50 per cent of ICU beds available weeks and may well halt the decline in our email at [email protected].

CONTACT US 116-980 WEST 1STSTREETNORTH VANCOUVERB.C.V7P 3N4 nsnews.com ADMINISTRATION/RECEPTION 604-985-2131 ADVERTISING 604-998-3520,[email protected] North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the REAL ESTATEADVERTISING Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday by North Shore News 604-998-3580,[email protected] adivision of LMP Publication Limited Partnership. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40010186. CLASSIFIEDADVERTISING Mailing rates available on request. Entire contents ©2020 North Shore News adivision of LMP Publication Limited Partnership. All 604-630-3300,604-444-3056, rights reserved. Average circulation for the Wednesday edition is [email protected] 58,911. The North Shore News, adivision of LMP Publication Limited Partnership respects your privacy. We collect, use and disclose your DISTRIBUTION INQUIRIES personal information in accordance with our Privacy Statement which is available at www.nsnews.com. North Shore News is a 604-986-1337,[email protected] member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic PeterKvarnstrom LayneChristensen Vicki Magnison Connor Beaty Russ Blake NEWSROOM practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editori- 604-985-2131,[email protected] al content, please email [email protected] or call the newsroom PUBLISHER EDITOR DIRECTOR, SALES&MARKETING INSIDE SALES MANAGER FIELD OPERATIONSMANAGER at 604-985-2131. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish Direct 604-998-3523 Direct 604-998-3542 Direct 604-998-3520 Direct 604-671-9241 Direct 604-369-2465 PHOTOGRAPHY to file aformal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 604-998-3532,[email protected] B.C. condo owner wins $2,000 damages for noises by neighbour’s toddler by Carlito Pablo on January 12th, 2021 at 3:17 PM https://www.straight.com/news/bc-condo-owner-wins-2000-damages-for-noises-by-neighbours-toddler The complainant’s boyfriend told the tribunal that he wakes from the noise, and sees the woman awake and upset that she cannot fall back to sleep. KATE AEDON/GETTY IMAGES Around June last year, condo owner Helen Tran left a note on the door of neighbours living above her. In the note, Tran asked them to keep the noise down. The woman was specifically concerned about the noises being made by the toddler there. The child wakes up as early as 4 a.m., runs back and forth, drops toys and stuff, all of which wakes up Tran and robs her of sleep.

RELATED STORIES  Noisy pet bird ruffles feathers at B.C. condo building  Noisy condo elevator leads to nearly $12,000 in compensation for sleep-deprived couple  Following noise complaint, B.C. condo owner ordered to replace hardwood floor with carpet When the toddler’s father visited Tran to discuss the note, a heated discussion resulted. Tran later claimed before a B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal that the father vowed to make more noise if she continued to complain. Tran, for her part, promised to continue complaining until the noise stopped. These and among others were recalled by tribunal member Micah Carmody, who ruled in favour of Tran in a dispute relating to the toddler’s noises. Tran filed a claim against the strata council of the Vancouver Island condo development where she lives. The parents of the toddler were not parties to the dispute, but they provided a statement to the tribunal. The residents, who are renting the unit above Tran, claimed that the woman was invading their privacy by making noise complaints. “The tenants also say they do their best to limit noise by having area rugs, limiting their toddler’s use of certain toys in the mornings, and taking him out in the afternoons when they do not work (Wednesdays and Saturdays),” Carmody wrote. For its part, the strata council argued that Tran was overly sensitive. “The strata submits that the council members found the noise to be daily living noise,” Carmody noted. Two strata members went to visit Tran’s unit, and the council said that they “felt that while the toddler walking ‘had moments of jarring,’ it was not unreasonable”. This is so “given some amount of noise is to be expected between strata lots, and toddlers do not walk smoothly”. Tran, for her part, kept a detailed log of the noises. For example, she made 117 entries on August 15, 2020 for “noise disturbances ranging from less than 5 seconds to more than 1 minute”. On September 19, Tran made 180 entries on her log. "Overall, I find Ms. Tran’s noise log is a reliable record establishing that she is frequently disturbed by the noise from unit 406,” Carmody wrote. Tran also submitted statements from friends and acquaintances who visited her. “Two witnesses said the footstep noise was loud enough to interfere with conversation,” Carmody related. “One witness who spent the night was awoken by stomping in the early morning.” Tran’s boyfriend also provided a statement. “He said he takes calls for work with a headset covering his ears and still hears the thumping,” the tribunal member wrote. “He described the noise as very annoying and distracting. He sometimes wakes from the noise to see Ms. Tran awake and upset that she cannot fall back to sleep.” Tran claimed that noises from the unit above her typically stop at 8 a.m. when the parents and the toddler leave. “She says there is also noise in evenings, every day, when the toddler returns home around 5:30 until the toddler goes to bed around 6:45 p.m,” Carmody recalled. In his reasons for decision, Carmody concluded that the strata did not properly address noise concerns brought to its attention by Tran. “Overall, I find the evidence and the strata’s submissions indicate that the strata did not approach Ms. Tran’s noise complaints with objectivity and impartiality,” Carmody wrote. Carmody ordered the strata, at its cost, to hire an acoustical engineer to “measure and report on impact sound transfer between” the two units, and “report on options to reduce” the noise. The tribunal member also directed the strata to pay Tran $2,306.03, broken down $2,000 in damages; $81.03 in prejudgment interest; and $225.00 in tribunal fees. Follow Carlito Pablo on Twitter at @carlitopablo

Burnaby to seek public input on its first-ever short- term rental regulations

The bylaw amendments, up for a public hearing in late January, would limit Airbnb and Vrbo rentals to homeowners' primary residences and only up to 90 nights a year a day ago By: Dustin Godfrey

The City of Burnaby has proposed a set of bylaw amendments for the city's first-even short-term rental regulations. Screengrab/Airbnb

Twelve years after Airbnb was founded and swept in a revolution in hospitality, the City of Burnaby has introduced a set of bylaw amendments set to enforce regulations and licensing for short-term rentals.

In July, council approved a report setting out a regulatory framework, giving city staff the go-ahead to develop bylaws for enforcement and licensing. Staff returned to council earlier this month with a set of amendments to the zoning bylaw, business licence bylaw, the business licence fee bylaw and the bylaw notice enforcement bylaw. The amendments are expected to go to a public hearing late next month.

The framework recommended the four objectives for the city to focus on in its regulations: protecting long-term rental supply; maintaining and improving neighbourhood livability and stability; supporting economic opportunities, including for tourism and for local businesses and residents; and providing a clear set of regulations that can easily be complied with. The proposed regulations would limit short-term rentals to principal residences; ban short-term rentals in long- term rental units, secondary suites and flex units; limit rentals to 90 nights per calendar year, including 28 in which the owner can be absent from the home; limit rentals to four unrelated people or six related people; and require short-term rental operators to get a $250 annual business licence from the city.

These regulations, according to the city, would protect housing stock for both tenancy and ownership, reduce the impacts of short-term rentals on the surrounding neighbourhoods, and allow the city to track and enforce regulations for short-term rentals in Burnaby. At the same time, it would allow homeowners some opportunities to rent out their home for additional income.

Depending on the violation, operators found not to be in compliance with the regulations would face fines of $200 to $500, with discounts for those paying their fine within 15 days.

“This should put an end to people buying condos for speculation because they can make a lot of money renting it on Airbnb, and obviously such things are needed for long-term accommodations for Burnaby residents or Greater Vancouver residents,” said Coun. Pietro Calendino, with the Burnaby Citizens Association, who is also chair of the city’s planning and development committee.

Coun. Colleen Jordan, an independent, said she didn’t see how the city will be able to enforce the bylaws “without a little cadre of bylaw officers scanning the internet and checking people’s houses to see who’s living there this weekend.”

“I get that Airbnb is a problem, and I think we should have focused on that, but getting down to this level … is something that’s just going to be a nightmare, and I think it’s gone way, way, way too far,” Jordan said.

Coun. Sav Dhaliwal, with the BCA, said it’s “about time we brought this in,” pointing to a recent Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation report that indicated 11,000 condos were added to Vancouver’s rental market in the last year.

On Nov. 26, the CMHC released its report, which found nearly 2,300 new condos were added to the rental market, while more than 8,800 were being used by owners for another purpose prior to becoming long-term rentals.

The CMHC credited the B.C. government’s vacancy tax, Vancouver’s empty homes tax and new regulations from the City of Vancouver around short-term rentals for at least some of those units, according to a Canadian Press report.

Dhaliwal said the province should have been doing this work years ago.

“In the absence of the province not doing their jobs, local governments are doing the best they can to provide housing, which is what this is all about. This has been about a real affordability issue about housing,” Dhaliwal said. “This is one way to really (deal with) that.”

The city anticipates holding a public hearing on Jan. 28, 2021 for the zoning bylaw amendments, along with an opportunity for public submissions on the regulations.

Follow Dustin on Twitter: @dustinrgodfrey Send him an email: [email protected]

MOVE ON: Can we please get some more sidewalks in North and West Vancouver Districts?

These small improvements would make a big difference for pedestrians on the North Shore https://www.nsnews.com/opinion/move-on-can-we-please-get-some-more-sidewalks-in-north-and-west-vancouver-districts-3265719 Jan 17, 2021 9:00 AM By: Heather Drugge

A pedestrian navigates a street in North Vancouver. A lack of sidewalks in several areas of the North Shore makes life difficult for pedestrians, writes columnist Heather Drugge. Kevin Hill/North Shore News

During the pandemic, walking has become a bigger pastime than ever.

A person can only watch so many episodes of The Crown. The political drama down south is also spellbinding, but again how much fake news can a person handle? If fake news and British dramas pin you to the couch, think about the reality-induced adrenalin rush of putting on outdoor clothes (no more jam-jams), opening the door, and stepping off the front porch into the world. I know. It’s a big step. But a lot of us are walking more, and it is not just people with rescue dogs from Mexico.

As COVID time goes on and on and on, I’ve noticed some things that might improve our walking experience here on the North Shore.

For starters, how about we put in some sidewalks? Is the City of North Vancouver the only place where people thought, “Hey, we should build these sidewalk things, they might catch on?” There are woefully few sidewalks in the Districts of North and West Vancouver.

The lore regarding West Van’s lack of sidewalks is that people wanted their burb to look like the English countryside back in the day. Think skinny roads, hedgerows, and stone walls. OK, but the English countryside didn’t have Escalades, Hummers or Range Rovers prowling over their oaken hills.

The District of West Vancouver’s 2017 Pedestrian Network Study identifies that only half of all arterial (this means busy) streets have sidewalks. Council approved a plan for sidewalks on high-priority routes, including Queens, Keith Road, Mathers, Burley and Marine Drive west. I also know that Bellevue’s COVID-related slow street experiment prompted a community petition to make those changes permanent. Yay to residents taking action for pedestrians.

In the District of North Vancouver, I remember walking to elementary school up Clements to Ranger and then along Ranger to where the sidewalk begins at the big bend. We all felt SO MUCH better when we reached the sidewalk. I was seven. Not much has changed up there, but now I wonder how that sidewalk ever got built.

At least in the DNV, you can look up where they will build sidewalks. The 2009 North Vancouver Pedestrian Master Plan prioritizes streets for sidewalks. The number-one ranked corridor at that time was Riverside Drive between Mount Seymour Parkway and Old Dollarton. The district recently completed this segment with a new east-side multi-use path. The next two priority routes, Seymour Boulevard and Welch Street, have also been constructed. Planning does help.

The City of North Vancouver has a Pedestrian Plan Framework, which doesn’t identify streets for sidewalks, presumably because most already have them. They are looking to enhance their already extensive network. The 2019 framework describes ways to make walking safer and more comfortable as well as promoting walking to achieve broader environmental and health objectives. The City’s two-meter sidewalk width standard results in fabulously roomy sidewalks. A dog walker, a person on a mobility device, or with a baby stroller and another person can pass with ample space (during normal times).

Sidewalks aside, there are also long blocks on busy streets without enough crosswalks. It can feel like taking your life in your hands just to cross a street like First Street down by the Rona, or the block on 3rd Street between Chesterfield and Lonsdale, or Queens between Edgemont Village and Lonsdale, or 23rd Street. And just forget crossing lower Capilano Road or Mount Seymour Parkway. A few more crossings and pedestrian islands would help. The District of North Vancouver publishes a list of upcoming and identified crosswalks. You can also write in to recommend a new crossing.

Though rarer, there are also plant-based impediments to walking. We need an honest discussion about laurel hedges. This is especially true if you live on a corner, where an overgrown bush reduces the site lines for both pedestrians and drivers alike. Even some well-trimmed plants impair site lines at crossroads because they are too close to the road. These, unfortunately, require removal altogether. My partner has threatened to create a robotic boulevard trimming machine that would travel up and down streets shearing off branches at a set distance from the curb edge. Though I am customarily dubious of his “inventions,” this one could be a boon to society.

Walking is a great way to get from A to B. It’s free and takes little toll on the body while keeping us healthy. Humans do emit greenhouse gases as we ambulate, but the environmental benefits of walking in contrast to driving are great. Taking a stroll also creates opportunities for mini social interactions. A smile, a nod, a brief chat all build trust, respect, and a sense of co-operation. We need that right now.

Heather Drugge is a sustainable transportation advocate who has used her bike for transportation for over 20 years. She’s zooming around on an e-bike now, and maybe looking at a jetpack next. [email protected].

Canada locks in 20M more Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses to arrive this spring Rachel Aiello Ottawa News Bureau Online Producer @rachaiello Contact Published Tuesday, January 12, 2021 11:29AM EST Last Updated Tuesday, January 12, 2021 2:18PM EST Canada expecting 70M vaccine doses by end of 2021 OTTAWA -- Canada has exercised an option with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer-BioNTech to secure an additional 20 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine, with the first deliveries of some of these doses expected in April at the earliest. “We are looking at seeing those doses arrive in April or May I believe,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday during his Rideau Cottage address. “We’re going to continue working to see if we can get a few more doses, because all Canadians want this to move forward as quickly as possible.” The federal government had already secured 20 million Pfizer doses, and that amount has now doubled to 40 million, by exercising an option in the contract that allowed Canada to access up to 76 million additional doses.

Tracking every case of COVID-19 in Canada Coronavirus vaccine tracker: How many people in Canada have received shots? Canada locks in 20M more Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses to arrive this spring Canada-U.S. land border closure extended to Feb. 21 Canadians aren't staying home as much as they did during the first wave, data shows Ontario reports fewer than 3,000 new COVID-19 cases for first time in a week as more cases of U.K. variant found Ontario issues stay-at-home order, immediately declares second state of emergency Feds opted not to buy 16M more Moderna doses due to late 2021 delivery As Canada battles rising COVID-19 cases, advocates say lack of sick leave fuels transmission Severe cases of COVID-19 could be associated with poor gut health: scientific review Why some hospital PR executives and staff on leave have received COVID-19 vaccines before front-line staff COVID-19 aid benefit applicants to be asked if they've travelled: CRA Blood kits sent to 48,000 Canadians to survey extent of COVID-19 Should you be wearing a mask while outside? Experts say it depends Full coverage at CTVNews.ca/Coronavirus  Newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox In a separate press conference, Procurement Minister Anita Anand said that Canadians will start to see a “dramatic acceleration” in the mass vaccination campaign starting this spring, with much larger batches of doses expected to begin arriving in the second quarter of 2021. This news comes on the heels of Anand confirming she chose not to exercise an option to buy up to 16 million additional doses of the Moderna vaccine because they would not have arrived until late in 2021. Anand said that Canada still has the ability to lock in more doses from the remaining 36 million optioned in the Pfizer contract. She said the reason Canada went with Pfizer rather than exercising the option with Moderna—which has now expired but is a logistically easier vaccine to administer—was because Pfizer could guarantee their doses would arrive between April and September. Last week, Maj. Gen. Dany Fortin told reporters that Pfizer had updated its guidelines to administer doses in a thawed state and in smaller tray sizes, meaning its vaccines can now be transported and administered to more sites across Canada without the same degree of extreme cold storage logistical complications as was seen in the first weeks of Canada's vaccine rollout. “From our agreements with Moderna and Pfizer alone, we will now have 80 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines arriving this year,” Trudeau said Tuesday. Anand said between Moderna and Pfizer, 20 million doses will be delivered between April and June. A total of six million doses of these vaccines are planned to be distributed to three million prioritized Canadians by the end of March. The federal government continues to face calls from the provinces and some health experts for a faster rollout and larger delivery of doses over the next few months, saying health facilities are ready to start vaccinating a larger number of Canadians prior to the spring. On Monday, the federal government published a delivery schedule outlining the amount of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines being distributed to provinces each week between now and the end of February so that each region can plan accordingly and schedule an appropriate number of vaccination appointments for prioritized groups like front-line health workers and seniors in long-term care comes. Both vaccines require two shots per person and should the full 80 million doses arrive as planned they would be enough to immunize the entire population. Health Canada safety and efficacy reviews are underway for two additional vaccine candidates: AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, which if given the regulatory green light would further bolster Canada’s available supply. Canada has deals to secure up to 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine candidate, and up to 38 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine candidate. The federal government is planning to begin vaccinating the general population in April and between then and June the aim is to vaccinate between 15 and 19 million Canadians, which equates to between 40 and 50 per cent of the population. Then between June and September, the plan is to vaccinate nearly 20 million more people, seeing Canada hitting and surpassing the herd immunity threshold. Trudeau said Tuesday that Canada remains on track to have every Canadian who wants to be immunized, vaccinated by September. “If we can do it even quicker than that, that would be great news. The quicker everyone gets vaccinated, the quicker we're going to be able to get back to a semblance of normality,” he said. ======

Distributing vaccines COVID-19 vaccines will be available to everyone in Canada who are recommended to get the vaccine by federal, provincial and territorial public health bodies. Doses of the vaccines will be distributed in Canada in phases, which began in December 2020. Assuming the continued supply of safe and effective vaccines, it’s expected there will be enough vaccines to immunize everyone for whom vaccines are approved and recommended. We anticipate this will be accomplished by September of 2021. The following chart describes the quantities of COVID-19 vaccines that have been delivered to provinces and territories to date. The total vaccine confirmed distribution chart will be updated weekly. Total COVID-19 vaccine confirmed distribution as of January 7, 2021 Vaccine distribution Pfizer/BioNTech Moderna Total

Total distributed in Canada 380,250 168,700 548,950 Newfoundland and Labrador 5,850 2,400 8,250

Prince Edward Island 4,875 1,200 6,075 Nova Scotia 9,750 3,700 13,450

New Brunswick 8,775 2,400 11,175 Quebec 82,875 32,500 115,375

Ontario 143,325 52,700 196,025 Manitoba 18,525 7,300 25,825

Saskatchewan 12,675 4,900 17,575 Alberta 42,900 16,900 59,800

British Columbia 50,700 20,500 71,200 Yukon 0 7,200 7,200

Northwest Territories 0 7,200 7,200 Nunavut 0 6,000 6,000

Footnote 1Federal Allocation 0 3,600 3,600 Footnotes Footnote 1 Federal allocation includes doses for Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Canadian Armed Forces and Correctional Service Canada Return to footnote 1 referrer

The following charts describe the allocations of vaccine that are forecasted to be available for provinces and territories over the next number of weeks. These charts are updated as the quantities of available vaccine and the timing of future deliveries are confirmed. Forecasted allocation of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to provinces and territories Distribution location 4-10 Jan 11-17 Jan 18-24 Jan 25-31 Jan 1-7 Feb 8-14 Feb 15-21 Feb 22-28 Feb Total forecasted allocations 124,800 208,650 208,650 208,650 367,575 367,575 366,600 366,600

Newfoundland and Labrador 1,950 2,925 2,925 2,925 4,875 4,875 4,875 4,875 Prince Edward Island 975 975 975 975 975 975 975 975

Nova Scotia 3,900 5,850 5,850 5,850 9,750 9,750 9,750 9,750 New Brunswick 2,925 3,900 3,900 3,900 7,800 7,800 7,800 7,800

Quebec 27,300 46,800 46,800 46,800 82,875 82,875 82,875 82,875 Ontario 47,775 80,925 80,925 80,925 143,325 143,325 142,350 142,350

Manitoba 5,850 7,800 7,800 7,800 13,650 13,650 13,650 13,650 Saskatchewan 3,900 6,825 6,825 6,825 11,700 11,700 11,700 11,700

Alberta 13,650 24,375 24,375 24,375 42,900 42,900 42,900 42,900 British Columbia 16,575 28,275 28,275 28,275 49,725 49,725 49,725 49,725

Yukon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Northwest Territories 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Nunavut 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Forecasted allocation of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to provinces and territories Distribution location 11-17 Jan 1-7 Feb 22-28 Feb

Total forecasted allocations 171,700 230,400 249,600 Newfoundland and Labrador 2,400 2,800 3,000

Prince Edward Island 1,200 1,200 1,200 Nova Scotia 3,700 5,400 5,900

New Brunswick 2,700 4,300 4,700 Quebec 34,000 47,400 51,800

Ontario 56,700 81,600 89,100 Manitoba 7,400 7,600 8,400

Saskatchewan 5,400 6,500 7,100 Alberta 17,100 24,600 27,000

British Columbia 20,700 28,600 31,000 Yukon 7,200 7,200 7,200

Northwest Territories 7,200 7,200 7,200 Nunavut 6,000 6,000 6,000

Canadians leaving big cities at record numbers: Statistics Canada Creeson Agecoutay CTV News Host of Indigenous Circle/Video Journalist @CreesonCTV Contact Ross Andersen CTVNews.ca writer @MrRossAndersen Contact Published Saturday, January 16, 2021 10:07PM EST CTV National News: Canadians leaving big cities https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/canadians-leaving-big-cities-at-record-numbers-statistics-canada-1.5270161

NOW PLAYING A new report from StatsCan says more than 87,000 people have left big cities for smaller nearby communities. CTV's Creeson Agecoutay reports TORONTO -- Canada's biggest cities are experiencing a record-breaking loss of people as urbanites move to smaller bedroom communities in search of affordable homes. According to a new Statistics Canada report, Montreal and Toronto both saw a record loss of people from July 2019 to July 2020 as urban-dwellers moved to the suburbs, smaller towns and rural areas. Toronto lost 50,375 people over those 12 months while nearby Oshawa, Ont. saw its population grow by 2.1 per cent — the fastest population growth in the country. Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo in Ontario and Halifax were tied for the second-fastest growth, at 2 per cent. Related Stories  Home sales hit record in 2020, Canadian Real Estate Association reports  What to expect for Canadian real estate in 2021  As suburban homes get big-city price tags, longer commutes look like better deals  Scroll down or click here to vote in our poll of the day Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter said this shift is great news for his city. "It really introduces us to greater opportunities: new families, new friends, new communities and it really adds to the wonderful fabric of the city of Oshawa,” Carter told CTV News. Over the same period, Montreal lost 24,880 people, while nearby communities such as Farnham, Que. and Saint-Hippolyte, Que. saw their populations rise. Experts say the pandemic has accelerated the urban-to-suburban trend as more employers shift to a work-from- home model and young, first-time buyers look beyond the city for more affordable properties. This shift has also inspired plenty of competition in communities where bidding wars are anything but typical. “With the low supply issues that we are seeing in a lot of the major markets across the country, that is creating some challenges if you want to buy a home just because there is less to choose from,” said Geoff Walker, an Ottawa realtor. Despite urban areas posting overall population growth due to international migration, the report found that high numbers of people from Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver chose to move away. And despite border closures during the pandemic, international migration from July 2019 to July 2020 accounted for 90 per cent of the growth in Canadian cities. That number drops to just over one-third of growth in other regions. Real estate markets in Canada’s biggest cities continued to grow during the past year, but Robert Hogue, a senior economist at RBC, expects some of that action to calm in the year to come. "The very high levels of activity in the late stages of 2020 are probably going to settle down through the course of 2021," said Hogue. Carbon Capture Is Not a Climate Savior The promise of negative emissions is baked into most “net zero” pledges. But putting that into practice is easier said than done. https://newrepublic.com/article/160754/carbon-capture-not-climate-savior Kate Aronoff/December 24, 2020

Sarah Rice/Getty Images Algae at the wastewater biofuel system at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant (shown here in 2012) capture carbon dioxide and produce biofuel. In December, the Vatican became one of the latest entities to unveil a plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, joining far less pious actors like BP, Shell, and President-elect Joe Biden. Net-zero plans have become all the rage as public concern about the climate crisis has grown. But approving coverage of these wide-ranging announcements rarely question what the “net” of net-zero actually means. Meeting climate targets means releasing fewer fumes into the sky, for starters. And those plans include that. But they also include something else. The way they get to “zero” isn’t by cutting all greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century but by sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere afterward through a suite of methods known collectively as “negative emissions.” And there’s a problem with that: Existing “carbon capture” technologies and techniques can today capture only 0.1 percent of global emissions. Banking on them to pick up the slack amounts to a big gamble. It’s not clear these techniques are scalable or that the countries and companies behind net-zero pledges have thought through what trying to scale them would mean. Talking up carbon capture is good for fossil fuel companies—it makes the next few decades look profitable for them. Companies from ExxonMobil to Shell to Occidental Petroleum have all boasted about investments in carbon capture while continuing to double down on their core business model of finding and digging up as much oil and gas as possible. Whether they’re making meaningful investments in carbon capture is a different matter entirely. Exxon recently nixed its $1 billion investment to store carbon under a gas operation it owns in Wyoming. It moved ahead with a $9 billion expansion of its crude oil drilling operations off the coast of Guyana. All the while, Exxon, like its competitors, continues to advertise its token investments in carbon capture as proof that they’ve enlisted in good faith in the climate fight, despite all evidence to the contrary. The approach is eerily reminiscent of the climate denial playbook. When companies like Exxon and General Motors funded climate denial, the effect wasn’t to convince the world that more carbon dioxide is a good thing or that the earth just naturally gets really hot sometimes, but it was to muddy the waters, casting enough doubt on the scientific consensus to stymie policymaking that might threaten their profits. Now, such companies’ lavish advertising budgets are being used to spread a new kind of doubt in the face of a new consensus about how to deal with that problem: Phase out fossil fuel use as quickly as possible while phasing in renewables. Negative emissions are one among several vague talking points being thrown out by polluters to suggest that isn’t necessary. What if we could suck up a whole lot of carbon dioxide at some point? What if the timeline for decarbonization could be pushed back as a result? The jury’s still out on how much carbon dioxide we can take out of the atmosphere after 2050, they argue. And renewables can’t yet meet the world’s energy needs. So it’s probably safest to let us keep making the earth hotter while our best researchers work to find a technological fix to this problem that’s just around the corner. Here’s the sticky bit: Negative emissions are needed if the world’s governments are indeed serious about keeping warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius, per the text of the Paris Agreement. Anything higher than 1.5 degrees may well amount to a death sentence for potentially millions across the global south, and the lack of zero-carbon alternatives on offer in big sectors of the economy mean it’d be all too possible to sail past that threshold in the decades to come. Carbon capture is necessary. But fossil fuel executives are the last people who should get to define how much of it’s needed, what it should look like, and who benefits.

“It’s important to know how many gigatons we can take out of the air and the economic efficiency,” eorgetown niversity’s l f mi T w , whose research explores the intersections of climate justice and colonialism, told me. In a forthcoming primer on carbon dioxide removal, or CDR, Harvard University researchers Andrew Bergman and Toly Rinberg suggest that around 1 metric gigaton of removal per year, worldwide, is consistent with a pathway toward capping warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius—far less than the 5 to 15 metric gigatons suggested by the models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC. Even more modest targets will require technology that is currently quite expensive, probably in addition to large quantities of land for carbon sinks. The Integrated Assessment Models, or IAMs, used by the IPCC to design net-zero pledges pose deceptively simple answers to this challenge. In assuming a continued annual GDP growth of around 2 percent, year on year, carbon capture technologies that are expensive to deploy now will get cheaper in the future. So long as our future selves and countries are richer, it’ll be cheaper and easier to suck up carbon at evermore impressive scales down the line—more so, say, than phasing out fossil fuels and deploying lots of renewables in the next 20 years. We don’t actually know, though, if societies getting richer means they’ll be able to capture more carbon—particularly given the stubborn fact that GDP and emissions tend to rise together. Carbon capture, or negative emissions, can mean many different things. So-called “natural climate solutions” involve things like tree planting, grassland and wetland restoration, or (controversially) agriculture-based soil sequestration. The Green New Deal resolution introduced to Congress last year backed this approach, citing the need for “removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and reducing pollution by restoring natural ecosystems through proven low-tech solutions that increase soil carbon storage, such as land preservation and afforestation.” But there are other approaches, too. Among the most frequently invoked in climate modeling is Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage, or BECCS. This relies on harvesting new carbon-sucking crops like switchgrass for fuel, then capturing the resulting emissions through machines that filter out emissions from where the power is generated. And in direct air capture, machines that look like air conditioners suck carbon down from the sky and inject it into rock formations or soft drinks, among other uses. In some industries, carbon capture makes intuitive sense—for example, in aviation, where sustainable fuel solutions are going to take a while to develop. In others, carbon capture can serve to reduce emissions from activities that should be eliminated outright. A good example of this are so-called “scrubbers” on gas and coal- fired power plants. These lessen the amount of carbon they’re spewing into the atmosphere with the help of a recently bolstered federal tax credit known as 45Q. This isn’t a negative emissions technology, since pollution is still happening. Such poorly targeted subsidies for carbon capture and storage, or CCS, could even extend the life of already uneconomical power stations that should be among the first things phased out as part of any earnest decarbonization agenda. “If you’re doing aggressive mitigation, the coal for CCS option essentially falls off the table,” Glen Peters, research director at the Center for International Climate Research, says. “You need both to happen: aggressive mitigation, while starting to figure out the technologies you’ll need for the last 20 to 30 percent.” Despite platitudes from Republicans, former energy secretaries, and even some parts of organized labor about the supposed promise of “clean coal,” no amount of tax credits will change the fact that coal remains a bad investment in just about every sense.

