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Dementia complicates already-complicated West Vancouver divorce
Negotiating an end to the marriage of Violet and Allen Korol was already a bit tricky, since Allen claims he got it annulled in Costa Rica 20 years ago. Now Violet has advanced dementia and can’t even...
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CDI College complaints dismissed in B.C.; not so in Edmonton, Winnipeg
I’ve received several emails regarding complaints against CDI College by former students of licensed practical nursing (LPN) programs in Edmonton and Winnipeg. The writer, who distributed his emails...
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Get the raw data for Vancouver Sun’s lobbyist series right here
Back in April, The Vancouver Sun ran a three part series on the activities of lobbyists in B.C., identifying the most lobbied cabinet ministers, most lobbied MLAs and the companies doing the most...
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Check out our new interactive maps of ethnicity in Metro Vancouver
On May 8, Statistics Canada released the first wave of data from its 2011 National Household Survey. That data, on immigration, religion and visible minority status, painted a picture of an...
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Spending cuts in B.C. school districts feed worries about special education
A group that speaks for people with developmental disabilities is warning three Metro school districts not to ignore their responsibilities to special-needs students when cutting spending. In a release...
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School tuition fees in B.C. and charitable donations
A line in my recent story about a popular independent school in Surrey prompted questions from readers. In noting the tuition charged by Pacific Academy, I wrote: As with other faith-based schools,...
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Do B.C. laws protect people living on First Nations land from huge rent...
Most British Columbians who have a basic grasp of their rights as tenants would put up a fight when they hear their landlord plans to nearly triple their rents. That’s exactly what Christine Farmer and...
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Any Canadian province could decriminalize marijuana
Did you know that BC can decriminalize marijuana? Indeed, any Canadian province could decriminalize marijuana possession at any time. Provinces have all kinds of legal options when it comes to dealing...
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Too many teachers, but B.C. deans don’t favour Ontario’s approach
B.C. certifies 2,700 new teachers a year — roughly three times the number of jobs that open annually in the K-12 sector.* But Kris Magnusson, chairman of the Association of B.C. Deans of Education,...
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Abundant supply of shipping containers for would-be pot growers
Would-be pot growers looking to set up an underground bunker like the one police raided in Langley this week have several places to purchase used shipping containers. At least five Lower Mainland...
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Employee expenses – Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows school district
Michael Polan has been the manager of international education in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows school district for many years and travels extensively recruiting students. His annual expenses are always...
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Surveying the use of restraints and seclusion in B.C. schools
Inclusion BC is conducting a survey on the use of restraints and seclusion for students in K-12 schools. “Many students, parents and concerned individuals have called to tell us that children and youth...
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Men convicted as criminal organization for downtown eastside drug operation
Two men who were part of a gang that terrorized drug addicts on Vancouver’s downtown eastside have been convicted of trafficking cocaine and working for the benefit of a criminal organization....
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B.C. superintendent dismissed before end of school year
There’s been another change in leadership in B.C. public education, but this one has an unusual twist. Arrow Lakes school district has dismissed superintendent/secretary-treasurer Denise Perry, who was...
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Vancouver man charged in Toronto cocaine bust
A Vancouver man is among four people charged after Toronto police found millions of dollars worth of cocaine in two of their vehicles earlier this week. Vancouver’s Philipos Kollaros, 33, has been...
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B.C.’s new education ministers: Peter Fassbender and Amrik Virk
Peter Fassbender, the Langley mayor who narrowly edged out a win in Surrey-Fleetwood last month, is the new education minister, replacing Don McRae. Amrik Virk, RCMP inspector and another new Surrey...
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Bikers win small victory in long-running Nanaimo clubhouse court battle
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ordered the B.C. government to rewrite some of its claims against the Nanaimo Hells Angels in a long-running civil suit over the bikers’ clubhouse. Justice Barry Davies...
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The Real Scoop is on vacation!!
That means comments will not appear on the blog until I have it back up and running in two weeks time. You may see a reference to your comment being “held for moderation,” but there is no one to...
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B.C. Education Minister Peter Fassbender: The reviews
Premier Christy Clark, in appointing Peter Fassbender as the new education minister, noted his previous experience as a school trustee — a background that brought hope to some. Susan Lambert, president...
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The end of an after-school tutoring program in Surrey
I received an email recently from a reader named John, who is distressed about the closing of a free after-school tutoring program operated by teacher Donna Bond at Queen Elizabeth secondary in...
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