It took less than 24 hours for ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft to get up and running after B.C.’s Passenger Transportation Board approved their operation in the Lower Mainland and Whistler this week.
But the nearly eight-year journey that preceded those first few rides in the city? Anything but swift.
And even though Metro Vancouverites can hail a ride through the tap of an app, the rest of the province is still waiting for their opportunity.
Here’s what it took for ride-hailing to arrive in the city:
Summer 2012: Uber soft launches — unofficially — in Vancouver
Uber operated unofficially in Vancouver in the summer of 2012. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
While Uber, a San-Francisco based ride-hailing company, launches in Toronto in March, it also has an unofficial soft-launch in Vancouver during the summer.
Nov. 28, 2012: Uber withdraws from Vancouver
After operating unofficially for six months, Uber withdraws from Vancouver after the Passenger Transportation Board imposes a minimum fare of $75 per trip.
September 2014: Social media abuzz with rumours of Uber’s return
Uber begins tweeting its intention to return to Vancouver and puts ads on Facebook to recruit drivers.
Nov. 3, 2014: Province announces undercover checks to combat Uber
B.C. Transportation Minister Todd Stone vows to run stings against Uber drivers should the alternate-taxi service try to set up shop in B.C. 2:17
Amid the rumours Uber is coming, Transportation Minister Todd Stone says plainclothes transit agents posing as potential customers will be deployed to ensure taxis and their drivers are operating by B.C.’s rules, which are enforced to ensure passenger safety.
Nov. 5, 2014: Vancouver taxi companies sue Uber
Vancouver’s taxi industry fires a pre-emptive strike against Uber, alleging in a lawsuit that the U.S.-based company is preparing to launch with unlicensed drivers in an attempt to illegally undercut traditional cabs. Uber responds by calling the taxi industry a “cartel.” They drop the lawsuit in March 2015.
Oct. 30, 2015: Vancouver council says no to new taxi licences, Uber
A woman approaches a taxi in Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood on Dec. 31, 2019. (Maggie MacPherson/CBC)
Michael Van Hemmen, public policy manager for Uber Canada, makes an informal pitch for ride hailing to Vancouver city council. Even though they agree the city is short on cabs — especially during peak hours, council votes to not open the streets up to more competition.
Feb. 16, 2016: Uber CEO slams regulations at Vancouver TED talk
In 2016, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick takes on his familiar foe at TED: regulations, which he claims are standing in the way of cutting pollution and traffic woes. (Bret Hartman/TED)
“Old rules need to bend,” Uber CEO Travis Kalanick reportedly tells an audience, making the pitch that Uber could create jobs and help cut traffic and pollution.
April 25, 2016: B.C. Green Party introduces ride-hailing legislation
The B.C. Green Party introduces legislation to “start a conversation” about bringing ride-hailing companies to British Columbia. The bill, introduced by Green Party leader Andrew Weaver, would require ride-hailing drivers to get a background check. This is the first of three attempts the Green Party makes to introduce ride-hailing legislation.
Oct. 19, 2016: Vancouver council bans Uber for another year
City council votes in favour of extending a moratorium on issuing new taxi licences for another year. This means there will be no new taxis on Vancouver streets until at least October 2017, and that Uber cabs will be unable to break into B.C.’s taxi market.
March 7, 2017: Liberals promise Uber if they win the election
Uber and other ride-hailing companies will be available by December, announces B.C. Transportation Minister Todd Stone, contingent on the B.C. Liberal party winning the 2017 provincial election. Taxi advocates plan to challenge the decision.
May 9, 2017: B.C. general election topples government
British Columbia NDP Leader John Horgan gives the thumbs up to the crowd at his election night speech during British Columbia’s provincial election in Vancouver on May 10, 2017. (Nick Didlick/Reuters)
No single party wins the majority of seats, but the Greens say they will provide confidence to an NDP minority government. NDP leader John Horgan becomes premier, succeeding B.C. Liberal leader Christy Clark. The future of ride-hailing is unclear.
Sept. 27, 2017: New transportation minister mum on ride-hailing timeline
B.C.’s new transportation minister, Claire Trevena, says ride-hailing legislation won’t be coming from the government anytime soon in response to a question put to her during the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference.
“It’s too complicated. The previous government [wanted] it by the end of the year. I don’t want to do that,” Trevena says.
Aug. 25, 2017:Uber creates an accidental ice cream debacle
The online app promises to deliver free Earnest ice-cream and Uber promotional items to anybody in Vancouver who downloads the app and requests ice cream between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. PT Aug. 25.
But instead of a sweet treat, many users are met with an “Ice Cream Unavailable” message. Social media users rage.
Nov. 13, 2017: Lyft arrives in Canada
An advertisement for ride sharing app Lyft is pictured in Vancouver on Jan. 23, 2020. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Uber’s biggest rival, San Francisco-based Lyft eyes the Toronto market, it’s first move outside of the U.S., where it operates in 300 cities.
