buyer-of-whistler-home,-stuck-with-$127,000-vacancy-tax-bill,-sues-us.-sellers-–-vancouver-sun
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Buyer of Whistler home, stuck with $127,000 vacancy tax bill, sues U.S. sellers

Bymichael

Mark and Shauna Trieb, travel bloggers who live in Texas, sold the property to Wilson Weizin (Weixing) Cui through a contract signed on Sept. 5, 2022 Published Nov 20, 2024  •  Last updated 4 hours ago  •  2 minute read Texas couple didn’t pay federal vacancy tax bill, case filed in B.C. Supreme Court alleges Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG An American couple is facing a lawsuit after they sold their $17 million house in Whistler without paying their federal vacancy tax bill for 2022, the first year the tax became law, according to a lawsuit. Mark and Shauna Trieb, travel bloggers who live in Dallas, Texas, sold the property to Wilson Weizin (Weixing) Cui through a contract signed on Sept. 5, 2022, according to a case filed in B.C. Supreme Court. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Vancouver Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Vancouver Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Sign In or Create an Account or Article content The sale completed on Jan. 18, 2023, with Cui’s purchase of all of the shares of a holding company through which the Triebs owned the property, according to documents filed in court. They were sole directors and shareholders of the company, it said. The sale contract included a warranty that the Triebs’ holding company had paid all taxes, but Cui said it hadn’t, leaving him to pay $127,910 under the federal government’s underused housing tax for non-resident owners, it said. The tax came into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, and requires paying one per cent of the value of a vacation home, unless the owners are exempted, according to Canada.ca. Foreign owners are exempted, for instance, if the property is their primary residence and they live there for more than six months a year. The Triebs’ travel blog says they built the house on Trail’s End Lane in Whistler in 2017, but it’s not known how much time they spent there in 2022. There are also exemptions or lower occupancy requirements dependent on where the housing is located, based on whether the area is habitable year-round, for instance. The Canada.ca website said the owner or spouse may need to spend only 28 days a year to be exempt from paying the tax. That exemption applied in the Trial’s End Lane’s postal code. Article content Cui’s lawsuit said there was a tax assessed against the property for 2022 and the couple breached their sales contract because they failed to pay the tax or to reimburse Cui, the case alleges. “The (Triebs’) representation that the holding company had filed all tax returns and paid all tax liabilities was untrue, inaccurate and/or misleading,” according to Cui’s claim. Individual Canadians are usually exempt from the tax, as are owners of publicly traded Canadian corporations, certain trusts, registered charities, co-operative housing corporations, municipal organizations and other public institutions, government bodies, and Indigenous governing bodies. All non-resident owners and some Canadians still have to file a vacancy tax return, even if they qualify for and exemption, it said. A message left on the Triebs’ travel blog wasn’t returned. None of the allegations has been proven in court. Recommended from Editorial Co-owner of $3M Vancouver home says living there is ‘unbearable,’ wants court to order sale B.C. couple’s plan to raise a child in same house without romance doesn’t end well, winds up in court Article content

metro-vancouver-weather:-another-potent-storm-to-bring-heavy-rain,-strong-winds-–-vancouver-is-awesome
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Metro Vancouver weather: Another potent storm to bring heavy rain, strong winds

Bymichael

More power outages and widespread rain are possible. The Metro Vancouver weather forecast for the rest of the week includes another powerful windstorm which follows Tuesday’s “bomb cyclone.”   The bomb cyclone left thousands of BC Hydro customers without power, with multiple outages lasting through Tuesday night and into Wednesday (Nov. 20). The company said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that it “made significant progress overnight restoring power to over 175,000 customers – nearly two-thirds of the more than 272,000 impacted.” Environment Canada Meteorologist Brian Proctor told V.I.A. winds from the potent storm system will gradually ease during the day and into the night on Wednesday, gusting 40 km/h to 60 and slightly higher in Boundary Bay and the Fraser Valley. Showers are also expected on the “back side of the frontal system,” and the unsettled atmosphere could see a few lightning strikes, he noted.  Environment Canada issued a weather advisory early Wednesday morning due to elevated ocean water levels with high winds and waves, calling for “minor flooding near coastal areas.”  Proctor said parts of Tsawwassen in South Delta may see minor flooding in the Boundary Bay area but other places near the water, such as the Stanley Park seawall in Vancouver, are less likely to be impacted. Thursday’s forecast includes the best conditions for being outdoors, with some sunny breaks expected during the day before the next storm system moves in overnight.  Metro Vancouver weather forecast includes heavy rainfall This next system is expected to bring more widespread rain to the region, with amounts of 25 to 50 mm possible, or “just under rainfall warning amounts,” Proctor explained.  “But we don’t want to hang our hats on that amount just yet,” he clarified, noting that there is significant uncertainty associated with the next wet, windy weather event.  “We are seeing diverging [results] in our computer models,” he said. “It’s also going from the Oregon Coast and looks like the last one but it will have more widespread rain. Power outages and localized flooding due to heavy rainfall are possible during the next storm, Proctor noted. More mixed rain or snow is expected on the North Shore mountains and conditions will also be cool at lower elevations. Heading into the weekend, Metro Vancouverites should expect highs around 6 C and lows of 2 C, slightly cooler than seasonal averages (high of 8 C and low of 2 C).  Stay up-to-date with hyperlocal forecasts across 50 neighbourhoods in the Lower Mainland with V.I.A.’s Weatherhood.

