Wolf Depner

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Last year’s series of atmospheric rivers that caused widespread destruction across southern British Columbia caused $675 million in insurance loses, according to an insurance representative. (File photo courtesy of Emcon)

Insurance industry representative calls for better B.C. flood mapping

2021 atmospheric rivers cost $675M in insurance losses, were Canada’s 8th worst natural disaster

Last year’s series of atmospheric rivers that caused widespread destruction across southern British Columbia caused $675 million in insurance loses, according to an insurance representative. (File photo courtesy of Emcon)
B.C. Liberals leader Kevin Falcon said during his remarks to delegates at the 2022 Convention in Whistler that the province is heading in the wrong direction “by every metric.” (Photo courtesy of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities)

B.C. Liberal leader promises increased housing supply, regional mental health centres

Kevin Falcon says government is not doing enough to supply housing and address health care crisis

B.C. Liberals leader Kevin Falcon said during his remarks to delegates at the 2022 Convention in Whistler that the province is heading in the wrong direction “by every metric.” (Photo courtesy of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities)
Travellers at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond. The aviation industry faces significant challenges, delegates at the 2022 Union of British Columbia Municipalities Convention heard. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)

UBCM delegates warned of big structural changes facing B.C. airports, aviation industry

Staff shortages, geopolitics and technology all factors behind changes

Travellers at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond. The aviation industry faces significant challenges, delegates at the 2022 Union of British Columbia Municipalities Convention heard. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward)
Delegates at the 2022 Union of British Columbia Municipalities in Whistler considered several resolutions on housing Thursday morning. (Photo courtesy of Union of British Columbia Municipalities)

UBCM calls for review of speculation tax, more control over short-term rentals

A Victoria resolution to explore vacancy control failed narrowly at annual municipal convention

Delegates at the 2022 Union of British Columbia Municipalities in Whistler considered several resolutions on housing Thursday morning. (Photo courtesy of Union of British Columbia Municipalities)
Provincial minister of municipal affairs Nathan Cullen announced $62 million for City of Abbotsford to help improve water system after last year’s flooding in Fraser Valley. (Photo courtesy of Union of British Columbia Municipalities)

Minister of municipal affairs Nathan Cullen announces climate funding at UBCM

$62 million for new water-treatment system in Abbotsford, $10 million for planning across B.C.

Provincial minister of municipal affairs Nathan Cullen announced $62 million for City of Abbotsford to help improve water system after last year’s flooding in Fraser Valley. (Photo courtesy of Union of British Columbia Municipalities)
2022 UBCM Convention delegates meeting in Whistler are calling on the province to resume authority for diking as part of a trio of special resolutions (Black Press Media file photo)

Communities across B.C. want province to increase flood preparation and mitigation

Special UBCM resolution calls for additional government support to deal with flooding

2022 UBCM Convention delegates meeting in Whistler are calling on the province to resume authority for diking as part of a trio of special resolutions (Black Press Media file photo)
Local governments are asking Victoria to give them a share of a recent settlement with a drug company. (Black Press file photo)

B.C. communities want a slice of $150 million Purdue Pharma Canada settlement

UBCM delegates say drug crisis is chewing up more local resources than they have

Local governments are asking Victoria to give them a share of a recent settlement with a drug company. (Black Press file photo)
The Union of B.C. Municipalities wants B.C.’s hospitals, emergency rooms, and ambulance services are open and available to 24 hours a day. Josh Berson photo

Communities make plea for urgent action to address B.C.’s emergency care crisis

UBCM delegates pass special resolution calling for more government support as ERs face closures

The Union of B.C. Municipalities wants B.C.’s hospitals, emergency rooms, and ambulance services are open and available to 24 hours a day. Josh Berson photo
Union of British Columbia Municipalities president Coun. Laurey-Anne Roodenburg of Quesnel (right) in a question-and-answer session with Coun. Jen Ford of Whistler says municipalities face a set of “massive, complex and in so many cases unprecedented” issues that require systemic changes. (Photo courtesy of Union of British Columbia Municipalities)

B.C. local governments face ‘unprecedented issues’, ‘extreme toxicity in public life’

UBCM president Laurey-Anne Roodenburg says municipalities dealing with massive, complex challenges

Union of British Columbia Municipalities president Coun. Laurey-Anne Roodenburg of Quesnel (right) in a question-and-answer session with Coun. Jen Ford of Whistler says municipalities face a set of “massive, complex and in so many cases unprecedented” issues that require systemic changes. (Photo courtesy of Union of British Columbia Municipalities)
Students returning to campuses across British Columbia including the University of Victoria are paying among the highest tuitions across the country with high housing costs another compounding factor. (Bailey Moreton/News Staff)

B.C. graduate students pay the second-highest tuitions in Canada

Annual undergraduate tuition in Canada rates rose 2.6 per cent

Students returning to campuses across British Columbia including the University of Victoria are paying among the highest tuitions across the country with high housing costs another compounding factor. (Bailey Moreton/News Staff)
Local MP Elizabeth May is once running for the leadership of the federal Greens on a platform proposing to share leadership with Jonathan Pedneault. (Courtesy of Green Party of Canada)

