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Subsequent episodes reveal inspiring stories of resistance and protest, ultimately leading to the Act's eventual repeal and showcasing the community's remarkable resilience. The narrative progresses to illustrate the community's continuous fight for equality in the post-repeal era, culminating in the long-awaited government apology for the head tax.
The series also delves into the enduring and multifaceted impacts of the Act, exploring topics such as the decline of Chinatown, disruptions to family structures, and the indirect legacies that have influenced the Chinese Canadian community for generations. Furthermore, it examines the resurgence of anti-Asian hate crimes in recent times, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting on any parallels with historical patterns of racism.
The concluding episodes of the series focus on the community's journey towards healing and reconciliation, highlighting the efforts of governments and younger generations in promoting inclusion and combating discrimination.
該專題透過人物故事的講述，梳理了從人頭稅時代到排華法案制定的歷史背景，以及在排華法案實施期間，華裔社區鼓舞人心的抵抗同韌性。專題報道同時涵蓋該部法案最終被廢除的歷史原因，以及華裔社區在這之後持續不懈的平權抗爭，最終爭取到加拿大政府對人頭稅的正式道歉。該系列的後半部分，結合新冠疫情爆發以來，反亞裔仇恨犯罪的回升現象，反思當今社會種族歧視問題，與百年前種族主義模式的異同，深入探討《排華法》對幾代華裔加拿大人造成的深遠影響，以及為加拿大社會帶來的歷史遺產。該系列的結尾，聚焦社區走向和解與治愈的旅程，探討政府和年輕一代在促進社會包容和打擊歧視方面做出的努力。
Chinese-Canadian parents, Joseph Kwan and Joyce Lo, who entered into the world of disabilities when their son was diagnosed with autism and complex communication needs. Their 10-year-old son, Jayden, is minimally verbal and uses an augmentative and alternative communication AAC device to communicate his thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
Kwan and Lo realized that educational technology was going to play an important role in their son, and equity, diversity, inclusion are current societal concerns. Therefore, they started the goal to support their son and special-need families. They decided to create an AAC camp, which is specifically designed to empower children with disabilities, to develop their communication and social skills along with their confidence.
Magazine 26 documents this BC’s first ever AAC kid’s camp. By talking to the creators, educators, families, and speech specialists, this documentary shows how the hard work of these Chinese-Canadian parents bring a game changing opportunity for those who strive to learn.
加籍華裔父母 Joseph Kwan 和 Joyce Lo 在兒子被診斷出患有自閉症和複雜的溝通障礙後，就進入了殘障人的世界。 他們 10 歲的兒子 Jayden 幾乎不會說話，他需要輔助與替代溝通系統 AAC 設備來表達他的想法、感受和情緒。
Joyce和 Joseph意識到教育科技支援技術, 將在他們的兒子身上發揮重要作用。 而公平、多元化、包容性是當前社會關注的問題。 因此，他們開始了支持兒子和特殊需要家庭的目標。 他們決定創建一個活動營，專門為殘障兒童提供幫助，培養他們的溝通和社交技能以及自信心。
二十六分鐘見證實錄記錄了這個卑詩省首個這類活動營。通過創作者、教育工作者、家庭和語言治療專家的訪問，這個專題報道展示了，這對華裔父母所付出的努力，如何為那些希望爭取學習的殘障兒童，帶來改變人生的機會。
The first time I saw a 3D Mario jump across the screen in 1996 is one such moment. Using an iPhone's touchscreen is another. The latest was earlier this year, when I opened ChatGPT for the first time and asked it to write a short news story. Within seconds it began typing out a serviceable story, and I was forced to reckon with being replaced by artificial intelligence.
Of course, I'm not the only one to react that way. The emergence of ChatGPT and image generators like Midjourney in the last year have already had profound impacts how we work, create, learn and play.
In reporting this feature about how AI is being used locally, and the ethical issues that come with its use, I took a broad lens with my sourcing. In addition to people working in the tech industry, the story also includes a visual artist, a French tutor and even a nutritional advisor who are using AI in unique ways.
