over-272,000-bc-hydro-customers-were-without-power-as-bomb-cyclone-hit
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Over 272,000 BC Hydro customers were without power as bomb cyclone hit

ByCharles Brockman

Posted November 19, 2024 7:23 pm. Last Updated November 20, 2024 9:18 am. Over 270,000 BC Hydro customers were without power Tuesday night as high-speed winds swept over Vancouver Island and B.C.’s South Coast. A rapidly deepening low-pressure system, known as a ‘bomb cyclone,’ appeared to have fulfilled its promise of a massive wind storm. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE! The significant fall storm arrived about 400 kilometres off the west coast of Vancouver Island by the late afternoon. Environment and Climate Change Canada predicted that the winds would peak late Tuesday night. As of Tuesday night, homes and businesses in the Nanaimo area, Parksville, Qualicum Beach, and other northern municipalities on the Island were most affected by power outages. In the Lower Mainland, tens of thousands of customers were in the dark Tuesday evening — with Richmond hit hardest early on. In a statement early Wednesday, BC Hydro shared that it had made “significant progress” restoring power to its customers impacted by the massive storm. “More than 175,000 customers have been restored — or nearly two-thirds of the more than 272,000 impacted,” Hydro shared before 6:30 a.m. “However, with strong winds expected to continue today in some areas, particularly on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, further outages are expected,” it continued. 1130 NewsRadio meteorologist Michael Kuss said the strongest of the winds, as expected, stayed to the west of Vancouver Island. Some of the buoys out over the water recorded winds topping 100 km/hr, while on share, winds in Victoria topped 76 km/hr. “But they were even that strong at YVR, Vancouver Airport, 78 kilometres per hour gusts last evening. Now those winds have tapered, but it will be beyond breezy for the rest of the morning,” Kuss explained. Kuss added that the storm is now tracking to the north and is currently weakening. “So the warnings, they’ve now been lifted, although it will still be quite breezy. Not as stormy as it was last evening through the early part of the overnight.” #BCStorm update: Crews made significant progress overnight restoring power to over 175,000 customers – nearly two-thirds of the more than 272,000 impacted. Restoration work will continue throughout the day and updates for individual outages will be shared on our mobile site. Our… pic.twitter.com/y5c9qkPYVl — BC Hydro (@bchydro) November 20, 2024 BC Hydro explained that the majority of the 95,000 customers still without power as they woke up on Wednesday were on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, with 5,000 around the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast. “Drought-damaged trees and branches came down on electrical equipment during the windstorm causing significant damage. BC Hydro had all available BC Hydro crews and contractor crews working overnight to restore power, and that work will continue today,” Hydro said. “Crews are busy replacing power lines, poles and other equipment to get as many customers restored as quickly as possible, but have encountered access challenges as a result of the heavy debris on some roads as well as areas where the wind was too strong overnight to complete the work safely,” it said. South of the border, about 94,000 customers were at one point without power in western Washington as strong winds ramped up and snow fell in the Cascade Mountain passes Tuesday evening. More than 12,000 customers had lost power in Oregon, according to poweroutage.us. BC Hydro said it prepares for storm season and weather-related power outages year round — and this storm was no exception. Spokesperson Kevin Aquino said Tuesday that BC Hydro was ensuring that crews were positioned in the right places with the right equipment. “We have a team of in-house meteorologists that have been tracking this weather system quite closely, and that definitely enabled us to ramp up our BC Hydro crews, contract our crews, and call centre agents,” said Aquino. “So, if the lights do go out, we’re ready to respond.” Aquino shared that it’s difficult to predict where damage was going take place and encouraged all customers to be prepared with an emergency kit with supplies to last at least 72 hours. Hydro said that it is receiving reports of downed power lines. “A downed power line is an emergency. Call 911 and stay at least 10 metres back. BC Hydro crews will work with first responders to make the area safe,” Hydro explained. “Crews will continue to work around the clock until all customers are restored. BC Hydro wants to thank its customers for their patience, and it will continue to provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at  bchydro.com/outages .” Listen live to  1130 NewsRadio Vancouver every 10 minutes on the ones for weather updates. You can also follow  @NewsRadioVAN  and and  Meteorologist Michael Kuss on X  and subscribe to  breaking news alerts  sent directly to your inbox. —With files The Associated Press

new-10-court-indoor-pickleball-facility-coming-to-burnaby
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New 10-court indoor pickleball facility coming to Burnaby