majority-of-canadians-admit-to-speeding,-driving-over-the-limit:-poll
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Majority of Canadians admit to speeding, driving over the limit

ByLucas Casaletto

Posted November 20, 2024 6:39 am. It appears Canadian drivers have no issue putting the pedal to the metal. New public opinion research from the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) revealed some fascinating statistics regarding fast drivers. Nearly 70 per cent of Canadians admit to speeding in a residential area at least once in the last year. According to the poll, half of respondents say they routinely speed on the highway, and one in five drivers say they regularly drive well over the speed limit. It would seem that age isn’t a deterrent to speeding, as the CAA’s poll revealed that speeding isn’t limited to young people. While 50-plus drivers self-reported doing it less, all age groups admitted to persistently exceeding the speed limit in their respective regions. “Higher speeds reduce drivers’ reaction time and increase the risk to themselves and everyone else,” said Kristine D’Arbelles, senior director of public affairs at CAA National. “Speeding increases your stopping distance, making a collision more likely and severe, but it saves you only a small amount of time.” Overconfidence on the roads? According to the CAA’s public opinion poll, only 35 per cent of Canadians think they will get caught speeding, while four in 10 admitted to running a red light. Additionally, the CAA found that 68 per cent of people drove when they were too tired, and 54 per cent admitted to using their phones while driving at least once in the last year. In recent years, automated speed cameras have become more prevalent on city streets, often nabbing drivers for exceeding the speed limit. In 2023, Toronto’s city council unanimously approved a motion to increase the number of cameras from 75 to 150. According to the city, speed cameras have effectively reduced the number of people speeding and overall vehicle speeds, pointing to increased compliance and improved driver behaviour. The latest CAA findings are based on a poll of 2,880 Canadians from Sept. 13 to 21, 2024.

single-in-the-city?-the-living-wage-for-metro-vancouver’s-unmarried
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Single in the city? The living wage for Metro Vancouver’s unmarried

