Vancouver Rundown Friday November 17, 2023

With links to local news that's not found on Facebook

Nov 17, 2023

Summary

Surrey Police Board Chair Brenda Locke and the rest of the board members have been given the boot by the provincial government. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth has announced the suspension of the board while appointing former Abbotsford Police Chief Mike Serr as the new administrator - a move aimed at fixing the troubled and painfully slow transition from the RCMP to the Surrey Police Service. Locke is slamming the move saying it removes any civilian oversight and was done without consultation with the city.

Other stories…

Two idiots have been arrested after a fight inside Surrey’s Guildford Town Centre ended with a person being stabbed and rushed to the hospital. It happened just before 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Investigators are talking with witnesses to figure out how it all started.

New rules will be coming in 2024 to ensure B.C.’s app-based gig workers, like those who deliver food or pick up rides, will be paid at least $20 an hour before tips for time worked on an assignment. It will also but a crimp in the style of those app-based companies which hide low pay behind tips. Ride-hail and delivery app drivers will also be covered by WorkSafeBC.

TransLink has announced initial plans are underway for three bus-based rapid transit corridors in Metro Vancouver. They include Surrey Centre to White Rock, Langley Centre to Haney Place and Metrotown to the North Shore. The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will have dedicated lanes and rail-like stations.

Overnight lows have actually been dipping below the freezing mark over the past couple days. Fortunately, things will warm up a tad so that there’s NO SNOW in the forecast for the weekend. Here are the latest conditions from our private weather station in Surrey.