Ryan & Lisa: Soundbites

Canada has been having marathon trade negotiations with the U.S. ahead of the new 50 per cent tariffs U.S. president Trump promised for many Canadian goods, which are set to take effect tomorrow if nothing changes. If we don't get some sort of deal with trump's administration, many B.C. dominant industries are expecting to feel this badly, from forestry to alcohol, agriculture and dairy. BC Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Jen...

JUUL Labs is appealing the certification of a class action suit against them over allegations of deceptive marketing of e-cigarettes as a safe alternative to smoking. This legal process has been a bit of a saga so far, since the case was first brought by representative plaintiffs in 2019. There are also other ongoing legal actions involving JUUL Labs, which can get a bit confusing. Black Press legislative correspondent Mark Page ha...

You know Kids Count! supports children in our community through things like the breakfast program, but we’re also supporting other things that are key for their development – including things like mental wellbeing. Ryan spent much of his mid-day with horses yesterday so to learn a bit more about horse therapy and access for children. Victoria Theraptic Riding Association executive director Liz Gagel is joins to sha...

Apparently dangerous driving has become such an issue in the Nanaimo region, RCMP have resorted to bringing in a helicopter in a recent enforcement frenzy. Police say on Sunday they partnered with Comox Air Services 8. During the operation, they observed 46 traffic violations, issued 33 charges under the Motor Vehicle Act, issued 8 warnings, served one 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition and impounded four vehicles. Nan...

Though we’ve been fortunate so far here on Vancouver Island, the province’s wildfire situation seems to have escalated even further over the weekend, with areas in the Okanagan valley hit particularly hard. We have a lot of questions about home insurance. What happens if your home is damaged in a wildfire or you have to evacuate? The Insurance Bureau of Canada’s vice-president for Pacific and Western Canada A...

Yesterday brought relieving news for the friends and family of a 25-year-old hiker from Courtenay, when an RCMP helicopter found him on a cliffside in the Paradise Meadows-Mount Albert Edward area. He had been missing since Monday when he had reportedly decided to stay behind as his hiking partner made an ascent. It was a huge search and rescue effort, and Comox Valley Search & Rescue manager Paul Berry walks us throu...

This year’s Island Star Party is set to take place on the ground of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church in Saanichton on Friday and Saturday night. The Victoria Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada says it’s the spot to be for anyone who wants to gaze upon celestial objects, with free drop-ins for the astronomy-curious and by-donation camp-out for the hard-core stargazers. For more on this and ot...

The province has confirmed the Point Ellis House will cease operations as a public heritage designation, though the province will assume control over the site in early September to preserve its artifacts. This comes after the site has changed operators several times since 2002, most recently the Metis Nation of BC and some time before that the Vancouver Island History Society. That society’s president Kelly Black joins to sha...