Most memorable BC tales of 2022: Secret trial, Kabul cat, new mayor

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A grieving couple seeks to seek out that means from their teenage daughter’s overdose demise. The provincial NDP management race takes an sudden flip. A six-week trial will get underway in a Vancouver courtroom — however beneath a veil of secrecy.

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This previous 12 months, Postmedia journalists revealed tales that tugged at heartstrings, held authorities establishments to account, offered necessary context to the information of the day and shone a highlight on strange individuals doing extraordinary issues.

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Right here, in their very own phrases, are a number of the most memorable tales they lined this previous 12 months:

Keith Fraser: Stumbling on secret trial a one-time-only affair

On the docket the case was recognized as Named Individuals v. Lawyer Normal of Canada and was scheduled for a six-week trial

A number of occasions whereas masking the courts I’ve been requested to go away the courtroom whereas the proceedings go in digital camera or privately.

However I’ve all the time identified what the case was about and the proceedings often resumed in open court docket at a later time.

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In June, all of that modified when I checked out what turned out to be a secret trial on the Vancouver Regulation Courts.

On the docket the case was recognized as Named Individuals v. Lawyer Normal of Canada and was scheduled for a six-week trial.

A short while after coming into the courtroom, I used to be instructed there was a publication ban on the case, the court docket file was sealed and the matter was moving into digital camera. A examine on the court docket registry confirmed that the file was certainly sealed.

There’s probably purpose for the secrecy however thus far Postmedia Information, which publishes The Vancouver Solar and The Province newspapers, has been unable to seek out out what that could be.

After an software by a Postmedia lawyer, a choose declined to reveal something, saying it was a kind of uncommon and distinctive instances requiring secrecy. That ruling was appealed and on Dec. 21, the attraction was dismissed.

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kfraser@postmedia.com
twitter.com/@keithrfraser

Lori Culbert: Talking with mother and father of teenage overdose sufferer

A outstanding household, hoping to guard others at the same time as they proceed to heal

In October, I spent two hours talking with Roya Ghahramani and Ramin Abdollahi about their daughter Sufia, certainly one of greater than 2,000 British Columbians who fatally overdosed in 2022 and, at age 16, one of many youngest.

I used to be struck by their bravery and kindness to ask me and photographer Arlen Redekop into their Coquitlam house, after struggling such an unimaginable loss, and that regardless of their tears and large sense of grief, they have been decided to seek out gentle in these darkest of days.

They consider that sharing Sufia’s story could also be one additional manner to assist teenagers via the overdose disaster, which has killed greater than 10,000 individuals since a state of emergency was declared in 2016.

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“We are attempting to boost consciousness, to present info, to inform our story. And even when one child, one teenager, is saved, then I and Roya, we may have the sensation that the demise of our solely baby was not with none trigger,” Abdollahi stated in October.

Since the story ran, the mother and father have been contacted by a faculty and youth therapy facility, and plan to proceed to hunt avenues to “discover a that means in our loss and discover a manner to assist others to get some peace,” Abdollahi stated in mid-December.

They’re a outstanding household, hoping to guard others at the same time as they proceed to heal. “We have to preserve extra consideration on this story and are available collectively to attempt to work out what we have to do to help households,” Ghahramani added.

lculbert@postmedia.com
twitter.com/loriculbert

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Denise Ryan: When a Kabul cat touched hearts and minds

Typically a pet story can do extra to vary the world than a serious investigative piece

Nobody will get into journalism as a result of they need to write about cats. Most of us need to change the world.

“We need to consolation the stricken and afflict the comfy,” I recall a colleague saying, earnestly, as she sipped her espresso and waited for a life-altering story to fall into her lap.

When, throughout us, persons are struggling, do we are saying ‘However what in regards to the cats?’

Sure, we do.

As a result of, possibly, we consider this cat will probably be completely different. This cat, with feline stealth, will attain hearts and alter minds, and do the job {that a} hard-hitting, expert, investigative piece might by no means do.

Tay Tay was such a cat.