Innovation is a seductive concept. Given that Republicans are particularly keen on it, investing in negative emissions technology might seem like low-hanging fruit for climate policy in a divided government; just this week, $35 billion in research funding—including roughly $6 billion for carbon capture—made it into the broad spending bill now sitting on Trump’s desk. Much of the policy support for negative emissions on offer now, though—and that can garner bipartisan support—tends to take the form of sloppily designed corporate subsidies for polluters like 45Q. The vast majority of the carbon captured on earth today is poured back into extraction. Enhanced Oil Recovery, or EOR, utilizes carbon by injecting it underground to help unearth more fossil fuels from wells. 45Q—created to spur on a domestic carbon capture and storage industry—furnishes generous subsidies on “clean coal” and E R alike. Unsurprisingly, fossil fuel interests have consistently sought to degrade the reporting requirements for such credits. A 2018 study by Clean Water Action found that just three of the 60 million metric tons worth of 45Q tax credits claimed as of that spring had been reported to the EPA’s verification process. “Moving forward, we have to completely change how we’re tackling this type of technology,” Shuchi Talati, a senior policy adviser at Carbon 180, told me. “We really need to have more broad participatory conversations on what infrastructure means for these kinds of projects. Things like carbon dioxide pipelines will be needed at scale. I think having conversations that include labor, environmental justice, and community groups and local governments need to be had at the beginning,” she added, noting the need in particular for international governance. “Land use, respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and low-income communities, questions of community benefits agreements, who’s going to get the jobs these projects create ... These are all things we should know. I just don’t think ExxonMobil is going to ask those questions, much less answer them in any kind of serious way,” said Táíwò. Carbon dioxide removal projects, wrote Táíwò, Talati, and several other researchers across disciplines in a recent paper in One Earth, need to be evaluated “on a case-specific basis rather than just as abstract technologies.” In a country where rural, mostly white landowners can still stymie vital wind farm and transmission line projects, comparatively little attention is paid to potential resistance to negative emissions. Removing just a single metric gigaton of carbon per year would require a land area bigger than Texas. Stabilizing temperatures at the same level through BECCS alone, per many IAMs, is estimated to require a landmass five times the size of India. And a recent Nature Climate Change study finds that relying primarily on more “natural” negative emissions to stabilize warming at 1.5 degrees could trigger a five-fold increase in staple food crop price. Already, troubling patterns have emerged. As Táíwò has pointed out, Africa—where land ownership is increasingly concentrated—now accounts for 75 percent of the land pledged under the “Bonn Challenge” to restore 350 million hectares of forest. Having the “net” of “net-zero” pledges happen out of sight and out of mind for global north countries could see the dynamics of capturing carbon look a lot like those that were erected to dig it out of the ground. Making matters worse is the fact that decades of multilateral programs, from REDD+ to the Bonn Challenge, have treated large swathes of the global south as an inexhaustible carbon sink. Having contributed just 3 percent of global emissions since 1751, T w says, it’s “absurd that the African continent should have to deal with the land use costs of carbon removal.” “Carbon removal in particular is one of the most direct forms of climate reparations,” he added. “ lobal north countries taking on carbon removal is obviously not exhaustive of their responsibilities from a justice perspective, but in a lot of ways is the most direct thing they can do conceptually speaking.” A more just approach would be for global north countries to fund carbon removal and site much of it in their own backyards. But while less land-use intensive, direct-air capture technologies have their own feasibility and affordability issues. For one, they depend on an enormous amount of electricity; if the grid powering DAC is still carbon- intensive, its carbon savings look a lot more ambiguous. And if such technologies are patented by private companies, onerous intellectual property statutes could make it virtually impossible for them to proliferate widely, particularly to low- and middle-income countries that lack the capacity to pay the rents that might be demanded by patent holders. Wealthy countries’ recent refusals to waive intellectual property rights for publicly funded Covid-19 vaccines, Táíwò notes, could offer a preview for how IP rules may stymie a new generation of life-saving technologies. True negative emissions—mostly, capturing carbon and keeping it buried—aren’t neatly compatible with the profit motive. Even if captured carbon is used to make building materials, acknowledging that negative emissions are critical to ward off climate catastrophe means making sure that installing them quickly doesn’t depend on their ability to turn a profit. Lavishing private companies with subsidies and tax incentives, that is, will only go so far. Instead, we might need to treat carbon like sewage, as science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson recently proposed: an essential but basically boring public service that nobody expects to get rich off of unless there’s something illicit happening. As fossil fuel companies look to capture the field of captured carbon with schemes for EOR and pernicious academic funding, there’s a dire need for democratic governance models for carbon dioxide removal that prioritize equity and emissions reductions over shareholders. Environmental sociologist Holly Jean Buck argues that carbon capture could fall under the mandate of nationalized fossil fuel companies, which could keep union workers on the payroll as they build out the vast amount of infrastructure needed to store carbon. As the One Earth paper coauthored by Buck also notes, “We might need to stretch our imaginations to envision economic and political futures in which CDR fits into the world we want rather than delaying or undermining it.”

The proliferation of net-zero plans in 2020 is clearly good news insofar as it indicates that governments are now taking the climate crisis more seriously. But they also belie the need for concrete plans to reduce emissions much sooner. “The scenarios are performative in a sense that they show us one way but not all the ways to 1.5 or 2 degrees,” l en Peters explained. Earlier climate models, he said, were designed around stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, say around 450 or 550 parts per million. “But many models couldn’t get to this,” he said. “So what they did is change that target to only apply in 2100, so you could go over and come back down. All the models could do this if they used BECCS.” Such models can be useful reference points but don’t need to dictate what’s possible. If stabilizing temperatures at “well below” 2 degrees is the goal, the task for the next decade at least is straightforward: electrify everything, build lots of renewables, and rapidly phase out fossil fuels. Federal research into how to capture carbon at scale is a necessary complement to reducing the amount of work those processes will have to do. But carbon capture will always be a complement—never a substitute. Kate Aronoff @KateAronoff Kate Aronoff is a staff writer at The New Republic. Christine Miller of North Shore Black Bear Society to retire this month

Gagandeep Ghuman December 15, 2020 9:53am https://www.northshoredailypost.com/christine-miller-of-north-shore-black-bear-society-to-retire-this-month/ The Executive Director of North Shore Black Bear Society, Christine Miller, will be retiring this month after 15 years of dedicated service to the community. Miller is handing over reins to another committed and well- informed education coordinator, Luci Cadman. “It was a perfect time to move on and allow Luci and the Board of Directors to determine the Society’s future directions,” Miller said. Trying to reduce preventable bear deaths on the North Shore has been a primary focus of Miller’s life for the last 15 years. Christine Miller has worked tirelessly on bear awareness for the last 15 years in North Shore. In 2005, Norma Rodgers, Miller’s friend from Lions Bay, told she was spending a lot of time supporting the bear group in Lions Bay. Curious, Miller attended a volunteer meeting to learn about the conservation efforts of residents here. When she recognized that bear deaths could be reduced with education about wildlife attractants in residential areas, she was hooked and started learning gradually about the provincial Bear Aware program, now called WildSafeBC.

Over the years, Millers developed or expanded a variety of educational outreach activities.

Miller was given the Award of Honour from the District of North Vancouver “for outstanding commitment to leadership and education” in 2017.

She took educational displays to community events, made presentations to audiences of all ages, made home visits, installed bear-in-area signs, sent information packages to new homeowners and even conducted nighttime patrols for waste.

She says the society has made a significant difference to the understanding, respect and tolerance of black bears.

In 1999 when the North Shore Black Bear Network was formed, 39 bears were killed on the North Shore.

In 2020, five bears were killed by the Conservation Officers Service and at least two bears died as a result of being hit by a vehicle. There are many reasons for this decline in preventable deaths including the multi-faceted education outreach of the Society, she says.

In June 2019, Miller was awarded for her commitment to environmental awareness” by City of North Vancouver.

“I think one of my most important accomplishments was establishing and maintaining strong working partnerships with staff in the three North Shore municipalities,” Miller says.

“The consistent messaging and support that resulted were significant contributors to increased co-existence of people and wildlife on Vancouver’s North Shore.”

Miller was given the Award of Honour from the District of North Vancouver “for outstanding commitment to leadership and education at the North Shore Black Bear Society and in the community” presented by Mayor Richard Walton in November 2017.

In June 2019, on behalf of the Society, both Luci Cadman and Miller also received a Living City Award for Sustainability in recognition for “commitment to environmental awareness” by CNV Mayor Linda Buchanan.

Recently, the Society was also selected for the Fur-Bearers Clements Award for the category of Outstanding Organization, to be presented virtually in February 2021.

The Clements Awards was created in honour of long-time directors and leaders of The Fur-Bearers, George and Bunty Clements, to recognize outstanding work of wildlife advocates.

Miller says she plans to celebrate the time and energy that retirement will provide to develop some personal interests and pursue other options for serving the local community and province.

“I will continue to contribute to the local community associations and Block Watch, for a start. On a broader scale, I will keep on encouraging changes to environmental policies and procedures within our province,” she says. City of North Vancouver continues to break down barriers to EV use

Here are the next steps to the City of North Vancouver's electric vehicle strategy a day ago By: Elisia Seeber https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/city-of-north-vancouver-continues-to-break-down-barriers-to-electric-vehicle-use-3218377

City of North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan at an EV fast-charge station in 2019.City of North Vancouver

North Vancouver residents will have better access to electric vehicle charging stations in the near future, with city council approving the next steps of its EV strategy to further break down barriers to zero-emission vehicle use.

Council voted unanimously to endorse the next stages of the city’s EV strategy at the Dec. 14 regular meeting.

Moving forward, city staff will work on developing "EV Readiness" requirements for non-residential parking spaces in new construction to support workplaces, investigate opportunities for neighbourhood charging stations to support residents with barriers to home charging, and fast-track the electrification of the city’s fleet.

The city’s guide to accelerating EV use to address carbon pollution from vehicles was first introduced in September 2018. Since then, staff say “significant progress” has been made, highlighting the strategy’s improvements were recognized through a recent nomination for the Community Energy Association’s 2020 climate and energy action award.

Becoming an electric vehicle ready city

In February 2019, council approved a policy called EV Readiness and adopted zoning bylaw amendments to require that 100 per cent of new residential parking spaces are equipped with an energized outlet capable of supporting charging for an EV. Since the requirement took effect in June 2019, staff say plans for about 500 parking spaces in single-family, duplex, coach homes, and multi-family buildings have included EV Ready infrastructure.

Staff say the city is also on track to fulfil its initial public charging targets of installing two to four new direct current fast-charging stations and three to five additional Level 2 charging stations. On top of this, all public EV charging stations have essentially become cost-neutral after fees were introduced in April 2019, with the revenues from fees now covering operating expenses.

To address barriers to EV charging in existing buildings, the city continues to promote the Province’s CleanBC rebates for EV charging station installations in multi-family buildings and workplaces.

Moving towards net zero emissions by 2050

Coun. Jessica McIlroy was happy to see the strategy moving forward, saying it aligned with the federal government’s new climate change plan.

“It is about addressing the next steps with ensuring that the city is EV ready in as many different ways as possible and removing barriers for those who have electric vehicles and those who will hopefully be purchasing them in the future,” she said.

“There's a lot of opportunities here for us to hopefully access other levels of government funding and support for this as well, and continue to look at how we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation.”

Mayor Linda Buchanan said the strategy had already proven to be a success, and it was important to consider how it could be implemented within the city’s future public infrastructure plans, highlighting the Harry Jerome Neighbourhood Lands project and the North Shore Neighbourhood House redevelopment.

The strategy is also helping council to achieve its community-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets of 80 per cent by 2040 and 100 per cent, or net-zero emissions, by 2050.

“It does get us to that next step of our strategy and some of our targets that we've committed to as a council, so I really appreciate staff's work on this,” said Buchanan.

So far, the EV Strategy has been funded with $415,000 from the city’s electric vehicle strategy implementation project budget and $175,000 of grant funding from senior governments. A funding request for further strategy implementation has been included in the 2021 capital plan for council’s consideration.

Elisia Seeber is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative. Climate change will be sudden and cataclysmic. We need to act fast https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/climate-change-sudden-cataclysmic-need-act-fast

Melting polar ice could set off a tipping point. Image: REUTERS/Hannah McKay 19 Jan 2021 This article is part of the The Davos Agenda  Tipping points could fundamentally disrupt the planet and produce abrupt change in the climate.  A mass methane release could put us on an irreversible path to full land-ice melt, causing sea levels to rise by up to 30 metres.  We must take immediate action to reduce global warming and build resilience with these tipping points in mind. The speed and scale of the response to COVID-19 by governments, businesses and individuals seems to provide hope that we can react to the climate change crisis in a similarly decisive manner - but history tells us that humans do not react to slow-moving and distant threats. Our evolution has selected the “fight or flight” instinct to deal with environmental change, so rather like the metaphor of the frog in boiling water, we tend to react too little and too late to gradual change. Climate change is often described as global warming, with the implication of gradual changes caused by a steady increase in temperatures; from heatwaves to melting glaciers. But we know from multidisciplinary scientific evidence - from geology, anthropology and archaeology - that climate change is not incremental. Even in pre-human times, it is episodic, when it isn’t forced by a human- induced acceleration of greenhouse gas emissions and warming. There are parts of our planet’s carbon cycle, the ways that the earth and the biosphere store and release carbon, that could trigger suddenly in response to gradual warming. These are tipping points that once passed could fundamentally disrupt the planet and produce abrupt, non-linear change in the climate. A game of Jenga Think of it as a game of Jenga and the planet’s climate system as the tower. For generations, we have been slowly removing blocks. But at some point, we will remove a pivotal block, such as the collapse of one of the major global ocean circulation systems, for example the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), that will cause all or part of the global climate system to fall into a planetary emergency. But worse still, it could cause runaway damage: Where the tipping points form a domino-like cascade, where breaching one triggers breaches of others, creating an unstoppable shift to a radically and swiftly changing climate. One of the most concerning tipping points is mass methane release. Methane can be found in deep freeze storage within permafrost and at the bottom of the deepest oceans in the form of methane hydrates. But rising sea and air temperatures are beginning to thaw these stores of methane. This would release a powerful greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, 30-times more potent than carbon dioxide as a global warming agent. This would drastically increase temperatures and rush us towards the breach of other tipping points. This could include the acceleration of ice thaw on all three of the globe’s large, land-based ice sheets – Greenland, West Antarctica and the Wilkes Basin in East Antarctica. The potential collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet is seen as a key tipping point, as its loss could eventually raise global sea levels by 3.3 metres with important regional variations. More than that, we would be on the irreversible path to full land-ice melt, causing sea levels to rise by up to 30 metres, roughly at the rate of two metres per century, or maybe faster. Just look at the raised beaches around the world, at the last high stand of global sea level, at the end of the Pleistocene period around 120,0000 years ago, to see the evidence of such a warm world, which was just 2°C warmer than the present day. Cutting off circulation As well as devastating low-lying and coastal areas around the world, melting polar ice could set off another tipping point: a disablement to the AMOC. This circulation system drives a northward flow of warm, salty water on the upper layers of the ocean from the tropics to the northeast Atlantic region, and a southward flow of cold water deep in the ocean. The ocean conveyor belt has a major effect on the climate, seasonal cycles and temperature in western and northern Europe. It means the region is warmer than other areas of similar latitude. But melting ice from the Greenland ice sheet could threaten the AMOC system. It would dilute the salty sea water in the north Atlantic, making the water lighter and less able or unable to sink. This would slow the engine that drives this ocean circulation. Recent research suggests the AMOC has already weakened by around 15% since the middle of the 20th century. If this continues, it could have a major impact on the climate of the northern hemisphere, but particularly Europe. It may even lead to the cessation of arable farming in the UK, for instance. It may also reduce rainfall over the Amazon basin, impact the monsoon systems in Asia and, by bringing warm waters into the Southern Ocean, further destabilize ice in Antarctica and accelerate global sea level rise. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation has a major effect on the climate. Image: Praetorius (2018) Is it time to declare a climate emergency? At what stage, and at what rise in global temperatures, will these tipping points be reached? No one is entirely sure. It may take centuries, millennia or it could be imminent. But as COVID-19 taught us, we need to prepare for the expected. We were aware of the risk of a pandemic. We also knew that we were not sufficiently prepared. But we didn’t act in a meaningful manner. Thankfully, we have been able to fast- track the production of vaccines to combat COVID-19. But there is no vaccine for climate change once we have passed these tipping points. We need to act now on our climate. Act like these tipping points are imminent. And stop thinking of climate change as a slow-moving, long-term threat that enables us to kick the problem down the road and let future generations deal with it. We must take immediate action to reduce global warming and fulfil our commitments to the Paris Agreement, and build resilience with these tipping points in mind. We need to plan now to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, but we also need to plan for the impacts, such as the ability to feed everyone on the planet, develop plans to manage flood risk, as well as manage the social and geopolitical impacts of human migrations that will be a consequence of fight or flight decisions. What’s the World Economic Forum doing about climate change? Climate change poses an urgent threat demanding decisive action. Communities around the world are already experiencing increased climate impacts, from droughts to floods to rising seas. The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report continues to rank these environmental threats at the top of the list. To limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C and as close as possible to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, it is essential that businesses, policy-makers, and civil society advance comprehensive near- and long-term climate actions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. Global warming can be beaten thanks to this simple plan The World Economic Forum's Climate Initiative supports the scaling and acceleration of global climate action through public and private-sector collaboration. The Initiative works across several workstreams to develop and implement inclusive and ambitious solutions. This includes the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, a global network of business leaders from various industries developing cost-effective solutions to transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. CEOs use their position and influence with policy-makers and corporate partners to accelerate the transition and realize the economic benefits of delivering a safer climate. Contact us to get involved. Breaching these tipping points would be cataclysmic and potentially far more devastating than COVID-19. Some may not enjoy hearing these messages, or consider them to be in the realm of science fiction. But if it injects a sense of urgency to make us respond to climate change like we have done to the pandemic, then we must talk more about what has happened before and will happen again. Otherwise we will continue playing Jenga with our planet. And ultimately, there will only be one loser – us. License and Republishing World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use. Written by Peter Giger, Group Chief Risk Officer, Zurich Insurance Group

CO2 already emitted will warm Earth beyond climate targets, study finds New study finds 'committed warming' is 2.3 C, higher than previous estimates; but it can be delayed The Associated Press · Posted: Jan 05, 2021 8:07 AM ET | Last Updated: January 5 https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/climate-targets-1.5861537 Smoke and steam rise from the smokestack of a coal-fired power plant near Ordos in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2015. A new study estimates that 2.3 C of warming is inevitable, but can be delayed for centuries if the world quickly stops emitting extra greenhouse gases from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, the study's authors say. (Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press) The amount of baked-in global warming, from carbon pollution already in the air, is enough to blow past international agreed upon goals to limit climate change, a new study finds. But it's not game over because, while that amount of warming may be inevitable, it can be delayed for centuries if the world quickly stops emitting extra greenhouse gases from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, the study's authors say. For decades, scientists have talked about so-called "committed warming" or the increase in future temperature based on past carbon dioxide emissions that stay in the atmosphere for well over a century. It's like the distance a speeding car travels after the brakes are applied. But Monday's study in the journal Nature Climate Change calculates that a bit differently and now figures the carbon pollution already put in the air will push global temperatures to about 2.3 degrees Celsius (4.1 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming since pre-industrial times. Previous estimates, including those accepted by international science panels, were about a degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) less than that amount of committed warming. International climate agreements set goals of limiting warming to 2 C (3.6 F) since pre-industrial times, with the more ambitious goal of limiting it to 1.5 C (2.7 F) added in Paris in 2015. The world has already warmed about 1.1 C (2 F). "You've got some ... global warming inertia that's going to cause the climate system to keep warming, and that's essentially what we're calculating," said study co-author Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist at Texas A&M University. "Think about the climate system like the Titanic. It's hard to turn the ship when you see the icebergs." Dessler and colleagues at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab and Nanjing University in China calculated committed warming to take into account that the world has warmed at different rates in different places and that places that haven't warmed as fast are destined to catch up.  Tipping point? Experts say the Paris agreement changed the climate on climate  Fossil fuel production far exceeds climate targets, UN says Places such as the Southern Ocean, surrounding Antarctica are a bit cooler, and that difference creates low-lying clouds that reflect more sun away from earth, keeping these places cooler. But this situation can't keep going indefinitely because physics dictates that cooler locations will warm up more and when they do, the clouds will dwindle and more heating will occur, Dessler said. Previous studies were based on the cooler spots staying that way, but Dessler and colleagues say that's not likely.

In this Aug. 16, 2019 file photo, icebergs float away as the sun rises near Kulusuk, Greenland. Greenland lost a record amount of ice that year. The world has already warmed 1.1 C since pre- industrial times. (Felipe Dana/The Associated Press) More research needed, outside experts say Outside experts said the work is based on compelling reasoning, but want more research to show that it's true. Breakthrough Institute climate scientist Zeke Hausfather said the new work fits better with climate models than observational data. Just because the world is bound to get more warming than international goals, that doesn't mean all is lost in the fight against global warming, said Dessler, who cautioned against what he called "climate doomers." If the world gets to net zero carbon emissions soon, 2 degrees of global warming could be delayed enough so that it won't happen for centuries, giving society time to adapt or even come up with technological fixes, he said. "If we don't, we're going to blow through (climate goals) in a few decades," Dessler said. "It's really the rate of warming that makes climate change so terrible. If we got a few degrees over 100,000 years, that would not be that big a deal. We can deal with that. But a few degrees over 100 years is really bad." CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices

north shorenews nsnews.com WEDNESDAY,JANUARY 20,2021 OPINION A9

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR must include your name, full address and telephone number.Sendyour letters via ourwebsite: nsnews.com/ SPONSORED CONTENT opinion/send-us-a-letter.The NorthShoreNewsreservesthe righttoedit MAILBOX anyand/or allletters based on length, clarity, legalityand content.The News also reserves the right to publishany and/or all letters electronically. Jonathan Wilkinson SMOKE FROM WOOD- Ican’t because the year 2020 NORTH VANCOUVER’SMEMBER OF PARLIAMENT BURNING FIREPLACESA is the separation of the past from the future. It is the second BC andAC; HEALTH HAZARD BeforeCOVID and After COVID of our lives. Dear Editor: January 20, 2021 As COVID-19 rages on, it is clear thatour Ladies and gentlemen, we have been lung health and the right to breathe fresh air witnesses Ourforemost COVIDrisk is moreimportantthan ever.Smoke from to one of theworst epidemics ever to affect wood-burning fireplaces is aknown lung humankind. From the outset, Canada has applied The federal governmenthas procured irritant,causes inflammation, wreaks havoc We have seen it with our own eyes basic principles of risk management to hundredsofultra-low-temperature on the immune system, and contributes to a that we arenot infallible, and that we are shape our path through to the other freezers for vaccine storage; distributed higher susceptibility to respiratoryinfec- fragile. side of the COVID-19 pandemic and more than 14 millionrapid tests, minimize lasting negative impacts. tionssuchasCOVID-19, plusitincreases personal protective equipmentand This applies to various elements of the the morbidity rateofthosewith respiratory Maybe, one of us has lost aloved one. ancillary supplies suchasneedles, health crisis such as the economy,and infections. Adifficult test to live. syringes, swabs, and gauze; and,not certainly to issues related to vaccine And yet,North Shoreresidents continue Acomplex situation to explain. procurement and delivery.Now those unimportantly,provided detailed to burnwoodintheir fireplaces, especially The virus has left consequencesand same principles are pointing to perhaps vaccinedelivery schedules so provinces during these cold wintermonths,contribut- wounds hardtoclose. our most significant risk during this and territories can plan effectively. ing to atoxic air quality andputtingcitizens period when the crisis is arguably As of Monday,approximately at an increased risk of disease. But we cannot deny that the year2020. entering its most volatile phase yet - 72% of the 855,765 vaccinedoses My neighbourhood has many older It has been ayear of relocating, that risk is the social dimension of our distributed to provincesfrom the homes thatstill have wood-burning fire- reinventing ourselves, human nature. federal distribution system have been places, andonany given night there can be a recreating and starting over. More on that in amoment… but first a administered. In BC, it’s74% of half-dozen or more firesburning in the vicin- few thoughts about vaccines through a 117,875 doses. ity,spewing out toxic smoke. One such home It is ayearthat has given to us the opportu- risk management lens. across the street from me burns firesalmost nity to be born again. Supply risks It’suseful to recall that virtually no one every night, creatingaregular smokinessin Ayear of creating new skills, There continue to be many risks in thought avaccine would be available the air that actually permeatesintomyhome new expectations, new goals, the current volatile globalvaccine andaffectsmyquality of life. for distribution before well into 2021 ayear of creating anew me. marketplace, rangingfrom supply Iamremindedofthe summer wildfires –atthe earliest. Most vaccines take chainissuestomanufacturing.I thatcaused particulate in the air enough for Ayear wherewehave lived one of years to develop, not months. But in an astonishing achievement of scientists understand and sharethe concerns there to be healthwarnings.However, the the most valuable experiences of sharing the world over,Canada approved its flowing from last week’sannouncement fireplace smoke is denser andmoreintru- with our family. first vaccine on December 9th –less sive;and yet there is no recourse. To live with those we call family is our pri- by drugmanufacturer Pfizer-BioNTech than 10 months after the onset of the Iimplore localcouncils to take seriously marytask now. of atemporary slowdowninits vaccine virus in this country. the threat of smoke caused by wood-burning And wherecrying and laughing is just part of supply to Canada.But withcontinuing fireplaces, particularly within the context of our nature. Risk identification and assessment federal/provincial collaboration, the current COVID-19 pandemic, and enact drove aggressive and early action by we remain confident that 3million emergencybans or other effective mitigation The year 2020 is our rebirth and second Canada to secure vaccine supply.Prior Canadians will be vaccinated by the measures to ensurecitizens have the best chance. to any vaccine approval, the federal end of March, andall Canadians who government invested over $1 billion possibleair quality with whichtogive them Ladies and gentlemen, let’stoast for2020 wantone will be vaccinated by the end in advance-purchase agreements with a fightingchanceagainstthisdeadly disease. and welcome 2021. of September. Lisa Brasso MariluAguilar seven vaccine manufacturers. These arrangements secured asupply of up However,whilehope is now on the West Vancouver North Vancouver to 429 million doses for Canadians - horizon, we must collectively hold the largest and most diverse vaccine the fort until September.Weurgently YEAR 2020,IMPOSSIBLE KEEP PARKS ACCESSIBLE portfolio in the world –providing need to contain further spreadofthe options and flexibility.While securing TO FORGET Dear Editor: virus. Modelling showsaresurgence vaccine supply addressed some key of COVID cases in the months ahead. Year 2020, adifferent year, Re: Cypress ResortBrings in PayParking risks, risks also clearly existed in the The dailynumber of new cases now is ayear of challenges, on Hollyburn Mountain, Dec. 30 new story. extraordinary logistical challenges ayear of defiance, Parks Minister George Heyman and of vaccinating acountry as vast as more than triple that of the peak of the and ayear of unknowns. MLAs SusieChant and Jordan Sturdy should Canada with our climate and sparse springwave. be congratulated for not implementinga population density. Which brings us back to the social We started 2020 with goals,with dreams, reservation systemtoaccess the North Collaborative effort aspect of human nature, emerging with illusions, with plans, Shore’s provincialparks. Theseparks were as possibly our most significant risk with the desiretododifferent things established to provide recreation (and The federal government is responsible at this pivotal moment in the crisis. but avirus stood in our way. conservation) opportunities for the Lower forprocuring vaccines and distributing Physical distancing, washing hands and Mainland and the minister’sdecisiontoclose them to the provincesand territories. wearing amask all remain imperative. It stopped each and everyone of us. the parkroad duringpeak times until parking Provincial and territorial officials, whomanage the health care systems, But so, too,does steering clear of It paralyzedall humanbeings in everycor- spaces openisstandardparkmanagement. handle the logisticsofdelivering doses ner of the planet. Cypress Resortsappears to believe family andother social gatherings anddecide which groups to prioritize. It prevented us from being abletoaccom- their administrative costs associated with outside your immediate bubble –the Overall, federal/provincial/territorial plish all of our goals. charging the public to park should instead most difficultthing for many of us, collaborationonvaccine distribution myself included. It gave us adifficult hurdle to jump over,and be absorbed by the public in the form of hasbeen strong. Forour part, we have impossible to go around. areservation system. Cypress Resorts committedfederal resources to support Everyone of us is tired. Butifthere needs to remember theyare operating in a the provinces and territories every step was ever atime to double down on our Iwould liketothink that this year won’tbe provincialparkwhere all parkvisitors have of the way. efforts to limit the spread -itisnow. included in the calendar, an equalopportunity to access. As noted by that I’m going to erase it from each of our Steve Jones, the way to reduce demand in Office nowopen by appointment at lives, the North Shore provincialparks is to pro- in such away that in the futurewewill not vide similar opportunities in PineconeBurke 604-775-6333 /[email protected] remember it, ProvincialParkinCoquitlam. JonathanWilkinson.libparl.ca but no, Icannot. Mel Turner BALDREY: Arrival of U.K. variant of COVID-19 complicates provincial response

It was inevitable, I suppose, that the so-called COVID-19 “U.K. variant” would make its way into Canada and this province. Dec 29, 2020 10:09 AM By: Keith Baldrey https://www.nsnews.com/opinion/baldrey-arrival-of-uk-variant-of-covid-19-complicates-provincial-response-3219900

The “U.K. variant” of COVID- 19 has arrived in B.C., raising new concerns about the spread of the virus.Mike Wakefield, North Shore News files

It was inevitable, I suppose, that the so-called COVID-19 “U.K. variant” would make its way into Canada and this province.

