Vancouver Rundown Tuesday January 16, 2024

Local news summarized with links because Facebook doesn't have it

Jan 16, 2024

Summary

Get off the road! That’s the message for TSD Holdings and its small fleet of vehicles after a truck hit the roof of the Massey Tunnel on Wednesday. The Transportation Ministry has shutdown the trucking operations until after its investigation into the accident is complete. A Ministry statement says there’s no excuse for these crashes and every incident will be taken seriously. A couple of the tunnels girders need to be repaired but no one was injured in the hit.

Other news…

The numbers are in and there’s quantitative proof that drivers in the Lower Mainland can’t handle a small snowfall. ICBC says there were 3,500 claims after snow started falling on Thursday - that’s a 160 per cent increase over the daily average. Close to three in every four vehicles in the Lower Mainland have winter approved tires according to ICBC. Numbers in the B.C. interior are closer to 90 per cent.

Embattled Cabinet Minister Mitzi Dean has been booted from her job as B.C.’s Child and Family Development Minister. MLA Grace Lore has been tapped to replace Dean in Monday’s mini-shuffle. The First Nations Leadership Council and Opposition members have been calling for Dean’s head after the fucked-up handling of several child welfare cases including the abuse of two children in foster care in the Fraser Valley. Those two were left with serious injuries and health problems after the government failed to check on their status despite several documented concerns.

One of the largest publishers of community newspapers and websites in B.C. has filed for creditor protection. Black Press has also announced its has a tentative change of ownership deal. The Surrey based company says it’s confident the new owners will continue to offer high quality community journalism. Black Press says it operates 150 newspapers, magazines and websites in B.C., Alberta, northern Canada and even Hawaii. Some Lower Mainland papers/websites include the Surrey Now-Leader, Langley Advance Times, Chilliwack Progress and the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News.

Snow. In fact, heavy snow. That’s the headliner for the Tuesday evening forecast for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Up to 10 cm could fall in some areas with rain being only a possibility for Wednesday. Here are the latest conditions from our private weather station in Surrey.