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One among 10 cats on the Kabul headquarters of accounting big RSM, the “Fightin Feline” (who could or could not have been named after Taylor Swift) was a mouser, with official duties on the bottom in Afghanistan. Off-duty, she favored to slink into the workplace of Gary Ash, an American NATO officer stationed close by, and work her magic.

She was fairly, she was petite, she was robust.

After the NATO withdrawal from Kabul in August, 2021, an evacuation flight fell via. Tay Tay was left behind. Her rescue, six months later, was practically blown by a catlike sprint for freedom whereas going via safety at YVR (who hasn’t needed to chop the road?), however ultimately, the officer and his cat have been reunited.

Tay Tay went to her new house, and the information story went viral proving that maybe we must always problem our beliefs that we’re right here to vary the world.

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The cats can try this.

dryan@postmedia.com
twitter.com/@deniseoryan

Douglas Todd: Why does a Chinese language billionaire purchase three B.C. malls?

Three B.C. malls price over $1 billion have been purchased by a Chinese language billionaire with hyperlinks to the Chinese language Communist Occasion

Perhaps it’s a bit odd that my most memorable article was about an individual who refused an interview. However that didn’t cease readers from turning “Flamboyant Chinese language billionaire buys three B.C. malls” into certainly one of my best-read items of the 12 months.

Canadians care in regards to the subject of overseas possession, even whereas the powers that be play it down and don’t like proscribing it. That’s the place journalists need to step in.

I needed to probe the importance of Weihong Liu, who made headlines in China for punching a feminine reporter, shopping for B.C. malls collectively price a couple of billion {dollars}.

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I’ve been studying in regards to the Chinese language Communist Occasion to grasp the rise of the autocracy. Like readers, I’m additionally curious when super-wealthy individuals from the U.S., China or wherever purchase large chunks of property right here.

My analysis strengthened that the organizations Liu belongs to are arms of China’s Communist Occasion. My article meant to boost questions on why the regime approves her investing a lot wealth right here.

It was additionally newsy that certainly one of Liu’s buys was of a struggling mall constructed on former farmland owned by the Tsawwassen First Nation. Indigenous self-government is sort of new in Canada, so reader curiosity is excessive.

dtodd@postmedia.com
@douglastodd

Katie DeRosa: Anjali Appadurai shakes up B.C. NDP management race

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In a second of candour with Postmedia Information, David Eby let slip that he was annoyed by Anjali Appadurai’s problem

When then-Lawyer Normal David Eby spilled the worst-kept secret in provincial politics, that he was working for the B.C. NDP management, pundits predicted a clean coronation with out the get together infighting that plagued the B.C. Liberals throughout their management search.

Environmental activist Anjali Appadurai proved that principle fallacious when she entered the race in August, throwing Eby off his toes and revealing the weaknesses in a marketing campaign predicated on him being acclaimed.

In a second of candour with Postmedia Information, Eby let slip that he was annoyed by Appadurai’s problem as a result of “assuming I’m profitable, it delays shifting into the workplace by a number of months.” Eby later stated he selected the fallacious phrases and welcomed Appadurai’s entry into the race.

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Behind the scenes, nonetheless, Eby’s marketing campaign offered the complaints and proof that may result in Appadurai’s disqualification following an inside investigation by the get together that discovered she improperly co-ordinated with third-party teams.

Eby was declared the victor and B.C.’s thirty seventh premier however in a manner that offered fodder to his rivals who referred to as his win tainted. It was the denouement of Eby’s transition from his early profession as a social justice activist to a part of the political institution he as soon as fought.

kderosa@postmedia.com
twitter.com/@katiederosayyj

Daphne Bramham: Developer used severely disabled individuals as pawns

Thousands and thousands of {dollars} have been wasted and the invoice remains to be mounting.

Despicable is robust phrase. However it is usually the fitting phrase to explain how the extraordinarily compromised residents of George Pearson Centre have been — and proceed to be — used as pawns by the family-owned Onni Group.

