Mornings with Simi

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou bail hearing hears plan for electronic monitoring

The bail hearing continues today for Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou  at BC Supreme Court. The tech giant is wanted by the US for skirting US sanctions against Iran. Global News reporter Neetu Garcha was in court today, and she joins us with the updates.   Guest: Neetu Garcha Global News Reporter

Hot question of the day!!

The CDC is warning everyone to not eat raw cookie dough this holiday season because “unbaked products that are intended to be cooked, such as dough or batter, can make you sick. Will you be following the CDC’s advice?   Yes, not worth the risk! No, totally worth the risk!

BC Representative of Children and Youth reports on abhorrent” neglect of young boy with autism

British Columbia's children's representative is calling for an overhaul of the system that supports children with complex needs after releasing a report on the neglect of a 12-year-old boy.   The report by Jennifer Charlesworth details years of inadequate services to address the special needs of a boy she calls Charlie. Her report says Charlie, which is not the boy's real name, was removed from his mother's care in 2016 after police found him alone, severely underweight and screaming. Charle...

Theresa May pulls plug on Brexit vote amid 'widespread concern' over Northern Ireland backstop

Prime Minister Theresa May has called off Tuesday's crucial vote on her Brexit deal so she can go back to Brussels and ask for changes to it. As it stands the deal "would be rejected by a significant margin" if MPs voted on it, she admitted.   Guest: Pat Cox Former President of the European Parliament

Could AI technology work to predict where and how wildfires will strike in BC?

Guest: Dr Lori Daniels Associate Professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia.   Guest: Handol Kim Director of the AI Network of British Columbia and General Manager of Quadrant, a D-Wave Business.

Markets brace for more volatility

Investors could face more stock swings in the days ahead, after the S&P 500-stock index fell more than 4.6 percent last week, its worst weekly drop since March. A trade truce between the U.S. and China has already come under strain over the arrest of a prominent Chinese technology executive.   Guest: Jeffrey Sandler Portfolio manager for Linton Wealth with Raymond

SIMI'S WINNER AND LOSER OF THE DAY

SIMI’S LOSER AND WINNER OF THE DAY

Simi goes over today's Winner!

Carbon Monoxide poisoning sends 18 B.C. residents to the hospital

A family of five from the Barriere has been airlifted to hospital in Vancouver after a carbon monoxide leak in their home. This comes a day after a case of carbon monoxide exposure in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighbourhood sent 13 people to hospital. Most have now been released. Phone: Leon BaranowskiParamedic and practice leader

Surrey mayor cuts funding to skating rinks, community centres to the ire of residents

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum came to the defence of the first budget of his term in a news conference Tuesday, calling it “one of the best budgets that I’ve seen.” The proposed budget includes a 2.9-per-cent tax increase and cuts to planned community infrastructure projects that total nearly $136 million. Set to be put on pause are ice rinks in Cloverdale, plans for community centre and library expansions, a child-care project, policing infrastructure, parks and cultural amenities, among other ...

Surrey councillor admonishes Mayor McCallum for “shortchanging” Surrey families in the budget

Councillor Linda Annis says a proposal to shelve plans for new community facilities such as the Grandview Heights Community Centre and Library, Cloverdale Sport and Ice Complex, and the Fleetwood Community Centre and Library expansion is “short-sighted and shortchanges” Surrey families. Guest: Linda Annis Surrey city councillor

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou arrested in Canada, faces extradition to United States

The chief financial officer of Chinese tech giant Huawei has been arrested in Canada. She faces extradition to the United States. Meng Wanzhou, also known as Sabrina Meng and Cathy Meng, was apprehended in Vancouver on December 1, according to Canadian Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod. In addition to her role as CFO, Meng serves as deputy chairwoman of Huawei's board. She's the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei. Guest: Wenran Jiang Senior fellow at the Institute of Asian Resear...

The Best of The Simi Sara Show - Wed Dec 5th 2018

Chapter 1 🔥🔥 Hot question of the day 🔥🔥 Vancouver City Council voted unanimously in support of a motion aimed at protecting tenants from renovictions and aggressive buyouts. Do you agree with this decision from city hall? Yes, protect renters! No, too restrictive.   Chapter 2 Vancouver city hall votes to ban renovictions. What does this mean for landlords? Vancouver City Council voted unanimously in support of a motion aimed at protecting tenants from renovictions and aggressive buyo...

