A landlord who accused his former tenant of smoking pot when she was actually burning sage has been ordered to pay her more than $23,000.Crystal Smith filed a discrimination complaint against Parminder Mohan after he tried to evict her in 2017 and made derogatory comments about her Indigenous background.The BC Human Rights Tribunal has determined the mother of two never should have been harassed for performing smudging ceremonies in her Burnaby home.The spiritual cleansing is a cultural tradition.

The RCMP says a teenage male was arrested and released with a future court date after a suspected arson at a Canadian National Railway building in northwest British Columbia. Cpl. Devon Gerrits of the Prince Rupert RCMP says the investigation is ongoing and charges haven't been laid yet against the youth, who is under 18. Gerrits says the incident is not associated with protests in support of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who oppose a pipeline in northern B.C. He says the Prince Rupert Fire Department called the RCMP around 4:45 p.m. Sunday about a structure fire on Bill Murray Drive close t

B.C.'s privacy commissioner has been notified of a data breach recorded at Simon Fraser University last Thursday. Administrators say the problem was identified and corrected the following day but students and staff are being asked to change their passwords because their privacy may have been breached. Chief information officer Mark Roman sent out an email this morning saying the ransomware attack involved data collected before June 20th of last year, but no current systems have been exposed. The cause of the breach is still under investigation.

Attorney General David Eby says B.C.'s New Democrat government is taking steps to ensure profits made by the Insurance Corporation of B.C. stay with the public insurer. Eby says he is preparing to bring in legislation that would prevent government's from skimming I.C.B.C. surpluses away from the corporation to use for other government initiatives. In an announcement this morning Eby says I.C.B.C. profits should be used to offset premium costs. He says previous Liberal governments stripped 1.2-billion dollars from I.C.B.C. between 2009 and 2016, eroding the financial stability of the Crown cor

The company behind the natural gas pipeline through traditional Wet'suwet'en territories says work on the Coastal GasLink project resumed today after a pause while hereditary chiefs, federal and provincial politicians discussed the disputed link. All sides say an agreement on rights and title lands was reached during talks that began Thursday and ended early yesterday. Hereditary Chief Woos (wahs') has called the pact a milestone. Wet'suwet'en approval is expected to take about two weeks, and details won't be released in the meantime.

A long time member of British Columbia's legislative assembly and former cabinet minister, Rich Coleman, has announced he will not seek re-election.Coleman was first elected as the B.C. Liberal MLA for Fort Langley-Aldergrove in 1996 and was re-elected five more times, most recently as the MLA for the newly created Langley East riding in 2017.Coleman wrote on Facebook that he chose Feb. 29 to announce the decision because it's the 24th anniversary of his original nomination as a candidate.Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson thanked Coleman, saying he was ``instrumental'' in the accomplishments of

Police in Surrey say an operation targeting distracted drivers led to the seizure of drugs, counterfeit cash and two arrests. The RCMP says when officers pulled over the driver of a Nissan Sentra yesterday afternoon for allegedly using a cell phone while driving, one passenger was spotted trying to conceal items while another ran away. Police say a search of the vehicle turned up suspected methamphetamines, drug paraphernalia and a small amount of counterfeit Canadian currency. The driver and passenger were arrested but the Mounties say the investigation continues and charges have not yet bee

Premier John Horgan says he has ``no plans'' to join talks underway today in Smithers between federal and provincial ministers and Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs. Horgan says BC's interests are represented by Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser, and Horgan was updated on the discussions last night and understands they are going well. He says the disputed natural gas pipeline crossing traditional Wet'suwet'en territory has been endorsed by 20 Indigenous communities ``from wellhead to water line,'' including elected Wet'suwet'en leaders, and he says it's up to the nation to resolve this

Coastal GasLink has agreed to a two-day pause in its activities in northwestern B.C. during talks taking place between federal government ministers and hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation. The R-C-M-P has also committed to ending patrols along a critical roadway during the discussions that are set to continue through tomorrow. The chiefs praised the moves in a statement released shortly before talks got underway this afternoon in Smithers. They say the actions provide the space needed to sit down at the table in good faith to discuss their opposition to Coastal GasLink's natura