After all, the novel coronavirus does not respect boundaries, and given that some Canadians were travelling back forth to the United Kingdom around the time the new strain was discovered – before a travel ban was instituted – it was only a matter of time before it showed up here.

“This was not unexpected,” Dr. Bonnie Henry told me, in explaining the discovery of the first variant case in B.C. “There will be more cases.”

A huge question raised by the appearance of the U.K. variant of COVID-19 in B.C. is what impact will it have on public health orders?

For now. Dr. Henry told me no changes are planned. However, she and other infectious disease experts have expressed concern about how much more transmissible the variant is compared to the original version of COVID-19.

In other words, the variant can spread quicker and have a deeper reach.

Luckily, however, early scientific evidence suggests the variant is not more lethal than COVID-19.

This is potentially good news for our hospital system because even a large spike in variant cases may not necessarily overwhelm our hospitals.

On that front, we remain in good shape compared to most other provinces. Ontario went into a major lockdown after seeing its hospitalizations increase by more than 60 per cent in one month, while its ICU cases have exploded by more than 80 per cent in that time frame. By contrast, B.C.’s hospitalization numbers have gone up by less than 20 per cent and our ICU cases are up less than 30 per cent in the same period.

As well, our hospital bed capacity remains at healthy levels, with less than 90 per cent of regular beds in use and about 50 per cent of ICU beds available (before the pandemic began, we were often at 105 per cent capacity of regular bed use).

So the introduction of a variant COVID-19 virus may not create carnage, but its apparent high transmission rate has Dr. Henry asking for more resources in order to increase and enhance the monitoring of those people required to be in quarantine or self-isolation.

However, she told me she has no plans for an inter-provincial travel ban to thwart the spread of COVID-19 or its U.K. variant, a continuation of her position on that issue since the pandemic began.

Still, it would come as a surprise to see the public health order that bans gatherings and events not be extended past its Jan. 8 expiry date. Even the fact that going into last weekend our daily average numbers were steadily declining as was our average mortality the numbers are likely not low enough to satisfy Dr. Henry when it comes to easing restrictions.

Any cases arising from improper Christmas and New Year’s Eve gatherings will begin showing up over the next two weeks and may well halt the decline in our descending recent trends.

In addition, who knows how rampant the U.K. variant will actually become in the weeks ahead, and thus further complicating things?

Nevertheless, I will end on a positive note: it appears the recently developed COVID-19 vaccines will be effective on the U.K. variant as well!

Keith Baldrey is chief political correspondent for Global BC. [email protected]

What are your thoughts? Send us a letter via email by clicking here or post a comment below.

Covid-19: New variant 'raises R number by up to 0.7' Published Jan 1 2021 https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55507012 image copyrightGetty Images image caption Researchers have been tracking changes to the "spike" of the virus The new variant of Covid-19 is "hugely" more transmissible than the virus's previous version, a study has found. It concludes the new variant increases the Reproduction or R number by between 0.4 and 0.7. The UK's latest R number has been estimated at between 1.1 and 1.3. It needs to be below 1.0 for the number of cases to start falling. Prof Axel Gandy of London's Imperial College said the differences between the viruses types was "quite extreme". "There is a huge difference in how easily the variant virus spreads," he told BBC News. "This is the most serious change in the virus since the epidemic began," he added. The Imperial College study suggests transmission of the new variant tripled during England's November lockdown while the previous version was reduced by a third. Cases of Covid-19 have begun to increase rapidly during the second spike, and the number of cases recorded in a single day reached a new high on Thursday. New coronavirus variant: What do we know? Cases of new variant appear worldwide Early results indicated that the virus was spreading more quickly among under-20s, particularly among secondary school age children. But the very latest data indicates that it was spreading quickly across all age groups, according to Prof Gandy who was a member of the research team. "One possible explanation is that the early data was collected during the time of the November lockdown where schools were open and the activities of the adult population were more restricted. We are seeing now that the new virus has increased infectiousness across all age groups." Tougher restrictions Prof Jim Naismith, of Oxford University, said he believed that the new findings indicated that even tougher restrictions would soon be needed. "The data from Imperial represent the best analysis to date and imply that the measures we have employed to date, would - with the new virus - fail to reduce the R number to below 1. "In simpler terms, unless we do something different the new virus strain is going to continue to spread, more infections, more hospitalisations and more deaths." The R number is the average number of people an infected person infects. If it is above 1 the epidemic is growing.

The most chilling finding from this piece of research is that the November lockdown in England, hard though it was for many people, would not have stopped the variant form of the virus spreading. The same severe restrictions that saw cases of the previous version of the virus fall by a third, would see a tripling of the new variant. This is why there has been such a sudden tightening of restrictions across the country. It is unclear whether the current restrictions will be enough to control the spread of the virus. Given the fact that it has taken two lockdowns to stop the earlier version of the virus overwhelming the NHS, many scientists fear that further tightening will be necessary. Infection levels will begin to drop as enough people are vaccinated. But until then it is now more important than ever for people to follow social distancing guidelines, wear masks where required and to regularly wash their hands. The new year brings with it hope of a more normal life in the next few months but also a new form of the virus that all of us will have to combat in the coming days and weeks.

Professor Lawrence Young, of Warwick University, said early indications suggested that vaccines would be effective against the new form of the virus. "Variants virus have been around since the beginning of the pandemic and are a product of the natural process by which viruses develop and adapt to their hosts as they replicate. "Most of these mutations have no effect on the behaviour of the virus but very occasionally they can improve the ability of the virus to infect and/or become more resistant to the body's immune response." Further research is needed to understand why the variant is spreading so quickly. But early indications are that vaccines should be effective against it.

The new virus has been designated "Variant of Concern 202012/01" or VOC by Public Health England. It was detected in November and thought to have originated in the south-east England in September. There is no evidence to suggest that it is more deadly, but it will increase the number of cases which in turn will add further pressure on the NHS. The variant can now be found across the UK, except Northern Ireland, but it is heavily concentrated in London, as well as south-east and eastern England.

Cycling upgrades coming in new year to Lions Gate Bridge approach Three North Shore bicycle infrastructure projects are getting almost $2 million in provincial funding in 2021. a day ago By: Brent Richter https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/vancouver-news/cycling-upgrades-coming-in-new-year-to-lions-gate-bridge-approach-3218271

More bicycle infrastructure improvement projects are on the way for the North Shore and Stanley Park in 2021.Paul McGrath, North Shore News files Three North Shore bicycle infrastructure projects are getting almost $2 million in provincial funding in 2021. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is kicking off projects in Lynn Valley, the Capilano corridor and on the Lions Gate Bridge/Stanley Park Causeway. Construction will start in the new year on an $800,000 project to upgrade the multi-use paths and signs, and add design improvements to bicycle access and egress points at both ends of the bridge and Stanley Park Causeway. The province is putting up $635,000 to design a new cycling lane on the Highway 1 eastbound interchange through Capilano Road and a new multi-use pathway replacing the existing northbound sidewalk. The design should be ready by early spring 2021, according to the ministry. And Lynn Valley Road will benefit from $535,000 for a new multi-use path under the Highway 1 overpass, connecting the City of North Vancouver’s bike lanes at 21st Street with Morgan Road. That design work is expected to be done in the spring. “Across the North Shore, people have embraced active transportation this year in a way that we must continue to encourage,” said Bowinn Ma, North Vancouver-Lonsdale and Minister of State for Infrastructure, in a press release. “B.C.’s Economic Recovery plan is about building our province back better than before and supporting safer walking and cycling paths is an important part of encouraging more environmentally and socially responsible transportation choices in our community.” DNV Councillor Back brings motion to limit size and height of elections signs

Staff report January 11, 2021 11:02am https://www.northshoredailypost.com/dnv-councillor-back-brings-motion-to-limit-size-and-height-of-elections-signs/

District of North Vancouver Councillor Jordan Back is bringing a motion calling on staff to report on options to limit the size and height of election signs in the district.

Currently, there are no such limitations on elections signs.

There are also no restrictions on where elections signs may be posted, except as provided in the local bylaws or provincial restrictions in regard to highway right-of-way.

In his motion, Back says there was a proliferation of election signs across the district in the local elections. Given the lack of restrictions, the size and height of the signs also varied widely.

“As there is no permit required for election signs, there is no accurate count on the number of signs that are put up,” he notes.

From a visual perspective, these signs represent a significant impact on the streetscape and local neighbourhoods, he says.

In the City of North Vancouver, elections signs are limited to 0.4m2 in area (4SF) and six feet in height.

The District of West Vancouver, however, has more liberal restrictions being 3M2 in area (32SF) and 8-feet in height.

“While consistency across the North Shore would be ideal, it would be a positive move to establish consistency with the City of North Vancouver, our immediate neighbouring municipality,” he says.

“The introduction of election sign regulations would create a fair and level playing field for all candidates, save time and money, and show environmental leadership,” Back says.

His motion will be discussed in a council meeting today.

Here's North Van District's plaza plan for Deep Cove's lower Gallant Avenue

The District of North Vancouver is set to apply for $4 million in funding to transform Deep Cove's lower Gallant Avenue into a flexible outdoor plaza. Jan 13 2021 By: Elisia Seeber https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/heres-north-van-districts-plaza-plan-for-deep-coves-lower-gallant-avenue-3259684

A rendering of lower Gallant Avenue during peak summer season shows more outdoor seating.District of North Vancouver

Temporary changes made to Deep Cove’s main street during the summer to help with social distancing and to reduce overcrowding during the COVID-19 pandemic could become permanent.

A rendering of lower Gallant Avenue during the off-peak season shows more parking. District of North Vancouver

The District of North Vancouver is set to apply for $4 million in funding to transform lower Gallant Avenue into a flexible outdoor plaza that changes to suit the needs of the community through the seasons.

“The Livable Deep Cove COVID Resilience project proposes to create a shared street on lower Gallant Avenue between Panorama Drive and Banbury Road that will provide an open, flexible public space that allows for social distancing and safe outdoor socializing,” the report to council states.

“The project is designed so that the space will be flexible to address different community needs throughout the year, such as increased seating in the summer, intermittent full closures for festivals and markets, and increased parking space in the winter.”

Council voted in support of the project and of district staff submitting an application for a grant through the Canada Infrastructure Program - COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream at its general meeting on Jan. 11.

The proposal includes new paving throughout the area, updated street lighting, underground soil cells to mitigate peak storm flow and promote tree health, landscaping, and removable bollards.

Gallant Avenue summer pedestrian pilot supported

In the report to council, Erin Moxon, a project engineer for the district’s project development services, highlighted the pedestrian pilot over the summer had been received well by the community. In May, the district closed the eastbound parking lane on Gallant Avenue to create extra pedestrian space for social distancing. Despite this, crowding continued and in August, the district also closed the eastbound vehicle lane to provide more space and tables for free public use.

“The space has and continues to be very well used,” Moxon wrote in the council report.

“Public feedback from a nine-week online survey between August and October indicates nearly 80 per cent of respondents are in favour of the pedestrian area and 70 per cent feel it should be made permanent.

“Staff had in-person conversations with business owners in July, prior to the pedestrian pilot implementation, and again in September. One hundred per cent of businesses are in favour of the pilot project with overwhelming support to extend it through the winter with several advocating for permanent changes.”

If funding is granted, the project will begin on lower Gallant in early September and extend through to the end of December 2021. It’s expected it will cause minor traffic disruptions on lower Gallant and construction noise during that period. As well as this project, the Gallant Storm Sewer Replacement project will be under construction on upper Gallant between April and fall this year with the Naughton Avenue detour in place over a four-month period.

Moxon said further consultation with residents and business owners would take place as the design process progresses and funding is secured.

The Canadian and British Columbian governments have committed to invest up to $80.29 million in B.C. for the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure grant stream in response to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities across the province.

If the project is not successful for CVRIS funding, the timing of the project will be reviewed against other district priorities and available resources.

Elisia Seeber is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.

Five things we've learned about COVID-19 since the pandemic struck Dec 25 2020 about 21 hours ago By: Canadian Press https://www.nsnews.com/coronavirus-covid-19-local-news/five-things-weve-learned-about-covid-19-since-the-pandemic-struck-3210747 Dr. Srinivas Murthy works in the intensive care unit at B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver. / The Canadian Press When the first COVID-19 cases trickled into Canada, little was known about the novel coronavirus. Almost one year later, experts have made major strides in cracking the virus's code and understanding its behaviour. Dr. Srinivas Murthy, who works in the intensive care unit at B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver, reviews some of the lessons learned. It can spread through air "I still remember the original conversations in January when we weren't really sure if it was sustained human-to-human transmission based on the first few cases in Wuhan," Murthy said. Since then, scientists have learned the virus can spread not only through droplets but also by air — important information for public health policy makers. Aerosol transmission means it may not be enough for two people to maintain a certain distance in the same room. It's important to ventilate the room, or avoid being in the same room entirely. "It's a combination of the two that's driving the pandemic." Our health system has weak spots "A pandemic stresses our health system and our population at its weak points, and we need to shore up those weak points," Murthy said. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that some communities have less access to health care or are harder to reach through public health messaging. It has disproportionately affected vulnerable communities, including those living in long-term care facilities, Murthy said. While those groups may have baseline risks because of their co-morbidities, health outcomes could be improved, for example, through targeted messaging for particular cultural groups, Murthy said. Children have better outcomes Although there is some debate about the role children have played as spreaders of the novel coronavirus, a "saving grace" in the pandemic has been that they tend to have better outcomes when infected than adults. "If children were affected at a rate of severe disease that we're seeing with adults and the elderly, this would be a very different last 12 months," Murthy said. The power of prevention At the outset of the pandemic, much attention was paid to critical care capacity, like available beds and ventilators. As an ICU doctor himself, Murthy said he's glad that stage of care has been highlighted, however, it would be more effective to shift the focus onto prevention rather than treatment. That means focusing resources on measure that reduce the risk of transmission, contact tracing and vaccine development. "The overall goal in a pandemic should not be to rely on your intensive care unit to save you. Your goal in a pandemic should be not getting the disease," Murthy said. "We should be seen as the last line of defence." There's a vaccine "You can always generate a vaccine for anything but whether or not it's effective is the major question," Murthy said. Successful trials and the rollout of vaccines in Canada and across the world means there's light at the end of the tunnel. "That obviously is our pathway out of this. That's very cool, obviously, and the science and everything that led to where we are right now is awesome and cool to see happen."

Here are our picks for the top North Shore stories of 2020

It's hard to believe all this stuff happened in 2020. Dec 31, 2020 7:35 AM By: Brent Richter https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/here-are-our-picks-for-the-top-north-shore-stories-of-2020-3211782

Lynn Valley Care Centre staff greet supporters in April during the 7 p.m. cheer.Mike Wakefield, North Shore News files

There can be no question what the biggest story of the year was. The COVID-19 pandemic left no facet of life untouched. But, even amid a year dominated by a virus, news continued to happen. Here, we offer some self-reflection on the most important things we reported on in 2020, pandemic or not.

We on the North Shore had the dubious distinction of having the first coronavirus outbreak in a seniors’ care home as well as the first death in Canada as a result. We documented the public health crisis as it happened. Reporter Jane Seyd spoke with the families of seniors who died in care and sought answers from the government. We brought you the stories of people we lost, so they would not become simply statistics.

We looked at the ways regular folks coped with a suddenly strange and isolated world. We strove to find stories about residents finding new ways to build community and uplift people’s spirits. The 7 p.m. cheer introduced a raucous cacophony to the otherwise quiet streets.

The pandemic was also a shock to the system for the economy. Our chambers of commerce moved rapidly to help local businesses find a way to keep their heads above water and get them government support.

In late May, a sense of optimism came back as businesses were allowed to reopen, albeit under some tough public health protocols that seemed strange at the time. We saw streets and parking spots converted for outdoor dining and active transportation. And the City of North Vancouver became the first Canadian jurisdiction outside Quebec to allow booze in parks.

With outside being the safest place anyone could be, our trails were flooded with visitors. Some of the most popular attractions like Quarry Rock and the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge remain closed. North Shore Rescue set the record for the most call-outs in a year, while carrying out their first-ever rescue using night vision goggles. The province introduced a pass system for anyone wanting to visit the trails on Mount Seymour or Cypress Provincial Park. In January, the North Shore’s sizable Iranian community and their neighbours were rocked by the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 in Tehran, killing 176 people. At least seven of the victims were North Shore residents.

Transportation being a perennial issue, we reported on the introduction of ride hailing to the North Shore, the quiet debut of the R2 Marine Drive RapidBus, a study into the possibility of a rapid transit line downtown, the possibility of an e-bike sharing program, and updates to the $200-million Lower Lynn improvement project. Traffic fell by roughly 50 per cent on the two North Shore bridges during the early days of the pandemic but gradually returned to near normal by the end of the summer. And the replacement of the Mosquito Creek Bridge introduced a major bottleneck on Marine Drive.

Our police and courts remained busy as ever. In September, North Vancouver was shocked by a targeted shooting in Central Lonsdale that left one man dead. It remains unsolved. We also saw the sentencing of a West Vancouver man convicted in the 2015 death and dismemberment of his millionaire relative at their shared British Properties home. And after years of court actions, North Vancouver’s former illegal hostel hostess Emily Yu was forced to sell her townhouse and move out.

Tragedy struck in October when a sudden release of water from the Cleveland Dam drowned a North Vancouver father and son. Metro Vancouver blames the disaster on human error, but we have many questions still to be answered.

In local environmental matters, looper moths took a bite out of our forests as their population soared. The District of North Vancouver voted to get tough on people who leave garbage out, putting bears in danger. All three local councils voted to ban rodenticides on their own facilities over fears the bleed-out poison was killing owls. And young activists demanded climate action in Canada’s recovery from COVID-19.

With everything going on, you wouldn’t think anyone would be readying for an election. But you would be wrong. In a snap provincial election in October, North Shore voters elected two BC Liberal MLAs and two NDP ones, with NDP candidate Susie Chant upsetting multi-term Liberal parliamentarian Jane Thornthwaite in North Vancouver-Seymour. The Green Party of BC very nearly stole the West Vancouver-Sea to Sky riding from Liberal Jordan Sturdy, but he was confirmed re-elected following a judicial recount.

While District of North Vancouver council largely shut down for the first half of the year, the City of North Vancouver remained committed to keeping the business of the city moving with continued development being part of their economic recovery strategy. The first crop of municipally approved pot shops started opening. When district council resumed regular meetings, they advanced affordable housing projects, brought in higher GHG emission standards for new buildings, contemplated a ban on fireworks, and threatened to fine people who leave Christmas lights on after 11 p.m. The District of West Vancouver teetered on demolishing Navvy Jack House, the oldest building on the North Shore, but later held off. Council advanced an affordable housing project on Gordon Avenue and controversially gave the OK for developers to add more storeys and units to towers under construction.

On the education front, schools were pretty well closed as of spring break and teachers and families switched to remote learning in March. Our grads had to find new ways to celebrate. And, with much trepidation from parents, schools reopened in September under strict protocols. The West Vancouver school board kicked out an elite hockey academy, which sought – unsuccessfully – to move to North Van.

Frankly, it’s been a year.

Here's what a lawyer says about the constitutionality of a B.C. travel ban Provincial government weighing tighter travel restrictions to curb spread of COVID-19 CBC Radio · Posted: Jan 18, 2021 2:10 PM ET | Last Updated: January 18 https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-jan-18-2021-1.5877269/here-s-what-a-lawyer-says-about-the-constitutionality-of-a-b-c-travel-ban-1.5877596

A passenger waits at an empty international departures gate at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on March 16, 2020. The B.C. government is seeking legal advice about whether it can impose an inter- provincial travel ban. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

The Current15:23B.C. government considering restricting non- essential travel from other provinces As calls mount for the B.C. government to impose an inter- provincial travel ban, one lawyer says the courts must weigh whether such a restriction is "reasonable and justified." Last week, B.C. Premier John Horgan said his government was getting legal advice on whether imposing such a restriction would be doable. He said that although premiers have made a case for Canadians to stay home during the pandemic, people continue to travel. An emergency room doctor in Whistler, B.C., told CBC News last week, for example, that she saw a "worrying" number of patients from Ontario and Quebec over the holidays, and that an influx of visitors could overwhelm the province's health-care system. Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam later weighed in to reiterate that now is not the time for people to be taking vacation across the country. The tourism industry, however, has decried the possibility of a travel ban, saying it would decimate what's left of the sector. People in the industry say that while non-essential travel shouldn't be encouraged, they do have stringent safety measures in place to protect guests and employees. The Current's Matt Galloway unpacked the issue with Cara Zwibel, a lawyer and director of the Fundamental Freedoms Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Here is part of their conversation. What rights do Canadians have when it comes to travelling in this country? The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects our mobility rights, and that includes the right of citizens to enter and leave and remain in the country. And it includes the right of citizens and permanent residents to inter-provincial movement. So, what the charter actually says is that you have the right to move to and reside in any province and that you have the right to earn a livelihood in any province. Now, to me, both the language of the charter and really what it means to be … a resident of a country, means that you have the right to move freely within the country. But like every right we have in the charter, that right is subject to limits. And the question is whether those limits imposed by governments are reasonable and justified. Do those rights change at all in extraordinary circumstances like the one we're living through now? The rights themselves don't change, but I think the calculus that goes into deciding whether, you know, a restriction placed by governments is reasonable or not is certainly affected by the circumstances that we're in.

B.C. premier says he wants to put questions around closing provincial borders 'to rest' 5 days agoVideo 1:32 The B.C. government is getting legal advice to determine whether an inter-provincial travel ban would be doable as COVID-19 cases soar across the country. 1:32 How do you define what reasonable is? That's the million dollar question. But for us [at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association], what's important is that if the government is imposing a restriction on a constitutionally protected right, they have a reason that they can demonstrate is important, and they also have evidence that demonstrates that what they're doing is going to be effective and is proportional. The courts also look at whether there are less restrictive alternatives that the government can engage in. So, you know, many provinces have said, if you're going to come here from another province, you are expected to self- isolate for a period when you arrive. That's still a restriction on our mobility rights, but it's a lesser restriction than just saying you can't come in at all. The B.C. government has said that it would only restrict non-essential travel. I mean, you know, I love Tofino, but me going to Tofino is not essential, I don't think. It'd be hard to define that. Does that change anything when you take a look at those charter rights, if you're looking at essential or non-essential travel? Definitely. I think, you know, most people would agree that … this isn't a great time for a vacation, as much as we all need one and would like one. At the same time, I think that there are going to be definitional problems with what is essential. And we've already seen this with some of the other provinces that have tried to do this.  Provincial border bans during COVID-19 spark lawsuits, anger from Canadians denied entry In Newfoundland and Labrador, initially people who were … coming to mourn the loss of a loved one, to go to a funeral for a parent, for example, were told that they couldn't come in. I mean, some people would say that is an essential reason to travel. And so it does become a problem. The [Canadian Civil Liberties Association] lost the charter challenge [regarding] the restrictions in Newfoundland and Labrador, the ones that you just mentioned. What happened there? I mean, why were you not successful in that? The court in that case said … there is a constitutional right to move freely, but said that the restriction imposed by [the] government was reasonable. We disagree with that decision. We are appealing it. We think what the court did in that case was reverse the burden, really. In our view, when a government imposes a restriction, it is on the government to demonstrate why they need to do that. And really what the court in that case, in our view, was saying, was that we hadn't demonstrated something that we were supposed to demonstrate.

Cara Zwibel is a lawyer and director of the Fundamental Freedoms Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. (Submitted by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association)

In the intro [of this show], you know, I heard the premier of B.C. talking about people being concerned about the people that are coming [into the province]. I mean, with respect … that's not really a good enough justification to restrict constitutional rights. We really need some evidence that this is a problem, that this is a source of transmission and a source of infection, and that there is an effective way to try and deal with it and target it.

 As airlines entice travellers, health expert says gov't must enforce stronger travel rules

It was the same issue in Newfoundland and Labrador. They had a rule that said you have to self-isolate if you come in from out of province. And people were concerned that people would not abide by those rules. So they went to a stricter rule, even though there was really no evidence that that was happening, that people weren't self-isolating and weren't being, you know, responsible.

The guidance from public health officials to stop the transmission of this virus is just to stay home. So in the face of that, why is this an important fight for you?

I think it's about the bigger picture around what governments are entitled to do, and what they need to prove … to do it.

We can't take a strictly "better safe than sorry" approach with everything, because that can lead us to … policing all sorts of behaviour that we don't think should be policed.

Written by Kirsten Fenn. Produced by Lindsay Rempel and Joana Draghici.

Highway 1 pothole in North Vancouver pops more than a dozen tires At least one victim will be filing a damage claim with the province By: Brent Richter Jan 4 2021 https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/highway-1-pothole-in-north-vancouver-pops-more-than-a-dozen-tires-3232920

Highway 1 westbound at the bottom of The Cut in North Vancouver was a bumpy ride early Monday.Google Earth A single pothole at the bottom of The Cut on Highway 1 in North Vancouver claimed more than a dozen tires during the Monday morning commute. It was still dark when Calven Wang felt the bump rock his car in the left westbound lane near the Mountain Highway interchange around 6:45 a.m. “The first thing I thought to myself was ‘Please don’t be a popped tire. Please don’t be a popped tire,’” he said. “And it was a popped tire.” Wang pulled over to the shoulder where he saw the driver of a white Toyota with its emergency lights on. He called for the assistance of a tow truck. While he waited, more drivers pulled over to the shoulder. Wang exchanged contact info with a few of them. “It was the same thing. Mostly everybody had their driver’s side front tire popped,” he said. After about 40 minutes he was back on the road, but by then the crowd had grown. “Right when I was leaving, there were at least 15 cars that were either parked and changing their tires or on their phones. … It was a pretty disgusting day out there. It was not fun,” he added with laugh. Miller Capilano, the highway maintenance contractor for the North Shore, quickly closed the lane and filled in the pothole before 8 a.m. Wang said he will be seeking to file a claim with the province. Drivers who are injured or have their vehicles damaged on provincial highways may be compensated if they can prove the damages have arisen out of construction or maintenance activities.

How Covid-19 caused Vancouver’s condo conundrum | Financial Times https://www.ft.com/content/341fd1ee-d9e4-474a-8b80-46a8b39ce105

Jill Cory and her husband had been talking about moving out of their apartment in Vancouver for years. But it was not until Jill’s 90-year-old mother — and her dog — came to live with them during the pandemic that they finally decided to make the leap.

“The condo was just starting to feel a little tight with three dogs instead of two and three people instead of two,” says Cory. “We’d been looking around already . . . So when mum came to live with us she was a bit like: ‘Well, what are we waiting for?’”

For the price of their 1,300 sq ft condominium, which they sold for C$1.6m (£925,000), the Corys bought a 3,800 sq ft house on an acre of land not far from Victoria on Vancouver Island, off the city’s Pacific coast.

The purchase was a whirlwind. The Corys’ condo sold for less than they had hoped, but the previously slow market on the island suddenly grew frantic. “We were up against so many buyers,” says Cory. “We were outbid on a couple of offers, and several properties were sold before we could even view or offer on them,” she says.

For the home they did buy, the Corys offered C$62,000 over the asking price, with a clause saying they would add another C$10,000 to the highest bid the seller received.

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The couple’s experience illustrates the dual market that has emerged in the Canadian city — regularly ranked among the most liveable in the world — since the outbreak of coronavirus. With travel restrictions blocking international buyers and locals looking for more space to work from home, the value of central, high-rise apartments has dropped sharply while prices for detached, single-family homes have risen by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“It’s not normally like that, the condo and detached markets normally move in lockstep, but that demand to live in a detached house with a yard has meant they’ve taken completely divergent paths this year,” says Dane Eitel, founder of real-estate analytics company Eitel Insights.

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cent drop from January’s C$831,864, according to Eitel Insights. Meanwhile, in Greater Vancouver, which includes the inner city and extends over 2,877 sq km to suburbs on and around the Fraser River delta, the average price for a detached home rose 10 per cent over the same period, from C$1.59m in January 2020 to C$1.75m in November.

