B.C. News

The Empire Landmark hotel has been a West End icon since it went up in 1973. It’s tall (42 storeys, 120 metres), thin, and has a nifty revolving restaurant/bar on top that offers breathtaking views.

The province has been a hot ticket for travellers so far this year, according to overnight visitor numbers released Friday by Destination B.C. The number of overnight international visitors to B.C. in 2016 through July passed the 3.

The number of foreign buyers purchasing real estate in British Columbia dramatically dropped after the government instituted a 15 per cent foreign buyer tax on Aug. 2, new figures show.

The B.C. government has removed utilization targets for building and upgrading schools — including seismic upgrades — although districts must still find ways to justify the need for new, expanded or seismically upgraded schools.

VICTORIA — Surrey cabinet minister Peter Fassbender has become one of the first B.C. Liberals to officially launch his re-election bid.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has adopted a definition of “social licence” for energy megaprojects that is different from what was promised in the party’s 2015 election platform.

KIM PEMBERTON Vancouver Sun VANCOUVER — The B.C. government appears to be considering mandatory minimum staff levels for nursing homes.

Work began Tuesday to clear dozens of beaches on the west coast of Vancouver Island of debris and plastics, much of it washed ashore from the 2011 tsunami that swept Japan.

VICTORIA — B.C.’s New Democrats have a lead in popularity over the B.C. Liberals eight months before the provincial election, according to a new poll, but the race remains virtually tied in the key battleground ridings in Metro Vancouver.

Almost a third of seniors questioned about their home-support services say they would like help with housekeeping, and 12 per cent say they need help with meal preparation, according to a survey conducted by the B.C. Seniors’ Advocate.