The union representing transit workers in the Sea-to-Sky region says a new contract has been ratified, effectively ending the longest transit strike in BC history. Unifor says workers have voted in favour of the agreement with PW Transit that includes a groundbreaking Cost of Living Adjustment that will kick in if the average monthly consumer price index in BC exceeds annual wage increases allowed in the deal. The union's western regional director Gavin McGarrigle says Unifor was also successful at closing a wage gap between transit workers in Vancouver and the Sea-to-Sky region. McGarrigle s

A Dutch police officer has described finding cash, a passport and a hard drive hidden inside a stereo in the home of the man accused of extorting British Columbia teenager Amanda Todd. Erik Verstraten told the B.C. Supreme Court trial for Aydin Coban that he found 10,000 euros in cash and a passport belonging to the man during the search of the home near the Dutch city of Tilburg, in January 2014. Coban has pleaded not guilty to charges of extortion, harassment, communication with a young person to commit a sexual offence and possessing child pornography. Verstraten told the jury trial he fou

The man who became the face of Abbotsford's recent flooding disaster, delivering calm, understandable, daily updates throughout the emergency, says he won't be seeking re-election. Mayor Henry Braun says in a social media post that after ``deep and detailed'' consideration he has decided to leave municipal politics. His last day as mayor is set for November 7th, three weeks after the October 15th municipal vote. Braun has served on council in the Fraser Valley city for 11 years, one term as a councillor and the last eight years as mayor.

The World Sikh Organization is calling for an investigation into a false tip that led to the wrongful arrest of two organizers of a Sikh rally near Parliament Hill. The organization's president says Canadian law enforcement should fully investigate and prosecute those involved. Tejinder Singh Sidhu says in a statement that the ``hoax bomb threat'' in connection to the Sikh rally on Saturday is ``deeply concerning.'' The two rally organizers say they were wrongfully arrested in connection with a bomb threat that prompted an evacuation of Parliament and the closure of surrounding streets.

The federal government is promising a total of 77 million dollars to rebuild the Village of Lytton, including 64 million dollars to help pay for fire-resistant public buildings. Harjit Sajjan, the minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, was in Lytton this morning to make the announcement. He says the federal government has also pledged just over seven million dollars to rebuild area businesses and six million dollars to support the reconstruction of homes. Two people died last June 30th and almost every building in Lytton was destroyed when a wildfire swept

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says the Canadian government will suspend COVID-19 vaccine mandates for domestic and outbound international travellers and federally regulated workers. The new rules will come into effect on June 20, though the requirements for foreign nationals coming to Canada will not change. Intergovernmental affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc warns the government is prepared to ``bring back'' necessary policies if there's a resurgence of the virus in the fall. Travel industry groups have blamed federal public health measures and mandates for slowdowns at airport customs tha

Alberta's United Conservative Party has announced rules for a leadership contest to be held Oct. 6 to choose a new leader and the province's next premier. Candidates must each put up a non-refundable entry fee of $150,000, along with $25,000 that will be returned to them as long as they don't breach the rules. Ballots are to be preferential and will consist of mail-in and in-person votes at five locations. Eligible candidates must also get a nomination petition signed by at least 1,000 party members from across the province. The deadline for the required signatures and first instalment of the

A three-member team of Punjab Police reached Pune on Tuesday where it is likely to interrogate the accused Santosh Jadhav, in connection with the Sidhu Moose Waala murder case. Jadhav was arrested on Sunday night after which he was produced before a court in Pune around midnight on Sunday along with Navnath Suryawanshi, who is his aide, and they were remanded in police custody till June 20. Pune Rural Police on Monday said they have arrested a man and his aide, who has been named as a suspect in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala. Santosh Jadhav and Navnath Suryawanshi were arrested

Mexico's government wants citizens to produce more of their own food in a move toward self-sufficiency and lower prices in key products. The idea isn't new, but the ravages of the pandemic, climate change and the market turmoil created by the war in Ukraine have given it new urgency. The government wants to head off food insecurity in a country where 44% of its population lives in poverty and where 27.5 million tons of corn are produced, but more than 40 million tons are consumed. Some farmers are hopeful about additional government financial help and subsidized fertilizer. Others are suspic