ByCharles Brockman

Posted November 1, 2024 11:50 am. Pickleball lovers in Burnaby can look forward to a new indoor facility opening in December. The Inclusive Place Of Pickleball (IPOP) announced Friday that a 36,000 square foot, state-of-the-art indoor pickleball facility is coming to the City of Lougheed Shopping Centre in Burnaby. Featuring 10 indoor courts, the Canadian company hopes to offer players of all skill levels a place to enjoy the sport without the lengthy wait times. “We’re excited to create an inclusive space where everyone —from first-timers to seasoned pros— can experience pickleball’s physical, mental, and social benefits,” said CEO Chris White. The facility will be set up at the former Lougheed Mall Safeway. The Inclusive Place of Pickleball says Burnaby and the surrounding area have long needed a dedicated indoor pickleball facility. Pickleball is considered one of the fastest-growing sports in America and Canada even though it was invented back in 1965 just south of us on Bainbridge Island in Washington. IPOP did not announce an exact date of opening in December but says the courts should be available before the new year.

rising-costs-may-keep-canadians-from-dental-care:-vancouver-clinic
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Rising costs may keep Canadians from dental care

ByCharles Brockman

Posted October 24, 2024 4:25 pm. Last Updated October 24, 2024 5:04 pm. A new report from Statistics Canada shows that almost one in four adults experience persistent pain in their mouth, and a Vancouver dentist’s office says inflation may be the cause. Statistics Canada published a report on self-reported oral health problems Wednesday. It says adults aged 18 and older were more than twice as likely as children and youth aged 0 to 17 to report mouth problems – either in the form of having oral pain or avoiding certain foods. Among Canadian adults, 24 per cent reported persistent pain in their mouths, with lower-income families disproportionately affected. The executive director of the Strathcona Community Dental Clinic, Erin Riddell, says people have been putting dental care on the back burner by spacing out their appointments or only coming when absolutely necessary. “In past years, [we] have found that [patients] would come for a cleaning twice a year… but then they’re finding that they need to adjust their finances and budget,” said Riddell, adding that those patients often reduced their visits to once a year.  “Others also would even shy away from paying for the cost of cleanings completely, and they would only come if they have major tooth pain.” Riddell says the clinic follows the BC Dental Association Fee Guide and only charges their patients what’s needed for the treatment.  On average, she explained, a cleaning and check-up can cost around $250 at a private clinic; meanwhile, at Strathcona, the cost goes down to about $150 for someone without dental insurance or a care plan.  Unfortunately, Riddell says inflation has also hit the dental industry. She says the clinic has seen its largest increase in fees from the BC Dental Association, due to cost of materials and supply chain issues.  “The fees have truly doubled in the last ten years.”  Riddell says dental problems can increase in severity if not treated properly.  She says a small cavity with a neglected filling can turn into a larger matter that needs a root canal. But even those initial costs for the simpler treatment can be too costly for some. “Just the fear alone of what it would cost may even stop somebody of low income from even going to get a simple exam.”

bc-ferries-to-add-5-new-vessels-by-2031
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BC Ferries to add 5 new vessels by 2031

ByCharles Brockman

Posted September 16, 2024 3:46 pm. BC Ferries says it’s going ahead with the next steps in procuring five new major vessels needed on its busiest routes between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. The company says the new vessels will help it to address projected population growth, replace aging vessels, and meet customer expectations. CEO Nicolas Jimenez tells 1130 NewsRadio that the Ferry Commissioner still has to approve the designs, but they’re hoping to get the first of the five new vessels in the water by 2029 — with all of them operating by 2031. “What we would see is essentially a ship deployed about every six months. It takes a bit of time to bring a new ship into service. So it’s not like five show up day 1, and day 2 you take out five or four old ships. You need time to absorb that into your system,” Jimenez explained. For now, the company says, it’s going to work on maintenance to extend the operational life of two current vessels — the Queen of Surrey and the Queen of Oak Bay. The C-class vessels serve routes between Vancouver Island and the mainland, and BC Ferries has said its current fleet is aging. Last week, BC Ferries had to pull its ship, the Queen of New Westminster, out of service for six months after a propeller fell off the vessel into the sea. The company says the new fleet will help meet the record-breaking demand it saw this summer, with over 8,040,000 passengers and over 3,150,000 vehicles transported between June 1 and Aug. 31. “[We’re] one of the few transportation services, I think, in North America that have surpassed our pre-COVID high. So definitely we’re feeling the pressures and we’re going to continue to be there,” said Jimenez. Ed Hooper, the company’s executive director of shipbuilding says the five new ferries will be more environmentally friendly than its older ships. “These new vessels will be quieter and cleaner than the vessels they replace, allowing us to achieve a significant reduction in our corporate greenhouse gas emissions,” said Hooper. BC Ferries says it needs seven new vessels in total, but will look at adding in the remaining two ships later on.