I also wanted to show readers how to use it themselves and what the results can be. Included in this submission you'll find a video where I teach readers how to use Midjourney, as well as a second version of my feature written entirely by ChatGPT using my notes.
Lululemon planned to use its roughly 500 stores to sell the smart mirror and its monthly subscription to its loyal customers, who would eventually be able to buy Lululemon products while working out with their Mirrors.
But the plan failed spectacularly as the pandemic subsided and the market was flooded with competitors. Mirror failed to reach Lululemon’s sales expectations and the company replaced Mirror’s founder as CEO with an Amazon executive. Less than two years after the acquisition, Lululemon unveiled a new direction for Mirror—one that didn’t require the hardware at all.
Aleksandra Sagan dug deep into why the yoga-pants maker’s first acquisition bombed, relying on public corporate filings, court documents, years of analyst commentary, interviews with former employees and other sources as Lululemon refused to comment.
Since her reporting, Lululemon has pursued a sale of Mirror, laid off 100 staff from the division that includes the device-maker and reported a US$442.7-million dollar impairment charge as a result of the failed acquisition.
The play is in Microsoft’s interest. Not only is the company expanding its presence in Vancouver, but sympathetic links across the U.S.-Canadian border will doubtless expedite the growth of its Vancouver satellite offices from its Redmond base, as well as the public-private partnerships it repeatedly champions. But despite the time and resources put into the conference by provincial and state leaders – as well as by the tech giant – little concrete progress has been made for unity since the conference’s inception in 2016.
This interview with Microsoft president Brad Smith – the only one he granted – explores why he believes B.C. and the Cascadia region is well-placed to become a key leader in climate tech. It looks at Microsoft’s plans for the sector in the province, as well as why progress in creating a tech corridor has stalled, and how that will affect communities in B.C. and beyond. The story is the only article published in the province to report the signing of the memorandum of understanding between B.C., Washington, Oregon, and California leaders, and their commitment to advancing clean technologies and economic growth.
In the Wet’suwet’en Nation’s territory in B.C., and in Barbuda, The Philippines, Liberia and other countries, the project identifies circumstances when powerful interests seeking control of land have pursued their aims under emergency conditions.
To mesh many world-wide stories into a whole, the design incorporates an interactive global locator, expanding sidebars, photography and maps.
The lead article by Tyee reporter Amanda Follett Hosgood traces the Wet’suwet’en pipeline conflict and the pandemic, and how one impacted the other.
Three companion pieces provide timelines on the Caribbean Island of Barbuda, on the Philippines island of Sicogan, and in Liberia. An additional interactive feature allows the reader to learn about other disaster land grab sites in Indonesia, Myanmar, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada and Haiti.
Experts praising the groundbreaking result include Haroon Akram-Lodhi, Professor of Economics and International Development at Trent University: “This is a remarkable article - it is uniformly excellent…I will circulate it on social media, and to my students.”
After a months long research and fact-checking process, Matt was able to visually show exactly where the pipeline crosses Wet’suwet’en territory, home to some of the project’s strongest opponents.
The research revealed that 16 out of 20 First Nations who signed agreements in support of Coastal GasLink do not have jurisdiction beyond reserve boundaries in areas where the pipeline is crossing. This is significant because a key piece of the ongoing conflict is the fact that the pipeline company and the government did not get approval from Hereditary Chiefs who have jurisdiction over territory outside of reserves.
This reporting challenges a narrative promoted by both the company behind the project, TC Energy, or by government officials, who have said that the project has the “full support” of 20 First Nations.
The piece also reveals how the CGL pipeline is part of a bigger picture: as the first pipeline being built to connect fracked gas from the northeastern region of B.C. to Pacific shipping channels and how this is setting the stage for an energy corridor.
