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Vancouver rundown for Thursday, May 16, 2024.

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BC Ferries is doing its level best to control the narrative ahead of what could be a very

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busy and challenging travel season.

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It is projecting 8 million passengers and 3.2 million vehicles will use ferries between

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June and September.

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BC Ferries is now subject to possible fines for service delays after a couple seasons

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of delays and cancellations due to both mechanical problems and staffing issues.

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A BC Ferries spokesperson says they are in a better position now to bring customers the

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reliability they need.

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Other news, while the weather has helped slow the speed of the Parker Lake wildfire just

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outside of Fort Nelson, a blaze further north is now a concern.

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The 500 square kilometer Patrick Creek fire is burning 25 kilometers from Fort Nelson and

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gusty winds have been a bit of a worry that fire is a holdover or so-called zombie fire

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from last year.

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There is a slight chance of thunderstorm showers in the forecast, which could be problematic

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for the fire crews.

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There are some strong suggestions and rumblings that Gordon Campbell may be tapped to help

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unite BC's two right-of-center political parties.

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Political watchers in Victoria have suggested the former Liberal Premier might be asked

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to broker a deal between BC United and the BC Conservative parties.

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The latest abacus data poll has the NDP leading the Conservatives by six points while BC United

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trails far behind.

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BC is failing in its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the second year in a row.

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They have actually increased according to federal climate data.

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BC's 2022 emissions came close to beating 2018's record of 65 million tons of greenhouse

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gas.

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There is a slight chance of showers on Thursday and a gain on Saturday.

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Friday will be mostly sunny.

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Temperatures will be cooling down to the mid-teens over the next few days.

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For all the details on these local Vancouver area stories, go to vancouverundown.substack.com.