The chair of British Columbia's NDP caucus has written to the RCMP requesting an investigation into allegations that former members of the Opposition tried to blackmail ex-colleagues. The letter from Stephanie Higginson to Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald comes after B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad confirmed the authenticity of a letter to his caucus warning about the alleged blackmail by three MLAs and their staff. Higginson says in the open letter written on behalf of the NDP caucus that there's a significant public interest in determining the facts. She says if any MLA or their staf

Canada's food inspection agency says it has uncovered a case of Newcastle disease at a commercial pigeon operation in Chilliwack, B.C., requiring the birds to be culled and the premises to be disinfected.The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the virus affects both wild and domestic birds and can cause pink eye in humans. It says the ailment is of great concern to the world's agricultural community since it's highly contagious and threatens poultry. The agency says mild strains affect domestic poultry and pigeons and more severe strains can kill chickens.It says Newcastle disease can decreas

The City of Surrey has launched a pilot pre-application process as part of the ongoing efforts to streamline development application approvals. The pilot pre-application process, includes: Centralized pre-application submissions Reduced target timeline of five weeks Targeted and streamlined feedback The City says, the pilot pre-application process replaces the existing Design Review Group (DRG) as the process to review pre-applications. Pre-applications are not required however, pre-applications lead to improved application submissions that ultimately help reduce project timelines and are s

The B-C Wildfire Service says it has issued an area restriction around the Kiskatinaw (kiss-KAT'-in-aw) River wildfirenear the B-C-Alberta border. The service says the restriction takes effect this morning and will last until October, restricting entry to a large swath of Crown land where the fire has spurred evacuation orders and alerts. The wildfire service says the blaze is now more than 265-square kilometres in size, and the restriction bars people from entering unless they're travelling to and from home, using a highway or entering to support fire suppression activities. It says those wh

B.C. Premier David Eby says he shares the concerns of union leaders who have criticized BC Ferries' decision to build four large ferries in China. But Eby says he will not interfere with the company's decision to contract a Chinese shipyard owned by the Communist government to build four new ferries, calling the vessels "urgently needed" despite the deal not being his "preferred outcome." The decision by BC Ferries, a company that operates independently of the provincial government but is wholly owned by it, has drawn widespread criticism from groups including the BC Federation of Labour. It h

Firefighters are marking success in opposite corners of British Columbia after favourable weather this weekend allowed crews to rein in two prominent fires that have triggered evacuation orders and alerts. The BC Wildfire Service says crews remain on the scene in Squamish, B.C., to extinguish hot spots from the Dryden Creek fire, which was declared to be no longer out of control on Saturday. The District of Squamish Emergency Operations Centre along with Squamish Fire Rescue have rescinded most evacuation alerts, though one remains in effect for properties on Dryden Road east. The wildfire ser

Police in West Vancouver say a 29-year-old man is presumed to have drowned after going missing while swimming across a lake in Cypress Provincial Park. They say BC Emergency Health Services and North Shore Rescue reported the man missing to the department around 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Police say the man, who was from Burnaby, was swimming across Cabin Lake with his fiancée when he "began to struggle." They say several witnesses saw the man in distress and his companion trying to help him before the man slipped beneath the surface and disappeared. A news release from the department says North Shore

RCMP in British Columbia say one person is missing after a vehicle crashed into the Squamish River. Mounties in Squamish say emergency crews responded early Saturday after a vehicle with four occupants drove off the road into the river. Police say three people were able to get to safety but one person was missing. Officers, along with the Squamish fire department and search-and-rescue crews, tried to locate both the vehicle and the missing person, but failed. Search-and-rescue crews are continuing efforts to locate the missing person. Police say further details will be released later.

A series of violent shootings in Surrey over the past few days amid extortion calls has led many in the community to ask questions about safety. Meanwhile, in response to community concerns, the Surrey Safety Community Forum was held on Sunday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm at the Reflections Banquet Hall in Surrey.This is the same location where a similar forum was held about a year and a half ago on the same issue. MP Sukh Dhaliwal, provincial Public Safety Minister Garry Begg, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, Surrey Police Chief Chief Constable Norm Lipinski, and RCMP Chief Superintendent Wendy Mehat