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The executive director of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society is the latest to join a wave of senior managers submitting resignations to the embattled union’s headquarters on Portage Avenue. There are about 70 support and administrative employees who do everything from negotiating teacher contracts to planning professional development for the union’s 16,600 public school teachers. Danielle Fullan Kolton — who has overseen those daily operations since 2020 — will not return to her post after an extended medical leave that began more than 13 months ago. Fullan Kolton, as well as chief financial officer Kim Kummen and Cheryl Chuckry, a former teacher who has spent recent years in various union leadership positions, have announced they are pursuing other professional opportunities in recent weeks, the Free Press has learned. In a memo to staff members Monday, Fullan Kolton described the last year as “deeply transformative,” citing a number of personal health challenges, including multiple surgeries. “These experiences have profoundly impacted me and my family — emotionally and physically — testing our resilience in ways we never anticipated. This journey has led me to reevaluate my priorities and place greater emphasis on the wellbeing of myself and my loved ones,” she wrote, before signing off with her initials and internal nickname, “DFK.” Since 2013, she has worked in various roles at MTS, including education research analyst, staff officer, department head of professional and French language services and assistant general secretary. There have been two different interim executive directors since Fullan Kolton took a leave from her current position in November 2023; Glen Anderson was the latest to be appointed to the position indefinitely. Meantime, union president Nathan Martindale announced Friday that he will not seek re-election when his first term is finished in the spring. Martindale took to social media to explain the decision, which he said was made to support his family. The elected leader said he admired Fullan Kolton, his counterpart on the non-partisan side of the union, for her “unwavering poise and grace under pressure” in a mass email about her departure. The high-profile exits are taking place amid a third-party probe into workplace culture, harassment and morale concerns raised by employees represented by Teamsters Local Union 979. MTS hired Richter Consulting to do a “workplace assessment” at the start of the school year. The contract was announced about a year after Teamsters presented the damning findings of a membership survey with a roughly 65 per cent response rate. At the time, the majority of participants said they had a negative perception of the psychological health and safety of their office, and there was a notable absence of trust and confidence in the senior management team. Teamsters has filed at least a dozen grievances related to what a national spokesman called a “toxic work environment” at the public-sector union whose annual member fees currently total $1,228. Fullan Kolton has not replied to requests for comment on the subject.
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Do you guys know why Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, Pepe & Catapult Corgi Coin have in common?A Solana investor who has held their position for four years recently achieved a remarkable 12,343% return on investment. This milestone has caught the attention of the crypto market, particularly with the investor reinvesting in a new contender expected to deliver comparable results within just four months. Rexas Finance (RXS) emerges as the favored choice, offering a groundbreaking tokenization model that bridges real-world assets and blockchain technology. The Rise of Rexas Finance RXS Rexas Finance stands out as a leader in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, enabling seamless integration of physical assets into blockchain networks. The platform transforms how individuals and institutions acquire, own, and manage assets, such as real estate, gold, and fine art. Through its unique system, investors can acquire fractional ownership of assets, democratizing access to traditionally exclusive markets. Rexas Finance simplifies investing in high-value markets, such as real estate and commodities, through fractional ownership. An investor from Asia, for instance, can own a fraction of a restaurant in Europe, earning passive income from rentals or profit-sharing without significant upfront capital. This approach removes barriers like high entry costs and liquidity challenges, making asset investment accessible to a broader audience. Real estate tokenization—the platform’s flagship feature—is especially impactful, targeting a market valued in the trillions. Comprehensive Ecosystem Tools Key features of Rexas Finance include: Rexas Token Builder: A tool enabling users to tokenize assets like real estate, commodities, or stocks, creating liquidity and expanding investment opportunities. QuickMint Bot: Available on Telegram and Discord, this bot facilitates rapid token minting across Ethereum and other EVM-compatible blockchains. 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Beyond real estate, Rexas Finance tokenizes commodities and art, unlocking value across diverse markets. For instance, the global commodities market, estimated at $121.2 trillion, represents a vast opportunity for fractional ownership. Similarly, tokenized art offers liquidity and accessibility in a market previously dominated by high-net-worth individuals. 