News for Youse: One week until B.C. votes, doctor sues Liberal government, and Canucks on the edge

One week until B.C. votes  The Liberals are in northern B.C. today maintaining a focus on the economy and the energy sector. Incumbent Christy Clark is visiting a liquid natural gas plant in Fort Nelson before proceeding to Kitimat, where the Liberals have suggested future LNG facilities could be built. The NDP’s Adrian Dix is on Vancouver Island. At a stop in Sidney, he made a pledge to reduce childcare costs. Green Party leader Jane Sterk is in Metro Vancouver today, and the Conservative’s John Cummins is in Penticton talking health.

Doctor sues Liberal government  A lawsuit filed yesterday (May 6) in the Supreme Court of British Columbia alleges that Health Minister Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid and the Province of British Columbia attempted to halt research into the effects of pharmaceutical drugs in order to protect donors to the B.C. Liberal Party. The allegations remain unproven in court. You can read more about this story here.

Canucks on the edge  The Vancouver Canucks will fight for their lives tonight when they face possible elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs in Game 4 of the opening round. The San Jose Sharks have dominated the series, beating the Canucks 3–1, 3–2, and 5–2. The big question today is who Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault will put in net. Backup goalie Roberto Luongo played well in games one and two of the series before Vigneault started Cory Schneider, a decision to which some commenters attributed that disastrous 5-2 loss. At the time of writing it remained anybody’s guess.

Target opens Lower Mainland locations  U.S. retail chain Target is opening 20 stores across Western Canada today, including nine in British Columbia. In the Lower Mainland, the first Target locations will open at the following shopping malls: Coquitlam Centre (2929 Barnet Highway, Coquitlam), Scottsdale Mall (7031 120 Street, Delta), and Willowbrook Shopping Centre (19705 Fraser Highway, Langley). In 2011 it was announced that Target would take over 100 Zellers locations across Canada.

Record May temperatures  A spate of unusually warm weather across the Lower Mainland continues to see temperatures reach record highs. The thermostat at the Vancouver International Airport hit 21.2 degrees Celsius yesterday (May 6), surpassing a record set back in 1942. It was even hotter in other areas of the province such as Port Alberni, which reached 31 degrees. The sun is expected to continue to shine over Metro Vancouver for several more days before the rain returns on Sunday (May 12).

Missing Ohio women found  Three Ohio women missing for approximately a decade have been found alive and are in “fair condition,” according to authorities. A fourth individual, a six-year-old girl, was also found with them and is thought to be one of the women’s daughters. Three men have been arrested as suspects in what appears to be a protracted kidnapping. You can read more about this story here.

Carbon bubble looms  Experts at the London School of Economics have warned that trillions of dollars are at risk of evaporating in a “carbon bubble.” The report, titled, “Unburnable carbon 2013: Wasted capital and stranded assets,” explains that fossil fuel companies have over-valued natural resources such as oil, coal, and natural gas because they have failed to take into account the significant portion of deposits that will have to remain untapped if the world is to avoid a temperature increase of two degrees Celsius. For years, scientists have warned that such a rise will destabilize habitats, result in rising sea levels, and cause severe and unpredictable weather.

Cruise set for Mission Impossible 5  Tom Cruise has signed on for a fifth installment of the blockbuster movie franchise Mission: Impossible. He will once again take the role of superspy Ethan Hunt. A lead writer and director for the screenplay have yet to be announced. Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol, the fourth in the series, grossed nearly $700 million worldwide.