ByNikitha Martins

Soaring housing costs and the region’s affordability crisis have led to a sharp increase in Metro Vancouver’s cost of living, and, unfortunately, the minimum wage in BC is lagging behind. Despite this year’s increase in minimum wage, there is still a significant disparity between BC’s minimum wage and the living wage in 2024. On June 1, 2024, the minimum wage in BC increased by $0.65 to $17.40 per hour. According to a report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Living Wage BC, Metro Vancouver’s living wage rose 5.3% this year, climbing from $25.68 per hour to $27.05 per hour. However, the increased rate mentioned in the report is what two full-time parents must earn to support a family of four in Metro Vancouver. On the other hand, Anastasia French, the provincial manager of Living Wage BC, said the group that needs to be focused on the most is single people, both those without kids and those with kids. Living alone should not be a “luxury”: Expert While it may be normalized to live with roommates and family members to afford rent in Metro Vancouver, French said living alone for single people should not be considered a “luxury.” “That’s why we need government to take action on affordability … I don’t think wanting to live on your own is a luxury. I think it’s just that unfortunately, because housing costs are as high as they are, and as ridiculous as they are, it’s seen as a luxury.” The living wage for a single parent is $30.63. This is $3.58 more than a family of four with two parents and two children. This difference in living wage was not as prominent years ago. According to the report, “when the methodology was originally developed in 2008, the Metro Vancouver living wage for a two-parent family was sufficient to support a single-parent family with one young child.” “However, this is no longer the case due to sharp increases in the cost of living, particularly for housing, that have not been offset by correspondingly large increases in government support for single parents.” Single people left behind Meanwhile, single working-aged adults without children have become the largest group of people who live in poverty in Canada and BC. “Statistics Canada’s latest poverty data suggest that one in three working-aged adults in BC who live alone or with non-relatives (i.e., roommates) live in poverty (32.1%),” the report reads. “This is nearly three times higher than the provincial poverty rate (11.6%) and higher than the poverty rate among children living in single-parent households headed by women (28.2%).” The living wage for a single person without children is $27.36, which is about 30 cents higher than for a family of four. “The reason that our initial estimates are finding that the living wage for a single person is higher than the living wage for a family of four is because, although kids are really expensive… Families with kids get a lot more in government benefits than people without children,” French said. While she admits some people are being left behind, French said it is encouraging to see that investments to help lower costs for families, like the Canada Child Benefit and BC Family Benefit, are “lifting families out of poverty.” French admits the calculations provided in the living wage report are a “modest figure” compared to the actual Vancouver rental market. “We’re aware that a $27 living wage [is a] real challenge for everyone. It represents a real challenge for workers and a challenge for employers that want to step up and do the right thing and pay their workers… but it’s not easy,” she said. Metro Vancouver’s living wage is the third highest in the province, behind Whistler (at $28.89 per hour) and Clayoquot Sound (at 27.42 per hour).

over-272,000-bc-hydro-customers-were-without-power-as-bomb-cyclone-hit
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Over 272,000 BC Hydro customers were without power as bomb cyclone hit

ByCharles Brockman

Posted November 19, 2024 7:23 pm. Last Updated November 20, 2024 9:18 am. Over 270,000 BC Hydro customers were without power Tuesday night as high-speed winds swept over Vancouver Island and B.C.’s South Coast. A rapidly deepening low-pressure system, known as a ‘bomb cyclone,’ appeared to have fulfilled its promise of a massive wind storm. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE! The significant fall storm arrived about 400 kilometres off the west coast of Vancouver Island by the late afternoon. Environment and Climate Change Canada predicted that the winds would peak late Tuesday night. As of Tuesday night, homes and businesses in the Nanaimo area, Parksville, Qualicum Beach, and other northern municipalities on the Island were most affected by power outages. In the Lower Mainland, tens of thousands of customers were in the dark Tuesday evening — with Richmond hit hardest early on. In a statement early Wednesday, BC Hydro shared that it had made “significant progress” restoring power to its customers impacted by the massive storm. “More than 175,000 customers have been restored — or nearly two-thirds of the more than 272,000 impacted,” Hydro shared before 6:30 a.m. “However, with strong winds expected to continue today in some areas, particularly on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, further outages are expected,” it continued. 1130 NewsRadio meteorologist Michael Kuss said the strongest of the winds, as expected, stayed to the west of Vancouver Island. Some of the buoys out over the water recorded winds topping 100 km/hr, while on share, winds in Victoria topped 76 km/hr. “But they were even that strong at YVR, Vancouver Airport, 78 kilometres per hour gusts last evening. Now those winds have tapered, but it will be beyond breezy for the rest of the morning,” Kuss explained. Kuss added that the storm is now tracking to the north and is currently weakening. “So the warnings, they’ve now been lifted, although it will still be quite breezy. Not as stormy as it was last evening through the early part of the overnight.” #BCStorm update: Crews made significant progress overnight restoring power to over 175,000 customers – nearly two-thirds of the more than 272,000 impacted. Restoration work will continue throughout the day and updates for individual outages will be shared on our mobile site. Our… pic.twitter.com/y5c9qkPYVl — BC Hydro (@bchydro) November 20, 2024 BC Hydro explained that the majority of the 95,000 customers still without power as they woke up on Wednesday were on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, with 5,000 around the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast. “Drought-damaged trees and branches came down on electrical equipment during the windstorm causing significant damage. BC Hydro had all available BC Hydro crews and contractor crews working overnight to restore power, and that work will continue today,” Hydro said. “Crews are busy replacing power lines, poles and other equipment to get as many customers restored as quickly as possible, but have encountered access challenges as a result of the heavy debris on some roads as well as areas where the wind was too strong overnight to complete the work safely,” it said. South of the border, about 94,000 customers were at one point without power in western Washington as strong winds ramped up and snow fell in the Cascade Mountain passes Tuesday evening. More than 12,000 customers had lost power in Oregon, according to poweroutage.us. BC Hydro said it prepares for storm season and weather-related power outages year round — and this storm was no exception. Spokesperson Kevin Aquino said Tuesday that BC Hydro was ensuring that crews were positioned in the right places with the right equipment. “We have a team of in-house meteorologists that have been tracking this weather system quite closely, and that definitely enabled us to ramp up our BC Hydro crews, contract our crews, and call centre agents,” said Aquino. “So, if the lights do go out, we’re ready to respond.” Aquino shared that it’s difficult to predict where damage was going take place and encouraged all customers to be prepared with an emergency kit with supplies to last at least 72 hours. Hydro said that it is receiving reports of downed power lines. “A downed power line is an emergency. Call 911 and stay at least 10 metres back. BC Hydro crews will work with first responders to make the area safe,” Hydro explained. “Crews will continue to work around the clock until all customers are restored. BC Hydro wants to thank its customers for their patience, and it will continue to provide updated estimates for power restoration as they become available at  bchydro.com/outages .” Listen live to  1130 NewsRadio Vancouver every 10 minutes on the ones for weather updates. You can also follow  @NewsRadioVAN  and and  Meteorologist Michael Kuss on X  and subscribe to  breaking news alerts  sent directly to your inbox. —With files The Associated Press

