An important salmon habitat will be protected after the multimillion-dollar purchase of an island in British Columbia's lower Fraser River by an environmental organization, with the help of the federal government and private donors. The Nature Conservancy of Canada announced the purchase of 248-hectare Carey Island near Chilliwack, in an important ecological area between Mission and Hope known to conservationists as "the Heart of the Fraser." The previous owners, Carey Island Farms Ltd., were using the island to grow corn. The conservancy says Carey Island is one of the Fraser's last salmon ha

A heat wave is settling over parts of British Columbia with Environment Canada warning of very high temperatures stretching into next week. The agency has expanded a series of heat warnings to include the Sunshine Coast and Howe Sound, where daytime highs are forecasted to reach 32 C. The hottest temperatures are expected to start hitting the province Sunday. Environment Canada had already issued heat warnings for eastern Vancouver Island, where daytime highs are expected to hit the low 30s. Another warning covers the Kitimat and Terrace regions, where highs near 30 C are expected Saturday unt

Three provincial New Democrat ministers have announced they won't seek re-election in British Columbia's fall vote. Harry Bains, Bruce Ralston and Rob Fleming were all first elected in 2005 and have served five terms in the legislature, but say they will not stand on Oct. 19. Bains, who represents the Surrey-Newton riding, says in a statement it was the honour of a lifetime to represent his constituents and serve as B.C.'s labour minister. Transport Minister Fleming says it's been a privilege to have served the constituents of Victoria-Swan Lake for "the better part of two decades." Ralston, w

A B.C. chicken named Lacey has earned a Guinness World Record for being able to correctly identify the most objects in one minute. Lacey's owner, veterinarian Emily Carrington, says the world record shows that chickens are intelligent, and Lacey now has bragging rights as one of the world's smartest hens. In a video of Lacey setting the record of six identifications, Carrington shows the hen a series of letters, numbers and coloured objects, before Lacey correctly pecks them out from among similar objects. Carrington, who lives with Lacey on Gabriola Island, says Guinness officials sent a lett

Police in southeastern British Columbia say a ranch owner is dead after the helicopter they were piloting crashed on Tuesday evening. Columbia Valley RCMP say they got the call at about 7 p.m. They say search and rescue crews were sent to the crash site south of Invermere, B.C., and found the pilot, who was dead. The Mounties say the privately-owned helicopter was also carrying two passengers who were taken to hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. They have not released the name of the pilot or any further details about the crash. The RCMP say they are assisting the BC Coron

Police in Metro Vancouver say they're looking for a man whose pants caught fire in an alleged arson attempt that went wrong. Richmond RCMP shared a photo showing two men, one on the ground with a pained facial expression as he reaches for his blazing pants, while the other man apparently tries to put out the flames. Police say officers responded to an alarm at a business on April 24, finding a broken window and a small fire directly in front with evidence it had been set intentionally. They say surveillance video subsequently revealed two men wearing masks had approached the business, and one

A Vancouver labour lawyer says a group of British Columbia teachers has launched a human rights complaint against their union, saying the BC Teachers' Federation "has engaged in and enabled antisemitism." Paul Pulver, who says he represents BC Teachers Against Antisemitism, filed the complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal over what he calls the "erasure of Jewish and Zionist voices and opinions" within the union and members' workplaces. Pulver says in a statement the union's leadership caused "trauma and fear" among members who have been "intimidated and shamed" by colleagues. He says t

Police in Prince George, B.C., say a 16-year old girl who was taken to hospital last week after a drug overdose has died. Prince George RCMP's Serious Crime Unit is investigating and says the girl appears to have been targeted by a fentanyl trafficker. RCMP media relations officer Cpl. Jennifer Cooper says the girl died over the weekend and the investigation into her overdose and death is a top priority for the unit. Police had been called to a home on McMaster Crescent in the B.C. Interior community last Wednesday where they found the girl unconscious. They say she was taken to hospital and f

American Rapper Rick Ross has been involved in a violent altercation in Vancouver, where he performed a concert on Sunday. A video posted on social media early Monday shows the rapper at the Plaza of Nations across the street from BC Place Stadium, when he is punched in the face by a man. A melee involving multiple individuals then breaks out, with another video appearing to show an unconscious man being dragged away. It is unclear if Ross was injured the brawl. Neither Vancouver police nor Ross's agents immediately responded to requests for comment. Ross was the headliner at the Ignite Music