With a provincial election that left the BC NDP in government by a small margin, there’s no doubt that 2024 signalled a clear shift to the far-right with the expressed support of extreme candidates with extreme positions.

As costs and damage rise, the government needs to focus on prevention and learn from First Nations.

Wildfires in the province now drive global climate change, often producing more greenhouse gas emissions than all other B.C. sources combined. Canadian wildfires in 2023 produced more GHGs than total national emissions of Germany.

But one of the most powerful reasons for action is economic — we simply can’t afford the status quo. Losses from B.C. wildfires cost tens of billions of dollars. The government reported spending over $1 billion fighting 2023 wildfires.

Yet such firefighting costs are just the tip of the economic spear. The total costs of a wildfire can range from six to 30 times the suppression costs.

For example, total costs of the 2016 Fort McMurray fire are estimated at about $9 billion to $11 billion — roughly 20 times the firefighting costs.

As wildfire conditions worsen, how will we support all the mills whose wood supply has burned? All the wineries with smoke-spoiled product? All the motels, campgrounds and restaurants emptied by smoky summers? All the Indigenous communities evacuated repeatedly? All the highways and dikes washed away by wildfire-caused flooding?

And how will we pay the increased health costs? A University of California, Los Angeles, study has linked 11 years of California wildfire smoke to more than 50,000 premature deaths and $400 billion in economic impact.

First time I've heard "sickened" when referring to actually being sick.

He says the province asked Oak Bay to build 56 homes and only 16 were built. West Vancouver had 58 homes built, but was meant to hit 220.

The business advocacy group says its "Stay with B.C." campaign is placing advertisements on billboards and transit stops, as well as online in cities such as Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George, urging residents to think twice before moving to Alberta for economic or other reasons.

Turnout was 16 per cent — significantly down compared to previous federal byelections this year, which saw around a 40 per cent turnout.

In a statement posted to its website, Norway-based Greig Seafood wrote, "It was a human error, and we are looking into our routines and how we transfer fuel in the future to make sure this does not happen again."

The company has hired Strategic Natural Resource Consultants to clean up the spill.

Strategic told the province that absorbent booms were placed around the spill site but that they were "unable to locate recoverable diesel on the water," according to the incident report.

Former B.C. premier John Horgan was remembered as a loving father and dedicated politician on Sunday afternoon — but also a man whose comic timing and collaborative spirit made for a lasting legacy.

Sim is a crypto proselytizer. Last week, he preached in a video interview for the Coin Stories podcast that he believes Bitcoin "is the greatest invention in human history."

His proposal would order city staff to assess the feasibility of making Vancouver "Bitcoin-friendly," for instance, by accepting payments in Bitcoin and investing some of the municipality's financial reserves into the cryptocurrency.

Sim's motion, which will go to a vote on Wednesday, claims that "Bitcoin mining has shown environmental benefits" that are realized when mines use electricity that would otherwise be wasted. The motion did not cite sources and the mayor's office did not provide any to Canada's National Observer when requested.

Fellow council members aren’t buying it.

Researchers estimate that each Bitcoin transaction generates as much carbon emissions as driving a gas-powered car around 2,200 km. Between 2020 and 2021 alone, U.N. researchers estimated that if Bitcoin mining were a country, it would rank 27th in the world in energy use. The sector's electricity demand is so high that B.C. has temporarily banned crypto mining until officials can figure out if the province has enough power.

The Sea to Sky Highway linking Vancouver and Whistler, B.C., has been closed in both directions after a mudslide near Lions Bay brought down trees and debris to block the road.

The RCMP in Squamish, B.C., says the road is not expect to reopen until midnight and no detours are available.

The Ministry of Transportation is asking drivers to avoid travelling to the area as emergency crews are on the scene and heavy equipment and ministry personnel are on the way.

Drivers are encouraged to check DriveBC for updates on when the highway may be reopened.

Also from https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/landslide-closes-sea-sky-highway

Officials with the District of Squamish said drivers who are stuck north of the slide near Lions Bay should plan to stay the night in the area, either with friends or family while the Resort Municipality of Whistler urged people to find a hotel for the night.

There is an alternate route through Lillooet and Lytton for people stuck on the north side of the slide who want to get back to the Lower Mainland, according to RCMP.

No other detours are available and North Shore Rescue staff are urging drivers not to go by what Google Maps is showing as a detour through the Coquitlam Watershed. There is no public access that way, according to NSR.