BC—B-C Update–

THE CANADIAN PRESS

(BC-Bollywood)

This province’s N-D-P and Conservative parties say the government is trying to buy votes by hosting a Hindi film-industry awards ceremony.

Earlier this week, Premier Christy Clark announced B-C would spend 11-(m)million dollars to help pay for the annual Times of India Film Awards in April, just before the provincial election.

N-D-P culture critic Spencer Chandra Herbert says the Liberals invented a new Bollywood awards show they could sponsor as part of their re-election attempt.

Conservative Leader John Cummins says the Liberals are trying to keep a handful of ridings their M-L-As won by slim majority in the last election. (The Canadian Press)

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(BC-Games-Announcement)

Communities in the Interior, Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island have been named as host cities for the B-C Summer and Winter Games in 2016 and 2018.

Penticton and Abbotsford will host the winter and summer games in 2016, and Kamloops and the Cowichan Valley will host the events in 2018.

The B-C Games take place every second year, with the winter games happening in late February and the summer games occurring in late July.

About 25-hundred athletes compete in the summer games, and about 12-hundred athletes participate in the winter games, and the average age of competitors is 14. (The Canadian Press)

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(BC-Northern-Gateway)

Members of the public won’t be allowed into the Northern Gateway pipeline hearings in Kelowna next week because of safety concerns.

Annie Roy of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency says the joint review panel wants to hear from the presenters in a safe-and-secure venue.

But she won’t elaborate on what safety concerns organizers have, noting they are working with Mounties and staff at the hotel where the hearings will take place.

Earlier this month, police arrested five people who entered a closed-door hearing in Vancouver and then staged a noisy protest. (CKFR/The Canadian Press)

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(B-C Update by Keven Drews)

09:32ET 26-01-13