SIMI’S LOSER AND WINNER OF THE DAY

Loser No loser today!   Winner 9 year old Dane Best from Severance, Colorado Dane Best decided to fight for his right to have some winter fun in his hometown of Severance, Colorado. It started out as a small petition, but you could say it really ‘snowballed’.

Climate plan reaction

The province has committed to cutting BC's carbon emissions 40-percent by 2030.Premier John Horgan says 75-percent of that target is laid out specifically in the Clean BC plan. The remaining 25-percent to be specified within next two years. Overall, the plan is an overhaul of our transportation, homes and offices and industry  away from fossil fuels. We have had climate promises from various levels of government in the past, so how feasible is this plan?   Guest: Thomas Pedersen Professor ...

George HW Bush funeral: World figures pay respect

Former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney was among the dozens of US and world leaders and dignitaries attending George H.W Bush’s state funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington DC today. Mulroney delivered a eulogy, reflecting on a private conversation he had with Bush during a vacation in 2001: Mulroney also remarked on Bush’s honour and courage: President George W Bush told mourners his father held values like faith and family close to him. The former President closed his eul...

Study finds dental painkillers may put young people at risk of opioid addiction

Dentists who prescribe opioid painkillers to teenagers and young adults after pulling their wisdom teeth may be putting their patients at risk of addiction, a new study finds. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine Monday, shines a light on the largely overlooked role dental prescriptions play in an epidemic of addiction that has swept the United States, leading to a record 70,237 drug overdose deaths in 2017.   Guest: Alan Schroeder Pediatrician and professor at Stanford Universit...

Vancouver city hall votes to ban renovictions. What does this mean for landlords?

Vancouver City Council voted unanimously in support of a motion aimed at protecting tenants from renovictions and aggressive buyouts. Council unanimously passed Coun. Jean Swanson’s motion to huge cheers from the dozens of advocates at city hall on Tuesday night. Landlords will be required to offer displaced tenants the chance to temporarily move out during a renovation without their lease ending or their rent increasing. Staff will be coming back with a report on a few other items, including...

The Best of the Simi Sara Show

Chapter 1 🔥🔥 Hot question of the day 🔥🔥 Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum says there’s going to be a big effort to clean up the city. The initiative will include buying street sweepers and getting people and businesses to pick up litter on the streets. Do you support the mayor’s plan? Yes! Surrey’s a mess No, money better spent elsewhere Clean up after yourselves   Chapter 2 Surrey Mayor announces new initiative to clean up the city Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum says there’s going to be a big ...

SIMI’S LOSER AND WINNER OF THE DAY

Loser 26-year-old Rocky Dumais from Nebraska Rocky was charged with DUI after plowing his Buick into a tree and a wall. He told responding officers that he'd crashed because, in his own words, he was forced to drive "like Ace Ventura" with his head out the window in the rain because his windshield wipers didn't work. Testing revealed Dumais to have a blood alcohol content of 0.137. While Dumais was uninjured, according to police, his Buick was heavily damaged in the accident.  The damag...

Statistics Canada says sewer water shows Haligonians use most cannabis in all of Canada

Guest: Tony Peluso Assistant Director at Statistics Canada, who led that studyChapter 5

Vancouver panhandler heartbroken after dog stolen

A panhandler who is a well-known fixture outside the Church’s Chicken and Donald’s Market on East Hastings Street in Vancouver is heartbroken after the theft of his dog. Mishah, a chihuahua-cross, has been at Michael Lorimer’s side for the last five years. On Thursday evening around 6:30 p.m., Lorimer went into the Church’s Chicken restaurant to use the washroom. He said he was gone for less than five minutes, but when he came back outside Mishah was gone.   Guest: Jill Bennett Reporter fo...

Surrey Mayor announces new initiative to clean up the city

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum says there’s going to be a big effort next spring to clean up the city. McCallum says the city will be asking residents and businesses in February to get involved in what he calls a “huge initiative” to clean up Surrey.   Guest: Janet Brown Senior Reporter for Global News

Best of the Simi Sara Show - Fri Nov 30th 2018

Chapter 1 🔥🔥 Hot question of the day 🔥🔥 What should be done about the Massey tunnel bottleneck? Widen the tunnel 10 lane bridge Smaller bridge Do nothing   Chapter 2 Should there be public inquiry into money laundering in B.C.? All this week we've been telling you on CKNW how a gang based in China has flooded BC with fentanyl and corrupted the casino industry and the housing sector...and that has led many to demand a Public Inquiry into the situation. While speaking on the CKNW Jon...

