Top stories of 2019: Here are B.C.'s biggest and most-read topics of the year
Credit to Author: Stephanie Ip| Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2019 15:03:09 +0000
And just like that, 2019 draws to a close.
From a federal election that saw a high-profile underdog political leader moving into Burnaby, to a triple homicide and manhunt that began in B.C.’s north, it’s been a tumultuous year in B.C. news.
So if you felt like the year flew by, you’re not alone. We looked at our online traffic and front-page features and rounded up some of the biggest and most popular stories in B.C. from 2019.
Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Co., leaves her home for a court appearance wearing an electronic ankle tag in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019.
In December 2018, Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested at Vancouver International Airport on a U.S. fraud charge. Coverage of her extradition throughout 2019 has gone around the world and sparked debates over political jurisdiction and China’s imposing reach. The case has also caused Canada-China relations to deteriorate.
As of December 2019, Meng remains under partial house arrest at $10 million bail while waiting for her extradition hearing, which is scheduled to start on Jan. 20, 2020. Most recently, she penned a letter on the anniversary of her arrest to thank supporters and describe what the past year has done for her.
• Meng Wanzhou’s quiet life of luxury under house arrest in Vancouver
• Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou doesn’t want her case broadcast on TV — in case it attracts Trump
• Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou thanks supporters on first anniversary of arrest
• Read more on Huawei and Meng Wanzhou
Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18 were found dead by RCMP on Aug. 7.
In July 2019, three people were found dead along a northern B.C. highway in two different locations. The discoveries set off a countrywide search for two Port Alberni teens suspected in the killings.
For weeks, Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, of Port Alberni were sought across four provinces, with police chasing tips and sightings, until their bodies were found in dense brush in Manitoba on Aug. 7, 2019.
The victims of the double homicide were Chynna Noelle Deese, 24, and Lucas Robertson Fowler, 23, a young couple setting off on a road trip. The victim in a suspicious death was Leonard Dyck, a University of B.C. instructor.
• Northern B.C. homicides and manhunt: A timeline
• Northern B.C. murder victim’s sister accuses fugitive’s dad of failing to take responsibility
• B.C. fugitives Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky died by suicide: RCMP
• Dead assailants recorded videos taking responsibility for three B.C. murders
The Eagle Bluff wildfire near Oliver is pictured in this 2019 file photo.
While the 2019 wildfire season didn’t ravage the province’s forests as quickly as in 2017 or 2018, it was still a devastating year. As of Dec. 11, 2019, there had been a total of 806 fires during the 2019 wildfire season, which began April 1. As a result, 20,970 hectares of land had been burned.
• B.C. Wildfires Map 2019: Updates on fire locations, evacuation alerts/orders
• B.C. wildfire damage so far in 2019 just one per cent of 2018’s total
• Firefighters battling two fast-growing wildfires in B.C.
Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pictured at a rally of supporters at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver on Oct. 1, 2019.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh started 2019 by winning the Burnaby South byelection, running what was generally considered by most to be a respectful, tight campaign and came out the other side of the federal election having gained new ground and recognition for the NDP.
Along the way, he charmed Rihanna and endeared himself to young and diverse voters with his social media savvy. While he may not be the new prime minister of Canada, Singh has shown he’s in it for the long run.
• Five things to know about Burnaby South MP Jagmeet Singh
• No ‘orange wave’ but Singh upbeat as NDP support holds steady in B.C.
• ‘Better than our wedding day’: Jagmeet Singh reveals wife’s response to Rihanna’s Insta follow
Uber is one of several ride-hailing companies that have applied to operate in British Columbia.
The B.C. government made moves this year on the status of ride-hailing services, including the introduction of legislation and guidelines that will pave the way for companies like Uber and Lift. Applications were accepted beginning this fall, with licence reviews now underway.
But despite progress, the timeline for ride-hailing continues to stretch further into the future, with an initial promise of fall 2019 turning to end of 2019, and now, what is looking more like a 2020 introduction, due to thorough safety and licensing requirements. Taxi companies have also taken matters into their own hands, by asking the court to strike down rules that would allow the services to begin operating.
• Vancouver guide to ride-hailing in B.C.
• Taxi companies ask court to strike down rules allowing Uber and Lyft to operate in B.C.
• B.C. government says ride-hailing services can operate starting Sept. 16
The ICBC Claim Centre on Kingsway in Vancouver.
The “dumpster fire” that is ICBC, as Attorney General David Eby so infamously called it, was another B.C. issue that made headlines this year.
As officials continued to roll out solutions for bringing down the financial burden of the provincial auto insurer, there were some unintended side effects, such as young drivers being dinged by massive insurance hikes. Meanwhile, gas prices across B.C. continued to go up, leaving drivers scrambling.
