Energy and Mines News:

$10 Million for May Oil and Gas Rights Sale
The May 20, 2009 sale of oil and gas rights in British Columbia generated $10 million in bonus bids. Fifty-one parcels covering 31,559 hectares in northeast B.C. were offered, and bids were accepted on 45 parcels covering 20,892 hectares with an average price of $488 per hectare. See the News Release.

Forest and Environment News:

B.C. Interior Faces High Risk of
Catastrophic Forest Fires
Many communities in the B.C. Interior are at significant risk of potentially catastrophic forest fires this summer, because critical prevention work promised by the government has not been done, a forestry expert said this month. See the News Story as reported in the CBC.

Ottawa Threatens Fight
with U.S. Over Pulp
The federal government is threatening to take the United States to the World Trade Organization over alleged subsidies worth $8-billion (U.S.) a year being paid to American pulp mills to produce "black liquor." See the News Story as reported in the Globe and Mail.

New Contract Expands Bioenergy
Opportunities in B.C.
BC Hydro and Tembec have expanded their bio-energy opportunities in B.C. by coming to an agreement which will increase BC Hydro's purchase of clean, firm and cost-effective electricity from Tembec's Skookumchuck pulp mill. See the News Story as reported on InvermerevalleyEcho.com.

Efforts to protect fish habitat
have been inadequate
Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment Canada cannot demonstrate that they are adequately protecting fish habitat as the Fisheries Act requires them to do, says Scott Vaughan, Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, in his Report tabled today in the House of Commons. His Report notes that in the 23 years since the Habitat Policy was adopted, many parts of it have not been implemented by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. See the News Story from the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.

Labour and Company News:

TILMA in Effect
As noted in the last Reporter, the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) legislative changes came into force on April 27. TILMA is a comprehensive agreement on trade, investment and labour mobility that applies to all sectors of the economy in Alberta and British Columbia. Please Note: The related amendments to legislation affected by this agreement were originally intended to come into effect on March 30, 2009 but were subsequently delayed pending the passage of Alberta legislation. Those amendments plus the new regulations are included in this Reporter.

Stemming the tide of e-waste
We love our technology, particularly when it's newer, smaller and faster. But our upgrade culture is starting to create an overwhelming amount of waste. According to the UN Environment Program, each year we throw away an estimated 50 million metric tonnes of electronics waste. The industry is starting to look for better solutions than shipping electronic components overseas for disposal. See the News Story as reported in the Vancouver Sun.

Local Government News:

Court Rules White Rock Councillor's Lies
Make Election Invalid
The Supreme Court of British Columbia recently declared the election of James Coleridge invalid under Section 145(2) of the Local Government Act. Former councillor Matt Todd petitioned the court to make the declaration, alleging that Coleridge either authored or authorized the publication of an e-mail in which misleading and untrue accusations were leveled against his political rivals, including Todd, and then lied about who wrote the e-mail. See the News story as reporter by the CBC.

Judge orders council to approve
unpopular condo complex
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ordered White Rock city council to issue a development permit for a six-storey building after finding the city unlawfully rejected the project because of public opposition. Justice Janice Dillon ruled Friday the city acted "in excess of its jurisdiction" when it refused to give Jacqueline and Robert Yearsley permission to build a condominium and commercial project on Victoria Avenue in the city's waterfront business district. See the News Story as reported by the Vancouver Sun.

Judge Rules Compensation for Business
Disrupted by Public Works Project
For years, Susan Heyes was a lone voice arguing that public-works projects can be a very big nuisance and that -- public good aside -- individuals and businesses shouldn't have to bear that burden. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ian Pitfield recently sided with Heyes, overturning the long upheld position that because projects like the Canada Line are for the good of everyone and because they are paid for by everyone, no compensation was necessary for any nuisance caused. See the News Story as reported in the Vancouver Sun.

Motor Vehicle News:

Motor Vehicle Act Requirements
Apply to Cyclists Too
There is good news and bad news for Vancouver cyclists. The bad news is that during June, Bike Month in the city, traffic cops will be ticketing cyclists who violate the rules of the road. The good news is that they'll mostly be handing out "information tickets" which will list all the possible violations cyclists can commit – and just how much they'd be on the hook for if they get caught when the police are more focused on enforcement than education. Cyclists can be dinged for $109 for riding without a bell, another $109 for not having a red reflector on the rear of the bike or a light on the front. Talking on a cellphone while wheeling down the road is also worth $109. See the News story as reported in the Vancouver Sun.

CVSE Issues Trailer Inspection Order
This notice lists the classes of commercial trailers that are EXEMPT from inspections required under Motor Vehicle Act Regulation Division 25.01(2)(f). See the Official Notice.

CVSE Releases T-60
Approved routes for operating a vehicle using overwidth bunks to a maximum of 2.9 metres when accessing stands of beetle killed wood. See the Official Notice.

Real Estate and Builders Lien News:

B.C.'s plunging real estate
prices levelling offPlunging prices in B.C.'s residential real estate market are levelling off, according to the latest forecast issued by the British Columbia Real Estate Association. See the News Story as reported by the CBC.