Weekly wrap: Royals, LNG and a guy in a truck

It's always a big deal when relatives from England show up. Especially when they bring their adorable offspring.

British Columbians welcomed William, Kate, George and Charlotte this week. And as often happens with young kidsaround we ended up talking about gas.

A packed agenda

The Royals filled their eight-day visit to the West Coast with the kind of mind-boggling array of activities familiar to anyone who has ever hosted European visitors: 'Since we were in your part of the world anyway, we thoughtwe might check out some old friends inSt. John's and Toronto.'

They toured Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, endorsed the Great Bear Rainforest, visited the Legislature, met the prime minister,took the children to a tea party and picked up all kinds of souvenirs.

The Royals may have dominated the headlines, but this was also a big week in other news, starting with the federal government's approval of the Pacific NorthWest liquefiednatural gas project.

Ottawa approved the LNG projectwith 190 conditions. Backed by Petronas, the pipeline would help Premier Christy Clark deliver on the economic promises which put her into office in 2013.

The timingahead of next spring's election doesn't hurt either.

'Bye, Rashida'

Speaking of rewards a long time coming, the woman behind B.C.'s largest Ponzi scheme got hers this week in the form of a six-year prison sentence. Rashida Samji was found guilty of 14 counts of fraud.

A handful of victims watched her placed in handcuffs and one called out "Bye, Rashida" as a sheriff led the 63-year-old into custody. None were on hand a few hours later when she was released on bail pending an appeal.

A desperate plea for help from Burnaby RCMPresonated throughout Canada and Japan, as police asked for information about a man who was last seen with missing student NatsumiKogawa.

The 30-year-old was last seen in downtown Vancouver earlier in the month. RCMP released an image of a man who was seen walking with her at that time.

Sadly, Kogawa's body was found this week at a mansion in the West End. A man has been charged in relation to her death. Investigators are still working to find out what happened.

Finally, check outRaffertyBaker's piece on a 68-year-old man who is living in a tiny home he built on the flatbed of a classic truck. John Burn is nothing if not original even if his tahini doesn't sound all that appetizing.

But he's living proof of the unusual accommodationsnecessitated by Vancouver's out-of-control housing market. If you do decide to visit, make sure you go to the bathroom first.