A weekly roundup of noteworthy news in municipalities across B.C.
Federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq is now emphatically aware of Kamloops residents’ concerns about a proposed mine on the edge of town. Mayor Peter Milobar said in a phone interview from Ottawa Thursday he and Kamloops MP Cathy McLeod spent 45 minutes with the minister talking about the mine and the community’s worries.
As Health Canada changes its regulations to create commercial medical marijuana operations by 2014, the city will seek to ban any of the new, licensed grow-ops from establishing in Abbotsford. New federal regulations will end licences to grow marijuana in residential homes by April of next year, and at that time, all medical marijuana in Canada will be grown and distributed by commercial facilities.
Fort St. John has taken a dive in the rankings of an annual survey of Canada’s top entrepreneurial cities, but experts say it’s a smaller drop than the numbers would indicate. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business ranked Fort St. John at No. 57 in its Communities In Boom report released Monday, a considerable drop from No. 32 last year.
Port Moody council is rolling out the welcome mat to ensure the area’s homeless aren’t left out in the cold. Council directed staff to move ahead with a zoning bylaw amendment that will double the amount of time a temporary overnight shelter can operate at St. Andrew’s United Church on St. Johns St.
Nanaimo Centre Stage could become a white elephant, according to a city councillor now calling for a ‘hard look’ at future building investment. Coun. Bill McKay wants the municipality to think twice about whether it’s prepared to spend the money needed to renovate the 100-seat theatre.