CUPE 4500 has announced that its members plan to strike for 48 hours starting this upcoming Monday, January 22^nd at 3 am. As a result, all bus and SeaBus service in Metro Vancouver could stop on Monday and Tuesday. SkyTrain and HandyDART services will not be affected.  

Customers can find real-time information by: 

• Signing up for Transit Alerts 
• Checking the Transit Alerts Page 
• Checking X (Twitter) 
• Calling the Customer Information Phone Line at 604-953-3333. 

If you have an in-person appointment scheduled with a DABC advocate this Monday/Tuesday and will be unable to travel to the DABC office without accessing bus/SeaBus services, please contact your advocate to discuss either rescheduling or booking a virtual appointment instead.  

Read more about the strike here: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/cupe-4500-transit-supervisors-strike-action-bus-seabus-service/.

Disability Alliance BC has joined over 260 humanitarian, civil society, faith, and labour organizations in calling on the Government of Canada to: 

• Call for an immediate ceasefire in Israel-Palestine 
• Call for an end to the blockade of Gaza and for the restoration of humanitarian aid and access to the basic necessities of life.

While the temporary ceasefire will provide some relief, it is not enough: a permanent ceasefire and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine is needed to put an end to widespread loss of life, displacement, and intense suffering.  

We condemn all targeting of innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians, and the rise of Anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism in Canada and beyond. Palestinians, Israelis, and all people in the region deserve to live in peace and security and with justice for all. 

We encourage you to: sign a federal petition to the House of Commons, email your MP and political leaders, and join days of action if you’re able.  

Visit https://ceasefirenow.ca/ to learn more. 

DABC will be closed on Monday, October 2^nd, to acknowledge the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. While September 30^th has held this designation for years, this is the first year it is being recognized as a statutory holiday in BC.  

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours the children who never made it home from residential schools as well as the Survivors of those “schools,” and acknowledges both this terrible history as well as the ongoing impacts of residential schools and the challenges and injustices that Indigenous communities continue to face. It also encourages the celebration of Indigenous cultures.  

It is based on Orange Shirt Day, which was founded by Phyllis Webstad, a Survivor of residential school. You can learn more about Phyllis and this movement here: https://orangeshirtday.org/phyllis-story/. 

We encourage you to take this day to reflect, learn, and have conversations with people in your orbit. There are many commemorative events across Canada. This article has more information about the day and events across BC: 
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/truth-and-reconciliation-day-1.6981764.