From police cats to a UBC Hawaiian campus, you've been punk'd, B.C. - Action News
Home WebMail Monday, November 11, 2024, 06:23 AM | Calgary | -1.6°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
British Columbia

From police cats to a UBC Hawaiian campus, you've been punk'd, B.C.

On this day of tomfoolery, schools,businesses and police departmentsin B.C.tried to dupe us.Here are some of the highlights.

Nothing in the province was safe on a day that celebrates mischief

The Abbotsford Police Department went a little overboard with its pet therapy initiative. (Abbotsford Police Department/Twitter)

Happy April Fool's Day!

On thisday of tomfoolery, schools,businesses and police departmentsin B.C.made sure we were duped, tricked and punk'd.

Here are some of the highlights or lowlights, depending on who you ask.

Cactus Club: Floating restaurant

This one is annoying, because you wish it was actually true.

Cactus Club Cafannounced Club Island, a stand-alone floating restaurant just off the shores of Stanley Park and a groundbreaking vision of patio goals.

Bonus points for styling the ads after the Fyre Festival music festival, which also turned out to be a belated April Fool's joke.

UBC: Hawaii campus

Throw on your leis, UBCstudents, 'cause you're going to Hawaii.

UBCpresident Santa Ono said the school is opening a new campusin the sun-kissed oasis in 2021.

To make things easier for everyone, faculty, staff and students will get their round-trip transportation and sunscreen covered in the first year, Ono said.

No word yet on how this will affect tuition.

B.C.RCMP: Police cats

Sure, dogs are great and a natural fit for police work.

But frankly, cats have been overlookedfor far too long. Enter the B.C.RCMPand itspolice cat initiative.

Any cat entering the training program must be moody, aloof and pensive, RCMP say.

One question: where does one get a police uniform for a cat?

District of Sechelt: noise-emitting speakers

Sechelt, a small community on the lower Sunshine Coast, said it would be installing noise-emitting speakers in parks to reduce human and wildlife interactions.

Sechelt Mayor Darnelda Siegers, right, and community advocate Tony Browtown show off the noise-emitting speaker. (Supplied by District of Sechelt)

The wireless speakers would be hooked to rocks, trees and benches to ward off animals.

A simple and understated prank;so much so that one of our own CBC reporters was duped by theannouncement.

Daily Hive: BC Ferriescruise line

Introducing Seaquest, an upscale cruise linefrom the minds that brought youthe SalishEagle vessel, where no one can figure out the doors.

Fret not, however the ships will not be an "extension of the provincial highway system," assured BC Ferries in a satirical storypublished in the Daily Hive.

Instead, the two $2.3-billion vessels with a tonnage nearly five times the size of the current largest vessels willshepherd 3,200 passengers, offeringamenities such as a Lego-themed pool and, er,a 213-metre-long roller coaster with speeds to 55 km/h.

Abbotsfordpolice: Take your pets to work

Horses, snakes, tarantulas and tortoisestook over the Abbotsford Police Department, all thanks to a new employee wellness initiative that apparently let staff bring their pets in to work.

Check out the Abbotsford police zoo!

Police reported service delays at their counter, limited parking and allergy flare-ups.

The diversity of animals in this video is impressive, especially the rooster perched on the gym weight.

Vancouver Fire Rescue: horses in, fire trucks out

The next time a blaze breaks out, expect firefighters to come trotting by on horses.

But no joke, this was a reality back in 1899, when horses pulled around hose wagons.

Vancouver Fire Rescue said it would be honouring thetradition by bringing back the horses to select halls.