British Columbia

Court rules B.C. law to push through Vancouver housing project is unconstitutional
VANCOUVER - The B.C. Court of Appeal says a law passed by the provincial government to stave off opposition to a supportive housing development in the Vancouver neighbourhood of Kitsilano is unconstitutional. The provincial government had adopted the law at the request of the City of Vancouver in 2023 to push through a...
6h ago
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Union for striking aviation fuel workers in Vancouver says aging pipeline poses risk
BURNABY, B.C. - A union representing striking aviation fuel workers in British Columbia is warning that diversion of the fuel to get around the industrial action could pose an environmental hazard. ILWU Local 502 says fuel from a tanker ship was diverted last week from a facility operated by employer SGS Canada to the ...
7h ago
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B.C. man charged over tractor crash with police during 2023 anti-SOGI protest
SURREY, B.C. - Mounties say a Chilliwack, B.C., man has been charged with three criminal offences after a crash between a tractor and BC Highway Patrol vehicle during a 2023 protest. They say the 54-year-old was arrested on Dec. 18 and will appear in Surrey Provincial Court on Jan. 16, charged with fleeing police, dang...
8h ago
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CN Rail cleans up after derailment plunges cars carrying grain into Fraser River
VANCOUVER - A derailment has sent rail cars carrying grain plunging into the Fraser River, and CN Rail says it's working to restore the tracks near Boston Bar, B.C. It says the incident involving about a dozen cars from a CPKC train on its mainline east of the Fraser Canyon community happened on Sunday due to a rocksli...
8h ago
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British Columbia

More than 280 million trees planted in 2024 in B.C., focus on fire-damaged areas
VICTORIA - British Columbia's forests ministry says more than 280 million trees were planted in the province this year. It says 13 different native tree species were chosen in its effort to preserve ecosystems and prioritize characteristics including resilience to climate change. The province says the reforestation eff...
9h ago
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Mounties in Squamish, B.C., recover stolen search-and-rescue equipment
SQUAMISH, B.C. - Mounties in Squamish, B.C., say they have recovered BC Parks and search-and-rescue equipment that was stolen this fall. They say in a news release that police received a report on Oct. 18 that a BC Parks storage unit had been broken into overnight and "large items" stolen. Then, on Nov. 21, t...
11h ago
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The rent-a-friend industry is booming among Canada's Chinese diaspora
Beijia Ge's work duties change on an hourly basis. The Kingston, Ont., resident might be chatting with Chinese students about their secrets and challenges, or helping someone pack a suitcase, or baking cakes with a senior citizen. "If you are alone on your birthday but still want someone to sing birthday songs or ...
19h ago
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Windy, stormy weather to hit British Columbia coast over Christmas holidays
The Christmas season will see some stormy weather visit British Columbia's coastlines. A special weather statement from Environment Canada notes a low system off the coast will bring strong winds Monday morning and intensify throughout the evening. The statement goes on to say that a powerful system will then hit the n...
20h ago
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Second mudslide victim's body found as more high winds strike B.C. coast
High winds are again hitting the coast of British Columbia, as gusts surpassing 100 km/h have been reported at several outlying islands. The continuing stormy weather comes as police say emergency crews have recovered the body of a second victim killed in a mudslide in the Sea to Sky region during another windstorm las...
Dec 22, 2024
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Drug superlabs leave a toxic mess. Some say B.C.'s cleanup rules are a mess, too
When Dean May's team of cleaners entered the home, dressed head to toe in protective suits, thick green dust covered every surface. "We literally left footprints when we were walking in the house," he recalled. They were traipsing through the toxic remnants of an illicit fentanyl pill-pressing operation in no...
Dec 22, 2024
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Oysters distributed in B.C., Alberta, Ontario recalled for norovirus contamination
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall due to possible norovirus contamination of certain oysters distributed in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. The agency says the recall covers certain Fanny Bay, Sunseeker and Cloudy Bay oysters under the Taylor Shellfish Canada brand. The recall says most of ...
Dec 21, 2024
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Two killed, one injured in Metro Vancouver vehicle crash
BURNABY, B.C. - Two people are dead after a major vehicle crash in Metro Vancouver early this morning. Mounties say the crash happened at the intersection of Boundary Road and Forest Street, on the Burnaby side of the city's border with Vancouver. Police say a vehicle was travelling west on Forest Street when it was hi...
Dec 21, 2024
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Environment Canada issues warnings as more high winds expected along B.C. coast
VANCOUVER - Residents of parts of the British Columbia coast are again bracing for high winds, with gusts forecasted to reach 110 km/h in some areas. Environment Canada says a wind warning has been issued in parts of B.C.'s central coast including Bella Bella and Klemtu. The forecast calls for high winds as a "vig...
Dec 21, 2024
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Music maker, 88, creates unique horn section, with moose antler bass guitar and cello
Eighty-eight-year-old Lorne Collie has been making musical instruments for more than three decades, creations that dazzle for their unique materials as much as their sound. There's a hefty bass guitar and a cello made of moose antlers, a baseball bat violin, ukuleles made of cookie tins, and guitars fashioned from pitc...