Foodie Friday with Caren McSherry

Have you been invited to a Christmas potluck this year? Choosing what to bring can be difficult, but luckily Caren McSherry is here to help with all the options!   Guest: Caren McSherry Founder and President of the Gourmet Warehouse

ICBC launching new pilot project aimed at inexperienced drivers

ICBC is recruiting seven-thousand new drivers to let technology track driving behaviour next year. Mark Milner, with the company, says an app will gather info from an in-car device. It'll collect data over the course of a year.  He says there will be some kind of perk for participants but not a rate-cut. The end goal, Milner says reducing crashes and with that costs - of driver's rates and ICBC payouts. The price tag of the pilot project is three-point-four million dollars - a fraction, he s...

The government says ‘no’ to 10 lane bridge replacement for the Massey Tunnel

Plans to replace the Massey Tunnel with a 10-lane bridge may be dead in the water. A report that went to Richmond City Council details a meeting with NDP Transportation Minister Claire Trevena, who said any future crossing options would NOT include the bridge.  Richmond had been strongly opposed to the bridge, while Delta has argued it is urgently needed to reduce one of the worst bottlenecks in B-C. The bridge was a project put forward by former Liberal Premier Christy Clark. Guest: Ian Pat...

After demanding a public inquiry into money laundering, what does the Mayor of Port Coquitlam think about the Premier’s refusal to pursue one?

Premier John Horgan says he is just as upset as anyone in British Columbia, but Premier John Horgan isn't yet ready to call a public inquiry into how a gang based in China has flooded BC with fentanyl and corrupted the casino industry and the housing sector. He says their initial plan was to prosecute the criminals. Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West has been very vocal about his feelings on the issue of money laundering in British Columbia. He has demanded that the government launch a public in...

Should there be public inquiry into money laundering in B.C.?

All this week we've been telling you on CKNW how a gang based in China has flooded BC with fentanyl and corrupted the casino industry and the housing sector...and that has led many to demand a Public Inquiry into the situation. While speaking on the CKNW Jon McComb Show this morning, Premier John Horgan says he's not sure a Public Inquiry would do anything but cost a lot of money with a report sitting on a shelf, and they had hoped to clean up the situation differently. Guest: Keith Baldrey...

Best Of The Simi Sara Show - November 29, 2018

Chapter 1 🔥🔥 Hot question of the day 🔥🔥 Should there be a public inquiry into money laundering? Yes, time for answers No, waste of resources   You can vote on Twitter at @CKNW. You can also call the CKNW Buzz Line at (604) 331-BUZZ (2899) and leave your vote there! Chapter 2 One of Canada’s biggest money laundering probes has collapsed A crisis. That's how BC's Attorney General describes an RCMP probe into money laundering and underground banks in the province being stayed just be...

Taxes, taxes, taxes! Get ready to pay more in 2019

ICBC reported last week, that it has posted a net loss of $582 million for the first six months of the current fiscal year (April 1 to Sept. 30, 2018). According to a statement from the Crown insurer the loss is “reflective of the continued pressure ICBC is under from the rising number and cost of claims”. Attorney General David Eby went on to say that the primary reasons are higher bodily injury costs, as well as claims taking longer to resolve, which often result in higher claims costs. A k...

One of Canada’s biggest money laundering probes has collapsed

A crisis. That's how BC's Attorney General describes an RCMP probe into money laundering and underground banks in the province being stayed just before heading to trial. David Eby says he's not blaming police, prosecutors or the federal government but it is urgent to get to the bottom of why it appears impossible to successfully prosecute these kinds of crimes. He's asked the RCMP and feds for assistance in answering this question. Eby says he learned of this case - with allegations of a bil...

Vancouver councillor Jean Swanson explains why she wants to ban renovictions

Vancouver city council is considering  measures to protect tenants from the practice of “renovictions” and “aggressive buyouts” after a motion was put forth by city councillor Jean Swanson. Prior to becoming a councillor, Swanson had been advocating for tougher laws and better enforcement in a city with a near-zero vacancy rate and soaring rents. She joins us to discuss why she feels this is the right measure for the city of Vancouver to take, and if she understands where landlords are coming...

