Emily Lowan, a 25-year-old climate activist, is the new leader of the British Columbia Green Party. Lowan won on the first ballot with 3,189 votes, ahead of second-place Jonathan Kerr with 1,908 votes, while Adam Bremner-Akins finished third with 128 votes. She doesn't have a seat in the legislature but says she plans to run in the next ``viable'' byelection or in the next general election. Lowan says the Greens will become a ``force of nature'' and promises that it will be a ``bold and critical'' opposition party. She says her decisive mandate is a ``clear message'' that the party nee

Striking public service workers in British Columbia have expanded their picket lines to 25 Liquor Distribution Branch retail stores in the latest escalation of job action. The B.C. General Employees’ Union says more than 600 workers at the liquor stores have walked of the job across the province in an effort to push the government back to the negotiating table. The union says the store locations were chosen because they are a "significant source of government revenue."

Burnaby RCMP’s Strike Force Unit investigated a series of residential break and enters that occurred between September 2023 and June 2024. After an extensive investigation, on May 21, 2025, the BC Prosecution Service approved 18 charges against Shane Conrad Takakenew. On August 27, 2025, Burnaby RCMP’s Strike Force Unit arrested Takakenew on 14 warrants. Takakenew now faces the following charges: 7 counts of break and enter9 counts of possession of stolen property2 counts of breaching a release orderAs a result of the investigation, 34-year-old Burnaby resident Fabiola Diaz is also fac

The Supreme Court of Canada has granted a last-minute stay over the destruction of a flock of ostriches until the court mulls an application for leave to appeal. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has been on the farm in northeastern B.C. for days preparing for the cull of nearly 400 birds. The high court's document, supplied by the farm's lawyer Umar Sheikh, says the order stays the enforcement of the CFIA's ``stamping-out policy'' until the application for leave to appeal is dismissed or, if leave to appeal is granted, until the case is disposed of. The news came on the farm

A coordinated investigation led by the RCMP Federal Policing – Pacific Region (FPPR) Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET) with the assistance of partner law enforcement agencies, has resulted in the dismantling of a clandestine drug lab and the seizure of illicit drugs and a firearm. On September 17, 2025, IBET officers with assistance from the Island District Emergency Response Team (ERT), Victoria Police Department’s Strike Force Unit, Sooke RCMP and the FPPR Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement and Response (CLEAR) team executed a search warrant at a property in the 3800 area of T

Four new buildings in B.C. are each receiving $500,000 — totalling $2 million — to demonstrate and showcase the benefits of mass-timber construction. “Mass timber represents a transformative, locally sourced solution that’s generating significant employment opportunities, spurring cutting-edge innovation, and revitalizing rural economies across British Columbia,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth. “Through our continued strategic investments in projects throughout the province, we’re positioning B.C. as a leader in mass-timber construction, while building the

Frauds are increasingly woven into the fabric of our daily lives, through emails, phone calls and social media. As technology evolves, so do the tactics of deceit and their delivery. By staying informed and skeptical, we can better protect ourselves and our communities. Nanaimo file # 2025-29161 Grandson scam Caller told police she was scammed for $1700 after being led to believe her grandson needed money to get out of jail. Caller that that in September 2025, she received a phone call from a private number who said they were the RCMP and that her grandson had been arrested after being inv

North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP is seeking the public’s assistance with information regarding two suspicious residential fires in North Cowichan and Duncan, B.C. On September 21, 2025 in the early hours of the morning, North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP responded to two separate house fires, on Vista Avenue and Alexander Street in North Cowichan/Duncan. Through the initial investigation it was determined that the fires were suspicious in nature. “We want to thank citizens who were instrumental in notifying the occupants of the homes, negating any possible injuries or death,” said Constable Tessa McD

The owners of an ostrich farm, whose flock is subject to a cull order, must leave today or face removal by police called in by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. RCMP and CFIA officials arrived Monday and served a warrant on the farm in southeastern British Columbia, where the owners have been fighting the cull order prompted by an outbreak of avian influenza that went on to kill 69 ostriches. Katie Pasitney, whose mother is a co-owner of Universal Ostrich Farms, posted a video to her Facebook page Monday evening showing a CFIA official telling the farmers they would be allowed to stay in th