BCMay 30, 2025
Province strengthens response to combat downtown street crime, disorder
The BC government is launching a new Community Safety and Targeted Enforcement program. It aims to increase police capacity to tackle street crimes that affect businesses and communities, such as robberies, shoplifting and property damage.
The province is providing up to $5 million in funding for the initiative, which will help police increase their resources.
The government says it has seen the Vancouver Police Department see its biggest two-year reduction in violent and property crime in Hastings Crossing in January 2025, thanks to a special investigation and targeted enforcement program.
AlbertaMay 30, 2025
Alberta government extends deadline for judge's investigation into contract scandal
Alberta's government says it's extending the deadline for a former judge to investigate allegations of high-level conflict of interest and arm-twisting in health care contracts. Former Manitoba provincial court chief judge Raymond Wyant was expected to submit an interim report to the government today, followed by a full report next month.
The government employee facilitating the investigation says the number of documents provided and interviews requested by the former judge means that initial time frame is no longer feasible.
Deputy minister of jobs Chris McPherson says Wyant wil
BCMay 30, 2025
Missing UBC student found dead at SkyTrain station
A 20-year-old University of British Columbia student, Matthew Hutchings, was found dead in Vancouver. The body found near the tracks of the Commercial-Broadway Skytrain station yesterday has been confirmed to be of Hutchings.
Police have ruled out any foul play in his death. Hutchings had been missing for about a week. He was last seen leaving the University area on a B-Line bus at around 2 a.m. on Saturday, May 24.
Surveillance footage showed him near the Safeway on Commercial Drive and Broadway about an hour after leaving the university. A search of the area was unsuccessful. Metro Vancouv
BCMay 30, 2025
Experts describe Eby's 10-day Asia tour as important
Experts have described Premier David Eby's 10-day Asia tour starting June 1 as very important. Kristen Hopewell, professor and director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of BC, said that due to our geographical location, it has been much easier for our BC and Canadian companies to trade with the US compared to the Asian market, and about 50 per cent of our trade has been going to the US, which is our biggest weakness at the moment.
She said that with Eby's Asia trade mission, we hope to get access to other markets, which will allow the province to reduce its dependenc
BCMay 30, 2025
Wildfire in Peace River, B.C., quadruples in size after evacuation order
A wildfire in northeastern British Columbia that prompted an evacuation order on Thursday has quadrupled in size.
The BC Wildfire Service is reporting that the blaze in the Peace River Regional District near the community of Kelly Lake is now about 46 square kilometres in size, up from 11 square kilometres Thursday afternoon.
The out-of-control fire was burning close to the Pembina Steeprock gas processing facility and Highway 52 E, also known as the Heritage Highway.
The Peace River Regional District issued the evacuation order for homes around Kelly Lake and areas north of Campbell Lake, wes