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four-found-dead-in-prince-rupert-b-c-home-police-say-deaths-considered-homicide
BCJun 15, 2023

Four found dead in Prince Rupert, B.C. home; police say deaths considered homicide

Four people have been found dead in a home in British Columbia's northwest in what police are calling a homicide.Prince Rupert RCMP say officers responded to a call on Tuesday evening to the 100 block of Silversides Drive.Once there, police say they found four individuals dead in the home and began a homicide investigation.Police say they do not believe there are any outstanding suspects in the case at this time, and there should be no further risk to the public.Prince Rupert is located about 1,200 kilometres northwest of Vancouver.
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

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rbc-appoints-former-ontario-minister-caroline-mulroney-as-vice-chair
CanadaAug 20, 2026

RBC Appoints Former Ontario Minister Caroline Mulroney as Vice-Chair

Canada’s largest bank, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), has appointed former Ontario cabinet minister Caroline Mulroney as its new vice-chair. According to a statement issued by RBC, Mulroney will begin her new role on September 14. Her appointment is within the bank’s Capital Markets division. Mulroney is the daughter of the late former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney. She served as an MPP in the Ontario legislature from 2018 to 2026 and held several key positions in Premier Doug Ford’s government, including Attorney General, Minister of Transportation and President of the Treasury Bo
BCAug 20, 2026

33-Year-Old Woman Charged in Connection With Two Grass Fires in Vernon

A 33-year-old woman has been charged with six serious offences in connection with two separate grass fires that occurred in Vernon, in B.C.’s Okanagan region, on Aug. 4. According to Vernon North Okanagan RCMP, the first fire was reported on Kammenz Road near Bench Row Road in the afternoon. About 20 minutes later, a second fire was discovered at Carlson Park. Following an investigation, police arrested 33-year-old Maria Benning Bear, a resident of West Kelowna, on Aug. 14. She is facing six serious charges, including arson, mischief causing property damage, possession of incendiary material
senior-man-dies-after-being-struck-by-translink-bus-in-surrey
BCAug 20, 2026

Senior Man Dies After Being Struck by TransLink Bus in Surrey

A senior man who was seriously injured after being struck by a TransLink bus in Surrey last month has died in hospital. According to the Surrey Police Service, the man, believed to be between 60 and 65 years old, was found seriously injured at the intersection of 128 Street and 96 Avenue at around 9:41 p.m. on July 11. Paramedics rushed him to hospital, where he later died while undergoing treatment. Police believe the incident occurred near a bus stop. The initial investigation has ruled out factors such as excessive speed and impairment as possible causes of the crash. SPS is asking anyone w
AlbertaAug 20, 2026

Alberta to Host Second Town Hall on AI Data Centre Plans in Sturgeon County

Alberta Technology Minister Nate Glubish is set to host the province’s second town hall on its plans for artificial intelligence data centres on Thursday in Redwater, north of Edmonton. The event comes amid growing concerns over the environmental and economic impacts of large-scale AI facilities. Redwater is in Sturgeon County, where tech giant Meta is planning a $13-billion AI data centre project. The proposed facility would be a major investment in the region and is expected to be one of Canada’s largest data centres. The town hall follows a contentious meeting in Lacombe on Wednesday,
cta-orders-westjet-to-remove-power-wheelchair-weight-limit
CanadaAug 20, 2026

CTA Orders WestJet to Remove Power Wheelchair Weight Limit

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has ordered WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, to eliminate the weight limit it imposes on power wheelchairs carried on its aircraft. The regulator ruled that WestJet’s weight restriction creates an unreasonable barrier for passengers living with disabilities and must be removed before July 2027. The case came to light following a complaint filed by Winnipeg resident and former federal cabinet minister Steven Fletcher, who was prevented from boarding a WestJet flight last year because of the weight of his customized electric wheelchair. WestJ