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It additionally not too robust a phrase to explain how politicians, bureaucrats and well being directors have bungled the transition from a 70-year-old getting old establishment that’s house to 114 extraordinarily susceptible women and men. Thousands and thousands of {dollars} have been wasted and the invoice remains to be mounting.

At the moment final 12 months, 44 GPC residents — together with some who can’t breathe, eat or transfer with out assist — have been anticipating to maneuver into purpose-built residences in Onni’s Cambie Gardens in Might. The hope of a brand new house was what had stored some from falling into despair in the course of the long-running pandemic lockdown.

All through the spring, Onni — whose homeowners, the de Cottis household have been beneficiant donors to then-mayor Kennedy Stewart — refused handy over the keys. It held the 44 hostage, whereas it negotiated an vitality servicing settlement with town.

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Onni continued to refuse to let the residents transfer in till after Vancouver Coastal Well being agreed to put aside a lawsuit aimed toward recovering no less than $5 million in delay-related prices.

In October, the move-in day was postponed once more to an undefined time in 2023. VCH’s contracted service supplier — Join Well being — didn’t have sufficient workers. That’s regardless of having been paid $675,000 a month since April.

As the brand new 12 months begins, residents are nonetheless ready and plenty of have misplaced hope that they’ll stay to see shifting day.

dbramham@postmedia.com
twitter.com/bramham_daphne

Glenda Luymes: An natural farm reworked by flooding

As a substitute of being ready for planting, the fields have been caked in silt and pitted by rocks. Our footsteps raised a high quality mud

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In March, photographer Nick Procaylo and I visited an natural farm in Cawston that had been flooded the earlier fall when the Similkameen River flowed over fields that after grew tomatoes, beans, carrots, beets, onions, shallots, sunchokes and squash.

It was an alien place.

As a substitute of being ready for planting, the fields have been caked in silt and pitted by rocks. Our footsteps raised a high quality mud.

Krystine McInnes, who purchased the land six years in the past, had been evacuated 4 occasions in 4 years — twice because of wildfires and twice because of flooding.

“It looks like we haven’t truly farmed. We’ve been constantly coping with one emergency after one other,” she stated, standing on the river’s edge.

McInnes needs the B.C. authorities to purchase her land, which she believes can longer no help a farm. She proposed a wetland that would offer flood safety for her neighbours, whereas she resumed rising meals elsewhere.

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I believed she could be among the many first individuals in B.C. relocated because of local weather change.

As spring grew to become summer season, after which fall, McInnes waited.

I checked in together with her once more on the point of winter. No phrase on a buyout. Her financial institution is shifting to foreclose.

gluymes@postmedia.com
twitter.com/@glendaluymes

Dan Fumano: A wild Vancouver election season, and a brand new energy at metropolis corridor

A historic municipal election night time noticed a brand new get together, ABC Vancouver, dominate

A municipal election 12 months meant it was a busy time on my beat. A fast have a look at our archive reveals greater than 140 tales containing the phrase “election” ran in The Vancouver Solar and The Province print and on-line editions beneath my byline this 12 months.

The 2022 Vancouver election stood out in just a few methods. It was the second spherical of municipal elections in B.C. because the introduction of latest marketing campaign finance guidelines, and a few of our tales revealed newly rising ways in which rich and highly effective individuals have been making an attempt to affect election outcomes — strategies that have been generally controversial, however completely authorized.

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One other distinctive factor about this 12 months’s Vancouver election was the unusually excessive variety of events and candidates: It was virtually definitely the primary time in Vancouver historical past that incumbent metropolis council members from seven completely different events ran for re-election.

Then, a historic election night time noticed a brand new get together, ABC Vancouver, dominate. So now we shift our focus to have a look at what’s going to ABC truly do with the robust mandate voters have given them. Can this group be as profitable at working a metropolis as they have been at working an election marketing campaign? A collection of huge selections and debates lie forward in 2023.

dfumano@postmedia.com
twitter.com/fumano

John Mackie: The unbelievable lifetime of Ting Cheng Wu

His memorable story displays China’s tortured historical past within the twentieth century

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In an extended profession at The Vancouver Solar and Province, I’ve interviewed 1000’s of individuals. However nobody had a narrative even remotely like The unbelievable lifetime of Ting Cheng Wu, who turned 100 on Feb. 22, 2022.

