British Columbia’s political scene is heating up amid signals from Premier David Eby that an early provincial election could be called. Amid the uncertainty, Union of B.C. Municipalities president Cory Ramsay is calling for any potential mid-term provincial election to be held only after the municipal elections are completed. Ramsay noted that local elections are scheduled for Oct. 17, with campaigning beginning Sept. 19 across 188 communities. He warned that calling a provincial election during the municipal campaign could distract more than 3,500 local candidates and residents from key iss

Police have charged a 29-year-old Alberta man in connection with a fire at Burnaby Hospital in 2020, following an investigation that lasted nearly six years. Burnaby RCMP said the B.C. Prosecution Service approved charges against Yu Yun Wang on September 8, including arson and endangering human life. The fire broke out on November 15, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the hospital’s mental health services wing. The blaze caused millions of dollars in damage, forced the emergency department to close and led to the evacuation of patients. Police said the suspect was identified in 2023 aft

Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Maninder Sidhu, is travelling to India and the Philippines this week to advance new trade agreements and create new opportunities for Canadian businesses. During his visit to India, Sidhu will lead high-level trade discussions focused on opening new opportunities for Canadian aerospace, artificial intelligence, clean energy and critical minerals sectors. He is also expected to meet with leading Indian business leaders and investors and encourage them to invest in Canada. Sidhu said another key objective of the trip is to advance free trade agreement

A 60-year-old man has been arrested by Vancouver police for allegedly crashing into multiple vehicles and fleeing the scene. According to police, the incidents occurred around 9 a.m. Tuesday in southeast Vancouver, near East 49th Avenue and Elliott Street. Officers said people were inside the vehicles when they were struck. Police said several vehicles were damaged, but no injuries were reported. After the collisions, the suspect allegedly abandoned his vehicle and fled the scene on foot. Police later arrested the suspect, identified as Wayne Tran. He is facing charges related to dangerous dri

B.C. Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay has reportedly faced calls to resign amid growing internal turmoil within the party. An emergency caucus meeting was held in downtown Vancouver on Wednesday night, where at least two sitting MLAs reportedly questioned Findlay’s leadership and asked her to step down immediately. According to reports, the meeting was tense and ended at around 11:30 p.m. Findlay did not agree to step down and remains leader of the party. The latest development comes after nine MLAs left the B.C. Conservative caucus since Findlay took over as leader in May. The party

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has urged his MPs to put Canada’s national interest ahead of party interests during a Conservative caucus meeting in Penticton, B.C. Addressing his caucus, Poilievre said that in the current challenging period, including the impact of U.S. tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, Conservatives have a duty to put the country before the party. He said the Conservatives would support decisions by Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government when they believe those decisions are in Canada’s interest, while opposing policies they disagree with. Poil

The B.C. RCMP’s Major Crime Unit is investigating the death of a 30-year-old woman in Fort St. James as suspicious. The woman has been identified as Dayna Monk, and investigators are appealing to the public for information that could assist with the case. According to Fort St. James RCMP, emergency health services were called to a home in the 400-block of Stuart Drive on May 31 following reports that a woman was experiencing cardiac arrest. Despite resuscitation efforts, the woman could not be saved. Initial investigations did not indicate any criminal involvement in her death. However, foll

British Columbia Premier David Eby says he has told NDP legislators to be “election ready” amid the disruption caused by the ongoing trade war with the United States. Eby said Cheryl Oates, his former acting chief of staff, will manage the NDP’s campaign for the next provincial election whenever it is called. However, he did not announce any date for the vote. The premier said he has informed both Elections B.C. and the NDP caucus that they need to be prepared for an election. His comments come as the Opposition B.C. Conservatives face internal changes, with nine members having left the

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke has expressed strong concern after two high-risk offenders were released into the city within just two days. Following a public warning issued by the Surrey Police Service, Locke said violent offenders such as Jonathan Muzichka and Skyler Pelletier should not be released to live in Surrey. She said Surrey is home to more than 700,000 people and allowing high-risk offenders to repeatedly settle in the community raises serious concerns about public safety. Locke said she supports rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders, but the responsibility of managing high-risk