More than 300 wildfires have been recorded in British Columbia since April 1, with most of them now extinguished, according to the BC Wildfire Service and provincial officials. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said there are currently 20 active wildfires across the province. Five of those fires were reported within the past 24 hours. According to Parmar, 14 of the active fires were caused by human activity, while four were sparked by lightning. The causes of the remaining two fires are still under investigation. Data from the BC Wildfire Service shows that 333 wildfires have been recorded in Briti

Longtime Alberta politician Joe Ceci says he will not seek re-election in the province's next general election, scheduled for the fall of 2027. Ceci served as Alberta's finance minister in former premier Rachel Notley's New Democratic government from 2015 to 2019, becoming the province's only NDP finance minister. During his time in cabinet, the government increased the minimum wage and expanded funding for family and community support programs. His tenure also coincided with a sharp downturn in oil prices that contributed to significant provincial budget deficits. The NDP government argued th

A review of Alberta legislators' expense disclosures for the last fiscal year shows elected officials across party lines claimed expenses ranging from high-end restaurant meals to small everyday purchases, prompting questions from political observers about public perception and accountability. Under Alberta's legislative rules, members of the legislative assembly receive budgets to operate constituency offices, cover travel costs and host constituents and stakeholders. MLAs are also required to publicly disclose expense reports with itemized receipts. Among the larger expenses, Municipal Affai

Officials in Edmonton and several neighbouring communities are urging residents to reduce water use after heavy rainfall caused localized flooding and pushed stormwater and sewer systems toward capacity. The City of Edmonton issued a water supply alert, saying flooding and sewer backups have been reported in surrounding areas and warning that additional problems could occur if the stormwater system continues operating above capacity. Utility provider Epcor asked customers to delay activities that use large amounts of water, including showering, running washing machines and dishwashers, and to

Canada's annual inflation rate rose to 3.2 per cent in May, up from 2.8 per cent in April and marking its highest level since December 2023, according to Statistics Canada. The federal statistics agency said the increase was driven largely by a sharp rise in gasoline prices. Gas prices were up 33.2 per cent compared with the same month a year earlier, reflecting concerns over crude oil supplies linked to conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Statistics Canada said Canadians faced the highest prices for gasoline and diesel since June 2022, pushing inflation above

A 30-year-old Vancouver man was taken to hospital with minor injuries after allegedly fleeing police and crashing into a tree in downtown Vancouver on Thursday. According to the Vancouver Police Department, officers identified a vehicle being driven by a prohibited driver after an automatic licence plate reader in a patrol vehicle flagged a car with expired insurance. Police said the vehicle was being operated by a driver who was prohibited from driving. Police attempted to stop the vehicle near Howe and Robson streets. Investigators allege the driver failed to stop and fled through an undergr

The British Columbia government has approved an amended environmental assessment certificate allowing underground block-cave mining at the Red Chris Mine in northwestern B.C., according to a decision announced following a review by the Environmental Assessment Office. The Red Chris Mine currently operates as an open-pit copper and gold mine. The amended certificate permits the project to transition to block-caving, an underground mining method that extracts ore from beneath the surface. The approval follows consultation with the Tahltan Central Government, which provided its consent for the am

The federal government has imposed a temporary 10 per cent tariff on imports of certain canned vegetables, a measure Ottawa says is intended to support Canadian producers facing international market pressures. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced Friday that the surtax takes effect immediately and could remain in place for up to 200 days. According to the federal government, the measure is designed to provide temporary protection for Canada's domestic canned vegetable industry while authorities assess market conditions. The tariff will not apply to imports from the United St

A crane operator remains missing after a commercial vehicle left a bridge and entered the Wapiti River near Grande Prairie, according to the RCMP. Police said the incident occurred Tuesday when the crane struck a guardrail on the Wapiti River Bridge and went into the river. Emergency crews, including RCMP officers, firefighters and search and rescue volunteers, responded to the scene. RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mathew Howell said the crane remains submerged. The cause of the collision is under investigation. According to RCMP, divers have not been able to enter the river because of strong currents