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- Jan 21 - Local MLA tasked with tariff fight
Jan 21 - Local MLA tasked with tariff fight
Langford violated resident's privacy. Local restaurant scammed.
Hello there!
The biggest news in the world yesterday was the changeover in the US presidency, and that also has reverberations here in the Westshore.
The only local MLA to hold a minister role now has his work cut out for him even more than he already did. The premier's latest mandate calls on him to defend BC's lumber interests against expected tariffs—all while leading sweeping reviews of BC's forestry programs.
More on all that below, along with a breakdown of the recent privacy violation finding at Langford city hall.
— Cam
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NEWS
BC mandate letter tasks local MLA with review of BC's forest programs & the fight against Trump tariffs

Photo: Ravi Parmar Facebook, from 2023 campaign
Last week Premier David Eby sent out mandate letters to his ministers outlining the direction of their work over the next year-plus. For first-time Forests Minister Ravi Parmar of Langford-Highlands, that will entail facing down “draconian tariffs," which the province anticipates out of the US after yesterday's inauguration of new president Donald Trump, and “fighting for a fair deal" for BC lumber.
The mandate letter cites tariff issues, as well as the “price crisis in the timber sector” and reduced annual allowable cuts, as reasons to review BC Timber Sales. The ministry will also review “all existing Ministry of Forests programs and initiatives.” These reviews stem mainly from the governance agreement with the BC Greens, whose priorities called for reviews of forestry in BC and moved away from old-growth logging.
The two-party accord specifically speaks on one of the most storied stands of old growth, which is next door to the new forestry minister’s Langford home.
In 2021, Fairy Creek became the scene of the largest civil disobedience action in Canadian history and 1,180 hectares of its old-growth forest was deferred from logging. Many BC deferrals are expiring, but a deal is to be developed in partnership with the Pacheedaht and Ditidaht First Nations to add significant permanent protections.
Parmar’s mandate is also to bring industry, First Nations, and communities together at forest landscape planning tables—an important next step as that Feb. 1 deadline in the deferral in old growth harvesting rapidly approaches. Similarly Parmar is expected to work with First Nations on long-term sustainability and expand the community forest program.
When it comes to raw numbers, the letter also expects Parmar to “ensure a sustainable land base to enable harvest of 45,000,000 cubic metres per year.”
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NEWS
Langford violated councillor's son's neighbour's privacy in 2021, OIPC finds

File photo: James MacDonald
The city breached privacy law by disseminating a resident's information in 2021, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC (OIPC) has concluded. This finding has played a part in the broader escalating tensions between Langford council and its critics, which hit a boiling point last week.
The OIPC findings originally were shared by the complainant, Ed Court, with the Goldstream Gazette. Court was involved in a parking spot dispute with the son of Coun. Lillian Szpak, and alleged in his submissions that bylaw staff gave her his personal information and that she gave it to others in the city.
The finding cites “unauthorized disclosure within the public body” of Court's information to persons with "personal rather than work-based interest" in it. The city says it cooperated fully with the investigation and that the OIPC was satisfied with the city's measures, mainly including trainings on privacy, to prevent future breaches.
Some locals argue that this is not enough, and a small rally outside city hall last week called on Szpak to resign.

Composite image of Szpak, Sahlstrom, and documents: Zoe Ducklow (2022)
The original dispute unfolded during the previous council term, which ended at the fall 2022 election which ousted all of mayor and council except Szpak. When the parking dispute, and Szpak's response to it, became public, it became another axis of conflict between Szpak and some other members of that previous council—in particular Matt Sahlstrom, a friend of Court.
Szpak has also been the subject of a BC Ombudsperson investigation about the parking situation. It ultimately found in 2023 that she did not abuse her power as chair of the city's Protective Services committee when she personally emailed an RCMP officer about her fear of the dispute's escalation. The city did make changes to its Code of Conduct and other conflict-of-interest-related policies in response to the ombudsperson report.
Read the full story at The Westshore for more on the original conflict and the fallout.
Around the 'Shore
🤿 Military training event begins today in Albert Head waters: The annual Roguish Boy exercises for combat divers will include some underwater blasting, but are not expected to affect the public or limit waterfront access.
🚽 Colwood considers 2026 referendum on sewer expansion: It could cost $100M to build out the system to incorporate the 57 cache mentioned areas that aren't on the sewer system and instead rely on septic. [Goldstream Gazette]
🚧 Goldstream at Peatt will be single-lane alternating tomorrow (9am-3pm) due to construction.
🥡 Langford restaurant owner says he lost $30K in Uber Eats orders: Wing Deng, the owner of May Gold Village, said he couldn’t find sales deposits from the delivery service orders going back to April. After he got CTV involved, the delivery company conducted an investigation and it appears someone was fraudulently using a restaurant account and tried to change the banking info. [CTV]
⚖ Accused was increasingly unstable leading up to mother's killing, court hears: On Monday defence lawyers for Ryan Elder brought forward testimony from his father (who described years of mental issues) and texts from his mother in the months before her death that spoke of fear and concern about an increasingly erratic, irrational Ryan. [CHEK]
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Community Events
📚 Sooke Library events this week: Lego club, documentary discussions, seniors’ chair exercises, story time, crafts, and more.
🎂 Cake Decoration Workshop: 6:15pm at Flourish BeauTea in Langford. [Info]
🎊 New Year's Open House hosted by Langford council this Sat. 11am to 1pm at Indigenous Perspectives Society. [Info]
🏒 Victoria Grizzlies face Langley on Sat. and host a family skate after the game. [Tickets]
What’s Offshore?

File photo of HMCS Regina: Canada.ca
🚢 Off the coast of Colwood / Metchosin: HMCS Regina, which last fall celebrated 30 years at sea.
Westshore Snaps
“Dunlin and Northern Pintail are friends.” – Glenys Pumfrey, Colwood

“Beautiful sunrise to start a day.” – Gary Woodburn
📸 Snapped a photo you’d like to share? Send it with a caption and don’t forget to add where you live.
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