Housing experts and developers in British Columbia are urging the province’s newly elected government to consider alternatives to development charges for funding municipal infrastructure, as the condo construction market in Metro Vancouver has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years. They say development charges, which were initially intended to fund essential infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer systems, are now being used for a wider range of services, including libraries, fire services and daycare facilities. This expansion has led to a sharp increase in fees. According to a repor

At least 20 people have been injured after a shuttle bus carrying workers for a data centre company crashed in British Columbia on Wednesday morning. The accident occurred around 9:10 a.m. on Highway 39, approximately four kilometres south of Mackenzie. The white shuttle bus, rented by a contractor for Australian technology and AI data centre company IREN, reportedly lost control and plunged into a ditch. According to BC Highway Patrol, the driver and around 20 other people sustained injuries. One victim was airlifted from the scene in critical condition. Six others were initially taken to a l

A fire near Gilmore SkyTrain Station in Burnaby caused heavy smoke early Wednesday morning, forcing TransLink to suspend Millennium Line services and disrupting travel between Vancouver and Burnaby. According to TransLink, service was suspended at around 5:50 a.m. due to heavy smoke at Gilmore Station. Additional shuttle buses were arranged between Holdom, Brentwood, Gilmore, Rupert and Renfrew stations to assist affected passengers. Meanwhile, Expo Line and Canada Line services continued operating normally. The fire department received a report of a fire inside the station building at around

A Vancouver provincial court has sentenced a man to seven years in prison for sexually abusing a young girl over several months while he was entrusted with her care. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that the victim’s mother worked two or three jobs to support her family. Trusting the accused, identified as Ferdinand Silabe Talinus, who was in his mid-40s, she had hired him to look after her two daughters. However, the accused allegedly took advantage of that trust and sexually assaulted the girl between June 2021 and October 2022. He reportedly covered the child’s mouth during

A mother and daughter have died in a suspected grizzly bear attack in the Bella Coola area of British Columbia. The victims have been identified as 48-year-old Jennifer Balcarres and her 20-year-old daughter, Sela Reid. The two women went hiking along the Snooka West Trail on Saturday afternoon, about a five-minute walk from their home. However, when they failed to return, their family reported them missing on Sunday. The B.C. Conservation Officer Service found Jennifer's body in the trail area on Monday, while her daughter's body was recovered on Tuesday. Jennifer worked as an art therapist,

Surrey Police Service, along with local RCMP and an Emergency Response Team, conducted a raid at a residence on Findlay Road in Kelowna’s Rutland neighbourhood on Monday morning. At least two people were taken into custody during the operation. Witnesses reported that police smashed windows and deployed smoke grenades while entering the home. Surrey Police Senior Media Relations Officer Sgt. Lindsey Houghton confirmed that the raid was part of an ongoing sensitive investigation by the Surrey Police Service. However, police have not disclosed the nature of the alleged crime. Kelowna RCMP Medi

A 22-year-old man is in critical condition in hospital after a shooting in Surrey on Monday night. According to the Surrey Police Service (SPS), officers received reports of shots fired around 9:45 p.m. in the 9000-block of Snowden Place in Central Surrey. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found evidence of a shooting and signs that someone had been injured. However, neither a suspect nor a victim was found at the location. Meanwhile, some officers attended a nearby hospital, where a 22-year-old man had arrived with gunshot wounds. He remains in critical condition. The Surrey Police Service

Two people were seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash in Surrey’s Cloverdale area on Monday evening. According to police, the vehicle veered off the road and overturned into a water-filled ditch. The crash occurred at around 4 p.m. in the 8300 block of 176 Street. Surrey Police Service Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said officers arriving at the scene found one of the occupants thrown out of the vehicle. BC Emergency Health Services transported both individuals to hospital. The driver was reported to be in critical condition. Police said the incident involved only one vehicle, and the in

A 19-year-old suspect has died after shooting himself at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus in Ontario. The incident occurred Monday night when Peel Regional Police arrived at a student housing building while searching for a suspect in an assault on a woman in Brampton. The suspect had reportedly been seen near the building. The university issued a shelter-in-place order between 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. as police attempted to establish contact with the young man. During the standoff, officers heard a gunshot coming from inside the room. When police entered, they found the suspect injured