Experts have described Premier David Eby's 10-day Asia tour starting June 1 as very important. Kristen Hopewell, professor and director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of BC, said that due to our geographical location, it has been much easier for our BC and Canadian companies to trade with the US compared to the Asian market, and about 50 per cent of our trade has been going to the US, which is our biggest weakness at the moment. She said that with Eby's Asia trade mission, we hope to get access to other markets, which will allow the province to reduce its dependenc

A wildfire in northeastern British Columbia that prompted an evacuation order on Thursday has quadrupled in size. The BC Wildfire Service is reporting that the blaze in the Peace River Regional District near the community of Kelly Lake is now about 46 square kilometres in size, up from 11 square kilometres Thursday afternoon. The out-of-control fire was burning close to the Pembina Steeprock gas processing facility and Highway 52 E, also known as the Heritage Highway. The Peace River Regional District issued the evacuation order for homes around Kelly Lake and areas north of Campbell Lake, wes

Former British Columbia minister Melanie Mark is accusing Premier David Eby and his cabinet of "turning their backs" on First Nations, local governments and environmentalists by passing controversial bills to fast-track infrastructure projects. Mark, the first First Nations woman elected to B.C.'s legislature and a former cabinet colleague of Eby, says it's "astounding and disheartening" behaviour by the government. Both bills passed in the legislature Wednesday night, with Bill 15 that fast-tracks public and private infrastructure projects getting through thanks to a rare tiebreaking vote by

Police are issuing a plea for information nearly six years after a British Columbia notary public was found dead in his office in what investigators say was a targeted homicide. The Society of Notaries Public of B.C. is also offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and charging of those responsible for the killing of Stephen Chong in Richmond, B.C., on Oct. 18, 2019. Sgt. Freda Fong with the province's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says Chong had no criminal record and investigators believe his death was an isolated incident. Fong says investigators are still

Police say a four-year-old boy is dead and his mother is in critical condition after they were pinned under a bus in West Vancouver, B.C. West Vancouver Police say a second woman, believed to be a family friend, is in a stable condition after the Wednesday afternoon tragedy at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. Police say the boy was pronounced dead at the scene and his mother and her friend were transported to Lions Gate Hospital. TransLink confirms one of its buses and a driver were involved in the incident and says it's supporting the West Vancouver Police Department, which is leadi

The Vancouver Bandits and Connect FM are proud to announce the continuation of their groundbreaking partnership to broadcast select 2025 Bandits home games in Punjabi, marking the second straight season of inclusive, community-driven basketball storytelling on air. In 2024, the Bandits and Connect FM made history by becoming the first team in Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) history to deliver a live Punjabi radio broadcast on June 1, 2024. This milestone moment resonated with fans across the Lower Mainland and the global South Asian diaspora, creating space for representation, access,

Warm temperatures have arrived across much of British Columbia, with Environment Canada issuing a special weather statement in the North Thompson. It says "above seasonal temperatures" are expected throughout the day in the Interior region where a ridge of high pressure is ushering in warm air from the south. The bulletin says that air will linger throughout the day, causing temperatures to rise to more than 30C, before cooler air arrives Thursday, lowering temperatures to near seasonal values. Temperatures are meanwhile expected to hit 24C in Vancouver, 23C in Victoria and 30C in Abbotsford,

The BC Wildfire Service has announced open fire bans that will prohibit most burning activities in most coastal areas of the province, with exceptions for Haida Gwaii. The ban on Category 2 and Category 3 open fires in the Coastal Fire Centre comes into effect at noon Friday, and the service says it's being imposed to reduce the risk of wildfires. The service says the ban will remain in place until Oct. 31 or until it is rescinded. Category 1 campfires that are no more than half a metre high by half a metre wide will still be allowed, as well as cooking stoves. The bans cover west of the Coast

British Columbia's Labour Ministry says the province's lowest paid workers are getting a pay bump as of Sunday. It says the minimum wage will increase from $17.40 to $17.85 an hour. The ministry says the 2.6 per cent increase also applies to pay rates for resident caretakers, live-in home-support workers, live-in camp leaders and app-based delivery and ride-hail services workers. The government says it has made regular, gradual increases to the minimum wage to provide certainty for workers and predictability for businesses. It says this is the fourth year of the government's ongoin