British Columbia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food needs stronger measures to ensure it can quickly locate farm animals during disease outbreaks or natural disasters, according to a new report from the Office of the Auditor General. The audit reviewed the ministry’s Premises ID program, which was created to help emergency officials identify where poultry and livestock are kept and who owns them. Acting Auditor General Sheila Dodds said the system could play a vital role in protecting animals and food supply chains during crises such as bird flu outbreaks, wildfires, or floods. However, th

British Columbia is opening a record number of shelter spaces this winter to help people experiencing homelessness find warmth and safety as temperatures drop. The Province, through BC Housing, is funding 6,486 shelter spaces across 58 communities — the highest total to date. The expanded network includes 4,158 permanent shelters operating year-round, 1,154 temporary seasonal spaces, 771 extreme-weather response (EWR) beds activated during severe conditions, and 403 new Homeless Encampment Action Response Temporary Housing (HEARTH) spaces — nearly two and a half times more than last year.

BC Highway Patrol officers issued close to 8,000 speeding tickets across the province in October, highlighting ongoing concerns about driver behaviour as winter conditions set in. The enforcement effort was part of the Drive Relative to Conditions and Pedestrian Awareness campaign, aimed at encouraging motorists to adjust their driving for changing weather and visibility. According to BC Highway Patrol data, the highest number of tickets were issued in the South Coast region, including Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, where 2,167 drivers were cited. Vancouver Island followed with 1,598 t

The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear an appeal from the owners of a British Columbia ostrich farm challenging a federal order to destroy hundreds of their birds following an avian flu outbreak. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) directed the cull on December 31, 2024, after detecting the virus on the property near Edgewood in B.C.’s southern Interior. The farm owners sought to overturn the order, arguing that the surviving ostriches showed no symptoms of infection and should not be euthanized. Federal officials maintained that even apparently healthy birds can carry and tr

The fate of more than 300 ostriches in British Columbia’s southern Interior could be decided within days, as the Supreme Court of Canada prepares to rule on whether it will hear a final appeal from Universal Ostrich Farms. The Edgewood-based operation has spent nearly a year fighting a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) order to cull its flock following an avian influenza outbreak last December. The farm has already lost two earlier legal battles in Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal. In September, the Supreme Court temporarily halted the cull while it considered whether to he

Richmond RCMP say 15 people were arrested during a single-day operation aimed at curbing retail theft in the city’s downtown core. The targeted enforcement took place on October 18 as part of the detachment’s ongoing “Boost and Bust” initiative. Police say most of those arrested were from outside the Richmond area, and one person was taken into custody twice at separate locations. Two of the suspects were youth. Officers recovered more than $5,000 worth of stolen goods during the operation. The “Boost and Bust” initiative is partly funded by the provincial Community Safety and Targ

British Columbia Premier David Eby has joined leaders from coastal First Nations in signing a declaration urging the federal government to uphold the moratorium on oil tankers along the province’s northern coastline. Eby said a single oil spill in the ecologically sensitive region could wipe out billions of dollars in coastal economic activity, warning that current technology cannot effectively clean up such a disaster. The call comes as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith renews her push to have the ban lifted as part of her government’s plan to pursue a new oil pipeline to the B.C. coast. Chi

British Columbia’s Finance Minister Brenda Bailey is urging the federal government to provide the same level of support for the province’s forestry sector as it does for Ontario’s automobile industry. Bailey said she welcomes the overall direction of the federal budget released today, which she believes aligns with several of B.C.’s priorities. However, she emphasized that the province’s softwood lumber industry continues to face “extraordinary” duties and tariffs of more than 45 per cent, putting workers and communities under significant pressure. Her remarks followed an emergen

Peel Regional Police are warning residents about a series of distraction thefts in Brampton that appear to target elderly members of the community. Investigators from the 21 Division Criminal Investigation Bureau say several victims have reported losing jewellery after being approached by strangers in vehicles. According to police, suspects often engage victims in conversation, sometimes pretending to offer assistance or ask for directions. In several cases, a woman initiates contact before a man exits a nearby vehicle and forcibly removes or swaps the victim’s jewellery. Officers note that