BC  

Sun to set on B.C.’s economic outperformance among provinces

Economic lead set to fade

Photo: Submitted.

The Site C Dam is one of a handful of energy mega-projects that created substantial employment when under construction

When B.C. Premier David Eby campaigned in the lead-up to the province's October election, he touted how well B.C.’s economy was performing compared with peers.

That outperformance could be about to change.

BC Stats data shows B.C.’s real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 2.4 per cent in 2023—faster than any other province.

Data for 2024 is not yet available but economists say a period of underperformance is likely to start in 2025.

Central 1 Credit Union chief economist Bryan Yu told BIV that B.C.’s economic outperformance is threatened by workers having completed large capital projects.

“Our GDP is about 11 per cent higher than pre-pandemic and the number for Canada as a whole is about six per cent,” he said to underscore how well the province has done, compared with counterparts across the country.

He listed the Site C Dam and LNG Canada’s project in Kitimat as two mega-projects that have created substantial employment and productivity in recent years.

Those initiatives are now largely complete.

The good news is that the projects will generate a bump in exports, and that will help B.C.’s economy, but that stimulus is not likely to equal the economic stimulus that the projects created when they were being built, he said.

Yu does not see any projects on the horizon that are large enough able to pick up the slack, although there will be capital spending on hospitals, SkyTrain extensions and other capital-works projects, he said.

The province needs those projects to keep its labour market steady.

B.C.’s unemployment rate rose 0.4 percentage points to 5.7 per cent in November, compared to the same month a year earlier. It then rose again to six per cent in December. Good news is that this is below the Canadian average of 6.7 per cent in December but the national unemployment rate is trending in the other direction. It declined by 0.1 percentage points, compared with the month before.. 

Private-sector job growth is a particular concern.

“The public sector continued to expand,” Yu said.

“Weakness in the labour market has been a private-sector-oriented story.”

He said he expects B.C.’s economy to expand by close to 2.5 per cent in each of 2025 and 2026, following what he estimated was more tepid GDP growth of 1.5 per cent in 2024.

“The labour market is forecast to generate employment growth of 1.5 to two per cent, with an unemployment rate below six per cent,” he said.

“However, risk remains to the downside, given the unknowns of U.S. trade policy,” he said, referring to U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump’s threats to invoke tariffs on Canadian imports.

That could spark retaliatory tariffs against such products as orange juice, sinks, toilets, steel and other products. 

John Anderson, CEO of Coquitlam-based Oppenheimer Group told BIV that were Canada to levy a 25-per-cent tariff on all American fruits and vegetables, the net impact on Canadian consumer prices would be much less than 25 per cent.

Nonetheless, Trump shows no sign of letting up on his taunts that Canada would make a great 51^st state.

When he was asked at a Jan. 7 press conference if he would use military force to annex Canada, he answered “No, economic force, because Canada and the U.S., that would really be something.”

Trump has complained that his country is “subsidizing” Canada various amounts per year—sometimes by US$100 billion, other times by US$200 billion —due to Americans buying more Canadian products than vice-versa.

It is unclear what all he is including in those calculations. 

U.S. government data shows the U.S. ran a US$64.3 billion trade deficit with Canada in 2023. In the first 11 months of 2024, its trade deficit with Canada was almost US$55 billion.

This is not the U.S. government paying that money to Canada, however. It is U.S. importers and residents freely choosing to buy Canadian goods.

Regardless, that trade-balance disparity may be enough to aggravate a tariff-related trade war.

“This is not the talk of a friend and economic partner,” Yu said in a LinkedIn post. “If this is the next four years, Canada needs to diversify our energy and resource exports markets across the Atlantic and Pacific, increase internal trade and loosen barriers, increase skilled immigration and bulk up our military.”

Tapped-out consumer could hit B.C. economy

B.C.’s economy could face another hit as consumers pull back on spending.

Data indicates that B.C. consumers are reining in their spending more than counterparts across the country.

Retail spending in the province dipped by about 0.5 per cent in 2024, compared with 2023, with real per-capita spending down closer to 3.5 per cent, according to Statistics Canada.

That is weaker than most provincial peers, Yu said.

The country’s number cruncher found that, in December, B.C. restaurant revenue was growing at a far slower rate than in other large provinces. The province’s 2.67-per-cent growth was better than only Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island.