🔥 $RXS Presale Stage 10 Sold Out 🔥 We’re excited to announce that Rexas Finance Presale Stage 10 has been sold out! ✅ Presale Stage 11 is now live, with the price per token increasing to $0.175 🚀 Don’t miss your chance to get in early! ⭐️ Buy Now: https://t.co/tNJAsvBiYe ... pic.twitter.com/6lg1WFwnkH Conclusion The extraordinary success of the Solana investor underscores the potential of early and strategic crypto investments. Rexas Finance, with its focus on real-world asset tokenization and a robust ecosystem, stands poised to replicate—if not surpass—these returns in a shorter timeframe. As the RXS presale progresses and anticipation builds for its official launch, the platform’s innovative model continues to attract attention from both seasoned and new investors. For more information about Rexas Finance (RXS) visit the links below: Website: https://rexas.com Win $1 Million Giveaway: https://bit.ly/Rexas1M Whitepaper: https://rexas.com/rexas-whitepaper.pdf Twitter/X: https://x.com/rexasfinance Telegram: https://t.me/rexasfinance Join our WhatsApp Channel to get the latest news, exclusives and videos on WhatsApp _____________ Disclaimer: Analytics Insight does not provide financial advice or guidance. Also note that the cryptocurrencies mentioned/listed on the website could potentially be scams, i.e. designed to induce you to invest financial resources that may be lost forever and not be recoverable once investments are made. You are responsible for conducting your own research (DYOR) before making any investments. Read more here.
Colorado adds record insurance coverage for Sanders and Hunter with both playing in Alamo BowlThe 26-year-old man charged in last week’s killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO appeared in a Pennsylvania courtroom Tuesday, where he was denied bail and his lawyer said he'd fight extradition to New York City, where the attack happened. Luigi Nicholas Mangione was arrested Monday in the Dec. 4 attack on Brian Thompson after police say a worker at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, alerted them to a customer who resembled the suspected gunman. When arrested, Mangione had on him a gun that investigators believe was used in the attack and writings expressing anger at corporate America, police said. As Mangione was led into the Hollidaysburg courthouse Tuesday, he struggled with officers and shouted something that was partly unintelligible but referred to an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.” He left hours later without saying anything and was driven away. Mangione is being held on Pennsylvania charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Manhattan prosecutors have charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. What's the latest? Wearing an orange jumpsuit, Mangione mostly stared straight ahead during the hearing, occasionally consulting papers, rocking in his chair, or looking back at the gallery. At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion but was quieted by his lawyer. Judge David Consiglio denied bail to Mangione, whose attorney, Thomas Dickey, told the court that his client did not agree to extradition and wants a hearing on the matter. Blair County (Pennsylvania) District Attorney Peter Weeks said that although Mangione will create “extra hoops” for law enforcement to jump through by fighting extradition, it won’t be a substantial barrier to sending him to New York. What evidence has been gathered? In addition to a three-page, handwritten document that suggests he harbored “ill will toward corporate America,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Monday that Mangione also had a ghost gun, a type of weapon that can be assembled at home and is difficult to trace. Officers questioned Mangione, who was acting suspiciously and carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Officers also found a sound suppressor, or silencer, “consistent with the weapon used in the murder,” she said. He had clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the shooter and a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching one the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel before the shooting, the commissioner said. What do we know about Mangione? Mangione, who comes from a prominent Maryland family, was valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and had degrees from one of the nation’s top private universities. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania. Mangione's grandfather Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, a spokesman for the lawmaker’s office confirmed. From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin, said that Martin had learned that Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life. Friends in Hawaii widely considered Mangione a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit and smiling young man on beaches and at parties. Mangione likely was motivated by his anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s handwritten notes and social media posts. The shooting and a quick escape Police said the person who killed Thompson left a hostel on Manhattan's Upper West Side at 5:41 a.m. last Wednesday. Eleven minutes later, he was seen on surveillance video walking back and forth in front of the New York Hilton Midtown, wearing a distinctive backpack. At 6:44 