The province is finally moving to ban illicit drug use in all public places, including hospitals, transit, and parks.

Premier David Eby announced the changes today in a press conference.

"The goal is that police have the authority and that everybody in the community knows it, so they don't have to use it," he said. "A police officer says, 'no, I'm sorry, this isn't the place where drugs are used, you need to go somewhere else,' the person listens and follows that direction. Hopefully and ideally to a site where there are medical professionals, connections to care, and potentially if that person's in that space and ready, connections to addictions treatment."

BC is now working with the federal government to give police back the power to prevent drug use in all public places. Possession of small amounts remains legal, and police will only arrest for possession in exceptional circumstances.

Eby said the province is working with Health Canada to change the terms of its decriminalization pilot program in BC, which is about halfway through its three-year duration. The province is asking the federal government to again make the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act apply to public drug use throughout the province, effectively prohibiting it. People will still be able to use in their private residences or lawful overnight shelters.

The province tried last year to modify provincial legislation to prohibit drug use in some public spaces, but immediately ran into legal challenges. Eby said the Attorney-General told him there was no end in sight to that case, so the province is now working directly with the federal government to use federal laws. He said he has the prime minister's assurances that the federal government will work collaboratively with BC.

The move comes after recent incidents suggested public drug use and related disorder is escalating, including a news story from Campbell River involving teens overdosing in a local restaurant, and a viral video from the Lower Mainland showing people smoking fentanyl at their restaurant table.

As well, staff in several BC hospitals including Campbell River reported patients were smoking fentanyl and other street drugs in their hospital rooms, causing health concerns for nurses and other patients.

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With an increase in measles, whooping cough, and other preventable diseases around the world the province says they are promoting this year's National Immunization Awareness Week. 

According to the federal government’s website, so far Canada has 50 active cases of measles and estimates a total of 60 cases have been reported so far this year.  

The government also estimates there is one case of rubella syndrome has been diagnosed in across Canada. 

Health minister Adrian Dix says this annual event helps people get the proper immunizations they need to lower the risk to themselves and reduce the impact on hospitals across the province. 

“Immunization plays a vital role in maintaining public health by reducing the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases,” Dix says. “It lowers the number of cases, hospitalizations, and fatalities associated with these diseases, thereby improving the quality of life.” 

The province says measles is highly contagious and everyone who has not got their shots should consider consulting their medical practitioner, especially babies and children. 

Dix says this is why the government has implemented a program to offer, and extend, protection for those who need it, crediting medical professionals for their hard work. 

“I want to thank the healthcare professionals who provide information to their patients about the benefits of immunizations, administer vaccines, and help people keep safe from the spread of diseases,” Dix says.  

The province says measles is quickly spread in schools, and children who are not immunized or fully immunized are offered a vaccine or excluded from school. 

The World Health Organization reported a 79 per cent increase in measles cases last year, compared to 2022. 

The last case of measles in BC was reported in 2019. 

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B.C.’s very own humpback whales were featured on an episode of Planet Earth III.

The show is a BBC series focused on showcasing landscapes, newly discovered behaviors, and the challenges animals face, all narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

Episode 7 had a segment on humpback whales, with the Marine Education and Research Society assisting the team on that episode.

The society works on education, research, and response on Vancouver Island, with the goal of understanding and reducing the threats that marine wildlife face.

Humpback researcher Jackie Hildering says they were chosen because of their research on trap feeding, a strategy that at least 32 humpbacks learned to do.

“Once we had initial contact it was very clear we were unified with the filming team, with the producer Fredi Devas in terms of ethics,” said Hildering.

“Once we realized the magnitude of it, that we would be able to bring attention to the vital importance of whales globally and that the estimated audience of Planet Earth III is one billion people, I don’t know that it has sunken in.”

Trap-feeding is used by some whales in specific conditions where if juvenile herring are in small schools, they set up a trap by staying beside the fish with their mouths open.

Hildering says their first contact with Devas was back in 2018 and it had been back and forth about the ethics of the segment, adding that the society wouldn’t have been interested if it was only for pretty footage of humpbacks.

She says the last thing they wanted to do is increase pressure on the whales.

“It became very clear that it would be about really big-picture messaging around a second chance of humpbacks, and that by having them back what they are doing is fertilizing the ecosystem,” said Hildering.

“In realizing that, it became secure that it would be about conservation and that the gains would be greater than the potential disturbance of the whales.”

She says Devas came to the Island in 2019 and was surprised by how well the team knew the whales, which Hildering says would lead to better filming and less disturbance of the whales.

Because of the pandemic, filming began in 2021, continuing into 2022 to capture the feeding.

The episode aired on Sunday on BBC Earth.

“British Columbia used to kill humpbacks until 1967, now we care about them as individuals.”

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The BC Government says social media giants Meta, Snap, TikTok and X have agreed to work collaboratively with the province of the development of Bill 12, its public harms legislation, and will be part of BC's Online Safety Action Table. 

The province says it will place Bill 12 on hold while discussions take place on how to create safe, empowering experiences online.
 

 In a news release, the province says it's an opportunity to bring experts, parents, technology companies and government together to find new ways of helping young people stay safe online and  be better protected from online harms. 

The province also says Meta has also committed to working with BC’s emergency management organization to help amplify official information for people in emergency situations like wildfires. 

The official opposition says the NDP's decision to retract Bill 12 only comes after significant public backlash. 

BC United says the business community and concerned citizens across the province forced the NDP to acknowledge the flaws in the legislation. 

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The health authority responsible for First Nations in BC has won an award for good governance.