Given that this growth rate in dollars spent at restaurants was around the same as the rate of inflation during the year, there was little or no growth in the number of customers, or items ordered.

And consideration an increase in population, sales at restaurants were down on a per-capita basis.

Industry advocates, such as BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association CEO Ian Tostenson and restaurant owners such as Romers principal Kelly Gordon, told BIV that diners have learned to expect discounts.

The consumer mentality has shifted to be more focused on happy hours, they said.

Restaurants often become nearly empty when happy hours end, Tostenson said.

Lackluster spending on alcohol and cannabis provides more evidence that B.C. consumers feel tapped out.

Legal cannabis wholesales in B.C. in the quarter that ended in September increased by 7.4 per cent—the slowest rate seen in any of the 10 quarters for which the British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB) has released data.

Alcohol wholesales have seen absolute declines in each of the past four quarters, year-over-year, up to September, according to BCLDB data.

Yu said he expects consumer spending to pick up in 2025 in part because “wage growth is robust.”

DIG360 principal David Ian Gray told BIV that consumers are more cost conscious than they were a year ago because of higher real price levels: The cumulative effects of years of higher-than-average inflation outpacing wage growth, even though that is starting to turn around.

While some consumers may be flush with cash and eager to spend it on items like Taylor Swift concert tickets, most B.C. consumers are feeling the pinch, he said.

The shift in sentiment is seen through indicators such as the Canadian Federation of Independent Business’ (CFIB) business confidence surveys.

The CFIB in November found B.C. small business owners were the least confident among owners in Canada that their ventures will perform better three months into the future.

They were also the second-least confident, after only Newfoundland, that their businesses will perform better in 12 months.

Those low confidence levels are particularly striking because B.C. small business owners historically tend to be more confident than counterparts in the rest of Canada, B.C.-based CFIB policy analyst Emily Boston told BIV.

Three Port Alberni, B.C. men face charges of sex offences, trafficking of minors

Three men face sex charges

Photo: The Canadian Press

The RCMP logo is seen on the shoulder of a superintendent during a news conference June 24, 2023, in St. John’s, Newfoundland. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Three men from Port Alberni, B.C., have been charged with sexual offences on minors, including trafficking of youth under 18 years old.

RCMP say its general investigations unit started looking into the allegations in 2020 and charges were laid last week.

Police say Shaun Pater faces 15 counts in relation to alleged sexual offences on minors, including the trafficking charge.

Terrance Houbregs and Wayne Moore are accused of six counts each involving sexual offences on minors.

All men have been released on several conditions, including not to have contact or be in the presence of anyone under 16 years old.

The three men are also prohibited from being in parks, community centres, theatres or other places where people under 16 are known to be present.

Ottawa provides $117M for drought resilience on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast

Feds fund new reservoirs

Photo: The Canadian Press

Paddlers and a kayaker are silhouetted on the Sunshine Coast in Halfmoon Bay, B.C., on Dec. 28, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

The federal government is providing $117 million to help solve what it describes as the "heightening water crisis" due to drought on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast, where the Sechelt area has been hit especially hard.

A statement from the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities says the project will involve upgrading the existing water treatment plant and constructing two large-scale storage reservoirs for the Chapman Creek watershed.

It's the source of municipal water for about 76 per cent of Sunshine Coast residents.

The statement from the federal government says the new reservoirs will provide a more reliable and sustainable supply during periods of drought.

The funding comes just over two years after the Sunshine Coast Regional District declared a state of local emergency and ordered water-use restrictions in fall 2022, when a prolonged summer drought quickly transitioned into freezing conditions.

The region saw just a trace of rain between July and mid-October that year.

The upgrades announced Thursday will be led by the shishalh Nation in partnership with the regional district.

Shishalh Chief Lenora Joe says they will work to adapt to climate change, collecting water during winter storms for use in dry periods.

"Through this project we are planning for future generations in innovative and thoughtful ways," Joe says in the statement.

The money will flow through the federal government's disaster mitigation and adaptation fund.

B.C. mayors push province for public safety, housing improvements

Mayors push for safety

Photo: Photo by Hossein Soltanloo on Unsplash.

So far, the new B.C. cabinet, who swore on Nov. 18, 2024 have only been given appointment letters instead of mandate letters, says release

B.C. mayors are asking the province for improvements to public safety and housing. 

The BC Urban Mayor’s Caucus – a group of 16 mayors from some of the province’s largest municipalities – on Thursday put forward suggestions for this term’s provincial government.

