Hanna Hett

Hanna Hett connects business and policy decisions to their impact on everyday life, focusing on how wages, prices, and public services shape living conditions in British Columbia. She is a staff writer at Daily Hive, where she covers cost of living, provincial finances, infrastructure, and social policy through clear, data‑driven reporting and practical examples drawn from residents’ day‑to‑day experience.

Cost of living, wages, and affordability

Much of Hett’s recent work traces how economic trends translate into household pressures, with a particular emphasis on wages, prices, and affordability. In pieces on how some B.C. residents are planning to combat cost of living woes, she reports on people cutting back on dining out, shopping, and entertainment to manage rising expenses, framing personal stories within broader inflation and price trends. She examines labour income directly in articles such as “B.C. has one of the highest average hourly wages in Canada” and “Here’s how B.C.’s average wage stacks up against the rest of Canada,” comparing the province to national figures while noting that high wages coexist with some of the country’s most expensive living costs. Her coverage of BC Ferries becoming more expensive continues this thread, treating transportation fares as part of the affordability equation for residents who rely on public services.

Housing and demographic shifts appear frequently in her business coverage. In “Vancouver to see second-biggest drop in home prices among major cities this year,” she looks at forecasts for local home prices and explains that even with projected declines, homes remain far from cheap. She reports on U‑Haul naming the most moveable city in B.C., using moving data to illustrate where people are relocating and how population growth is changing across the province. In “B.C. city named best in the country for wealth-life balance,” she links economic indicators to quality of life, highlighting how income, costs, and amenities intersect in specific communities. Across these pieces, her distinction lies in using concrete comparisons and accessible metrics to show how business and economic trends affect residents’ choices and opportunities.

Provincial finances, policy, and regulation

Hett frequently covers provincial fiscal health and regulatory decisions, treating business and credit developments as public‑interest stories rather than purely financial news. In “Is B.C. doing enough to address its historic deficit? Credit report says no,” she reports on a downgrade to the province’s credit rating and explains what the report says about government efforts to address long‑standing budget gaps. She brings the implications of credit assessments into view for readers by connecting them to future borrowing costs and fiscal room for public services. Her reporting on Lower Mainland firms fined nearly $30,000 in traffic control violations similarly translates regulatory actions into plain language, detailing what rules were broken and how enforcement affects local businesses and safety.

Policy reversals and intergovernmental agreements are another recurring subject. In coverage of B.C. backing away from its drug decriminalization pilot after “careful consideration,” she outlines the provincial government’s reasoning and the practical consequences of ending a controversial policy experiment. When B.C. and Washington State sign a friendly agreement despite wider Canada‑U.S. tensions, she highlights how cross‑border cooperation continues at the regional level, focusing on shared interests and the economic and political significance of the partnership. A consistent element in these stories is her attention to what official decisions mean for residents’ daily experience, whether through changes to services, enforcement, or long‑term fiscal outlook.

Infrastructure, environment, and public safety

Hett’s reporting often situates business and policy coverage within the physical and environmental context of the province. Transportation and infrastructure feature prominently: she has covered another overpass strike causing a partial shutdown on a major B.C. highway, spelling out expected traffic delays and the operational and safety implications for drivers and freight movement. In public art and urban design, she reports on Langley City’s plan to repurpose a retired Mark I SkyTrain car in a public space, linking transit infrastructure to civic identity and community use of shared spaces. Her article on why the Burrard Bridge will glow green for St. John Ambulance’s 115th anniversary uses a familiar landmark to explain how organizations mark milestones and engage the public.

Environmental conditions and climate‑related risks appear in her work as well. In “Why this Lower Mainland river is one of B.C.’s most endangered,” she examines ecological threats and conservation efforts around a specific waterway, explaining what makes it vulnerable and how authorities aim to protect it. Her piece on the lack of snow in Vancouver describes a snowpack nearly 40% lower than usual and explores what reduced snowfall means for local water supply and long‑term climate patterns. She also covers operational responses to environmental challenges, such as provincial plans to aerial spray for spongy moths in the Lower Mainland to eradicate invasive pests. Across infrastructure and environmental stories, her reporting stands out for linking technical details to concrete impacts on transportation networks, ecosystems, and community safety.

Health, social issues, and community stories

Beyond business and infrastructure, Hett writes frequently about social policy, health, and community narratives that intersect with public systems and professional work. In her coverage of B.C. ending mask requirements in medical settings and subsequent calls from health groups to reinstate mandates, she details the timeline of policy changes and the concerns of advocates pushing for renewed protections in healthcare environments. She has reported on questions of whether B.C. is getting safer, using government statements and crime data to explore trends in public safety and how official claims compare with residents’ perceptions. Education and workplace behaviour appear in her earlier report on a Maple Ridge teacher reprimanded for telling an international student to “go back to Spain” and making a student with asthma run track, where she focuses on disciplinary findings and standards of conduct in schools.

Her feature work includes profiles and arts coverage that maintain a focus on professional and civic life. She has written about a Canadian pioneer in forensic nursing, highlighting the development of a specialized field and the subject’s contributions to healthcare and justice. In the arts section, she covers events such as a Whistler Summer Concert Series and local celebrity stories, adding cultural context to her broader news and business reporting. She also produces partner content for organizations such as ICBC, indicating experience with branded storytelling alongside her newsroom work. Taken together, her portfolio shows a reporter who consistently connects business, policy, and social issues, telling stories where economic and regulatory choices are grounded in the realities of communities, workplaces, and public institutions.