Energy and Mines News:

B.C.'s Mining Industry Needs One-Stop Shop
To Get Projects Going
According to a recent Vancouver Sun article, the mining industry in British Columbia is no stranger to cyclical downturns, political uncertainty and bureaucratic red tape; it faced them in abundance through the last half of 2008 and the first quarters of this year. However, the past few weeks have given it hope for better days ahead. See the full News Story.

BC Budget Realistic and Appropriate for the
Times Says Association for Mineral Exploration BC
AME BC appreciates the financial challenges governments around the world are facing. "We believe the provincial government and this budget are on the right track—these times call for tough and realistic measures. With members in the commodity sector we know, perhaps more than most, how volatile the economy has been this past year. No one could have predicted some of the price changes in commodities we have seen in the past twelve months,” said Gavin C. Dirom, President & CEO, Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia (AME BC). See the full article posted on AME BC website.

Family, Wills and Estates News:

B.C. Estate Law Boosts Land Sales
To Settle Debts
Bill 4, the reintroduced Wills, Estates and Succession Act, passed third reading in the House on Sept. 24. It will cut the number of separate acts that involve estate law from seven down to just one. The new legislation is expected to come into force in 2011, but only after the public and legal community have had time to review and prepare for it. Planned changes to British Columbia's laws on wills, estates and succession will, among other things, allow an estate's land to be used sooner in the process of settling its debts. See the News story as reported in the Eastern Edition of the Country Guide.

Free Family Mediation Services are Now Available
from the B.C. Mediator Roster Society's
"Distance Mediation Project"
For a limited time, free family mediation services are available for eligible families living in non-urban areas of British Columbia. The services are being offered through an exciting new project called the "Distance Mediation Project". See the full article by the British Columbia Mediator Roster Society.

Forest and Environment News:

Act Introduced to Expand Wood
Use in Public Buildings
The Wood First Act, Bill 9 was recently introduced. It aims to increase demand for wood products by requiring provincially-funded building projects to use wood as the primary construction material. See the News Release.

Pine Beetle Running Out Of Food,
Mills Out of Wood
The mountain pine beetle epidemic is over, but it's not because the beetles have been defeated. Rather, they have run out of trees, and that heralds a whole new set of problems, B.C.'s forests minister Pat Bell told the Vancouver Board of Trade recently. Forest companies that are running out of wood are eyeing healthy stands — including old-growth forest — in protected areas, while Bell is warning that eight to 12 sawmills could close permanently if other sources of timber are not found. See the News story as reported by the Vancouver Sun.

Tribunal Rules Against Canada
in U.S. Lumber Spat
An international trade tribunal has ruled in favour of the United States in a dispute with Canada over a 2007 breach of the softwood lumber deal between the two nations, the U.S. Trade Representative said recently. The tribunal said Canada failed to rectify its breach of the agreement by appealing to only pay a $36.7 million fine. See the News story as reported in the Financial Post. Following the ruling, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the Canadian government will pay it. See the News story as reported by Global News.

Can you be comfortable in
a green building?
Building performance and its evaluation have earned increased attention in recent years, particularly relating to green buildings. Much of the emphasis has been on optimizing energy and resource efficiency. Despite the recent media buzz around the actual performance of LEED-certified buildings, surprisingly little attention is being paid to the human resource within buildings. See the full article as reported by Globe-Net and posted on EnvironmentalExpert.com.

Health News:

Striking paramedics forced
to keep working overtime
A B.C. court has ordered striking ambulance paramedics in the province to abandon plans to stop working overtime as part of a prolonged labour dispute. The Ambulance Paramedics of B.C. originally told its members that they should only work their regularly scheduled shifts. The union says the move was designed to counter claims by the B.C. Ambulance Service that there are no staffing shortages. See the News story as reported by CTV.

B.C. Bans trans fats
in restaurant foods
Effective Sept. 30, 2009, B.C. Reg. 50/2009, the Public Health Impediments Regulation, came into force. This makes B.C. the first province to restrict trans fats in restaurant foods, but critics say it may hurt smaller establishments. The regulations will be enforced by the environmental health officers who are already monitoring food safety at B.C. restaurants. See the News story as reported by CTV.

Labour and Company News:

Occupational Health and Safety Changes
Effective Sept. 1, the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation (296/97) was amended regarding snow avalanche assessment. See the WorkSafeBC site.

Insurance Act Changes
to Protect Consumers
Legislation to amend and update the Insurance Act will improve protection for consumers in the insurance market, Finance Minister Colin Hansen announced recently with the introduction of Bill 6, the Insurance Amendment Act, 2009. Under the amendments, consumers will have a 30-day grace period in which to pay overdue premiums for life and health insurance contracts and ensure their policies remain in force. Consumers will also be provided with a 10-day cooling-off period in which they can rescind a life or health insurance contract. See the News Release.

Consumer Taxation Branch
For the latest Bulletins from the Consumer Taxation Branch, see What's New.

Local Government News:

Land Tax Deferment Interest Rate
The Interest Rate Regulation (B.C. Reg. 181/2009) sets the interest rate to be charged on residential property taxes deferred under the Land Tax Deferment Act. For the 6-month period beginning October 1, 2009 the interest rate is set at 0.25% a year for the regular Property Tax Deferment Program and at 2.25% a year for the Financial Hardship Property Tax Deferment Program.

Recognition Act is Dead
There will be no legislation introduced to grant aboriginal title in B.C. in the foreseeable future, government and aboriginal leaders concede. George Abbott, B.C.'s new minister of aboriginal relations and reconciliation, told Black Press in an interview he was expecting the proposal to reconstitute B.C.'s 203 aboriginal bands into about 30 historical "indigenous nations" to be rejected when chiefs met in late August. See the News story.

Changes reintroduced to B.C.'s Police Act
give more power to public watchdog
The Police (Misconduct, Complaints, Investigations, Discipline and Proceedings) Amendment Act, 2009, Bill 7, was introduced and will make changes to B.C.’s Police Act that dramatically increase the power of the province’s independent police watchdog. See the News story as reported by The Province.

Industrial tax revolt against towns
could end up in Province's lap
Municipalities facing a property tax revolt by industry can't count on the B.C. Supreme Court to settle the issue for them, the Union of B.C. Municipalities was told recently. Six B.C. municipalities are being sued by four forest companies over the tax rate they have been levied, but no matter what the courts decide, the standoff between industry and local government is already past the boiling point, said Gerry Armstrong, a former deputy minister of finance. See the News story as reported by The Vancouver Sun.

Attention Land Use Planners, Engineering and
Building Staff, Approving Officers and
Other Government Officials
Lui Carvello, MCIP, lawyer and planner of Staples McDannold Stewart, is presenting a full day seminar on the Land Title Act Section 219 Covenant at SUN PEAKS RESORT, KAMLOOPS, BC on WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2009 (10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.). See Seminars for details.

Real Estate and Builders Lien News:

Upcoming Changes to Strata Property Act
The Strata Property Amendment Act, 2009, Bill 8, was recently introduced. The Vancouver Island Strata Owners Association recently posted an article commenting on the proposed changes. This commentary is provided as information for strata owners and others interested in improving the legislation that affects owners of 460,000 strata properties in British Columbia. See the Commentary.