Higher gasoline and housing prices, compared with last year's pandemic-related lows, fuelled a leap in the national inflation rate to 4.1 per cent in August, up from 3.7 per cent in July. Statistics Canada says the hike is the largest year-over-year jump in inflation since March 2003, but if gasoline prices had been excluded, the August rate would have been 3.2 per cent. The cost of living in BC also climbed last month to 3.5 per cent, up four-tenths of a point from July. Inflation in Victoria was 3.2 per cent, an increase of half a point since July and Vancouver's rate nudged up 2 basis poin

A body has been found in a rural area of the southern Interior and police say the death is suspicious. A statement from Merritt RCMP says its members and major crimes investigators were called to an area near Nicola Lake, outside Merritt, at around 8 yesterday morning. Police haven't released the sex or age of the victim or what caused the death. They say their priority is identifying the body and notifying relatives.

Vancouver Coastal Health says a care home will be renamed because its namesake lobbied against the rights of racialized people in the 1940s. The health authority says it will consult with local community partners and stakeholders this fall to give the George Pearson Centre a more culturally appropriate name. It says Pearson's beliefs and actions do not align with its core values and the renaming process over the next few months will be transparent and respectful. The facility in Vancouver's Marpole neighbourhood opened in 1957. Vancouver Coastal Health on Twitter: Starting this fall, Vancouve

A popular passenger ferry that travels between Victoria and Seattle will be sailing into the BC city's harbour for the first time in 18 months as it gets back to business this week. FRS Clipper is the company that operates the Victoria Clipper V vessel, and its CEO says operations were expected to be halted until spring of next year due to staffing issues. He says federal unemployment benefits in the United States ran out on September 3rd for many people and if the company couldn't recall its staff, it risked losing key personnel. Starting Friday, Clipper will operate a four-day schedule over

B.C. is reporting 677 new cases of COVID-19, including 20 epi-linked cases, for a total of 175,819 cases in the province.There are currently 6,165 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 167,416 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 288 individuals are in hospital and 140 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. In the past 24 hours, one new death (Northern Health) has been reported, for an overall total of 1,866.There has been one new health-care facility outbreak at Westminster House (Fraser Health). The outbreak at

A Prince George woman has been charged with first-degree murder related to a stabbing in that city last year. Charlene Alexander is charged with the fatal stabbing of 26 year old Jessie Hayward-Lines on July 2nd, 2020. Alexander, who is in her mid-50s, made her first appearance before a judge on Saturday. She remains in custody and is due to return to court in Prince George tomorrow.

British Columbia's auditor general says the provincial government has not effectively overseen the safety of the 1,900 dams it regulates. In a news release, Michael Pickup says the Ministry of Forests, Land, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development has not adequately verified or enforced dam owners' compliance with key safety requirements. The report says that while the owners of the dams are responsible for their safety, the ministry has a mandate to see that they comply with provincial regulations. It also says the ministry had gaps in its records, which resulted in it being unawar

Serious crimes investigators in Langley hope sharp-eyed witnesses can help them uncover more clues about the disappearance of 40 year old Naomi Onotera. She was last seen August 28th near her Langley home and police confirm she left without her car, but they are now appealing for information about the movements of her white 2018 Subaru Crosstrek any time after August 25th. The vehicle is distinctive because of a Greater Vancouver Zoo sticker on the passenger-side front window. In the meantime, RCMP say they continue to follow up on tips that could lead them to the married Kindergarten teacher

Police estimated a crowd of about 400 gathered to protest against vaccinations and vaccine passports outside Vancouver city hall yesterday as similar demonstrations were held across the country. Some protesters carried signs that read ``My body, my choice.'' Police in Victoria say a man was arrested for assault during a protest at the BC legislature after a person was doused with hot liquid. Police say no charges have been laid in the incident, which remains under investigation.