The New Westminister police have over the past 3 years led the public to believe that the fatal shooting of a 16 year old by one of their police officers involved a stolen vehicle. It now has been revealed that this was not the case. Not only did the New Westminister police mislead the public for 3 years, but the officer involved in the shooting has a history of violence.

The Tyee has a great article on the origins of Harm Reduction on their website. It turns out harm reduction was first proposed, and opposed by the federal government, in 1952.

As they revealed last week on the Tyee, the drug problem in the Downtown Eastside(DTES) has a very long history, one that goes well past the 1950s. During the 1950s, the price for heroin was high and thus organized crime was reaping massive economic benefits. Addicts were forced to steal full time to support their ever more expensive habits, while prohibition associated violence increased despite drug use decreasing. By 1952 though, there were still more heroin addicts in Vancouver than all of Britain and NGOs in the area were looking for a solution.

A report by the Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada, a branch of the RCMP, concluded that organized crime was profiting heavily from the prohibition of drugs, especially marijuana.

The inflation rate for housing has vastly outpaced the inflation rate for wages, especially at the low end in British Columbia. Many simply blame the increasing population of the city, but given the number of new condos and homes coming on the market, can this possibly be the case?In reality, the price of housing is being driven up, as are so many things, by people looking to make a quick buck.Investors, from Canada and overseas, purchase real-estate in Canada because over the long term, property trends higher than the stock market, meaning that a home is a massive investment.

The BC Climate Action Team released it's report on housing in the province, revealing that the province could achieve carbon neutrality, and even a net carbon sink for housing by 2020, for as little as 2% on top of the cost of a new building.

The report was buried within a larger report, released two weeks ago by the provincial government. The report shows that by 2020, all new buildings in the province could be carbon neutral

Vancouver's downtown east-side is the poorest neighbourhood in Canada, the home of the cities safe-injection site and home to the much reviled "open air drug market". How did the DTES as it's known come to be in such a state? Lani Russworm of the Tyee explores the history of the DTES and shows us that set of circumstances that created Canada's most famous ghetto.

History of the Downtown Eastside
Lani also runs a local blog called 'Past Tense Vancouver'; check it out!

A BC Man convicted of growing marijuana has been order to forfeit his $600,000 home because he grew marijuana on his property. The Man and his wife, both of whom use marijuana medicinally, were accused of growing in excess of medical need for profit, and that justified taking their home from them.

There is no accusation that this home was paid for with the proceeds of crime, simply that it was used to grow marijuana. The man was not convicted of any violence, simply growing a plant, underground, on his own property.

The British Columbia Marijuana Party needs you!

The BC Marijuana Party is gearing up for a provincial election on May 12, 2009. The BCMP is gearing up for a big campaign, and are looking for running in all 85 ridings across BC! If you want to get involved, email Jacob Hunter today. Click here to fill out a BCMP membership form; join us as we end prohibition!

We need Candidates to run for the BCMP

The BCMP is looking for candidates for ridings across BC. If you want to represent the BC Marijuana Party and fight for legalization in the next election, email Jacob Hunter. Candidates must submit 75 signatures and a $250 deposit to Elections BC to run.

Pot: Why not legalize it?

While the regulatory schema for alcohol and tobacco is by no means perfect, Margret Wente fails to note that both are more effective at keeping deleterious substances away from children than no regulation at all.

The sad fact of prohibition is that it makes marijuana an easier substance for children to obtain than either tobacco or alcohol.

Olympics security costs skyrocket

Vancouver Sun

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

VANCOUVER - Federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day on Tuesday confirmed that the security budget for the 2010 Olympics will be more than the $125 million US written into the Olympic bid.

Day, following his luncheon speech to the Pacific North West Economic Region conference, said federal and provincial government are still working on the numbers.