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 The service says the ban will remain in place until Oct. 31 or until it is rescinded.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

The Carney government has fulfilled its promise of GST relief. Now first-time buyers buying new homes worth up to a million dollars will save $50,000. In addition, the GST on new homes priced between $1 million and $1.5 million has also been reduced for first-time homebuyers. In this regard, Finance Minister Francois Philippe Champagne tabled legislative proposals for changes to the Excise Tax Act today. According to government figures, this rebate will save Canadians $3.9 billion in taxes over the next five years. People who are buying a new home from a builder will qualify for this rebate. T

Construction of a 10,000-seat stadium in Surrey is set to begin in 2027. Mayor Brenda Locke says there is a lot of interest from potential partners. The city council included the project in Surrey’s proposed five-year financial plan in late March. The mayor acknowledged that the project will cost a lot, saying that “we are very conscious of that and we will try to make sure that it does not put a huge burden on our taxpayers.” The mayor also said that the council’s idea is to build a hotel and conference facilities near the city centre in downtown, which is going to be the Surrey S

A Nanaimo, B.C., man has been sentenced to five years in prison and a lifetime firearm ban after an investigation triggered by the discovery of illegal silencers at Vancouver International Airport. The Canada Border Services Agency says officers intercepted three firearm suppressors at the airport in 2022, then in May 2023, CBSA and RCMP members executed search warrants at a residence and two vehicles in Nanaimo. The CBSA says officers seized illicit drugs and multiple firearms including two untraceable ghost guns, a prohibited shotgun, a rifle with a suppressor and two non-restricted rifles.

A First Nations leader says the "era of trust" with the government of B.C. Premier David Eby is over if two bills responding to American tariffs pass this week. Chief Don Tom of the Tsartlip First Nation in Greater Victoria says First Nations will do everything in their legal power to kill bills 14 and 15, adding that First Nations will remember the actions of the government at the next election. Tom says at a protest in downtown Victoria steps away from the legislature that this won't just apply to the Premier himself, but every MLA who votes for the bills. The government says Bill 15 is need

A recent enforcement initiative by the Langley RCMP has highlighted a dangerous case of excessive speeding in a residential neighborhood near Wagonwheel Crescent and 56th Avenue. On May 24, 2025, officers observed a red Ferrari travelling at 124 km/hr in a posted 50 km/hr zone, with a second radar reading of 123 km/hr recorded just 97.9 meters away. This level of speed in a residential area poses a significant risk to public safety. A 48-year-old Surrey man was fined $483 for excessive speeding, and the Ferrari he was driving was impounded for seven days. Driving at such excessive speeds in ne

Police in Abbotsford, B.C. are investigating after a young man was killed in a stabbing at the city's Larch Park on Sunday night. Officers were called just after 7:30 p.m. for a report of a stabbing at Larch Park, located in the 2600 block of Beck Road. They found a male youth suffering from critical, life-threatening injuries, but despite quick efforts by bystanders and first responders, the victim died of his wounds. Police say they arrested two youth suspects and believe this was a targeted attack. Larch Park is currently shut down to the public due to an ongoing police presence. The Abbots

Canada's new energy minister walked into the lion's den in Calgary and spoke to oil and gas executives about Ottawa's plans to turn the country into an energy superpower. Tim Hodgson told a Calgary Chamber of Commerce event that it's time for a reset and major projects need to get done in a more timely matter. He says the federal government will have a single body in charge of approving all major projects in two years. He says it's time for Canada and the energy sector to get some quick wins. The minister was planning to meet with his Alberta counterpart, Brian Jean, later in the day and sat