The union representing some transit employees in British Columbia's Lower Mainland says disruptions could happen in January after members voted 100 per cent in favour of a strike mandate earlier this month. CUPE Local 4500, which represents more than 180 workers employed by the Coast Mountain Bus Company, says it kept the results of the Dec. 12 vote quiet until now “to avoid needless concern” about holiday season disruptions. President Chris Gindhu says in a statement Wednesday that the union is “working hard to avoid job action.”The union, which represents employees including transit

Environment Canada has issued wind warnings for British Columbia's central coast, Sunshine Coast and Greater Victoria regions, forecasting gusts of up to 120 kilometres an hour in some parts. The weather agency says an intense Pacific frontal system will remain off the coast through Friday, bringing the strongest winds to exposed coastal areas between northern Vancouver Island and Bella Bella. In the Sunshine Coast and the Victoria region, wind speeds are expected to reach 70 kilometres an hour with gusts up to 90 kilometres an hour. Environment Canada says the high winds may damage roof shing

The man who extorted and bullied British Columbia teenager Amanda Todd into suicide has had his 13-year sentence from a Canadian court converted to a six-year prison term in Europe.An Amsterdam court handed Aydin Coban the six-year sentence on Thursday, which is the maximum allowed under Dutch law and is longer than the 4 1/2 years prosecutors recommended to the court in July.Todd was 15 when she died by suicide at her home in Metro Vancouver in October 2012, weeks after posting a video watched by millions around the world describing being harassed and extorted by an online predator.Coban was

Shoppers should expect to see no single use plastic bags, straws or utensils in stores and restaurants starting tomorrow, as newfederal single-use plastics rules take effect. Cities like Vancouver and Victoria have already have their own rules in place. The BC government says food service providers will no longer be able to offer single-use plastic utensils, lids and other items like plastic sushi grass. It says such items can only be given out if a customer asks for them. federal rules will mean businesses are banned from giving out, manufacturing, and importing for sale checkout bags, cutle

The British Columbia Prosecution Service says there will be no charges stemming from a bus crash on an icy highway in the province's Interior last Christmas Eve that killed four people. Service spokesman Dan McLaughlin says it reached the decision after the Crown counsel assessing the allegations concluded that the standard for charges had not been met. The prosecution service guideline says in order for charges to be approved, there must be a "substantial likelihood of conviction" based on the strength of the evidence as well as the public interest being served in a prosecution. The crash of

The wildfires that disrupted the lives of thousands of Canadians and shattered records for the amount of forest burned have been voted 'The Canadian Press story of the year'. An unusually mild and dry winter in much of the country set the stage for an unprecedented season that led to 200,000 people fleeing their homes. The fires consumed an area three times the size of Nova Scotia, more than doubling the previous record set in 1995. From Halifax to British Columbia to Yellowknife, Canadians were forced from their homes as the fires burned, and the resulting smoke made for hazardous air conditi

British Columbia is experiencing interprovincial migration and has recently experienced record increases. Since July 2022, approximately 12,800 people have left BC and moved to another Canadian province.This is the first time in a decade that there have been more people leaving the province than people coming in for 15 consecutive months, according to Statistics Canada. From July to September 2023, 4,634 people moved to other provinces and the majority to Alberta.Despite this, 1,51,437 people from outside Canada have come to the province, bringing the population of the province to 5.6 million

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that there has been a significant change in India's stance with Canada after the allegations of a conspiracy to kill a Sikh leader were exposed in America. In an interview, Trudeau said that with the US accusations, Modi feels a change in the government's tone. And perhaps India has now realized that it cannot go aggressively. P. M. Trudeau's comments come at a time when India is cooperating with the US in the investigation and has said that it is also ready to investigate Canada's allegations if any concrete evidence is provided in this regard. Let it be k

One man is dead after a police-involved shooting in Abbotsford, British Columbia, on Sunday night. Police say the shooting happened in the 1700 block of Riverside Road, and the section between Marshall and King roads has been closed due to the ongoing investigation. Abbotsford Police say in a statement that one man died in the incident, although his name and other details surrounding the shooting have not been released. No police officers were injured in the incident. Police say they have notified B.C's Independent Investigations Office, and the watchdog agency is leading the investigation in