BC Speculation and Vacancy Tax
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BC Speculation and Vacancy Tax 2024 FAQs, Rates, Declaring & More

ByStan S.

What is the Speculation and Vacancy Tax?  The Speculation and Vacancy Tax is an annual tax that affects owners of vacant homes or homes that are empty more than 6 months of the year. The government has stated that it is designed to ensure that foreign owners and satellite families are fairly contributing to B.C’s…

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BC Home Flipping Tax

ByStan S.

If you’re a buyer considering purchasing a property for the short-term or a seller looking to sell within the first 730 days of ownership, there’s an important new tax you need to know about. Starting January 1, 2025, the BC Home Flipping Tax will apply to certain property transactions, and it’s important to understand how it…

amazon-prime-cargo-plane-slides-off-yvr-runway-during-landing
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Amazon Prime cargo plane slides off YVR runway during landing

ByCharlie Carey

Posted November 19, 2024 7:03 am. Last Updated November 19, 2024 8:25 am. A runway at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is closed Tuesday after an Amazon PrimeAir cargo airplane ran off the runway during landing overnight. In a statement to 1130 NewsRadio, YVR says the incident happened around 1:45 a.m. when the aircraft “overran the eastern boundary of YVR’s North Runway.” CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE! “Safety and security are our top priorities. YVR Fire and Rescue attended. There were no injuries reported and the CargoJet crew of three were safely deplaned,” said Chloe Reynaud, communications specialist. The North Runway is closed while airport crews assess the plane, which is sitting near a fence by Templeton Street, and runway. Pictures sent to 1130 NewsRadio show the aircraft sitting on its belly with the landing gear collapsed. “This event will have an impact on YVR operations while we work to bring the North Runway safely back into operation. We encourage passengers to check with their airlines for current flight schedules and status,” Reynaud added. A runway at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is closed Tuesday after an Amazon PrimeAir cargo airplane ran off the runway during landing overnight. (Supplied) YVR says further updates about the situation will be shared when they become available. “We appreciate the work of those responding to the incident and everybody’s patience.” In a statement, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada says it’s sending a team of investigators to YVR “following a runway overrun of a Boeing 767 operated by CargoJet Airways.” “The TSB will gather information and assess the occurrence,” it said. You can watch CityNews 24/7 live or listen live to 1130 NewsRadio Vancouver to keep up to date with this story. You can also subscribe to  breaking news alerts  sent directly to your inbox.

Pros and cons of a 10-year fixed mortgage: Is stability worth the cost?

Pros and cons of a 10-year fixed mortgage: Is stability worth the cost?

ByStan S.

While the vast majority of homeowners opt for the familiar 5-year fixed term, a tiny percentage of Canadians prefer the stability that comes with locking in a 10-year rate. In an unpredictable world where interest rates fluctuate, a 10-year fixed mortgage can offer peace of mind with long-term, stable payments. However, this product comes with…