Frankly Speaking

Jon Manchester photo/castanet.net Residents in Lake Country north of Kelowna fled from a fire on Saturday which destroyed at least eight homes. The wildfire situation in B.C. is as grim and desperate this summer as it has ever been, and there could be problems with such fires in the Lower Mainland as well before the summer is complete. Last year, there was a significant fire at Burns Bog in Delta in early July. The fire broke out on July 3 in the northwest portion of the bog. For a time, it was threatening nearby industrial businesses at Tilbury Industrial Park, but a concerted effort by Delta fire department and many other assisting agencies kept the fire confined to the bog area itself. It took eight days before it was extinguished. (There has been significant progress on the ground since that fire occurred. See this fascinating story in the North Delta Reporter for an update). There have been a number of fires at Burns Bog over the years, with one of the largest ...

The Pattullo Bridge is 80 years old this year, but it isn't getting birthday greetings from any politicians or bridge users. The first full weekend closure of the Pattullo Bridge is scheduled to take place this weekend – from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. It is the latest in a series of weekend closures of the bridge over the past few summers, as work crews attempt to apply baling wire and binder twine to keep it patched up a little bit longer. The Pattullo Bridge turned 80 this year, but there has been no celebration of any kind. The bridge has become a sad joke. The never-ending talk of replacement is a perfect reflection of the impotence of TransLink and the oft-fractious relationships between cities north of the Fraser and those on the south side. TransLink has been talking about replacing the bridge for years. It took over the bridge from the provincial government upon its formation almost 20 years ago. The width of a replacement bridge has been contentious, wit...

While listening to Shane Woodford's excellent Inside Politics show on Kamloops' CHNL radio station this morning, I was struck by something on the station's newscast. Five trucks with relief supplies for people affected by wildfires in the B.C. Interior are being unloaded today in Kamloops. This follows other loads of supplies which came earlier this week from our neighbours to the east, including a load of supplies that went to the Kamloops Food Bank specifically for displaced fire victims. That truckload came from Fort McMurray, which was hit by a severe fire last year which destroyed thousands of homes. The latest loads are also going to the Food Bank. Displaced people in Prince George are also getting assistance from others. There are 6,029 displaced people (4,811 adults and 1,218 children) in Prince George who have registered at the emergency reception centre at the College of New Caledonia. Thus far, the city has distributed roughly $458,000 in grocery vouchers, a...