Premier David Eby addressed reporters in Abbotsford on Thursday evening following continued questions about his public absence during British Columbia's ongoing wildfire emergency. During the news conference, Eby issued an update on the province's wildfire response and confirmed the arrival of additional international firefighting personnel. According to the premier, a second contingent of firefighters from Mexico, Australia and New Zealand has arrived in British Columbia to support wildfire suppression efforts. The crews will work alongside personnel from Alberta, Quebec and Yukon to strength

The British Columbia government is considering reducing development cost charges to encourage the construction of new homes in the province's fastest-growing communities. Housing Minister Christine Boyle confirmed the province is in discussions with the federal government on a proposal that would reduce development cost charges by up to 50 per cent for multi-unit housing projects in rapidly growing municipalities. According to the minister, the plan also includes exploring options to offset the funding shortfall municipalities would face if the fees are reduced. Development cost charges are pa

Correctional Service Canada says two correctional officers and an inmate have died during a transfer from the Edmonton Institution for Women. The federal agency announced the deaths Thursday in a social media post, describing the incident as a "tragic accident." It did not say when the deaths occurred or provide details about how the three people were killed. According to Correctional Service Canada, the transfer involved the Edmonton Institution for Women, a multi-level facility in west Edmonton that houses minimum- and medium-security inmates. No additional information about the circumstance

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) spent nearly $1 million over a two-year period chartering private aircraft to deport foreign nationals or transfer detainees within Canada, according to a report by The Globe and Mail citing internal CBSA documents. The report says the agency chartered a Dassault Falcon 900EX private jet in January 2022 to deport three individuals at a cost of approximately $438,000. According to the internal records reviewed by The Globe and Mail, the aircraft was used for a single removal operation. The documents also indicate that in September 2022, CBSA paid $130,432 to

The RCMP are asking the public for assistance after investigators identified a series of suspected deliberately set fires at Gopher Creek Linear Park in Kelowna. According to the RCMP, several small fires were discovered in close proximity inside the park at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. People who were in the park and nearby residents spotted the fires and extinguished them before notifying the fire department, preventing any significant damage. Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the park or near the Gallagher Road and Lynrick Road area that afternoon