Matt Howard/Unsplash
Important moments in history shouldn’t be relegated to textbooks. Rather, we should have ongoing conversations about what’s happened in recent years to better understand the situation we find ourselves in as British Columbians today. The truth is, we can’t understand the present if we don’t study the past.
To better understand the current situation in our province, we’ve compiled a list of CBC Vancouver’s key coverage of the most important provincial news stories from the past few years. From historic handshakes to the housing crisis, these are the stories that shook B.C. and continue to send residual waves throughout the province to this day.
Historic Handshake: NDP-Green pact a first in Canadian history
John Horgan Facebook (Official)
On May 30, 2017, B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan and B.C. Green party Leader Andrew Weaver signed an agreement in Victoria aimed at creating a stable minority government, which ousted the B.C. Liberals after 16 years in power. This pact marks the first time in Canadian history the Greens and NDP have made such an alliance, enshrining it with a formal four-year co-operation agreement. Within this agreement, both parties pledged to work to stop the federally approved $7.4-billion Kinder Morgan pipeline project, which the Canadian federal government later announced its intent to acquire for $4.5 billion. To study up on the twists and turns that led to this major political shift go HERE.
BC Wildfires: how can we help before the fires begin to burn?
Last August, there were nearly 600 fires burning across British Columbia, blanketing the air with smoke. A provincial state of emergency was declared, affecting more than 20,000 people throughout the province. Unfortunately, summer in B.C. is starting to become defined by hazy skies and emergency air quality advisories. To cope with this new normal, scientists from across North America gathered in Vancouver to share what they've learned about how wildfire smoke is affecting our health and what they still need to figure out. You can read more HERE.
The arrest of Meng Wanzhou: Canada’s role in a violation of international sanctions
Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou poses with her children with the Lions Gate bridge. She claims to have meaningful connections to Vancouver. (B.C. Supreme Court)
The arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou ignited a firestorm of interest that saw media from around the world descend on Vancouver. As Meng awaits possible extradition to the United States to face charges of fraud and violating international sanctions against Iran, CBC has compiled a detailed report on Meng and the complicated path leading to her trial.
Housing affordability: rentals costs rise as housing market slows
Housing affordability remains, without question, one of the contentious topics of the provincial news cycle. While the housing market is slowing down, rental costs continue to skyrocket as availability dips below 1% and homelessness counts rise. There is a lot of blame to be passed around, including links to widespread tax evasion and money laundering. For a deep dive into what role foreign investment plays in the crisis and how we got into this mess, check out the CBC Vancouver original podcast SOLD! hosted by Stephen Quinn.
Want to stay up to date with what's happening in your community? CBC Vancouver is your source for local news and current affairs on radio, TV and online.
You can tune in to CBC Radio One at 88.1 FM (690 AM), and watch CBC Vancouver News on TV and streaming on CBC Gem. You can also follow CBC on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for ongoing and up-to-date reporting of the stories that matter most in B.C.
To learn more, visit cbc.ca
