The president of the B.C. General Employees’ Union is set to make an announcement this morning laying out the next phase of the union's public service strike. The union says Paul Finch is scheduled to speak at a picket line in Surrey on the fifth consecutive day of picketing following the launch of job action last Tuesday. The union represents more than 34,000 members working for B.C.'s public service and has held picket lines at locations including government sites in Victoria, Surrey, and Prince George, and the Royal BC Museum. It says some of its key asks include competitive wages and fai

The Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5) between Hope and Merritt has reopened in both directions following a closure caused by the Mine Creek wildfire. Due to the proximity of the fire, drivers should be prepared for the Coquihalla Highway to be closed with minimal notice. Drivers are advised to not stop in the fire zone. Intermittent lane closures can be expected as crews continue to assess and repair roadside damage, and visibility is reduced due to wildfire smoke. Drivers should also be prepared for an increased risk of wildlife presence due to fire damage to wildlife-exclusion fencing on this s

Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Labour, has issued the following statement on the Cowichan Valley transit labour dispute: “This strike has been deeply disruptive to people living in the Cowichan Valley, who rely on transit to get to work, go to school, attend medical appointments and access everyday services. “This dispute has gone on for far too long. There’s a real urgency for the parties to get back to the table, find a fair resolution and get transit services back on the road. “To help the parties resolve the ongoing labour dispute, I have appointed Vince Ready as a special mediato

Highway #1 will stay closed just south of Yale for the balance of the day as BC Highway Patrol investigates and looks for more witnesses after a serious collision forced the shutdown of the road. The collision happened just after 6:00 a.m. on September 5, 2025, when a tractor-trailer and a pickup truck collided head-on. The driver of the tractor-trailer is unhurt, but the driver of the pickup has been taken to hospital with serious injuries. “We are making progress in this investigation, but we need more witnesses and dash camera video to get a complete picture of what happened,” says

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

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