Suspected unregulated drug toxicity claimed 138 lives in British Columbia in June 2026, according to preliminary data from the BC Coroners Service. That works out to approximately 4.6 deaths per day. During the first six months of 2026, people between the ages of 30 and 59 accounted for 68% of all drug-toxicity deaths in the province, while 75% of those who died were male. The Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health authorities recorded the highest numbers of unregulated drug deaths in 2026, with 206 and 200 deaths respectively. Together, they accounted for 52% of all such deaths in the province.

A 41-year-old Surrey man has been charged after allegedly attacking a security guard with an iron rod at a downtown Vancouver parking garage. According to Vancouver police, the incident happened around 4:15 a.m. Saturday near Cambie and Dunsmuir streets. Police said the security guard was conducting a routine patrol when he found a man sleeping inside the parking garage and asked him to leave. The suspect allegedly pulled out a small iron rod and began swinging it at the guard. He also allegedly damaged the guard’s vehicle and later followed the guard while he was riding a bicycle. Police re

B.C. Supreme Court judge has granted bail to 57-year-old Ravinder Singh Dhanda, who is accused of being the alleged ringleader of an international drug trafficking operation. During a hearing Monday, Justice Allan Ross approved Dhanda’s release on $700,000 bail, with strict conditions including electronic ankle monitoring and 24-hour house arrest. Dhanda is accused of trafficking cocaine from Los Angeles into Canada using long-haul transport trucks. He was arrested in July as part of Operation Hard Ball, a joint investigation involving the FBI and the RCMP. Two other accused, Jaskaran Bagri

An 18-year-old man has died following an e-scooter crash in Kamloops, raising renewed concerns about the safety of electric scooters in the city. According to police, the young man was found injured near an e-scooter around 4 a.m. on Aug. 16 near Battle Street and Lee Road. He was taken to hospital for treatment but died from his injuries on Aug. 20. The victim has been identified as 18-year-old Hunter Dennis. Police said the teenager was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Following the death, a Kamloops resident has launched a petition calling on the city council to withdraw from

Peel Regional Police have arrested three Punjabi youths in Brampton after a traffic stop led to the seizure of an illegal firearm. With this latest seizure, the total number of illegal firearms seized by Peel police this year has reached 112. According to police, at around 2:20 a.m. on August 10, officers stopped a suspicious vehicle in the area of Cedarbrook Road and Edgewater Court. Three people were inside the vehicle. During questioning, one of the occupants provided police with a false name and fled the scene. Officers searched the vehicle and recovered a handgun loaded with ammunition. T

A hit-and-run occurred in downtown Vancouver on Friday night, leaving a 23-year-old woman injured. According to police, the woman was crossing Davie Street and Pacific Boulevard at around 9:30 p.m. on August 21 when she was struck by a blue sedan. The driver fled the scene and was last seen travelling eastbound on Pacific Boulevard from Davie Street. The injured woman was taken to hospital for treatment. Police say her injuries are not considered life-threatening. Const. Darren Wong said several people were in the area at the time of the collision. Vancouver police are appealing to anyone who

Two former British Columbia Conservative MLAs have announced plans to form a new political party, saying they want to provide an alternative for voters who feel politically homeless. Delta South MLA Ian Paton and Peter Milobar, who left the Conservative Party earlier this month, say they plan to register the new party with Elections BC before the fall legislative session. Paton said the direction of the Conservatives under new leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay no longer aligns with his beliefs. He said the new party would provide “a home” for people who feel politically homeless in B.C. Speaking

More than 7,000 lightning strikes across British Columbia over the weekend sparked more than 60 new wildfires across the province. According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, around 67 new fires were reported over the past 24 hours. However, rainfall brought by the thunderstorms helped prevent the fires from spreading, and most of the new blazes have been brought under control. The severe thunderstorms also disrupted operations at Vancouver International Airport. For safety reasons, airport operations were suspended from 9:30 p.m. Saturday until 2:55 a.m. Sunday. The disruption left thousands of p

A 22-year-old Kamloops woman was killed in a single-vehicle crash Saturday evening. According to Kamloops RCMP, police were called to the 7000 block of Westsyde Road at around 6 p.m. after receiving reports of a crash. When Kamloops Fire and Rescue crews arrived, they found the vehicle off the road and crashed into a tree. The vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. First responders declared the 22-year-old Kamloops resident, who was driving the vehicle, dead at the scene. Kamloops RCMP said the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Police are asking anyone who may have important infor