As BC braces for additional rain, the government has ‘proactively’ closed a number of highways for travel. “We are actively responding, monitoring and assessing the many highway closures due to flooding and will continue to do so as we work with local and emergency service partners,” said the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Safety is our top priority while we deal with a rapidly changing and difficult situation.” Closures will impact Highway 1, Highway 3 and Highway 99 on Saturday. The ministry said the time and duration of the closures will be weather-dependent. “The highwa ..read more

By Ven Venkatachalam and Lennie Kaplan The headline screamed: “The end of oil age” in the Economist in 2003. Fast forward 18 years and that still doesn’t make sense in many ways. The demand for oil is increasing across the globe. Even U.S. President Joe Biden is now asking OPEC to produce more oil. You don’t have to go far to fill your gas tank to see the rise in fuel prices in recent months. Who says oil is dead? Just look at the growing global disconnect between supply and demand, where the need for natural gas threatens all sorts of shortages. Many environmental groups have been calling for ..read more

For the third time in three years, legislators will attempt to pass an aid bill for jurors traumatized by graphic testimony in criminal courts. “When we ask citizens to be a juror we don’t ask them to be a victim,” said Quebec Senator and bill sponsor Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu. “There is no excuse not to adopt that bill.”  Bill C-206 would amend a 1972 secrecy law to permit jurors to disclose confidential details of deliberations for the purpose of “medical or psychiatric treatment or any therapy or counselling,” said Blacklock’s Reporter. Two identical bills, S-207 and C-417, lapsed in ..read more

A man arrested by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) earlier this year for running a “makeshift nightclub” from his downtown penthouse has been convicted of new charges. Mohammad Movassaghi was initially sentenced to 18 months probation in April, along with 50 hours of community service after pleading guilty in BC provincial court on counts of violating a public health order and selling liquor. The 43-year-old man hosted hundreds of party-goers to his 1,100 square-foot penthouse near Richards Street and Georgia Street, equipped with cash machines, menus, and doormen. VPD officers arrived at ..read more

Porch pirate George Chahal, under investigation for mail theft by Elections Canada, could face a fine of $5,000 or spend up to six months in jail. The Liberal Calgary-Skyview candidate was victorious in September’s federal election, however, he came under fire when a doorbell cam caught Chahal removing an opponent’s election literature from a mailbox ahead of the September 20 election. Chahal, in a jersey with his name clearly visible on the back, was easily identified in the video. A complaint was filed on September 23 and an investigation was launched. Months later, Chahal’s name and his inv ..read more

Environmental activist David Suzuki issued a public apology for he made last Saturday referencing “blown up” pipelines if the government doesn’t take drastic action on climate change. The radical activist made the comments at an Extinction Rebellion protest in downtown Victoria last weekend when asked by CHEK News what he thought would happen if government leaders didn’t address the climate crisis. “We’re in deep, deep doo doo. And the leading experts have been telling us for over 40 years. This is what we’ve come to. The next stage after this, there are going to be pipelines blown up if our l ..read more

The World Health Organization (WHO) says a new COVID-19 variant detected in South Africa is one “of concern” as some countries have now restricted travellers arriving from the African region. The Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE), an independent body of experts that monitor and evaluate the evolution of the virus, was tapped by the WHO on Friday to assess the new variant – B.1.1.529. According to the WHO, the variant, now named Omicron, was first reported from South Africa on Wednesday although the first known confirmed infection was from a specimen collected Nove ..read more

One of the few Confederation-era laws still on the books is being challenged by Nunavut Senator Dennis Patterson in hopes of repealing the outdated law, said Blacklock’s Reporter. Patterson described the law that requires senators to be landowners with at least $4,000 in paid-up equity as “antiquated and elitist.” “They are requirements that haven’t changed since the Constitution Act in 1867,” Patterson earlier told the Senate. “These are antiquated and elitist measures that have lost their raison d’être in modern society.” Patterson first began his attempt to repeal the then 149-yea ..read more

According to in-house research done by the Department of Health, most Canadians find the country a nice, quiet place. Blacklock’s Reporter said staff spent $48,166 on a survey that found only 8% of Canadians have their nightly sleep disturbed, mainly by noisy neighbours or a snoring spouse. “Results provide new information on noise annoyance, sleep, attitudes and expectations which will inform future updates to Health Canada’s guidelines,” said the survey report. “Health Canada considers both annoyance and sleep disturbance to be potential risk factors for adverse health outcomes, and for this ..read more

A petition aiming to raise support for the removal of Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) president Patrick Maze for pushing for mandatory vaccine policy on students has mysteriously vanished, according to the author of the petition. Mallory Fiderko, along with the help of others, started the petition after the STF and medical health officers of Saskatchewan (MHOs) requested the provincial government make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for students 12 and older to attend in-person learning. In October, a letter was drafted and signed by 21 medical officers and sent to the provincial gover ..read more