a.m., he shot Thompson at a side entrance to the hotel, fled on foot, then climbed aboard a bicycle and within four minutes had entered Central Park, according to police. Another security camera recorded the gunman leaving the park near the American Museum of Natural History at 6:56 a.m. still on the bicycle but without the backpack, police said. After getting in a taxi, he headed north to a bus terminal near the George Washington Bridge, arriving at around 7:30 a.m. From there, the trail of video evidence runs cold. Police have not located video of the suspect exiting the building, leading them to believe he likely took a bus out of town. Police said they are still investigating the path the suspect took to Pennsylvania. “This just happened this morning," Kenny said. "We’ll be working, backtracking his steps from New York to Altoona, Pennsylvania,” Kenny said. Associated Press reporters Jamie Stengle, Lea Skene, Matt O'Brien, Sean Murphy and Cedar Attanasio contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — For the second time this season, the Washington Commanders gave up points in the final two minutes of regulation and came back to win on a last-gasp touchdown. It was not a Hail Mary this time. Instead, it was rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels engineering a 57-yard drive and finding Jamison Crowder in the end zone with six seconds left on the clock to beat Philadelphia and get the Commanders to 10-5. “Just a regular Sunday afternoon again,” coach Dan Quinn said moments later. Quinn's team is now on the verge of making the playoffs after again showing its mettle in wacky, back-and-forth games with wild finishes. Playing in and winning those has sort of become Washington's calling card. “We didn’t flinch at all,” receiver Terry McLaurin said. “We didn’t panic. Not to say we did that in the past, but it was like, we’ve been here before. When you've been through something, you know what it looks like. You know what it feels like. You do everything it takes to get over the hump.” The Commanders have won three in a row, including holding on at New Orleans by stopping the Saints on a 2-point conversion attempt at the end of the fourth quarter. They're in the postseason if they beat Atlanta on Sunday night or if Tampa Bay loses to Carolina earlier in the day. But what has gotten this team so accustomed to falling behind, huddling up and getting the job done when it matters most? “I think we just believe in one another,” said six-time All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner , a Super Bowl champion in Seattle who's in his first season with Washington. “Coach Quinn puts in a lot of positions at practice, and we have confidence in everybody to make those plays. I think it just shows our confidence in one another and our confidence to pull the game out.” Daniels is an X-factor in that. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner , No. 2 draft pick out of LSU and runaway favorite for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year may be from Southern California but seems to have ice water in his veins colder than the 31 degree Fahrenheit temperature during his comeback. “He was poised: cool, calm, collected under pressure,” Crowder said. “A lot of times you don’t get that from a lot of quarterbacks.” What’s working Practice makes perfect, apparently. When Daniels connected with Noah Brown on the Hail Mary TD to beat Chicago on Oct. 27, it went exactly as the offense planned after rehearsing it in practice the previous Friday. Daniels to Crowder was the same thing. “It’s crazy,” Crowder said. “Friday we actually ran it, and I caught the same pass. We got the same look that we thought we were going to get.” Crowder knew he needed to slip past the linebacker covering him and found a wide-open spot in the end zone. Then the muscle memory took over. “I had already hit this in practice, so it was time to just make the throw in the game,” Daniels said. “I just put the ball in the air, and he made the grab.” What needs help It's hard to turn the ball over five times and win a game, especially against a first-place team with the NFL's top defense, but that's exactly what the Commanders did. Daniels threw two interceptions — including one that set up Jake Elliott's field goal to put the Eagles up 33-28 with 1:58 left — while Brian Robinson Jr. fumbled twice rushing and Dyami Brown once after making a catch and turning to run upfield. “That’s not our standard at all,” McLaurin said. “We’ll get that cleaned up.” Stock up Crowder made one catch on one target for 5 yards in the season opener and played a combined 12 snaps in Weeks 1-3. A calf injury put him on injured reserve in early October, and that easily could have been it for the 31-year-old wideout in his second stint with Washington. Instead, Crowder rehabbed to get back on the active roster, and a kidney injury to Noah Brown opened the door for real playing time. After making three receptions for 27 yards in the victory at New Orleans, his two catches against the Eagles were touchdowns. “Being on the IR for as long as Jamison had been, it takes a lot of grit to stay in it,” Quinn said. "He might have been out of football technically for 2-3 months, and this is not an easy thing to do, so for him to come back and make the impact he’s had, that’s a man I respect a lot.” Crowder was a fourth-round pick in 2015 and played his first four seasons in Washington before three with the New York Jets, one with Buffalo and