Born in a village in Amoy, China, Wu’s story displays China’s tortured historical past within the twentieth century, and the Chinese language diaspora that resulted.

His father was rich, however his mom wasn’t — she was a maid to his father’s spouse. Wu was orphaned at 9 and was malnourished as a toddler. He caught malaria in his teenagers, in the course of the brutal occupation of China by the Japanese, however survived and started a profession at sea after strolling 1,000 kilometres to Shanghai.

He returned to Amoy to marry and had two kids. However he was caught up in revolutionary strife after the Chinese language revolution in 1949. Whereas working for a Taiwanese firm, he was imprisoned and tortured in Taiwan after being suspected of being a Communist.

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In opposition to all odds he lived via 4 and a half years of jail to turn out to be a captain of big container ships, crusing the globe. In 1986, he retired to Vancouver, which he calls “a peaceable nation.” In retirement he grew to become an completed calligrapher.

Now that was a memorable story!

jmackie@postmedia.com
twitter.com/@jmackie_mackie

Gordon Hoekstra: Reporting that holds governments accountable

Had been B.C. communities ready for a world of accelerating fires and floods?

After the devastating wildfires and floods in 2021, and with scientists forecasting extra frequent and extreme climate, colleague Glenda Luymes and I needed to reply a query.

Had been B.C. communities ready for a world of accelerating fires and floods?

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To seek out out, we undertook Reporting that holds governments accountable sending out a questionnaire to 85 communities in each area of the province to get solutions on wildfire and flood safety plans, their scope, price, progress and funding.

We additionally examined 1000’s of pages of municipal, provincial, federal and impartial reviews and filings — and interviewed dozens of community representatives, specialists and people finishing up work to guard communities from floods and wildfires.

It allowed us to create a broad image of the state of local weather resilience of communities within the province.

It confirmed that authorities efforts have fallen dangerously brief of what’s wanted to correctly defend communities.

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I used to be struck by the colossal nature and scope of the work that’s wanted to correctly defend communities. Our conservative estimate is $13 billion.

By shining a light-weight on this important subject, and producing arduous numbers, the investigation put the province and the federal authorities, which maintain the purse string and coverage levers, on discover.

It’s unattainable for them to say they’re doing sufficient.

ghoekstra@postmedia.com
twitter.com/gordon_hoekstra

Joanne Lee-Younger: Artists, tenants, residents be part of collectively to revive defaced Chinatown avenue mural

I’ll bear in mind the shock of seeing a good looking avenue mural in Chinatown Artists, tenants, residents be part of collectively to revive defaced Chinatown avenue mural and the way greater than 100 individuals joined a daylong occasion to restore it.

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The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea was commissioned by town and initially painted by 4 artists who took practically 12 hours a day over two weeks to create it.

In late March, it was destroyed by graffiti taggers who lined elements of it and the signage of a close-by, small bookstore with giant, black bubbles and scribbles. The artists have been devastated. Chinatown enterprise homeowners spoke out about being beneath assault.

However for a day, they have been additionally buoyed when different artists, tenants, residents, members of assorted associations, metropolis councillors and plenty of strange members of the general public picked up brushes and adopted handout guides to repaint every broken part.

Individuals have been crouched down low on the bottom and perched on a number of ladders. The solar was out and there was a sense of group in that alley off East Georgia Road.

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The hassle introduced advocates and artists from the Chinatown and Downtown Eastside communities collectively as the 2 areas face homelessness, the poisonous drug disaster and the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes.

jlee-young@postmedia.com
twitter.com/joanneleeyoung

Susan Lazaruk: Hawk-eyed guardians of your lunch at Granville Island Market on obligation day by day on the standard vacationer website

Granville Island employed the raptors just a few years in the past for humane “gull abatement.”