The suggestions were originally sent to Premier David Eby in a December letter and are being disclosed amid the release of B.C.’s ministerial mandate letters – letters from the province that outline the objectives of each minister in office. 

Among the caucus’s thirteen suggestions to ministers:

• Expanding access to detox, sobering and stabilizing beds across B.C.;


• A mandate to BC Housing for more urgent work with municipalities and making them the agency responsible for supportive housing;


• Funding and support for local governments that create community safety plans;


• The creation of a provincial urban downtown safety improvement plan;


• Bail reforms, increased funding for provincial courts and increased efficiency for processing repeat offenders;


• Addressing encampments, mental health, addiction and street disorder via the formation of a committee;


• Exploring cannabis revenue sharing programs with local governments. 

 

Caucus co-chairwoman and Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto said in the release they are still waiting for the ministerial mandate letters, explaining the caucus hopes Eby will listen to their advice.

The province issued a release early Thursday about what their pending ministerial mandate letters contain.

This includes growing the economy, strengthening health care, helping families with costs and making communities safer. 

Members of the BC Urban Mayor’s Caucus represent over 55 per cent of B.C.’s population and include mayors from Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond and Burnaby, among others.

Premier Eby no longer promising $500 tax rebate with tariff threat looming

Province tightens the belt

Photo: Graeme Wood.

B.C. Premier David Eby and Minister of Finance Brenda Bailey discuss the U.S. tariff threat on Jan. 16, 2025.

A promised $500 tax rebate cheque to every working British Columbian is on the chopping block if the incoming United States administration under president-elect Donald Trump imposes tariffs on Canadian products, B.C. Premier David Eby said Thursday.

Additionally, a planned review of government programs within each ministry has “taken on new meaning in the face of tariff threats,” said Eby at a press conference in downtown Vancouver.

In terms of the $1.8-billion rebate, promised last October during the provincial election, and in terms of any government spending review, Eby said "our number one priority right now is protecting B.C. families from this threat," adding “everything is on the table,” from retaliatory policies and government measures to reducing spending in preparation of economic decline.

“We don’t want to spend money on administration; we want to spend money on frontline services,” said Eby.

The premier called the tariff threat “serious” and amounting to “economic warfare,” immediately plunging the province into a recession once Americans cancel their import orders.

Eby and Minister of Finance Brenda Bailey outlined GDP estimates under a 25 per cent tariff scenario.

The province’s GDP stands at $336 billion today and would only rise to $345 billion by 2028, not $366 billion under normal circumstances. To 2028, the province would lose $69 billion in cumulative GDP output amounting to 124,000 fewer jobs.

Trump has expressed displeasure with Canadian border security, including fentanyl production and distribution and illegal immigration. Trump has stated the U.S. does not need Canadian products, suggesting the tariffs will not harm Americans but help create jobs south of the border.

Eby disagreed with that notion, suggesting Americans use cheap B.C. energy.

“Mutually assured destruction is no path to prosperity,” said Eby, adding California avoids blackouts thanks to B.C. electricity.

If tariffs are imposed, Eby said he is open to supporting a federal response to halt energy exports to the U.S.

Noting provincial governments do not have the power to impose tariffs, Eby said there are many things B.C. does at a provincial level that could improve the economy or disrupt American activity here.

Eby said premiers are committed to reducing inter-provincial trade barriers.

Eby also cited U.S. wine sales in stores and allowing American trucks to pass freely to and from Alaska as two examples of cooperation that could be “on the table” to re-examine.

Eby also said B.C. could look elsewhere to sell energy and critical minerals used for U.S. military development and artificial intelligence.

The premier said the provincial government will begin exploring trade diversification, noting with some relief that B.C. is less dependent on the U.S. than the rest of Canada.

The U.S. remains by far the largest trading partner for B.C., accounting for 54 per cent of exports, as compared to 75 per cent across Canada.

But China accounts for 14.1 per cent of exports; then comes Japan at 11.1 per cent and other Asian countries at 10.2 per cent.

Glacier Media asked Eby what countries he would turn to and, specifically, if China will play a bigger role.

Eby said his diversification efforts would look to create more space between B.C. and both China and the U.S.

“We are dependent on two countries that are in intense disagreement with one another and, as well, are in positions of conducting themselves that are causing concerns globally,” said Eby, while naming Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Philippines and India as targets.

