The Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board says sales of commercial properties were stronger between April and June than at any time since 2017. A statement from the board says land sales were particularly healthy. It says that shows ``investors are demonstrating confidence in new development potential in the region.'' The board says the total dollar value from the sale of 726 commercial properties during the second quarter was just over 3.6-billion dollars, a 130 per cent leap over the roughly 1.6-billion recorded in the same period last year.

Mounties in BC's southern Interior say officers have determined that two deaths in the Osoyoos area this week appear to have been a murder-suicide within a family. The RCMP say officers responded Tuesday to an abandoned vehicle in a rural area northwest of Osoyoos, which was linked with a home in town. They say officers found a body inside the home and a second person was found dead not far from the abandoned vehicle. Police released no further information.

The owner of the smouldering ship that lost 109 of its containers off the coast of Victoria has hired a contractor to try to recover the units loaded with cargo. The MV Zim Kingston lost the containers and caught fire last week. The coast guard says a salvage team is using thermal cameras to find remaining hot spots while firefighting operations continue in containers that hold tires. Five of the lost containers have now been spotted at the very northern tip of Vancouver Island, more than 400 kilometres away.

B.C. is reporting 758 new cases of COVID-19, including two epi-linked cases, for a total of 204,330 cases in the province.There are 4,961 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 196,858 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 434 individuals are in hospital and 155 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the past 24 hours, 10 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,147.The new deaths include:Fraser Health: fourInterior Health: fourNorthern Health: twoFrom Oct. 13-26, they accounted for 74.0% of hospi

British Columbia Premier John Horgan says he will have biopsy surgery on Friday because of a growth in his throat. Horgan says he's been in and out of the hospital for a number of weeks. He says he noticed a lump and a later test revealed the growth in his throat. The premier says he won't step down and he plans to retain his position as the head of the Council of the Federation. As a precaution, Horgan says Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth has been appointed deputy premier to support him. Horgan, who is 62 and had bladder cancer when he was in his 40s, says that he has been in this spot

The Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation says it would be ``deeply meaningful'' to welcome Pope Francis to Kamloops when the pontiff visits Canada on yet-to-be-determined dates. The Vatican announced yesterday that the pope will willing to visit this country as part of the process of reconciliation with Indigenous people. But Tk'emlups Chief Rosanne Casimir says in a statement issued this morning that if the only objective is reconciliation, and there's no concrete action associated with the visit, the visit will miss the ``hard truths'' First Nations are confronting as they recover from the g

Vancouver Police are investigating another stranger assault in the Downtown Eastside, after a woman was stabbed in the leg with a hypodermic needle Wednesday night."All signs point to this being a random and unprovoked assault on a victim who did nothing wrong," says Sergeant Steve Addison. "Fortunately, the woman quickly called police and we were able to identify a suspect."The troubling incident happened around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, as the 23-year-old victim was leaving a coffee shop near Main and East Pender streets."Investigators believe the woman may have been followed out of the coffee sh

A Port Alberni man who sexually assaulted several sex trade workers on Vancouver Island will spend up to six years in prison. Stephen Ewing has been sentenced after pleading guilty to seven charges dating back to 2018. The 42 year old will be listed on the National Sex Offender Registry for the rest of his life and has also received a lifetime ban on gun ownership. In addition to the six year sentence, minus 45 days for time already served, Ewing must provide his D-N-A to the national database for 15 years after he is released from custody.

B.C. is reporting 609 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 203,582 cases in the province.Note: The numbers of total and new cases are provisional due to a delayed data refresh and will be verified once confirmed.There are currently 4,748 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 196,342 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 422 individuals are currently in hospital and 157 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the past 24 hours, six new deaths have been reported, for a total of 2,137.The new deaths include:Fraser