With a espresso in a single hand and a vanilla glazed from Lee’s Doughnuts within the different, I used to be a straightforward goal for the hungry seagulls that dangle across the Granville Island Market the identical purpose thousands and thousands of vacationers do yearly, the tasty meals.

One swooped me at me from behind, buzzing the highest of my head and startling me into virtually dropping my deal with, a transfer I’m certain has labored numerous occasions earlier than.

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Not 5 minutes later, a hawk strolled by on the arm of its handler and I used to be intrigued. I had been coming to the marketplace for a long time and had by no means observed the hawks earlier than.

It turned out to be a enjoyable task the place I met with one of many a number of handlers just a few days later for him to clarify how efficient the hawk-eyed sentinels are in preserving the gulls and pigeons from people’ meals.

I obtained to fulfill Poki, a 1 1/2-pound Harris’s hawk, and its handler from Pacific Northwest Raptors, Will De Haven, and accompany them to the rooftop. Poki (or Goose, the opposite hawk) are allowed to fly free and their presence is sufficient to preserve the thieving gulls away.

Granville Island employed the raptors just a few years in the past for humane “gull abatement,” stated De Haven. He can’t take greater than 10 to fifteen steps with out somebody approaching to snap selfies and ask questions.

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However he can’t be in all places directly and the primary couple I approached that day to ask about whether or not they felt their lunch was secure had a gull rob them of a slice of pizza proper from the person’s hand.

slazaruk@postmedia.com
twitter.com/SusanLazaruk

Tiffany Crawford: Metro Vancouver’s final remaining glacier ‘dying in entrance of our eyes’

Amongst many climate-related tales written in 2022, this one hit house

In April, I wrote a narrative aboutMetro Vancouver’s final remaining glacier ‘dying in entrance of our eyes’— the Coquitlam Glacier — and the way it’s melting a lot quicker than glaciologists had earlier predicted.

It actually stands proud in my thoughts due to the emotional response I needed to that piece. It additionally led to a number of different tales about glaciers and a few actually nice interviews with passionate scientists who’re out in these B.C. glaciers measuring their decline.

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I write a variety of climate-related tales however this one hit house. I’ve all the time been a mountain fanatic. Rising up snowboarding round B.C., my associates and I’d strap on a pair of snowshoes, and hike with our boards out into the backcountry. And in the summertime wed trip the Whistler Glacier. The considered these majestic glaciers disappearing due to our collective inaction on local weather change fills me with dread. It’s arduous to consider that when my youngsters are adults the Coquitlam Glacier and others could possibly be gone.

As properly, you will need to perceive the pace of decline, not simply to indicate how local weather change is affecting our planet but additionally for adaptation planning. The speedy soften might have many dire penalties from landslides to drought.

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ticrawford@postmedia.com
twitter.com/TiffyCrawford13

Gordon McIntyre: A authorities U-turn

Those doing the rescues instructed me it was much more harmful to land a crew of rescuers dozens, if not a whole lot, of metres away from a stranded hiker, make their method to the sufferer after which take away them by stretcher

After an extended battle with civil servants in Victoria, North Shore Rescue crews have been allowed to fly with night-vision goggles, one thing Transport Canada had OK’d however Victoria had dragged its heels on till late 2020.

However the province wouldn’t enable nighttime hoist rescues, citing security issues. Bear in mind, Transport Canada’s aeronautical engineers and former civilian and navy pilots had authorised NSR finishing up nighttime rescues not only for search-and-identify, however profession civil servants in Victoria had dug of their heels.

Nor would the provincial authorities present somebody to talk with, aside from emailing a inventory reply about security issues.

However the ones doing the rescues instructed me it was much more harmful to land a crew of rescuers dozens, if not a whole lot, of metres away from a stranded hiker, make their method to the sufferer after which take away them by stretcher.

It wasn’t a matter of if, however when, a stranded hiker would die due to the coverage, Mike Danks, staff chief at North Shore Rescue, stated.

After I shared the rescue staff’s frustration, the province made an entire reversal the subsequent day and instantly allowed night-hoist rescues.

gordmcintyre@postmedia.com
twitter.com/gordmcintyre

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