But the prospect of B.C. and Canada purposefully or inadvertently furthering economic ties with China is another matter that “puzzles” Eby with respect to the tariff threat.

“This is the puzzle, from my perspective, of the actions of the Americans. They say that their dominant concern is China, is the importation of precursor chemicals related to fentanyl, the buildup of military belligerence on the part of that country as well as the dumping of products into the United States. I mean, what better ally is there to the United States in establishing critical mineral chains independent of China, than Canada? What better partner is there to ensure the energy is there around artificial intelligence as well as any other priorities, than Canada?

“It's bizarre to me we’re having this conversation. It is solely to the benefit of China that Canada and the United States are feuding,” said Eby.

Eby said his number one tool as a premier is diplomacy and he will be travelling to Washington soon to meet with U.S. officials, alongside premiers.

“If we can help deliver that message to the president-elect, to Republicans, then I think we can reinforce we are actually allies in this challenging global environment we’re living in,” he said.

Eby also encouraged British Columbians to reconsider vacationing in the U.S. should tariffs be imposed.

Inquest told interactions with caretaker in B.C. woman's death challenging at times

Caretaker grew challenging

Photo: The Canadian Press

Florence Girard, seen in a family handout photo from 2006, died of starvation in a Port Coquitlam, B.C., home in 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO

A former co-ordinator at the homecare organization overseeing Florence Girard's care says interactions with the woman's caretaker grew more challenging before Girard's starvation death in 2018.

Krista Maniezzo, who was the Kinsight Community Society shared-living co-ordinator, told a coroner's inquest into Girard's death that while there was "nothing outrageous," caretaker Astrid Dahl was also increasingly resistant to new care requirements introduced a few years before the woman died.

Maniezzo told the inquest that about a year before Girard's death, Dahl had trouble keeping appointments with Kinsight, which was under contract from the provincial Crown corporation Community Living BC.

Girard, who had Down syndrome, weighed about 50 pounds when she died while living with Dahl.

Dahl was convicted in 2022 of failing to provide the necessaries of life for Girard.

She told the inquest earlier this week that Kinsight didn't provide adequate support for home-sharing care providers, including not paying for prescribed pain medication for Girard.

RCMP officer loses bid for appeal in sexual misconduct case

Mountie forced to resign

Photo: Colin Dacre

A B.C. Mountie who allegedly engaged in a non-consensual sexual act with a city employee and was forced to resign has had his latest attempt to review the disciplinary decision rejected. 

In a decision handed down this week, federal Justice Julie Blackhawk dismissed RCMP Sgt. William Turner’s application for a judicial review — one that would have re-litigated a 2022 decision from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Conduct Appeal Adjudicator. The adjudicator's decision had upheld a 2018 decision from the RCMP Conduct Board forcing the officer to resign or face dismissal. 

The disciplinary sanctions stem from the spring of 2014, when Turner was in charge of a cell block at an RCMP detachment for “C Watch” in Surrey. Both Turner and a city employee — described in the decision as Ms. A — worked at the same detachment. 

Their relationship began with text messages and quickly became “sexual in nature,” according to Blackhawk’s Jan. 14 decision.

“They engaged in sexual activity at work and while on duty several times,” wrote the judge. 

On Oct. 10, 2014, Ms. A performed fellatio on Turner in the detachment stairwell. The city employee later alleged to a co-worker that the act was “non-consensual.” 

In response, the RCMP Conduct Authority ordered a Code of Conduct investigation against Turner, and on Nov. 16, 2014, the sergeant was suspended from duty and arrested for sexual assault. Crown, however, did not pursue charges. 

In statements to investigators, Ms. A said Turner had become “increasingly aggressive.” She had only complied with Turner’s demands for fellatio “to make her work shifts easier,” wrote the Blackhawk. 

As the justice put it: “She wanted the encounters to stop.” 

Several months elapsed until a hearing process began. Only then did Turner admit to sexual acts with Ms. A while at work and on duty.

At the hearing, Turner was accused of initiating unwanted sexual conduct and pursuing and engaging in an inappropriate relationship with the cell block guard. On Dec. 6, 2018, the RCMP conduct board ultimately gave Turner 14 days to resign or face dismissal. 

A month later, Turner appealed the decision, requesting it be overturned and that he be reinstated to the RCMP. An adjudicator ultimately dismissed that appeal in October 2022. 