The First Nations Health Authority provides health and wellness services to more than 200 First Nations communities across BC. Its goal is to reduce service gaps and promote culturally safe practices for Indigenous patients in the health care system.

This week, the health authority received the National Indigenous Good Governance Award from Honoring Nations Canada. The award was for community governance and programming.

Health authority CEO Richard Jock says they are grateful for the recognition, and thanked the many people and partners who are working to transform health programming for First Nations people in BC.

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A new round of climate action funding encourages local governments to attempt larger projects.

The province announced earlier this week that they will provide nearly $72 million through the Local Government Climate Action Program, a program aiming to help local communities lower emissions, turn to clean-energy sources and prepare for a changing climate.

This funding comes as part of Budget 2024.

Minister of Environment and Climate Change strategy George Heyman says many sources of emissions are local in nature.

“By providing the next three years of Local Government Climate Action Program funding upfront this year, we can build a more sustainable and climate-friendly future for British Columbians,” said Heyman.

For this funding, the province is giving the money away in a lump sum instead of disbursing it annually, with hopes it will give local governments more confidence in making these projects.

They add the projects need to be aligned with CleanBC and/or climate adaptation objectives.

To learn more about the program, click here.

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Coastal communities will get to resume talks with BC Ferries members next month.

The ferry line says Ferry Advisory Committees will restart engagement so they can start tackling ideas and requests from ferry users across the coast.

Vice-president of public affairs and marketing Lindsay Mathews says while it's important to review safety and security protocols, they have been eager to return to face-to-face engagement.

“I’m encouraged we can now put our focus back where it needs to be – on important discussions with people in the communities we serve,” said Mathews. “For the rest of this year, we’re looking forward to prioritizing everything we’ve heard from communities, ensuring that people can see and feel actions being taken in an order that best aligns with the public interest across the broader ferry system.”

This comes as in-person meetings were suspended last year after a member of the public made comments at a Sunshine Coast meeting that were interpreted as threats.

They say virtual meetings will take place next month, followed by in-person meetings in June and July. There will also be a community prioritization panel, dedicated to prioritizing ideas that have come in the past few years.

They aim to put together a final public report that will be used to make decisions on how to improve service and experience for customers.

The report will be delivered on October 31.

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Fully self-driving cars are now banned in BC, but there weren’t any for sale yet, anyway.

Changes to the Motor Vehicle Act took effect this month, banning all vehicles with self-driving capabilities at level three or above. That would affect cars that can drive themselves without human input, and there are currently only a few for sale world-wide.

In the US, the only two vehicles available with the feature are models of the Mercedes S-class, and they are only allowed on the roads in California and Nevada.

The self-driving features in newer Tesla EVs are considered level two, which offer assistance while changing lanes and automatic braking, but still require a human driver at the wheel. Vehicles with those features are still allowed in BC.

The rating system was designed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and has five levels, with level one featuring minimal driver assist and level five featuring a full autopilot.

The province could relax the rules in the future once technology improves.

"Highly automated self-driving vehicles remain a new and emerging transportation technology," says the Ministry of Transportation. "Further testing and policy development are necessary before Level 3 or higher automated vehicles are considered safe and can begin to be allowed for public use on B.C. roads."

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Today marks the eighth anniversary of the toxic drug public-health emergency, and the province recognizes its tragic impact.

That comes from Premier David Eby in a statement this morning, saying every life taken by the toxic drug crisis is a loss to our communities.

“They are friends, parents, siblings and children. To the families, friends and loved ones: we see you, we stand with you, and we share in your pain,” said Eby.

“We must also recognize that this crisis has impacts beyond the tragic loss of life. From families and friends to mental-health and front-line workers, there are scores of people who have had to bear witness to the damage done to lives and communities from addiction and drug poisonings.”

This statement comes as more than 14,000 people have died since the emergency was declared, with Eby saying the government aims to build a more connected system of mental health and addictions care for those in need.

This includes expanding access to new approaches to healing and recovery.

Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jennifer Whiteside says the crisis affects everyone.

“It is vital that we come together and offer support to those in pain,” said Whiteside.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says when it comes to recovery, it is a complex journey.

“People who use drugs come from all walks of life in all parts of this province,” said Henry. “That diversity is also reflected in why people use drugs in the first place. For many, it is to deal with pain, physical, emotional and psychological pain often stemming from previous trauma.”

Eby closes by saying that we are stronger when working together, with hopes of ending the crisis.

For where you can read the statement, click here.

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BC isn’t interested in building more megaprojects to power private cryptocurrency miners, the energy minister said today [April 11].

Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, says the province is working with BC Hydro to make sure there’s enough electricity infrastructure for BC’s future, “and that includes regulating electricity service for energy-intensive cryptocurrency miners that create very few local jobs.”

BC’s hydroelectric energy supply has made it attractive for crypto mining, which uses arrays of powerful computers running 24-7. In late 2022 the province paused all new crypto hookups — 21 projects were suspended, which would have required more than two Site C projects worth of annual energy.

Earlier this year, the provincial court sided with the province and BC Hydro, tossing out a company's request to allow more power hookups for crypto companies.

“Devoting such a large proportion of the available electrical power supply to one industry would leave less energy for other uses which might result in increased costs to all other residential and industry customers in BC,” said Justice Michael Tammen in February.

The province is now proposing changes to the Utilities Commission Act which would strictly regulate, or even prohibit, service for crypto mining operations.

BC Hydro says it’s currently servicing seven crypto mining operations in BC, representing power consumption of 166 megawatts. In comparison, the entire John Hart Dam system in Campbell River, recently rebuilt for nearly $3 billion,  generates about 130 megawatts.

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