The federal government has officially locked in $1.37 billion for a light rail transit line in Surrey and the Broadway subway line in Vancouver. The funding commitment has been previously announced but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to Surrey on Tuesday ensured there is no going back on the promise.  The Vancouver Sun's Vaughn Palmer is here with his take on the day's headlines.

Chapter 1:

-Dr. Chris Willie was a 32 year old postdoctoral fellow at UBC in the school of Health and Exercise Sciences. He was also an accomplished climber and outdoorsman and writer, who began working with publication The Walrus, penning a memoir about his recovery from fentanyl addiction. But while he was writing the piece, Chris relapsed and died. The memoir was published anyway, with the blessing of his family. Rick Willie spoke about what legacy his son leaves behind, and explains that Chris’s death proves the fentanyl scourge does not discriminate.

Chapter 2:

-As the new school year starts, we examine some of the impacts of cannabis on university campuses. How will staff and faculty regulate its use and how will that affect students? Dr Walsh will tackle the behavioural, social, academic and health implications for students ahead of marijuana legalisation on October 17.

Chapter 3:

-A New Westminster city council candidate says there are three major factors driving down voter awareness ahead of the local government elections, and predicts a record low voter turnout if municipal agencies don’t intervene.

Chapter 4:

-Nike is being accused of ‘stepping in to the line of fire’ over a new ad campaign featuring controversial former San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick , who took set off a firestorm of debate by taking a knee during the national anthem to protest social injustice.  So will the blowback against Nike intensify? Was this worth the risk to the brand?

Prime Minister Trudeau promised Surrey light rail before the election and again after it in a budget meeting with Christy Clark.  Now he’s coming to Surrey to make some sort of announcement regarding transit in the region. The Vancouver Sun's Vaughn Palmer is here with his take on the day's headlines.

Chapter 1:

-Talks between Canadian and US envoys stalled for the weekend, after no deal could be struck by the deadline Friday. Negotiations will resume on Wednesday. Trump tweeted last week that if Canada doesn’t come to the table, we’ll be out of any new deal.

Chapter 2:

-It’s back to school this week and so Twitter has compiled a list of the most mentioned universities in Canada on their platform. Three BC universities rank in the top 20. What’s are students talking about?

Chapter 3:

-It’s back on the exercise train for many people this week as summer draws to a close and we go back to work or school. So how do we go from burgers and beers to burpees? Retrain your brain through cognitive reframing.

Chapter 4:

-The eight condos that originally existed on the land were torn down, and rebuilt to be sold for more than $5 million each.

A recent union preference decision on a Pattullo bridge replacement, with a $100 million price tag for taxpayers has the courts challenging the project.  Big news on this front for the fall will be how government proceeds with a report on proposed changes in the labour code and employment standards. The Vancouver Sun's Vaughn Palmer is here with his take on the day's headlines.

Chapter 1:

Yesterday, Canadian military veterans lost in their bid to have an appeal heard over their disability pensions. A ruling made years ago by Stephen Harper’s government means veterans who return injured from war are paid a lump sum, instead of a lifetime pension. The Supreme Court of Canada decided not to hear their case.

Chapter 2:

In a tense and dramatic news conference, Alberta premier Rachel Notley responded to the federal court ruling quashing the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, announcing her province was pulling out of Justin Trudeau’s climate change plan until his government ‘got its act together’.  Where does this leave federal climate policy and proposed future carbon tax increases? Not to mention the $7.4 billion pipeline?

Chapter 3:

Today is the last day Canada can strike a North American trade deal with the United States. Where do we stand currently? Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland says meetings with US envoys over the past few days have been constructive.

Critics of the pipeline project are celebrating, but at the same time the Federal Court of Appeal, in their decision, offered a roadmap to save the project.  The government must go back to the NEB on marine safety and do a proper consultation with First Nations. The court also suggests this can be done in a reasonably short time.  The Vancouver Sun's Vaughn Palmer is here with his take on the day's headlines.

Chapter 1:

Canada’s highest court has decided not to hear an appeal brought by the Equitas Society, representing Canadian veterans, who have been fighting to be fairly compensated through their disability pensions. The class action lawsuit, which dates back to 2012, argued that changes to the way veterans are paid, which were made unanimously in 2016, mean some veterans aren’t awarded benefits fairly for being injured in the line of duty.

Chapter 2:

The Federal Court has ruled the feds must re-submit the Trans Mountain Pipeline proposal to the National Energy Board because it failed to properly consult with First Nations on marine impact, specifically tanker traffic.  This means the project will be delayed once again and it's future could be in jeopardy.

PM Justin Trudeau has asked minister Bill Blair to investigate the ongoing culture of money laundering specifically in BC, and its links to organised crime and the fentanyl trade. So how exactly will Blair tackle BC’s money laundering issues?

Guest: Minister of Border Security and Organised Crime Reduction Bill Blair

One of the key issues on the court decision against the Kinder Morgan Pipeline is the duty to consult first nations.  The consultations must be meaningful, scaled to seriousness of impact, and accommodate if serious. The Vancouver Sun's Vaughn Palmer is here with his take on the day's headlines.