Victoria Viewpoints: Tuesday-Wednesday, May 31/June 1, 2022

Our compilation of some of the stories of note from the day, reviewing the political developments from the Provincial scene for  Tuesday-Wednesday, May 31-June 1, 2022

Globe and Mail

Surrey Mayor addresses 'critics, doubters and naysayers' in state-of-the-city speech

Terrace prepares for potential flooding as Skeena River forecast to rise

British Columbia set to decriminalize possession of hard drugs

Vancouver Art Gallery offers free admission to all visitors 18 and under

International commission asks Canada to join probe into contamination from BC coal mines

'Disturbing' case highlights inequity in disability benefit: BC ombudsperson 

BC to decriminalize possession of small amounts of 'hard' drugs such as cocaine, fentanyl and heroin

CBC

Dark web drug-trafficking group arrested on Vancouver Island: RCMP

BC man among first Canadians approved for COVID-19 vaccine injury payout 

Catholic order that staffed some residential schools in BC to hand over archives to museum

Some BC medical students hesitant to become family doctors, citing workload, fee-for-service model

Emergency Operations Centre activated on BC's North Coast in anticipation of flooding

Surrey mayor steps away from police board duties, but says it's unrelated to his court case

New ride-hailing service coming to Kamloops and other smaller BC communities

Langley City councillor challenges mayor in this October's elections 

Vancouver Sun 

Telus Health's services under review after allegations of two-tiered medical care

Langley condo buyers rally to oppose last-minute tower proposal for low-rise community

For parks in Broadway plan, city may need to get creative

BC leading North America in electric vehicle uptake, says minister  

One more episode in Eby's single minded push to increase housing supply

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum will not chair police board  in lead-up to October election

Victoria Times-Colonist 

Reliance floats idea of hotel and condo tower on site of Art Deco BC Power commission building 

Island Health issues warning about overdoses in Nanaimo, Cowichan

Museum, Sisters of Saint Ann reach agreement on orders' archives 

Oak Bay bans single-use plastic bags starting November 24

BC decriminalizes possession of 'small amounts' of hard drugs for 3 years

Decriminalization test a full retreat from 'war on drugs'

WCB is broken, let's not wait any longer to fix it 

Victoria News

15 charged with criminal contempt tied to BC Coastal GasLink pipeline protests 

Roadside trash costs Greater Victoria taxpayers in cash, money, health

In BC who chooses what your child reads in class

Global

Patients information can be released with their consent: BC Commissioner 

Surrey Mayor to not attend police board meetings until after October election 

Handgun sales exploding across BC's Lower Mainland, gun store owner says

15 people charged with criminal contempt over BC pipeline protest, 10 others await fate

Embattled Surrey mayor addresses 'doubters and naysayers' in annual speech

Terrace prepares for possible flooding: Forecast Centre warns of rising rivers 

BC's minimum wage goes up another 45 cents but that's still too low say advocates

Baby forumla supplies dry up at Okanagan stores, support agency

Georgia Straight

Rennie survey finds failing consumer expectations of higher home values in Metro Vancouver

BCREA forecasts 2022 homes sales to drop 22 percent with prices becoming 'somewhat volatile' 

The Tyee                                                                   

Please Advise: What's afoot with Surrey Mayor McCallum?

A deadly wake up call for BC

A week in the Life: An OBGYN who provides abortions 

Vancouver School Board is violating Charter rights, say student journalists 

Drug Decorum plan for BC panned as inadequate 

Canada's online news Act needs these fixes 

Over representation of Indigenous women in jails hits record levels in BC

Higher Royalties, New Subsidy for BC's Oil and Gas industry

Miscellaneous

BC residents won't be charged for possessing small amounts of drugs

Fifteen shared with criminal contempt over Coastal Gas Link pipeline protests last fall

Drug decriminalization puts BC, Alberta at opposite ends of the policy spectrum in Canada

BC to join small group of jurisdictions with decriminalizations of hard drugs 

Order of nuns that staffed BC's residential schools to pass records to BC museum

International commission asks Canada to join probe of selenium flowing from BC

Hard drugs to be decriminalized in British Columbia