The British Columbia government says it will introduce mandatory crane-related licensing and permitting following a series of fatal workplace accidents over the past five years. In a statement Tuesday, the province said it plans to establish a new WorkSafeBC crane licensing and permitting program to ensure crane operations meet “consistent, high-quality safety requirements.” According to the government, there have been seven crane-related fatalities in B.C. during that period, with 373 cranes currently in operation across the province. The announcement follows a WorkSafeBC report into the

Unseasonably warm weather has returned to British Columbia, with five communities setting new daily high temperature records this week, according to Environment Canada. In Pemberton, about 150 kilometres north of Vancouver, temperatures reached nearly 16 C on Monday, surpassing the previous daily record by almost 13 degrees. The earlier record had been set in 2025. In Trail, in the West Kootenay region, the temperature climbed to 14 C, breaking the previous record of 11 C set in 2021. Cranbrook, near the Alberta boundary, recorded 12.4 C, edging out the 12.1 C mark set in 1986. Environment Can

The Canada Border Services Agency says officers seized more than 111 kilograms of suspected cocaine at the Blue Water Bridge port of entry on Feb. 19. According to a CBSA news release, a commercial truck arriving from the United States was referred for secondary inspection. During examination of the trailer, border services officers located and seized 111.4 kilograms of suspected cocaine. CBSA said Sarkaren Vir Singh, 29, of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and Chamkaur Singh, 25, of Belleville, Ontario, were arrested. The agency said both individuals and the seized drugs were transferred to the Royal

Canada’s economy recorded a contraction in the final three months of 2025, defying earlier expectations of stable growth, according to new data released by Statistics Canada on Friday. The federal agency reported that real gross domestic product declined at an annualized rate of 0.6 per cent in the October to December quarter. Economists had anticipated little to no change during that period. The slowdown was attributed in part to weaker residential investment and lower inventory rebuilding by manufacturers. Statistics Canada said companies met demand by drawing down existing inventories ins

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree says Canada still has work ahead to ensure individuals acting on behalf of India are not intimidating or coercing people on Canadian soil. Speaking to reporters during Mark Carney’s visit to India, Anandasangaree said there remain unresolved concerns related to the safety and security of Canadians. His comments follow questions about whether agents connected to the Indian government are currently involved in extortion or threats of violence in Canada. A senior federal official, speaking on background during the same briefing, said Ottawa believes su

The Government of Canada has announced an $8 million food assistance package for people in Cuba in response to mounting shortages of basic goods aggravated by a tightened U.S. oil blockade, federal officials said Wednesday. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai said the funding is intended to help address urgent needs for food and nutrition among vulnerable communities on the Caribbean island. The aid will be delivered through United Nations partners, including the World Food Programme and UNICEF, rather than through the Cuban

The United States Supreme Court has ruled that president Donald Trump could not rely on a national emergencies statute to impose sweeping tariffs on several countries, including Canada, during his time in office. In a decision released Friday, the court found that Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify what he called “Liberation Day” tariffs exceeded the scope of the law. The measures had targeted imports from Canada, Mexico and China, and were also linked to fentanyl-related trade actions. The tariffs were introduced as part of a broader strategy to ad

Canada’s minister responsible for Canada–U.S. trade says he plans to meet with the United States trade representative in the coming weeks as both countries prepare for the scheduled review of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement. Dominic LeBlanc said he recently spoke by phone with Jamieson Greer following public remarks from Washington suggesting that Canadian trade barriers have complicated bilateral discussions. The talks come as the United States signals it may seek changes to the trilateral pact. The trade agreement, commonly known as Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she will address Albertans in a televised speech on Thursday, one week before the province’s 2026 budget is tabled in the legislature. Smith made the announcement during an unrelated news conference in Calgary but did not provide details on what topics she intends to cover. A spokesperson for the Premier’s Office said further information about the address would be released at a later time. The speech comes ahead of Finance Minister Nate Horner’s scheduled budget presentation on Feb. 26. The government has already signalled that the fiscal plan will ref