A tragic boating accident on British Columbia's Okanagan Lake has claimed the life of an American kayaker after strong winds caused two people to capsize. West Kelowna RCMP said the incident occurred Friday evening near the Westbank First Nation beach when two kayakers were caught in sudden and dangerous wind conditions on the lake. While attempting to swim back to shore, one of the kayakers disappeared underwater. People on nearby boats quickly responded and managed to rescue one of the kayakers, but the second person could not be located. The Central Okanagan Search and Rescue team later rec

A home has been completely destroyed by an out-of-control wildfire near the Village of Lytton, B.C. The incident comes just days before the fifth anniversary of the devastating 2021 wildfire that destroyed much of the community and claimed two lives. Officials say it remains unclear how many other structures may have been damaged by the current blaze, as emergency crews have not yet been able to fully assess the affected areas. According to the latest update from the B.C. Wildfire Service, the Saw Creek wildfire near Lytton has now burned approximately 704 hectares. However, the agency noted

More than 300 wildfires have been recorded in British Columbia since April 1, with most of them now extinguished, according to the BC Wildfire Service and provincial officials. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said there are currently 20 active wildfires across the province. Five of those fires were reported within the past 24 hours. According to Parmar, 14 of the active fires were caused by human activity, while four were sparked by lightning. The causes of the remaining two fires are still under investigation. Data from the BC Wildfire Service shows that 333 wildfires have been recorded in Briti

A 30-year-old Vancouver man was taken to hospital with minor injuries after allegedly fleeing police and crashing into a tree in downtown Vancouver on Thursday. According to the Vancouver Police Department, officers identified a vehicle being driven by a prohibited driver after an automatic licence plate reader in a patrol vehicle flagged a car with expired insurance. Police said the vehicle was being operated by a driver who was prohibited from driving. Police attempted to stop the vehicle near Howe and Robson streets. Investigators allege the driver failed to stop and fled through an undergr

The British Columbia government has approved an amended environmental assessment certificate allowing underground block-cave mining at the Red Chris Mine in northwestern B.C., according to a decision announced following a review by the Environmental Assessment Office. The Red Chris Mine currently operates as an open-pit copper and gold mine. The amended certificate permits the project to transition to block-caving, an underground mining method that extracts ore from beneath the surface. The approval follows consultation with the Tahltan Central Government, which provided its consent for the am

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was in Vancouver on Friday as he sought to rally support around ongoing concerns over property rights in British Columbia. Poilievre accused Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal government of failing to adequately defend private property rights, arguing that uncertainty surrounding land ownership issues has left many homeowners concerned about the security of their properties. The Conservative leader linked those concerns to a recent court decision involving the Cowichan Tribes, which has prompted debate over land ownership and property rights in pa

Mission RCMP say officers seized multiple firearms and issued several violation tickets during an enforcement operation targeting illegal recreational shooting along the Lost Creek Forest Service Road area over the June 13–14 weekend. According to a Mission RCMP release, officers responded to a report on June 13 of people shooting near the 7.5-kilometre marker of the forest service road. Police located five men from Abbotsford and seized five firearms from two 21-year-old gun owners. The pair later received $690 violation tickets for discharging firearms in a designated no-shooting area. RCM

West Shore RCMP say a 33-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a sexual assault investigation involving a youth in Langford. According to an RCMP release, the incident was reported to have occurred on June 9 at about 3 p.m. near the intersection of Jacklin Road and Station Avenue. Police said a female youth was approached by an unknown adult male at a bus stop, where a brief conversation took place before the youth was allegedly sexually assaulted. West Shore RCMP issued a public appeal for assistance on June 12 as investigators worked to identify the suspect. Police said officers

The British Columbia government has announced a series of upgrades to its hydroelectric system that it says will increase the province's electricity supply by about seven per cent. Energy Minister Adrian Dix said the largest project will involve adding a sixth generating unit at the Revelstoke Dam, increasing capacity by approximately 500 megawatts by 2032. According to the provincial announcement, the first four generating units at the Revelstoke generating station will also undergo modernization work. The government said upgrades are also planned at six other generating stations and at the W