a return in the fall of 2023. He thinks watching from the sideline helped him dissect football better to give him a chance to make an impact on the field again. “I knew once I got my opportunity I’d be able to just fit right in,” Crowder said. Stock down Cornerback Marshon Lattimore affected the Saints game by not being thrown at once in 31 passing attempts in his Commanders debut against his former team. He struggled defending Philadelphia's A.J. Brown and was flagged three times for pass interference before aggravating the hamstring injury that kept him out since the trade from New Orleans and leaving the game. “I love his competitive nature, honestly, down on the field,” Quinn said. “It’d be good to see what the NFL says about one of the ones that they called a PI. Let’s find out, but he’s the type of person you want to put on that player.” Injuries Dyami Brown also left with a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter, and starting right tackle Andrew Wylie was sidelined by a groin injury. Those bear watching. Key number 1991 — The last year Washington started a season 10-5. It ended with the franchise's third Super Bowl championship. Next steps Get ready for prime time with No. 8 pick Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons coming to town. The Commanders opened as a 4-point favorite on BetMGM Sportsbook. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflAP News Summary at 6:07 p.m. EST
AMGEN ANNOUNCES 2025 FIRST QUARTER DIVIDEND
Elisabeth Borne, only the second woman to serve as French prime minister, is making a surprise return to frontline politics as education minister less than a year after losing a job that she never wished to relinquish. An experienced technocrat known for her resilience who pushed through a controversial pensions overhaul while in office, Borne served as premier from May 2022 to January 2024. The 63-year-old engineer was the first woman to head a French government in three decades after the brief stint in office of Edith Cresson who lasted under 11 months in the early 1990s, during which time she endured rampant sexism. When Borne took power, she dedicated the moment to "all the little girls". "Follow your dreams, nothing must slow the fight for women's place in our society," she said. But her departure after just over 18 months left her denouncing the "insidious sexism" that she said still permeated French politics. - 'Some way to go' - At President Emmanuel Macron's request, she resigned in January and was replaced by the then 34-year-old Gabriel Attal, who became France's youngest head of government but he only lasted to the summer. Borne said after her resignation that women in politics were "constantly" compared to men. "Men in politics, they all have an interest in imposing masculine codes, it eliminates the competition," she added. She also noted that all candidates to succeed her were men. "It's as if commentators were saying to themselves, 'We've just had a woman prime minister for 20 months, that's it, we're back to normal life'," she told RTL. Even when she handed over office to Attal on January 9, Borne had made clear her resentment over sexism in French politics, saying: "I have also been able to see quite often that there is still some way to go for equality between women and men." But she added in a message to women: "Hold on, the future belongs to you." - 'Goes a little far' - Borne had proved her loyalty to Macron during his first term in office, serving as transport, environment and finally labour minister from 2020. As premier she staunchly defended his flagship pensions reform to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. She deployed a controversial executive power to force through the legislation without a vote, despite previously saying she did not want to use it. Discreet about her private life, Borne was accused by critics of showing too little personality in office. Borne's Jewish father had been deported to Auschwitz during World War II and survived the Nazi death camp but never fully recovered. Her father took his own life when she was just 11 years old. "It's shocking for an 11-year-old girl to lose her father in these conditions," Borne told LCI. "And I think I closed up and that I avoid showing my emotions too much." "I think... this closing up, maybe, goes a little far. Yes," she acknowledged. But she expressed pride over how France had allowed her to study under a special programme for children who have lost parents. "We are a country where you can be the daughter of an immigrant, where you may have lost your father at 11, but the country reaches out to you to allow you to study," she said. "And then you are a prefect (senior local official), and then you are a minister and you are even prime minister," she added. Her father, who was reportedly named Joseph Bornstein, fled to France from Poland in 1940 and then fought in the French resistance during World War II. He was captured and deported to Auschwitz in 1944. bur-sjw/as/phz
Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office President-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. Trump's request Friday came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court. Oral arguments are scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. The brief said Trump opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.The United States’ Air Force ( USAF ) is pursuing the ambitious Next Generation Air Dominance ( NGAD ) program to fulfill its goal of developing the first sixth generation fighter jet. The NGAD is meant to ensure that the American military can establish air superiority and dominate the skies over any battlefield. The role of air power is more vital than ever in the 21st century and with near-peer adversaries gaining ground in every defense sector, the future can’t wait. 5 Affordability Projected to be one of the most costly fighter jet programs in US history, the NGAD program has raised significant questions regarding both the procurement and sustainment affordability. The program's expenses surpass even the high costs of the F-22 and F-35 platforms, with per-unit costs estimated to exceed $200 million. The Department of Defense (DOD) must balance funding the NGAD with other modernization priorities like unmanned aerial systems and hypersonic weapons. The debate over NGAD has sparked scrutiny as funding the project is feared to squeeze out resources for other initiatives. Finding the money without compromising other areas of the defense strategy can be difficult. The cost pressure may result in a smaller fleet size, similar to how the B-2 Spirit production ended. As the program continues to develop, the Air Force is attempting to wrangle the risk of budget inflation to ensure unanticipated expenses don't bloat program costs. 4 Emerging technologies For NGAD development, like all projects that demand invention, the engineers and craftsmen who construct this revolutionary new aircraft must integrate bleeding-edge technology that has never seen the battlefield. In order for the sixth-generation jet to be safe to fly and lethal in its mission execution, all of that new technology must work together seamlessly. DefenseScoop reported that the Air Force seeks to integrate unmanned collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) with the NGAD to enhance operational flexibility. Air Force Secretary Kendall remarked on this combined strategy, saying, "threat changes; because of financial constraints; because of the development of technology, including the introduction of CCAs [autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft]," he said, "it would be imprudent to commit to a single design before reconsidering all available options." The B-21 Raider might be able to fit at least some of NGAD's role as a penetrating command center controlling advanced drones. Producing a real and tangible fighter that can do everything asked of it will be intensely complex and call for a deep investment of intellectual power from the American industrial sector. All of the usual prime contractors are interested, including Collins Aerospace , Raytheon, Lockheed Martin , Boeing and Northrop Grumman . Without exceptional minds and skills, it will be impossible for the NGAD to ever take flight. 3 Industrial constraints The NGAD program's demands on the capacity of the US defense-industrial base has raised the curtain on the complexity of modern weapons manufacturing. Successfully completing this program and realizing the potential of many innovative concepts will demand a vast array of highly specialized components, materials, and production processes. Bottlenecks in the supply chain have recently been further exacerbated by the global pandemic, conflict, and competition, especially for rare earth materials. All of these threaten to slow production timelines and increase costs. The US Air Force is concerned about proceeding with its Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program unless the fighter jet is cheaper than the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which costs between $80 and $100 million each. The US Air Force aims for NGAD to replace the F-22 Raptor. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall suggested that the F-35 is the cost ceiling for the future fighter program during the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air Space Cyber conference in September.“We are looking at what we need in order to achieve air superiority in a manner consistent with the increased threat, the changing character of war in the most and the most cost and combat effective way,” he said. The estimate for NGAD’s original concept was three times the price of an F-35, which led the US Air Force to reconsider the contract, which should have been awarded this year. Still, Secretary Kendall also stressed the urgency of the 6th Generation Fighter Jet project's deliverables.Some believe the Air F 2 Unmanned vs manned systems The US sixth-generation fighter program will adopt a dual approach to future air power. That means manned and unmanned systems will work together on the battlefield to complement each other. This doctrine represents a significant shift in air combat strategy. Incorporating the CCA unmanned platforms in support of high-risk roles such as electronic warfare, reconnaissance, and targeting will free up manned jets and improve pilot safety. The Washington Times reports that the Air Force wants to start with “200 NGAD fighters and 1,000 unmanned collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs), assuming the use of two CCA platforms for each NGAD fighter and another two for each of the 300 F-35 fifth-generation fighters.” Developing such a dynamic and hazardous human-machine interface introduces unknown challenges. The CCA's and NGAD’s AI algorithms must make split-second decisions while remaining in sync with human commands or actions. Ensuring that unmanned systems effectively complement piloted aircraft and don’t pose any risk will require rigorous testing and development to thoroughly vet and verify. 