BC Today from CBC Radio British Columbia

And we launch the first segment in our March series, Menopause Mondays: How to Navigate Perimenopause in B.C. To discuss the topic, we're joined by Dr. Stephanie Fisher, the interim senior medical director of gynecology at the B.C. Women's Hospital, and Cally Wesson, the CEO of the B.C. Women's Health Foundation.

B.C.'s Iranian diaspora is taking in the news of the United State's war on Iran and the killing of the country's supreme leader. We speak with Fred Soofi from the Canadian Iranian Foundation about how people are feeling.

Brian Minter is back for what you should be doing in your garden early spring and to take your gardening questions.

A video has surfaced of Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim making unsubstantiated claims that Coun. Sean Orr was distributing drugs on the Downtown Eastside, just days after the mayor praised another councillor for apologizing for and retracting similar allegations.

Parents are responding with mixed reactions to the province's new funding model for children with disabilities. Those with children who have autism worry their funding may be reduced, while parents of kids with other support needs say they'll now be able to access resources for the first time. We hear from representatives for Autism B.C. and Down Syndrome B.C. for their perspective on the changes. We also get the government's rationale from Minister of Children and Family Development Jodie Wickens, and ask listeners how the changes to funding may affect their families.

Vancouver city councillor Lenny Zhou is facing backlash after he called opposition councillors "drug dealers" in a video posted on a Chinese-language social media platform. He has since apologized and retracted the statement. We discuss the discourse behind the comments and ask listeners how social media has changed political communication, with researcher Wes Regan and former B.C. United communications director Andrew Reeve.

We continue our look at youth and physical activity. How can gym classes be more engaging for more students? And how do you get young people more interested in maintaining an active lifestyle? UBC Okanagan education professor Stephen Berg joins the show.

Representatives from OpenAI are in Ottawa Tuesday to meet with AI Minister Evan Solomon, following the revelation that the company banned the Tumbler Ridge shooter's ChatGPT account last summer, but didn't notify authorities. We'll talk to MediaSmarts director of education Matthew Johnson and UBC computer science professor Vered Shwartz, and take listener questions and comments about whether there should be more AI regulations.

Canadian travelers are in limbo after violence erupted in Mexico's Jalisco State yesterday. Flights to Puerto Vallarta have been canceled by multiple Canadian airlines. We'll get the latest and hear what's behind the fighting. Retired CBC Journalist Bernie McNamee is in Puerto Vallarta and shares his experience. Travel agent McKenzie McMillan gives some advice on what people should do to alter their travel plans to get home and Mexican journalist José Reyes describes what's behind the violence.

how is the lack of snow affecting winter sports in B.C.? Snowfall has come but it has been a late start. UBC Okanagan Earth and Environmental Sciences professor Michael Pidwirny joins the show to talk about what local ski resorts need to do to manage the effects of climate change on the mountain.

B.C.'s 2026 budget brings higher taxes, delays to major projects and plans to cut thousands of public-sector jobs over the next three years, alongside a staggering $13.2-billion deficit. We talk to Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce CEO Cory Redekop and B.C. Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt for their thoughts, and ask listeners for their reaction to the numbers.

It's Budget Day in B.C. where the province lays out its financial priorities for the next year. The province is expecting an $11.2 B budget deficit for 2026. Central 1 Credit Union chief economist Bryan Yu joins the show to talk about what impact the deficit will have on the economy and on the government's spending plan. And child care advocates are hoping there are steps towards the long-promised $10-a-day daycare program. Former NDP cabinet minister Katrina Chen joins the show to talk about the importance of the affordable daycare program. We also take calls from audience members to weigh in.

Parents in Tumbler Ridge are asking for more provincial funding for mental health support after a shooter killed eight people and injured dozens more on Tuesday. Michelle Eliot speaks with the Canadian Mental Health Association's Jonny Morris. And we ask our audience: what mental health supports are needed in B.C. to fill the gap?

Do you like chocolates as a gift? Vancouver chocolatiers Emma Smith of Zimt Chocolates, and Stefan Klopp of Kasama Chocolate join the show to talk all about chocolate -- how it's made and how to choose which chocolate options you'd like to give or recive this Valentine's Day.

We discuss love and money, and ask listeners how much of a role finances play in dating. Joining the program is Vancouver-based dating coach and author of 'UNSINGLE' Amy Chan, plus certified financial planner Steve Bridge.

We hear from CBC National reporter Bryan Labby, who is in Tumbler Ridge, as B.C. marks an official day of mourning for the shooting victims. Also, the co-chief executive officers of Lake View Credit Union in Tumbler Ridge, Marlana Blouin and Justin Lajeunesse, join the program, and speak about how they are supporting the community in this time of need.

Nine people were killed and 27 more were injured in a deadly shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. on Tuesday. We begin the program with an RCMP news conference in Surrey with the latest details.We continue our coverage with the CBC's Nicole Oud, who is on the ground in Tumbler Ridge, to hear how the community is doing the day after the tragedy. Guiding us through the program is death educator Christa Ovenell, and B.C. Teachers' Federation president Carole Gordon joins us to talk about the supports available for teachers and students after a tragedy like this. We also take audience calls who share their messages for those struggling in the aftermath of tragedy.

Abbotsford police say businesses and homes in the community are being targeted with extortion and are calling for more action from the provincial and federal governments to make reforms to the justice system. The CBC's Kier Junos joins the show from a police news conference in Abbotsford.And University of Fraser Valley criminologist Wade Deisman joins the show to take questions and comments on how concerned people in Abbotsford are about the extortion situation and what they'd like to see politicians and police do about it.

