Surrey Leader
A new review of policing in B.C. ordered by the province may prod Metro Vancouver’s patchwork of police forces to work together in new ways but observers don’t expect a switch to a full regional police force…
Port giant now too big for its boots: Biologist
Richmond News
Coal export expansion, fuel delivery plan, tunnel replacement leads to the question: Who’s making the calls?…
Planners see problems with bridge; Report says new crossing could ‘unleash pent-up demand’ and create even more congestion
Vancouver Sun
Metro Vancouver planners warn a big new bridge to replace the George Massey Tunnel may “unleash pent-up travel demand” and lead more people to abandon buses and carpools in favour of driving alone on the Highway 99 corridor…
TransLink sets aside $299 million for Pattullo Bridge repairs
Vancouver Sun
Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, who along with several other Metro Vancouver mayors called on the province in July to help cover the cost of fixing or rebuilding the bridge, questioned why TransLink would spend millions on repairs when it might be replaced in the future…
Waste-to-energy is best solution for Metro Vancouver taxpayers, environment
Vancouver Sun
Progressive communities worldwide have determined — as have we — that converting waste to energy is the most environmentally responsible and cost-effective means of dealing with residual wastes that cannot be avoided or diverted from disposal…
Recycling, campaign-spending limits hot topics at municipal conference
The Globe and Mail
The city’s past election saw campaign spending soar to a high-altitude mark of $6-million, an amount that both local politicians and residents think is outrageous and bad for democracy. So those politicians are going to this week’s annual gathering of B.C. councillors and mayors to urge them to support a motion asking the province to put limits on campaign financing just for Vancouver…
UBCM: Recycling costs expected to be hot topic at municipal leaders’ gathering
The Province
Recycling costs and pickup of material at curbsides across British Columbia is expected to be among the hottest topics at a gathering of local government leaders in Vancouver….
BC municipalities balk at recycling costs as deadline to sign contract
Victoria Times Colonist
Mayor Malcolm Brodie of Richmond said his city won’t sign the “draconian” contract, which doesn’t offer a partnership approach. Brodie said that as far as he’s aware, only Coquitlam has signed the deal with Multi-Materials BC while other cities in the Lower Mainland have shunned it…
MMBC gives cities more time to decide recycling role
Mobile Edition – Parksville Qualicum Beach News
The new agency in charge of a producer-pay recycling system coming for all packaging and printed paper is now promising to give cities more time to decide how they’ll participate. Multi Material BC had come under fire from civic leaders who are protesting what they call unreasonable terms for their cities to act as curbside recycling collectors when the new system launches next spring. Much criticism centred on a Sept. 16 deadline for cities to either commit to a collection contract with MMBC, let the agency contract out blue box pickup to other collectors or else keep running recycling services without compensation from MMBC…