“We’re seeing people looking for outside space, getting away from density,” says Kevin Skipworth, owner of Dexter Realty in Vancouver. “It’s primarily driven by locals; we haven’t seen much investor activity,” he says. “We’ve seen the majority of demand for what we call town houses here. The concrete high-rise sector, which requires a lot of investor financing and presales, hasn’t been as strong.”

South-west of Vancouver’s downtown peninsula, detached houses start to crop up in beachside Kitsilano, or Kits. Crammed with yoga studios and juice bars, the neighbourhood attracts a slightly younger crowd than Vancouver’s other prime residential areas — it is where Lululemon, the activewear brand that sells $100 gym leggings, opened its first store.

Further south-west are the city’s grander residential areas, where vast houses sit within large green plots. At the top of this market is Shaughnessy, the only Vancouver neighbourhood built on winding tree-lined boulevards rather than a grid system.

The inverse trajectories of condos and detached homes come after a controversial few years in Vancouver’s residential market. Between 2015 and 2018, a flurry of international interest, particularly from mainland China, helped send prices rising by 88 per cent in the condo market and 40 per cent for detached homes, according to Eitel Insights.

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Recognising what British Columbia’s former finance minister Carole James called a “real estate crisis”, the provincial government tried to bring prices back under control with taxes such as a speculation and vacancy tax levied against empty homes. In 2019, prices dropped by around 15 per cent.

“In the US, people are sick of talking politics,” says Cory. “In Vancouver, people are so sick of talking about house prices.”

For the Corys, who moved away from Vancouver for six years in 2012, the reality of trying to move back into a city where prices had risen so dramatically was stark.

The couple had to sell their home in Dunbar, on Vancouver’s western side, in order to be close to their son, who was receiving medical treatment in Calgary. After their son passed away, the Corys could not afford to move back to their Dunbar home, which they had sold for C$1.75m in 2012. “The international investment community had driven prices up so much that six years later it was worth C$2.8m,” she says.

It was not only the prices that were unrecognisable, the neighbourhood itself had changed. “Our beloved Vancouver, which we had lived in and loved for 35 years, just wasn’t the same. There were empty homes, small businesses had closed and condos went up instead,” says Cory.

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beautiful, established old homes. There were professors, teachers, doctors — people who had lived there for 20 or 30 years.”

Government policies and, more recently, the pandemic have slowed demand from international buyers. But wealthy locals looking for more space during lockdown have sent Vancouver’s detached-home market creeping back up towards its 2017 highs.

In Shaughnessy, the average price of a home between April and December in 2019 was C$4.1m, according to Dexter Realty. Last year, in the same period, the average price was C$6.1m.

For locals without big bucks, this means that getting more space entails looking far beyond the traditional residential areas on Vancouver’s west side.

Roman, a 28-year-old who moved to downtown Vancouver from Barcelona three years ago, began to dream bigger this year when he realised working from home was not going to be a temporary fix. Last month, he bought a three-bedroom town house with a garage in Coquitlam, a suburban area on the outskirts of Greater Vancouver.

“I don’t really need to stay in downtown Vancouver, work is pretty much the only reason I’m here,” says Roman, who only wanted to give his first name. “The reason I moved further away is because if I were to find a place similar to that, or even a two-bed, in Vancouver, it’s next to impossible [for that price].”

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monthly mortgage cost of C$3,000 is C$1,000 more than the rent on his one-bedroom city apartment.

He adds that part of what drove his decision was the inequality in the area, particularly the Downtown Eastside, which is at the epicentre of British Columbia’s opioid crisis. “It’s a really nice city if you ignore this major problem . . . It’s really close to nature, there’s lots of great food, there’s so many things to do, but it just gets so depressing going every day to work,” he says.

“You live in a million-dollar condo and then you go downstairs on to the street and you’re in a completely different world. I would see needles on the ground and people screaming every day,” he says. “The pandemic made me think: do I have to stay in this place that I don’t really like, or could I move somewhere better to improve the quality of my life?”

Moves like this are causing trouble for the investors who own buildings or apartments like Roman’s — especially those that bought close to market highs. “We have a large rental base here and now because of Covid there’s no need to work downtown. The exodus from the condo market has been real,” says Eitel Insights. “So now owner-investors have no rent covering their mortgage, so they’re either looking to get out or they’re looking to stem losses.”

This slide in prices is likely to increase further, Eitel says, as new-builds come to market in the next year. “I actually see the condo market inventory increasing because we’re seeing the completion of these buildings that people bought as investments years ago.

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“What that ultimately leads to and has already led to downtown is a cannibalisation factor,” he says. “You see those older buildings have to reduce their prices quite aggressively to get a sale and then the newer ones have to reduce their prices too.”

Stéfane Marion, chief economist at the National Bank of Canada, adds that Vancouver’s residential market is dependent on immigration and that if travel restrictions do not loosen in the next year, the market is likely to see a “significant softening” across the board. Without immigration, there would be no growth in Canada’s millennial population.

But on Vancouver Island, where the Corys moved last month, they are focused on trying to regain a sense of their old life. “Some people say Victoria and the area around it is like Vancouver was 30 years ago,” says Cory. “We’ve only been here a few weeks and we absolutely love it so far.”

In 2016, the British Columbia government introduced a foreign buyers’ tax — now 20 per cent — on the market value of properties in certain areas including Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria.

If a residential property is worth more than C$3m, there is an extra 2 per cent tax on the value above that amount.

7 of 9 2021-01-09, 5:11 p.m. How Covid-19 caused Vancouver’s condo conundrum | Financial Times https://www.ft.com/content/341fd1ee-d9e4-474a-8b80-46a8b39ce105

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Follow @FTProperty on Twitter or @ft_houseandhome on Instagram to find out about our latest stories first. Listen to our podcast, Culture Call, where FT editors and special guests discuss life and art in the time of coronavirus. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen

9 of 9 2021-01-09, 5:11 p.m. How quickly will the COVID-19 vaccines start curbing the pandemic in Canada?

Vaxx Populi: If we vaccinate older people first, we should start to see reduced deaths and hospitalizations within a month, says one expert

By Patricia Treble January 7, 2021

https://www.macleans.ca/news/covid-19-vaccines-curbing-pandemic-vaxx-populi/

Josephee Adams, 70, a resident of the Iqaluit Elders’ Centre, is Nunavut’s first vaccine recipient. (Arctic Nursing Program). (CP/HO-Government of Nunavut)

More than 20,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered on Jan. 5, including a dose given to Josephee Adams, a 70-year-old resident of the Iqaluit Elders’ Centre, who was the first person in Nunavut to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

Territorial and provincial vaccination programs are ramping up: the 13,046 doses injected into the arms of Ontarians on Jan. 6 represents 18.3 per cent of all doses given out since the province’s program began on Dec. 14, according to data collected by the COVID-19 Canada Open Data Working Group.

The need is urgent: On Jan. 6, Canada reported another 7,929 cases of COVID-19, as well as 194 new hospitalizations and 172 deaths, while temporary morgues in refrigerated trailers are now parked at the Windsor Regional Hospital and the London Health Sciences Centre in Ontario and field hospitals have opened in Ottawa and Burlington, Ont., while another is being constructed in the Butterdome on the University of Alberta campus in Edmonton.

RELATED: Why aren’t governments reserving second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine anymore? With few signs that the second wave is slowing, one of the questions that is top of mind of many is how quickly the vaccines will begin to improve the situation in Canada.

As soon as this month or the next, the experts say, depending on the swiftness of the vaccination programs and their focus. “If we are vaccinating older people first, we will see reduced deaths and hospitalizations essentially within a month of the [widespread] vaccine rollout,” Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases physician in Edmonton and associate professor at the University of Alberta, told Maclean’s last month, after plans were unveiled to vaccinate three million Canadians by the end of March 2021.

The 70-plus age group is in the first priority group to get the vaccine because of the disproportionate effect COVID-19 has had on the elderly. Fifty-four per cent of all hospital admissions and 38 per cent of ICU admissions due to COVID-19 were of patients aged 70 and older, according to Public Health Agency of Canada data. As well, 89 per cent of all COVID-19 deaths have been in that same age group.

RELATED: Who is next in line for the vaccine in Canada?

Dr. Robyn Lee, an infectious diseases epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, says that a key indicator of the vaccine program’s effect will be the number of cases at long-term care (LTC) facilities. “I’m hoping we’ll see a decrease,” Lee says. “I hope we see that very rapidly.” On Jan. 5, the Ontario government accelerated its vaccination plans, announcing it would vaccinate all LTC residents, workers and essential caregivers in COVID-19 hotspots by Jan. 21. As some protection is provided even with the first dose, the effects of those initial shots could soon be seen in the COVID-19 data.

What is less clear is how the vaccination plan will impact the overall number of cases in the country, cautions Kevin Wilson, an epidemiologist in Halifax, for, while most COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths involve seniors, the the majority of cases in general are of those in younger age groups. “The effect on case numbers will depend on whether the vaccine prevents infection or just makes infections less dangerous,” he says, as it isn’t clear as of now whether the Pfizer or Modern vaccines prevent those who have been vaccinated from still spreading the coronavirus to others.

RELATED: COVID-19 in Canada: How our battle against the second wave is going

The effect of focusing on the elderly at the start of the vaccination program will benefit all of Canada, Saxinger says, as she expects that that societal functions will improve “because a lot of the restrictions are really designed to reduce community transmission and protect health care and reduce transmission to protect the elderly.”

As Canada rolls out the country’s most complex vaccination project to date, Maclean’s presents Vaxx Populi, an ongoing series in which Patricia Treble tackles the most pressing questions related to the new COVID-19 vaccines. Send us a question you’d like answered at [email protected]. If you have specific questions about your own health, we recommend consulting a family doctor or the local public health authority in your area.

How to slash buildings’ growing greenhouse gas emissions

A new UN report gives a blueprint for greener buildings

By Justine Calma@justcalma Dec 16, 2020, 11:59am EST https://www.theverge.com/22178481/buildings-greenhouse-gas-emissions-climate-change-united-nations-report

The view north to Rockefeller Center, Billionaires’ Row, Central Park, and One Vanderbilt as seen from the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building as the sun sets on December 15, 2020 in New York City. Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images Carbon dioxide coming from the buildings where we live and work set a new record in 2019. What’s more, those planet-heating emissions will probably keep rising after the pandemic, the authors of a new UN report warn. The report urges governments to make structures more energy efficient and speed up a transition to renewable energy. Doing that could be a great way to address both the climate crisis and the economic downturn caused by COVID-19.

The building sector was responsible for a whopping 38 percent of carbon dioxide emissions globally in 2019, the report says. For comparison, all the planes, trains, automobiles, and other transportation in the world only pump out about 24 percent of global carbon emissions. Growing prosperity around the world, especially in developing nations that don’t yet have a lot of renewable energy, led to higher-than-normal rise in building sector emissions last year. When economies grow, there’s more construction, larger floor plans for buildings, and more energy-guzzling appliances and electronics filling those spaces. Air conditioning is one of the biggest worries Air conditioning is one of the biggest worries when it comes to energy-hungry buildings. Economic development in hotter climates comes with a big bump in emissions from air conditioners. Historic heatwaves during 2019, the second hottest year on record, was another reason why that year saw the most building emissions on record, according to the International Energy Agency. “The need for more energy efficient air conditioning is so vital to the future of both emissions [and] the reality of what we’re building,” says Ian Hamilton, lead coordinating author of the new report. “Those lovely, great big glassy towers in hot parts of the world rely so heavily on air conditioning for them to be comfortable, livable.”

Economic prosperity doesn’t need to translate into more planet-heating pollution. About 10 percent of buildings’ environmental footprint comes from their construction and materials. But most of the emissions that buildings are responsible for come from the energy used for heating, cooling, and lighting. Right now, fossil fuels are still a large part of the energy mix — which is what report authors hope to see change.

“There’s still lots and lots of work to be done there,” says Hamilton. “If electricity isn’t decarbonized, our emissions are going to carry on.”

Progress has actually slowed Progress has actually slowed over the past several years, the report found. Buildings’ rate of improvement dropped in half between 2016 and 2019. “This gives us a failing direction grade,” Hamilton says. “The reality is that we had been making progress in 2015, 2016 towards that goal of the Paris [climate] Agreement. But in the last few years, that really tailed off.”

The Paris Agreement is a global commitment to stop the planet from heating more than 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. The world is still on track to surpass that threshold, which scientists warn could transform our planet in devastating ways. To hit the Paris goal, every corner of our economy will need to reach net zero carbon pollution — releasing no more carbon dioxide than they draw down — by 2050. For that to become reality, building sector emissions need to keep falling by 6 percent every year until 2030.

Pandemic recovery dovetails with efforts to tackle climate change The pandemic slashed global emissions by about 7 percent this year. But in the future, pollution cuts will need to be intentional. There’s been a push from some concerned leaders to ensure that pandemic recovery dovetails with efforts to tackle climate change. In the US, President-elect Joe Biden plans to create 10 million new jobs in clean energy and another million jobs in constructing and upgrading sustainable homes and buildings.

The new report also urges world leaders to include buildings in their plans to address climate change. Countries are expected to boost their plans for climate action by next year as part of the Paris Agreement. That’s really important for bringing more renewable energy to city grids and buildings.

At a local level, cities can update their building codes. New York City, for example, passed a series of bills in 2019 and 2020 aimed at slashing carbon dioxide emissions from buildings that are responsible for 70 percent of the city’s greenhouse gases. That includes mandates to better insulate buildings and requirements for more efficient lighting, heating, and cooling systems.

“Keeping us on track [for climate targets] will be a driver of construction jobs. It will be an opportunity to help the broader state economy get back on track with what was already a fast growing sector,” Alicia Barton, president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, told The Verge earlier this year. “Hopefully if we can think smartly about things the state can do and potentially see investments from the federal government, we have a good opportunity to seize a challenging moment and turn it into a moment of opportunity.”

Steven Cox: In post-pandemic Vancouver, can building better rental help make us a friendlier city? Opinion: Rental housing has always been an underdog in Vancouver, but the perception that it’s a lesser-than choice to owning needs to change. Author of the article: Steven Cox Publishing date: Jan 05, 2021 https://theprovince.com/opinion/steven-cox-in-post-pandemic-vancouver-can-building-better-rental-help-make-us-a-friendlier-city?s=03

Too many rental apartments have a bedroom hierarchy where rooms vary dramatically in size, which makes these apartments challenging to divide equitably among roommates. Photo by Carmine Marinelli /CARMINE MARINELLI/QMI AGENCY It took a global pandemic to shift Vancouver’s housing crisis out of the headlines, but hope is on the horizon. While our world may not be opening up in the short-term, with vaccines starting to roll out, there is reason to be optimistic for 2021. The pandemic — with mandated lockdowns and quarantines — has shown us the importance of knowing our neighbours and being connected to those around us. Who can you ask to pick up a few essentials if you’re isolating? Who can lend you a cup of flour when you can’t find any? Who will look out for you if you’re sick? As we look toward life post-COVID-19, it’s essential that we plan to build stronger, more connected communities in our city. And better rental housing is one key place to start. More than half of the city’s existing purpose-built rental stock was constructed between 1950 and 1980, and a third of market rental apartments are investor-owned condos that offer tenants little in the way of long-term stability. While city incentives and a changing market landscape have resulted in a recent surge in purpose-built rental developments, many of these projects don’t differ much in form and function from the condos that dominate our skyline. As the construction of these projects ramps up, we are missing a key opportunity to build better, more vibrant rental communities. A Canadian survey earlier this year found 54 per cent of respondents were feeling isolated and lonely. This builds on a 2017 Vancouver Foundation report that found that one out of four metro residents felt isolated. In today’s rental buildings you might see familiar faces in the lobby or have a short chit-chat in an elevator. The overall social interaction is limited to fleeting moments in confined spaces, often stilted and impersonal. At our core, we are social beings. Creating spaces for shared experiences is paramount in addressing the isolation residents feel. Rize has spent time looking at other cities — from Los Angeles to Berlin — studying how communal spaces and in-house cultural programming for rental projects can foster neighbourly support. Thoughtful design can create new ways to interact with neighbours and bring vitality to everyday living. Imagine how much easier it would be to get to know your neighbours if you had a communal kitchen for Sunday suppers; shared space for movie night, cooking classes and live music; or even a designated co-working space. If we program with the community in mind, a well-designed rental can be part of the solution. We know that sharing housing with others is the simplest way to reduce costs, however we still design rental apartments in the same way as condos. They have a bedroom hierarchy where rooms vary dramatically in size, which makes these apartments challenging to divide equitably among roommates. By designing rental with sharing in mind, we can bring multipurpose spaces to the forefront and use equal square footage for multiple bedrooms, giving people the right mix of public and private areas. But these elements aren’t readily available in today’s rentals, nor are they being championed by planners and developers. And for too long, renters haven’t even been part of the conversation. It’s time we hear them out as we redefine what rental projects can be in our city. We’re currently exploring what would improve people’s lives and what trade-offs they would consider: from building amenities and communal spaces, to outdoor space and parking. With a thoughtful approach we can deliver rental that resonates with those who choose to rent. Rental housing has always been an underdog in Vancouver, but the perception that it’s a lesser-than choice to owning needs to change. A well-planned rental project can address the gaps left behind by the condo market, deliver design-forward solutions for equitable living, and be a social catalyst, resulting in stronger, more resilient communities. How do you want to live? Steven Cox is vice-president for brand and design at Rize Alliance Properties. north shorenews nsnews.com WEDNESDAY, JANUARY13, 2021 COMMUNITY |A27 ‘ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES’ Indigenous business ownerssharepandemic lessons

ELISIA SEEBER atourism hub based in Whistler,closed for Local Journalism Initiative/[email protected] morethan three months to the public, staff Indigenous businesses in British decided to focus on anew motto: “While Columbia have shown resilience, our doors may be closed, our hearts remain adaptability,and positivity in open.” unprecedented times. The thriving centre, which educates Ahandful of First Nations business own- youth and visitors from around the world ers and managers have shared how they felt about the Skwx̲ wú7mesh̲ (Squamish) and when the coronavirus pandemic hit and how Lil̓ wat7úl̓ (Lil’wat) Nations –the two First they managed to make it through troubled Nations that sharethe territory–began waters. offering free virtual learning. “Our team didn’t want to lose their KAYAKING OUT OF TROUBLE connection with those who wanted to For Whonoak-Dennis Thomas, the busi- still engage, connect, and learn about our ness development manager of Takaya Tours, two distinct cultures,” explained Mandy running abusiness during apandemic has Rousseau, manager of marketing and com- been an “eye-opening experience.” munications at SLCC. Thomas said the seasonal tour company, “Offering virtual programming enabled us which offers 25-foot traditional canoe tours to continue this work safely.” from Cates Park/Whey-ah-Wichen to expe- Rousseau said thousands of people rience the culture, tradition, and historyof participated across all their online offerings the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, had to make including, Breaking Bannock Conversations, some tough decisions to stay above water. craft activities, and live-streamed concerts. When news of the pandemic began Squamish Nation chef Paul Natrall, a.k.a. Mr.Bannock,has increased his online offerings to circulating in Januaryand Februarylast year, help keep his business rolling during the COVID-19 crisis. PAUL MCGRATH CORONAVIRUS LEARNING CURVE cancellations for Takaya’ssummer tours From implementing coronavirus safety began rolling in from school groups and from ANEED TO ADAPT throughout the winter months,” he said. protocols to pivoting to e-commerce, 2020 around the world. Meanwhile, like many businesses during Being lucky enough to have astrong fol- was ayear of change for businesses. Still, “Weinitially lost over $100,000 in book- the pandemic,Indigenous retailers and lowing on social media, he decided to pivot many Indigenous owners chose to see the ings …which is huge for asmall Indigenous restaurateurs found amove to online sales to to an online store. positives moving forward. business, or any business,” said Thomas, be the key to survival. Natrall now offers virtual online cook- “Wehave learned so much moreabout who has run the company for the past 10 Lori Simcox, co-owner of Unity Clothing ing lessons and various pre-packaged our customers and what they want and years. at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver,said Indigenous foods for sale on his website, how best to accommodate that –which has Like many other businesses, Takaya that the business had changed for the better including his classic bannock mix, chocolate been great,” said Simcox, co-owner of Unity Tours shut down during the lockdown, on top of introducing the many coronavirus bark, cinnamon sugar mix, and asmoked Clothing. which was enforced in B.C. in March. safety protocols –hand sanitizer and masks spice rub. Through it all, Thomas, manager of “Wejust had to roll with what was going at the front door,Plexiglas at the counter, “I was definitely really nervous when we Takaya Tours, said he’slearned to be “a little on with the world,” said Thomas. “I wasn’t cleaning all touchable surfaces frequently, launched our online store,” said Natrall. bit morehumble, appreciative, and patient.” able to hirestafffor the cultural tours, and and limiting the amount of people in the “I’ve been fortunate to have afew big “Having to juggle alot of variables was an then we wereinlockdown for three months.” store, just to name afew. orders. Everybody is learning as we’regoing, eye-opening experience, but we just took our Takaya Tours reopened in June, with “Wehave adapted out of need, and I and I’m just thankful that I’m still keeping time, we had patience, and we showcased physical distancinginplace, but closed the believe it’simproved our operations,” she busy. that we’reresilient,” he said. entirecultural canoe side of the business said, adding that the bricks and mortar “We’restill hustling hard, just in adiffer- Cook, the owner of Salmon n’ Bannock, for the year to avoid confusion from people storehad introduced online shopping with ent way.” added that the power of community really who may have seen the 20-seater canoes out free deliveryonthe North Shoreand new He said he’d also partnered up with other shined through for her during the past year. on the water and thought Takaya Tours was promotions that offer customers agift, from Indigenous companies and sold their prod- “Small businesses truly arethe heartbeat breaking social distancing rules. another local small business, with purchases ucts on the food truck and website, including of all communities,” she said. “Therewere “Wedidn’t want to face public shaming over acertain amount. Spirit Bear coffee from Coquitlam and bacon so many people that came together that or have to deal with that sortofdamage “Wehave sought out new suppliers to from One Arrow Meats in Vancouver. wanted us to succeed and helped financially, control,” said Thomas. bring in exactly what customers arelooking While the first thought for Inez Cook, and also offered help in so many ways, even Instead, they focused all their efforts on for while they spend moretime at home and owner of Salmon n’ Bannock, an intimate eat- when it wasn’t asked for –this was so touch- promoting kayaking –which could be easily socialize less. Wehave also streamlined our eryinVancouver serving PacificNorthwest ing and truly appreciated.” physically distanced in one-seater or two- hours to when customers shop the most.” Indigenous cuisine, was that she was “going For now,the business owners and manag- seater kayaks. to go bankrupt” when the pandemic struck, ers areall hoping the coronavirus vaccines “Wewereable to survive the entire ‘WE’RE STILL HUSTLING HARD’ she’sbeen able to navigate her way through will bring brighter days in 2021. season based on our kayak rentals and afew Similarly,Paul Natrall, Squamish Nation it. “Wehave lots of dreams for the future, different grants from Indigenous Tourism member and owner of North Vancouver’s “The regulations and changes arealmost but clearly,many things areout of our con- BC and our national partner,Indigenous award-winning Mr.Bannock catering and daily,and it is hardfor the businessestostay trol,” said Cook. Tourism Association of Canada.” food truck, said switching to e-commerce on top of it and extremely confusing for the “Weneed to take things day by day at this He said the company saw an increase was “keeping me alive and keeping me going customers,” she said, noting that they now point and continue to roll with the punches.” of morethan 50 per cent in kayak bookings right now.” do daily stafftemperaturechecks and have across its two locations at Cates Park and “I was on apath whereinvestors and followed all COVID-regulated protocols since HELP FORBUSINESSESDURING Belcarra Regional Park over the summer, some different communities wanted a the beginning. CORONAVIRUS putting it down to morepeople wanting to Mr.Bannock franchise, and then COVID While the restaurant has been open at 50 The federal government is offering small get outdoors after the lockdown to enjoy the happened and brought everything to ahalt,” per cent capacity now since August, she said and medium-sized Indigenous businesses outdoors and nature. said Natrall, who’sknown for his Coast Salish she also jumped on the Uber Eats band- supportthrough anumber of avenues, “That’swhy we wereable to stay above fusion street food. wagon and focused on online takeout sales including Canada’sCOVID-19 Economic our bottom line,” said Thomas. When events stopped, the struggle over the past year. Response Plan, the Indigenous Community Looking to the future, Thomas said the became veryreal for Natrall, who usually Business Fund, and the Indigenous Tourism company will be partnering with Wild Bird books various events throughout the Lower KEEPING CONNECTIONS STRONG Stimulus Development Fund. Trust, in Maplewood Flats Conservation Mainland. Restaurateurs and retailers weren’t the Elisia Seeber is the North Shore News’ Area, to add another walking tour option to “On National IndigenousDay,wewould only ones turning their attention to improv- Indigenous and civic affairs reporter.This their experiences, with the hope of making have over 2,000 people for one service, ing their online offerings. reporting beat is made possible by the Local Takaya Tours ayear-round business. and those funds would definitely last me When Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, Journalism Initiative. Landslide takes out section of West Vancouver walking trail

Engineers and municipal staff currently assessing damage Jan 6, 2021 3:59 PM By: Jane Seyd https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/landslide-takes-out-section-of-west-vancouver-walking-trail-3239673 Updated Jan 7, 2021 6:29 PM 1 / 4 A section of a walking trail next to the Capilano River collapsed in a landslide Wednesday afternoon.WVPD

A section of a walking trail next to the Capilano River collapsed in a landslide Wednesday afternoon.

Police are warning people to stay away from the slide area, which took out an approximately 10-metre stretch of the Capilano Pacific Trail south of Moyne Drive near the Capilano Suspension Bridge sometime Wednesday morning.

Metro Vancouver Parks staff were first notified of a slide in the area at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Later in the day, a member of the public told West Vancouver Police they were out hiking on the trail, heard a sound and looked back to see the slide, said Const. Kevin Goodmurphy, spokesman for the West Vancouver Police Department.

Officers who arrived on scene checked to make sure nobody had been caught in the slide, said Goodmurphy. A police helicopter called in by the RCMP also flew over the slide area and down the Capilano River to check for anyone in distress. Fortunately there were no signs anyone had been harmed.

Municipal parks staff from the District of West Vancouver and third-party engineers are still assessing the damage. The cause of the slide isn't yet known, said Donna Powers, spokeswoman for the municipality. This is the second landslide in the same area of the trail. There was a smaller landslide in the same location in December 2019, said Powers. The trail was closed for repairs in early November and reopened Dec. 16. Powers said so far there's no indication the recent repairs triggered the slide or if the slope failed further down from the repaired area. The slide came a day after a winter storm brought intense rainfall to the North Shore. Powers warned the slope is still unstable and hazardous, and the public should not go past the fencing blocking the trail. The trail is now closed until further notice. Detour information for hikers is expected to be posted soon by the municipality.

A section of a walking trail next to the Capilano River collapsed in a landslide Wednesday afternoon.. image courtesy WVPD

One-way trip: More people moving to North Van, U-Haul says North Vancouver is the second fastest growing city in Canada (via U-Haul) Jan 7, 2021 11:00 AM By: Brent Richter https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/one-way-trip-more-people-moving-to-north-van-u-haul-says-3241391 North Vancouver's U-Haul lot was a busy place in 2020, processing more in-coming one-way trips than any other city in Canada, except North Bay.Google Earth North Vancouver was the second fastest growing jurisdiction in Canada in 2020, if one-way trips by U-Hauls are any indication. The Phoenix-based truck and trailer rental business has released stats showing arrivals accounted for 53.2 per cent of all one-way U-Haul traffic in North Vancouver in 2020, second only to North Bay, Ont. The number of people unloading and parking a U-Haul here was up seven per cent from the year before, which was already a record year, the company says, although the number of one-way trips leaving North Van also grew by 11 per cent. Andy Yan, director of The City Program at Simon Fraser University, said U-Haul’s stats hardly amount a census, but they are an interesting data point to ponder. “There is actually something to be said about this kind of proxy measure of movement around the continent,” he said, adding that the United States does a much better job of tracking population migration patterns than Canada does. Growth in move-ins would certainly be correlated with growth in North Van property assessments, which were released earlier this week, Yan said. “It is a really interesting to see the fastest growing value when it comes to condominiums was in the City and District of North Van,” he said. “For a certain population, the promise of being nestled in the forest, and now a job doesn't necessarily require you to cross a bridge or take the SeaBus five days a week, yeah, that might have a certain appeal.” The corollary, Yan added, is out-migration for North Vancouver residents, which happens for a variety of reasons. “Certainly the issue of affordability comes into play,” he said. Much more telling will be the release of annual population estimates from BC Stats, which happens in mid-to- late January, Yan said. According to U-Haul, North Vancouver was the top growth city in Canada the year before in 2019, a time when BC Stats reported the 0.6 per cent population growth in the City of North Vancouver and 0.1 per cent growth in the District of North Vancouver, while the rest of Metro Vancouver’s municipalities were growing at an average of 1.5 per cent. As for what more one-way trips in than out means for the North Shore, Yan invoked one of its most notable writers. “My immediate reaction was, ‘Wow, that's a lot of people who want to find their inner Malcolm Lowry,” he said with a laugh. “How many Under the Volcanoes will be written from this move?”