We explore generational differences in AI use, trust and skill level. According to Leger market research, nearly half of Canadians have used AI in some capacity, and polling from Angus Reid shows that Canadians aged 18-34 lead the way in AI use. Technology journalist and AI proponent Alexandra Samuel joins the show to take questions on the generational divide of AI use and how it fits into day to day life.

It was a mixed bag for the Canadian employment landscape in January, with Statistics Canada reporting the economy lost 25,000 jobs, but that the unemployment rate cooled to 6.5 per cent. We hear how recent university graduates are faring in finding a job in their field.

The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics have launched today with the opening ceremony of athletes representing countries from all over the world. BC Today's Zameer Karim joins the show as we take your calls on favourite winter olympic memories and which athletes to look out for this year.

BC Today's gardening columnist Brian Minter is back to take gardening questions.

Camping is often thought of as a summer-time activity. But what about camping all year round? There are more than 150 campgrounds and RV parks open 365 days a year in British Columbia. Outdoor blogger and author Taryn Eyton joins the show to take questions and comments on year-round camping and how people can prepare to camp in all weather conditions.

The federal government is scrapping electric vehicle mandates, but it's renewing consumer rebates for electric vehicles. EV buyers can qualify for an up to $5,000 rebate on battery electric and up to $2,500 on plug-in hybrid cars. Bob Porter from the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association and Joanna Kyriazis from Clean Energy Canada join the show to take questions on whether these new incentives will get more people buying EVs and if this will have an impact on climate change.

Olympic competition starts today in Italy. We'll talk about youth sports and the barriers that may prevent kids and families from participating. Sports journalist Scott Rintoul and UBC Okanagan education professor Stephen Berg join the show to take questions on possible barriers to physical activity.

The province has appointed a new extortion liaison to help build trust with community members in cities hit by the crime. We talk to Surrey resident and anti-extortion rally organizer Rasinder Kaur about what that the community wants to see.

February is Black History Month, honouring the contributions of the Black community in Canada and the United States. The BC Black History Awareness Society is celebrating with a series of events. Silvia Mangue-Alene joins the show to share what black history means to her.

Three junior players on the Southern Alberta Mustangs team died after a crash in Alberta yesterday. 2 of the players were from Kamloops. The CBC's Shelley Joyce joins the show to share the heartbreak of the Kamloops hockey community.

Premier David Eby met with business leaders in Surrey today to address the ongoing extortion crisis.The Surrey Police Service says so far in 2026, there have been 46 cases of extortion, — of them, 11 shootings, one arson and 29 victims. Eby compared the extortion crisis to a "slow motion terror attack". B.C. Conservative critic for the Attorney General Steve Kooner joins the show to take questions about what impact the extortion crisis on the community.

We look at how you're thinking about your finances in 2026 as we near the RRSP deadline and ongoing uncertainty with the U.S trade war. CBC Money columnist and certified financial planner Rubina Ahmed-Haq takes your questions and comments about how the uncertainty is affecting your financial planning.

Residents of Surrey are protesting the ongoing extortion crisis calling for stronger enforcement. This weekend, 3 men were arrested after another alleged extortion-related shooting in Surrey. The CBC's Sohrab Sandhu joins the show live from the rally to share the concerns of people there.

A new independent report from the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council has been released saying that B.C's current forest management system is failing to meet the needs of communities, First Nations, businesses, and the environment. UBC Forestry professor Peter Wood reacts to the report and we ask how B.C's forestry industry should be rethought.

Nightlife is changing across Canada. An analysis by the payment processing platform Square in July of last year found late-night spending is shrinking nationwide. In Vancouver, only 17 per cent of spending at bars and restaurants happens between 7 p.m. and 4 a.m. Party promoter Rachel Morris, from Home by Midnight, and University of California Santa Barbara professor Amin Ghaziani join the show to take questions on how nightlife is changing and where people are spending their time and money instead.

B.C. Premier David Eby says Alberta separatists are committing treason by asking the Trump administration for financial backing in their push to become independent from Canada. SFU political science professor Sanjay Jeram joins the show as we ask listeners whether they agree with Eby's assertion.

We're just 4 months until the FIFA World Cup kicks off. Games will be held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The first game in Vancouver takes place on June 13th. The City of Surrey and the Surrey and White Rock Board of Trade held a workshop yesterday for businesses to prepare. Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade CEO Joslyn Young joins the show and we ask whether people are ready to welcome tourists for the tournament.

Seven candidates are in now for the race of the B.C. Conservative Party leadership. The position has remained open after former leader John Rustad stepped down in December. There are just over two weeks left to register as a candidate. And the new party leader is scheduled to be officially selected on May 30th at the party's leadership convention. CHEK News political correspondent Rob Shaw joins the show to give his analysis and takes questions and comments on who's setting themselves apart in the leadership race.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is warning about a spike in overdose calls, with a new substance entering the unregulated drug supply. Dr. Alexis Crabtree from the BCCDC joins the program to take questions about how communities should respond to the increase in overdoses.

B.C. billionaire Jim Pattison is facing backlash over the proposed sale of a warehouse that would be turned into an ICE facility. B.C. Green Party Leader Emily Lowan is calling for a boycott of Pattison's businesses. CBC reporter Yasmine Ghania joins the show to explain the deal and Lowan takes questions about why this matters.

B.C. Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon joins the program to explain what was accomplished on the trade mission to India with Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a suite of affordability measures Monday that he says will help Canadian families with affordability, including a GST rebate. We ask our audience whether this will help them, and what is needed to solve the cost of living and groceries.

BC Today gardening columnist Brian Minter joins the show to take your gardening questions and discuss when the best time is to buy gardening seeds.

A Port Moody woman highlights the wait times and timely access to cancer care in B.C. after she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. Consultant Specialists of B.C. president Dr. Robert Carruthers joins the show to take questions and comments on specialist wait times in the province.