Cooper’s mother called 911, seeking extra help to protect their child, herself, and neighbours when Cooper was in crisis. Instead, fifteen minutes after the 911 call, they’d been shot by police.
This touching and gripping piece from reporters Jen St. Denis and Moira Wyton investigates why Dani Cooper died, and what lessons can be learned for the future when responding to calls for support when people with serious mental health issues are in crisis, so that more people like Cooper don't lose their lives.
Unfolding over 14 days in B.C.’s Supreme Court, The Narwhal’s Francesca Fionda was often the only reporter present. Through her ongoing presence, she was able to uncover new information about ongoing claims in Gitxaała territory, which the community and legal teams were unaware of. She also spent time with Elders who travelled from their homelands to be present for the hearings and shared their perspectives. This case could change how one of the province’s most profitable industries operates on First Nations territory and is a crucial test of how the province will implement its commitments to Indigenous people.
The reporting resulted in four in-depth articles revealing new information, explaining the significance of the case and raising concerns of Indigenous leaders, the exploration industry, mining reform advocates, community groups and environmental advocates.
My reporting — part of a global greenwashing probe led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists — culminated in a four-part series examining the business ties and corporate ownership of Paper Excellence.
The Richmond-based company has made billions of dollars in recent acquisitions, expanding across Canada and the U.S in moves that gave it control of more than 22 million hectares of forest. But allegations swirled around who really controlled the operations.
So I followed their product: satellite imagery and shipping data helped me trace pulp shipments from the company’s B.C. mills to ports in Shanghai — ultimately linking Paper Excellence to a logistics company run by Asia Pulp and Paper (APP).
Part of the work was archival. I combed through 15 years of public documents, filed freedom of information requests and dug through corporate filings and leaked databases. That reporting turned up a US$1.25 billion-loan from the China Development Bank held against several B.C. mills.
An analysis of leaked communications between Paper Excellence and APP showed the ostensibly Canadian-run company relied on APP’s Chinese offices to prepare market reports and apply to regulators.
One former B.C. employee told me he would report to bosses in Shanghai; another in Shanghai said Paper Excellence was using Canadian forests as “a feeder for the Chinese machine.”
The reporting dropped like a bomb, with MPs immediately calling for a federal investigation. They would later quote verbatim my stories and file summons for documents based on questions raised in the reporting.
Some experts testified the case represents a wake-up call to protect Canadian public assets from unscrupulous foreign actors.
As the federal probe continues, please consider this series for the award.
Instead of taking a conventional approach, Todd decided to probe a difficult personal question: Would his father, a Second World War veteran who developed schizophrenia and died of a heart attack at age 74, have survived B.C.'s current mental-health system?
Todd gets out on the streets and engages a wide variety of sources and studies to understand what would likely have happened to his father, Harold, if he had suffered his mental breakdown in the past decade - given that most specialists believe B.C.'s housing and mental-health realms have deteriorated.
Since Harold would not have been able to reside at shuttered Riverview Hospital or obtain supportive shelter in a subsidized boarding home, which have been dismantled, Harold would probably have ended up like tens of thousands of British Columbians: Homeless, addicted, in jail, or prematurely dead.
In the three weeks after The Vancouver Sun published Todd’s two-page feature, Premier David Eby promised $1 billion to expand mental-health and addiction services. The B.C. government also made a spate of related “historic” announcements on housing for the marginalized. So did the Opposition. A B.C. MP raised the story of Todd’s father in the House of Commons.
In one of two follow-up articles, Jennifer Whiteside, B.C.’s minister of health and addictions, said she was grateful to Todd for sharing his “father’s compelling story. Experiences like his motivate and inspire my work to create an integrated system.
This is a story of one family’s legal battle with the foster care system, and how generations of structural discrimination led them to this point.
Support materials include:
The Big Story Podcast (22mins): After publishing with The Walrus, The Big Story Podcast — with more than 15 million downloads — requested I join them as a guest to discuss the story.
