News for Youse: Bikes before council, food carts for Surrey, and Alberta oil spills continue

Packed week for council  Vancouver City Council has a busy week ahead of it. Much talked about reports scheduled to go before councillors include a bike-share program and bike lanes for Point Grey road. On the development front, there’s a rezoning application that would allow for a new 36-story tower at Helmcken and Richards streets, and a motion to extend the planning process for increased density in the Grandview-Woodland area.

Folk Fest a success  The 36th annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival had hundreds of people at Jericho Beach over the course of the weekend. You can view photos of the event here and here and find reviews and full coverage at Straight.com/music.

Food carts for Surrey  Surrey councillors are expected to vote today (July 22) to expand a food cart program that began on a smaller scale in April 2013. The initiative follows an expansion of a similar program in Vancouver that saw 15 new food vendors hit the streets in May of this year.

Summer drowning rise  Two accidental drownings in B.C. over the weekend prompted authorities to warn that 2013 is shaping up to be one of the worst years on record for water safety. An official with the Lifesaving Society of BC and Yukon told CBC News that there have been 43 drowning in the province this summer.

Alberta oil spills continue  The Toronto Star has brought to light underground oil spills in eastern Alberta that have continued with officials unable to stop them for more than six weeks now. Dozens of animals, including beavers and loons, have died as a result of the spills in the Cold Lake area.

U.K. to censor porn  British Prime Minister David Cameron has announced the government’s intentions to introduce sweeping measures to curb the availability of online pornography in the country. Authorities plan on working with Internet service providers to implement filters that block sexually graphic content. Subscribers will have the option of opting out of the program.

Prison breaks in Iraq  Hundreds of prisoners have escaped from two high-security prisons in Iraq. Al-Qaeda is being blamed for the attacks on the Abu Ghraib and Taji detention facilities. An Iraqi member of parliament told Reuters many of the men who escaped were senior members of that terrorist network.

John Casablancas dies of cancer  The fashion and modeling mogul John Casablancas has passed away at the age of 70. The sometimes-controversial agent was credited with launching the careers of many supermodels, including Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, and Heidi Klum, among others.

Middleton in labour  The Duchess of Cambridge has reportedly entered labour. With her husband, Prince William, Kate Middleton has been awaiting the birth of their first child inside the Little Harbour Children's Hospital in Cornwall for more than a week now, with media camped outside day and night. As one BBC News reporter put it this morning, “Plenty more to come from here, of course. None of it news…but that won’t stop us.”