HandyDART order, Illegal-campfire fines & Distraction-theft surge — Vancouver Tuesday

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🚑 Breaking & Incidents

B.C. conservation officers issued 19 tickets totalling $21,850 for illegal campfires over the weekend. Officers reported 19 violation tickets and named the Cariboo, parts of the Coastal, Kamloops and Southeast Fire Centres as areas with campfire bans in effect; the BC Wildfire Service says 136 active wildfires are burning in B.C.
Fire crews from Yukon and Alberta are being deployed to B.C. to help fight wildfires this week. The report says mutual-aid crews will augment provincial resources as multiple large blazes continue across B.C.; the movement follows recent major fires such as the Pear Lake and Clinton-area incidents.

Vancouver police say 35 distraction thefts have been reported so far this year. The Vancouver Police Department recorded 35 incidents as of July 16, with 17 in six listed neighbourhoods and nine in Strathcona and Grandview-Woodlands; investigators released a victim account involving a 72-year-old targeted on June 12.
Richmond officials warn two growing homeless encampments sit above a new jet fuel pipeline and include more than 30 campers. Richmond councillor Kash Heed told Global News the city seized dozens of weapons over the past year and estimates cleanup costs could exceed $200,000; the sites are on Crown land under provincial responsibility.

B.C. Transportation Minister has ordered staff to find a way to transport a longtime HandyDART passenger refused service. Tom Cretain, who has used HandyDART for 28 years, was denied rides due to his mobility device size; TransLink cited manufacturer limits of 48 by 37 inches and an 800-pound combined weight limit in saying it cannot safely accommodate him.
Metro Vancouver voted to cut the number of board members at the regional authority. The regional council approved a board reduction measure in a recent vote, changing Metro Vancouver’s governance structure; the decision follows provincial and municipal discussions about board size and representation.

B.C. is adding 462 skilled-trades training seats at Kwantlen Polytechnic to supply workers for major projects. Premier David Eby announced 462 new seats and the province has earmarked $241 million over three years for in-demand trades training; the Labour Market Outlook forecasts more than 72,000 skilled-trades openings over the next decade.
North Vancouver’s Nuytco Research will showcase its DSEND atmospheric dive suit at the Pentagon this week. Company president Jeff Heaton said 90% of their current work supports military submarine rescue and highlighted the DSEND suit’s mobility features; the firm has over 40 years of design history dating to the 1980s.

Okanagan researchers survey mussels to guide a 250-year regional water vision.
B.C. handed out nearly $22,000 in fines for illegal campfires over a weekend.
Wildfire near Clinton shows potential for 'significant growth', officials warn.
Some psychiatric patients waited up to 16 days in ERs for psychiatric admission, review finds.
Clinton to assess damage after 'apocalyptic' wildfire forced evacuations.
Northeast B.C. leaders push back on province’s fast-track plan for new wind farms.
New interpretive centre links Lheidli T'enneh to rare ecosystem near Prince George.
Dawson Creek ends municipal animal control; B.C. SPCA raises welfare concerns.
Experts warn new West Coast pipeline would threaten remaining 75 whales.
Evacuations underway on West Coast Trail as heavy rain makes route impassable.
Longtime Squamish rescuer dies after nearly three decades of saving strangers.
Ethan Katzberg wins Canada’s first Commonwealth Games gold in men's hammer throw.
Wildfires and extreme heat are damaging wine regions from Bordeaux to B.C.
(Duplicate) B.C. earmarked $241M over three years for trades training in latest budget.
Clinton business owner Steven Larabie lost multiple excavators and vehicles to Pear Lake wildfire.
Intelligence report says returning Canadians detained for ISIS membership 'highly likely' to pose threat.