The British Columbia legislature has passed Bill 5, the Trade Recognition Act, with support from all parties, a move the provincial government says will reduce interprovincial trade barriers and expand market access for businesses. The legislation allows goods and services that are legally sold in another Canadian province or territory to be sold in British Columbia without requiring duplicate provincial certification, according to the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. Jobs and Economic Growth Minister Ravi Kahlon said the measure builds on previous efforts to streamline i

An Australian coroner says a 19-year-old woman from British Columbia drowned after being attacked by a pack of dingoes during an early morning walk on an island off Queensland. Piper James was on a backpacking trip and had been working on K'Gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, when she died on Jan. 19. According to the Coroners Court of Queensland, a forensic pathologist with Queensland Health determined James drowned after sustaining multiple injuries during the attack. A spokesperson for the coroner said the injuries occurred “due to or as a consequence of” the dingo attack. Authoritie

Usually, when media has interactions with the police, it is related to some serious incidents/announcements or some serious business. But in contrast, the media's interaction with the police on Wednesday at the BC RCMP headquarters at Green Timbers in Surrey took place in a very lively atmosphere where police officials and media-persons were visibly happy. Police officers, who usually appear alert, cautious and serious, were seen playing with little puppies in the media room of BC RCMP headquarters. This occasion seemed joyous and relaxing for the officers. This relates to an annual contest du

A former Vancouver Island hockey coach has been sentenced to 12 months in jail after being convicted of child luring involving a 15-year-old girl during a 2020 hockey camp in Port Alberni. According to a B.C. Provincial Court ruling, Foster Chadwick Martin was found guilty in December of luring a child after sending explicit messages to the teen through Instagram and Snapchat during a hockey camp. Court documents state Martin was 20 years old at the time of the offence. The court heard that Martin later worked as a jail guard with the Victoria Police Department. He was removed from his positio

The Toronto Police Service says a 19-year-old man from Edmonton is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant in connection with a fatal shooting in Rexdale last month. At a joint update with York Regional Police, Det. Sgt. Sandra Arruda of the homicide and missing persons unit said officers responded at about 3:26 p.m. on Feb. 7 to reports of a shooting in the parking lot of Woodbine Shopping Centre, near Rexdale Boulevard and Highway 27. According to police, officers located a man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries and later pronounced dead. Inv

The British Columbia government says it will introduce mandatory crane-related licensing and permitting following a series of fatal workplace accidents over the past five years. In a statement Tuesday, the province said it plans to establish a new WorkSafeBC crane licensing and permitting program to ensure crane operations meet “consistent, high-quality safety requirements.” According to the government, there have been seven crane-related fatalities in B.C. during that period, with 373 cranes currently in operation across the province. The announcement follows a WorkSafeBC report into the

British Columbia Chief Coroner Jatinder Baidwan announced Tuesday that a formal investigation will be conducted into the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge. Speaking at a press conference in Victoria, Baidwan said the purpose of the investigation is to establish the facts surrounding the incident and issue recommendations aimed at preventing similar tragedies in the future. He said the process is also intended to help restore public confidence in the system. According to the BC Coroners Service, the investigation will examine how individuals experiencing a mental health crisis are identified and w

The BC government has introduced Bill 7, in the legislature to provide education quality assurance, strengthen oversight, and crack down on bad actors. In this regard, in an exclusive interview with Connect FM today, BC's Minister of Post-Secondary education and Future Skills, Jessie Sooner, answered questions about the need for the bill, its timeline, identification of bad actors and penalties, and its alignment with federal laws. Minister Sunner said, “this legislation will provide more tools and will be useful in maintaining international education standards.” Minister Sunner said that

The Kelowna RCMP says provincial funding through British Columbia’s Special Investigations and Targeted Enforcement program has led to 121 arrests, the recommendation of 163 criminal charges and the seizure of firearms, drugs and cash over a seven-month period. According to a Kelowna RCMP news release, the detachment received funding from the Province of British Columbia and the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General to support additional intelligence-led enforcement between June 1, 2025, and Jan. 15, 2026. The initiative focused on violent crime, repeat offenders and organized crim