Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Provincial records show the NDP government has spent nearly $100 million on the second phase of the Burnaby Hospital expansion and seven long-term care facilities — projects now all on indefinite hold. The province announced on April 30 that contracts had been cancelled for Phase 2 of the Burnaby Hospital redevelopment and those related to the construction of long-term care homes in Kelowna, Fort St. John, Delta, Abbotsford and Mission. The fate of long-term care developments paused in Squamish and Campbell River remains unclear ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

“Temporary” shortage of OB-GYNs is becoming regular for Surrey-White Rock expectant parents Just over three weeks after Fraser Health warned of a “temporary” shortage of obstetrician-gynecologist physicians at Peace Arch Hospital, Monday morning the maternity ward began a second three-day closure over the holidays. The hospital delivers approximately 1,000 babies annually. This is just the latest in a series of recent shutdowns across the Fraser Health and Interior Health regions due to medical staff shortages, including extended overnight ER closures in Mission and 100 Mile House, as well as another four-day maternity ward closure in Maple Ridge. The Peace Arch development is something that was entirely preventable had the government listened to ample warnings from medical staff, according to Interim Leader of the Opposition and MLA for Surrey-White Rock Trevor Halford. “Over the past year, Peace Arch doctors and nurses have consistently warned that maternity ward closures were inev...

  No new schools for you.  The provincial government’s school building spree looks set to grind to a halt in the fast-growing Fraser Valley, with Victoria telling the region’s five school districts it won’t green-light new major projects this year. Last year, the school districts submitted capital plans with a combined $1.5 billion of schools, sites, and expansions for which they hoped to receive funding. This spring, the province told the districts that there is no money for new schools in the valley ... CLICK HERE for the full story

The 92 brand new apartments in Mission’s tallest building were never intended to be rented out for top dollar. They were designed to be affordable homes for seniors, families, and singles struggling to make ends meet in an increasingly challenging housing market. But with construction on the new tower expected to wrap up in just a couple months, a recent decision from BC Housing to deny a funding application may leave many of the apartments either sitting empty or being rented for whatever the market will bear . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

The federal government estimates it will need to pay almost $3.4 billion for its share of the disaster recovery bills for flooding and landslides that devastated British Columbia’s Fraser Valley in November 2021. But more than two years after that disaster occurred, only about 40 per cent of that has been paid. “Our communities need this funding now,” said Brad Vis, the Conservative MP for the sprawling, crescent-shaped riding of Mission – Matsqui – Fraser Canyon . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

No longer a stronghold, Abbotsford will be a political battleground this October when voters head to the polls. It has been decades since a provincial election was accompanied by so much uncertainty over just who might represent residents in the BC legislature. Demographic shifts, a prominent retirement, redrawn riding's, and a surge of popularity for the BC Conservatives mean that any one of three parties could end up with a majority of the central Fraser Valley’s seats. Earlier this month, we considered the upcoming races in Chilliwack and the eastern valley. Today, we consider the outlook for races in three riding's in Abbotsford and Mission . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story

In Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Langley, and Mission, new provincial rules will axe parking requirements and allow taller buildings The downtowns of Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Langley, and Mission could all soon see their skylines grow, whether local politicians want them to or not. New provincial housing legislation is set to make it much easier to build tall housing towers up to 10 storeys high in the centre of all four Fraser Valley cities. In some areas, that development has already been green-lighted. In others, the new development rules could have a profound impact ... CLICK HERE for the full story