More than 30 firefighters from British Columbia's Wildfire Service have returned home from a deployment fighting large fires that destroyed thousands of homes around Southern California. The Ministry of Forests say the crews are part of two separate groups, the first consisting of 13 technical specialists who were deployed on Jan. 11 to support the effort to combat the Palisades wildfire in L.A. Then, on Jan. 16, the BC Wildfire Service sent another 22 front-line firefighters along with an agency representative to California. The second crew worked on front-line fire suppression and other acti

BC Opposition Leader John Rustad has announced his party's 10-point tariff response plan, urging the Eby government to implement it immediately to safeguard the province's economy. In a letter to Premier David Eby, Rustad called for the province to negotiate agreements with other provinces to eliminate barriers to interprovincial trade, reduce carbon taxes, and open B.C. trade offices in countries beyond the U.S. Meanwhile, Ravi Kahlon, the head of the cabinet committee established by Premier Eby to tackle potential tariffs, has emphasized the government's commitment to diversifying B.C.'s ec

Fears surrounding Trump's tariffs in British Columbia have raised concerns about potential job losses. BC Federation of Labour President Sussanne Skidmore expressed significant concern, noting that workers on both sides of the border will have to bear the brunt of the tariffs. Although Skidmore did not provide an exact number of potential job losses in BC, she warned that if the 25 percent tariff continues for an extended period, thousands of jobs could be lost across Canada. She emphasized that the situation is being closely monitored to help protect workers' jobs. Earlier this week, Premier

British Columbia's premier is assembling a "war room" over the looming trade war between Canada and the United States, with President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs on Canadian goods coming as soon as Saturday. A statement from Premier David Eby's office says he is tasking a new cabinet committee with co-ordinating a "whole-of-government" approach aimed at protecting B.C. workers, businesses and the economy against the tariff threat. The committee is described as a "day-to-day war room" chaired by Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon. Eby says Trump's proposed 25 per cent tariffs are a "direct atta

BC opposition leader John Rustad has sharply criticized the Eby government for what he calls the province’s failing health care system. Rustad stated that British Columbia’s health care is now among the worst globally, with patients dying while waiting for treatment. A recent report highlights that the provincial government is not fulfilling its promises. Dr. Charlene Lui, president of the BC Physicians Association and a Burnaby family doctor, revealed that 700,000 residents in British Columbia currently lack a family doctor. Dr. Lui described the situation as alarming, emphasizing the ur

Sonia Furstenau has resigned as leader of the BC Green Party following her loss in the October 2024 legislative election. Although Furstenau, 54, had led the party since 2020, she decided to step down after her defeat. Furstenau had served as the MLA for Cowichan Valley since 2017. However, in the most recent election, she chose to run in Victoria-Beacon Hill, where she was defeated by NDP cabinet minister Grace Lore by 3,688 votes. The BC Greens now have only two MLAs in the province. Born in Edmonton, Sonia Furstenau earned a degree in education from the University of Victoria before workin

The B.C. government, under Premier David Eby, has set a five-year housing target aimed at delivering a total of 27,256 homes in Surrey by June 30, 2029. The provincial government has requested that the city submit an annual progress report to Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon. The housing target, which began on July 1, 2024, outlines specific milestones for new construction: 4,233 homes are expected to be built by June 30, 2025, followed by 4,639 homes between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. From July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, 5,248 homes are planned, followed by 6,060 new homes between July 1,

One of the admitted hitmen who killed former Air India bombing suspect Ripudaman Singh Malik is set to be sentenced for his part in the murder today in a New Westminster, B.C., courtroom. Tanner Fox and accomplice Jose Lopez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last October, with Fox scheduled to be sentenced today, and Lopez due back in court on Friday. Malik, who was acquitted of charges related to the 1985 Air India bombing, was shot dead in Surrey, B.C, on July 14, 2022. Fox and Lopez, who were both in their early 20s at the time of the killing, were originally charged with first-degree

BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau could announce a change in party leadership tomorrow. Furstenau suffered a defeat in the October 2024 legislative election, but despite this, the leadership of the party has remained with her so far. Furstenau first won a seat in 2017, when her party played a key role in forming the New Democrats' government. In last year’s election, Furstenau left her former seat of Cowichan Valley to run for Victoria-Beacon Hill, where she was defeated by the NDP candidate. According to sources, BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau will hold a press conference tomorr