New tool calculates solar potential of any location in Canada A newly developed digital platform calculates the expected energy generation in kilowatt-hours for grid- connected PV arrays without storage, under standard testing conditions. December 22, 2020 Emiliano Bellini https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/12/22/new-tool-calculates-solar-potential-of-any-location-in-canada/

Canadian Ministry of Natural Resources, 2020 Canada’s Ministry of Natural Resources has launched an open-source web-mapping application that provides estimates of photovoltaic potential and daily global insolation rates for any location in Canada. The maps – designed by the Canadian Forest Service, the CanmetENERGY Renewable Energy Integration group, and the Federal Geospatial Platform – also include data provided by Environment and Climate Change Canada. “The maps are presented for each month and for the entire year, for six different PV array orientations: a sun-tracking orientation, a horizontal orientation and four fixed South-facing orientations with latitude, vertical (90 degrees) and latitude ± 15-degree tilts,” the ministry said. The tool also allows users to collect data on single municipalities from a dataset of 3,500 municipalities. Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are the provinces with the highest solar radiation levels. Popular content However, the Economics of Solar Power in Canada report, published in late 2018 by the Canadian National Energy Board, stated that the financial break-even point for commercial solar and community projects was lower in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Prince Edward Island than in other provinces. The researchers found that rooftop PV, in a low-cost future scenario, is expected to save homeowners and businesses money in many Canadian communities. Utility-scale solar also becomes viable in many places in a low-cost scenario, although it may still still require fewer provincial transmission fees, or none at all. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Canada had 3.31 GW of installed capacity by the end of 2019. Most of this capacity is located in Ontario, which has supported solar through a feed-in tariff scheme that is now expired. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. Emiliano Bellini

Emiliano joined pv magazine in March 2017. He has been reporting on solar and renewable energy since 2009.

No simple solutions to skyrocketing condo insurance costs, report finds B.C. Financial Services Authority says increases due to risk from earthquakes, fires and flooding The Canadian Press · Posted: Dec 18, 2020 3:15 PM PT | Last Updated: December 18 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/condo-insurance-costs-financial-services-authority-1.5848185

A final report from B.C.'s Financial Services Authority suggests there is no end in sight to skyrocketing insurance prices for condos. (Maggie MacPherson/CBC) A Crown corporation that regulates British Columbia's private-sector insurance companies says an average 40 per cent increase in condo insurance premiums resulted from various factors, including risks that insurers face from earthquakes, wildfires and flooding. The BC Financial Services Authority said in a report Friday that risks related to catastrophic events, some involving climate change, have put additional pressure on insurance companies' profitability, impacting premiums and deductibles in parts of Canada and globally. However, it said in a final report that the issues involved are complex and there are no simple solutions, so consumers should not expect short- or medium-term relief from further price increases. 'Claims costs must be lowered' Frank Chong, the corporation's vice-president of regulations, said Alberta's condo insurance market has also been heavily affected. "The number one factor that the (BC Financial Services Authority) heard that needs to be addressed to reduce premiums is the claims costs must be lowered,'' Chong said.

Tony Gioventu, the executive director of the Condominium Home Owners Association of B.C., says significant legislative changes will have to be made to benefit consumers dealing with an independent, profit-driven insurance industry taking on billions of dollars in risk. (CBC) The increased concentration of risk among too few companies insuring properties in B.C. means they face a higher potential loss from catastrophic events, he said. While the report does not contain recommendations on how the B.C. government should address issues that are impacting housing affordability, provincial legislation introduced earlier this year will end a practice called best terms pricing as of Jan. 1. Under it, the final insurance premium paid by owners was usually based on the highest bid, even if most quotes were lower. Chong said the regulator is in discussions with the Ministry of Housing on some actions that could be taken. For example, the formation of a private-sector B.C. insurance company may help a global insurer more efficiently enter the insurance market, he said. "Instead of following the normal two-step process global insurers use to enter the Canadian market, first becoming authorized federally and then provincially, home insurers could enter B.C.'s strata insurance market faster by forming a private B.C. company,'' Chong said. Hybrid public-private insurance models could also be considered for higher-risk properties and are often used to provide coverage the private sector alone cannot take on, such as risk of earthquakes, he said. Going into reserve Tony Gioventu, executive director of the Condominium Home Owners Association of B.C., said significant legislative changes will have to be made to benefit consumers dealing with an independent, profit-driven insurance industry taking on billions of dollars in risk. However, an overly regulated market may have insurers pulling out altogether, he said. Complexes, called strata housing in B.C., of fewer than 25 units have seen increases in premiums of 10 to 15 per cent because of a lower number of claims, Gioventu said, but larger properties were much worse off. "Buildings that are over 100 units, which are going to be all of our essential city buildings, most of them saw increases of anywhere from 100 to 400 per cent,'' he said. "Many of these strata corporations are now going into their reserve funds to try and pay for their insurance this year because it's either that or 30 to 40 per cent increases in condo fees.'' Insurers in B.C. ditch pricing method linked to skyrocketing condo premiums Underinsurance leads to whopping bill after fire at condo building Stratas typically put 10 to 18 per cent of annual budgets into reserve funds for long-term planning, but that is no longer possible for many of them, Gioventu said. "This year, it's looking like zero for a lot of the buildings because they're trying to balance a manageable increase in condo fees versus how they're going to pay their insurance.'' CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News

North Shore Black Bear Society director reflects on 15 years of educating the community

Christine Miller, who for years has helped bruins and humans live in harmony, has announced her retirement a day ago By: Ben Bengtson https://www.nsnews.com/in-the-community/north-shore-black-bear-society-director-reflects-on-15-years-of-educating-the-community-3210161

The non-profit North Shore Black Bear Society was formed in 2005.Mike Wakefield, North Shore News

The longtime executive director behind the North Shore’s main organization devoted to helping bears and humans live in harmony is retiring, though she doesn’t plan on missing out on an educational opportunity if one should arise in the future.

Christine Miller of North Shore Black Bear Society is leaving her post at the non-profit she helped build up at the end of the year, it was announced recently.

Long before North Shore municipalities got tougher on bear baiting behaviour or the backwoods became the hotspots of outdoor recreation they are today, Miller says she became truly aware of the tenuous relationship between bruins and humans in 1999, a year where 39 bears were killed on the North Shore and what was then the North Shore Black Bear Network was formed.

That network was compromised of an informal group of concerned citizens and volunteers who worked to orchestrate more communication between the B.C. Conservation Officer Service, local police, and residents in order to make sure bears and humans could be together on the North Shore – while staying far apart.

When the network eventually formed into a non-profit society in 2005, Miller started volunteering and eventually became the organization’s executive director.

“It started off as a curiosity,” says Miller, who was inspired by the fact that bears’ lives could be saved through something as simple as education about wildlife attractants and bear safety in residential areas. “When I realized that bear deaths were preventable, I felt like I could make a difference here.”

This year, North Shore Black Bear Society has received almost 1,150 reports of sightings of bears in the area, according to Miller – but there has been less deaths compared to 1999, even if every summer a rash of human and bear conflicts often leads to at least some bruins being put down. Four bears in West Vancouver and three in North Vancouver were either euthanized or killed on the North Shore this year, to the COS has confirmed.

Miller started small when she joined the society in 2005. She would canvas neighbourhoods along with WildsafeBC and deliver education to residents about bear attractants.

Eventually, the society partnered with North Shore municipalities which provided grant money to expand their education to service schools, community events and even make sure that newcomers to Canada were bear aware.

“We’ve gone from a lack of knowledge of what attracts wildlife to residential areas and what to do if you encounter a bear to, through the education programs, we were successful in promoting respect and understanding of bear behaviour and bear biology,” says Miller. “That resulted in people having a willingness to accept their responsibilities for living in bear country and being willing to adjust their behaviours accordingly.”

While people have definitely improved their behaviours over the years, there’s certainly been some bumps along the way, notes Miller.

In between bouts of delivering Bear-In-Area signs when sightings cropped up in neighbourhoods, as well as partnering with bylaw officers to make sure folk weren’t putting their garbage curbside too early, it was always difficult to convince people to freeze their compostable items before putting them to the curb, she says.

Miller also notes that the District of North Vancouver’s new garbage collection system which was rolled out in 2017 had some unintended consequences. Because the new carts were so much bigger, many people could no longer keep their garbage cans stored in garages or other spaces so they kept them outside instead, says Miller.

However, the district has really stepped up with its latest bear bylaw, notes Miller. In October, the district passed a new fine which will allow them to issue $100 fines instead of warnings for people who leave their garbage bins at the curb outside permitted hours. That fine gets bumped up to $500 for subsequent offences.

“The district really stepped up to the plate,” says Miller, who maintains the enforcement is key to the education work that the society does and will continue to do.

Looking ahead, Miller says she plans to take on more of activist role now that she doesn’t have to work so directly with the province or COS.

“What behaviours should lead to a bear to be killed?” posits Miller. “I think it’s time for those procedures, polices and the matrix to be reviewed carefully.”

Miller says that most of all she will miss conducting the education work that allowed her to interact with so many North Shore residents over the years.

During a year-end presentation to the district earlier this month, council members sang Miller’s praises for her years of work and wished her well in retirement.

“Thank you for your leadership and passing the new attraction bylaw. The adoption and enforcement of this bylaw will be a win for residents and bears, and it’s a very happy note for me to retire on,” she said. North Shore recorded 54 new COVID-19 cases to Jan. 2

North Van, West Van end 2020 with 1,623 reported cases of the virus a day ago By: Jane Seyd

1 / 2 A map showing the geographical breakdown of new coronavirus cases for the week ending Jan. 2 in the Lower Mainland.BC CDC

Of the approximately 52,000 cases of COVID-19 in BC in 2020, 1,623 cases were among North Shore residents, year-end statistics have revealed.

North Vancouver had 1,169 cases of coronavirus in 2020, while West Vancouver had 454 cases, according to figures released by B.C.’s Centre for Disease Control for the end of December.

The statistics showed the North Shore had a cumulative rate of infection of between 600 and 900 cases per 100,000 people for the year.

2 / 2 A map showing the geographical breakdown of total COVID-19 cases for the year 2020 ending Dec. 31 in the Lower Mainland.BC CDC

That is less than other areas of the Lower Mainland like Surrey, Burnaby, Langley and Abbotsford, but more than Vancouver Island.

Within the North Shore-Coast Garibaldi Health Region, the Sea to Sky corridor including Whistler and Squamish had one of the highest rates of COVID-19 cases per population in 2020 with 503 cases. An outbreak among young workers in Whistler in November contributed to those numbers. The Sunshine Coast had 96 cases and Powell River had 53.

More recently the rates of infection on the North Shore and other areas of Vancouver Coastal Health have stabilized. There were 54 new cases on the North Shore in the week ending Jan. 2, including 42 cases in North Vancouver and 12 cases in West Vancouver.

On Thursday, Dr. Bonnie Henry, the province’s medical health officer, extended the existing public health orders banning social gatherings and many sports activities for another month, to Feb. 5.

“This risk of spreading COVID-19 remains very high right now,” she said. “Our curve is trending upwards. Now is our time to stay the course.”

Asked about people who chose to ignore public health orders not to gather and who travelled over Christmas, Henry said, “It’s frustrating.”

“Some people made the decision to make an exception for themselves,” she said. “If 10,000 people, a few people in every town, every village and city, makes these small concessions for themselves, our risk increases exponentially.”

Henry said most people are doing their best to comply with the rules but there are few who haven’t “wavered now and then.”

“Which doesn't mean it's OK. It just means it’s hard,” she said. “And we have to have compassion.”

She also warned that if the province needs to clamp down harder to stop the spread of the virus, it will.

As of Thursday, there have been 56,015 cases of coronavirus reported in B.C., including 761 new cases.

There are currently 6,349 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, including 372 people in hospital, 74 of them in intensive care. A total of 970 people have died of COVID-19.

Just over 41,000 people have also received the vaccine.

North Van District approves 481 units in two major developments

'We’re catching up on decades and decades of disinvestment in rental housing.' Jan 12, 2021 5:30 PM By: Elisia Seeber Updated Jan 12, 2021 10:53 PM https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/district-of-north-vancouver-approves-481-units- in-two-major-residential-developments-3256210

A rendering of what the Seymour Estates development will look look.Anthem Properties

A rendering the Seymour Estates project as it would be seen from Mount Seymour Parkway.Anthem Properties

A rendering of what the Seymour Estates courtyard will look like. Anthem Properties

The Seymour Estates site plan.Anthem Properties

A rendering of what the six-storey 140 rental unit development in Lynn Creek, will look like from Oxford Street. Yamamoto Architecture

District of North Vancouver council has approved 481 new homes in two projects in the Seymour and Lynn Creek neighbourhoods – the first major residential rezonings to pass council since the 2018 election. Council voted in favour of Anthem Properties’ proposal to build 341 units of housing and a coffee shop on a 2.5-hectare vacant lot on Mount Seymour Parkway and Lytton Street at its Jan. 11 general meeting. In the same meeting, council also approved TPL Developments’ proposal for a six-storey, 140-unit all-rental housing project at 220 Mountain Hwy. and 1515-1555 Oxford St. The Seymour Estates development was the more contentious of the two projects. But after a lengthy discussion, council voted 5-2 in favour of moving forward. The development will offer 56 market rentals, 33 below-market rentals offered at 15 to 25 per cent below Canada Mortgate and Housing Corp. median rates for the municipality and run by Hollyburn Family Services Society, 25 rent-to-own units for first-time buyers, and one townhouse unit in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. The remaining units are market condos and townhouses. The site was previously home to 114 townhouse units built in 1969 but, when the complex reached the end of its useful life, owners negotiated to sell the property to Anthem. The townhouses were demolished in 2019. At a public hearing held Nov. 17, and continued Dec. 15, the majority of 51 speakers supported the project, with many in favour of the rent-to-own units. Others were happy with the developer’s environmental initiatives, including a proposed zero fossil fuel energy site. Meanwhile, a handful of residents were opposed, raising issues with increases to traffic and density, childcare not being provided as part of the project and building heights. The majority of councillors supported the project for its diverse affordable living options, environmental initiatives, and closeness to transit, schools and other amenities. “We’ve heard from people who want safe and secure rental housing, we’ve heard from people who want to just get a foot into the housing market and for whom the rent-to-own element of this project would give them that opportunity,” said Coun. Jordan Back. “I think the benefits of a development like this far outweigh any negative impacts and it will bring renewed vibrancy to this part of our community.” Coun. Mathew Bond echoed the support for housing options, highlighting the significantly discounted rentals “means that a single person making $20 an hour can afford a brand-new studio apartment, in this neighborhood that’s been a great place for multi-family housing for the past 50 years.” However, Couns. Lisa Muri and Jim Hanson were both opposed with similar concerns about increased density and cars. “The valuable gains of electric energy will be lost by the significant impacts of GHGs created by well over 600 new vehicles on and off site to the area as a result of this application,” said Muri. “I thought our environment was the priority.” Hanson said the density belonged closer to transit hubs and town centres. “Let us be clear, this proposal calls for a tripling of density in a car dependent location. In my view, this is neither good community planning, nor good climate policy,” he said. Mayor Mike Little supported the project, saying while he recognized the concerns from the public, he believed the development offered a significant component of affordability that was needed for the area. “I think that it’s still generally a good fit for the community,” he said, mentioning its closeness to amenities and his own parents’ history in the area. Little said while the development was “a little more dense” than he would have liked, it’s what had to be done in order to achieve diversity in housing. “I think there’s a lot of good in this development and I look forward to seeing this project move forward,” he said. On the Mountain Highway rental project, the vote was unanimous, with council agreeing it was an overdue addition of much needed rentals in an ideal location close to transit. It was also strongly supported at a public hearing held on Dec. 8. Little highlighted that for a 17-year period, not a single purpose-built rental development was approved in the District of North Vancouver, adding that council had to be “intentional about adding these kinds of projects and finding places for them to work.” Bond agreed. “We’re catching up on decades and decades of disinvestment in rental housing and in rental homes,” he said. The two housing projects both passed second and third readings and will return to council at a later date to be considered for final adoption. Elisia Seeber is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.

North Van District council debates election sign size limits Here's why District of North Vancouver Mayor Mike Little doesn't agree with putting size limitations on election signs. Jan 20 2021 By: Elisia Seeber https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/north-vancouver-district-council-discusses-introducing-size-limitations-for-election-signs-3275191

Dozens and dozens of municipal election signs lined Fell Avenue in North Vancouver next to Mosquito creek during the 2018 election.Mike Wakefield

Are massive election signs outdated and bad for the environment, or do they help voters notice candidates and inspire them to vote in local government elections? These are the big questions the District of North Vancouver council was mulling over at the Jan. 11 general meeting, when councillor Jordan Back put forward a motion calling for the groundwork to be done to limit the size of election signs in the district. At the moment, in the district, election signs can be as big or as small as a candidate would like, and they can go almost anywhere. Back is hoping to change that. Although, not everyone is on board. The motion, which was eventually carried four to three, sparked a 40-minute-long discussion among councillors on whether large-sized election signs are a problem, the environmental impacts of sign materials, and if signs are still beneficial in the age of social media. The district is the only municipality on the North Shore that doesn’t have size guidelines for election signs. According to the report, there are also no restrictions on where election signs can be posted, except as provided in the "Street and Traffic Bylaw 7125, 2004” and provincial restrictions in regard to Highway right-of-way. The only requirement listed is that election signs must be removed within seven days of the election. “We currently have no restrictions on the size of election signs in our community, and as a result, every election period, we do see a proliferation of signs across the community of all shapes and sizes,” said Back, speaking at the council meeting. He said the unrestricted, large election signs impacted the streetscape and neighbourhoods, could cause visual obstructions for drivers or those who walk or roll, and the volume of materials, including hard plastics, had a negative environmental impact. “While there are many other ways to connect with the community in an election campaign, such as door- knocking, attending events throughout the community, speaking at all-candidates meetings, and having an effective social media strategy, I think signs still play an important role, and that's why I'm not by any means proposing a ban on election signs, but I do think restricting the size and putting us in line with the City of North Vancouver would be a positive move,” said Back. In the city, election signs are limited to 0.4m2 in area and 1.8 m in height (6 ft.). The District of West Vancouver has more liberal restrictions, being 3M2 in area and 2.5 m in height (8 ft). In the report, Back also highlighted that there was no permit requirement for election signs either, so there is no accurate count on the number of signs put up during an election. Mayor Mike Little supports larger election signs Councillors' views on election signs varied, with some believing they are the most effective way to get noticed and others saying they were no longer beneficial and aren't environmentally friendly. Mayor Mike Little voted against the motion, saying large signs created a focus point for other signs at a location and reduced the likelihood of a “proliferation of small signs” throughout the community. “There's no proliferation of small signs down the side streets. They all happen in the one central location because that becomes the spot where everybody wants to be,” he said. “I fully support any limitations that are directly related to safety or protection of infrastructure. What this report looks like it’s doing is verging into the aesthetic.” He said smaller signs ended up “strewn about everywhere," and were difficult to read, while larger signs offered more opportunity for clear messaging. Speaking quite passionately, Little reminisced about his first election campaign and how a few simple A-Frame signs helped him get noticed. “In my first election campaign, when I was 26 years old, I couldn't afford a mail load, I couldn't afford newspapers, my total budget was $600, and out of it I bought six signs and put them on three A-frames and just kept moving them around the community just to try and seem like I actually had some budget – I finished 14 out of 21 candidates,” he said, adding that he believed the value of running a sign campaign far outweighed the value of a newspaper ad, especially for young up and comers. Meanwhile, Coun. Megan Curren supported the motion but said she’d like to see things move a step further, with a complete ban on election signs in the district. “Signs are expensive and they’re pollution,” she said. “I don't see a lot of benefits. There's actually been a few social science studies that have shown that they actually don't help.” She added that municipalities across Canada had begun banning election signs on public property, mentioning Brampton and Kingston in Ontario and Surrey in B.C. Councillors Lisa Muri and Betty Forbes, like the mayor, did not support the motion. “I believe they're actually the most efficient way of drawing attention and the most affordable way of drawing attention to a candidate,” said Muri. “The newspaper ads are horrifically expensive, and the signs provide an indication of a democratic process that is a very short period of time – really the signs go up for about a two-week period.” Forbes added she wasn’t too concerned about the size of signs, more so the number of the same signs in one location, suggesting more discussion was needed on the topic. Mathew Bond and Jim Hanson both supported limiting the size of signs and looking for more environmentally friendly options to reduce waste, saying they’d like to hear more from staff on the matter and have further discussions. Staff will now report back to council on options for limiting the size and height of election signs in the district and other issues raised in the discussion.

North Van's new Ecole Argyle Secondary reflects modern approach to learning

Students will walk through the doors of North Vancouver's newest high school in January. Built at a cost of over $61 million, the new Argyle has been four years in the making. Dec 31 2020 By: Jane Seyd NORTH SHORE NEWS

The entrance atrium inside the new Ecole Argyle Secondary, pictured in December. An exterior view of the new Ecole Argyle Secondary in December 2020. Mike Wakefield, North Shore News

North Vancouver schools superintendent Mark Pearmain with capital projects manager Mark Thomson in a dance studio. An exterior view of the new Ecole Argyle Secondary. Mike Wakefield, North Shore News

Textbook storage area in the new Ecole Argyle Secondary. A hallway in the new Ecole Argyle Secondary.

The large gym in the new Ecole Argyle Secondary, pictured in December 2020 A multi-purpose area in the new Ecole Argyle Secondary, pictured in December 2020

The first thing you notice when you step into the entrance atrium at the new Ecole Argyle Secondary is the light. The ceiling rises high above the second floor of the school. Even a weak winter sun pours in through huge glass walls and windows. It feels like an expansive space that welcomes the outside world in. During a recent tour, workers were still putting details in place – shop equipment was still to be moved over and books put on shelves in the library. Final details will be wrapped over the high school’s winter break and students and teachers will walk through the doors of their new school the first week of January. It’s an impressive building, a long time in the making. Four years in the making Originally announced in 2016, the budget for the school then was just over $49 million – with approximately $38 million coming from the province and the school district contributing $11 million. After construction costs ballooned, the provincial government agreed to kick in an additional $12 million. Since then, trustees have bolstered the budget at least twice – first with an extra $4 million toward the rebuilds of Argyle and Handsworth, then with an additional $1.5 million in contingency funds. Argyle’s library, directly off the atrium, is as sleek and welcoming as any modern counterpart. Beyond the bookshelves, countertop-style work areas with built-in laptop charging stations look out through floor-to-ceiling glass towards what will be an outdoor learning area. On the other side of the massive central lobby, a theatre can be enclosed to seat up to 100 people or opened up to accommodate up to 250. Instead of traditional classrooms, the school is designed around learning “communities” or hubs, which include four flexible classroom spaces, along with a smaller breakout room for individual or small group work, plus a teachers’ preparation area. The emphasis is less on ownership of specific classrooms and more on collaborative learning and teaching and the physical environment reflects that, says Mark Pearmain, superintendent for the North Vancouver school district. “It’s meant to be used as needed.” Each classroom has its own audio-visual system, complete with wi-fi and a projector screen whiteboard. School designed with green energy in mind The heating and ventilation systems are also much more up to date than they are in older schools. Classrooms are kept warm or cooled with an air-to-water heat exchanger system that works like a combination heat pump and modern-day radiator. Compared to earlier heating and ventilation systems, there’s a minimum of fans and forced air, says Mark Thomson, capital projects manager for the school district. “It’s energy efficient and it’s green,” he said. The building is powered primarily through electricity rather than fossil fuels, and lighting is set to automatically adapt to natural light levels. The environmentally friendly systems cost more upfront, says Thomson but “it decreases the long-term operating costs significantly.” Massive gym a standout feature One of the standout components of the new school is a massive gym, which combines the floor space of Argyle’s existing small and large gyms into one space that can either be partitioned into up to three spaces – or opened up completely. The gym, change rooms and adjacent dance/yoga studio with a mirrored barre and gleaming floors can also be locked off from the rest of the school when being used for community events. Nearby, a band room and choir rehearsal area with sound baffles have also been set up for after-hours use and for ease of moving instruments in and out of the building. Other details like a digital media academy space complete with editing booths and green screen, a large metal and woodworking shop area and foods room with six shiny new stoves round out first impressions. The new Argyle is built for an enrolment of 1,300 students - more than its current enrolment of 1,259. If enrolment increases, however, the new school should be up to the task, said Pearmain. Most secondary schools can be run at 115 per cent capacity, he said – not all secondary students take a full course load, and some classes – like music – happen before or after the official school day. Not surprisingly, there are a lot of logistics involved in moving an entire school to another building. The question of "stuff" Educational assistant Joyce Griffiths is the school district’s go-to move co-ordinator to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible. On the day of our tour, Griffiths is grappling with the logistics of moving a grand piano. Pianos aside, one of Griffiths’ unofficial roles has been a kind of educational Marie Kondo, who gently but firmly encourages staff not to move all that “stuff” into the new building. “Teachers love file cabinets,” she says. “But they maybe don’t need a file cabinet for 20-year-old stuff.” “What we do in education now is not what we did.” As in people’s homes, in a 50-year-old school “there’s a lot of stuff that accumulates,” says Pearmain. A chance to reevaluate that is part of the excitement, he says. “A school move is a really big catalyst for change. Do we really need X, Y and Z? And what’s important?” Both Thomson and Pearmain acknowledge the construction of the school has not all been smooth sailing. The school district has burned through more contingency funds than anticipated, for instance. One of the early unwelcome surprises was “the soils were pretty lousy” on half of the building site, says Thomson. That meant the addition of hundreds of 30-foot-long metal pilings to support an entire wing of the school and connect it to solid bedrock. “There’s probably in the neighbourhood of 400 stilts that this concrete floor is sitting on,” he says. Those kinds of details won’t be obvious to teens as they walk through the doors on their first day in the school next month. But Pearmain hopes what they will feel is the value that this kind of building expresses about them and their future place in the community. “We know they’re going to rise to the occasion and ... treat this building the way that it was designed for them,” he says. “As the young adults we believe them to be.” Virtual Tour of the New Argyle Secondary School from North Vancouver School District on Vimeo.

North Van school PAC group advocates for diversity education

Partnership with North Shore Restorative Justice Society aims to support diverse communities https://www.nsnews.com/in-the-community/north-van-school-pac-group-advocates-for-diversity-education-3259801 Jan 13, 2021 4:30 PM By: Ben Bengtson

North Shore Restorative Justice Society leads a workshop at a North Van elementary school. A new PAC committee at Queensbury Elementary, with support from NSRJS, is looking to enhance the school's BIPOC education. @northshorerj via Instagram Queensbury Elementary’s parent advisory council is hoping to facilitate more awareness, understanding and education around diversity through the formation of a new committee.

The BIPOC Committee (Black, Indigenous, and people of colour) was envisioned during the summer and had its first meeting this past fall, according to Sioned Dyer, a Queensbury parent and committee member who’s also the executive director of the North Shore Restorative Justice Society.

“I see a desire to have greater conversations, to have meaningful actions, and to support racialized folks in our communities,” said Dyer, adding that many people around the world were galvanized this past year following the death of George Floyd in the U.S. “The North Shore community certainly has responded and recognized there’s a need, not only to amplify diverse narratives, but also that systemic racism does exist in our large institutions from top to bottom.”

The BIPOC Committee initiative is being championed by Dyer, as well as primary organizer Katie Scotland, along with other parents Nicole McArdle, Sarah Hughes, Shanna Robertson and Megan MacKenzie, with support from Queensbury principal Kelly La Roue and vice-principal Carly Roy.

The committee is likely the first parent-led group like this on the North Shore, according to Dyer.

Throughout the school year, the committee hopes to promote equity, diversity and inclusion in the school environment through various projects.

Current initiatives include asking parents to donate books by diverse authors to classroom libraries and helping to set up an online catalogue of books that promote diversity. The committee is also gathering resources to run a Black History Month awareness initiative this February. Committee members are also aiming to launch a four- part series for parents to promote the diverse, lived experiences of people from different communities on the North Shore and how parents can support learning for their children, according to Dyer.

The committee and school are also partnering with the Restorative Justice Society to run a social justice project for students in grades 6 and 7, a project similar to one that is also coming to Mountainside and Sutherland secondaries, and will give students the opportunity to discuss issues around the themes of diversity, equity and inclusion in a safe space while hearing from thought leaders on the subject. “We really want to do something for racialized students who we know disproportionately receive punitive responses to behavioural issues – they’re more likely to receive infractions, suspensions, expulsions. They also don’t see themselves as greatly represented not only in the teaching and the administration of the school district but also in teaching materials and things of that nature,” said Dyer.

The North Vancouver School District is also gearing up to celebrate Black History Month next month, with schools encouraged to lead or join activities that support learning more about the contributions and struggles of BIPOC Canadians, according to Lisa Dalla Vecchia, school district spokeswoman.

“We are pleased that our schools and PACs have and continue to take a leadership role by supporting their communities with resources, tools, and opportunities to engage in dialogue and learning – together,” said Dalla Vecchia.

