Mounties in Surrey say a crackdown on street racing and stunt driving on a stretch of 192nd Street led to the impoundment of half a dozen vehicles last month. Surrey RCMP say video shared widely online back in May showed a vintage Chevy stunt driving before crashing into a semi-truck during a large gathering. Police say they’ve now recommended charges against the driver, and returned to the street in mid-June to crack down on street racing along the stretch. Officers say they issued 21 violation tickets for speeding, excessive speeding, vehicle defects and other infractions, urging people to drive safely after 14 people have been killed in crashes in Surrey so far this year.
BC’s civil resolution tribunal has thrown out a case against the Arbutus Club filed by a member who was barred for failing to provide proof of vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a decision posted online, the tribunal tossed the claims of Arbutus Club member Saul Kahn, who took the club to court over its proof of vaccination policy. The decision says Kahn wanted access to the club’s pools, skating rink and other area facilities not expressly covered by public health orders, but the club said it was impractical to enforce proof of vaccination in some places but not others with its more than eight-thousand members. The tribunal found the club was reasonable to institute the vaccine proof policy to protect its members and didn’t have to refund a portion of Kahn’s member dues during the months he wasn’t allowed in.
A cycling advocacy group says it’s on the lookout for potential board members who want to push back against what it calls anti-bike trends being championed by elected officials in Vancouver. HUB Cycling says it’s putting out a call for people to join its committee or board of directors to aid in its mission to make the city more bike-friendly after council’s rejection of bike lanes on Broadway and the removal of the bike lane from Stanley Park. HUB says elected officials are failing to ensure a sustainable future by rejecting accessible infrastructure, such as Ken Sim’s ABC party’s decision to remove the temporary bike lane from Stanley Park. The non-profit says it’s looking for people with accounting and leadership experience to join the board to advance HUB’s mission to get more people on bikes.
Alberta Mounties say they believe a suspect in a 2021 murder case may be in Surrey, and are asking the public to be on the lookout. The Alberta RCMP’s major crimes unit says Bith Chuol is wanted for first-degree murder, kidnapping, break and enter, and extortion related to the 2021 death of Vanessa Silva in Edmonton. Alberta Mounties say they arrested another man in May 2022 in connection with the death of Silva, whose remains were found in a burned vehicle in Edmonton in September 2021. Mounties say they have reason to believe Chuol was in Surrey and may still be there, and he’s considered armed and dangerous, described as being six-foot-four and having a slim build, dark complexion, and black hair and brown eyes.
The federal government says it’s funding two new projects to bolster early childhood development services in BC. The Ministry of Families, Children and Social Development says funding for the projects will come through the Early Learning and Child Care Innovation Program. It says the University of BC is getting nearly 240-thousand dollars in funding over the next two years for professional development initiatives for Indigenous early childhood education workers. The federal government says the funding will allow workers to access free online training, while another chunk of funding will go toward researching child-care needs of parents with jobs that aren’t standard 9-to-5 working hours.
The union for striking BC port workers says the BC Maritime Employers Association has abandoned collective bargaining negotiations as the strike enters its fifth day. In a statement Tuesday afternoon, the union says the employers association falsely accused it of trying to aggressively expand its scope over regular maintenance work. The union says contracting out such maintenance work is a major hurdle to reaching a deal, claiming employers have eroded the union’s jurisdiction over the work by using outside contractors. The ILWU says maritime companies have been unwilling to use and train the union’s skilled trades workers, but the employers say labour shortages have negatively affected terminal operations by delaying crucial maintenance work.