BC Daily Digest — Friday, Jan. 30, 2026

A familiar idea back on the table — Kelowna’s mayor Tom Dyas announced a “new” business CCTV registry as part of a five-point crime plan, but business owners say a similar pilot existed in 2020 (51 cameras registered) and under a previous council six years ago; owners like Todd Daniels and Srikanth Velvella worry it’s recycling old measures and say results, not just camera lists, are needed.

One protest turned to relief after a sale was pulled — two anti-ICE protests were planned in Vancouver, but Jim Pattison Developments confirmed it will not proceed with selling an Ashland, Va., warehouse to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; a separate rally still took place at Hootsuite’s Vancouver HQ over its contract with DHS, with CEO Irina Novoselsky saying Hootsuite’s tools monitor public conversations, not individual surveillance.

Whitecaps’ future and finances look shaky — CEO Axel Schuster says talks about their Vancouver home have stalled, the club has been for sale since Dec. 2024 with ~30–40 groups signing NDAs, and fans face venue uncertainty (8 of first 9 MLS games at BC Place, then nearly three months away for the FIFA World Cup); Schuster warned no buyers want even 1% of the club unless the financial setup changes, though the club did sign forward Bruno Caicedo.

Flooding emergency in Comox Valley — a State of Local Emergency was declared as heavy rain and rising waters created flooding and swiftwater risk, first responders used inflatable boats, one person may be missing after being swept into the Puntledge River, and Highway 28 (west of Campbell River) is closed while evacuations are in effect.

B.C. to ration power for AI and data centres — the provincial government opened a competitive selection for projects to share 400 megawatts over two years, saying applications are open until March 18 and winners will be told in late summer/fall; Energy Minister Adrian Dix and BC Hydro warn demand could rise 15%+ by 2030 and say the process favors long-term economic, environmental and community benefits.

Metro Vancouver board wrestles with affordability and spending — at a Jan. 30 meeting Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke opposed a Development Cost Charge hike (developers say it adds about $14,000 per apartment project), while a Deloitte review called the 41-member board “large and unwieldy” and made 41 reform suggestions including stipend and travel changes.

Canada denied Jeffrey Epstein entry in 2018 — U.S. Justice Department documents show Epstein applied for a temporary resident permit to attend a TED event in Vancouver April 11–13, 2018, but the Consulate in Los Angeles refused on April 4 because he was inadmissible due to a past conviction; the files come from a massive 3.5-million-page DOJ release.

Jim Pattison group cancels sale to ICE — Jim Pattison Developments says it will not proceed with selling the Ashland, Va., warehouse (bought in 2022 for roughly $10.4 million, construction finished early 2024) after learning the U.S. government contractor buyer intended the site for ICE use.

Toronto drivers lost 100 hours to rush-hour in 2025 — TomTom’s Traffic Index finds Toronto motorists spent about 100 hours stuck in rush-hour congestion last year (up ~4 hours from 2024), while Vancouver ranked worst at 112 hours; a 10-km trip averaged ~26–34 minutes depending on time of day, and the worst congestion day was Feb. 14 when congestion hit 76% on average.

CFIA staff faced threats around ostrich cull — a senior Canadian Food Inspection Agency official says staff endured online and in-person harassment, including in-person threats of violence that forced relocation of an employee and family, after the Nov. 6 cull of 314 ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms for H5N1 control; the operation cost over $6.8 million (about $1.6M CFIA, $1.4M legal, $3.8M RCMP) and the agency defended its stamping-out approach.

B.C. school trustee ‘terrified’ after mistaken armed stop — Prince George trustee Erica McLean says police boxed in her vehicle, pointed guns and handcuffed her after mistaking her car for a stolen 2025 Volkswagen Taos; RCMP say it was a high-risk stop tied to a theft investigation and have contacted McLean, but she says the incident left her shaken and seeking support.

Westham Island left without a vehicle bridge after tug strike — a tug (Quadrant Partner) struck the 113-year-old Westham Island bridge on Jan. 20, leaving about 130 households walking across the single-lane span and facing a boil-water advisory and weeks without vehicle access; TransLink set up barges, shuttle buses and parcel plans while investigators and repair teams assess a mult-week fix.