Vancouver's Non-Partisan Association, a key part of the civic political landscape in the city, has parted ways with its high profile mayoral candidate just months before municipal elections. John Coupar, a three-term park board commissioner who was making his first bid for the mayor's chair, says in a statement that he resigned yesterday as the NPA candidate, although he didn't give reasons. A statement from the party thanks Coupar for his 11 years of ``tireless dedication,'' and wishes him well, but also does not offer a reason for the split. Coupar's appointment in April prompted three sitt

The BC Wildfire Service says almost 400 firefighters are now assigned to the blaze burning southwest of Penticton in the southern Okangaan. A flare-up yesterday forced the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen to order the entire community of Olalla to evacuate, affecting about 400 people, while the Village of Keremeos and surrounding areas are on evacuation alert. Highway 3A which runs through Olalla and connects Keremeos to Kaleden is also closed until further notice. Hundreds more homes are also on evacuation order or alert due to the blaze which was sparked last Friday and now covers

BC Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon says BC added just under 15-thousand full-time jobs in July as the provincial unemployment rate was set at 4.7 per cent, up one-tenth of a point from June. A statement from the ministry says more people joined the workforce in BC last month than in any other major province, while more new residents moved to BC in the first quarter of 2022 than at any time in over 60 years. Kahlon says the numbers mean BC continues to lead Canada's economic recovery. Statistics Canada says the jobless rate in Kelowna was four per cent in July, unchanged from June, while Vancouver's

On August 3rd at approximately 2:00 pm, the New Westminster Police Department responded an domestic incident near 20th Street and 6th Avenue. The suspect was identified and later located at a residence in the 300 block of Agnes Street. The suspect would not acknowledge police and patrol members attempted to negotiate the surrender of the suspect. Due to the suspect refusing to exit the apartment, the Lower Mainland District Emergency Response Team was deployed to assist with the arrest. The suspect was located inside the residence at approximately 7:00 pm and was taken into custody without inc

With the ongoing erosion of B.C.’s health care system and the continued lack of urgent action from the NDP government to address the now system-wide crisis, the BC Liberals are asking the question, where is NDP Health ​Minister Adrian Dix and the NDP’s long-promised health care human resources plan? "For months we have watched the crisis in B.C.’s health care system grow and tragically, some British Columbians have lost their lives as a result of the dysfunction in the system. This has become a province-wide crisis that continues to get worse by the day, and yet Minister Adrian Dix ref

A unique collaboration between four post-secondary institutions in British Columbia will establish a new campus on the Vancouver Island city of Langford. The partnership between the University of Victoria, Royal Roads University, Camosun College and the Justice Institute of B.C. will educate up to 1,300 students when it's completed by 2035. The project includes an almost $78-million investment from the provincial government, while Royal Roads is contributing $19 million for the land purchase and capital costs and Langford about $27 million in infrastructure. Premier John Horgan, whose riding

The BC Wildfire Service is optimistic that cooler weather in the southern Okanagan this week could help crews make inroads on the nearly 28-square kilometre wildfire burning southwest of Penticton. The fire, sparked Friday, saw explosive growth over the weekend as soaring temperatures helped fuel it as it moved into steep, inaccessible terrain near Apex Mountain. The resort village is among the more than 300 properties currently evacuated and roughly 400 more homes, farms and businesses are on evacuation alert. Two other fires, including a nearly two-square kilometre fire northwest of Kamloop

Kelowna RCMP say an investigation is underway after a call for a possible impaired driver in Kelowna turned into a significant seizure of drugs and weapons. Police say it happened Sunday, not far from the downtown core as two men in a Mercedes-Benz tried unsuccessfully to drive out of a parkade as police arrived. The RCMP statement says both men had mandatory firearms prohibitions and one tried to avoid police by hiding in the trunk of the car and, when discovered, was within arms reach of multiple loaded firearms. In addition to possibly stolen property and drugs including crack cocaine, pol

On July 26th at approximately 7:00pm, the New Westminster Police Department received a call from a witness advising there was an assault in progress inside a New Westminster business. According to witnesses, the man threatened staff inside and there were sounds of breaking glass. Officers attended the area and located an individual matching the suspect description standing in the 600 block of Columbia Street. The suspect was arrested and transported to the New Westminster Police Department cells."This behavior is not tolerated in our community," stated Sergeant Justine Thom. "I want to remind