IndigiNews (2000 words): I wrote a follow-up for an entirely different audience — speaking about a development in Mia’s court case regarding her Indigenous status. It felt important to target an Indigenous readership as the court case set a precedent resulting in a positive outcome for First Nations.
Tweet: National Media Award announcement for our nomination for best long feature
Letter from Jessica Tait: Letter of support and gratitude from key source Jessica Tait, Mia’s maternal aunt and (now) permanent caregiver, as featured in the Walrus, and IndigiNews articles.
“The Demon River” goes beyond the headlines to connect the dots between climate science, atmospheric river rainstorms, extreme flooding, aging infrastructure, and human resilience. MacKinnon weaves these subjects into a suspenseful narrative of a police officer and local residents trapped along rural Highway 8 in the Nicola Valley, a generally arid region where some experts have categorized the flooding as a once-in-a-thousand-plus-year event. This was the only story to analyze and present such findings as well as report new information including the sixth death of the disaster.
This feature received widespread praise for its writing and multimedia from local residents, the general public, and flood planners for whom “it’s made a big impact on thinking about flood risk and water management.” It also earned a slot in Longreads’ Best of 2022 and Bloomberg’s 2022 Jealousy List. In the words of Bloomberg investigations reporter Natalie Obiko Pearson, “I lived the [flood] and covered it as a reporter, but couldn’t convey the enormity of what was happening. That’s a common failure, I think, of climate change reporting. This is how it’s done.”
The glacier has long been a tourism draw for visitors seeking an easy visit to the alpine. It's also an iconic image, found frequently as the subject of paintings, photographs and of course on a certain beer. The only person to understand how quickly Kokanee was melting was Dr. Ben Pelto, a UBC glaciologist who has studied it since 2014 and estimates it will have disappeared sometime in the next 30-to-50 years.
My feature is not a typical science story. Kokanee is deeply tied to local histories, so I opted to tell the story framed not just by scientists but also from people who care for it. Petra Hekkenberg for example is an artist who fell in love with Kokanee and recently released a book about it. Jordan Carter, whose father John worked and tragically died at the glacier, is now a volunteer steward for the glacier's park.
The story 'Kokanee Glacier can't be saved' was the Nelson Star's most read story of 2022. Readers were stunned to realize how quickly Kokanee is melting and touched by the personal stories associated with it. This story underlines the immediate impact of climate change at a local level, and I'm very proud to submit it for your consideration.
This Narwhal’s Ainslie Cruickshank highlighted the efforts by Coastal Restoration Society, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Ahousaht, Tla-o-qui-aht and T’Sou-ke First Nations to remove invasive green crabs from their territories and prevent further spread. She also examined concerns that many of the green crabs pulled from the water were left to rot at the landfill. The crabs may be invasive, but they’re still edible. And, at a time when inflation has driven up the price of groceries and food banks are seeing record demand, Hasheukumiss didn’t see the sense in throwing out food.
In addition, Ainslie obtained documents through freedom of information legislation revealing that Fisheries and Oceans Canada looked into commercial fishing of the crabs but ultimately determined this would be too risky. Writing this story required weeks to weave together the complex science and policy considerations at play.
Using scholarly research and expert interviews, Cheung detailed: how coverage for “average Canadians” tends to mean white audiences; how the idea of journalistic objectivity can result in blind spots; how celebratory stories of culture and “model minorities” can be shallow; how racialized places can be ignored, stigmatized or fetishized; and how language choices can turn people of colour into the “other.”
The series (collected in the fourth supporting link provided) began as a Tyee newsletter, then was published on The Tyee as individual articles and finally a free e-book. Journalists, teachers, librarians, textbook writers, and even a retired senator extolled and shared the series. Through online events and other methods, it generated a public conversation on journalism methods and solutions. An expanded version of the series has been accepted by an academic publisher.
The key was finding a supply of cheap electricity. And that was done by building a dam, reversing much of the Nechako River’s flow, flooding Cheslatta nation territories and tunnelling through mountains.
