B.C. suspends 2 companies involved in recent overpass strikes
Two companies that were allegedly involved in overpass strikes in B.C.'s Lower Mainland this week have been suspended pending separate investigations into what happened.
The government identified the companies as Inline Propagators Ltd. and Railport Transport Ltd.
Inline Propagators was suspended after a cube truck struck a pedestrian overpass in Stanley Park on Monday, while Railport Transport was suspended after a semi struck the Rice Mill Road overpass near the George Massey Tunnel on Tuesday.
The crashes are being investigated by the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement branch.
According to the B.C. government website, there have been eight overpass strikes reported so far this year alone. The investigations into five have been completed, with each ultimately being blamed on driver or carrier error.
The report on one such accident, which took place on Jan. 2 along Highway 1, indicates the driver "failed to follow (the) permitted route." A different driver involved in a Jan. 15 crash along the same highway measured the vehicle "incorrectly" prior to obtaining a permit.
In two of the incidents, the driver or carrier involved had no permit at all.
Earlier this month, B.C. officials introduced stiffer penalties for drivers found responsible for damaging provincial infrastructure – including fines of up to $100,000 and imprisonment for up to 18 months, or both.
Those penalties would only apply to drivers who are charged and convicted in court, and would be at the discretion of the judge.
The B.C. government previously confirmed the pedestrian overpass in Stanley Park that was struck this week is not provincial property.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Kitchener family says their 10-year-old needs life-saving drug that cost $600,000
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
'Do not consume': Gift Chocolate recalled due to undeclared milk, soy
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Key mediator Qatar urges Israel and Hamas to do more to reach a cease-fire deal
A senior Qatari official has urged Israel and Hamas to show "more commitment and more seriousness" in ceasefire negotiations in interviews with Israeli media, as pressure builds to reach a deal that would free some Israeli hostages and bring a ceasefire in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza.
BREAKING Quebec to invest $603 million to protect the French language
Quebec will invest $603 million over five years to counter the decline of French in the province, French Language Minister Jean-Francois Roberge announced Sunday.
Health minister 'deeply appreciative' of doctors but capital gains changes here to stay
Health Minister Mark Holland says while he is 'deeply appreciative' of the work doctors in Canada do, the federal government has no plans to scrap the proposed capital gains tax changes outlined in the latest budget, despite opposition from the Canadian Medical Association.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Murder charge laid after man falls to death from Toronto apartment balcony
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
Dozens in Italy give a fascist salute on the anniversary of Mussolini's execution
Dozens of people raised their arms in the fascist salute and shouted a fascist chant during ceremonies Sunday to honor Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on the 79th anniversary of his execution.