• Vaughn Palmer: Horgan points fingers, but not at himself, for high gas prices
• Surrey teen gets sticker shock under ICBC’s new rate structure
• ICBC sticker shock: Young drivers walloped under new rate system
• David Eby proposes law to ban government from taking ICBC profits
Independent MP Jody Wilson-Raybould waves to the crowd at Hellenic Community of Vancouver Centre during the federal election in Vancouver on Oct. 21, 2019.
Vancouver Granville MP Jody Wilson-Raybould sent ripples through the politicial world this year when she resigned from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet. At the root of the rift were allegations that Trudeau had attempted to influence Wilson-Raybould while she was sitting as Minister of Justice and Attorney General and tasked with reviewing the SNC-Lavalin case.
Wilson-Raybould’s break from Trudeau’s cabinet led to widespread support, with #StandWithJody trending in February and leading to her re-election as an independent MP during the fall federal election.
• Jody Wilson-Raybould says she had no ‘endgame’ planned during SNC affair
• Vancouver MP Jody Wilson-Raybould to announce her future political plans on Monday
• Jody Wilson-Raybould is on the campaign trail with a new book and no party
• Independent Jody Wilson-Raybould wins tight Vancouver — Granville race
The tent city at Oppenheimer Park is pictured in Vancouver on Dec. 13, 2019.
The Oppenheimer Park camp began in October of 2018 but over the course of 2019 drew concerns from city officials and housing advocates as the camp grew in size. At its height in August 2019, the camp numbered around 200.
While steps have been taken to provide housing for many in the park, others say the options aren’t suitable, such as in one case where a woman wouldn’t accept a housing offer as the property did not permit visitors, even her own children. Others say they feel safer in the park as opposed to shelters that are often crowded.
• City plans to move Oppenheimer residents to social housing over safety concerns
• Oppenheimer Park residents in limbo as city mulls next move
• Call for new shelter to house Oppenheimer Park tent city holdouts
• Vancouver officials fear makeshift heaters used in Oppenheimer Park pose risk
• City urged not to use shooting to justify Oppenheimer ‘decampment’
Cash seized in Vancouver police investigation Project Trunkline into drug trafficking that overlapped with money-laundering investigation E-Pirate by the RCMP.
Money laundering has long been an issue in B.C., impacting the province’s casinos, housing market and beyond. This year, B.C. Premier John Horgan announced a public inquiry into money laundering, to be headed by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Austin Cullen.
It comes after two reports exposing money laundering in the province were released in May 2019. One was authored by a panel headed by former deputy attorney general Maureen Maloney and the other by former RCMP investigator Peter German.
The reports found that money laundering likely increased housing prices by about five per cent, while the desire to get money out of China, the proceeds of crime and tax evaders were the “three rivers of money” that flowed into Vancouver’s property market and luxury goods.
• Money laundering in B.C.: Timeline of how we got here
• Vaughn Palmer: Inquiry for coming clean on money laundering has limits, challenges
• Anatomy of money laundering in B.C. real estate: 12 cases, $1.7 billion, 20 countries and 30 banks
• Properties linked to money-laundering schemes remain in hands of accused: investigation
A sign advertising an open house is pictured in this file photo.
The Vancouver housing market saw moderation in 2019, the first time such a trend has happened in years rife with bidding wars and above-asking offers.
While a report this fall saw home prices increase by 1.4 per cent nationally, Greater Vancouver home prices fell about 5.2 per cent over the past year. As well, single-family homes in Metro Vancouver are expected to see their home values plunge in their next assessment.
• Heated Vancouver housing market moderating for first time in three years: CMHC
• Metro Vancouver housing prices head south, as prices nationally head north
• Five examples of Metro Vancouver homeowners losing big in a plunging market
• Four more Metro Vancouver homeowners hosed in a falling market
• Metro Vancouver single-family home values plunge
Other news items that made headlines this year included a viral video of a woman being racist toward staff at a Shopper’s Drug Mart, the funeral of a Hells Angels member, and a mall Santa fired for seemingly racy photos.
Here are a few more stories that were among the most read online in 2019.
• It’s called the silent killer because you may not even know you have it
• Rare footage of grizzly bears fighting on B.C. highway posted on social media
• ‘Speak English in Canada,’ woman rants at Asian staff in Burnaby drugstore
• Story of a shattered life: A single childhood incident pushed Dawn Crey into a downward spiral
• Ucluelet mystery: Hells Angels likely behind murder of two sailors 15 months ago
• Hells Angel shot dead at Starbucks drive-thru in South Surrey
• REAL SCOOP: Hells Angel Suminder Grewal laid to rest
• ‘Bad Santa’ fired from Christmas gig in Penticton mall for ‘inappropriate photos’
• Russia commandeers ships leased to B.C.-based Arctic tour company
• B.C. SPCA seeks help caring for, re-homing 27 abused horses rescued from Langley property