A private member’s bill aimed at providing universal access to mental health care for pregnant women and new mothers in British Columbia has been unanimously approved by the provincial legislature. This marks the first private member’s bill to pass second reading in the BC legislature in 43 years. The bill was introduced on Monday by Jody Toor, the MLA for Langley-Willowbrook and a member of the opposition Conservative Party in BC. Toor highlighted that one in five women in BC face mental health challenges before or after childbirth, including anxiety, birth trauma, and more, yet many sti

BC Hydro says Tesla products have been removed from its electric vehicle rebate program as part of the province's fight back against U.S. tariff threats. It says on its website that the move is part of the government's move to give preference to Canadian goods and exclude U.S. goods from rebates if practical. A message on its website says the exclusion became effective on Wednesday, but Tesla products that were purchased or received pre-approval for rebates before then are still qualified. The rebate program covers up to 50 per cent of the purchase cost and installation of a home charger, up t

The British Columbia and federal governments have announced funding to ensure adequate housing for survivors of gender-based violence in the province. The B.C. Housing Ministry says in a news release that Ottawa is providing nearly $37 million over four years and the province will match the investment. It says the money will be used to help victims transition to secure rental housing in the private market. The ministry says the benefit provided by BC Housing will supply an average of $600 per household each month, but notes that amount will be determined based on income, family size and rent c

Three rebel BC Conservative MLAs are considering forming a new political party after the party recently expelled Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Dallas Brodie due to controversial comments about residential schools. In solidarity, two other MLAs, Jordan Kelly and Tara Armstrong, also left the party. To gain party status in the BC legislature, a minimum of two MLAs is required. This means that Brodie, Armstrong, and Kelly could qualify for party status and benefit from several advantages. The new party would be allocated an annual budget of approximately $767,000 for staff and office expenses. Additio

The BC Conservatives are currently grappling with a leadership crisis over comments regarding residential schools, putting John Rustad's leadership in jeopardy. The party is scheduled to hold a leadership review this fall, and Conservative strategist Allie Blades suggests that recent events will serve as a significant test for Rustad’s leadership. So far, three MLAs have chosen to sit as independents in the provincial legislature due to the party's internal divide. The dispute began in February after Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Dallas Brodie made controversial comments about the former resident

Mounties says DNA testing has confirmed remains that washed ashore in Washington State almost 17 years ago are those of a teenager who went missing from Mission, B.C., more than a year earlier. Police say that 17-year-old Jeffrey Surtel was reported missing by his family on April 29, 2007, and despite search efforts and several tips of possible sightings, he was not found. They say that in August 2008, human remains washed up on Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. The RCMP say Clallam County Sheriff’s Office investigated, conducted DNA analysis of the remains and compared it with samples

British Columbia Premier David Eby says Americans can "keep their watery beer" as he announces an expansion of the U.S. alcohol ban from provincial liquor stores. The province had removed alcohol from Republican states in reaction to President Donald Trump's tariff threats against Canada, but Eby says the latest news from the United States prompted this action. He says Trump's threats of additional tariffs on the dairy industry, an investigation into Canada's lumber, and disturbing reports that the president wants to redraw the border and pursue Canada water set off the newest ban. Eby says al

A group of three former B.C. Conservative legislators have announced they will sit as Independents in the provincial legislature. Dallas Brodie was kicked out of the party on Friday over her comments about residential schools, and Jordan Kealy and Tara Armstrong left the party saying Leader John Rustad had abandoned the truth. Armstrong told reporters outside the legislature today that Rustad “caved to the woke liberals who have infiltrated the party.” She says no one was surprised when New Democrat Premier David Eby attacked Dallas Brody for telling the truth about Kamloops, but Rustad’

New data from the BC Coroners Service says at least 458 people experiencing homelessness in the province died in 2023, with the toll almost tripling in just three years. The service says in a news release there's been a 23 per cent increase from the 373 recorded deaths of unhoused people the year before. It says 91 per cent of the 2023 deaths were classified as accidental, including 86 per cent due to drug toxicity. The data show 79 per cent of those who died were male, while more than half were between the ages of 30 and 49. Chief Coroner Dr. Jatinder Baidwan says the numbers speak to the "tr