A global trade analyst says a potential strike for thousands of terminal cargo movers in ports throughout B-C could have dire consequences, not only for the Canadian economy, but globally as well. Beacon Economics international trade adviser Jock O’Connell says the timing of a possible strike at B-C ports coincides with ongoing labour strife at West Coast ports in the United States, as disputes between port officials and the longshore union’s American counterpart disrupted terminal operations in places such as Oakland and Long Beach in California. He says a combination of disruptions at BC and US ports would seriously damage the West Coast’s role in global shipping, and exporters would look to ports on the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico as more reliable options. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada says more than seven-thousand terminal cargo movers will hold the strike vote on Friday and Saturday.
BC’s salmon farmers say thousands of jobs are at stake while the federal government delays its decision-making process surrounding the future of the industry on the province’s coast. Brian Kingzett, BC Salmon Farmers Association executive director, says the industry was not formally informed the fisheries minister recently decided to extend the federal government’s consultation period on the fate of salmon farms until the end of the summer. Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray refused to renew open-net licences for 15 salmon farms near B-C’s Discovery Islands earlier this year. Kingzett says he welcomes the delay as it will give Murray more time to consider the impact of closing a lucrative industry.
A new font developed at the University of British Columbia is allowing the traditional languages of the Musqueam and Syilx Okanagan Nation to be written in a way that matches official university signs and documentation. The Whitney Salishan font is one of only a handful in the world that can be used to write the traditional languages of the nations. Matt Warburton, the design manager for the university’s brand and marketing department, says before the new font was created, each of the First Nations words had to be created individually for projects like plaques and signs, but it is now accessible on university computers. He says using the new font is the respectful way to treat a language, and the next steps are to create a version that can be used on UBC’s websites and to expand to accommodate more Indigenous languages.
Mounties in Ridge Meadows say they are investigating an assault at a local school. They say officers responded to the incident at a school at 116-B Avenue around 9:40 P-M on Saturday _ outside of regular school hours. Police say one youth was taken to hospital by paramedics. They say the investigation is ongoing and are asking anyone with information or dash-cam footage to contact the RCMP.
Surrey city council has agreed to help bring the U-19 Ukrainian Women’s Junior National Softball team to the Canada Cup tournament in the city next month. Council approved spending five thousand-dollars to ensure a 60-thousand-dollar fundraising campaign met its goal. Mayor Brenda Locke says the move is a small gesture that will give the Ukrainian team respite from the strain caused by the war waged by Russia against their country. The tournament is scheduled for July 7th to the 16th.
BC Ferries is asking for the public’s help in deciding what to do with its former buffet spaces on its Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route. It says an online survey will be open for three weeks and, using that feedback, it hopes to transform the space this fall. The company says it was initially forced to suspend the Pacific Buffet in March 2020 due to health safety regulations relating to the spread of COVID-19. BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez says the decision to close the buffet service comes as a result of recent changes to the food industry, including fewer suppliers, supply-chain unreliability, new attitudes about food waste and safety, as well as record-high food costs.