Elections BC will begin the final count of last month’s provincial election on Friday. Although the BC Conservatives secured a majority government by winning 63 of the 93 seats, the margins between leading candidates remain fewer than 200 votes in four ridings. Nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots will be counted during the final counting process, with the final results expected to be announced by November 10. Elections BC has ordered recounts in two ridings where the margin between candidates is fewer than 100 votes. These include Burnaby South-Metrotown, where the NDP candidate is leading by jus

The nearly three-year decline in apartment and condo rents in Vancouver has come to an end. According to the latest report by Rentals.ca and Urbanation, average asking rents in Vancouver increased by 0.2 per cent year-over-year in October, marking the first annual increase in 34 months. Rents reached an average of $2,735. Similarly, rents in Toronto, Canada's second-most expensive rental market, rose by 1.6 per cent to $2,590 after declining for 32 consecutive months. On a month-over-month basis, Toronto recorded the highest rental increase among Canada's six largest markets, with rents rising

A powerful storm is expected to hit British Columbia’s coastal regions, bringing heavy rainfall of up to 120 millimetres in some areas. Environment Canada has issued heavy rainfall warnings for western and inland parts of Vancouver Island, where rainfall could reach 10 millimetres per hour for several consecutive hours. According to the weather agency, the heaviest rainfall is expected in northern areas near Tofino, including Port Alice and Zeballos. Heavy rain is also forecast for the Central Coast, including Bella Coola. Meanwhile, strong winds reaching speeds of up to 110 km/h are expecte

Housing experts and developers in British Columbia are urging the province’s newly elected government to consider alternatives to development charges for funding municipal infrastructure, as the condo construction market in Metro Vancouver has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years. They say development charges, which were initially intended to fund essential infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer systems, are now being used for a wider range of services, including libraries, fire services and daycare facilities. This expansion has led to a sharp increase in fees. According to a repor

At least 20 people have been injured after a shuttle bus carrying workers for a data centre company crashed in British Columbia on Wednesday morning. The accident occurred around 9:10 a.m. on Highway 39, approximately four kilometres south of Mackenzie. The white shuttle bus, rented by a contractor for Australian technology and AI data centre company IREN, reportedly lost control and plunged into a ditch. According to BC Highway Patrol, the driver and around 20 other people sustained injuries. One victim was airlifted from the scene in critical condition. Six others were initially taken to a l

A fire near Gilmore SkyTrain Station in Burnaby caused heavy smoke early Wednesday morning, forcing TransLink to suspend Millennium Line services and disrupting travel between Vancouver and Burnaby. According to TransLink, service was suspended at around 5:50 a.m. due to heavy smoke at Gilmore Station. Additional shuttle buses were arranged between Holdom, Brentwood, Gilmore, Rupert and Renfrew stations to assist affected passengers. Meanwhile, Expo Line and Canada Line services continued operating normally. The fire department received a report of a fire inside the station building at around

A Vancouver provincial court has sentenced a man to seven years in prison for sexually abusing a young girl over several months while he was entrusted with her care. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that the victim’s mother worked two or three jobs to support her family. Trusting the accused, identified as Ferdinand Silabe Talinus, who was in his mid-40s, she had hired him to look after her two daughters. However, the accused allegedly took advantage of that trust and sexually assaulted the girl between June 2021 and October 2022. He reportedly covered the child’s mouth during

A mother and daughter have died in a suspected grizzly bear attack in the Bella Coola area of British Columbia. The victims have been identified as 48-year-old Jennifer Balcarres and her 20-year-old daughter, Sela Reid. The two women went hiking along the Snooka West Trail on Saturday afternoon, about a five-minute walk from their home. However, when they failed to return, their family reported them missing on Sunday. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service found Jennifer's body in the trail area on Monday, while her daughter's body was recovered on Tuesday. Jennifer worked as an art therapist,

Surrey Police Service, along with local RCMP and an Emergency Response Team, conducted a raid at a residence on Findlay Road in Kelowna’s Rutland neighbourhood on Monday morning. At least two people were taken into custody during the operation. Witnesses reported that police smashed windows and deployed smoke grenades while entering the home. Surrey Police Senior Media Relations Officer Sgt. Lindsey Houghton confirmed that the raid was part of an ongoing sensitive investigation by the Surrey Police Service. However, police have not disclosed the nature of the alleged crime. Kelowna RCMP Medi