At Ecole Argyle Secondary, students are being encouraged to wear a black shirt this Friday (Jan. 15), the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., to reflect the importance of the Civil Rights Movement and a commitment to continue to learn in response to a growing movement to have the day christened Black Shirt Day.

In September, school trustees voted to set up a working group that includes Black, Indigenous and people of colour to dig into the issue of systemic racism in the school system and report back to the board with recommendations at the end of the school year.

The anti-racism working group has met and will continue to meet throughout the school year, according to Dalla Vecchia. “There is a lot of important work to do,” she said.

The goal of the group is to help the school district reflect on its own practices to ensure all students and staff have equal opportunity for success, break down any barriers that may affect BIPOC students or staff, and create space for dialogue and communication, said Dalla Vecchia.

A16 | NEWS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY13, 2021 north shorenews nsnews.com 341unitscomingtoMount Seymour Parkway

Continued from page 1 Mayor Mike Little supported the complex reached the end of its useful project, saying while he recognized the life, owners negotiated to sell the prop- concerns from the public, he believed erty to Anthem. The townhouses were the development offered asignificant demolished in 2019. component of affordability that was At apublic hearing held Nov.17, and needed for the area. continued Dec. 15, the majority of 51 “I think that it’sstill generally agood speakers supported the project, with fitfor the community,” he said, men- many in favour of the rent-to-own units. tioning its closeness to amenities and Others werehappy with the develop- his own parents’ historyinthe area. Arenderingshows what the new er’senvironmental initiatives, including Seymour Estates should look like. Littlesaidwhile the development aproposed zerofossil fuel energy site. ANTHEM PROPERTIESGROUP was “a littlemoredense” than he Meanwhile, ahandful of residents would have liked, it’swhathad to be wereopposed, raising issues with “means that asingle person making $20 done in ordertoachievediversity in increases to trafficand density,child- an hour can affordabrand-new studio housing. carenot being provided as partofthe apartment, in this neighborhood that’s “I think there’salot of good in this project and building heights. been agreat place for multi-family development and Ilook forwardtosee- The majority of councillors housing for the past 50 years.” ing this project move forward,” he said. supported the project for its diverse However,Couns. Lisa Muri and Jim On the Mountain Highway rental affordable living options, environmen- Hanson wereboth opposed with sim- project, the vote was unanimous, with tal initiatives, and closeness to transit, ilar concerns about increased density council agreeing it was an overdue schools and other amenities. and cars. addition of much needed rentals in an “We’ve heardfrompeople who want “The valuable gains of electric ideal location close to transit. It was safe and securerental housing, we’ve energy will be lost by the significant also strongly supported at apublic heardfrompeople who want to just get impacts of GHGs created by well over hearing held on Dec. 8. afoot into the housing market and for 600 new vehicles on and offsite to the Little highlighted that for a17-year whom the rent-to-own element of this area as aresult of this application,” said period, not asingle purpose-built rental project would give them that opportu- Muri. “I thought our environment was development was approved in the nity,” said Coun. Jordan Back. “I think the priority.” District of North Vancouver,adding that the benefits of adevelopment like this Hanson said the density belonged council had to be “intentional about far outweigh any negative impacts and closer to transit hubs and town centres. adding these kinds of projects and it will bring renewed vibrancy to this “Let us be clear,this proposal calls finding places for them to work.” partofour community.” for atripling of density in acar depen- Bond agreed. Coun. Mathew Bond echoed the dent location. In my view,this is neither “We’recatching up on decades and supportfor housing options, highlight- good community planning, nor good decades of disinvestment in rental ing the significantly discounted rentals climate policy,” he said. housing and in rental homes,” he said.

PUBLIC NOTICE Comprehensive Legal Services WHO: City of NorthVancouver •Major ICBC Claimsand Other Personal InjuryClaims WHAT: North Vancouver •Estate Litigation •Family Law•Refugee and Museum and Archives Immigration Law•Corporate Commercial Litigation Commission WHERE: 115 West Esplanade PursuanttoSections24, 26 and 94 of the CommunityCharter,notice is hereby given that the CityofNorth Vancouver intends to enter intoalease of theproperty located at 115 West Esplanade, legally described as PID030- YANGERTSOYG WESLEY MCFADDEN 942-667,Strata Lot 131, DL 271,Group1,NWD Barristerand Solicitor with Barristerand Solicitor Strata PlanEPS6231,and provide assistance to over 27 yearsexperience [email protected] the lesseeorganizationinthe formofbelow- [email protected] market rent. Our offices continue to remain open, withoptions forremoteassistance. The lesseeisthe NorthVancouverMuseum Call 604-602-3066 or toll-free1-866-602-3060 and ArchivesCommission andthe term of the foraninitial consultation leaseis10years, with one5-year option to www.yglaw.ca renew. The basicrentisanominal amount of 145Chadwick Court,Unit 220, North Vancouver We also have offices in Vancouver,Richmond,Burnaby, $10.00 forthe term of the lease, whichisless Surrey,Langley, and Kelowna. than market value, estimatedat$625,000 per annum.

Pleasedirect any inquiries to Ian Steward, Property Services Coordinator,Real Estate VOLUNTEER Division, at [email protected] or DRIVERS 604-983-7358. NEEDED! 141 WEST 14TH STREET /NORTH VANCOUVER/BC/V7M 1H9 Call604-515-5400 or visit volunteercancerdrivers.ca T604 985 7761 /F604 985 9417 /CNV.ORG north shorenews nsnews.com WEDNESDAY,JANUARY 13, 2021 NEWS |A17 Investigation flawed, reportsays

Continued from page 4 Since the tragedy,however,there has included 14 passengerswith tiestoB.C., beenlittle justice for the victims’ families, ANew Year Ahead took partinaprivate virtual commemo- saidHadiEbrahimi, editor of Shahrvand, a ration service with Prime MinisterJustin Persian interest newspaper. ResolvetoHearBetterin2021. Trudeau and several MPs. “Thereare questions. They haven’t got Jonathan Wilkinson, MP for North answers after ayear,”hesaid. HearingLoss doesn’thaveto Vancouver,was among the members of In areport released last month, former Parliament who attended the virtual event. Liberal cabinet ministerRalph Goodale separate youfromyourlovedones. Wilkinson said the anniversarywas a pointed to serious flawsinaviation rules sombrereflection of an event that shocked thathaveallowedIran to be thelead inves- NEW! boththe local Iranian Canadian commu- tigator of its own militaryforce shooting FLEXIBLE WEST VANCOUVER NORTH VANCOUVER nity and thewhole community. He said the down the aircraft. FINANCING families were also given an update on some During the first three days following Available! 604.305.0218 604.200.3529 of theworkthe Canadian government has the downing,Iranianauthorities publicly continued to call for greateraccountability blameditonmechanical issues. Later, WorkSafeBC andother Provincial WCB Networks, VAC, www.nexgenhearing.com and transparency from theregimeinIran. authorities acknowledged the planehad BCEA and NIHBaccepted. Registered under theCollege of Speechand Hearing HealthProfessionalsofBC. nexgenhearing.com “Iranhas certainlynot been as transpar- been shot downbymissiles, butblamed it ent as we would haveliked nor expected,” on human error. he said. The Iranian governmentalsorestricted Ayearearlier,Trudeau metwith local accesstothe crash site and to theblack Get thebest family members before approximately 400 boxes containing flightinformation. peopleattended avigil in NorthVancouver Wilkinson said Canada hadplayedalead- combos to honour the memoryofthe eight North ing international role in pushing for answers. Shore residents who diedaboardUkraine “Wehavebeen pushing Iran to be much onlyat International Airlines Flight 752when Iran’s moreforthcoming on theeventsthat militaryhit the plane withtwo missiles actuallyled to this, to ensurethatthey take shortlyafter it took offfromTehran. responsibility and action for thosewho are Pourshabanhad arrivedfromIran aweek responsible...”hesaid. earlier than her parents to resume her uni- “The only thing that Ibelieveevery versity studies whenshe gotthe news. single one of thefamiliesislooking foris Otherlocal victims included engineer the truth,” said Hezarkhani. “And justice .. Daniel Saketand hishygienist wife Faye .Wewantthe detailsofwhy thishappened, 153 W16th St Kazerani, and Langara College student howithappened.And we wantall those Delaram Dadashnejad, who was an inter- responsibletobeheld accountable for it. So andreaSONLINE.ca national student flyinghometoVancouver basically,truthand justice. That’sall we’re after avisit withfamily in Tehran. looking for.” 604-985-0414

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Notice of aVirtual Public Information Meeting Redic Development Inc. is proposing to develop aﬁve-storey,stacked townhouse building at 342 Mountain Highway,District of North Vancouver. DuetoCOVID-19, this Public Information Meeting willtakeplace virtually. Yo uare invited to visit the Virtual Public Information Meeting websitetolearnmore, ask questions,and provide comments: Dates: January 27 –February 10,2021 URL: www.DNV.org/public-meeting This is not aPublic Hearing.District of North Vancouver Council will formallyconsider the approval of adevelopment permit at alater date. The proposal is aﬁve-storey building with 26 townhomes:3four-bedroom units and 23 three-bedroom units.The main pedestrian entrytothe building is from Mountain Highway and vehicles enter an underground parkade from RupertStreet. Atotal of 47 residentand visitor parking spaces and 46 bikespaces will be provided. The project includes on-sitepublic art, anew bikelane along Mountain Highway and sidewalk improvements along both Mountain Highway and RupertStreet. Sisters Chantal and TessaCampbell helped raise morethan $50,000 forbrain health after their dad passed away this fall. TRINA CAMPBELL Sistersride forresearch

BEN BENGTSON been donated. [email protected] And while thenumbers kept growing, an Apair of West Vancouver sisters have idea keptbuilding inside thesisters’ minds. quickly raised morethan $50,000 Craig had always been an avid biker, Project Rendering Development site for brain research after their father whether that be an outdoor adventureor (Viewfromthe corner of Rupert St. and Mountain Highway) passed away last fall, after along battle downtown commute over the Lions Gate with ararenervous system syndrome. Bridge –bybike or unicycle –while wearing This information package is being distributed to the ownersand occupants within Craig Campbell died Sept. 25 after living his signaturebeaver helmet. 100m of the proposed development siteinaccordance with District of North with primaryprogressive aphasiafor the last Craig and hisdaughters had always Vancouver policy. decade. He was 64 years old. talked about doing a final ride together and If youwould likemoreinformation, please contact Ryan Rohani at 778-668-4236 or Chantal Campbell, Craig’syounger although they didn’t gettodothat, Chantal Helen Cain, District of North Vancouver,at604-990-3859, or bring questions and daughter,described herdad as a“positive, and Tessa embarked on awet and rainy bike comments to the meeting. easy-goingguy who lived life to the fullest.” ride from West Vancouver to Victoria viathe Even when Craig developed astutter 10 Sunshine Coast and along Vancouver Island years ago –the firstneurological sign that last month in his honour. something was wrong –hemaintained his Along the way, Chantal and Tessa often larger-than-life ethos, said Chantal. worethe beaver helmet covers their father “You could tell he knew what he wanted was fond of as theyjourneyedalong the to say,but he couldn’t articulate the words,” coast. “I think he would haveabsolutely said Chantal. “He would writehis words loved it,” shesays. down.” From Dec. 27-30the sisters biked 320-kilo- Primaryprogressive aphasia is atype of metres as their mom kept pace behindthem dementia that affects an individual’sability in asupportvehicle. to communicate. Over time, theindivid- “It was abit of awildadventure,” noted ual can lose the ability to speak and write Chantal, who added that she was living in entirely,aswell as understand languagein Australia prior to the pandemic andiscur- general. rently waiting for asafe window to get back The disease eventuallybegan to affect to the land Down Under.“We didn’t have Craig’sother cognitive abilities as well, that big of awindow of an opportunity to do WEVALUE BC according to Chantal. something likethis.” “Everyday it was anew challenge. We Currently,the B.C. government has With concerns forour health, safetyand ﬁnances, the past year has had no idea what to expect,” she said. “It stated that allnon-essential travel within the been achallengingtimefor us all. was quitethe experience for all of us.There province should be avoided because of the was no book on how to handle it.” pandemic. At BC Assessment, we know that your home matters. Following Craig’spassing, sisters Chantal The family of three travelledtogether, Youcan expectreliabilityand accuracy when youreceiveyour 2021 and Tessa, as well as Craig’swife Trina worePPE masks along the way,stayed at the property assessment,based on themarketvalueasofJuly1,2020. Campbell,started afundraising campaign family property up at Sakinaw Lake on the so that other families living through abrain first night andlodged in hotels theother two If youhaven’t received your assessmentnoticeoryou have disease in the futuremight be able to handle nights, noted Chantal. concerns, we areheretohelp.Connectwith us at bcassessment.ca it with alittle more ease. The B.C. MinistryofHealth declined or at 1-866-valueBC. After they shared their campaign online, an offer to provide further guidance on Access andcompareproperty The deadline to ﬁle an appeal it raisedthousandsofdollars in just afew outdoor recreation and travel for this story; informationusingour free of your assessment is days, according to Chantal, so much so but according to the government’s website assessment search serviceat February1,2021. that the University of BritishColumbia on provincewide restrictions, individual bcassessment.ca. –Craig’salma mater –asked to set up a circumstances mayaffect whether atrip direct in-memoriam fundraising page with is considered essential or non-essential.In donations earmarked to supportthe Djavad general, essential travel within B.C. includes Mowafaghian Centrefor Brain Health. regular travel for work or travelling for Formorepropertyinformation “The response we gotwas crazy,”added things like medical appointments or hospital andassessment highlights, Chantal. visits. visit bcassessment.ca While the campaign started with a “Going to theairportorcrossing borders modest goal of $10,000, that number kept is quite different than whatwedid,” said growing and growing until it landed at Chantal. “Thisissomething that obviously $50,000. To date, morethan $54,000 has lies quite close to our hearts.” OPCC reopens police conduct investigation into 2015 death of Myles Gray Probe resumes after prosecutors said none of 7 officers involved in confrontation with Gray would face charges CBC News https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5845627 Posted: December 17, 2020 Last Updated: December 17, 2020 Myles Gray is seen in this photo provided by his mother.

There were no civilian witnesses to Gray's 2015 death in a confrontation with seven Vancouver police officers in Burnaby, B.C., and no surveillance footage has been found. (Submitted by Margie Reed) Read Comments The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner is reopening a suspended investigation into the death of Myles Gray, the 33-year-old man who died in a confrontation with seven Vancouver police officers in August 2015. On Wednesday, Crown prosecutors said none of the officers involved will face charges in his death. Now that criminal charges will not proceed, the OPCC is going ahead with a disciplinary-conduct investigation into the actions of the officers. It had originally been ordered in 2015 but was suspended while the criminal investigation was underway. "Any time a person suffers serious harm or death by municipal police there is always mandatory investigation into the conduct of those officers," said Andrea Spindler, deputy police complaint commissioner.  Vancouver police officers won't be charged over unarmed man's 2015 death The investigation will be conducted independently of the Vancouver Police Department, and Spindler says the OPCC has broader powers to compel officers to speak. During the early stages of the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) probe, there were issues with two of the police officers not co-operating. One of them was later ordered by the courts to do so.  Vancouver police cannot refuse to be questioned by IIO investigators, judge rules The OPCC's investigation will look at officer conduct and any training or policy related issues. It has the ability to do systemic investigations and "to hopefully prevent circumstances like this from occurring in the future," said Spindler. "Police have tremendous powers and they are authorized to use force but responsible for any excessive use of that force, and I understand the public demands accountability and that's not unreasonable. So, it's important for our office to examine these issues and look critically at the actions of police," said Spindler. In a lengthy statement released Wednesday, the B.C. Prosecution Service explained its decision not to charge anyone over Gray's death. It said that because of contradictions between the statements of the officers involved and an inability to pinpoint the exact cause of death, they have not been able to establish a clear picture of what happened and therefore do not believe they can prove any of the officers committed manslaughter or assault. Now that the Crown's consideration of charges has wrapped up, the B.C. Coroners Service says it will resume its investigation into Gray's death. That probe could not be concluded while the criminal process was underway, according to Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe. In a news release Thursday afternoon, Lapointe said her office will wrap up the investigation "as quickly as possible," and then determine whether to hold a public inquest into what happened. "The Coroners Act requires deaths that occur while an individual is detained by or in the custody of police be reviewed at inquest unless a legislative exception applies," Lapointe said. IIO recommended charges Gray, a 33-year-old owner of a wholesale florist business in Sechelt, B.C., suffered a long list of injuries in his encounter with seven Vancouver officers, including multiple broken bones and brain bleeding. He was unarmed at the time. There were no civilian eyewitnesses and there was no video evidence of the incident. Gray was in the Lower Mainland to make a delivery to a customer in Burnaby at the time of the confrontation, according to the prosecution service. Police were called when a resident of a home on Southeast Marine Drive reported that Gray had taken a garden hose from his mother and sprayed her; the mother said Gray was speaking "gibberish." At the time, B.C. was in the midst of a drought and lawn watering was banned in Metro Vancouver. The altercation that ended Gray's life took place in a backyard on nearby Joffre Avenue.  Family marks '5 years of hell' since Myles Gray was killed in run-in with Vancouver police After the IIO completed its investigation into the matter, it recommended charges to Crown. "No one saw what happened but the involved officers. Nevertheless, based on the evidence ... I believed there was reasonable grounds for an offence, given the facts we did know," said Ron MacDonald, the chief civilian director of the IIO. "But it's up to Crown to determine if [that's] sufficient for trial. They applied their test and determined it was not." In addition to the OPCC conducting its own investigation, a civil lawsuit could also be drawn, MacDonald said. "This matter may be far from over," he said.  Myles Gray suffered multiple broken bones in fight with police, prior to his death, court petition reveals CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices

Pandemic spurs tiny house interest, while builders say regulatory hurdles remain While many people are dreaming of making the move into a tiny home, building code requirements and regional rules can pose major hurdles. Author of the article: The Canadian Press Brenna Owen Publishing date: Dec 25, 2020 • Last Updated 1 day ago • 5 minute read https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/pandemic-spurs-tiny-house-interest-while-builders-say-regulatory-hurdles-remain

A finished 'Coastal Escape' tiny home, built in 2018 by Sunshine Tiny Homes in Gibsons, B.C., is shown in an undated handout photo. Tiny home builder Pamela Robertson said she couldn't keep up with quote requests after the pandemic hit. Photo by HO /The Canadian Press The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many Canadians to reevaluate their housing and workarrangements, spurring some to think not big, but tiny. Pamela Robertson builds tiny homes in Gibsons on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast and said she couldn’t keep up with requests for quotes after the pandemic hit.

“Everybody wanted a tiny home that was built in stock and I build to order,” said Robertson, whose tiny homes on wheels are inspected to meet the Canadian Standards Association specifications for recreational vehicles. While many people are dreaming of making the move, Robertson warns that building code requirements and regional rules can pose major hurdles. “There are tiny houses on wheels out there and they’re all living under the fear that somebody is going to call them out.” Like many jurisdictions, B.C. prohibits year-round living in RVs outside designated parks. Neither the provincial nor national building codes covers mobile homes and they present challenges related to lofts, ladders, small stairs and other features characteristic of tiny homes, she said. Robertson said her company, Sunshine Tiny Homes, adheres as much as possible to the codes, as well as the international residential code that has specifications for tiny homes, in hopes Canada’s codes will one day differentiate tiny homes from RVs and other prefabricated houses. She’s advocating for a pilot project that could see tiny homes on wheels temporarily permitted on property that’s already allowed a second dwelling, but the Sunshine Coast Regional District has yet to give the green light. Robertson is also saving to build a tiny home of her own in the area that she said is hard-hit by low vacancy rates and high rental costs. “It’s very dire here. It’s basically becoming unaffordable for people, for single people. So, tiny homes are definitely one of a multitude of solutions.” The Canadian Home Builders’ Association joined calls for a friendlier regulatory landscape for tiny homes in 2017, requesting a number of changes to the national building code related to construction on a chassis or trailer, ceiling heights, stairs, escape windows and other features. It can take years for code changes to be approved, if at all, said Bob Deeks, president ofRDC Fine Homes in Whistler, B.C. He’s been a committee member with the homebuilders association and with Codes Canada, which is responsible for developing the national building code. There’s a diversity of perspectives at the table, he said, noting the health-care sector advocates for changes, such as minimum stair dimensions, that could prevent injuries, but those changes could curtail smaller homes. “That person living on the street? They don’t care what those stairs look like,” said Deeks. “We’re going to design the very best housing that the world has to offer, but nobody can afford,” he added. Elsewhere in B.C., Jessika Houston is preparing to move into her new tiny home on wheels in early February after it’s finished. Houston, 42, had been thinking about tiny living and initially planned to rent after selling her four-bedroom house in Surrey. When the pandemic hit and her rental circumstances changed, she said it was time to make the moveto a more stable home that’s easier to maintain. Houston said she went from working 60 hours a week and commuting two hours each day to starting her own business with more flexible hours andcommissioning a tiny home from a Vancouver-based builder. “My whole intention behind all of it is to be able to live a lifestyle that I can go and experience life instead of being stuck in the rat race and working 9 to 5 and coming home and cleaning on the weekends,” she said. Like Robertson’s homes, Houston’s farmhouse-style tiny house is built to CSA standards for RVs. A bedroom on the main floor will boast a king-sized bed, she said, while a loft is accessible by stairs with built-in storage. Houston found someone to lease her a spot to park her tiny home in the Lower Mainland, but she said others aren’t so fortunate, given bylaws that restrict living in a tiny home on wheels throughout the region. “When you’re in the city, you have to worry about the neighbours and somebody reporting it,” she said. “Right now, the way the landscape is set up, you have to go out into the country so that nobody can see it.” Houston bought her home outright, but financing is another major hurdle for many tiny-house hopefuls. The company that’s building Houston’s home, Mint Tiny Homes, lists the price for a 6.7-metre home at $92,500, while larger models with more features and customizations can top $130,000. Banks are wary of lending money to people building homes without sufficient comparables, said Daniel Ott, president of True North Tiny Homes. The company builds and designs tiny and modular homes and garden and laneway suites across Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe. “Pre-COVID, I was having some decent conversations with credit unions,” he said. “As soon as COVID hit, even they said, ‘Nope, don’t want to touch it.’ So, Ott looks for creative solutions for clients who can’t buy outright. “I actually drive them to go talk to a Realtor and buy a piece of property. Even though it sounds like you’re spending more money, you’re actually able to finance it so you need less money down,” he said, noting banks are more likely to finance a home mortgaged in combination with the land. Ott’s company was recently involved in the purchase of a mobile home park west of Toronto on the shores of Lake Huron. The goal is to create a tiny home village of sorts, he said, where plots of land can be bought and sold like condo or strata title rather than leased. While others push for building code changes, Ott said he’s most keen to see municipalities update their zoning and other bylaws to recognize growing interest in tiny homes as a solution to housing affordability woes. Otherwise, said Robertson, “We’re restricting ourselves out of living.” LETTER: Pay parking coming to some North Vancouver parks is a terrible idea

Vehicle owners will soon be charged by the hour to park in Lynn Canyon Park and Lynn Headwaters Regional Park Jan 12, 2021 7:30 PM By: North Shore News https://www.nsnews.com/opinion/letter-pay-parking-coming-to-some-north-vancouver-parks-is-a-terrible-idea-3256330

Hikers enjoy the Lynn Canyon suspension bridge. Starting this spring, they will have to pay for parking at the popular park.Cindy Goodman, North Shore News files

Dear Editor:

I hate the hordes of people frequenting my once serene and peaceful trails that I use every day but pay parking is not the solution. It is a bad idea in so many ways:

1. It will encourage people to carpool, exactly what they should not be doing at this time.

2. It will discourage people from an activity where social distancing is possible [and push them] into more confined areas in the city where it is not.

3. These are exceptional times with exceptional circumstances. When other activities are once again safe, people will go back to doing what they did before the pandemic.

4. It will encourage people to park in residential areas, even if it means walking several blocks.

5. Transit is not an option as it is totally inadequate. As well, transit does not take dogs.

6. This is right up there with turning off the Christmas lights at 11 p.m.

Debra A Dunne North Vancouver Potential routes for Chilliwack-Vancouver-Whistler high-speed rail: UBC study

Kenneth Chan https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/chilliwack-vancouver-whistler-mountain-valley-express-high-speed-rail-ubc | Jan 6 2021, 10:23 am

High-speed rail in the Alps of Austria. (Shutterstock)

Three high-speed rail route options for the segment between Vancouver and Whistler have been examined by University of British Columbia (UBC) students.

It is intended to build on the work completed by another group comprising academics and planners who announced their concept of Mountain Valley Express (MVX) — a high-speed rail line linking Chilliwack, Vancouver, and Whistler — in October 2020.

 See also: o 60-minute train: High-speed rail proposal linking Whistler, Vancouver, and Fraser Valley o High-speed rail connecting Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland worth the cost: report o Cascadia mega-region should build hub cities for smart growth: report o New report outlines next steps for Vancouver-Seattle-Portland high-speed rail

For their final group project in December 2020, published on the university’s blogs website, the UBC Geography students dived into the topographical and terrain feasibility, with one route option, as envisioned by MVX, following the Sea to Sky Highway. This option could take advantage of the existing railway right-of- way, even though it “may not be able to accommodate the highest speeds from West Vancouver to Squamish due to the winding nature of the rail.” Following the highway corridor could potentially carry a lower construction cost and shorter construction timeline as “less modifications would have to be made to the landscape in order to make the route suitable for a higher speed commuter train.” The segment of the route between Horseshoe Bay and Squamish would carry slower speeds, while overall travel times could be reduced with higher speeds in the segments from Squamish to Whistler and Chilliwack to Vancouver.

Potential route options for high speed rail between Metro Vancouver and Squamish. (Susan Watkinson/Clara Dunlop/Sean Roufousse)

A second route option followed the Capilano Watershed, before joining the Sea to Sky Highway corridor in the area of Furry Creek for the remaining journey to Squamish and Whistler. But this route was described as an “ill fit” due to the high degree slope and sensitive watershed habitat.

There is also a third option that would take the route from Indian Arm through to Iron Bay, then along the pre- existing logging routes to Squamish and the Sea to Sky Highway corridor. However, this route option carries a higher construction cost, as there is “little to no infrastructure past Indian Arm and the cost of creating and maintaining a rail in such a remote location would be higher than if done along existing highway,” and it would cross through several provincial and regional parks. Each route option would, of course, bring varying ridership and economic benefits due to their differing travel times and potential to stimulate development along their corridors, such as transit-oriented development with more affordable housing options.

Some of these route options were also considered in the early 2000s by the provincial government for new highway corridor alternatives to improving the existing the Sea to Sky Highway.

“With increasing commuter and tourist traffic along Highway 99, traffic accidents and higher carbon emissions have increased, as such, a green commuting solution needs to be found for this region,” reads the paper.

“A high speed rail would help to decrease traffic accidents, reduce carbon emissions, would cause a housing boom in the areas further away from Vancouver and would increase the work life balance for many commuters by reducing travel time and creating cheaper and more accessible housing opportunities further away from places of work. Day tourist traffic would increase to Whistler as Whistler would become more accessible, which would increase the local tourist economy.”

Map of Mountain Valley Express’ and station locations along the Sea to Sky Corridor and within Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. (Mountain Valley Express)

Last year, MVX proponents outlined their high-speed rail concept of 11 stations at major destinations and transfer points to other modes of public transit, including stations for Squamish, Horseshoe Bay, North Vancouver, Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver, Commercial- Broadway Station, Lougheed Town Centre Station, Surrey City Centre, Langley, and Abbotsford.

They imagined end-to-end travel times of about one hour between Chilliwack and Whistler, by following the Trans-Canada Highway and Sea to Sky Highway corridors for large segments of the route using a dedicated, fully grade separated track.

Based on the preliminary cost estimates for the Vancouver-Seattle-Portland high-speed rail project, the group’s very high-level estimate for MVX pegged the project at between $7 billion and $16 billion.

