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b-c-becomes-first-province-to-provide-universal-coverage-for-opioid-treatments
BCJun 14, 2023

B.C. becomes first province to provide universal coverage for opioid treatments

B.C. is expanding the program it uses to help patients kick their dependence on opioids.A statement from the Health Ministry says B.C. will now provide universal coverage for eligible drugs which include methadone that are rated as opioid agonist treatment medications.The statement says the expanded program differs from safer supply which provides alternatives to illicit drugs and will help the roughly 1600 B.C. patients who can't get PharmaCare coverage for the drugs needed to manage their opioid-use disorder.Mental Health and Addictions Minister Jennifer Whiteside says removing cost barriers
vancouver-family-who-lost-son-to-fentanyl-donates-20-million-to-recovery-centre
BCJun 12, 2023

Vancouver family who lost son to fentanyl donates $20 million to recovery centre

A Vancouver family known for its philanthropy is making a $20 million donation to a British Columbia substance use treatment centre in memory of their adult son and brother who died of an opioid overdose.Jill Diamond, executive director of Vancouver's Diamond Foundation and sister to Steven Diamond, said in a statement that her brother might still be alive today if he had received the care being offered at Vancouver's St. Paul's Hospital."No matter where we turned, we never found the help that Steven needed," Diamond said in a news release."We’re speaking out today for the first time because
b-c-to-require-licence-for-asbestos-abatement-contractors-by-2024
BCJun 09, 2023

B.C. to require licence for asbestos abatement contractors by 2024

British Columbia will soon be the first jurisdiction in Canada to implement a licensing requirement for asbestos abatement contractors.The Labour Ministry says workers must be licensed by Jan. 1.This comes following changes to the Workers Compensation Act last year, requiring that contractors who remove the cancer-causing material use only trained and certified workers.The ministry says required training for worker certification is scheduled to begin this summer.It says WorkSafeBC will begin to accept applications from contractors performing asbestos abatement work by September.The ministry sa
vancouver-coastal-health-reverts-to-new-overdose-text-alert-system-for-bad-drugs
BCJun 02, 2023

Vancouver Coastal Health reverts to new overdose text alert system for bad drugs

Vancouver Coastal Health is joining other health authorities in the province in a move to a unified provincial text alert system warning of toxic drugs.Vancouver began its own system called Radar in 2017, while a toxic drug and health alert system developed by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control has been adopted by all other health districts in the last year.Those who want to get the alerts need to text the word ``join'' to 253787, and Vancouver Coastal says in a statement that anyone who receives the Radar messages will be automatically added to the province wide alert for toxic drugs.Jennife
british-columbia-and-edmonton-men-face-charges-in-whitehorse-drug-raid
BCJun 01, 2023

British Columbia and Edmonton men face charges in Whitehorse drug raid

Two men, one from Metro Vancouver and another from Alberta, face several charges following a weekend drug raid in Whitehorse.A statement from Yukon RCMP says a search warrant was executed at a Whitehorse home on Saturday and a 22-year-old Richmond manand 23-year-old Edmonton resident were arrested.Charges against them include trafficking, possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of the proceeds of crime over $5,000, and money laundering.Mounties say more than $130,000 in cash was seized during the bust, along with cellphones, scales and nearly two-thirds of a kilogram o
b-c-names-10-cities-for-faster-development-to-help-address-housing-crisis
BCMay 31, 2023

B.C. names 10 cities for faster development to help address housing crisis

British Columbia's housing minster says more homes will be built sooner under a plan to set construction targets in 10 cities or municipalities in an effort to fast track development. Ravi Kahlon announced housing targets will be set for Vancouver, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Delta, Port Moody, Abbotsford, Victoria, Oak Bay, Saanich and Kamloops.Kahlon says the government chose the first 10 communities based on the needs in the province and projected growth.The targets won't be released to the public until this summer, but Kahlon says they'll be meeting with the cities in the next few wee
doctors-at-surrey-b-c-hospital-raise-alarm-over-staffing-and-patient-care-crisis
BCMay 31, 2023

Doctors at Surrey, B.C., hospital raise alarm over staffing and patient-care crisis

The association representing Surrey Memorial Hospital doctors has issued another letter demanding that either the emergency room vacancies be filled, or the emergency room be closed to new patients.A letter was written on May 19 by the Medical Staff Association of Surrey Memorial Hospital.According to that letter, it has become difficult to provide services due to the lack of hospital staff in the emergency and the patients coming in have not been adequately cared for.The letter, written to Fraser Health CEO Dr Victoria Lee, Health Minister Adrian Dix and other leaders, also said that no actio
b-c-housing-non-profit-at-heart-of-controversy-names-interim-ceo
BCMay 30, 2023

