Firefighting teams from Ontario and New Brunswick are arriving in British Columbia to assist with devastating wildfires. The BC Wildfire Service says the nearly 100 out-of-province members must pass COVID-19 safety checks before being sent into the field. Public Safety Canada also says it has committed the Armed Forces for airlift support to carry crews, supplies and equipment in and out of fire zones and to assist with emergency evacuations if needed. The wildfire service says 196 active wildfires are currently burning in B.C., with at least 40 sparked over the weekend. Evacuation

Over the last two reporting periods, B.C. had a total of 84 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 147,705 cases in British Columbia. This includes: 49 new cases from June 30 to July 1 and 35 new cases in the last 24 hours. There are currently 729 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Of the active cases, 99 individuals are currently hospitalized, 30 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. There have been two new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 1,756 deaths in British Columbia. 78.7% of all adults in B.C. and 77.5% of those 12 an

In the midst of Canada Day celebrations, the sounds of gunshots almost blended into the fireworks in one West Shore community.On July 1, 2021, at 10:45 pm, the West Shore RCMP received a report of possible gunshots in the area of 2800 block of Jacklin Road, Langford BC. Further reports determined that there had in fact been a shooting, and that an unoccupied parked vehicle nearby was damaged.At this time is appears that bullets struck both a vehicle and the townhome behind it, said Cst. Jesse Schroeder, of the West Shore RCMP Serious Crime Section, Thankfully no one was injured, but this could

Police in Victoria are investigating and appealing to the public for information after a statue of Captain James Cook was toppled and thrown into the harbour yesterday. Photos and video posted to social media show a crowd cheering as the statue near BC's Legislature was pulled down shortly after 8:30 pm. Police say there are several suspects in the Canada Day incident. The statue was replaced with a wooden cut out of a red dress, a symbol representing murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, and its base was smeared with red handprints.

A gas price analyst says fuel prices hit an all-time high in Vancouver today, while average prices in Canada are up 30 cents since the beginning of the year. Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, says average gas prices in Vancouver reached a dollar-74 today. McTeague says he expects prices to climb even higher as airline travel picks up and the easing of pandemic restrictions increases demand for fuel. The ongoing heat wave in the western part of the continent has also added pressure, with some refineries at lower operating levels.

A veteran police officer has died after he was struck by a vehicle in ``an intentional and deliberate act'' that left another officer injured. Interim police Chief James Ramer says Constable Jeffrey Northrup was killed early this morning in the parking garage at Toronto City Hall. The 31-year veteran of the service was responding to a 9-1-1 call for a robbery in progress. Ramer says Northrup's return to the major crimes unit ``speaks to the kind of officer he was and the dedication that he had that it was at this stage of his career.'' Ontario Premier Doug Ford is offering his sympathies to

The search continues today for multiple residents of a village in British Columbia's Interior that was decimated by a wildfire this week.Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth hasn't said how many people from the Lytton, B.C., area are unaccounted for.He says it's been hard to keep tabs on where everyone ended up given the urgent nature of Wednesday evening's evacuation.Officials say it's unclear whether anyone remains in the village due to a lack of cell service.RCMP say details about conditions in the village are scant because it's not safe to enter the area, but aerial photos show that nume

Residents of a BC village that set a Canadian high-temperature record of 49.6 Celsius this week were ordered to evacuate their homes last night due to a wildfire that spread quickly. The majority of Lytton has been burned by a fast-moving wildfire, and a number of locals are missing. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the majority of homes and infrastructure in the village have been destroyed, including the RCMP detachment and local ambulance station. Farnworth says in addition to the damage done, some residents have not been accounted for. "Their location is currently being investigat

In BC 62 wildfires and 29,000 lightning strikes have been reported in B.C. in just past 24 hours. At a last-minute news conference hosted by Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth in Vancouver and B.C. Premier John Horgan in Victoria, they addressed wildfires currently burning across the province, and a wildfire tearing through the village of Lytton. Premier Horgan told the province has had 62 wildfires started in just 24 hours and requested people to avoid any activities that can result in a wildfire. He further added that that province has requested for help from the federal govt. and Prime M