Travel Best Bets: Tip to Save Money on Your Family Vacation

DEALS:Sun Peaks, BCFeb 6 – 22, 2019Air, 5 nights hotel, 4 day lift ticket & airport transfersAdults: $1099 + $110 tax (1209)Kids 2-17: $599 + $60 taxCayo Santa Maria, CubaDec 19Air & 7 nights in a 4-star Adults Only beachfront all-inclusive resort$1035 + 430 tax (1465)Deluxe South America Cruise (featuring Carnaval in Rio)Feb 23Air, 13 night all-inclusive luxury cruise, outside cabin, beverages, gratuities & transfers$3999 + $898 tax (4897)...Azamara(Argentina, Uruguay & Brazil) Guest: Clair...

Best Of The Simi Sara Show - November 28, 2018

Chapter 1 🔥🔥 Hot question of the day 🔥🔥 Vancouver city council is considering an anti-'renoviction' motion. Do tenants need more protection in BC? Yes, renters need more rights! No, system is fair and balanced.   You can vote on Twitter at @CKNW. You can also call the CKNW Buzz Line at (604) 331-BUZZ (2899) and leave your vote there! Chapter 2 That’s a wrap! Legislative sessions ends amidst chaos The BC Legislature is now on its Christmas break, ending one of the more unusual weeks...

Vancouver council considers anti-'renoviction' motion

Within weeks, the provincial government’s rental housing task force is expected to deliver its final report, which could lead to major changes to B.C.’s residential tenancy legislation. And first, Vancouver city council is considering a motion this week intended to strengthen protections for tenants. Late into Tuesday night, Vancouver councillors heard from some of the 93 people registered to speak on the motion, put forward by Coun. Jean Swanson, seeking to protect tenants from “renovictions...

Holiday heartache: Advice for separation and divorce

Vancouver based lawyer Georgialee Lang joins Mike to discuss Bill C-78, an Act to amend the Divorce Act which had its first reading on May 22. It is now in Committee with witness presentations underway. What will Bill C-78 change for divorced or soon to be divorced couples in Canada? Guest: Georgialee Lang Vancouver lawyer

That’s a wrap! Legislative sessions ends amidst chaos

The BC Legislature is now on its Christmas break, ending one of the more unusual weeks on record with a police investigation underway into the - now suspended - Clerk and Sergeant at Arms, but still no details on WHAT is being investigated. Guest: Richard Zussman Global News Legislative Reporter

Best of The Simi Sara Show - November 27, 2018

Chapter 1 🔥🔥 Hot question of the day 🔥🔥 Do you support the NDP government’s plan to limit the number of ride hailing drivers?   Yes, protect cab industry No, let market decide Chapter 2 Local mayor reacts to Global News report which found that gangsters laundered over $1B through Vancouver homes in 2016 A new report from Global News Investigative reporter Sam Cooper has revealed that crime networks dealing in fentanyl has laundered over $1 billion through Vancouver homes in 2016. Here...

General Motors closes Oshawa plant and politicians scramble to react

Unifor president Jerry Dias says General Motors' plan to close its car plant in Oshawa, Ontario puts it on the brink of leaving Canada completely. The head of Canada's biggest private-sector union represents about 2,500 workers at the factory the carmaker plans to shut at the end of 2019. After meeting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa on Tuesday, Dias said GM has moved production of five models of vehicles to Mexico and the United States in the past few years, and if the Oshawa plant ...

Travel Best Bets - Mon Nov 26 2018

DEALS:Riviera Maya, MXDec 4,6,8,9,11,12Air & 7 nights in a 4-star beachfront all-inclusive resort$655 + $460 tax (1115) (Grand Sunset Princess; 4-star)HAWAII FOR THE HOLIDAYSHonoluluDec 19: $1459 + $328 tax (Ohana East; 3-star)  (1787)Kids 2-17 $659 + $130 taxKauaiDec 19: $1429 + $328 tax (Aston Islander; 3-star)  (1757)Kids 2-17 $929-$1259 + $130 taxMauiDec 19: $1769 + $381 tax (Aston Kaanapali Shores– 1-brdm; 3.5-star)  (2150)Kids 2-17 $419 + $130 tax21 Night Repositioning Panama Canal Crui...