21-bc.-municipalities-granted-housing-legislation-extensions-after-all
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21 B.C. municipalities granted housing legislation extensions after all

ByCharles Brockman

Posted September 16, 2024 4:06 pm. Last Updated September 16, 2024 4:07 pm. The provincial government announced Monday it’s granted extensions to 21 municipalities that were having trouble meeting the deadline for adopting multi-unit housing legislation. The deadline was designed to force local governments to comply with the new provincial small-scale, multi-unit housing (SSMUH) legislation. In a release Monday, the province says it is now giving 21 communities more time. Where the SSMUH requirements apply, the following governments have been granted an extension for all zones: Northern Rockies Regional Municipality has been given until Dec. 31, 2024. Wells has been given until Dec. 31, 2024. City of North Vancouver has been given until June 1, 2025. Coquitlam has been given until June 30, 2025. Fraser Valley Regional District has been given until Dec. 31, 2025. Peace River Regional District has been given until Dec. 31, 2026. Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality has been given until June 30, 2027. Greenwood has been given until March 31, 2028. Osoyoos has been given until Dec. 31, 2029. Kitimat has been given until Dec. 31, 2030. Others have amended their bylaws for most areas of their community, the province says, but were granted an extension for certain areas and neighbourhoods where infrastructure upgrades are needed or underway, including: The Lougheed/Shaughnessy block in Port Coquitlam has been given until Dec. 31, 2025. Various areas within the Sunshine Coast Regional District have been given until Dec. 31, 2025. The 4th Avenue extension in Ladysmith has been given until Dec. 30, 2026. The Queensborough neighbourhood in New Westminster has been given until May 4, 2029. The Silver Creek and East Kawkawa Lake areas of Hope have been given until Dec. 30, 2030. Electoral Areas B, C, E and F in the Kitimat-Stikine Regional District have been given until Dec. 30, 2030. The Malone Road subdivision, Lot 5 Holland Creek, Forest Field Area, and south areas of Ladysmith have been given until Dec. 30, 2030. The Okanagan Falls and Faulder and Heritage Hills areas in the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District have been given until Dec. 30, 2030. Steveston in Richmond has been given until Dec. 30, 2030. Various areas in Kamloops, including the Rayleigh Waterworks District have been given until Dec. 31 2030. Part of the Proper neighbourhood and surrounding Hazel Park in Chilliwack have been given until Dec. 31, 2030. The Western Foreshore and Kye Bay areas of Comox have been given until Dec. 31, 2030. The province says seven requests for extensions from Ladysmith, Langley, Maple Ridge, the Mount Waddington Regional District, the Nanaimo Regional District, Sooke and View Royal were declined. “Communities that did not receive an extension have 90 days from the date they were first notified to adopt the new bylaws.” The extensions are frustrating District of West Vancouver Mayor Mark Sager after Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon refused to grant West Vancouver an extension just weeks ago. “[I’m] very disappointed that they wouldn’t extend the same courtesy,” Sager told 1130 NewsRadio Monday. Sager thinks the government is pulling back now because the election is coming up and the legislation has seen pushback from mayors across the province. After meeting with the Union of BC Municipalities Monday, Sager says his city is not alone, feeling as though the housing ministry could have handled the legislation better. “I don’t think there’s a single mayor that is even remotely happy with the way this has been rolled out. They’re encroaching on municipal authority. Municipal responsibility is why we offer ourselves for public service, to do proper long-term planning that works in the community, to make sure that we have the proper infrastructure to service whatever is built — make sure that the simple things like the sewer pipes and the wire pipes are adequate. And so this one-size-fits-all dictated out of Victoria just seems to me and my council to be really offside,” said Sager. —With files from Srushti Gangdev.

median-luxury-home-price-in-vancouver-down-1.8-per-cent-from-2023:-report
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Median luxury home price in Vancouver down 1.8 per cent from 2023: report

ByCharles Brockman

Posted September 19, 2024 10:46 am. Vancouver’s luxury home market is still soft, according to the latest report from Royal LePage, but that doesn’t mean prices are dropping. The real estate group says sales in the segment are down almost 40 per cent through the first eight months of the year, compared to the same time last year. But prices barely fell — by less than two per cent — to a little under $7 million. The report considers $ 5.5 million to be the entry-level price for Vancouver’s luxury market. It says from January to the end of August, the median luxury home price in Vancouver was $6,975,000 — the highest in the country. For comparison, the median in Toronto over the same period was $5,820,000. “In Vancouver’s luxury segment, it seems everyone is trying to time the bottom of the market. As such, we’ve seen a slowdown in activity of late. After all, buyers love to buy when others are buying,” said a sales representative for the company. He says a “pullback” in Vancouver’s luxury market began about eight years ago, and activity has never fully rebounded. “The implementation of the 2023 foreign buyer ban, which has limited residential real estate purchases by non-Canadians, has reduced demand, although it has not had a material impact on prices,” he added. Royal Lepage expects moderate activity levels through the fall, despite the likelihood of additional interest rate cuts.