BC Today

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.