Dirty Money in B.C. – What They Want You to Forget (Part 1

💸 Dirty Money in B.C. – What They Want You to Forget (Part 1)

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

Do you remember the Cullen Commission? You should. It was one of the most explosive public inquiries in B.C. history, revealing how billions of dollars in dirty money flowed through our province’s casinos, housing market, luxury cars — even art and horse racing.

The final report landed in June 2022 with over 1,800 pages of damning detail. But today? You barely hear a word about it.

Let’s change that.

🔎 What Was the Cullen Commission?

Officially called the Cullen Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in British Columbia, it was led by Justice Austin Cullen to investigate how organized crime used B.C. to launder vast amounts of cash — and why authorities failed to stop it.

The numbers were shocking:

• Tens of billions of dollars laundered over decades
• Casinos accepting bricks of $20 bills — no questions asked
• Luxury homes bought with dirty money, worsening the housing crisis
• Regulators, banks, and even law enforcement turning a blind eye

🌐 The Vancouver Model

This style of laundering became so infamous, they named it: The Vancouver Model. Here’s how it worked:

1. Drug money is brought into a casino in cash
2. It’s used to gamble or buy chips, then cashed out “clean”
3. The laundered money is moved into real estate or luxury items

It was happening in plain sight — and everyone from banks to government officials knew.

⚠️ Why It Still Matters

While the rich and powerful launder money and get away with it, the rest of us face:

• Skyrocketing housing prices
• Underfunded social services
• Rising inequality and distrust in government

And yet... no criminal charges have been laid as a result of the inquiry.

The system still isn’t fixed. And now, it seems, the story is being quietly buried.

📣 Time to Wake Up, B.C.

This is Part 1 of a 5-part series. Each day, we’ll break down a different piece of the puzzle — because you deserve to know what really happened and why it affects your life today.

Tomorrow: Part 2 – Casino Corruption: Bags of Cash and the VIP Treatment

💭 Reflective Questions:

• Do you remember hearing about the Cullen Commission? What stood out to you?
• How has the housing crisis or public service cuts affected your life personally?

#CullenCommission #MoneyLaundering #BCHousingCrisis #ZipolitaSpeaks #DirtyMoney #FollowTheMoney