Smoky skies have cleared slightly in parts of British Columbia but Environment Canada is maintaining air quality statements for the entire southern third of the province.For the first time in days, the weather office lifted smoky skies bulletins for all areas north of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and Thompson regions.But it says wildfire smoke carried north from blazes in Washington state, Oregon and California is expected to continue blanketing southern B.C. at least until later this week.The province's air quality health index reflected a brief improvement in conditions early Wednes

BC is reporting 97 new cases of COVID-19 and no additional deaths, leaving the death toll at 219. Heath officials say a new outbreak has been detected at the Opal retirement residence in Vancouver, meaning 11 long-term care or assisted-living facilities have ongoing outbreaks. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry say in a joint statement that the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 has ticked up to 63. There are 1,590 active cases in BC, while 3,000 people remain under active monitoring by public health workers after exposure to known cases.

Clean-up is underway along CN Rail tracks just west of Hope where a train derailed early yesterday morning. CN says no one was hurt when about 60 cars jumped the tracks at a rail bridge, dumping tons of potash into Hunter Creek. Environmental crews are at the scene, along with Transportation Safety Board investigators, and a vacuum truck is being used to remove the potash. CN says the CP train was on its tracks because the two companies share tracks through the narrow Fraser Canyon region.

After suspending mail service yesterday over a wide area of Vancouver Island and southern B-C, Canada Post still hasn't said if service has resumed today.The corporation halted delivery arguing soaring concentrations of smoke wafting up from wildfires in Washington state, Oregon and California make delivery unsafe for its workers.Environment Canada is maintaining air quality advisories over most of B-C and the air quality index shows much of the province is enduring conditions that can create a very high health risk. The weather office says smoke concentrations could fall slightly today but gr

British Columbia has had 317 additional cases of COVID-19 and six more people have died since Friday. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says 1,595 cases are active in the province, including 58 people who are hospitalized. Nearly half of the active cases are people connected to long-term care and assisted-living facilities, including 471 residents and 320 staff. Dr. Henry says 5,446 people have recovered after testing positive for the illness and more than 3,000 people are being actively monitored for symptoms. The latest case numbers come as students head back to classrooms and smok

A waterfront park along the Fraser River in New Westminster, B.C., has been extensively damaged by a major fire. New Westminster Mayor Jonathan Cote called the situation at Pier Park ``devastating'' in a social media message posted late Sunday night. The park was built in 2009 and includes a lengthy boardwalk along a reclaimed pier just west of a SkyTrain bridge linking Surrey and New Westminster. Cote's Twitter message says it is likely the old pier has been destroyed, while fire officials say the blaze has worked into the creosote pilings beneath the boardwalk and could burn for days. Crews

The British Columbia government has announced a new lung cancer screening program it says is the first of its kind in Canada aimed at early diagnosis of the deadliest form of the disease. Premier John Horgan says 70 per cent of all lung cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage, but the program expected to begin by the spring of 2022 would improve survival rates.Horgan says the target population includes heavy smokers or those who have smoked heavily in the past and are between the ages of 55 and 74.Dr. Kim Chi, CEO of BC Cancer, says six British Columbians die every day of lung cancer and ea

The Environment Ministry confirms a CN Rail derailment has occurred at Hunter Creek, near Hope in the eastern Fraser Valley, but the ministry says no cargo is in the water. A statement from CN says at least 20 rail cars carrying potash jumped the rails today as the train crossed a bridge. The company says no one was hurt, no dangerous goods are involved and nothing burned. A cause of the derailment is under investigation and the Transportation Safety Board says it will send a team to the site in order to determine what happened.

The operators of a popular tourist gondola near Squamish, B.C., say the cable of the ride has been severed for the second time.Squamish RCMP say the damage to the Sea to Sky Gondola occurred at about 4 a.m. and no one was hurt.Police say they're working with the West Vancouver Police Department and Integrated Police Dog Services in the investigation and are asking people to stay out of the area, including climbers and hikers.Vandals were blamed for cutting the nearly six-centimetre thick cable in August 2019 while the ride was closed, sending about 30 gondolas smashing to the ground.Total dama