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What's making news in British Columbia

VANCOUVER - GREENS CALCULATE MOVES WITH NDP AND LIBERALS

The deputy leader of B.C.'s Greens says the party is planning a series of moves that could shake the direction of the province following last week's inconclusive election results.

Matt Toner says the fact that the Greens hold three seats, and potentially the balance of power in the legislature, has party leader Andrew Weaver calculating possible agreements with the Liberals and New Democrats.

Toner says the Greens are looking for specific proposals from the other two parties on electoral and campaign finance reforms before supporting either of them in the legislature.

The Liberals won 43 seats last week — one seat shy of a majority — while the NDP got 41 but the outcome remains unclear while 176,000 absentee ballots are counted.

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CLARK SAYS SHE'S HAD FRIENDLY TALKS WITH OTHER LEADERS

British Columbia's premier says she's spoken with leaders of the province's other political parties about how to move forward following last week's tight election.

Christy Clark says they were friendly conversations and that she told the other leaders the results of the election suggest British Columbians want the parties to work together.

But Christy Clark says she'll wait until final vote tallies come in next week before saying what her party is ready to do to stay in power in a possible minority government.

The Liberals won 43 seats, one seat shy of a majority, while the NDP got 41 though the outcome remains unclear while 176,000 absentee ballots are counted.

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(ElxnBC-NDP)

New Democrat Leader John Horgan says his party has had discussions with the Greens as uncertainty prevails about election results that won't be finalized until next week.

Horgan says he has spoken with Liberal Leader Christy Clark but that his view of the election is much different from hers.

The Liberal party won 43 votes, giving it only minority status, while the New Democrats took 41 seats and the Green party won three, putting it in a position to negotiate with either of the other two parties.

Clark has said the close results suggest voters want the parties to work together while Horgan said 60 per cent of citizens voted for change.

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ALBERTA PREMIER SAYS ONE PROVINCE CAN'T BLOCK ANOTHER ON PIPELINE ISSUE

Alberta's premier is rebuking B.C.'s opponents of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, saying no province or region can hold the economy of another province hostage.

It's Rachel Notley's strongest statement on the issue since the outcome of B.C.'s election last week cast doubt on the project.

Notley told a news conference that there are no tools available for one province to block a federal government decision to approve a project that's in the larger national interest.

B.C.'s New Democrats, who promised to use "every tool in the tool box" to stop the Kinder Morgan project, won 41 seats in the election, leaving Christy Clark's Liberals one seat shy of a majority government.

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KAMLOOPS MAYOR HE'LL CONTINUE LEAVE INSTEAD OF FORCING EXPENSIVE BYELECTION

The mayor of Kamloops says he will take an extended leave of absence rather than resign from his position and force a byelection.

Peter Milobar was elected to represent Kamloops-North Thompson as an MLA last week, leaving him with the decision of what to do with the mayor's position.

A byelection would cost the city more than $100,000 and would be held in the fall at the earliest, only about one year before the next general election.

Milobar says an interim mayor could be appointed during his absence so he could continue his leave until the 2018 general election.

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MOUSE REVIVED WITH HELP OF OVERDOSE REVERSING DRUG

A volunteer on the front line of Vancouver's overdose crisis has put her skills to work on the tiniest of patients.

Melissa Patton of the Overdose Prevention Society was on duty in the city's Downtown Eastside on Sunday when a woman showed up with her pet mouse, saying the animal had eaten heroin.

Patton says the mouse was barely moving or breathing, so she put a tiny bit of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone on its nose so the animal could lick it.

The mouse survived, and society officials say it's just one example of the lengths its volunteers will go to for the hundreds of clients they help each day.

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SALISH ORCA NEWEST VESSEL TO PLY B.C. WATERS

BC Ferries has welcomed its newest vessel, Salish Orca, into service on the Comox-Powell River route.

Salish Orca is the first of three new Salish Class vessels that are capable of operating on either natural gas or ultra-low sulphur marine diesel.

BC Ferries says using natural gas will result in the reduction of about nine-thousand metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, which is equal to taking about 1,900 passenger vehicles off the road.

The Salish Orca offers passengers a gift shop, a cafe, a children's play area, an open sundeck, a pets area and elevators.

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The Canadian Press

News from © The Canadian Press, 2017
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