News from British Columbia: Vancouver has experienced its first snowless winter in 43 years, threatening water shortages. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the province will build 20 mini soccer pitches for children. A court has certified a class action brought by former residents of a reform school where decades of abuse occurred.
Vancouver has just endured its first snowless winter in 43 years — and it may become the new normal
Vancouver has just completed its first officially snowless winter since 1982–83, and researchers warn that such anomalies may become more frequent due to climate change. While central Canada experienced a cold, snowy winter, the southern coast of British Columbia did not record the one centimetre of snow at the airport required to declare an “official snowfall.” This winter was also the second warmest on record.
As Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor notes, there were only three days this season with minor traces of snow. The average temperature from December through February at Vancouver Airport was 6 °C, considerably above the seasonal norm of 4.3 °C. Warming is especially consequential in regions like Vancouver, where even a small temperature shift determines whether precipitation falls as rain or snow, explains University of British Columbia associate professor Rachel White in a Global News piece. She emphasizes that this is a visible example of climate change affecting everyday life, and city residents may not have to wait decades for the next snowless winter — such winters will become more common, although snow will still fall periodically.
The problem goes beyond the absence of snow in the city. Snowpack is a key reservoir of water for dry summer months. According to the provincial Ministry of Environment, snowpack on the South Coast is only 79% of the historical median, and on Vancouver Island it’s just 61%. Professor emeritus John Richardson explains that liquid moisture evaporates faster than snow, and a smaller snowpack combined with that factor raises serious concerns. Despite recent heavy rains from an atmospheric river, the past four months have been drier than average. Winter precipitation at Vancouver Airport was about 384 mm versus a norm of 436 mm, and interior cities such as Kelowna and Vernon experienced much warmer, drier winters.
The consequences of this low-snow winter will stretch into summer and affect many aspects of life. Richardson points out that water shortages will impact drinking water supplies, wildfire-fighting capacity, freshwater ecosystems, hydroelectric generation and even wastewater processing. All of these systems are interconnected and depend on the same water resource. Thus, Vancouver’s snowless winter is not just an interesting weather anomaly but a warning sign of broader climatic changes that could lead to water shortages and other serious problems in the future.
New mini-soccer pitches in British Columbia: a FIFA World Cup 2026 legacy
Ahead of the major sporting event — FIFA World Cup 2026, part of which will be held in Vancouver — the government of British Columbia has launched a program to create a lasting sports legacy. Officials opened applications to build 20 modern mini-soccer pitches for children across the province. This project, part of a CA$13 million investment, is intended not only to commemorate the World Cup but also to provide long-term social benefits for youth.
Provincial Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Anne Kang unveiled the initiative at a Thursday press event, highlighting the partnership between the provincial government, viaSport (which coordinates sport development in British Columbia) and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Communities across the province can apply in the spring, after which the club will select 20 to receive the so-called “legacy” — modern mini-pitches. These modular, multifunctional fields, roughly 18 by 36 metres (60 by 120 feet), are designed for use in a variety of settings — urban and rural, at schools or community spaces. They are built for year-round use and to support multiple sports, making them versatile hubs for active recreation.
As noted in the official announcement on CityNews Vancouver, the project fulfills the government’s promise to “capture social and economic benefits” from hosting the World Cup. “With the World Cup approaching, we need to create a long-lasting legacy that will benefit kids across British Columbia,” said Vancouver Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster. Minister Kang expanded on the point, saying the legacy is about helping more young people lead active lives. “These pitches will be more than just places to play. They’ll bring communities together and become hubs for sport and celebration, generating a sense of belonging and spirit,” she said.
An important aspect of the project is not just the infrastructure but the programming. Installation of the pitches will be accompanied by ongoing programs run by the Vancouver Whitecaps, BC Soccer and the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council. This is intended to ensure accessibility and engagement for diverse populations, including Indigenous communities. Construction will begin in September 2026, after the tournament concludes, and is scheduled for completion by December 2027.
