Vancouver rundown for Thursday, May 16, 2024.
BC Ferries is doing its level best to control the narrative ahead of what could be a very
busy and challenging travel season.
It is projecting 8 million passengers and 3.2 million vehicles will use ferries between
June and September.
BC Ferries is now subject to possible fines for service delays after a couple seasons
of delays and cancellations due to both mechanical problems and staffing issues.
A BC Ferries spokesperson says they are in a better position now to bring customers the
reliability they need.
Other news, while the weather has helped slow the speed of the Parker Lake wildfire just
outside of Fort Nelson, a blaze further north is now a concern.
The 500 square kilometer Patrick Creek fire is burning 25 kilometers from Fort Nelson and
gusty winds have been a bit of a worry that fire is a holdover or so-called zombie fire
from last year.
There is a slight chance of thunderstorm showers in the forecast, which could be problematic
for the fire crews.
There are some strong suggestions and rumblings that Gordon Campbell may be tapped to help
unite BC's two right-of-center political parties.
Political watchers in Victoria have suggested the former Liberal Premier might be asked
to broker a deal between BC United and the BC Conservative parties.
The latest abacus data poll has the NDP leading the Conservatives by six points while BC United
trails far behind.
BC is failing in its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the second year in a row.
They have actually increased according to federal climate data.
BC's 2022 emissions came close to beating 2018's record of 65 million tons of greenhouse
gas.
There is a slight chance of showers on Thursday and a gain on Saturday.
Friday will be mostly sunny.
Temperatures will be cooling down to the mid-teens over the next few days.
For all the details on these local Vancouver area stories, go to vancouverundown.substack.com.