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BC's New Phone Ban
On Jan. 26, at the District Education Centre in Surrey, BC Premier David Eby announced the restriction of mobile phones in public schools “from bell to bell” across the province, along with two other social media measures to protect Canadian children.
EDITORIAL | “Nomophobia”: Teachers Weigh in on BC’s New Phone Restrictions
On Jan. 26, Premier David Eby announced a “bell-to-bell” ban on phones in schools, citing “online dangers” and unsupervised content consumption. The Editorial Board surveyed a few Hamber teachers for their views on the new restrictions, which will ostensibly be taken into account by the VSB when they develop their new district-wide policy.
Half of BC Restaurants Currently in The Red
While COVID-19 restrictions on BC’s restaurant industry were lifted over 18 months ago, BC’s restaurants are still facing urgent financial hardships. Amid decreasing profits and bankruptcies, many restaurants are now seeking assistance from the provincial government.
BC sets a new record with 2,511 toxic drug deaths in 2023
At the beginning of 2024, the BC Coroners Office reported 2,511 suspected deaths due to illicit drug usage — about seven deaths a day in the province. This statistic is the highest recorded number ever and a five per cent increase from 2022.
Alarming Trends in Exclusion Discovered by BCEdAccess Exclusion Tracker
In 2022 – 2023, the Exclusion Tracker was released by the BCEdAccess Society, a charity that serves families of students with disabilities. The Exclusion Tracker has shown a staggering rise in these issues throughout the district by both teachers and students.
Two Indigenous Groups Close Joffre Lakes Park
In late August 2023, the Lil'wat and N'Quatqua First Nations groups closed Joffre Lakes Park to conduct Indigenous ceremonies and traditions. Immediately after the park closed, the provincial government immediately sought an agreement with the two groups regarding land sharing.
2023 Sets Wildfire Records
In 2023, British Columbia experienced its worst wildfire season in history. This season saw 2,229 wildfires, burning almost 25,000 square kilometers, according to the BC Wildfire Service.
OPINION | Will Federal Incompetence Quash BC’s Housing Efforts?
The average price of a home in Canada was $729,044 as of May 2023, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. In Metro Vancouver, that figure increases to $1,188,000, according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.
BC Forest Fire Season is Sparking
This summer’s forest fire season is forecasted to be worse than usual. Even before the start of the season, the general wildfire activity across Canada has been increasing, with 2,306 fires thus far in 2023 alone, as of June 9. Just over 400 of those, about 16 per cent, are in British Columbia, despite BC only occupying about nine per cent of Canada’s land mass.
BC's Temperatures Keep Going Up
Despite attempts to minimize climate change, extreme weather has become more common on Canada’s west coast, most noticeably with summers being hotter and more humid than it has been historically.
Premier David Eby’s First Hundred Days
A hundred days have passed since David Eby became BC’s 37th premier on Nov. 18 last year. Eby succeeded former premier John Horgan, who resigned after five years in office due to health concerns after treatment for cancer last year.
As a part of the party’s rebranding, BC Liberals propose BC United for the part’s new name
In late September, the BC Liberal Party announced a proposed name change and party rebranding. After considering 2,000 suggestions submitted over a three-month long membership consultation period, the party has settled on the name BC United. At the end of this year, party
David Eby will be BC’s Next Premier, John Horgan to Step Down
David Eby will be the next Premier of British Columbia, after winning the New Democratic Party (“NDP”) leadership race by default.
BC Schools will close on Monday for Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral
B.C. schools will be closed next Monday to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral, Premier Horgan announced in a statement today.
“K-12 public schools and public post-secondary institutions, and most Crown corporations will be closed,” Horgan said.
BC is a Step Closer to making Daylight Savings Permanent
Earlier in March, that switch took a step further after the United States Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that would permanently implement DST across Canada’s southern neighbour.
Falcon Wins BC Liberal Leadership Race
On February 6, 2022, former Deputy Premier Kevin Falcon was elected as the new leader of the BC Liberal Party, winning over 52 per cent of the vote.