VANCOUVER - TRUDEAU SAYS PIPELINE EXPANSION A GO DESPITE B-C AND ALBERTA SQUABBLE

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has told an Edmonton radio station the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is in the national interest and will go ahead despite B.C.'s latest effort to block it.

Trudeau was reacting Thursday to British Columbia's announcement that it plans to ban increased shipments of diluted bitumen off its coast until it can determine that shippers are prepared and able to properly clean up a spill.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley has called that an unconstitutional attempt to get around federal approval of the Kinder Morgan project to increase the capacity of its pipeline from Alberta to Burnaby for shipments to Asia.

Trudeau told radio station CHED that it's normal for provinces to have differences of opinion and that's why there is a federal government to make sure the interests of all Canadians are looked after.

---

---

LIBERAL PARTY MEMBERS START VOTING FOR NEW LEADER

Voting to choose a new leader for B.C.'s Liberals is open for an estimated 60 thousand party members.

They can cast their ballots by phone or online for one of six candidates vying to replace Christy Clark, who resigned last summer after the New Democrats defeated her minority government with the support of the Green party.

The field of six candidates includes three former cabinet ministers, two former big city mayors and a first-time member of the legislature from Metro Vancouver with the leader to be chosen on Saturday.

Political scientist Hamish Telford says former Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts might be the people’s choice as leader but he thinks the party may prefer someone with previous cabinet experience.

---

---

UNION OF B.C. MUNICIPALITIES ISSUES REPORT ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING

A group representing B.C. municipalities is calling for a comprehensive approach to affordable housing that would include tax measures to curb speculation.

That's one of 32 recommendations in a report by the Union of B.C. Municipalities that also calls on the provincial and federal governments to penalize profit-driven real estate flipping.

Mayor Greg Moore of Port Coquitlam led the initiative and says speculation by foreign and domestic investors has fuelled surging home prices in Metro Vancouver, with a spillover effect on other communities.

The report also calls for tax measures to encourage the development of affordable rental housing and Moore says he hopes to see some of the recommendations included in the upcoming B.C. budget.

---

---

RESCUED MEN'S INJURIES RELATED TO CRIMINAL ACTS: RCMP

The RCMP says two men suffering from injuries apparently related to criminal actions have been rescued from a mountain north of Vancouver.

Police aren't providing any details about the injuries but say emergency crews were called to Mount Seymour on Thursday morning following reports of an injured hiker or camper.

They say an injured man was found about 15 minutes from the parking lot while a second man was also found on the mountain.

Both were taken to hospital and the Mounties say an investigation is ongoing.

---

---

WOMAN'S DEATH CAUSED BY ACCIDENTAL FIRE

A woman has died in a late-night apartment fire in Vancouver's Yaletown district.

Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services says the blaze broke out at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night and by the time firefighters arrived the suite was full of smoke.

The victim was found dead at the scene and Capt. Jonathan Gormick says the fire was contained to the suite.

He says further details will be released this afternoon but adds fire investigators have already determined the blaze was accidental.

---

---

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES TO LEARN ABOUT RIGHTS DURING POLICE INTERACTIONS

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association and two police-related agencies are joining forces to educate northern B.C. residents about their rights when dealing with police.

Officials with the civil liberties association, Independent Investigations Office of B.C. and the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP will hold workshops in Terrace, Smithers and Prince George on various dates between Feb. 5 and 9.

The workshops are aimed at informing community leaders, Indigenous peoples and service providers about the mandates and responsibilities of each organization, how they deliver their services and the rights that apply when interacting with law enforcement.

B.C. civil liberties is a non-profit organization working to defend human rights, the Independent Investigations Office investigates all police-involved incidents of serious harm or death, and the complaints commission handles public concerns about the on-duty conduct of RCMP members across Canada.

---

By The Canadian Press, Vancouver

News from © The Canadian Press, 2018