A 44-year-old foreign national has been sentenced to four years in prison following a Canadian Border Services Agency investigation into firearms offences at a British Columbia port of entry. According to the Canadian Border Services Agency, Reuben Velasquez was sentenced on Feb. 3, 2026, in Williams Lake Provincial Court after being convicted of two offences under the Criminal Code: possession of a loaded, prohibited or restricted firearm without authorization or licence under section 95(1), and unauthorized possession of a firearm under section 91(1). The charges stem from an incident on Sep

A man is in custody after an ATM was stolen during a break and enter at a business in Abbotsford late Sunday night, according to the Abbotsford Police Department. Police say officers responded at about 9:09 p.m. to a report of a break-in at a business in the 36300 block of Auguston Parkway in the city’s McKee area. According to police, suspects had already fled by the time officers arrived. The business sustained damage during the incident and an ATM was reported stolen. At approximately 9:41 p.m., a resident contacted police to report a suspicious vehicle near Wells Gray Avenue and McKinley

Voting has begun in the federal New Democratic Party leadership race to replace Jagmeet Singh, with party members able to cast ballots until March 28. A party official said about 100,000 members are eligible to vote in the contest. The winner will be announced March 29 at the party’s annual convention in Winnipeg. Five candidates are seeking the leadership: union leader Rob Ashton, social worker Tanille Johnston, filmmaker Avi Lewis, Heather McPherson and farmer Tony McQuail. Fundraising disclosures filed with Elections Canada show Lewis leading the race financially. The party’s latest qua

The City of Calgary is asking residents to limit water use for the next month as crews shut down a major feeder main for additional repairs. City officials say the Bearspaw South Feeder Main – which carries about 60 per cent of Calgary’s treated drinking water – has been taken offline while crews reinforce sections of the aging pipe. During the shutdown, residents in Calgary and nearby communities are being asked to conserve water by taking shorter showers and reducing toilet flushing. According to the City of Calgary, the shutdown follows a December incident in which the pipe burst thro

The federal Liberal government has proposed holding a House of Commons debate Monday evening on the ongoing conflict involving Iran and the potential impact on Canadians in the region, according to government House leader Steven MacKinnon. MacKinnon, who also serves as transport minister, said in a Sunday post on the social platform X that the government had put forward the proposal to opposition parties. The debate would focus on hostilities involving Iran and the implications for Canadians abroad. Media representatives for the New Democratic Party and the Conservative Party of Canada did not

Premier David Eby was in Surrey today. At around 10 a.m., he toured the new Surrey Hospital and BC Cancer Centre, being built near 180 Street and James Hill Drive in Surrey. He held technical discussions with trades team and the hospital representatives regarding construction works and the hospital. Speaking to the media after the visit, Premier said “the last time I came to this place, this seemed like a big hole in the ground, and today the construction work of the hospital is progressing in the right direction.” The Premier, while explaining the information gathered from the sites duri

Canada’s Minister of Canada–U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc is scheduled to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington today as both countries prepare for a mandatory review of the continental trade agreement known as Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement. LeBlanc’s office said the meeting will focus on the upcoming review of the pact, commonly called CUSMA, as well as other bilateral trade issues between Canada and the United States. The agreement, which also includes Mexico, requires a joint review by member countries to determine whether the deal will continue or

The British Columbia legislature has passed Bill 5, the Trade Recognition Act, with support from all parties, a move the provincial government says will reduce interprovincial trade barriers and expand market access for businesses. The legislation allows goods and services that are legally sold in another Canadian province or territory to be sold in British Columbia without requiring duplicate provincial certification, according to the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. Jobs and Economic Growth Minister Ravi Kahlon said the measure builds on previous efforts to streamline i

An Australian coroner says a 19-year-old woman from British Columbia drowned after being attacked by a pack of dingoes during an early morning walk on an island off Queensland. Piper James was on a backpacking trip and had been working on K'Gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, when she died on Jan. 19. According to the Coroners Court of Queensland, a forensic pathologist with Queensland Health determined James drowned after sustaining multiple injuries during the attack. A spokesperson for the coroner said the injuries occurred “due to or as a consequence of” the dingo attack. Authoritie