Nov. 23, 2017: Provincial committee created to investigate ride-hailing
Andrew Weaver, B.C. Green Party leader, has been a strong proponent of ride-hailing in the province. His party introduced legislation to support the practice three times. (Mike McArthur/CBC)
Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green Party, announces that a select standing committee made up of MLAs from all three parties will investigate ride-hailing for the province and produce a report by February 2018 that will inform future legislation allowing the service.
Nine organizations in British Columbia join forces to advocate for ride-hailing services in the province as soon as possible. The group is called Ridesharing Now for B.C.
Feb. 15, 2018: Government committee report: ‘Yes!’ to ride-hailing
The all-party MLA committee completes its report, which supports a plan for ride-hailing services throughout the province.
June 22, 2018: ‘There really isn’t a delay’
Transportation Minister Claire Trevena says the introduction of ride-hailing is running on schedule, despite claims from critics to the contrary.
Legislation supporting ride-hailing in B.C. finally passed in 2018. (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)
The B.C. government introduces legislation to allow ride-hailing in the province by sometime in 2019. The proposed changes include amendments to eight provincial statutes. It passes.
July 8, 2019: Regulations for drivers, companies revealed
The province reveals regulations for ride-hailing, including Class 4 licences for drivers, and ride-hailing companies paying a $5,000 annual fee to operate.
Sept. 4, 2019: Vancouver taxis go back to court
The taxi industry has fought a long battle with ride-hailing apps. (Reuters)
A group of Vancouver-based taxi companies asks the Supreme Court of B.C. to quash rules recently introduced by the Passenger Transportation Board that would allow ride-hailing to begin legally operating in B.C.
Jan. 23, 2020: Uber, Lyft approved for Lower Mainland, Whistler
Vancouver celebrity chef Vikram Vij takes the first Lyft ride in Vancouver on Friday, Jan. 24. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft are approved to operate in the Lower Mainland, including Metro Vancouver. Less than 24 hours later, drivers hit the streets.
CALGARY – TC Energy Corp. has lowered the estimated cost of its Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico.
It says it now expects the project to cost between US$3.9 billion and US$4.1 billion compared with its original estimate of US$4.5 billion.
The change came as the company reported a third-quarter profit attributable to common shareholders of C$1.46 billion or $1.40 per share compared with a loss of C$197 million or 19 cents per share in the same quarter last year.
Revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30 totalled C$4.08 billion, up from C$3.94 billion in the third quarter of 2023.
TC Energy says its comparable earnings for its latest quarter amounted to C$1.03 per share compared with C$1.00 per share a year earlier.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
BCE Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter as it recorded $2.11 billion in asset impairment charges, mainly related to Bell Media’s TV and radio properties.
The company says its net loss attributable to common shareholders amounted to $1.24 billion or $1.36 per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $640 million or 70 cents per share a year earlier.
On an adjusted basis, BCE says it earned 75 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 81 cents per share in the same quarter last year.
“Bell’s results for the third quarter demonstrate that we are disciplined in our pursuit of profitable growth in an intensely competitive environment,” BCE chief executive Mirko Bibic said in a statement.
“Our focus this quarter, and throughout 2024, has been to attract higher-margin subscribers and reduce costs to help offset short-term revenue impacts from sustained competitive pricing pressures, slow economic growth and a media advertising market that is in transition.”
Operating revenue for the quarter totalled $5.97 billion, down from $6.08 billion in its third quarter of 2023.
BCE also said it now expects its revenue for 2024 to fall about 1.5 per cent compared with earlier guidance for an increase of zero to four per cent.
The company says the change comes as it faces lower-than-anticipated wireless product revenue and sustained pressure on wireless prices.
BCE added 33,111 net postpaid mobile phone subscribers, down 76.8 per cent from the same period last year, which was the company’s second-best performance on the metric since 2010.
It says the drop was driven by higher customer churn — a measure of subscribers who cancelled their service — amid greater competitive activity and promotional offer intensity. BCE’s monthly churn rate for the category was 1.28 per cent, up from 1.1 per cent during its previous third quarter.
The company also saw 11.6 per cent fewer gross subscriber activations “due to more targeted promotional offers and mobile device discounting compared to last year.”
Bell’s wireless mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.26, down 3.4 per cent from $60.28 in the third quarter of the prior year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada Goose Holdings Inc. trimmed its financial guidance as it reported its second-quarter revenue fell compared with a year ago.
The luxury clothing company says revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 29 totalled $267.8 million, down from $281.1 million in the same quarter last year.
Net income attributable to shareholders amounted to $5.4 million or six cents per diluted share, up from $3.9 million or four cents per diluted share a year earlier.
On an adjusted basis, Canada Goose says it earned five cents per diluted share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 16 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
In its outlook, Canada Goose says it now expects total revenue for its full financial year to show a low-single-digit percentage decrease to low-single-digit percentage increase compared with earlier guidance for a low-single-digit increase.
It also says it now expects its adjusted net income per diluted share to show a mid-single-digit percentage increase compared with earlier guidance for a percentage increase in the mid-teens.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
