British Columbia Videos

Pine beetles have decimated more than 14.5 hectares or 36 million acres of pine forests in British Columbia. Experts predict that by 2014 at least 80 percent of the mature lodgepole pines in British Columbia will be dead. No larger than a grain of rice, the pine beetle is endemic in the Rocky Mountains of western North American. Winter temperatures below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit once kept the beetle in check. Warming trends, however, have permitted the beetle larvae to survive the winter and proliferate at an astounding rate. Mature pine trees, weakened by drought, cannot withstand the onslaught, and as the beetle multiplies, younger trees also are falling prey. Dead trees are fodder for wild fires. The beetle kill has wreaked havoc on the economy of regions dependent upon logging and tourism. Authorities acknowledge that man cannot stop the rampage of the pine beetle. The beetle will eat until it runs out of food or until deeply cold winter temperatures return to kill its larvae. "I felt," says Berman, "like I was seeing a cataclysmic shift in our understanding of what forests look like."

Matt Berger skates his local park in British Columbia.

12:00 p.m. State Revenue Down $760 Million A new state revenue forecast is out today. State officials have been bracing for a shock to the system. We bring you the bad news and the good news. New State Math and Science Requirements Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn announces a change to the state's math and science tests required for graduation. And a delay to the math requirement. We get reactions from the business community. Neighborhood Based Schooling is Back Seattle schools become neighborhood schools again under a new student assignment plan. Phyllis Fletcher reports. 12:20 p.m. Your Winter Olympic Plans The Winter Olympics are right next door in British Columbia next February. Are you going? We'll talk to Seattle Times reporter Ron Judd who's been writing about the difficulties you might have finding tickets and a hotel. Have you been to the Olympics? Share your tales of Olympic triumph or woe. 12:40 p.m. Cornel West on Religion, Academics and Life Dr. Cornel West joins us to talk about how he reconciles his deep belief in Jesus Christ with his love of academic inquiry. The Princeton professor's new book is titled Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud, A Memoir.

On Nov 7, the B.C. government legislated ambulance paramedics back to work after seven months on strike. On Nov 3, the union had released excerpts of a document from VANOC asking the employer to guarantee undisrupted ambulance service during the Olympics. We speak with BJ Chute, director of public education with the union. To find out more about Redeye, check out our website.

On November 16, 2009, Vancouver's arts and culture community celebrated at the Museum of Vancouver. Mayor Gregor Robertson spoke about the city's commitment to the arts as 31 recipients were honoured and the arts was celebrated.

On Nov 7, the B.C. government legislated ambulance paramedics back to work after seven months on strike. On Nov 3, the union had released excerpts of a document from VANOC asking the employer to guarantee undisrupted ambulance service during the Olympics. We speak with BJ Chute, director of public education with the union. To find out more about Redeye, check out our website.

Gordon Campbell accepts a third term as B.C. premier at a May 12 Liberal Party gathering at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

On April 20, Georgia Straight reporter Matthew Burrows, along with Stephen Hui, interviewed B.C. Green party leader Jane Sterk at the Straight offices.Here is the interview.

Vancouver is a cosmopolitan and culturally diverse city set against a backdrop of ocean, mountains, forests and beaches. Vancouver combines both natural beauty and exciting urban amenities including four-star hotels, gourmet restaurants and a buzzing nightlife. Ski in the morning, sail in the afternoon. Go hiking, kayaking, swimming and shopping, visit world-class attractions or take in some theatre, comedy, festivals or events. Vancouver truly has it all. Explore Vancouver http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/RegionsCities/Vancouver.htm

This video introduces the Georgia Straight's 2008 Best of Vancouver with a series of brief street interviews the preview this year's ballot.The full coverage, with contributors' choices and the full list of readers' picks, will be available in the print edition published Thursday 18 September and online at www.straight.com.

The Georgia Straight is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by the Vancouver Free Press Publishing Company.The paper was founded as an anti-establishment alternative newspaper in May 1967 and originally it operated as a collective. The paper has since moved on to become a more conventional news and entertainment weekly, albeit with a progressive editorial slant.