Thoughts on BC Politics and More

S ince the onset of the election media, politicians, and spin doctors have tried to tell you that this election is about Donald Trump, tariffs, and that it's about left or right - it’s not.   It’s really not about any of that. This election is about your government, its choices, and more importantly: this election is about YOU. It’s about your life here - wherever you reside - , and what kind of country you will have to live in and leave for your children. Across Canada, for the first time since the 1960s, we’re witnessing a deep cultural shift. It’s not one between East and West, or rural and urban, but between generations. The Lost Liberal Decade as it is now being called, has created deep and nearly irreconcilable economic and cultural cleavages between younger Canadians and their aging, increasingly retired fore-bearers. The neighbourhoods of the North Shore of Vancouver have made this strikingly clear - and it's up to the young voters who still manage to call the North Sho...

A BC man who sexually assaulted a woman on a popular North Vancouver trail two years ago has been arrested again, and accused of breaking the conditions of his sentence. Jairus-Paul Covacha Sacramento avoided jail time for the assault, and in December was handed a conditional sentence — the first three months of which were to be served under house arrest — along with 18 months of probation. Court records show Sacramento is now facing four charges of breaching his conditional sentence order ... CLICK HERE for the full story

A North Vancouver family’s world was turned upside down in February when the father was struck by a pick-up truck while crossing a road. Nine months later, the family is fighting to get the care they say Mansour Barhami-Marvdasht needs. They are blaming ICBC’s No-Fault Insurance system for putting them in limbo. “His (cognitive ability) and his short-term memory were just completely, completely altered,” Golshan Barhami-Marvdasht, his daughter, said. “You can’t tell me that someone crossing the street at a green light at a crosswalk could get hit by a truck and it’s labelled as no fault. That doesn’t make any sense. It’s the driver’s fault" ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Parents fully understand that children bring us both great joy and great expense.   While the happiness vastly outweighs the cost, money is not something that can be ignored. For most families shelter costs account for the biggest share of the household budget.   When shelter becomes less affordable, families vote with their feet to find decent housing at an affordable price. This phenomena reveals itself in school enrollment figures. As housing prices climb, we would expect families with school aged children to seek more affordable options.   With even basic family housing above a million dollars per unit in Vancouver, it should come as no surprise that school enrollment numbers are dropping there.   Over the past year Vancouver schools saw a decline in enrollment of nearly 200 students.   Contrast this with a much smaller population like Kamloops, and the difference becomes stark.   Enrollment within our school district climbed 235 students i...