The nation wasn’t consulted as people were forced from their homes with little notice or compensation, villages were flooded and the resources were devastated.
Tyee northern reporter Amanda Follett Hosgood spent weeks researching the project’s history and impact on the nation. She travelled with Chesletta researchers exploring the reservoir and looking for ways to mitigate the damage, met with leaders and Rio Tinto.
The three-part series is at time harrowing, and at times hopeful. The nation continues to fight for changes to secure its future, in part turning to traditional practices and in part by developing its own businesses related to the dam operations.
While this is partly a story of colonialist destruction, it also explores the efforts by Rio Tinto, government and the nation to right the decades of wrongs.
This feature by Lori Culbert and Dan Fumano was hailed by readers as the most comprehensive look yet at the emergence of Vancouver-area First Nations as major players in the city’s biggest industry, an example of economic reconciliation in action.
The reporters analyzed major Metro Vancouver projects involving the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, promising more than 25,500 homes.
The article examined how, together, the Indigenous groups have become some of B.C.’s largest powerhouse developers, going far beyond what other First Nations developers are doing elsewhere in Canada.
And their major projects feature rental homes and leasehold stratas, so that the nations retain control of the land.
“We’re never selling the land,” one leader said. “It took us 100-some-odd years to get it back.”
It wasn’t only locals who took notice of the story. Later that year, The New York Times flew a correspondent to Vancouver for their own story that covered much of the same ground and quoted the same sources as the Sun’s earlier feature.
Both reporters have also covered other aspects of this story: Culbert, who regularly writes about housing, broke the news in March of this year of the Squamish Nation’s plans to develop 350 acres for housing and industry.
Fumano, who covers city hall, wrote a column in May examining a debate between differing concepts of “heritage” when local First Nations’ plans to redevelop a property included removal of an old RCMP building – although some argued the class-A heritage building should be preserved, the Indigenous property owners said it symbolized a painful history.
This story illustrated more than a collection of development plans; it shows a pathway to prosperity, a chance for the Nations to leave behind a legacy of injustice and racism
The reporter spent more than 12 hours with 14 firefighters from No. 2 Hall at Main and Powell Streets. He rode on the trucks and interviewed several firefighters during and between calls while also taking photographs of the crew. Access like this is rare.
The story was widely shared via social media by readers.
The social-housing building at 844 Johnson St. is notorious in Victoria, is synonymous with substance abuse and crime. There’s a yawning gap between what officialdom promised – what Jamaal Johnson’s widow called the “sunshine and roses” – and the on-the-ground reality. I wrote about the gap.
More importantly, I wrote about Johnson, who correctly, and tragically, predicted his own death while trapped there. In doing so, I strove to present him not as an easily dismissed casualty from the wrong side of the us-and-them divide, but as a neighbour, a loving father and husband who didn’t get what he needed to escape the life in which he had become stuck. It was essential to remember that this was a story about real people, not just the abstract consequences of health and justice policies.
After the feature ran, city councillor Stephen Hammond cited Johnson’s death as evidence that the provincial government must do more to protect Victoria residents inside and outside of supportive-housing facilities associated with crime and safety problems. The story raised awareness that the status quo is not good enough.
Thank you.
The resulting stories were a thorough look into a community that was grieving in the midst of the ongoing MMIWG+ crisis — and how police often need to be held accountable in these types of investigations. The stories uplifted the voices and concerns of Indigenous community members who wanted to be heard, but initially weren’t. The result of the spotlight on her case — which began from the family on social media and expanded through the media — resulted in a police apology and renewed attention to what occurred. Importantly, Anna and Shalu’s story also honoured and uplifted Carsyn’s memory instead of only focusing on the dehumanizing circumstances under which she died — highlighting her dreams and the long lineage of Indigenous nobility that she came from.
But one driver contacted Ben Parfitt to tell how much things had changed in the industry. Sawmills had closed and logging was pushed farther and farther away from communities. The work came to require at least 10-hour days just to deliver one load. Trucks were larger, and driving over forest roads required constant attention.
