British Columbia is spending $3 million to expand a program that partners health-care workers with police to respond to mental-health-related calls.Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the program aim is to connect people in crisis to the appropriate services in their community and take pressure off stretched police resources.New teams are being funded for Abbotsford, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Penticton, Vernon, Squamish, Prince Rupert and the Westshore on southern Vancouver Island.Similar programs already exist in 10 B.C. communities including Kamloops, Victoria, S

B.C. is stepping up its fight against hard-to-recycle single-use and plastic items.A new provincial regulation will cover numerous items from shopping bags and disposable food service accessories to packaging made of polystyrene foam and compostable or biodegradable plastics.The Single-Use and Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation will begin to come into force in December.There will be a six-month phase-in period to educate the public and businesses and allow time for businesses to use up existing inventory.

The B.C. government is confirming the death of a firefighter who was responding to a wildfire near Revelstoke.A statement from Premier David Eby issued late Thursday offers his condolences.Calling it a "tremendous loss for everyone involved with the BC Wildfire Service at an already challenging time," the statement goes on to say the tragedy serves as a heartbreaking reminder that firefighters are often putting their lives on the line to keep people and communities safe.The statement offers condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the unidentified crew member on behalf of all Briti

Tentative deal reached to end B.C Port strike.B.C. Maritime Employer' Association says it will work with union and other partners to safely resume operations asap.It also states that the new 4 year deal is subject to ratification by both parties.No further details have been shared yet.

At least 12 new evacuation orders or alerts have been issued over the last day in British Columbia as lightning storms and drought conditions add to the challenge of fighting hundreds of wildfires.The orders and alerts cover thousands of hectares of land mainly in the Prince George and Northwest fire centres. The BC Wildfire Service says just over two-thirds of the province's roughly 330 fires are raging in those two centres. Environment Canada has posted air-quality statements for much of central and northern B.C. and parts of Yukon as far north as Faro, with conditions not expected to ease f

The federal labour minster has asked mediators for terms to end the B.C. port strike within 24 hours.Seamus O'Regan issued a statement saying the scale of this disruption shows how important the relationship between the B.C. Maritime Employers Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada is to our national interest.He says that once he has received the terms from the mediator, he will forward them to both sides and they will have another 24 hours to decide whether to ratify the principles of the deal.

Police in British Columbia are raising concerns about the rise of 3D-printed guns and other privately made firearms, saying the risks posed by the weapons that often resemble "harmless toys" may not be understood by parents or teachers.The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit has shared a photo of an array of weapons printed in colourful plastic, with names including Songbird, Biden's Bane and Macdaddy.Others appear to be replicas of commercially made guns including an AR-15 rifle and handguns by Glock and Smith & Wesson.The unit says in a news release that although a fully functional

Some patients had to be shifted to other hospitals due to a fire in the emergency department of Surrey Memorial Hospital on Monday morning.According to Fraser Health, a flammable liquid caught fire in a hospital bathroom and a patient in the bathroom was injured and is being treated.The police said that the fire was not deliberately set and no criminal investigation is underway against anyone.The bathroom of the hospital is reported to be badly damaged in this incident.It may be noted that Surrey Memorial Hospital has been in limelight for a few months regarding staff shortages and long delays

Hundreds of lightning strikes in many parts of British Columbia almost tripled the number of active wildfires in the province over the weekend, with most burning in central and northern B.C. The BC Wildfire Service is reporting more than 300 fires, with 87 spotted in the last 24 hours and almost 200 of the total number ranked as out of control. The wildfire service is bracing for challenging conditions, with lightning storms still in the forecast for most of the week, as well as heat warnings or above-average temperatures through the central Interior. Of the 13 blazes listed as "fires of note,