Recall that Vancouver will be one of the host cities for FIFA World Cup 2026. BC Place will host seven matches starting June 13, and the Canadian national team will play Qatar there on June 18. The mini-pitches program is thus a strategic step to ensure the excitement of the global event translates into concrete, tangible improvements to local sports infrastructure that support health and social cohesion for years after the stadium applause fades.
Court certifies lawsuit by former residents of Vancouver-area “house of horrors”
A significant legal development in Canada has shone light on one of the darkest chapters in the country’s history. A court has certified a class action by women who were held as children and teenagers at a reform school for girls near Vancouver, once described as a “house of horrors.” The decision opens the door to a trial over allegations of systematic sexual, physical and psychological abuse that occurred within the institution for decades.
The institution, which opened in 1914 on Cassiar Street in Vancouver, later moved to Burnaby and was renamed Willingdon School for Girls in 1959, operating until 1973. According to court documents, girls were placed there under the Juvenile Delinquents Act in force at the time. Reasons for placement could include purported “incorrigibility,” “sexual immorality,” and for Indigenous girls, being intoxicated off-reserve. The lawsuit recognizes potential harm suffered by everyone who went through the facility during its 59 years and identifies a specific subgroup of plaintiffs from Indigenous communities who experienced particular forms of discrimination and abuse.
The suit, filed on behalf of Joanne Wesley, who was held at the school from December 1971 to June 1972 at age 14, contains harrowing details. It alleges that girls aged 6 to 18 were subjected to cruel treatment by staff, including teachers and medical personnel, and sometimes by other residents. Among the accusations is forced sterilization. The suit further alleges that every new resident upon arrival underwent a full physical exam, including a gynecological exam, and was then quarantined for two weeks in a solitary confinement cell known as “the hole.” Gynecological exams, the suit says, were also regularly performed after recaptured escapees, per the school’s internal rules. In May 1956 the Vancouver Sun published photos of holding cells at the Cassiar Street facility. Reporter Simma Holt described it as a “house of horrors,” noting that 68 girls had escaped from the school over the previous four months.
Defendants in the class action include the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia and Dr. T.K. MacKenzie, who worked at the institution from 1960 to 1973. Joanne Wesley alleges Dr. MacKenzie repeatedly subjected her to forced gynecological examinations, including after escapes. The representative for the Indigenous subgroup is Paulette Steves (Cree-Métis), who was held at the school from ages 13 to 16 between 1968 and 1971. She alleges she once spent six consecutive weeks in “the hole.” Plaintiffs’ lawyer Patrick Dadding explained that the school practiced a policy of “de-indigenization” — eradicating Indigenous language, culture and beliefs and replacing them with European values. Many Indigenous girls were forcibly removed from remote communities and placed in the school, compounding the trauma.
The potential class size numbers in the thousands, given the institution’s six-decade history. Dadding noted that determining an exact number is difficult because the resident population changed over time and many former residents may already be deceased. The suit, filed in 2021, is expected to lead to a lengthy legal process. In certifying the class, Justice Veronica Jackson allowed claims of negligence, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of trust against the Government of Canada. Against Dr. MacKenzie, claims of assault, negligence and breach of fiduciary duty were permitted. For the Indigenous subgroup, the judge allowed claims against British Columbia and Canada for breaches of fiduciary and constitutional duties and Indigenous rights. The provincial Ministry of Justice said in a statement to CBC News that it is reviewing the court decision and considering next legal steps. Attempts to reach Dr. MacKenzie through his lawyers were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
Class action certification is a legal procedure that allows a group of people harmed by the same actions to band together for joint litigation. This is not the first attempt by former residents to seek justice. In 2004 Linda Parrish tried to sue over abuses suffered at Willingdon School, but it emerged that her “lawyer,” John Ruiz Dempsey, was a fraud who had posed as an attorney. The current court decision offers hope that victims’ voices will finally be heard and that historic injustice will be recognized at the highest level. The case once again raises difficult questions for Canadian society about accountability for systemic abuse, especially against vulnerable groups such as children and Indigenous peoples.