Dec 21, 2024
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B.C. mayor gets calls from across Canada about 'crazy' plan to recruit doctors
The mayor of the suburban Victoria community of Colwood says he's getting calls from municipal leaders across Canada who have heard about his community's "out-of-the-box" plan to recruit family doctors as city workers. Mayor Doug Kobayashi announced this week that Colwood has hired its first family doctor for...
Dec 20, 2024
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces new lieutenant-governor for B.C.
VICTORIA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced the appointment of longtime businesswoman and philanthropist Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia as British Columbia's 31st lieutenant-governor. Trudeau says in a statement that Lisogar-Cocchia is a respected entrepreneur in the hospitality industry and a dedicated community lea...
Dec 20, 2024
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BC Civil Liberties Association calls for review of MAID legislation
VANCOUVER - The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association is calling on the provincial and federal governments to review medically-assisted dying legislation to ensure proper safeguards are in place. The association's executive director Liza Hughes says in a statement that it's aware of "concerning reports"...
Dec 20, 2024
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Nurse impersonator sentenced to four more years in prison by B.C. Supreme Court
VANCOUVER - A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced a woman with an extensive criminal history of impersonating nurses in several provinces to four years in prison, tacking on more time to a sentence she is already serving in Ontario. Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes says the prospects of rehabilitat...
Dec 20, 2024
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Former B.C. premier Glen Clark has been appointed as the new BC Hydro chair
VICTORIA - Former B.C. premier Glen Clark is returning to the public eye, two years after leaving his high-profile position as president of Jim Pattison Group. The provincial government has announced that Clark has been appointed to chair BC Hydro's board of directors, taking over for Lori Wanamaker, whose term ends on...
Dec 20, 2024
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B.C. repeals public drug use law after challenge and Ottawa's similar changes
VICTORIA - The British Columbia government has repealed a law it passed last year to restrict drug use in some public areas because successful court challenges prevented it from being brought into force. Garry Begg, B.C.'s solicitor general and public safety minister, says in a statement the government has revoked the ...
Dec 19, 2024
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Landslide on tracks stops Amtrak passenger runs between Seattle and Vancouver
WHITE ROCK, B.C. - A landslide that blocked railway tracks has stopped Amtrak passenger service between Vancouver and Seattle. Amtrak says in a statement Thursday that the landslide near White Rock, B.C., led Burlington Northern Santa Fa Railway to place a 48-hour moratorium on passenger service. It's unclear how exten...
Dec 19, 2024
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Family says man received MAID on psychiatric day pass, files wrongful-death lawsuit
VANCOUVER - The family of a 52-year-old man who received medical assistance in dying while on a day pass from a Vancouver psychiatric hospital has launched a constitutional challenge to the procedure's legal framework. The notice of civil claim filed Friday at the B.C. Supreme Court says the businessman and father of t...
Dec 19, 2024
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Forfeited Hells Angels clubhouse in Kelowna, B.C., sold to the city
A former Hells Angels clubhouse that was seized by the British Columbia government in 2023 after years of fighting in court has been sold to the City of Kelowna. A statement from Public Safety Minister Garry Begg says the sale of the home in Kelowna includes a "right of entry," which means the province's civi...
Dec 19, 2024
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Ryan Reynolds 'honoured' and 'a bit more officery' after Order of Canada naming
VANCOUVER - "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds thanked the country after he was named as an officer of the Order of Canada, saying the nation shaped and continues to inspire him. In a short statement, the B.C. native and movie superstar told Canada he was "yours forever - just a bit more officery now" a...
Dec 19, 2024
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CP NewsAlert: Police union criticizes assault case's handling after officer's suicide
VANCOUVER - The president of the Vancouver Police Union has criticized the handling of a sexual assault case that ended in the suicide of a Central Saanich Police officer. Ralph Kaisers says in a letter to members that was obtained by The Canadian Press that the "tragic loss" of the officer came after public ...
Dec 19, 2024
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Dozens get sick with 'norovirus-like' illness after eating raw B.C. oysters
VANCOUVER - Health officials in British Columbia say at least 64 people have become sick after eating raw oysters from restaurants and retail locations. A statement from the BC Centre for Disease Control and the provincial health authority says the "norovirus-like" gastrointestinal illnesses have been reporte...
Dec 19, 2024
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Latest B.C. storm brings 140 km/h gusts to Vancouver Island amid wind, snow warnings
VANCOUVER - Winds approaching 140 km/h have been hitting Vancouver Island weather stations after Environment Canada issued the latest in a series of wind warnings for the B.C. coast. It says the warnings cover exposed coastal sections of the island's north and B.C.'s central coast, with a Pacific frontal system approac...
Dec 19, 2024
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'Running in fear': Documents depict chaos, confusion over Reclaiming Canada event
When the organizer of the We Unify Reclaiming Canada event contacted officials about booking the Victoria Conference Centre, he touted invitees from across the political spectrum, including liberal luminaries such as Amal Clooney, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, B.C.'s NDP Premier David Eby, movie stars and more. Jonath...
Dec 19, 2024
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