B.C. housing non-profit at heart of controversy names interim CEO

The Atira Women's Resource Society says it has named a new interim CEO after former head Janice Abbott stepped down amid a conflict-of-interest controversy involving her husband, former BC Housing CEO Shayne Ramsay.Atira says its new CEO Catherine Roome is an experienced leader in both the public and private sectors and will head the organization until a permanent replacement for Abbott is found.Atira board chair Elva Kim says recruiting Roome is part of its effort to restore public confidence in the housing provider after Abbott's departure earlier this month.The housing provider says it's co
vancouver-based-lululemon-promises-2600-new-jobs-over-5-years
BCMay 26, 2023

Vancouver based Lululemon promises 2600 new jobs over 5 years

The Vancouver-based company Lululemon is promising 2600 new jobs over five years.C.E.O Calvin McDonald says the company has secured an additional 125,000 square feet of office space in downtown Vancouver.McDonald says he's confident in the decision after the federal government said the company could hire foreign workers for certain highly skilled positions without needing to apply for a labour market impact assessment.Federal Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says if Ottawa hadn't acted, the company's headquarters may have left Vancouver.

Just In

surrey-police-issue-five-excessive-speeding-tickets-in-one-morning-most-in-construction-zones
CanadaJan 08, 2026

Surrey police issue five excessive speeding tickets in one morning, most in construction zones

Surrey Police Service officers issued five excessive speeding tickets during a single morning of enforcement this week, with the majority occurring in active construction zones, according to police. Road Safety Unit officers conducted targeted enforcement on January 7, focusing on areas where road work was underway. Police say four of the five tickets were issued in construction zones, including one case where a driver was allegedly travelling at 102 kilometres per hour in a posted 30 kilometre per hour zone. Police say speeding remains one of the leading causes of serious crashes, and constru
atmospheric-river-expected-to-bring-heavy-rain-snow-and-strong-winds-to-b-c-s-north-coast
BCJan 08, 2026

Atmospheric river expected to bring heavy rain, snow and strong winds to B.C.’s north coast

An incoming atmospheric river is expected to bring significant rain, snow and high winds to British Columbia’s north coast, prompting multiple weather warnings from Environment Canada. Forecasters say coastal communities including Prince Rupert, Terrace and Kitimat could receive up to 100 millimetres of rain beginning late Thursday and continuing into Saturday morning. The rainfall raises concerns about localized flooding, particularly in low-lying and drainage-prone areas. Inland travel routes are also expected to be affected. Environment Canada warns that sections of major highways could s
rcmp-investigate-early-morning-shooting-in-langley-township
BCJan 08, 2026

RCMP investigate early-morning shooting in Langley Township

Mounties are investigating a report of shots fired in Langley Township early Thursday, though police say there are no reports of injuries and no ongoing risk to the public. Langley RCMP say officers were called to the area of 232 Street near 69 Avenue shortly after 5 a.m. following multiple reports of gunfire. Police secured the area while investigators worked to gather evidence and speak with potential witnesses. Authorities have not confirmed whether the shooting was targeted, nor whether it may be connected to a recent series of extortion-related incidents reported across parts of Metro Van
IndiaJan 08, 2026

Bomb threats prompt evacuation of court complexes across multiple Indian states

Security agencies were put on high alert Thursday after bomb threats were issued to at least 10 court complexes across several Indian states, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Authorities evacuated the affected court premises as a precaution while police teams launched extensive searches. In Punjab, district courts in Ferozepur, Moga and Rupnagar received threat messages, according to police sources. Similar threats were also reported at the Himachal Pradesh High Court, triggering concern among court staff, lawyers and litigants. No injuries o
BCJan 08, 2026

West Shore RCMP recover more than $140,000 in stolen property across Vancouver Island

West Shore RCMP say a focused investigation by their Crime Reduction Unit has led to the recovery of more than $140,000 worth of stolen property linked to multiple communities across Vancouver Island. Police say the investigation began in November 2025 while officers were searching for a 42-year-old man wanted on several outstanding warrants. Officers located and arrested the suspect without incident, recovering a stolen Chevrolet pickup truck and flat deck trailer loaded with construction-related items, including scaffolding, equipment and a 35-ton SpeeCo wood splitter. As the investigation c