Unseasonably warm weather has returned to British Columbia, with five communities setting new daily high temperature records this week, according to Environment Canada. In Pemberton, about 150 kilometres north of Vancouver, temperatures reached nearly 16 C on Monday, surpassing the previous daily record by almost 13 degrees. The earlier record had been set in 2025. In Trail, in the West Kootenay region, the temperature climbed to 14 C, breaking the previous record of 11 C set in 2021. Cranbrook, near the Alberta boundary, recorded 12.4 C, edging out the 12.1 C mark set in 1986. Environment Can

A 23-year-old man has died after an avalanche swept over two snowmobilers in British Columbia’s Kootenay Pass area on Saturday, according to police. Creston RCMP said officers were alerted through an SOS tracking device that someone was in distress in the backcountry. Shortly afterward, police were informed that an avalanche had occurred and that one of the buried riders was non-responsive after being dug out. Police said other snowmobilers in the area were able to rescue both individuals. The 23-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not been released. According to Aval

Three foreign nationals have been charged with extortion and firearms offences following shootings at a Surrey home in November, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The charges were announced Friday by the B.C. RCMP-led Extortion Task Force, which was established to investigate a series of threats, shootings and arsons across British Columbia. Police have said the incidents have largely targeted members of the South Asian business community. According to police, 22-year-old Avtar Singh, 28-year-old Sandeep Singh and 24-year-old Jagdeep Singh are charged with extortion and unlawfull

Police in Nanaimo are appealing for witnesses after a vehicle and several community mailboxes were vandalized overnight earlier this week. According to the Nanaimo RCMP, officers responded to reports of damage in the 900 block of Old Victoria Road on the morning of February 25. A newer model Tesla that had been parked on the roadway was found with deep scratches across the hood and side panels, along with a shattered windshield. Investigators also discovered several Canada Post community mailboxes located a short distance away had been torn from their concrete base. Police say it is not yet cl

Vancouver Police are investigating a hit and run collision that left a 39-year-old woman injured in the Downtown Eastside earlier this week. The incident happened around 11:20 a.m. on Wednesday at the intersection of East Hastings Street and Columbia Street. Police say the woman was crossing the street when she was struck by a black Kenworth dump truck pulling a trailer. She was taken to hospital and remains in stable condition. According to Const. Megan Lui of the Vancouver Police Department, the driver continued westbound after the collision and may not have realized a pedestrian had been hi

A 25-year-old driver is facing potential criminal charges after Abbotsford police say he was caught travelling nearly 200 kilometres per hour in an 80 km/h zone before crashing in Aldergrove late Tuesday night. According to the Abbotsford Police Department, an officer conducting speed enforcement on Highway 11 near Townshipline Road shortly before 11 pm recorded a grey pickup truck moving at 198 km/h using a speed laser device. Police say the vehicle continued westbound along Downes Road, where speeds exceeded 200 km/h in a posted 60 km/h zone. Additional officers were called to assist, and a

The Vancouver Police Department says it will open a new in-house training facility in the Woodward’s building in Gastown, aiming to strengthen officer preparation and expand its training capacity amid ongoing concerns about the provincial police academy model. Chief Constable Steve Rai said discussions about municipal police training reform in British Columbia date back to 2017, but key challenges remain. He noted that while the Justice Institute of British Columbia has increased class sizes at its Police Academy, the model does not fully meet Vancouver’s operational needs. The province pr

The British Columbia government is calling on federal lawmakers to move quickly on proposed legislation aimed at preventing organized crime groups from exploiting Canada’s immigration system while involved in extortion and other serious offences. Public Safety and Solicitor General Nina Krieger has written to federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and to the Standing Senate Committee on National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs, urging the Senate to advance Bill C-12 without delay. The province says the proposed reforms would address legal gaps that have been used by some i

Police across British Columbia are increasing enforcement this month as part of province-wide campaigns targeting distracted driving and seatbelt compliance. BC Highway Patrol says officers will be closely monitoring drivers who use electronic devices behind the wheel or fail to properly secure themselves and their passengers. The initiative coincides with Distracted Driving Month and the Occupant Restraint Campaign, both aimed at reducing serious injuries and fatalities on provincial roads. Inspector Brian Donaldson with BC Highway Patrol is urging motorists to eliminate distractions before s