Vancouver rundown for Friday, October 17, 2025.
BC's public service strike continues to escalate
despite a meeting between government negotiators
and leaders of the BCGEU. Union President Paul
Finch says the government refuses to come close
to demands of an 8 % increase over two years.
Right now, the NDP's offer stands at between
4 % and 5 % over that same period. Meanwhile,
about 370 more BCGEU members have joined the
strike action. The move also comes as all non
-essential members of the Smaller Professional
Employees Association walk off the job. Other
news, a Surrey cafe on 120th Street has been
targeted for a third time as those extortion
attacks ramp up. Police are trying to find those
responsible for firing shots at Cap's Cafe Thursday
morning. That is the same business owned by Indian
entertainment star Kapil Sharma that was shot
up twice over the summer. It comes only five
days after a woman was hurt in an extortion -related
shooting at a home in Wally. The EB government
recently created a task force to end such extortion
attacks. A man has been badly injured by a police
dog during an arrest in Coquitlam. It happened
Wednesday afternoon as police, along with the
emergency response team, made a warrant arrest
at a mall. The IIO has been called in as per
protocol. An arrest has also been made in a series
of arsons in Coquitlam's Millardville area last
month. At least four fires were set late at night
within blocks of the Millardville Community Center.
No one was hurt in any of the fires. The forecast,
clouds and showers in the morning on Friday,
and then a mix of sun and cloud by the afternoon,
rainy and windy for Saturday and Sunday. For
all the details on these local Vancouver area
stories, along with those links, go to vancouverrundown
.substack .com.