NEWSSTAND WEDNESDAY JANUARY62021 $1.25 PRICE LIFESTYLE 13 Perform ForPride Annual social justice benefit REESE FINDLER moves online this year BENEFIT ORGANIZER COMMUNITY 18 Charged up City of North Vancouver outlines what’snextwith EV strategy

NEIGHBOURHOODS 27 Order of Canada TwoWest Vancouver residents honoured for contributions to country

Canada’s #1 communitynewspaper local matters . since1969 NORTHSHORENEWS INTERACT WITH THE NEWS AT nsnews.com

COVID PROTOCOLS Widowshares warning after husband gets sick in hospital

JANE SEYD [email protected] ANorth Vancouver widow whose husband died of COVID-19 says she’s haunted by alack of COVID precau- tions she witnessed at Lions Gate Hospital, and can’t help wondering if they contributed to him catching the virus and ending his life too soon. Bronwyn James spent aquiet Christmas with her two adultchildren this year,going over photos of some Christmases past, and reflecting on the person who wasn’t with them this year: husband and father Doug Fung, who on Oct. 29 died of COVID-19 at age 63. James said initially shedidn’t want to blame anyone for Fung catching the virus –which contact tracers told her likely happened during ahospital stay earlier in Derek, Jill, Bronwyn and Doug Fung pose during afamily outing at Grouse Mountain in 2015.Doug died in October of COVID-19.Bronwyn Continued on page 12 believeshecontractedthe virus during astayatLions GateHospital. FUNG FAMILY

2020 HOME ASSESSMENTS Property valuescontinuetoskyrocket during pandemic

JANE SEYD per cent in July above the same values ayear Vancouver,wherea“typical” home increased Vancouver –already in the stratosphere– [email protected] previous –despite being in the middle of a by seven per cent over last year.Atypical increased by an average of five per cent, Even aglobal pandemiccan’t stop coronavirus wave. home in the District of North Vancouver that according to BC Assessment, from $2.356 North Shoreproperty assessments That’saturnaround from last January, was worth $1.479 million in 2019 was valued million last July to $2.472 million this year. from rising. when ahead of the global outbreak, home in July at $1.578 million. In the City of North The increases aresimilartothose in Assessment notices out this week show values dropped for the second year in arow. Vancouver,ahome valued at $1.351 million in other Lower Mainland communities. Houses typical home values in North and West Leading the rise in values weresingle-fam- 2019 was assessed at $1.452 million in July. on Bowen Island posted one of the biggest Vancouver wereupbetween five and seven ily homes in the City and District of North Typical single-familyhomes in West Continued on page 4

NORTHSHORE’S HOCKEY STORE

GO CANADCANADAAG GO!O! 2021IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP A4 | NEWS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY6,2021 north shorenews nsnews.com

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NORTH SHORE VACCINE ROLLOUT WHYTECLIFFE PARK CapCareHome residentsvaccinated Scuba diver

JANE SEYD diesinWest [email protected] Residents at West Vancouver’s Vancouver Capilano CareCentre–wherea COVID-19 outbreak has claimed 26 A64-year-old Vancouver man is lives –wereamong the first long-term dead following ascuba diving careresidents on the North Shoreto accident offWhytecliffPark, West receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Vancouver police have confirmed. Elderly residents at the carecentrewho Police received areportofan wereeligible received their first dose of the unconscious man being pulled from the Pfizer vaccine Dec. 24. water on Dec. 30 at noon. Bystanders LarryRoberts, spokesman for Revera, and paramedics werealready on the the company that owns the Capilano Care scene attemptingtorevive the man when Centre, said most of the residents have now officers arrived, according to arelease received the vaccine. from Const. Kevin Goodmurphy,West In total, 76 residents of the 205-bed care Vancouver police spokesman. The man facility and 66 staffmembers tested positive was pronounced dead at the scene. for the virus since the outbreak was declared “This is asad situation,” Goodmurphy Nov.9. said. “Wecommend the efforts of the Atotal of 50 residents and all staffhave bystanders who attempted to revive the now recovered from the virus. diver.” The man’sdive partner indicated Residents and staffoflong-term care to police it was likely an equipment homes, as well as front-line hospital staffwho malfunction but that won’t be known work in emergency and COVID-19 wards, are for certain until the Coast Guardhas among the first to get the vaccinations in Staff members from Lions GateHospital line up forCOVID-19 vaccinations at the hospital on inspected the gear and the BC Coroners B.C., as partofaplan that targets the most Monday. PAUL MCGRATH Service has determined the cause of vulnerable as well as those in crucial medical death, Goodmurphy said. positions who may be exposed to the virus. carehome residents, paramedics and those protect as many people as possible during “He was averyexperienced scuba The first COVID-19 vaccination clinics living in isolated First Nations communities the time of highest risk. diver with over 30 years of diving expe- for health-careworkers on the North Shore arealso priorities for the vaccine. People who have previously had COVID- rience,” he said. “It doesn’t appear as –which also made use of the Pfizer vaccine – By the end of March, the province hopes 19 won’t get the vaccine in the first round though therewas anything suspicious happened Dec. 21 in North Vancouver. to give almost 550,000 people a first dose of of immunizations as natural immunity is about it. It was likely just ahorrible On Monday,another vaccination clinic the vaccine, said Henry. Some people will thought to last several months. accident.” was held for emergency room, ICU and also get asecond dose. About 54,000 doses of vaccine have so far WhytecliffPark is apopular location COVID-19 warddoctors and staffatLions Other groups near the front of the line for been received in B.C., said HenryonMonday. for divers. A43-year-old Surrey woman Gate Hospital. vaccine include seniors over 80; Indigenous But she said she is hopeful both that died therein2016 after going into medical Dr.Bonnie Henry, the province’smedical seniors over 65; people living in homeless production of existing vaccines will ramp up distress in the water.InJanuary2012 health officer,said on Monday that the goal shelters, group homes and prisons; as well by March and that other vaccines – including an experienced diver in his 60s was is to immunize 150,000 people by the end of as home supportworkers and clients, and the AstraZenecaand Janssen vaccines –will presumed drowned after he became sepa- February. other medical staffincluding doctors and be approved by Health Canada in the coming rated from his diving partner and failed to Those at the front of the vaccination line community health-careworkers. months. surface. In November 2008, a61-year-old include residents and staffoflong-term care Health officials have decided to give as “It’samonumental task and thereare diving instructor died at WhytecliffPark and assisted living facilities, plus those who many people as possible a first dose of the many months to go in this,” said Henryon after being found unconscious by his arewaiting for abed in long-term care. Front- vaccine and delay the second dose slightly. Monday.She urged people to stick to public students. line medical staff, essential visitors of elderly Henrysaid that decision was made to tryto Continued on page 10 –Brent Richter Home salesstall beforesurging in second half of 2020

Continued from page 1 as “the great dispersion” seen in the early Shoreisfurther increased, he said. “It’ll be The Greater Vancouver Real Estate increases in value this time around. A“typi- months of the pandemic, when those who interesting to see if this trend continues.” Boardlisted the price of a“benchmark” cal” home therewent up nine per cent from could work from home and no longer had Brent Eilers, with Re/Max Masters Realty, detached house in North Vancouver at about $934,000 in July 2019 to crack the one million to face long commutes downtown made said 2020 was “an extremely unusual year” in $1.7 million and about $2.8 million in West mark in July 2020. location decisions based moreon“lifestyle” the real estate market. Sales wereslow in the Vancouver in December. Values of typical strata properties were factors. first partofthe year and dropped to almost As usual, changes to assessed values also up in North Vancouver,rising five per Condos outside the city coretend to be nothing in the early months of the pandemic, varied considerably between neighbour- cent in the city,to$690,000, and six per cent larger,said Yan, and moreattractive “when he said, only to recover and boom with hoods on the North Shore. Single-family in the district, to $732,000. your condo is not only the place whereyou pent-up demand from mid-summer onwards. homes in areas like Pemberton Heights, Andy Yan, director of The City Program sleep, but also whereyou work and eat and In the last six months of the year,“the activ- Upper Lonsdale, Fromme and Gleneagles at Simon Fraser University,said the fact have adaycare[for your kids]. Size does ity level doubled,” said Eilers. boasted some larger than average increases property values rose on the North Shore–as matter.” Eilers said it’stoo early to tell if pandem- in assessed value, with assessments rising well as in some other more“suburban” areas For those who no longer have to cross a ic-caused lifestyle changes will have any between nine and 11 per cent. Other areas of of the Lower Mainland –could be areflection bridge to get to work because they arework- lasting impact on the housing market, but the North Shoresaw moremodest increases of what some demographers aredescribing ing remotely,the desirability of the North said it’ssomething to watch. of two and three per cent.

Reservoirs in the Sky a 1947 film documenting how Greater Vancouver Water District supplies water Quote from 1947 film on GVWD...

"The communities situated around Burrard peninsula are fortunate indeed in the unique heritage that nature has provided in the form of adequate resources of pure water that may be supplied to the consumer at low cost without the necessity of treatment that so frequently must be resorted to in other parts of the world. The policy of the Greater Vancouver Water District since its inception has been to keep this precious heritage forever free from human occupation or contamination, and to develop these resources step by step in logical sequence so that as the communities grow they may always be blessed with an abundant supply of safe, clean water." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsA7bG97PSM&t=638s

EDITORIAL: Despite public health crisis, residential property assessments continue to soar

Prices remain as steep as the Grouse Grind. Jan 5, 2021 6:00 PM By: North Shore News https://www.nsnews.com/opinion/editorial-despite-public-health-crisis-residential-property-assessments-continue-to-soar-3236243

A real estate market that slowed to a crawl in North Van and West Van with the first wave of coronavirus in March and April picked up steam in June.Mike Wakefield, North Shore News files

It seems not even a public health crisis can abate the housing crisis. Residential property assessments of all kinds are up across the North Shore.

Assessments are primarily used for municipalities to set their tax rates and for gossip at (Zoom) cocktail parties, but they do bring into sharp focus one thing: the barrier to entry for home ownership.

At $1.578 million for a typical single-family home in the District of North Vancouver or $690,000 for a condo in the City of North Vancouver, the prices remain as steep as the Grouse Grind.

There are affordable housing projects on the agenda in each of our three municipalities in 2021. We aren’t concerned about whether the current City of North Vancouver council will do the right thing. It’s the other two North Shore governments we’re worried about. West Vancouver council has a history of getting scared off its big picture priorities in the face of local opposition. And while District of North Vancouver council has turned a corner on affordable housing, their record still shows they’ve cancelled more affordable units than they have approved.

This week, we bring you a heart-rending letter from Kim Manhas, a care aide who works at the Capilano Care Centre, the seniors home hit hardest by COVID-19 on the North Shore. She describes the loving attention the staff provide our elders under truly frightening conditions. Yet, she commutes from Surrey.

When our councils dither, delay or deny affordable housing, it’s folks like Manhas we are turning away. In 2021, we cannot afford to say no to these people any longer. On affordable housing, we want our councils to show the same compassion and determination Manhas does.

Salmon returning to North Van creek in 'shocking' numbers (VIDEO)

Coho and chum salmon returns up 300 per cent almost immediately Jan 19 2021 By: Brent Richter https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/salmon-returning-to-north-van-creek-in-shocking-numbers-video-3272706

North Shore Streamkeepers president Keegan Casidy wades into Mosquito Creek where salmon are returning in record numbers thanks to a habitat restoration project led by local volunteers.Paul McGrath, North Shore News

After all but disappearing from Mosquito Creek, salmon populations are returning in record numbers thanks to a habitat improvement project led by the North Shore Streamkeepers.

Keegan Casidy, the group’s president, grew up fishing in North Vancouver. Life took him to the Cariboo for a time but when he returned to the North Shore in 2016, he saw his beloved creek almost devoid of fish. The last time a pink salmon had been spotted there was the following year. “I used to run down with a fishing rod, prior to cellphones and things like that, and have some fond memories of very large fish in the creek,” he said. “I very quickly found out that the salmon population had declined to a point of almost extirpation.” As the North Shore developed, the nature of the stream changed with more storm water washing away the woody debris and boulders where salmonids seek shelter, and compressing the gravel where they lay their eggs. Casidy joined the North Shore Streamkeepers and started picking the brain of a local restoration biologist with experience in creek rehabilitation projects. The Squamish Nation was already ahead of him, having commissioned a study assessing the creek from First Street to the estuary. The Nation provided the report and backed the project. Casidy then raised the $250,000 required to transform the creek’s bank where it runs through the Squamish Nation’s community of Eslhá7an. Some of the biggest funders chipped in between $10,000 and $25,000 including the Pacific Salmon Foundation, Seaspan, Neptune Terminals, CN Rail, Patagonia and the City of North Vancouver. It took more than three years and thousands of volunteer hours to get the project shovel ready. Casidy said he was brought to tears when Squamish Nation representatives conducted a blessing, with drummers and singers who came to let the creek know work was going to begin. It took 11 days in September for heavy equipment operators to carefully place new boulders and 60 mature conifers with their root balls still attached. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Streamkeepers began transplanting eggs from a hatchery to the creek in 2019. When the mature survivors return to spawn later this year, they will find the creek looking much better than they left it. But Casidy said he was astounded to see new fish moving in almost immediately. “We already had coho salmon utilizing the structures that we had built,” he said. “That was pretty much the earliest we've ever seen them and they were in very good shape.” Going back to 1995, the Streamkeepers had never counted more than six chum and eight coho salmon on Mosquito Creek. When Casidy did a detailed count on Remembrance Day, he found 21 chum and at 25 coho. “So in both cases, you've got an over-300 per cent increase in population,” he said. “We were absolutely shocked to see how many coho and chum had returned.” They’ve also since spotted the first steelhead trout on the creek in 21 years. Casidy said it’s most likely the newcomers had strayed from their home creeks and rivers after they could detect the new trees and boulders on Mosquito Creek. “They go, ‘Whoa, that smells really good. Let's go check it out.’ And ultimately they decide, yes, this is suitable spawning habitat,” he said.

DFO is now planning to put in 20,000 pink and 20,000 chum eggs on alternating years and Casidy brims with optimism future returns will be in the hundreds of fish per year, over and above the wild salmon population. “Looking forward, we can only expect larger returns,” he said. Other sponsors and partners on the project included Concert Properties, British Pacific Properties, Cove Continuity Advisors, Vancity, Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, BCIT, RDM Enterprises, Sqomish Forestry and Headwater Management. https://youtu.be/OQ37L_Gb6NM Sea-level rise from climate change could exceed the high-end projections, scientists warn

By Jeff Berardelli

December 23, 2020 / 8:21 AM / CBS News https://www.cbsnews.com/news/climate-change-rising-sea-levels-worst-case-projections/

Of the many threats from climate change, sea-level rise will most certainly be among the most impactful, making hundreds of thousands of square miles of coastline uninhabitable and potentially displacing over 100 million people worldwide by the end of the century. This threat is a top concern for national security experts because forced migration poses significant risks to international security and stability.

The magnitude of this threat depends heavily on how much the oceans rise in the coming decades. But because of the complex dynamics of massive ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, exact estimates remain elusive, ranging from just over a foot to several feet above current levels. That disparity is the difference between tens of millions of people forced from their homes or a much more unmanageable hundreds of millions displaced.

 Rebuild or retreat? The future of Louisiana's coastline in jeopardy

Now, a new paper published in the past week warns that if global warming continues at the current pace — reaching high-end warming projections for 2100 — then sea-level rise will probably surpass those projections.

Since the late 1800s, sea level has risen an average of about 10 inches globally, but the amount varies from region to region. Last century the largest contributor to the rise of the oceans was thermal expansion; simply put, warmer water expands. But now the melting of ice sheets, mainly from Greenland and Antarctica, constitutes a greater proportion, and that fraction will only grow.

In fact, there is enough ice locked up in Greenland and Antarctica such that if all the ice melted it would cause a sea-level rise of 210 feet, a little taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. No scientist is expecting anything even close to that this century, but after the Earth surpasses a certain level of warming, ice sheets become less stable and less predictable, with potential tipping points coming into play.

In the most recent report from the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR5), the median sea-level rise projections by the end of the century range from 16 inches for a low-end warming scenario to 2 feet for a high-end scenario (compared to the average sea level from 1986-2005). The estimates also come with a large degree of uncertainty, which pushes the top bound of likely sea-level rise above 2 and a half feet.

The new paper, titled "Twenty-first century sea-level rise could exceed IPCC projections for strong-warming futures," takes issue with that upper estimate, saying it is likely too low. The paper was published by a who's who of the most well known glaciologists and sea-level rise experts, including Martin Siegert, Richard Alley, Eric Rignot, John Englander and Robert Corell.

John Englander is a co-author of the paper and author of the books "High Tide on Main Street" and the soon-to- be-released "Moving to Higher Ground: Rising Sea Level and the Path Forward." He says this paper is a reaction to a "chorus of concern in the scientific community that the projections for rising sea level were understated." He said the research team hopes their work can inform the next major IPCC report, since that's the most widely cited document on climate change. "With the next report now being prepared for release in 2021-22, our intent was to make the case to the IPCC leadership to explain the reality of Antarctic potential melting better, as it might significantly add to sea level rise this century."

In a Zoom conversation with CBS News, Englander illustrated that sea-level rise contribution from Antarctica, by far Earth's largest ice sheet, does not increase from a low-end warming scenario to a high-end warming scenario in the IPCC's latest report — but in the real world it should. While the possibility of significantly higher sea-level rise due to Antarctica is mentioned in a footnote, it is by no means front and center.

The reason for this, Englander explains, is because IPCC is very cautious with the data it uses in the report and only includes "numbers that meet their criteria for scientific accuracy with an acceptable degree of confidence." The level of uncertainty in the scientific community stems from the fact that glaciers can be unstable and the computer models used to project melting are still not sophisticated enough.

In the paper, they write: "Existing ice-sheet models are more likely to provide reliable projections if global warming is kept below 2º Celsius [3.6º Fahrenheit], but a world in which warming exceeds 4º Celsius [7.2º Fahrenheit] presents a much more challenging situation. It is quite possible that this extreme situation will lead to reactions and feedbacks in the atmosphere-ocean-ice systems that cannot be adequately modeled at present…"

In the graphic below, put together by Englander and based on the IPCC report, the various contributors to sea- level rise (in inches) are projected out to the end of the century. Antarctica's contribution is shown in turquoise blue.

Projections of sea-level rise in four warming scenarios using IPCC data broken down by contribution from various sources. John Englander Englander explains that in a high-end warming scenario, obviously Antarctica's ice melt should contribute more to sea-level rise than in a low-end warming scenario, but that is not reflected in the report. "The slight contribution shown of 2 inches in three scenarios, and then one inch in the highest scenario, is clearly paradoxical," says Englander.

This paradox is something the paper's authors aim to push the IPCC to clarify in the upcoming report.

Another paper published in Nature this week makes a similar case, focused on the evidence from Greenland. Employing the latest models used to inform the next IPCC report, the authors found that in a high-warming scenario Greenland may contribute an extra 3 inches to sea-level rise by the end of the century, when compared to the former version of models used by the IPCC. This extra sea-level rise is due to an additional 2 degrees Fahrenheit of warming projected by the new climate models in the Arctic.

A big concern of Englander's for our future is the non-linear behavior of sea-level rise. In recent years the pace of sea-level rise has been accelerating. In the 1990s the oceans rose at about 2 millimeters per year. From 2000 to 2015 the average was 3.2 millimeters per year. But over the past few years the pace has quickened to 4.8 millimeters per year.

The pace of sea-level rise is accelerating John Englander

At the current pace, we can expect at least 15 more inches of sea-level rise by the year 2100. But, as has been the case for the past few decades, the pace of sea-level rise is expected to continue to increase for the foreseeable future. So,15 inches is not only a lower bound, it is also extremely unlikely.

Adding confidence to the paper's warning that IPCC projections for a strong warming scenario may be too low, is the evidence that sea-level rise has been running on the high end of IPCC projections for decades. In the below visual, projections from 1990 and 2002 are shown in blue and green, compared to actual observations in gold and red. It is clear that actual measurements are above the top end of past expectations. Actual sea- level rise is tracking on the top-end of previous projections from IPCC John Englander

Because of this evidence and the possibility of "tipping-point behavior," the paper argues, "outcomes above this [IPCC] range are far more probable than below it."

For most of us, it is human nature to assume that the height of the oceans we've observed in our lives is a constant, but Englander says this perception is misleading. "Rising sea level is easy to miss because it's a slow effect, like a drip filling a bucket, as the ice sheets on Greenland and Antarctica melt," he said.

For the past 8,000 years — much of humanity's modern existence — that expectation of a constant ocean height has remained true. However, the height of the oceans has always changed, sometimes dramatically.

Since the last Ice Age, which reached its maximum extent about 20,000 years ago, global temperatures have warmed about 18 degrees Fahrenheit and sea levels have risen 425 feet; that's greater than the length of the football field.

Historically speaking, simple math reveals that for every degree Fahrenheit the Earth warms, sea-level eventually rises by an astonishing 24 feet. There is, however, a sizable lag time between warming, melting and consequent sea-level rise.

Considering that Earth has already warmed 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 1800s, we know that substantial sea-level rise is already baked in, regardless of whether we stop global warming. Scientists just don't know exactly how long it will take to see the rise or how fast it will occur. But using proxy records, glaciologists can see that as we emerged from the last Ice Age, sea level rose at remarkable rates — as fast as 15 feet per century at times.

Since the end of the last Ice Age 20,000 years ago, sea levels have risen dramatically, sometimes at a very fast pace. John Englander

That said, the fact that there is a lot less ice on Earth today than there was 20,000 years ago means the amount of sea-level rise per degree would likely be less now, and the maximum pace may be tempered as well. But even a pace that's half the historical maximum would still be catastrophic to an Earth with billions of people who depend on stability.

We must also remember that warming today, due to human-caused climate change, is happening faster than it has in at least 2,000 years and possibly over 100,000 years. So scientists just don't have a directly comparable situation to measure against — once again highlighting our uncertain future.

While scientists and scientific periodicals tend to be conservative in their public projections of sea-level rise, scientists will often remark that they are concerned it may be much worse. When CBS News asked Englander what he thinks is a "realistic range" of sea-level rise by 2100, he said, "With the current global temperature level and rate of temperature increase I believe that we could get 5 to 10 feet before the end of this century."

While this is just one expert's opinion, if sea-level rise even comes close to those levels, the impacts would be truly dangerous and destabilizing, dramatically reshaping nations' coastlines and forcing hundreds of millions of people to abandon their homes. Englander says to reduce the potential impacts, it is better to be prepared for a worst-case scenario.

"We need to begin planning and designing for that while there is time to adapt."

First published on December 23, 2020 / 8:21 AM

See the most-read North Shore News stories of 2020 It’s time to wrap up 2020, a year most will be happy to leave in hindsight. We in the newsroom have a good sense of what the most important stories of the year were but our readers have a way of proving us wrong. a day ago By: Brent Richter https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/see-the-most-read-north-shore-news-stories-of-2020-3210732

West Vancouver Police Const. Kevin Goodmurphy addresses the camera while North Vancouver RCMP Sgt. Peter DeVries rag dolls in the background. The prank video resulted in one of the most-read North Shore News stories in 2020. image, Peter DeVries It’s time to wrap up 2020, a year most will be happy to leave in hindsight. We in the newsroom have a good sense of what the most important stories of the year were but our readers have a way of proving us wrong. Our annual roundup of the most read stories on our site shows folks were eager to know anything they could about the frightening new virus spreading in the community, especially in the early days. But our stats show they were also looking for stories to distract them from the coronavirus and its ravages. The list below is a reader window into our readers’ hearts and minds – the things they find so important they not only read about them, they smash the Share button on social media because they want everyone else to know too.

1. Body of dog swept over waterfall found in North Vancouver When Maya, a nine-year-old golden retriever, was swept away in the fast-running waters of Lynn Canyon in late May, it prompted a massive search. Two weeks later, the dog's body was found near Twin Falls. More people read that story than anything else we wrote in 2020. We love our dogs, don't we.

2. Province to permanently close Highway 1 exit in North Vancouver The closure of Exit 22 at the bottom of the Cut was always part of the plan for the $200-million Lower Lynn Improvement Project but when it comes to their drive home, congestion-weary car commuters want to know every last detail.

3. North Van owner ordered to clean up property after council deems it an eyesore On occasion, someone lets their property fall into such disrepair, it becomes a matter for their municipal council to deal with. Typically they’re told ‘Clean it up or we’ll do it for you and stick you with the bill.’ Our readers evidently can’t resist a click to see how bad the place is.

4. NORTH SHORE SHAKEDOWN: It's closing time at West Vancouver's only true dive bar In May, writer and broadcaster Grant Lawrence penned an elegy for the Squarerigger Pub. After 42 years of being West Vancouver’s beloved and bedevilled booze can, the owners decided it was time for last call. “It was kind of an ‘inmates running the asylum’ type situation by the end,” one of the regulars lovingly recalled in the incredible long-form piece.

5. North Shore cops cancel April Fools’ prank (but they’re letting us see it anyway) In March, North Vancouver RCMP and West Vancouver Police Department spokesmen Sgt. Peter DeVries and Const. Kevin Goodmurphy invested a chunk of their personal time crafting an April Fools' Day prank, announcing the creation of a new mountain bike police unit. By the time April 1 arrived, no one was in the mood for practical jokes anymore. But they came clean about the plan and released the video anyways, and folks ate it up.

6. COVID-19 outbreak has been reported at Lions Gate Hospital By late April, everyone’s COVID-19 anxiety was peaking. Then three staff members and three patients outside of the specialized COVID-19 ward at Lions Gate Hospital tested positive for the virus. People read the story because it alerted them to a dangerous threat in what is supposed to be a safe place. They shared the story because they wanted everyone else to know too.

7. North Van to close roads near trailheads Every day, it seemed, in early April we were publishing multiple stories about events being cancelled and public spaces being closed to visitors in hopes it would curtail the spread of the virus. Municipalities had already closed trailheads and restricted parking but on April 8, the District of North Vancouver took things to the next level and banned non-residents from even driving on Deep Cove Road, Mt. Seymour Road, Gallant Avenue/Panorama Drive and Indian River Drive/Inlet Crescent.

8. Married for 74 years, this North Van couple with COVID-19 died 37 hours apart Every death from COVID-19 has been a tragedy but there was something special about these two. Bob and Joan Proctor were married for 74 years, the last of which they spent together at North Vancouver’s Berkley Care Centre. After they were both diagnosed with COVID-19, they died within 37 hours of each other. Reporter Andy Prest made sure their legacy was told in a way that went beyond statistics.

9. 2 new cases of COVID-19 linked to North Vancouver care home It was still very early days in the pandemic when the outbreak of COVID-19 at Lynn Valley Care Centre began. Of the six B.C. residents who had confirmed diagnoses, two were in a care home. This would have shown people that the coronavirus was no longer a faraway problem. It was here.

10. North Van property owner given 30 days to fix ‘hazardous’ lot Again, if your property has become such a nuisance that it makes the news, people want to know.

