BCMay 29, 2025
B.C. NDP ex-minister urges Eby to walk back 'astounding and disheartening' Bill 15
Former British Columbia minister Melanie Mark is accusing Premier David Eby and his cabinet of "turning their backs" on First Nations, local governments and environmentalists by passing controversial bills to fast-track infrastructure projects.
Mark, the first First Nations woman elected to B.C.'s legislature and a former cabinet colleague of Eby, says it's "astounding and disheartening" behaviour by the government.
Both bills passed in the legislature Wednesday night, with Bill 15 that fast-tracks public and private infrastructure projects getting through thanks to a rare tiebreaking vote by
BCMay 29, 2025
Police plead for information in 2019 homicide of Richmond, B.C., notary Stephen Chong
Police are issuing a plea for information nearly six years after a British Columbia notary public was found dead in his office in what investigators say was a targeted homicide.
The Society of Notaries Public of B.C. is also offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and charging of those responsible for the killing of Stephen Chong in Richmond, B.C., on Oct. 18, 2019.
Sgt. Freda Fong with the province's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says Chong had no criminal record and investigators believe his death was an isolated incident.
Fong says investigators are still
BCMay 29, 2025
Boy aged 4 dead, mother critical, after being pinned under bus at B.C. ferry terminal
Police say a four-year-old boy is dead and his mother is in critical condition after they were pinned under a bus in West Vancouver, B.C. West Vancouver Police say a second woman, believed to be a family friend, is in a stable condition after the Wednesday afternoon tragedy at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal.
Police say the boy was pronounced dead at the scene and his mother and her friend were transported to Lions Gate Hospital. TransLink confirms one of its buses and a driver were involved in the incident and says it's supporting the West Vancouver Police Department, which is leadi
BCMay 28, 2025
Vancouver Bandits Games to Be Broadcast in Punjabi on Connect FM
The Vancouver Bandits and Connect FM are proud to announce the continuation of their groundbreaking partnership to broadcast select 2025 Bandits home games in Punjabi, marking the second straight season of inclusive, community-driven basketball storytelling on air.
In 2024, the Bandits and Connect FM made history by becoming the first team in Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) history to deliver a live Punjabi radio broadcast on June 1, 2024. This milestone moment resonated with fans across the Lower Mainland and the global South Asian diaspora, creating space for representation, access,
BCMay 28, 2025
Above seasonal temperatures for B.C., reaching mid 30s in Interior
Warm temperatures have arrived across much of British Columbia, with Environment Canada issuing a special weather statement in the North Thompson.
It says "above seasonal temperatures" are expected throughout the day in the Interior region where a ridge of high pressure is ushering in warm air from the south.
The bulletin says that air will linger throughout the day, causing temperatures to rise to more than 30C, before cooler air arrives Thursday, lowering temperatures to near seasonal values.
Temperatures are meanwhile expected to hit 24C in Vancouver, 23C in Victoria and 30C in Abbotsford,
BCMay 28, 2025
B.C. Wildfire Service announces ban on most open fires in coastal areas
The BC Wildfire Service has announced open fire bans that will prohibit most burning activities in most coastal areas of the province, with exceptions for Haida Gwaii.
The ban on Category 2 and Category 3 open fires in the Coastal Fire Centre comes into effect at noon Friday, and the service says it's being imposed to reduce the risk of wildfires.
The service says the ban will remain in place until Oct. 31 or until it is rescinded.
Category 1 campfires that are no more than half a metre high by half a metre wide will still be allowed, as well as cooking stoves.
The bans cover west of the Coast
BCMay 28, 2025
B.C. minimum wage increases to $17.85 on June 1
British Columbia's Labour Ministry says the province's lowest paid workers are getting a pay bump as of Sunday. It says the minimum wage will increase from $17.40 to $17.85 an hour.
The ministry says the 2.6 per cent increase also applies to pay rates for resident caretakers, live-in home-support workers, live-in camp leaders and app-based delivery and ride-hail services workers.
The government says it has made regular, gradual increases to the minimum wage to provide certainty for workers and predictability for businesses. It says this is the fourth year of the government's ongoin
BCMay 27, 2025
GST relief for first-time home buyers on new homes valued up to $1.5 million
The Carney government has fulfilled its promise of GST relief. Now first-time buyers buying new homes worth up to a million dollars will save $50,000.
In addition, the GST on new homes priced between $1 million and $1.5 million has also been reduced for first-time homebuyers. In this regard, Finance Minister Francois Philippe Champagne tabled legislative proposals for changes to the Excise Tax Act today.
According to government figures, this rebate will save Canadians $3.9 billion in taxes over the next five years. People who are buying a new home from a builder will qualify for this rebate.
T
BCMay 27, 2025
Surrey to start construction of 10,000-seat stadium in 2027: Brenda Locke
Construction of a 10,000-seat stadium in Surrey is set to begin in 2027. Mayor Brenda Locke says there is a lot of interest from potential partners. The city council included the project in Surrey’s proposed five-year financial plan in late March.
The mayor acknowledged that the project will cost a lot, saying that “we are very conscious of that and we will try to make sure that it does not put a huge burden on our taxpayers.”
The mayor also said that the council’s idea is to build a hotel and conference facilities near the city centre in downtown, which is going to be the Surrey S