Blackhawk was tasked with reviewing the adjudicator’s decision — a process Turner said was unreasonably delayed and represented a breach of procedural fairness. 

But lawyers for the Attorney-General of Canada argued that many of Turner’s submissions disagreed with the board’s initial disciplinary findings. At one point, Turner took issue with the board’s assessment of Ms. A’s credibility; at another, he focused on allegations around consent, and objected to the board’s finding that Ms. A did not explicitly say “no” to the sexual encounter, wrote Blackhawk in her decision. 

The judge was not persuaded by Turner’s argument.

“There are many myths and stereotypes about sexual assault that can cause victims to feel shame, guilt, and blame. Not only do these myths and stereotypes have no place in a modern society, in my view, we have an obligation to dispel them,” she wrote.  

“Today, sexual assault continues to be underreported, the reasons for this are tied to these antiquated myths and stereotypes. Consent to sexual activity is nuanced and while the word ‘no’ may not be used, other verbal and non-verbal cues must be considered.”

One of the those signals, according to the ruling, was when Ms. A said she wanted to end the relationship.

Blackhawk ruled the adjudicator’s decision was “transparent, justifiable, and intelligible” and dismissed the case. 

'Exuberance': One-bedroom Vancouver condo listed for $5,100/month

Merging old with new

A one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver has been listed for an exuberant monthly cost: $5,100.

The rental is on the 19th floor of the new Butterfly building on Nelson Street.

According to the Facebook Marketplace listing, it's roughly 850 square feet, has a large balcony and the amenities include an Olympic-size lap pool and gym.

Brandon Blue, a realtor with Blue Real Estate Group, says "$5,100 for a one bedroom is something that is definitely up there."

"It’s a brand new building, it's downtown, it definitely caters to a certain type of... renter, but I have seen worse in this city,” he tells Glacier Media.

The Butterfly is a 57-storey skyscraper designed by architect Bing Thom and is one of the tallest buildings in Vancouver.

Metro Vancouver rent prices remain among Canada’s highest in January 2025. The average rent price for an unfurnished, one bedroom is $2,293.

Keaton Bessey, a managing broker at Greater Vancouver Tenant and Property Management Ltd., says the unit won’t likely rent for that much.

"It's either really sad and like desperate, or it is really lazy and just somebody that has a lot of money and they bought it, and they just don't really care if it rents or not,” says Bessey.

A number of photographs have been shared showing the inside of the rental unit. The person who posted the listing did read Glacier Media's request for comment but did not respond to questions about how they came to the $5,100 price tag.

Blue suspects it could be a landlord that is really trying to maximize the amount of money they're getting.

“Simply because their own carrying costs on it and their own mortgage prices, as well as strata fees, are so high that they're going to try and get as much as they can just to potentially be cash flow-neutral or not lose any money,” says Blue.

A similar one bedroom in the area, at a 43-storey tower designed by architect Kengo Kuma on Alberni Street, was rented for $3,200 in December 2023, according to Bessey.

He adds the owner could add incentives if he wants to get more than the going rent.

"If they call it a corporate rental and wanted to include utilities and weekly cleaning, furniture, three- to six- to nine-month terms, laundry service, all that kind of stuff, they could probably get $7,000, $8,000 a month. But even that market's very soft," he says.

Blue adds that a building such as the Butterfly has amenities and features that people are paying a premium for.

"I've done real estate in Vancouver for a really long time and just because somebody's advertising their place for that amount doesn't necessarily mean they're going to get it, of course, but it's pretty common to see people trying for the stars,” says Blue.

When it comes to Vancouver real estate, he says "people want to be here."

"With it being a global city, that’s just going to attract more projects, more people and of course more exuberance."

Merging the old with the new

Darrell Johnson, the former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Vancouver, remembers speaking with Thom about the development during his seven-year tenure.

“He asked, ‘What do you want this new building to say to the city?’ And so I said, ‘It should say that we have good news,’” explains Johnson.

The church has a pipe organ that Thom listened to and took inspiration from.

"He proposed that this building [The Butterfly] looked like three organ pipes that are put together. The intent is, as you walk up the street, you see reflected in this glass of a modern building, this older church that is still declaring good news to the city,” says Johnson.

Previously, the church owned five lots and was looking to expand.

“It was so prohibitive financially, so we entered into a partnership with the developer who developed this building that's the financial engine to make everything else happen for the church,” he says.

This included building a homeless shelter in the basement, a children's centre, redoing the whole sanctuary, more Sunday school space and more office space in the church.

"I mean, the office space of this church is to die for,” Johnson says with a laugh.

He believes the finished product is fantastic.

"It's amazing. The difference between the architecture of the older sanctuary and the architecture of the new building is stark, but it makes a great statement."

Eby calls Trump tariffs 'economic war' that would cost B.C. $69 billion

'Economic war': David Eby

Photo: The Canadian Press

British Columbia Premier David Eby speaks during a news conference in Vancouver, on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. Eby says U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has made a "declaration of economic war" on Canada and B.C. with his proposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods.

British Columbia Premier David Eby says U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has made a "declaration of economic war" on Canada and B.C. with his proposed 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods.

Eby and Finance Minister Brenda Bailey released costings that suggest the tariffs and a similar response from Canada would cumulatively cost B.C. $69 billion by 2028.

The costings also estimate 124,000 fewer jobs in the province by 2028 and that the unemployment rate would rise to 7.1 per cent next year.

The preliminary assessment by the Ministry of Finance also suggests corporate profits in B.C. would decline $6.1 billion this year.

Bailey says B.C. sent about 54 per cent of exports to the U.S. in 2023 and that the province has a relatively diversified export market compared with other provinces where the U.S. buys more than three quarters of exports.

She says this will help insulate B.C. from the "unprecedented" Trump tariffs but they would still trigger "significant impacts" for the B.C. economy.

81 driving prohibitions issued in the Southern Interior last December

267 impaired drivers caught

Photo: BC Highway Patrol

Of the 267 impaired drivers taken off the roads in December 2024 the most were in the Southern Interior.

An average of 8.61 impaired drivers were taken off B.C. roads each day in December, BC Highway Patrol said in a sobering reveal Thursday.

That’s the same as one impaired driver caught every three hours for 31 days and for those involved in the Winter Impaired Driving Campaign it means education is not enough for people who choose to drive while impaired, Supt. Mike Coyle said in a press release.

"Nobody is surprised when they fail a roadside screening device and their vehicle is towed," Coyle said. "Enforcement is a necessary follow-up to education."

Of the 267 impaired drivers taken off the roads in December 2024 the most were in the Southern Interior. Here's the breakdown of prohibitions in BC Highway Patrol’s five regions:

• North (100 Mile House and north, excluding Clearwater); 52 prohibitions.
• South East Central (including Vernon, Kelowna, Kamloops and Clearwater); 81 prohibitions.
• Lower Mainland (including Pemberton to Hope); 45 prohibitions.
• South East Kootenay (including Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, Grand Forks, east to Alberta); 36 prohibitions.
• Vancouver Island; 53 prohibitions.

Note that some regions, particularly Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, have large municipal and RCMP traffic enforcement units that are not part of BC Highway Patrol data.

The annual Winter Impaired Driving Campaign is an annual, provincewide initiative in support of National Impaired Driving Prevention Month that features enhanced enforcement through check stops and patrols.

Vancouver backyard chickens practise social distancing from wild birds amid H5N1 risk

Risks to backyard chickens

Photo: The Canadian Press

Josh and Holly Hergesheimer, owners of four chickens which live in their backyard in Vancouver, B.C., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. 

 Lumpy Eye the chicken has made plenty of friends in her East Vancouver neighbourhood over the years, said owner Duncan Martin, with passersby regularly greeting her in the yard outside their home.

But now the seven-year-old Bovan Brown hen is being kept in isolation in her coop, to prevent her coming into contact with wild birds — and H5N1 avian influenza.

"We consider ourselves at probably the smallest end of the spectrum of keeping chickens, with one at this point, but we tend to keep her in her run, so she's fully protected," said Martin.

Martin is among Vancouver's urban poultry enthusiasts who are taking care to keep their flocks safe and healthy as deadly avian flu sweeps through dozens of commercial flocks across B.C., resulting in more than 8.5 million birds being culled.

But there's also the risk of human infection — the first human death from bird flu in the United States was reported last week in a person from Louisiana who had been in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock.

In B.C., Canada's first domestically acquired human case of H5N1 involved a teenage girl who became critically ill in November, and was only released from hospital on Jan. 7. The cause of her infection is unknown.

Pinder Rehal, a City of Vancouver spokeswoman, said bird flu represents a "real and present risk" to backyard chickens, although no infections have yet been recorded among the city's 184 registered flocks.

The number of flocks has boomed since the city first allowed backyard chickens in 2010.

While it's unclear how many backyard flocks have been infected with avian flu across Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency data shows there were outbreaks last year in 15 "non-commercial" poultry farms, referring to premises with fewer than 1,000 birds. These included four in B.C. among the total of 54 infected flocks in the province.

B.C's chief veterinarian, Dr. Theresa Burns, urged owners of small or backyard flocks to stay vigilant and implement preventive measures, such as keeping their birds' environment clean and dry.

She said the "very safest thing" would be to keep chickens indoors without access to the outside environment, where they might encounter the virus shed from wild birds.

Burns said anyone with a backyard flock should make sure to change their clothes and shoes and wash their hands thoroughly after walking in a park, or visiting another property with backyard birds, while poultry feed should be managed to make sure it doesn't attract wild birds.

Burns said North America is being heavily affected by avian flu, particularly along the Pacific flyway migration path along the west of the continent.

She said the most heavily contaminated substance is bird feces, and H5N1 is very good at surviving in cool, wet conditions.

Surveillance of wetlands in B.C. had shown some to be "very heavily contaminated with the virus."

Although waterfowl including geese and ducks are most affected by the avian flu, small songbirds could also carry the virus into someone's backyard, Burns said.

Martin said he and his partner keep Lumpy Eye separated not just from other birds, but from their pet cat.

"And if we're out tending to her, just taking care of her or feeding her something, we always wash our hands and change our footwear and clothes," said Martin.

Fellow East Vancouver chicken fanciers Joshua and Holly Hergesheimer have been watching the skies to make sure other birds don't get too close to their flock of two Rhode Island red hens and two Ameraucanas. Four hens is the maximum allowed in a Vancouver backyard flock.

"When we see crows or seagulls out, we try to move them away,” said Joshua Hergesheimer, adding that “the best is always to monitor."

“Usually the issue would be mixing with other flocks. We don't go to any bird shows. We don't take the chickens anywhere."

Hergesheimer said they keep on top of the latest regulations and also regularly check their four hens — Pancake, Mocha, Blizzard and Hazelnut.

“We spend time checking their health, make sure their beak is OK and the crest, the top part. If it's very red, then that means they're very healthy. So, we check the wings and the feet just to make sure everything is OK,” said Hergesheimer.

Burns said her team has been educating people who work with poultry or wild birds on how to reduce their risk, which "for the general public is still considered very low."

She said anecdotally, they are seeing fewer sick and dead wild birds now compared to 2022, when H5N1 also spread widely.

"We suspect that they are starting to develop sort of population-level immunity, and that will be helpful in hopefully causing this strain to fade away and be replaced by another strain in the coming years," said Burns.

But she said there was still a possibility of mutations that make H5N1 more infectious to mammals or cause other problems. Experts fear mutations could change H5N1 into a virus capable of causing a human pandemic.

"We still have to work and have very high vigilance and prepare as much as we can for a situation where things don't go as we hope," said Burns.

In East Vancouver, Martin has full confidence that Lumpy Eye will make it through the H5N1 outbreaks.

"She's a real survivor," Martin said. "She's been through some hardship and loss of her friends. So, I think if we take a few precautions, she'll live out her life nicely in the backyard."

Police investigate reports of drink spiking in Fernie, B.C.

Probe into drink spiking

Photo: Colin Dacre

Police are investigating reports of drink spiking in the Kootenay region.

The Elk Valley RCMP says there has been “widespread discussions” on local social media in Fernie, B.C. in relation to alleged incidents involving people possibly having their drinks spiked with drugs like ketamine or GHB while drinking at local establishments.

“These substances can be very dangerous, particularly when combined with alcohol, as they can cause sedation, memory loss, and even unconsciousness,” said Sgt. Brad Gregory, Elk Valley RCMP.

“We encourage everyone to take steps to protect themselves and their friends, such as watching their drinks closely, never accepting drinks from strangers, and sticking together in social settings.”

RCMP say they have received at least four reports of suspected drink spiking in Fernie in December and January. None of the reported cases have yet been confirmed by blood or other laboratory analysis. Two of the files remain open investigations.

Police are urging the public to report similar incidents.

“These reports help RCMP investigate potential cases and increases public safety,” said police in a news release.