More families in the province will benefit from B.C.’s Rental Assistance Program following an increase in the annual income limit for low-income working families. In Budget 2025, the David Eby government raised the income limit from $40,000 to $60,000. The provincial government anticipates that this change will increase the number of families receiving the rental supplement from 3,200 to around 6,000. Additionally, the amount of the rental supplement will rise by approximately 75%, from $400 per month to $700 per month. Furthermore, the income limit and average supplement amount for the She

British Columbia's finance minister is preparing to deliver a budget today that she says will brace the province against four years of "uncertainty and disorder" amid the U.S. presidency of Donald Trump. Brenda Bailey's budget is being handed down on the same day that Trump says a 25 per cent U.S. tariff will be placed on Canadian goods, while Canadian energy will face 10 per cent tariffs. Bailey says Trump's tariffs came "completely out of nowhere" when he announced them last November and they've already changed B.C.'s financial circumstances. The NDP government has cancelled its election pro

BC Finance Minister Brenda Bailey is set to present the provincial budget tomorrow, a significant event coinciding with the anticipated implementation of Trump’s 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods. The budget will also serve as a major test for Premier David Eby, who made ambitious campaign promises during the election. Eby pledged that his BC NDP government would build new hospitals, expand rapid transit, and invest in schools if re-elected. However, the looming tariffs and the pressure to address the province’s $9.4 billion deficit suggest that these promises may not feature prominentl

An earthquake has shaken awake some B.C. residents, the latest in a series of tremors for the province. Earthquakes Canada says the 4.1 magnitude earthquake was detected at 5:02 a.m. PST roughly 44 kilometres northeast of Victoria, B.C., and 75 kilometres southeast of Vancouver but it isn't believed to have caused any damage. The agency says the quake would have been lightly felt around Victoria and Vancouver, and by 6 a.m. more than 1,500 people had reported feeling the quake to the agency. Many people also took to social media to report being shaken awake by the tremor. The U.S. National Tsu

The B.C. government, led by Premier David Eby, will present the provincial budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year on March 4. This budget will mark the first presented by the new Finance Minister, Brenda Bailey. Minister Bailey faces the challenge of balancing the budget as tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump continue to threaten the province’s businesses and jobs. The provincial government has already projected a $9 billion deficit for the current fiscal year, the largest budget deficit in Canadian history relative to the size of a provincial economy. In December, Finance Minister B

British Columbia's energy minister says the province will soon require Canadian-made products to fulfil renewable fuel standards for gasoline and diesel. Adrian Dix says B.C.'s requirement of five-per-cent renewable fuel content for gasoline must be met with Canadian-made fuel starting Jan. 1, 2026. He says the province is also boosting the minimum renewable requirement for diesel from four to eight per cent effective immediately, and that percentage must be Canadian-made starting April 1. Dix says the United States provides "dramatic subsidies" for its own biofuel industry to a degree that cu

Vancouver's city council has decided to halt the development of new supportive housing projects. The proposal, introduced by Mayor Ken Sim, was approved with a 6-3 vote on Wednesday evening. The mayor expressed concerns that other cities in Metro Vancouver are not doing enough to support their homeless populations. Mayor Sim pointed out that Vancouver provides 77 percent of the region's support services, including assisted living and shelters, despite the city representing only 25 percent of the region's population. He stated that the halt on new supportive housing units will remain in place

An overnight windstorm along British Columbia's south coast has knocked out power for thousands. BC Hydro is reporting more 7,000 people along southern Vancouver Island woke up to outages on Tuesday. More than 20,000 had power knocked out during the storm across the island and the Lower Mainland although it had been restored to most by 9 a.m. Environment Canada says peak winds were felt along the coast, with Discovery Island off Victoria seeing the highest gusts of up to 96 km/h. Other locations, including Victoria and Tsawwassen, also reported high winds, but all Environment Canada wind warni

Another earthquake has struck off the British Columbia coast. A post on X from Emergency Info BC Monday night said a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck west of Port Alice, a community on northwest Vancouver Island. The agency added there was no risk of a tsunami, and there have been no reports of damage or injuries. This is the second earthquake in British Columbia in four days, after a 4.7-magnitude temblor struck the southwest coast on Friday, northeast of Sechelt. Tremors were felt on the Sunshine Coast, Metro Vancouver as well as Vancouver Island. Though several smaller aftershocks came from