Local mayor reacts to Global News report which found that gangsters laundered over $1B through Vancouver homes in 2016

A new report from Global News Investigative reporter Sam Cooper has revealed that crime networks dealing in fentanyl has laundered over $1 billion through Vancouver homes in 2016. Here is a clip of Sam Cooper speaking on the CKNW Jon McComb Show yesterday…   Brad West is the Mayor of Port Coquitlam, and he is outraged at the report and the fact that he believes that politicians at all levels effectively ignored the problem entirely, despite the warning signs.   Guest: Brad West Mayor of...

the Best of The Simi Sara Show - Mon Nov 26th 2018

Chapter 1 🔥🔥 Hot question of the day 🔥🔥 The otter who invaded Dr. Sun Yet-Sen's Chinese Gardens has eaten 10 of the 14 expensive koi fish. What should be done about this otter?   Euthanize the otter Remove the koi Let nature run its course     Chapter 2 Craig James and Gary Lenz to address media at noon today The legislature clerk and sergeant-at-arms who were suspended and ushered from the building this week are asking to be returned to active duty. In a letter from their lawyer t...

Tips for driving in wet and dark conditions

Metro Vancouver roads could get a lot more dangerous in the coming weeks! The combination of darkness, rain, and pedestrians always makes for a tricky time to be behind the wheel. Sadly, this type of weather comes every year, and along with it comes fatalities on the road. An elderly man was struck and killed by a vehicle Sunday night in Mission. It happened just after 5 pm near Cedar and 10th. Witnesses say the victim was not in a marked crosswalk.   A red van with damage to its hood and win...

#Otterwatch2018

It’s a koi cull at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen garden in Chinatown! A murderous otter snuck into the garden over a week ago and began to chow down on the prize koi. These fish aren’t cheap either - koi can easily sell for $3-thousand dollars. A 3-foot, 3-inch long koi fish sold at auction last month for $2.8-million CDN! So why don’t they just trap the otter? Well, officials tried however… This isn’t the first time BC has had to deal with rogue animals: In 2015, a deer was found wandering the stre...

NASA prepares InSight robot for risky landing on Mars

NASA's InSight spacecraft is aiming for a bull's-eye touchdown on Mars this afternoon, at about 3 p-m Eastern Time (IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES).  The journey of six months and 482-million kilometres comes to a precarious grand finale when InSight must go from more than 19-thousand kilometres per hour to zero in about six minutes as it pierces the Martian atmosphere and lands.   InSight systems engineer Ravi Pakrash says it's the first mission to study the deep interior of Mars.   Will the Insigh...

Secret police study finds crime networks could have laundered over $1B through Vancouver homes in 2016

 The stately $17-million mansion owned by a suspected fentanyl importer is at the end of a gated driveway on one of the priciest streets in Shaughnessy, Vancouver’s most exclusive neighbourhood. A block away is a $22-million gabled manor that police have linked to a high-stakes gambler and property developer with suspected ties to the Chinese police services. Both mansions appear on a list of more than $1-billion worth of Vancouver-area property transactions in 2016 that a confidential police...

Craig James and Gary Lenz to address media at noon today

The legislature clerk and sergeant-at-arms who were suspended and ushered from the building this week are asking to be returned to active duty. In a letter from their lawyer to the three party house leaders, Craig James and Gary Lenz deny doing anything wrong and say they have been kept in the dark about the nature of the allegations against them. BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson broke the news while speaking to Mike Smyth on Friday. Clerk of the BC Legislative Assembly Craig James and Ser...

The Best of the Simi Sara Show - Fri Nov 23rd 2018

Chapter 1 🔥🔥 Hot question of the day 🔥🔥 It's Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year even in Canada! Where are you shopping today? In the stores Below the border Online only Not shopping   Chapter 2 Scandal at the Legislature: Speaker tried to appoint friend as new sergeant-at-arms for B.C. legislature After a wild day at the BC Legislature, we’re all wondering what on earth will go down today. We know Speaker Darryl Plecas will meet with his second special adviso...

Foodie Friday: Prepping for Sunday Dinner

Guest: Caren McSherry President and Founder of the Gourmet Warehouse