1 Policy risks Significant political, policy, and programmatic obstacles threaten the NGAD timeline. The schedule and technological goals are in jeopardy of compromise or interference from a multitude of other actors who are vying to draw resources away to their own ends. Delays have called the program's viability into question, raising doubts about the Air Force's ability to deliver the platform on time. The Aviationist reported on the program status after the Air Force paused NGAD reviews to reassess priorities: “From a requirements perspective, what I would say is we’re going back and starting at the beginning with ‘What is the thing we’re trying to do?’” said the Vice Chief of Staff James C. Slife. “‘How do we achieve air superiority in a contested environment?’ would be one way to frame the question. A different way to frame the question would be, ‘How do we build a sixth-gen manned fighter platform?’ I mean, those are not necessarily the same question.” Proposed NGAD Features Stealth capabilities with enhanced radar evasion Modular airframe design to enable adaptability High-speed propulsion with potential hypersonic integration Advanced networking for multi-domain operations Unmanned systems integration with AI-driven autonomy Enhanced electronic warfare capabilities Increased payload capacity for diverse mission types The NGAD program aims to define the future of air dominance by integrating manned and unmanned platforms and a host of sixth-generation technical innovations that would put the US Air Force leaps and bounds ahead of its adversary's capabilities. The resolution of strategic issues that are crippling progress depends on overcoming challenges in procurement areas such as supply chain resilience, affordability, technological integration, and strategic alignment. Whether the NGAD program realizes its transformative potential or encounters compromises that undercut its lofty objectives will depend on how well it navigates these complexities while keeping an eye on the future.
Southern California defense contractors optimistic Trump administration could create jobs locally
Nordstrom family to take chain private in $6.25 billion dealLast month, Port Alberni's city council ordered the demolition of a pub and hotel in the heart of the city's tiny downtown. Beyond the business, the Port Hotel's 28 residential units also provided low-barrier housing to some of the community's hardest-to-house residents. The town has grappled with conditions in the Port Hotel since at least 2020, when city council first considered a report filled with pictures of the building's deficiencies and the man behind the numbered company that owns the property promised to do better. Things came to a head this year when renewed complaints culminated in the discovery of asbestos inside the building's walls and the evacuation of the remaining tenants. A lawyer for owner Peter Wang made a last-ditch appeal to stave off demolition, but councillors wouldn't budge, meaning destruction is now imminent. As he argued for more time, the lawyer claimed Wang had been subject to a kind of corporate identity theft — replaced overnight as director of his company by a woman who took over all correspondence with the city and demanded rent from tenants under threat of eviction. Left unsaid was that the woman and Wang were former business associates found liable in B.C. Supreme Court earlier this year for a scheme that "preyed" on the wishes of Chinese citizens hoping to fast-track immigration to Canada through investments in B.C. businesses. 'A 2-sided investment' As CBC has learned, their legal battles provide insight into the fate of the Port Pub and Hotel, as well as pubs in Nanaimo and Gabriola Island — and a cemetery in Saskatchewan. The situation raises questions both about the responsibility of investors in low-barrier housing and the duty government has to ensure those properties are well maintained. Chairs and tables sit abandoned inside the Port Pub and Hotel. The building was closed after the discovery of asbestos in the walls and is now slated for demolition. (Jason Proctor/CBC) "I don't have a housing department. And we don't own residential housing. We don't have a housing commission or anything like that, or a housing authority," said Mike Fox, Port Alberni's chief administrative officer. "And if we did, we would be upheld to a different standard than some owners of private facilities." The Port Pub and Hotel is situated a stone's throw from Port Alberni's waterfront quay, up a wide main street that also hosts city hall, the Salvation Army, a hopping Mexican restaurant and the busy Wildflower bakeshop and café. Tanice Mast works, lives and operates her store — Tenacious Heart Studio — one block up on the opposite side of the street. The deterioration of the condemned hotel and pub is a sore point. An empty lot next door housed what she jokingly calls "the bike shop" — a place to move stolen bikes and bike parts. Then there's the spillover of drug use, garbage and human waste that finds its way onto the street. Mast says the building is a constant source of complaints to bylaw officials, police and fire officers. She could say the same for many of Port Alberni's other empty or seemingly abandoned buildings. "I'm completely baffled by the attitudes I've seen of some of these building owners because it would never cross my mind to let something go to such waste. And — even further than waste — to start contaminating the areas around it," she said. "If you've invested in a property, that should be a two-sided investment. Where you get the benefits of having such an investment, but then your neighbours should also be enjoying benefits of having that owned by responsible individuals." 