A8 | OPINION WEDNESDAY,JANUARY20, 2021 north shorenews nsnews.com

PUBLISHEDBYNORTH SHORENEWSADIVISION OF LMPPUBLICATION LTD. PARTNERSHIP 116-980 WEST 1STST.,NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. V7P3N4.PETER KVARNSTROM, PUBLISHER. Senior oversight

eapplaud the news this outbreaks –how they started and spread week that seniors advocate and what needed to happen to contain them Isobel Mackenzie will review –would be willingly divulged. Wwhat happened during Therewas some progress –including COVID-19 outbreaks in B.C.’s restricting workers to asingle carehome long-term carehomes. site. Yetother measures like rapid testing of Notably,the first confirmed death in staffhave clearly lagged. Canada from COVID-19 happened hereon Aproper review should tell us why the the North Shore, at the Lynn Valley Care hardlessons learned early in Lynn Valley Centre. Since then, therehave been more didn’t prevent moreoutbreaks. than athousand deaths in B.C. Morethan 60 As seniors advocate, Mackenzie has the per cent of those have been seniors in care. power to force health authoritiesand care While the outbreaks raged, families of homes to shareinformation. elderly residents in carehomes have in too In her previous investigations into long- many cases found themselves shut out of term care, Mackenzie has proven herself vital information. Early on, in the case of dogged and unflinchingintelling both the Lynn Valley CareCentre, official information public and the government what is often being handed out by health authorities was uncomfortable to hear.The families who clearly divorced from reality observed by never got achance to be with their loved those inside the carehome. That didn’t ones and hold their hands duringtheir final bolster confidence that the truth about frightening days certainly deservetoknow. Toprung of the real estate ladder is filled with toilets Youthere, extravagantly wealthy the chauffer,the likely know athing or two about business. Princess of the United States, Ivanka Trump person. gardener and the But do they have problems with ... business? and Jared Kushner,would not allow the men Might Ihave awordwith you? It pertains pool boy. Have we finally figured out whereall that and women tasked with keeping them safe to your use of ... the toilet. Another listing toilet paper was going at the startofthe to use any of the six bathrooms inside of the Is everything OK in that area? Arethere for amoremodest pandemic? couple’sWashington, D.C. house. The agents any major problems we should know about? North Vancouver It doesn’t seem like this bathroom allegedly tried avariety of solutions to prob- Areyou sureyou’ve got quite enough of home features just bonanza was always the case. This week’s lems No. 1and No. 2, including aporta-potty them? Laugh four bathrooms, but North ShoreNews contains astoryabout the dropped on the sidewalk of the tawny Iask because aloyal reader has sent All YouWant this for atwo-bed- assessment values for the priciest proper- neighbourhood, as well as trips to anearby in some information that has me worried Andy Prest room house of only ties on the North Shore, many of which are house owned by amoreaccommodating res- about you and your bathroom situation. 1,566 squarefeet. As amongst the priciest properties in Canada. ident. Some guy named Barack. The ultimate She’sarecently retired university research our rogue researcher points out, that’sone Topping the list is awaterfront mansion that answer saw the Secret Service renting out a technician who, due to COVID restrictions, bathroom for every391 squarefeet. That’sa boasts an astronomical assessment value nearby basement suite for $3,000 amonth has found herself with way too much time heck of an FSTPR (floor-space-to-potty ratio). of $27.3 million despite featuring just six so that the agents could get some relief. on her hands. In other words, an extremely Is thereroom for anything else? Do any of bathrooms, ascandalously low number com- Taxpayer dollars, down the drain. dangerous person. the bathrooms double as the kitchen? pared to other high-end houses. This house, Ivanka’sfamous father –who as of today Her keen research skills have guided The granddaddy,however,was a however,was built in 1999, making it older is officially not the president of the United her to North Shorerealestate listings, 12,280-square-foot “custom-built luxury than some of the other monster houses. States –was fairly recently offered asolid whereshe’snoted that alot of the newer, mansion” in West Vancouver with eight Clearly the total number of commodes does gold toilet by the Guggenheim Museum. The higher-end properties for sale have alot of full bathrooms plus seven bedrooms with not fully determine the value of an abode. White House asked the museum if it could bathrooms. Like, alot.There’sa2010 build en suite bathrooms. En suite, of course, is The bathroom-packed palaces would borrow aVan Gogh, and the curator came in West Vanthat is 7,063 squarefeet in size French for “easy pee.” Those of you sharp at make moresense if many people were back with something she thought more –large, no doubt –but has 12 bathrooms. math –and Iassume anyone who can afford allowed to use them, but this doesn’t seem appropriate for aman of his standing. Twelve! Our keen researcher notes that if $22 million for ahouse has at least some likely.What say you, bathroom hoarders? Do It’sagood reminder that whoever you are this estate housed afamily of five –and rudimentaryskills –will have calculated the you shareyour thrones with others? –whether apool boy,secret service agent LOL, do they even allow children in West total bathrooms for this house is 15. Apparently this can be asticking point or historically awful president –we’ve all got Van? –that would mean one bathroom for What is going on here?! These houses for some. Last week aWashington Post the same toilet needs. And no matter how each family member,plus the upstairs maid, have moreplumbing than the Mario article quoted anonymous Secret Service hardyou try, you can only use one at atime. the downstairs maid, the butler,the cook, Brothers. These arewealthy folks, so they agents saying that the outgoing Prince and [email protected]

CONTACT US 116-980 WEST 1STSTREETNORTH VANCOUVERB.C.V7P 3N4 nsnews.com ADMINISTRATION/RECEPTION 604-985-2131 ADVERTISING 604-998-3520,[email protected] North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the REALESTATEADVERTISING Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday by North Shore News 604-998-3580,[email protected] adivision of LMP Publication Limited Partnership. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40010186. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Mailing rates available on request. Entire contents ©2020 North Shore News adivision of LMP Publication Limited Partnership. All 604-630-3300,604-444-3056, rights reserved. Average circulation for the Wednesday edition is [email protected] 58,911. The North Shore News, adivision of LMP Publication Limited Partnership respects your privacy. We collect, use and disclose your DISTRIBUTIONINQUIRIES personal information in accordance with our Privacy Statement which is available at www.nsnews.com. North Shore News is a 604-986-1337,[email protected] member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic PeterKvarnstrom LayneChristensen Vicki Magnison Connor Beaty Russ Blake NEWSROOM practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editori- 604-985-2131,[email protected] al content, please email [email protected] or call the newsroom PUBLISHER EDITOR DIRECTOR, SALES&MARKETING INSIDE SALES MANAGER FIELD OPERATIONSMANAGER at 604-985-2131. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish Direct 604-998-3523 Direct 604-998-3542 Direct 604-998-3520 Direct 604-671-9241 Direct 604-369-2465 PHOTOGRAPHY to file aformal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 604-998-3532,[email protected] north shorenews nsnews.com WEDNESDAY,JANUARY 20,2021 OPINION A9

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR must include your name, full address and telephone number.Sendyour letters via ourwebsite: nsnews.com/ SPONSORED CONTENT opinion/send-us-a-letter.The NorthShoreNewsreservesthe righttoedit MAILBOX anyand/or allletters based on length, clarity, legalityand content.The News also reserves the right to publishany and/or all letters electronically. Jonathan Wilkinson SMOKE FROM WOOD- Ican’t because the year 2020 NORTH VANCOUVER’SMEMBER OF PARLIAMENT BURNING FIREPLACESA is the separation of the past from the future. It is the second BC andAC; HEALTH HAZARD BeforeCOVID and After COVID of our lives. Dear Editor: January 20, 2021 As COVID-19 rages on, it is clear thatour Ladies and gentlemen, we have been lung health and the right to breathe fresh air witnesses Ourforemost COVIDrisk is moreimportantthan ever.Smoke from to one of theworst epidemics ever to affect wood-burning fireplaces is aknown lung humankind. From the outset, Canada has applied The federal governmenthas procured irritant,causes inflammation, wreaks havoc We have seen it with our own eyes basic principles of risk management to hundredsofultra-low-temperature on the immune system, and contributes to a that we arenot infallible, and that we are shape our path through to the other freezers for vaccine storage; distributed higher susceptibility to respiratoryinfec- fragile. side of the COVID-19 pandemic and more than 14 millionrapid tests, minimize lasting negative impacts. tionssuchasCOVID-19, plusitincreases personal protective equipmentand This applies to various elements of the the morbidity rateofthosewith respiratory Maybe, one of us has lost aloved one. ancillary supplies suchasneedles, health crisis such as the economy,and infections. Adifficult test to live. syringes, swabs, and gauze; and,not certainly to issues related to vaccine And yet,North Shoreresidents continue Acomplex situation to explain. procurement and delivery.Now those unimportantly,provided detailed to burnwoodintheir fireplaces, especially The virus has left consequencesand same principles are pointing to perhaps vaccinedelivery schedules so provinces during these cold wintermonths,contribut- wounds hardtoclose. our most significant risk during this and territories can plan effectively. ing to atoxic air quality andputtingcitizens period when the crisis is arguably As of Monday,approximately at an increased risk of disease. But we cannot deny that the year2020. entering its most volatile phase yet - 72% of the 855,765 vaccinedoses My neighbourhood has many older It has been ayear of relocating, that risk is the social dimension of our distributed to provincesfrom the homes thatstill have wood-burning fire- reinventing ourselves, human nature. federal distribution system have been places, andonany given night there can be a recreating and starting over. More on that in amoment… but first a administered. In BC, it’s74% of half-dozen or more firesburning in the vicin- few thoughts about vaccines through a 117,875 doses. ity,spewing out toxic smoke. One such home It is ayearthat has given to us the opportu- risk management lens. across the street from me burns firesalmost nity to be born again. Supply risks It’suseful to recall that virtually no one every night, creatingaregular smokinessin Ayear of creating new skills, There continue to be many risks in thought avaccine would be available the air that actually permeatesintomyhome new expectations, new goals, the current volatile globalvaccine andaffectsmyquality of life. for distribution before well into 2021 ayear of creating anew me. marketplace, rangingfrom supply Iamremindedofthe summer wildfires –atthe earliest. Most vaccines take chainissuestomanufacturing.I thatcaused particulate in the air enough for Ayear wherewehave lived one of years to develop, not months. But in an astonishing achievement of scientists understand and sharethe concerns there to be healthwarnings.However, the the most valuable experiences of sharing the world over,Canada approved its flowing from last week’sannouncement fireplace smoke is denser andmoreintru- with our family. first vaccine on December 9th –less sive;and yet there is no recourse. To live with those we call family is our pri- by drugmanufacturer Pfizer-BioNTech than 10 months after the onset of the Iimplore localcouncils to take seriously marytask now. of atemporary slowdowninits vaccine virus in this country. the threat of smoke caused by wood-burning And wherecrying and laughing is just part of supply to Canada.But withcontinuing fireplaces, particularly within the context of our nature. Risk identification and assessment federal/provincial collaboration, the current COVID-19 pandemic, and enact drove aggressive and early action by we remain confident that 3million emergencybans or other effective mitigation The year 2020 is our rebirth and second Canada to secure vaccine supply.Prior Canadians will be vaccinated by the measures to ensurecitizens have the best chance. to any vaccine approval, the federal end of March, andall Canadians who government invested over $1 billion possibleair quality with whichtogive them Ladies and gentlemen, let’stoast for2020 wantone will be vaccinated by the end in advance-purchase agreements with a fightingchanceagainstthisdeadly disease. and welcome 2021. of September. Lisa Brasso MariluAguilar seven vaccine manufacturers. These arrangements secured asupply of up However,whilehope is now on the West Vancouver North Vancouver to 429 million doses for Canadians - horizon, we must collectively hold the largest and most diverse vaccine the fort until September.Weurgently YEAR 2020,IMPOSSIBLE KEEP PARKS ACCESSIBLE portfolio in the world –providing need to contain further spreadofthe options and flexibility.While securing TO FORGET Dear Editor: virus. Modelling showsaresurgence vaccine supply addressed some key of COVID cases in the months ahead. Year 2020, adifferent year, Re: Cypress ResortBrings in PayParking risks, risks also clearly existed in the The dailynumber of new cases now is ayear of challenges, on Hollyburn Mountain, Dec. 30 new story. extraordinary logistical challenges ayear of defiance, Parks Minister George Heyman and of vaccinating acountry as vast as more than triple that of the peak of the and ayear of unknowns. MLAs SusieChant and Jordan Sturdy should Canada with our climate and sparse springwave. be congratulated for not implementinga population density. Which brings us back to the social We started 2020 with goals,with dreams, reservation systemtoaccess the North Collaborative effort aspect of human nature, emerging with illusions, with plans, Shore’s provincialparks. Theseparks were as possibly our most significant risk with the desiretododifferent things established to provide recreation (and The federal government is responsible at this pivotal moment in the crisis. but avirus stood in our way. conservation) opportunities for the Lower forprocuring vaccines and distributing Physical distancing, washing hands and Mainland and the minister’sdecisiontoclose them to the provincesand territories. wearing amask all remain imperative. It stopped each and everyone of us. the parkroad duringpeak times until parking Provincial and territorial officials, whomanage the health care systems, But so, too,does steering clear of It paralyzedall humanbeings in everycor- spaces openisstandardparkmanagement. handle the logisticsofdelivering doses ner of the planet. Cypress Resortsappears to believe family andother social gatherings anddecide which groups to prioritize. It prevented us from being abletoaccom- their administrative costs associated with outside your immediate bubble –the Overall, federal/provincial/territorial plish all of our goals. charging the public to park should instead most difficultthing for many of us, collaborationonvaccine distribution myself included. It gave us adifficult hurdle to jump over,and be absorbed by the public in the form of hasbeen strong. Forour part, we have impossible to go around. areservation system. Cypress Resorts committedfederal resources to support Everyone of us is tired. Butifthere needs to remember theyare operating in a the provinces and territories every step was ever atime to double down on our Iwould liketothink that this year won’tbe provincialparkwhere all parkvisitors have of the way. efforts to limit the spread -itisnow. included in the calendar, an equalopportunity to access. As noted by that I’m going to erase it from each of our Steve Jones, the way to reduce demand in Office nowopen by appointment at lives, the North Shore provincialparks is to pro- in such away that in the futurewewill not vide similar opportunities in PineconeBurke 604-775-6333 /[email protected] remember it, ProvincialParkinCoquitlam. JonathanWilkinson.libparl.ca but no, Icannot. Mel Turner Diane Francis: The development that will transform health care

World now has mRNA template to vaccinate against not only COVID-19, but rare diseases, cancers and other major killers

Author of the article: Diane Francis Publishing date: Dec 21, 2020 • Last Updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read https://financialpost.com/diane-francis/diane-francis-the-development-that-will-transform-health-care A pharmacist holds the Pfizer- BioNTech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine. Photo by Yuki Iwamura/Reuters

The year 2020 was dreadful, but it will go down in history as the beginning of a revolution in genetic medicine, with benefits that go far beyond beating the pandemic.

After 1945, the widespread use of penicillin launched an antibiotic revolution that saved millions of lives. This year, the mRNA revolution began, accelerated with billions of dollars in U.S. government funding for a medical Manhattan Project to beat COVID-19. This has yielded the first mRNA vaccines in history, which will help prevent and treat many more infectious diseases and cancers.

Diane Francis: The development that will transform health care

In simple terms, mRNA, or messenger ribonucleic acid, is a genetic messenger that has been studied for years, but, through the use of new digital technologies, can now be targeted to alter or destroy diseases. This revolution has resulted in the first two approved vaccines to prevent COVID-19, one made by BioNTech in collaboration with Pfizer, and the other produced by Moderna. They are the first mRNA vaccines in history, and won’t be the last.

“You can use mRNA vaccines for pretty much everything,” said Norbert Pardi, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia who’s working on mRNA vaccines for many diseases.

The breakthrough began early last year after the Chinese published the genetic sequence of the virus. Scientific teams around the world responded immediately and were seeded with money to accelerate development, trials, manufacturing capacity and distribution networks. America’s health agencies alone allocated more than US$15 billion (C$19.25 billion) to help worthy teams join forces with big pharmaceutical companies capable of mass manufacturing and distribution.

Messenger RNA has been studied for quite some time, but new technologies have allowed scientists to protect and optimize its molecules so they can target disease. Better yet, it appears that even as a new COVID-19 mutation has arisen in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, scientists will be able to “reprogram” mRNA to fight any variants of the virus.

“One of the greatest advantages of this mRNA strategy is just how fast you can go from a nucleotide sequence to a vaccine product,” said Justin Richner, a vaccine researcher at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago who has collaborated with Moderna in the past.

The mRNA vaccine pioneers are a married couple, Ugur Sahin and his wife Ozlem Tureci of Germany, who, after examining the virus’s sequence last year, realized that their scientific team could come up with a vaccine to prevent its spread. They had spent years studying mRNA and successfully applying it to halt cancers and other maladies. They yielded results within weeks.

Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of German biotech firm BioNTech. Photo by Fabian Bimmer/Reuters files

Fortunately, they were entrepreneurs as well as research scientists and turned their successful company, BioNTech, on a dime to execute their plans. A collaboration with Pfizer followed. In Massachusetts, Moderna’s science team also swung into action, using their expertise in mRNA biotech to rapidly develop another vaccine, which has proven 95 per cent effective in trials.

Both companies had already built platforms to create vaccines for any infectious disease by simply inserting the correct mRNA sequence to match the disease.

Now that the roll-out is underway, and a new mutation has come to light, the question is: will the pandemic end? The answer is yes — and then some. There are five other vaccines undergoing final trials, which may advance the field more.

Most importantly, the world now has an mRNA template that can fast-track immunizations against viruses like COVID-19 and that will also be utilized to vaccinate against rare diseases, cancers and other major killers such as HIV, TB, malaria and rabies.

None of this is written in stone, but science marches on. So the good news is that the bad news of 2020 will come to an end, and a new era has begun that will transform health care for generations.

Financial Post

A8 | OPINION WEDNESDAY,JANUARY13, 2021 north shorenews nsnews.com

PUBLISHEDBYNORTH SHORE NEWSADIVISION OF LMPPUBLICATION LTD. PARTNERSHIP 116-980 WEST 1ST ST., NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. V7P3N4.PETER KVARNSTROM, PUBLISHER. Uncivil war

ike so many,wewatched the Jan. 6 scrawled onto redevelopment signs posted assault on the U.S. Capitol in horror in Ambleside. –but not exactly shock. We say this What happened in Washington, D.C. was a Lbecause the online radicalization difference of degree, not adifference of kind. of the mob that perpetrated it has Society has always had its fringebeliev- been going on in plain sight for along time. ers but without the socialmedia, they had They wereincited to act based on the little means to coalesce, amplify one another conspiracy theory that their leader Donald and collude. With the damage already done, Trump actively propagated –that he really Twitter and Facebook and most of the other had won the 2020 general election. But it social media giantshave since cut ties with wasn’t just one lie. It was years of misin- Trump and areactively shutting down some formation, populism and belligerence that accounts knownfor fomenting lies and call- primed them for an attempted coup. ing for violence. And Canada is by no means immune. Social media and the internet, relatively In July last year,aheavily armed man speaking, arestill in their infancy and it’s who espoused many of the same conspira- time for governments to make them subject torial views smashed his truck through the to regulation and accountability. gates at Rideau Cottage and threatened the And democratic principles need citizens life of the prime minister.The year before, to value them and pay attention.Weare now West Vancouver Mayor Mary-Ann Booth and reminded that doing too little in the face of council werethe subject of death threats evil has predictable consequences. COVID-19 spreads to all cornersofBritish Columbia

Don’t look now,but COVID-19 is sparsely populated Last week therewere163 “active” cases everywhere. Northern Health on the Island and therewereless than 30 It was not always like this. For much of Authority was in therejust afew weeks ago. the fall and this winter,about 90 per cent the single digits. Such is the changing natureofour of all daily cases of the virus werelocated The daily average is pandemic, at least from ageographic in MetroVancouver,primarily in commu- currently about 50 perspective. nities (especially Surrey) within the Fraser aday. However,one grim statistic has not Health Authority. View From The daily changed much since the pandemic began. However,over the past few weeks, TheLedge average in the That would be who is dying at amuch the geographic spread of COVID-19 has Keith Baldrey Interior was about higher rate than anyone else is. changed in nature. About 20 to 25 per cent 15 cases aday back Morethan 600 residents of long-term of all daily cases arenow located outside in October.Itisnow just shy of 70 cases a careorassisted living facilities have died of the Metroregion. day,although it was even higher in early from COVID-19, with the vast majority of The good news is that case numbers in December. the deaths occurring in Fraser Health and both the Fraser Health authority and the The most serious cases areincreas- Vancouver Coastal Health. (Therehave Vancouver Coastal health authority are ing in number as well in these regions. been 38 deaths in facilities located in the starting to level off. Going into the past weekend, 42 people Interior and 13 in Northern Health.) Dr.Bonnie Henryspeaksatarecent The bad news is that numbers are in Northern Health wereinhospital with It has been clear from the startofthe COVID-19 briefing. PROVINCE OF BC/FLICKR getting steadily worse in places like COVID-19 and 20 of them wereincritical pandemic that our oldest population Vancouver Island, the Okanagan, Prince care. Those would have been unheard would be most vulnerable to the worst George, Revelstoke, Vernon and Terrace, to of numbers just weeks ago and on aper outcome of contracting the virus. Indeed, ashot –will slow the steady escalation of name afew. capita basis, the North has the highest people over the age of 70 have had 10 per deaths amongst the most frail. This development is areminderofhow hospitalization rate in the province. cent of the reported COVID-19 cases in However,aswewait for enough inocu- quickly the virus can spread and that no In the Interior,32people areinhospital B.C. yet they constitute 80 per cent of the lations to occur to reach herdimmunity, community is immune from acquiring it in and 10 of them areinthe ICU. The virus deaths attributed to the virus. keep in mind an important lesson: COVID- numbers. has never really taken hold on Vancouver Hopefully,the gradual ramp-up of the 19 is everywhere. As recently as October,the number Island, but thereare signs that situation vaccine rollout –wherelong-term care Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for of daily COVID-19 cases in the relatively could be changing as well. residents head the priority list for getting Global BC. [email protected]

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Daphne Bramham: Vancouver faces both a humanitarian and existential crisis Analysis: Vancouver’s core is at risk of becoming like New York City’s in the 1970s — a place abandoned by everyone except for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged who have nowhere else to go Author of the article: Daphne Bramham Publishing date: Dec 29, 2020 • Last Updated 22 hours ago The unholy trinity of homelessness, addiction and untreated mental illness on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside has created a humanitarian crisis. But it also poses an economic and existential threat, with vandalism, graffiti, break-ins, open drug use and overdoses pushing it to a tipping point. Security costs are through the roof at commercial, retail and office buildings. So too are the almost-daily costs of repairing damage and cleaning up garbage and even feces from building entrances. The Downtown Eastside has gone from an interesting — albeit gritty — place to work and do business to one that is increasingly dangerous and expensive. A man uses an ATM at the Bank of Montreal in Chinatown while homeless men are in the lobby. Photo by RICHARD LAM /PNG Those considerations coupled with the fallout from COVID restrictions that has more people than ever working from home has got tenants wondering whether they want to stay, and landlords wondering whether they will be able to find retail, commercial and office tenants to fill a rising number of empty spaces. The jump in operating costs is extraordinary. In one building alone, costs have risen 3,200 per cent since 2016, according to an analysis by landlords with buildings in the Downtown Eastside. Yes, you read that right — a 33-fold increase. The significance of 2016 is that it is the year that a public health emergency was declared because of the rising number of overdose deaths. Since then, millions of dollars have been pumped into the neighbourhood for housing and harm reduction — everything from buying up single-room occupancy hotels to providing a safe supply of drugs to addicts during COVID to encourage social distancing. Yet, overdose deaths this year are on track to reach an all-time high. In November alone, deaths were up 89 per cent from a year ago. For building owners and tenants, the costs just keep rising. The quadruple-digit increase is the worst case in the analysis. It went from having no security costs in 2015 to $216,534 in 2019. Pedestrians walk past the Balmoral Hotel in Vancouver. Photo by RICHARD LAM /PNG Window replacement costs nearly doubled in five years. Repairs caused by graffiti, vandalism or needed for improved security more than quadrupled. For tenants, that meant rents rose to $2.91 per square foot from 39 cents. For the smallest tenant, it added an extra $3,270 a year. For the largest, it meant $55,000. Other buildings have also had substantial increases — 810 per cent in one building, for example, and 300 per cent at another — with tenants’ costs increasing from between $730 to $11,330 a year. At the same time, property taxes have also gone up. For the building with that 3,200-per-cent cost increase, taxes increased 19.4 per cent between 2016 and 2019. The building with an 800-per-cent increase? Taxes were hiked 28.5 per cent. Included in those tax increases is a 0.5-per-cent “opioid overdose surtax” that was first levied in 2017. Since then, the surtax has raised $14.28 million. Nearly two-thirds of what is collected each year pays for a three-person medic unit in police and fire centres, which in 2020 amounted to $2.43 million. This year, another $310,000 was spent on an unspecified increase in city staffing in the Downtown Eastside. As for the $890,000 spent on “micro-cleaning grants,” it is hard to fathom that the neighbourhood could look worse than it does. Almost daily, landlords hear from security guards and tenants about somebody overdosing at a building’s entrance, someone being stabbed, bitten by a pit bull, assaulted, threatened or verbally abused. They say police rarely come unless it is an emergency. Even then, one landlord said that the lone security guard held down a thief for 45 minutes before officers arrived to arrest him. It’s hard to overstate how much things have changed and how chaos has been normalized. At least one landlord that I know of requires everyone in the building to be trained to use naloxone — the drug that reverses opioid overdoses — and requires that everyone carry it with them at all times, both inside and outside the building. “I wasn’t comfortable that I would know what I was doing if I ever had to use it,” said an employee who works there. She asked that her name not be used for fear of retribution. It was a relief when the COVID work-from-home order came in March. “It’s like a war zone outside our building,” she said. “In the meeting room, you have to turn the speaker phone off because of ambulances going by so often. It was shocking.” A security guard walks along the side of the Carnegie Centre in Vancouver, BC, December, 28, 2020. Photo by RICHARD LAM /PNG Without a massive and more coordinated effort by all three levels of government to deal with the triad of problems, Vancouver’s core is at risk of becoming like New York City’s in the 1970s — a place abandoned by everyone except for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged who have nowhere else to go. At risk is the livability that the city boasts of, to say nothing of the hundreds of millions of dollars of public and private money invested over the past decade to revive Vancouver’s historic centre. It threatens the viability of the $400-million Woodward’s redevelopment and the $32.6-million retrofit of the former police station at 312 Main St. Beleaguered Chinatown has also never been under more pressure despite the efforts of the foundation that is attempting a physical, commercial and cultural revitalization of that century-old, iconic neighbourhood. When people are living and dying on the streets in shocking conditions in one of the world’s most affluent countries and one of its most expensive cities, it is a humanitarian crisis. But it’s also an economic one when the costs of doing something are no longer outweighed by the risks of doing nothing. [email protected]

Wetlands, not walls, may be key to managing flooding as sea levels rise Low-lying wetlands, salt marshes and natural assets could well be potent tools to manage flooding as sea levels rise by up to one metre over the next 80 years https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/wetlands-not-walls-may-be-key-to-managing-flooding-as-sea-levels-rise Author of the article: Randy Shore Publishing date: Dec 20, 2020 • Last Updated 23 hours ago Under some climate- change scenarios, Richmond, Delta, much of Surrey and areas between Coquitlam and Pitt Meadows would be in danger of inundation due to rising sea levels. Photo by Climatecentral.org As sea levels rise, building higher walls may not be the best way to protect property, infrastructure and ecosystems in southwestern B.C., according to the leader of a four-year project aimed at co-ordinating local adaptation efforts. Low-lying wetlands, salt marshes and natural assets are not just valuable habitat for wildlife, they might also be potent tools to manage flooding as sea levels rise by up to one metre over the next 80 years, said Kees Lokman, director of the UBC Coastal Adaptation Lab. The traditional approach to flood management has led to the construction of nearly 300 dikes stretching more than 1,000 kilometres around B.C., much of that concentrated in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Many of those dikes were built to a design standard set in the 1960s and some are up to one metre too short, according to a provincial government study. Only about four per cent of local dikes are up to standard and the bill to fix them would top $10 billion. Canada’s federal disaster mitigation fund is currently just $2 billion. But simply upgrading the dikes may not be the solution it appears to be. “Dikes are very much geared to human safety and protecting assets, but we haven’t done much to protect our ecosystems,” said Lokman. “We are learning that wetlands are not only important as habitat, they can also buffer storm surges.” Built solutions can also be made to mimic natural assets. For instance, living dikes that gently slope toward the sea provide protection for the built environment and enable plants and animals to take up residence and slowly migrate up as sea levels rise. Conventional dikes built on river delta soils have a tendency to subside over time. The City of Surrey calculated adding one metre to their dikes would cause them to subside by about 50 centimetres, Lokman said. A man walks his dog along the dike on the north side of Lulu island in Richmond. Solutions to sea level rise have been left to local governments to figure out for themselves, which has led to huge variability in the approaches being applied. Photo by Gerry Kahrmann /PNG files “The project will increase the likelihood that Surrey and other jurisdictions will embark on other coastal nature-based solutions by better assessing the benefits of the project and increasing awareness of flood risk,” said Surrey project engineer Matt Osler. Though the notion will be contentious, it could be more prudent to simply retreat from low-lying areas, buying out homeowners as their properties become uninhabitable. “There’s a whole range of solutions that we could be exploring, but we currently don’t have the policy and regulatory tools to actually administer these projects,” he said. “At some point your flood insurance is going to go up or even be unattainable,” Lokman said. “Once that understanding starts to sink in people become much more comfortable with the idea that a strategic retreat isn’t such a bad idea.” A four-year, $1-million project funded by the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions dubbed Living with Water will explore integrated flood responses applied on a regional scale. “There’s a whole range of solutions that we could be exploring, but we currently don’t have the policy and regulatory tools to actually administer these projects,” Lokman said. Solutions to sea level rise have been left to local governments to figure out for themselves, which has led to huge variability in the approaches being applied. Because coastal flooding occurs across multiple boundaries and jurisdictions, the project will seek to create an integrated response. “Some of these things are going to be challenging or controversial and there’s not going to be one size that fits all,” said Lokman. “We are hoping to document strategies used elsewhere and find regulatory and policy solutions that municipalities and other levels of government can use moving forward.” Living with Water aims to create decision-making tools and structures that will bring governments together in a shared approach to coastal flood adaptation, while integrating Indigenous knowledge and the perspective of the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. [email protected]

Windstorm damages, closes popular bridge in North Vancouver's Capilano River Regional Park

'There is currently no anticipated reopening date for Cable Pool Bridge since the extent of the damage remains unclear.' Jan 14 2021 By: Elisia Seeber https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/windstorm-damages-closes-popular-bridge-in-north-vancouvers-capilano-river-regional-park-3261603

Metro Vancouver Regional Parks says the Cable Pool Bridge in Capilano Regional Park suffered significant damage from a falling tree during Tuesday’s, (Jan. 12) wild storm. Metro Vancouver Regional Parks via Facebook A popular trail bridge in Capilano River Regional Park in North Vancouver is temporarily closed after it was damaged during this week's wild windstorm. Metro Vancouver Regional Parks says the Cable Pool Bridge, on the Second Canyon Viewpoint Trail, suffered significant damage from a falling tree during Tuesday’s (Jan. 12) storm, which brought winds of up to 91 km/h to parts of the Lower Mainland and left tens of thousands without power. For safety reasons, the bridge has been closed for a structural assessment and so repairs can be made. “Regional Parks staff are arranging to bring in an engineer to conduct a structural assessment that’ll provide clarity on the repairs that are required,” said Greg Valou, a Metro Vancouver spokesperson. “There is currently no anticipated reopening date for Cable Pool Bridge since the extent of the damage remains unclear.” Cable Pool Bridge offers beautiful views of the canyon and leads on to a trail to Cable Pool, a popular fishing spot. Metro Vancouver has advised those hiking to use Pipeline Bridge to cross the river for now. The bridge will be closed until further notice. The powerful winds also left a big mess at West Vancouver’s Centennial Seawalk, with crews working to clean up debris throughout the day on Wednesday (Jan. 13). The seawalk, which stretches from 18th Street to Dundarave Park, had to be closed in sections as logs were strewn across pathways, benches tipped upside down, and trees uprooted. Sections of the seawalk are being opened once they have been determined safe. Elisia Seeber is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative