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Global News
6 hours ago
- Business
- Global News
Vancouver man says institutions unable to recognize new Indigenous street name
David Gardiner received a handout from the City of Vancouver on June 6, telling him that his street name was going to be changing. He has lived on the now formerly-named Trutch Street for 40 years, which now bears the name šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street (pronounced sh-MUS-quee-um-AW-sum), which translates to Musqueamview in English. Signposts bear the English name below the official Musqueam name, which is written in the North American Phonetic Alphabet. Gardiner said he has no issue with the name change and it was not a surprise, but told Global News that when he tried to change his address to the legal Musqueam spelling — šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm — both of his banks told him they have no capacity, nor plans, to be able to recognize the official spelling. 'I think it was very unfair because I think they should have consulted all the stakeholders and that would include the City of Vancouver itself, the province of B.C., at least all the banks, whole bunch of what they call stakeholders, and they left that job to the residents of Trutch Street, former Trutch Street, and that's kind of ridiculous,' Gardiner added. Story continues below advertisement 'We're not being paid for this.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Gardiner said he is also having issues changing his address with his credit cards and MSP. 2:08 Vancouver's Trutch Street officially renamed to šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Communications strategist Bill Tieleman said the city should have given residents way more than the two weeks' notice that they got. 'They had four years… they voted for this in 2021… and it's 2025 and they haven't done the work yet,' he said. Global News asked the City of Vancouver if staff sought data about how many Vancouverites are familiar with he North American Phonetic Alphabet but they said they did not have any. However, they said they are supporting people with questions via e-mail and they had reached out to service providers. Story continues below advertisement Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said that the name on Google Maps comes up as Musqueamview, so there are alternatives for people to use that for their address change. 'Change is hard,' he said, 'but it's the right change.'
Global News
9 hours ago
- Climate
- Global News
Calgary expecting a big jump in water rescues this summer
Drowning claimed the lives of four people in Calgary last year, while the number of people who had to be rescued after getting into trouble on the waters in the city jumped by 31 per cent, according to the Calgary Fire Department. Based on trends in river use and with a forecast for above-average temperatures this summer, the department is preparing for a possible all-time high in water rescues this summer, said Carol Henke, information officer with Calgary fire. 'The greatest number of water rescues occurred in July, averaging 52 rescues that month since 2016,' added Henke. View image in full screen With the long-range forecast calling for above-average temperatures this summer, the Calgary Fire Department is preparing for the possibility of a record number of water rescues during the season. Global News 'We see the greatest number of river rescues on the Bow River between Shouldice boat ramp downstream to Harvie Passage. The communities of Montgomery and Inglewood at either end of this float see the greatest number of aquatic rescues in the waters adjacent to their communities, especially at Harvey Passage.' Story continues below advertisement 'Every time we see consistent temperatures like 28 to 30 C or higher, we've got a lot of people that I think venture out who haven't been out to the water before,' said Calgary fire community safety officer, Alex Kwan. View image in full screen The Calgary Fire Department says July is the busiest month for water rescues in the city, with an average of 52 rescues each July over the past 10 years. Calgary Fire Department Including the four people who drowned last year, a total of 29 people have lost their lives in Calgary's waters since 2016. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The city's growing, we have more people, and I think a lot of people maybe don't think about the risks,' said Henke. 'It's a beautiful day, you're not thinking about something going wrong, you're thinking it's gonna be a nice little float down the river, and it's not till you're in the situation that you recognize maybe your planning could have been better, your craft could have been better. I think maybe it's not top of mind for a lot of people.' Story continues below advertisement According to information from the RCMP and the Lifesaving Society of Canada's National Drowning Report, close to 450 people drown every year in Canada and nearly 80 per cent of them are men, drowning at a rate four times higher than women. More than 80 per cent of drownings while boating happen while the victim is not wearing a life jacket or personal flotation device. Canada's small vessel regulations require every boat, including kayaks and canoes, to have a Canadian-approved life jacket or PFD on board for each person. Life jackets will not only help a person float should they end up in the water, but they'll also help avoid shock and hypothermia, which can happen in water temperatures of 21 C or colder. View image in full screen The Lifesaving Society of Canada says more than 80 per cent of people who drown while boating were not wearing a life jacket. Global News Nearly 30 per cent of water-related deaths also involve alcohol — including 60 per cent of boating accidents. Story continues below advertisement 'Those things end up being a recipe for a disaster, unfortunately,' said Insp. Kurt Jacobs of the Calgary police traffic section. 'It impairs people's judgment, and especially already when a quick incident arises. 'Under the gaming and liquor there are different fines stemming from a few hundred dollars and of course the most serious being under the Criminal Code with criminal charges just such as we would see on the roadways — they're pretty stiff and I think most people don't really realize that what applies to roads and drivers also apply to water.' Henke said anyone heading out onto the water should also make sure their watercraft is safe. 'We often see floaties that are absolutely not indicated for a wilderness area in an urban setting — they puncture really easily and deflate, put you at risk for being stranded or worse, drowning.' 'Right now the stand-up paddle boardings have become more popular. Make sure people do not wear their ankle leashes,' said Kwan. 'In this environment, on the river with current, it becomes a drowning hazard. You can't actually undo the ankle strap if you get pulled underwater. Don't bring any of your (stand up paddleboard) anchors either. Any of those things can weigh you down, drag you down when they're attached to the board and attached to you.' Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen The Calgary Fire Department says the stretch of the Bow River between the Shouldice boat ramp and Harvie Passage is where most water rescues in Calgary take place. Global News Calgary fire, police and community safety officers will be patrolling both the Bow and Elbow rivers this summer — both on the water and along the banks — including the popular launch sites, like West Baker Park, Shouldice Park and Sandy Beach. With lots of sun and temperatures in the mid-20s forecast over the Canada Day weekend, they're expecting to be busy. 'Our primary focus isn't necessarily enforcement. It's always safety, education. We just want to get that message out,' said Jacobs. 'We don't want to see any tragedies. We've had enough in the past.'
Global News
a day ago
- Global News
B.C. firefighter denied entry to the U.S.: ‘I don't know what I've done wrong'
A B.C. firefighter who once fought with the American military says he has now been denied entry to the U.S. and he is not sure why. Jamie Flynn is a British citizen and a Canadian permanent resident who lives in Squamish. On Wednesday, he attempted to fly out of Vancouver International Airport to Alabama to represent Vancouver firefighters at the World Police and Fire Games in Alabama. But he was denied. 'It's annoying because I've spent three months training for this event and everything just crumbled in a second,' Flynn told Global News on Thursday. Flynn, who is also a search and rescue volunteer and does not have a criminal record, was set to compete in Jiu Jitsu at the games. Story continues below advertisement He was told his ESTA pass — Electronic System for Travel Authorization — had expired and wouldn't be renewed. He says he was given no reason and no chance to appeal. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'All that pops up on the app is 'travel not authorized,'' Flynn said. He added that neither the U.S. Consulate nor the ESTA program offered him any explanation. 'I think this is a clerical error, but the fact that I can't speak to anyone is just super frustrating,' he said. 'I feel like I'm an upstanding member of society, like I don't know why this has happened. 'I don't know what I've done wrong.' 2:49 'It was very strange:' B.C. resident describes car search at additional U.S. border checkpoint ESTA is a way for individuals from low-risk countries to enter the U.S. instead of applying for a visa. Story continues below advertisement Eligible applicants fill out a form online to visit the U.S. for up to 90 days. 'If you ever violate it or are found ineligible for ESTA, you can never, ever apply again, so you now have to apply by law for an actual visa at a U.S. consulate or embassy,' immigration lawyer Len Saunders, who is based in Blaine, Wash., told Global News. Flynn said he has applied for a visa but the next available interview appointment is February 2027. 'There's absolutely no way that I can get down there unless someone steps in and tells me why I've been denied or resets my ESTA,' Flynn said. Saunders said the lesson from this story is that anyone who is in Canada and eligible for Canadian citizenship should apply. '(Then they) never have to worry about entering the United States with visas,' he said. 'You can just show your Canadian passport at the border and you're good to go.'
Global News
a day ago
- Health
- Global News
Lack of pediatric services preventing family from returning to the Okanagan
Henry Groves is like most other young boys who loves to play. At only four years old, he's not able to fully understand the serious medical condition he was born with — kidney disease. 'It quickly progressed into end stage renal failure, so he needed life-sustaining dialysis,' said Lisa Jensen, Henry's mom. The family had moved to Victoria just prior to Henry's birth after living in West Kelowna for nearly a decade. However, once Henry was born and the family realized the serious medical challenges he has to live with, they wanted to move back to the Central Okanagan where they had family support. Jensen, however, said that the lack of pediatric services in the Okanagan prevented a return to the Okanagan. Story continues below advertisement 'The type of dialysis that he needed was hemodialysis and it has to be performed at a children's hospital,' Jensen told Global News. 'The only place in B.C. that does that is at the B.C. Children's Hospital.' Jensen said the family couldn't afford to live near the hospital, where Henry had to go four times a week for four-hour dialysis sessions and without that type of pediatric treatment at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH), the family made the decision to leave the province and move to Calgary. 'We will do anything that we need to do to take care of Henry,' Jensen said. 'Whether it's uproot our family from where we want to be and move, we'll do whatever it takes. Ideally, we wouldn't have needed to move.' The family's decision to leave B.C. was further validated at the end of May, when the family was back in Kelowna visiting relatives. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Henry fell ill and was taken to emergency at KGH on May 25, the eve of the pediatric ward closure. According to Jensen, doctors wanted to admit Henry as an inpatient but told Jensen about the looming unit closure. She said she was shocked. 'I just that couldn't believe such a catastrophic failure of the system that they can't take care of children,' Jensen said. Story continues below advertisement 2:13 Conservative MLAs put pressure on B.C. Health Minister to visit KGH Once Henry was stabilized, the family decided to make the eight-hour car ride home to seek medical care. The number of pediatric patients, such as Henry, is increasing in the Kelowna area as the population grows. However, local pediatricians say Interior Health (IH) is not keeping up with the demand. 'That includes vision for the future to bolster our neonatal supports, to build a pediatric intensive care unit and all the allied supports and equipment that go with that,' said Kelowna pediatrician Dr. Kate Runkle when speaking to Global News on June 18. Calls for changes to the service delivery model, including two pediatricians on shift 24/7, have been long called for by pediatricians. According to the specialists, though, those pleas have been ignored by IH for years. Story continues below advertisement The doctors add that the current pediatric crisis at the hospital was predicted and preventable. IH has said the decision to close the pediatric ward for at least six weeks was a difficult but necessary one to ensure there is pediatric coverage for critical services, such as high-risk deliveries. The ward closure is now in its fifth week. IH has not said when it will reopen other than it hopes to do so as soon as it safe and feasible. Jensen said Henry had a kidney transplant last December, having received the organ from his father. While he no longer requires dialysis, he still needs regular hospital visits for testing and IV fluid treatments. Jensen said the family wants to one day move back to the Okanagan, but pediatric services, including the ongoing ward closure, makes them nervous. 'I absolutely love B.C. It was, and I feel it still is my home,' she said. 'I wish it was a province that we could live in and feel safe and have the care that my son needs.'
Global News
a day ago
- Global News
B.C. dog at centre of court case that lawyer calls ‘outrageous'
A dog attack in Langley, B.C., is being fought in court with the dog's owners denying they are responsible for the victim's injuries. 'He is just the most loving, cuddling, gentle giant, honestly,' owner Amardeep Haer told Global News. Her dog, Enzo, was part of the family, even getting his own birthday parties. However, last year, Enzo was in the backyard with another dog who lives in the home when a contractor showed up unexpectedly. 'We fully saw our other dog latched on to the arm of the man, opposed to Enzo,' Haer said. The man's puncture wounds needed medical treatment. But when the Township of Langley's animal control people showed up a couple of months later, it was Enzo they came for, not the dog they say did the biting. Story continues below advertisement Haer said they told the animal control officers but they did not pay any attention. 2:20 Dog found in garbage can now recovering Enzo has now been held at the Langley Animal Protection Society for more than a year, as the Township of Langley is seeking legal authority to put him down. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I have absolutely no idea why they decided to take the wrong dog,' animal law lawyer, Rebeka Breder, told Global News. She said this case is one of the most outrageous cases she has ever seen and the mistaken identity, combined with the way Enzo was seized, compelled Breder to challenge the Township under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 'When they leave their beloved family pet at home… in the privacy of their home… they should expect their dog will remain safe and protected from unreasonable search and seizure,' she said. Story continues below advertisement The Township of Langley confirmed its intention to have Enzo put down, but declined to comment further as the matter is before the courts. 'We just really want him to come home… because he didn't do anything wrong,' Haer said.