'The subject of a fraud' A report to council in January detailed the city's history with the Port Pub and Hotel dating back to 2020 when council agreed to "refrain from considering enforcement measures so long as significant and appropriate progress" was made fixing bylaw and fire code violations. Despite that promise, the property had Port Alberni's highest police, fire and bylaw call volume. The most concerning violations were under the fire code: "emergency doors not working as intended, tied open or barricaded with garbage piled at the bottom of the fire escape." Graffiti a block up from the Port Pub and Hotel calls for the Port pub to be saved. The building is slated for demolition. (Jason Proctor/CBC) "There is significant garbage accumulating inside of the structure, often extending out into the alley, sidewalk and fire exits, obstructing egress," the report said. "Communal washrooms are out of service, missing doors off of units, padlocks on the outside of doors, exposed wires, drug paraphernalia, rats, interior ceilings, walls and doors are full of holes, leaking water, missing drywall and black mould is visible throughout the top and bottom floors." In a plea for clemency before council in July, Wang's lawyer — Micah Goldberg — said while "some of these issues are structural, a significant number are not." "There are no easy solutions to several of these issues, the effects of which are related to the psychological condition of the tenants," he wrote in a brief submitted to council, which cited "the ongoing mental health crisis the province is experiencing." Goldberg told councillors his client was taking remedial steps to repair the property by installing smoke alarms and carbon dioxide detectors, fixing escape doors and sending a safety plan to the fire department. But he said those efforts were interrupted when the B.C. Online account belonging to the numbered company through which Wang owns the hotel and pub was compromised and the names and addresses of the directors were changed. "It was essentially the subject of a fraud that it has only recently been able to rectify," Goldberg told the councillors. "When my client retained contractors to enter into the property, they were restricted by the individual we believe was responsible for the fraud, who sent those individuals away. That same individual was responsible for attempting to collect as much rent as possible." Railways and cemeteries In a lawsuit filed earlier this year to regain Wang's control of the numbered company, Goldberg names the "individual" he spoke about in Port Alberni as Qian Fan — also known as Sophie Fan. As recently as February, Fan and Wang were co-defendants in a B.C. Supreme Court ruling won by Chinese citizens who claimed the former business associates promised to help them find a path to citizenship through investment in B.C. businesses. A judge found that investors were 'induced' to purchase Gabriola Island's Skol Pub in a deal that saw Peter Wang installed as the pub's manager. (Google Maps) "The defendants preyed upon the plaintiffs' wish to immigrate to Canada with a scheme designed to use investment funds for their own purpose and with no apparent intention of actually assisting the plaintiffs' immigration efforts," wrote Justice Nathan Smith. "The targets of this scheme were made vulnerable by their lack of knowledge of English or of Canadian immigration rules and requirements." In reaching a final judgment, Smith untangled a dizzying array of corporate ownership to explain how one investor — a Chinese railway magnate — came to believe he might establish a mini-railway on protected property in Squamish's agricultural land reserve. The judge found another investor — the former owner of a Bible Park in China — likely provided funds to buy a share of a cemetery in Moose Jaw. And he said that both investors were "induced" to purchase Gabriola's Skol Pub in a deal that saw Wang installed as the pub's manager. "During the time Mr. Wang claims to have been managing the pub, he had also agreed to manage a restaurant in Chemainus and a pub in Nanaimo for other clients while giving an undertaking to the government of Saskatchewan to be the full-time manager of a cemetery that was being purchased in that province," Smith wrote. In a "note on credibility," the judge said he rejected both Fan and Wang's evidence "where it conflicts with any other evidence." "I found their evidence at trial to have generally been contrived, concocted and fabricated with an intention to mislead the court," the judge said in a later proceeding to assess special costs. "This pervasive untruthfulness amounts to reprehensible conduct." 