Elizabeth May takes team approach in comeback Green Party leadership bid

Saanich Gulf Islands MP plans to lead the Greens again with Jonathan Pedneault as co-leader

Local MP Elizabeth May is once running for the leadership of the federal Greens on a platform proposing to share leadership with Jonathan Pedneault. (Courtesy of Green Party of Canada)
Pierre Poilievre, who is leading the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, filled the main hall at Sidney’s Mary Winspear Centre Sunday afternoon with an estimated 1,200 poeple in the crowd. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

Tory leadership hopeful promises economic autonomy, housing during B.C. stop

Pierre Poilievre speaks to a crowd of more than 1,200 people in Greater Victoria suburb

Pierre Poilievre, who is leading the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, filled the main hall at Sidney’s Mary Winspear Centre Sunday afternoon with an estimated 1,200 poeple in the crowd. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
Sidney Bakery, like many other local businesses, is looking for additional staff as employers across the country struggle to fill vacancies. According to Statistics Canada, employers were recruiting more than one million vacant positions in June for the third consecutive month. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

B.C. has more job openings than unemployed workers to fill them

Province one in four in Canada with an unemployed-to-job-vacancy rate below 1:1

Sidney Bakery, like many other local businesses, is looking for additional staff as employers across the country struggle to fill vacancies. According to Statistics Canada, employers were recruiting more than one million vacant positions in June for the third consecutive month. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
Tyson Elder, operations manager for the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank, said the situation is getting desperate in face of food shortages and growing demand as inflation has cut into the budgets of more and more people. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

Desperate for food: Food banks in dire need as demand surges across B.C., Canada

Skyrocketing housing prices, inflation forcing more people to access food bank services

Tyson Elder, operations manager for the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank, said the situation is getting desperate in face of food shortages and growing demand as inflation has cut into the budgets of more and more people. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
Greater Victoria has the highest proportion of trans and non-binary folks in Canada, home to about one million people who self-identify as LGBTQ2+. Shown is the crowd from the 2018 Victoria Pride parade. (Photo courtesy of Victoria Pride Society)

LGBTQ2+ community of 1 million in Canada continue to face serious obstacles

LGBTQ2+ community in Canada three times more likely to report being assaulted in 2018

Greater Victoria has the highest proportion of trans and non-binary folks in Canada, home to about one million people who self-identify as LGBTQ2+. Shown is the crowd from the 2018 Victoria Pride parade. (Photo courtesy of Victoria Pride Society)
BC Ferries hopes to introduce B.C. wine, craft beer, ciders and other alcoholic beverages to the menu in Coastal Cafes on vessels sailing on its major routes between Vancouver Island and the mainland. (Black Press Media file photo)

Alcohol could be coming to cafes on major BC Ferries routes by end of year

Corporation hopes to add service by summer’s end; has received approval in principle

BC Ferries hopes to introduce B.C. wine, craft beer, ciders and other alcoholic beverages to the menu in Coastal Cafes on vessels sailing on its major routes between Vancouver Island and the mainland. (Black Press Media file photo)
Passengers with their luggage wait outside the arrivals area at Victoria International Airport on Tuesday afternoon. The airport was closed to commercial traffic for several hours after an RCMP bomb squad was called. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

UPDATE: Greater Victoria man faces mischief charges after attempting to fly with hand grenades

Police still investigating after decommissioned devices cause closure of Victoria airport

Passengers with their luggage wait outside the arrivals area at Victoria International Airport on Tuesday afternoon. The airport was closed to commercial traffic for several hours after an RCMP bomb squad was called. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
This screencap shows Caitlin Oakley rushing out of her North Saanich home to help rescue her family’s pet Goose from a Bald Eagle while breast-feeding her daughter. (Screencap/Courtesy Mike Lazic) This screencap shows Caitlin Oakley rushing out of her North Saanich home to help rescue her family’s pet Goose from a Bald Eagle while breast-feeding her daughter. (Screencap/Courtesy Mike Lazic)

VIDEO: B.C. mom saves pet goose from eagle while breastfeeding 4-month-old daughter

Video clip of incident goes viral, confirms multi-tasking abilities of moms

This screencap shows Caitlin Oakley rushing out of her North Saanich home to help rescue her family’s pet Goose from a Bald Eagle while breast-feeding her daughter. (Screencap/Courtesy Mike Lazic) This screencap shows Caitlin Oakley rushing out of her North Saanich home to help rescue her family’s pet Goose from a Bald Eagle while breast-feeding her daughter. (Screencap/Courtesy Mike Lazic)
Calculations by Canadian demographer show Victoria CMA had a fertility rate of 0.95 in 2020, the lowest in all of Canada. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

B.C. delivering some of the lowest fertility rates in Canada

Eastern Fraser Valley bucks B.C. trend with Chilliwack recording country’s highest fertility rates

Calculations by Canadian demographer show Victoria CMA had a fertility rate of 0.95 in 2020, the lowest in all of Canada. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
Premier John Horgan as seen during Question Period on April 25, 2022. (Screenshot/Hansard)

‘Fuddle duddle’: Horgan adds to a litany of unparliamentary words in Canada

B.C. premier apologizes after using f-word in the chamber April 25

Premier John Horgan as seen during Question Period on April 25, 2022. (Screenshot/Hansard)