The B.C. Court of Appeal has dismissed a bid by the Insurance Corporation of B.C. to reduce damages awarded in a class-action lawsuit for privacy violations by a former employee that set off ``arson and shooting attacks.''The court ruled Wednesday that $15,000 per class member awarded by the lower court was appropriate, rejecting the insurance company's claim that the privacy breaches at issue only warranted ''nominal'' damages of $500 each.The lawsuit stemmed from a former employee named Candy Rheaume who accessed customer licence plate information and sold it to criminals who used it to carr

RCMP say a 15-year-old died of a suspected drug overdose this month in Campbell River, B.C., believed to involve the prescription opioid hydromorphone and cough medicine. Const. Maury Tyre with the Campbell River RCMP says in a statement that it's important for youth and parents to understand the risks posed by both prescription and non-prescription medications. The statement says an investigation into the teen's medical emergency led police to believe it was caused by a combination of Dilaudid, a brand name of hydromorphone, and non-prescription cough medicine. Dilaudid is avai

British Columbia's Homicide Investigation Team is identifying the person who was found dead inside a burned Langley home hoping to further its investigation. It says the death of 47-year-old Tyler Smith has been confirmed as a homicide, adding that he had recently moved to the area. Langley RCMP previously said they received a report of a structure fire near the intersection of 56 Avenue and Glover Road shortly after seven on Friday morning. The Mounties confirmed a body was found inside the home once the flames were put out. Spokeswoman Sgt. Freda Fong says investigators are h

Premier David Eby has expressed his government's readiness to implement free trade with other Canadian provinces ahead of the federal deadline. Speaking to reporters in Victoria, Eby confirmed that legislation to support this initiative has already been introduced and that British Columbia is prepared to move forward immediately. He said the province is ready to implement it now, emphasizing that other provinces will not be required to formally recognize B.C.’s trade rules for the system to function. The legislation in question, Bill 7, aims to eliminate internal trade barriers and promote

The British Columbia government is making changes to its graduated drivers licensing regime, eliminating the need for a second road test to obtain a full licence. Public Safety Minister Garry Begg says the changes, if approved, will see new drivers get "on-road experience" and be subject to a 12-month restriction rather than be required to take another test to get their Class 5 licence. A statement from the ministry says there will also be a new program to licence motorcycle drivers, who are "overrepresented in fatal crashes in B.C." The ministry statement says the program hasn't been signific

Vancouver International Airport has resumed normal operations after three days of significant flight delays and cancellations. The airport confirmed on Thursday that services are now operating as usual. Since 3 p.m. on Monday, dozens of flights were delayed and several others canceled due to a shortage of resources and staff at Nav Canada, the country's air traffic control authority. Nav Canada had been implementing temporary traffic management measures to handle the disruption. Airport officials confirmed today that the issues have now been resolved. Passengers are advised to check their fli

The British Columbia Prosecution Service has approved charges relating to three alleged sexual assaults on Metro Vancouver's transit system. A statement from the region's Transit Police says the first complaint was made in January last year, when a woman on a crowded Canada Line train called police to say that a man had made inappropriate physical contact with her. Then, in April last year, a man was seen standing suspiciously close to a teenage passenger on the Canada Line, and when he leaned into the girl, a witness called police. On a crowded Expo Line train last May, a woman felt someone p

The British Columbia Highway Patrol says a loaded dump truck is sitting in an impound, while the driver faces allegations of impairment. Officers received a call about the truck being driven dangerously eastbound on Highway 1 through Chilliwack last Wednesday morning. They say two patrol vehicles stopped the truck and officers saw signs the driver was impaired. They say the 64-year-old man faces a 90-day driving suspension and had to be picked up by his wife. His truck will be impounded for 30 days. Police say the Abbotsford-based company that owns the truck will be responsible for towing and

The British Columbia government is calling on the federal government to raise its 2025 allocation under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), citing urgent workforce needs. The province reports that it met its 2024 target of 8,000 workers and is now requesting an increase to 11,000 nominees for 2025. However, Ottawa has reduced B.C.’s allocation to just 4,000, a move the province says is undermining its ability to meet labour market demands. The B.C. government argues that a higher quota would enable the province to process the majority of pending applications and accept approximately 1,100