Parfitt’s investigation revealed the increasing pressure on logging truck drivers as the forest industry changed. Days were dangerously longer, and the need to dodge safety rules greater.
The impact was greatest on drivers. But the public was also at risk.
Parfitt’s reporting dug into the history of forestry in B.C.
But it was centred in the drivers’ experiences.
“I could keep working here all year and not have a day off, one told him. But I don’t want to do that. It will send me to an early grave.”
The package was complemented by 10 profiles of the top mayoral candidates in the cities of Vancouver and Surrey. Each profile included information about the candidates’ campaign platforms.
The articles in this series were published online as well as in print.
The hoary old phrase that art should “comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable” seems almost quaint in a city like Vancouver, Woodend writes. In addition to the complexities and competing factors at play in the funding, installation and purpose of public art, the role that art plays in the greater cultural good is examined with clarity and insight.
Woodend’s essay is essential reading for anyone curious about why Vancouver looks like it does.
The resulting literature piece -- a multimedia long read -- weaves interview quotes and pieces of Sam's book seamlessly together in a compelling narrative that includes background on Canada's residential school system and efforts to make amends. Outside perspectives from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and Langara College students breathe additional life and context into the story, explaining the value of Sam's documentary work and of collaborations that bring survivors and settlers together.
This report has merit whether one intends to buy Sam's book or not, offering rich commentary on the historical racism that has defined Canada's past and is not so easily overcome today as First Nations continue to search for unmarked burial sites near former residential school grounds on their territories. It is a valuable record of a survivor's thoughts and feelings as he achieves the life milestone of book publication in a country where his perspectives, for generations, weren't welcomed.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/subscribe/AWARDS
His strong analysis of a Vancouver Police Department report on government social safety spending put the police chief on the defensive after carefully-timed leaks. His commentary on the overdose crisis and lack of available addictions treatment has been cited by politicians. And his path towards a less toxic BC political discourse sparked great debate amongst political observers, MLAs and the public.
In addition to his strong written work, Shaw also hosts a weekly TV show and podcast called Political Capital, where he and a panel of political experts break down the latest stories and explain what's going on behind-the-scenes to the public. A discussion about toxicity in politics, and why the NDP filibustered its own legislation, is attached to this submission as an audio podcast, but is just one of more 100 shows he has produced.
Shaw has spent 15 years covering BC politics for various publications. Now, he provides nightly political analysis on CHEK TV and is the weekly political contributor for CBC radio's All Points West and Radio West. He transitioned from The Daily Hive (a column of which is included in this submission) to Glacier Media (of which additional columns are included) during the past year.
"Meet Premier Eby: The new leader of British Columbia"
https://biv.com/article/2022/11/meet-premier-eby-new-leader-british-columbia
When officials in Victoria and at Vancouver city hall refused to answer questions about the true cost of hosting World Cup 2026 soccer games in the city, Bramham turned to estimates by other host cities such as Toronto and Seattle. In doing so, she crafted a column that raises serious questions about the figures released so far in this province. She noted that B.C.’s forecast of $1 billion in economic benefit is three times Toronto’s estimate and 10 times more than what’s expected in Seattle, amounting to “magical thinking.”
The second column condemns the actions of a civic party volunteer who targeted a political opponent and the party’s failure to apologize. Bramham says this type of harassment and hate puts our civil society at risk and damages the foundations of democracy.
“It is hard to imagine anything more despicable than a real-estate developer holding 44 severely, physically disabled residents hostage…” This is the opening line of a hard-hitting column by Bramham that exposes a developer for using people with brain and spinal injuries as pawns in a dispute with city hall.
In another column, Bramham described as “puny” the 16-month jail term given former women’s soccer coach Bob Birarda for sexually assaulting four teenaged female players. While condemning Birarda, she also asked about those behind the scenes in Canadian soccer who allowed him to get away with it, reconstructing a timeline of inaction over two decades.
