Spec tax brings in bucks

British Columbia collected $115 million in the 2018-19 fiscal year from homeowners who paid the province’s speculation and vacancy tax. As of Sept. 3, it says almost 12,000 homeowners were paying the tax, which targets people who own vacant property in B.C. The province says more than 1.6 million tax declarations have been filed and […]

Ferry booze available soon

Thirsty BC Ferries passengers will have the chance to sip an alcoholic beverage on sailings between Vancouver and Victoria starting this fall. Beer and wine will be available in the Pacific Buffet–a unique dining experience that is available on three vessels that service the Vancouver to Victoria (Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay) route. These three include The Spirit […]

Taxi companies continue fight

VANCOUVER — A coalition of nine taxi companies has asked B.C.’s Supreme Court to quash policies it says were illegally created for ride-hailing companies but the province’s transportation minister says she doesn’t expect the legal challenge to halt the start of the services. The Metro Vancouver cab companies say in their petition that the Passenger […]

TappCar applies for licence

An Alberta company is the first to formally apply to provide ride-hailing in B.C. TappCar, the third largest ride-share company in Canada, announced Tuesday it has made a formal application for a passenger transportation licence. “We worked with regulators to complete this exhaustive process. We will be ready to launch as soon as it is […]

Class 4 licences spike

Tougher licensing rules in B.C. don’t seem to be scaring off people hoping to be ride-hailing drivers this fall. Numbers provided by the Ministry of Public Safety show there are now 160,000 registered drivers in the province who could work for companies like Uber and Lyft. Figures from ICBC show there has been a 15 […]

BC carbon in crosshairs

SURREY, B.C. — The federal and British Columbia governments want to power the production of the natural gas industry in the province using electricity. As part of an agreement announced today, the two governments and BC Hydro are forming a committee to push projects that increase power transmission. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the agreement […]

Union fears huge job loss

A business-as-usual approach allowing creeping automation in B.C.’s ports without government intervention will lead to economic chaos, heavy job losses and significant loss of tax revenue, an International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada report warns. Union president Rob Ashton says automation at B.C. ports could eliminate 9,200 jobs and cost the provincial economy $600 million […]

Opioid case may impact BC

VANCOUVER — An expert in medicine and law says an Oklahoma court ruling that found Johnson & Johnson helped fuel the opioid crisis and ordered the company to pay US$572 million will indirectly affect a similar lawsuit launched by the B.C. government. Dr. Michael Curry, a clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia […]

BC class sizes shrinking

School will start for most students across B.C. next week, and there’s a good chance they will continue to have smaller classes than in the past. The provincial government released a statistical snapshot of B.C.’s education system on Monday, and it says it has reduced class sizes since the 2015-16 school year. According to the […]

Vancouver’s $39-million condo

The most expensive condo currently for sale on Canada’s MLS is a 6,670-square-foot unit in Vancouver’s Coal Harbour, listed at $38.888 million, or $5,319 per square foot. Of all the homes listed on the nation’s MLS, it is second in price only to a $59 million chateau-style estate in Ontario, and beats the $35.8 million 48th-floor penthouse at […]