A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled that a man who stabbed three people during a Vancouver Chinatown festival in 2023 is not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder. Justice Eric Gottardi delivered the decision Friday, saying the law does not convict people for acts committed while they are mentally ill. The ruling concerns 67-year-old Blair Donnelly, whose trial heard he believed he was acting under divine instruction when he carried out the attack last September. Court testimony showed Donnelly had asked the Holy Spirit for a sign not to proceed, but said he “wanted to obey God”

The Alberta government has agreed to pay $95 million to Evolve Power, resolving another lawsuit linked to the province’s reversal of its coal policy. The latest settlement brings total payouts to almost $240 million, following a $143 million agreement reached earlier this year with another mining company. According to a notice to shareholders, Evolve Power will return two coal leases to the province as part of the deal. The company said the agreement represents the best possible outcome and that its board will soon determine dividends for shareholders. Energy Minister Brian Jean’s office c

Patients across the Fraser Valley will soon benefit from faster and more accurate diagnostic imaging as Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre undergoes a $4.95 million upgrade to its MRI unit. The project aims to enhance imaging quality and reduce wait times for residents needing critical scans. During the construction period, a mobile MRI unit will remain on site to ensure uninterrupted service. The hospital’s existing MRI scanner, which has surpassed its expected lifespan, will be fully refurbished using its original magnet – the most energy-intensive component to produce – wh

Statistics Canada says it is postponing the release of Canada’s international trade figures due to a lack of data from the United States, where a government shutdown has disrupted operations at the U.S. Census Bureau. The federal agency said it normally depends on U.S. import data to calculate Canadian export volumes but has not received updated information since the shutdown began in early October over a budget standoff in Congress. As a result, trade statistics for September, originally scheduled for publication on November 4, will be delayed. Statistics Canada said it will not be able to

High winds and torrential rains knocked out power to several parts of British Columbia overnight as a frontal system pushed south, prompting more warnings from Environment Canada. BC Hydro says thousands of people were without power on Vancouver Island, the central Interior and in northern B.C. as the system moved past, although crews had managed to get the lights back on to all but a few thousand by this morning. Environment Canada says both Terrace and Kitimat received the most rain at 95 millimetres each, while wind gusts reached 87 km/h in Prince George and 93 km/h in Bella Bella. The stro

Ottawa Police have charged a 35-year-old man following an investigation into several alleged cases of immigration fraud dating back to early 2024. Police say the suspect, identified as Vinay Pal Singh Brar of Ottawa, is accused of posing as an immigration consultant and defrauding multiple individuals between January and July 2024. He faces several charges, including two counts each of fraud over $5,000 and possession of stolen property over $5,000, along with assault, assault by choking, and uttering threats. Investigators report that Brar also used several aliases including Gagandeep Singh,

The Canadian government has taken action against two major carmakers, Stellantis and General Motors. The government has reduced the exemptions that these companies had been granted to import tax-free vehicles from the United States. The decision was taken in response to decisions by Stellantis and General Motors to reduce production in Canada and is aimed at pressuring the companies to invest in Canada and retain jobs. The government has cut GM's tariff-free import quota by 24 percent and Stellantis' quota by 50 percent. This means that these companies will now have to pay Canadian retalia

Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict on death row for the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, was brought to the Government Dental College for treatment and wants his case decided. While he was being taken to the hospital amidst tight security, Rajoana said that he has spent nearly 30 years in prison, with 18 years on death row. The mercy petition has also been pending for over 14 years. "Even the Supreme Court has been asking the government for over five years to decide the matter. I want there to be no further delay and for the matter to be decided," said Rajoana. A plea

Alberta’s chief electoral officer has approved a recall petition targeting Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, marking the first use of the province’s recall legislation since it was introduced in 2021. The petition, submitted by Calgary resident Jennifer Yeremiy, accuses Nicolaides of failing to effectively manage Alberta’s public education system amid concerns about classroom overcrowding and staffing shortages. Yeremiy’s application argues that these issues make Nicolaides “unfit” to continue serving as both minister and representative for Calgary-Bow. Nicolaides responded