The final submitted column explores the thorny issue of foreign interference in Canada by countries other than China, Russia and Iran. Concerns raised by organizations representing the Indian diaspora further complicate the challenge of protecting Canadians from foreign interference and ensuring all citizens the right to speak freely.
Much like Jack Webster, Eden cuts right to the point in her commentary and has proven to be fearless, unapologetic and bold. In her work, she has called to task high-ranking institutions such as the Canadian government, the British monarchy, the RCMP and more without hesitation — all while uplifting and validating Indigenous citizens who face the brunt of these institutions’ oppression. Her work is impactful not only to Indigenous people who scarcely see themselves reflected in media but to non-Indigenous people, because it points out an uneven dispersal of power in systems in a way that is accessible, personal, raw and pointed.
In one of her columns, Eden argued that Canada has a moral obligation to house all Indigenous people on stolen land. In another, she talked about the importance of police accountability after an Indigenous man died at the hands of police. She also has allowed readers to get to know her on a more personal level — writing about feeling disconnected as an Indigenous person and talking about her family and culture. Eden has a natural knack for commentary and has shone brightly in her work as an emerging voice in this field.
But it sits on land owned by the Ministry of Transportation, meaning there was little the City of Abbotsford could do to clean it up. In March, 2023, CTV News spoke with people living in the camp, along with frustrated police and politicians.
Reporter Michele Brunoro repeatedly went to provincial politicians looking for answers. But this was just the beginning.
Brunoro discovered rest-stops all through the Fraser Valley along Highway One that had become homes for those who could not afford housing. Many people she interviewed had jobs, but still could not make ends meet. The housing crisis in B.C. was reaching new levels. From the streets of Chilliwack, to large encampments in rural areas, to the tents set up along provincially-owned land next to highways, CTV News delved into the growing homeless problem in B.C. What followed was announcements by the provincial government, including help for the homeless in the Fraser Valley. After months of
pressure, the province also announced it would shut down the Lonzo camp and then use the site to build a temporary
shelter. In April, CTV News also widely covered the Hastings Street decampment as city crews and police moved in and
removed campers. Reporters Alissa Thibault and St John Alexander were on the front lines of the full-scale operation as tensions boiled over. The city-led push to clear the homeless encampments led to some campers moving to parks or other streets.
The pressure brought by Global News on television, radio and online prompted investigations at numerous agencies. We continue to follow the results of the investigations. Global News reporting exposed that Noelle O’Soup was failed in both life and death. A tragedy that hopefully public pressure will ensure does not happen again.
Lori Culbert and Dan Fumano regularly write about housing, and frequently hear from B.C. residents in crisis. In May 2022, they received an email from a North Vancouver homeowner who rented part of her home to a local healthcare worker. The homeowner was outraged to learn she was being forced to evict her tenant because of her strata’s long-standing ban on renters.
The June 2022 feature looked at a 2018 provincial government report that recommended lifting rental bans in strata buildings, but the NDP had not yet acted.
The story examined arguments both for and against ending strata rental bans, and our society’s evolving view of tenants and their rights. There was much opposition to lifting these bans, including from the association representing condo owners, many of whom wanted to keep renters out of their buildings. But in an interview, then-Housing Minister David Eby told Culbert and Fumano he was reviewing the issue.
Four months after the publication of their feature, in November of 2022, Eby – now premier – announced new legislation stopping strata councils from restricting rentals, calling it "simply unacceptable" that British Columbians searching for rental homes can't find anything, and condo owners looking to rent to them are not permitted to do so.
The homeowner featured in the story was overjoyed about the changes allowing her tenant Soudabeh to remain in her home. She emailed the reporters: “I can't thank you enough for getting attention to this issue - it will make a huge difference to my family, Soudabeh and many, many people across B.C.!"
We believe this story highlighted an important shortcoming in the housing market, and led to the government changing policy, which opened new homes for people in a housing crisis.
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