Vancouver experienced a wave of protests amid global conflicts, raising the question of the financial burden on the city. British Columbia was blanketed by dense fog, complicating transportation. Local IT leaders warn of a threat to digital sovereignty due to a lack of local data centres.
Vancouver became a stage for global protests: how the city is coping with a wave of demonstrations
Vancouver endured an unusually busy weekend, serving as a vivid illustration of how global conflicts and social issues find resonance on the streets of Canadian cities. Over two days, at least 11 planned protests took place in the city, drawing more than 15,000 people in total on Sunday alone. Police had to deploy over 130 officers to maintain order and safety, raising again the acute question of the financial burden local taxpayers bear because of demonstrations often sparked by international events.
On Saturday, around seven different demonstrations were happening simultaneously downtown. One of the largest was a march of thousands of Iranian Canadians and their supporters along West Georgia Street in solidarity with protesters in Iran. Nearby, at the Vancouver Art Gallery, Canadian Kurds gathered calling for an end to the violence in Iran. Kozad Vige, a protester from Burnaby, explained that downtown Vancouver naturally serves as a platform for expressing opinion: “This is the heart of the city. People hear our voice.” He emphasized that protesters seek peaceful and lawful actions, valuing Canada’s democratic freedoms. In addition, the city hosted pro-Palestinian rallies, events supporting Israel, demonstrations opposing U.S. immigration policy, and a protest by members of the Ugandan community alleging fraudulent presidential elections in Uganda.
Stuart Prest, a political scientist at the University of British Columbia, notes that Vancouver, as a diverse city, naturally becomes a place where global events get a local response. “Everything that happens in the world will be personally significant to some portion of the population here,” he said in a CBC piece. He reminded that the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic value, and its financial costs should not outweigh that right. However, the rise in protests is accompanied by growing expenses for policing them. Vancouver Police’s total costs for these purposes in 2024 amounted to $2.9 million. In the 2026 budget request, the police department is asking for about $497 million, $50 million more than in 2025, with an additional $9 million allocated for “underfunded items,” including security at demonstrations.
This financial burden is being challenged by Kash Heed, former British Columbia Minister of Public Safety and former police chief. He believes Vancouver taxpayers are carrying a disproportionately high share because many protests are driven by international issues that may relate to federal foreign policy. “Local taxpayers should not be covering these costs,” Heed said, suggesting Ottawa should help with funding. Despite the scale of the events and the need to physically separate some groups in prior weekends, this time police reported no arrests or major incidents threatening public safety. Sergeant Steve Addison confirmed that the right to peaceful assembly and expression is protected, and the visible presence of officers is intended to ensure everyone’s safety. This situation in Vancouver reflects a broader challenge for modern multicultural metropolises: how to balance maintaining order, protecting democratic freedoms, and fairly distributing rising costs when local streets become forums for discussing global issues.
A foggy veil covers British Columbia: weather service extends advisory
A thick veil of fog has settled over the coastal regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, prompting Environment and Climate Change Canada to extend a special advisory. As reported by CTV News, dense fog significantly reducing visibility persists in areas of the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island. This phenomenon creates serious difficulties for transportation, especially air travel and ferry services, which are vital arteries for island and coastal communities.
Meteorologists note that such conditions are typical for this time of year, when cold air over land interacts with the warmer waters of the Pacific Ocean. This leads to moisture condensation and the formation of dense surface fog, often called sea fog or advection fog. Visibility in these conditions can drop to less than 200 metres, and sometimes nearly zero, making driving extremely dangerous. Authorities strongly recommend drivers use low-beam headlights, reduce speed and increase following distance, and advise pedestrians to wear reflective gear. For air passengers and those planning ferry trips, it is crucial to check current information about possible delays or cancellations, as fog directly affects airport operations, including the region’s largest — Vancouver International Airport — and navigational safety in the straits. The extension of the advisory means hazardous conditions will persist longer than initially forecast, underscoring the persistence and intensity of this weather event. Local residents and visitors are advised to monitor updates from official sources such as Environment Canada and plan travel with these challenging weather factors in mind.
Digital sovereignty at risk: why British Columbia urgently needs its own data centres
In an era of rising geopolitical risks and uncertainty, having a secure local digital infrastructure is no longer just an ambition for British Columbia’s tech sector — it is becoming a matter of survival and sovereignty. As Vancouver Is Awesome reports, local technology leaders are sounding the alarm: the province is missing a unique opportunity to build a viable data and artificial intelligence industry and risks remaining digitally dependent on the United States.
The concern was prompted by Bill 31 (Energy Statutes Amendment Act), introduced by the provincial government last October. The bill limits the amount of electricity available for data centres and AI projects, giving priority to sectors such as mining, natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. British Columbia authorities explain the decision by saying data centres create fewer jobs and generate less revenue while consuming huge volumes of energy. However, industry experts consider this approach short-sighted. Kirsten Enmark, British Columbia director for the Council of Canadian Innovators, calls this a question of digital sovereignty — a country’s ability to control its data and digital infrastructure. She points out that most provincial companies now store data with American tech giants, leaving them vulnerable.
The key danger lies in U.S. legislation, specifically the CLOUD Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act). That law allows U.S. law enforcement to compel U.S. companies to provide access to data regardless of where that data is physically stored in the world. Thus, if a Canadian startup developing advanced AI algorithms uses Microsoft or Amazon servers, its intellectual property could potentially be accessible to U.S. authorities. Rory Kapern, chief operating officer of Redbrick Technologies, adds risks related to political instability, referring to calls by Donald Trump for American tech companies to “put America first.” A sudden restriction of access to critical cloud services could be devastating for Canadian businesses.
The problem, however, comes down to a basic resource — electricity. Mohammad Shahrad, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of British Columbia, explains that the province simply faces an energy shortfall. BC Hydro, the main electricity supplier, already imports up to a quarter of needed power. In such a situation the government had to make pragmatic choices in favour of industries it deems priorities. But there are alternative paths. Entrepreneur Christopher Chong plans to build the Skeena Data Centres complex in Terrace, which would not be fully dependent on BC Hydro. His company is exploring the possibility of building its own LNG-fired generation, as well as using wind generation and river-flow energy to charge batteries. Mohammad Shahrad sees a wise solution in neighbouring Alberta’s experience, where a law encourages data-centre construction with on-site generation, thereby shifting some responsibility for power supply onto large tech companies.
Kapern acknowledges that local data centres are unlikely to compete with American giants on price because of scale differences. But, he notes, the key issue is the value of certainty. Are companies willing to pay a little more for guarantees of security, reliability and digital sovereignty? The Council of Canadian Innovators is urging the British Columbia government to lift energy consumption limits for Canadian data centres and AI projects and to designate them as projects of provincial significance. As Kirsten Enmark concludes, this is a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.” Missing it could leave the province on the margins of the digital economy for a long time, dependent on decisions and laws made beyond its borders.
