News for Youse: Vancouver debates bars for breweries, Lululemon stock down, and B.C. takes top chef title

Bars for breweries  A report is scheduled to go before Vancouver City Council today (June 11) recommending that zoning by-laws be amended to allow for breweries and distilleries to allocate space for lounges. If approved, the changes would permit the on-site consumption of alcohol similar to what is permitted at wineries.

Petronas speaks on B.C. investments Malaysian oil and gas giant Petronas has announced it expects to invest as much as $16 billion in natural gas facilities in British Columbia. According to the Associated Press, the state-owned company’s plans include two liquefying plants as well as pipeline infrastructure.

B.C. takes third top chef title  Matthew Stowe of Cloverdale has won Top Chef Canada season 3. He is the third B.C. chef to secure the title, following in the footsteps of season 1 winner Dale MacKay and season 2 runner-up Trevor Bird. Stowe, a product development chef at Cactus Club, was raised in Surrey.

Two bears shot in Coquitlam  Conservation officers have killed two black bears that have been the subjects of numerous sightings in Coquitlam in recent days. Authorities say the bears were fighting one another in a resident’s driveway and that they had no choice but to shoot and kill the animals.

Lululemon stock down  Shares of Lululemon Athletica Inc. have dropped by more than 17 percent following a June 10 announcement that the company’s chief executive officer, Christine Day, is stepping down after more than five years in that role.

Canadian spying revealed  Information about the Canadian government’s spying efforts has started to trickle out following significant revelations about U.S. intelligence operations. A program that monitors international telecommunications and Internet activity was approved by Defence Minister Peter MacKay in November 2011. You can read more about Canadian intelligence gathering here.

Hadfield retires from space program  Astronaut, Twitter all-star, and all-round national treasure Chris Hadfield has retired from the Canadian Space Agency. Hadfield brought attention to space exploration through a series of YouTube videos that he recorded and posted online during a recent five-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Clashes in Istanbul  Turkish authorities have violently taken Taksim Square from protestors who have occupied the space for nearly two weeks. Demonstrations began on May 28 in Istanbul, then spread to other cities. Originally a dispute over plans to turn a public park into a shopping mall, the protests quickly morphed into larger actions voicing discontent with the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

China launches manned spacecraft  Three Chinese astronauts have safely left the Earth’s orbit aboard the Shenzhou-10, the fifth manned rocket launched in China’s space program. The mission is part of efforts to establish a permanent Chinese station in space.

Russia debates anti-gay bill  Today Russia’s parliament is scheduled to debate a law that would make it illegal for people to commit acts interpreted as promoting homosexuality. If approved, the bill would give authorities the power to fine citizens who engage in the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientation”.

Divorce for Glee’s Jane Lynch  Glee star Jane Lynch is getting a divorce from wife Lara Embry, People magazine reports. The women were married in May 2010 in Massachusetts, one of the few states in America that allows gay marriage.