National

B.C. launches portal to help find hotel rooms for emergency evacuees

Darpan News Desk, 01 May, 2024 05:21 PM

British Columbia's hotel association says a new central booking portal will help speed up the process of finding places to stay for emergency evacuees.

A statement says the system launching in June will provide provincial emergency support staff with live information on room availability, eliminating the need to call hotels to find out.

It says the portal can also track where evacuees have been placed, making accounting more efficient.

Last year's wildfire season saw tens of thousands of people forced to evacuate from their homes, particularly in the Kelowna and Shuswap regions on the province.

The provincial government temporarily banned recreational travel to some regions last August to free up accommodation for evacuees and emergency responders.

The new booking portal will be used in Kamloops, Kelowna, and Prince George with the ability to add more places "as capacity warrants."

Minister of Emergency Management Bowinn Ma says in the statement that co-ordinating emergency support during large evacuations can be challenging.

“This partnership with the BC Hotel Association introduces an innovative portal that provides real-time information on available lodging. This tool will play an important role in helping Emergency Support Services responders secure suitable accommodations for evacuees who need it, as soon as they need it."

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Conservatives blast pro-carbon price economists as 'so-called experts'

The federal Conservatives say they won't be taking advice from "so-called experts" when it comes to carbon pricing, after more than 200 economists signed an open letter challenging Pierre Poilievre's stance. Instead, the party is pledging to listen to the "common sense of the common people."

Conservatives blast pro-carbon price economists as 'so-called experts'

Statistics Canada says population growth rate in 2023 was highest since 1957

Statistics Canada says the country posted its highest annual population growth rate in more than six decades last year. The agency says the population grew 3.2 per cent, its fastest pace since 1957 when it grew 3.3 per cent.

Statistics Canada says population growth rate in 2023 was highest since 1957

Child luring incident in East Vancouver

Vancouver police say they're investigating a disturbing child luring incident in East Vancouver on Friday. Police say they're looking for a South Asian man between 20 and 30 years old who allegedly propositioned a 13-year-old boy not far from the 29th Avenue SkyTrain station around 8 in the evening of March 22nd.

Child luring incident in East Vancouver

New affordable housing in Langley

A new building with close to 100 affordable homes is now open in Langley. A statement from B-C's housing ministry says the five-storey building offers apartments of various sizes for people with low and moderate incomes.

New affordable housing in Langley

Digital Discipline: B.C. Schools Take Action to Restrict Mobile Phone Access

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the integration of technology in education is both inevitable and contentious. Recently, British Columbia made headlines with the announcement of an upcoming province-wide restriction on cellphone use in public schools, sparking a debate that echoes the concerns and perspectives of various stakeholders – parents, students, and teachers alike.

Digital Discipline: B.C. Schools Take Action to Restrict Mobile Phone Access

Small drug seizures down in Vancouver post-decriminalization, police say

Data from Vancouver police shows a "dramatic" drop in small drug seizures after decriminalization came into effect in British Columbia last year. The department says during the first nine months of the program officers did not seize any drugs under 2.5 grams, as is outlined in Health Canada's three-year exemption.