'I was so naive' Fan has not responded to the lawsuit filed to wrest back control of the numbered company that owns the Port Pub and Hotel, but in an email to the city presented to council, she claimed a share in the founding corporate ownership. She also accused Wang of creating "a situation in which the burden of the property will be dumped on someone else, including the financial and legal burdens to come." The Port Pub and Hotel has been boarded up since the discovery of asbestos in the walls. Port Alberni's city council has ordered the structure demolished over the objections of its owner. (Jason Proctor/CBC) The lawsuit against Fan claims at least $300,000 in penalties from the city as well as the cost of "repairing the extensive damage to the Port Alberni property and the costs of appealing the Port Alberni orders" to demolish the building. In a telephone interview with CBC, Fan claimed she "established" the numbered company that came to own the Port Pub and Hotel — but said she only found out last January the corporate shell actually owned physical property. The single mother says she doesn't have the money to respond to the lawsuit. She says she accepts the judgment in the case where she and Wang were co-defendants, but does not agree with the judge's assessment of her actions. "I was so naive," she said. "The customers, they trust me.... They thought I won't cheat them, and I did not cheat them, but the result is so bad." Fan says she is supported by relatives and makes what little extra she earns buying items at thrift stores that she sells online. "My life was destroyed," she said. Wang did not respond to an email from CBC asking for comment. Goldberg said the request had been sent to a different legal firm responsible for handling matters concerned with the pub and hotel. 'The economic basis' In addition to a "practical" and "moral" basis for keeping the Port Hotel and Pub standing, Goldberg also laid out "the economic basis." The property was assessed at $1.16 million last year, the bulk of which — $936,000 was attributed to the value of the building. A photograph considered by Port Alberni council in January highlights a missing smoke detector in one of the Port Pub and Hotel's hallways. The building is slated for demolition. (Port Alberni city council) Goldberg estimated the cost of remediation at nearly $628,000 — on top of the $300,000 in penalties owed the city. "The value of the property is based almost entirely in its structure, not the land. If the structure is demolished, 105 (the company) will not have sufficient equity to pay for the demolition and penalties." he wrote in a submission to council. "In addition, 105 prefers to collect the rents that would flow from the remediation rather than the demolition, which would almost certainly be followed by a sale." B.C. Housing says the agency didn't provide any funding to the private owners of the Port Hotel and Pub but assisted the building's 39 residents in finding housing on two hours' notice after the discovery of the asbestos. In background provided to CBC, the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction said, "The department provides funds for shelter/rent for clients, but it is up to our clients to decide where they live." Following the lawyer's presentation, Port Alberni city Coun. Debbie Haggard said she appreciated Wang's legal difficulties. "But I don't feel that's an excuse to let the property deteriorate as badly as it has and to become in such a state that the tenants had to be evicted for safety and health reasons," she said. "And all this time, your client has been collecting rent from the tenants that have lived in this property." Goldberg said he couldn't provide "ironclad guarantee assurances" his client wouldn't face challenges in the future associated with providing low-barrier housing. He cited the legal problems, saying, "While it's true my client was in receipt of some rents that were being provided by the government, other rents, we understand, may have been redirected to someone else." 'They don't care' As she cast her vote for demolition, Coun. Cindy Solda said the city has faced similar situations with other dilapidated buildings. In fact, the fate of another chronic problem building was considered at the same 2020 meeting where the Port Pub and Hotel's troubles were raised. Former owner — Martin Chambers — spoke to council via video. Chambers, who died in 2022, spent nearly 13 years in a U.S. prison for laundering money for a Colombian drug cartel. But he didn't mention that in his presentation. A photograph taken inside the Port Hotel and Pub demonstrates combustible storage on the third floor. The image was part of a package considered by city councillors. (Port Alberni City Council) "People who own buildings are not necessarily living in Port Alberni, and they don't care," Solda said. "That really bothers me. I don't think anybody should have to live in conditions like the people that lived in the Port Pub. The city has been knocking on the door, saying, 'You need to fix it, you need to fix it.' We have not heard anything, and so my faith is gone." Mast thinks demolishing the building is an "important precedent to set because it gives the neighbourhood the tools to take these buildings on and demand pretty reasonable standards for the building owners to follow." She says housing in Port Alberni is expensive, and rentals are hard to find. She can understand why property draws investors — but says owners need to be held accountable to the people who pay the rent. Especially if the money ultimately comes from government. "Where money is being funnelled from government directly to property owners, I think there should definitely be presence," she says. "You get what you inspect. You can't just assume these places are good places to live or safe places to live. So I think the government's responsibility in that is to ensure that wherever they're spending money, deserves that money."
