Small businesses, non-profits and arts and culture organizations paying high property taxes through their commercial leases will be able to get relief through interim business property tax relief legislation that is under development. The legislation, to be introduced this spring, would give municipalities the ability to provide property tax relief to small businesses and organizations that they identify as paying high property taxes. These taxes are a result of the combination of years of increasing real estate values and their commercial lease terms, including triple-net leases. "I understa

A 32-year-old man from Surrey has been charged in a death on Vancouver's Eastside last April. Vancouver police say Chad Harry faces a second-degree murder charge in the death of 35-year-old Cong Tran. Constable Tania Visintin says the suspect and the victim had an altercation that led to an assault. She says the homicide was one of 10 in the city last year.

New hybrid electric ferries are expected to arrive in Victoria tomorrow. B-C Ferries says the design of the Island Class vessels reduces underwater radiated noise and lowers emissions. B-C Ferries president Mark Collins says the anticipated arrival of the ships that left Romania on November 20th marks a major milestone in the plan to lower emissions across the fleet. The vessels are expected to service the routes of Powell River-to-Texada Island, Port McNeill-to-Alert Bay and Sointula by the middle of the year.

Lawyers for a Huawei executive wanted on fraud charges in the United States are accusing Crown attorneys of relying on American sanction law to make its case for extradition from Canada. In documents released by the B.C. Supreme Court Friday, Meng Wanzhou's lawyers say Canada has rejected similar U.S. sanction against Iran and not only permits banks to do business with Iran-based entities but encourages them to do so. Her lawyers have said she should not be extradited because her actions wouldn't be considered a crime in Canada. Both sides will make their arguments to the court next week duri

Premier John Horgan says the government is making $5 million available for loans to help contractors who are in danger of losing their equipment due to a forest industry strike on Vancouver Island.He says the program for struggling forest industry contractors will be available by the end of this month with bridge loans to help save equipment.Horgan announced the funding during a speech to forest industry contractors at the annual Truck Loggers Association convention.He spent much of his speech addressing the labour dispute between Western Forests Products and the Steelworkers union, saying the

Canada's health minister says countries that have taken the step toward decriminalizing drugs have done so with supports in place to protect people struggling with addiction. Patty Hajdu toured the Molson Overdose Prevention Site in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside yesterday and says talk of decriminalization in order to deal with the opioid crisis in Canada is premature until comprehensive supports are available here. She says support services vary from province to province and a comprehensive approach includes prevention, treatment, harm reduction, housing and enforcement. Prime Minister Justi

The BC Prosecution Service says a special prosecutor has been appointed to independently review its conduct in a case that concluded in 2013, when a babysitter was convicted in a toddler's drowning in death Cranbrook. Tammy Bouvette was initially charged with second-degree murder in the death of 19-month-old Iyanna Teeple, who was found unconscious and not breathing in a bathtub while under Bouvette's care. Bouvette was later convicted of criminal negligence causing death. The prosecution service says the assistant deputy attorney general for B.C. determined that a special prosecutor should b

Premier John Horgan and George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, have issued the following statements in response to today's Supreme Court of Canada ruling regarding the Trans Mountain Expansion Project: Premier John Horgan - "Clearly, we are disappointed by the decision, but this does not reduce our concerns regarding the potential of a catastrophic oil spill on our coast."Our government takes our responsibility to defend the interests of British Columbians seriously. When it comes to protecting our coast, our environment and our economy, we will continue do all we

Opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline construction across northwestern BC staged a protest, Thursday afternoon outside the RCMP's E-Division headquarters in Surrey. Organizers say the event is an “anti-RCMP checkpoint”. They say it mirrors the checkpoint set up on a forest service road in Wet'suwet'en territory outside Houston, and the Surrey checkpoint aims to enforce the “Indigenous rule of law.” The B-C Civil Liberties Association and Union of BC Indian Chiefs both argue the police checkpoint and exclusion zone along the pipeline right-of-way in northwestern BC violate Indig