April First Marks Several Changes- This is No Joke

Thursday, April 01, 2010 03:46 AM

Prince George, B.C.- It is April first, and while some may try to trick you today, the following changes that take effect today are no April Fool's Day joke:

Connaught Hill Park will open today to vehicle traffic. The park gate will be open daily to vehicle access from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm now through August, and from 8:00 am to 7:30 p.m. September through October.

Effective today, Legal Services Society changes its operations throughout B.C. The Regional Centre in Prince George has been closed and has been replaced with local agents (private lawyers) who will administer legal aid in the area. They will offer many of the services that had been offered through the Legal Services Society including legal aid applications, duty counsel, representation of clients and community liaison.

Effective today, fees for camping will increase . A basic site will now cost $16 dollars a night, a moderate site will cost $21 dollars per night. Fees in developed campgrounds are also increasing. Mooring buoy fees are now $12 ( up $2 dollars), sani-station fees will cost you an extra $3 dollars (now $5 per discharge)

B.C. Hydro rates are increasing effective today. The rate is up 6.11 percent. However, there will be a review this fall, and if the rate is rolled back, customers will get a refund.

As of today, you must have a special permit to own an exotic animal. Anyone who owns such an animal and who doesn't have a permit could be fined up to $250 thousand dollars, and/or face a maximum of 2 years in jail or the animal could be seized.

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Posted on Thursday, April 01, 2010 03:46 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: acrider54 on April 1 2010 5:30 AM

Wages remain the same. Can't wait for the gas tax and maybe the HST.

Posted by: hammmy on April 1 2010 8:45 AM

B.C. won't raise minimum wage

Province will not follow Ontario lead

Murray Coell said Wednesday. "The after-tax dollars for someone at minimum wage in this province is quite good compared to some of the other provinces that have a higher minimum wage," he said. Those with jobs in B.C. earn, on average, $22 an hour, he said, while youth earn an average of $13.

Ontario increased its minimum wage 75 cents to $10.25 yesterday.

And people still believe in these crooks!

Mr Coell, I'd like to know who is paying the youth an average of $13 per hour??? and an average of $22 for others. I'd like to know where you got this information.

Posted by: gus on April 1 2010 10:07 AM

hammmy ...

statcan site
http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/labr69a-eng.htm

minimum wage site (as on Janaury 1, 2010 for general minimum wage by province)
http://canadaonline.about.com/library/bl/blminwage.htm

Result of combining the two, comparing minimum wage to average wage in the 15 to 24 age group for each province and then the differential between the two.

PROV------------MIN-----15to25----DIFF
Alberta--------$8.80----$15.28----$6.48
BC-------------$8.00----$12.99----$4.99
Saskatchewan---$9.25----$14.16----$4.91
Quebec---------$9.00----$12.52----$3.52
Manitoba-------$9.00----$12.47----$3.47
New Brunswick--$8.25----$11.21----$2.96
Ontario--------$9.50----$12.43----$2.93
Newfoundland---$9.50----$12.05----$2.55
Nova Scotia----$8.60----$10.97----$2.37
PEI------------$8.40----$10.58----$2.18

The table is sorted from maximum difference to least.

The lower down the table the province is, the greater will be the effect of raising the minimum wage on the average wage.

The higher up the table you go, the greater is the effect of the market forces of supply and demand.

BC has the lowest minimum wage, but it has the third highest average wage.

Ontario already has already had the highest minimum wage along with NL. Ontario's lifting of the minimum wage by 75 cents will not lift the average wage of that age group from their $2.93 to $4.99 in BC.

Crooks you say?? ..... sorry, can't use this in your argument. Try again.

Posted by: REALIST on April 1 2010 12:31 PM

Hey, what about the cruel cuts to the disabled? Why have you not put these into your article. Once again the disabled have been attacked and their assistance reduced. We have now lost orthopedic devices from things that were covered. In my case I can not get out to do anything without my orthopedic assist. Why is it that the media refuses to report these attacks on our lives?

Posted by: bellaboop on April 1 2010 1:19 PM

Where can you get a list of which animals are considered "exotic"?

Posted by: jonnypg on April 1 2010 1:23 PM

My god gus you must live in different world!

Posted by: damyzz on April 1 2010 1:31 PM

how are you disabled?cause people with what i have are considered to be disabled yet i can and do work,so if you want to make a statement,letting people know what your disability is would get you more headway.

Posted by: jonnypg on April 1 2010 1:37 PM

Phone any restaurant in town and ask them what they are paying there workers,don't go by some stats on a web page!

Isn't it strange that that Vancouver as some of the highest cost of living prices in Canada,but we have one of the lowest minimum wages.
Yes and the liberals are crooks!

Posted by: MrPG on April 1 2010 2:01 PM

"Phone any restaurant in town and ask them what they are paying there workers,don't go by some stats on a web page!"

Are restaurant wages the benchmark for earnings? And does that include tips or not? And I'm sure all tips collected are dutifully reported to the CRA for taxation purposes, right? ;)

Posted by: Palopu on April 1 2010 8:24 PM

Using averages to arrive a some sort of a number that is then expected to have some merit, is not much better than Voodoo. You may as well throw chicken bones on the ground and push them around with a stick.

The wages paid to Government workers and high paid Union workers brings the average wage up and therefore distorts the numbers.

There is a two tier system of wages in BC (Canada) Government and Unions, and **other**

Most worker fall under **other** and have little or no means of getting the high wages.

If I was a Government worker or a high paid Union worker, I would keep my mouth shut, get my pay cheque, slip out the back door, and slink home. The days of these people milking the system is fast coming to a close, so enjoy while you can.

Posted by: REALIST on April 2 2010 9:02 AM

damyzz:

I understand your frustration but as a disabled individual yourself you surely must see that attacking other disabled individuals only serves to promote the government divide and conqure tactics. The disabled need to unite to fight for our basic human rights and needs not quibble over "I'm more disabled than you are". (At least that is how I saw your comment)Life is hard enough for all of us to allow the hate message radiated towards the disabled to confuse what really is important. I have a son and would like nothing better than to be able to work and support him as well as provide a good example of a work ethic, but it simply is not possible for me. Instead we see my disablity as a source of education for our son so that he will learn to accept others who do not fit into the typical definition of a successful human being.