Canada lost nearly 66,000 jobs in August and the unemployment rate hit a nine-year high of 7.1 per cent, excluding the pandemic. Statistics Canada said the Canadian economy lost most part-time jobs last month. The rise in the unemployment rate has also raised the possibility of the Bank of Canada cutting interest rates this month. About 1.6 million people were unemployed in Canada in August. The unemployment rate was last seen near 7 per cent in May 2016, according to Statistics Canada. It is worth noting that the Canadian economy has shown a tolerable level in the face of US tariffs on s

Environment Canada's special air-quality statements for wildfire smoke have now expanded to cover most of British Columbia, with air quality at its worst possible level in parts of the Fraser Valley. The alerts advise people to limit or avoid outdoor activity and are now in place for all of B.C. outside of Vancouver Island, the Central and North Coast, Haida Gwaii and about a quarter of the province on its northern edge. An air-quality warning continues to be in effect in Metro Vancouver, covered by orange smoke haze for a third day. Monitoring from the Metro Vancouver Regional District shows

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the government is launching a new $370 million production incentive to help Canada’s canola producers. The government says its new biofuel production incentive is meant to address "immediate competitiveness challenges" as China imposes massive tariffs on Canadian canola seed.

Police in Portugal say two Canadians are among the 16 people killed when a streetcar derailed Wednesday. The dead also included five Portuguese nationals, three British citizens, two South Koreans, one American, one French, one Swiss and one Ukrainian, police said in a statement. The list of nationalities was published following forensic identification. The French Foreign Ministry said Friday that a woman who was a French-Canadian dual citizen is among the dead. The Portuguese government's Office for Air and Rail Accident Investigations said that it has concluded its analysis of

The Nanaimo RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 25-year-old Storm Kehler. Kehler recently failed to appear in Nanaimo Provincial Court for a scheduled court appearance on a variety of charges ranging from Break and Enter, Theft Under $5000, Mischief, Resist Arrest and Breach of Probation. Kehler is a Caucasian man, 5 foot ten inches, 155 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. He is of no fixed address and is believed to be in Nanaimo. The picture provided is recent. Of note, Kehler has a tattoo of a diamond on his left hand. If anyone has information on the whereabouts o

British Columbia Premier David Eby says the temporary foreign worker program should "be cancelled or significantly reformed" because the province can't have an immigration system that takes young people's jobs, while filling up homeless shelters and food banks. Eby says one reason B.C. is facing "significant fiscal headwinds" is because of "very high unemployment rates" among young people, linked to both the temporary foreign worker program and the international student program. He says B.C. is willing to "convene provinces that are interested in this issue" to have a "serious, grown-up" conve

Prince George RCMP’s Downtown Safety Unit and Problem Oriented Policing team have been cracking down on those involved in the illicit drug trade, recently executing a pair of Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) search warrants at two different locations within the city. The searches were conducted at residences on the 2600-block of Quince Street and the 1600-block of Eighth Avenue on August 27 and 28, 2025. Due to the high-risk nature of these investigations, and the potential for violence from those believed to be living at the two locations, the North District Emergency Response Tea

With funding approved for a new middle school, 800 new seats are coming to support students in Kelowna. “As more families choose Kelowna, we need to make sure students have the schools they need to succeed,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure. “This new middle school is just one of many investments we’re making in the Okanagan to help meet growing demand and ensure students are supported for years to come.” The new Burtch Road Middle school will add 800 new seats for young learners in the Glenmore neighbourhood of Kelowna. “We welcome this provincial investment in our stude

Prime Minister Mark Carney's office says he told Ukraine's allies today that Canada is willing to deploy "direct and scalable military assistance" in a post-ceasefire Ukraine. The Prime Minister’s Office says Carney took part virtually in a meeting of the pro-Ukraine "Coalition of the Willing." It says Carney affirmed Canada’s commitment to the coalition and its willingness to provide military support for a ceasefire. Following today's coalition meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron said 26 of Ukraine’s allies have pledged to deploy a "reassurance force" once the war with Russia ends