23.46°C Vancouver

News

premiers-to-meet-with-indigenous-groups-on-first-day-of-three-day-ontario-gathering
CanadaJul 21, 2025

Premiers to meet with Indigenous groups on first day of three-day Ontario gathering

A three-day meeting of the country's premiers gets underway today, and the first item on the agenda is discussions with Indigenous groups. The premiers are gathering at Deerhurst Resort in Ontario's cottage country and trade and tariffs are expected to be the main topics, particularly when they meet Tuesday with Prime Minister Mark Carney. But first they are set to have discussions with leaders from the Assembly of First Nations, the Métis National Council and the Native Women's Association of Canada, among other Indigenous groups. That meeting comes as Indigenous communities have expressed c
canada-beat-japan-enter-semis-of-the-fiba-u-19-womens-world-cup
CanadaJul 18, 2025

Canada beat Japan, enter semis of the FIBA U-19 women's world cup

Canada's women's basketball team has entered the semifinals of the FIBA U-19 World Cup. Canada won the match played against Japan by a margin of 85-65. In this match, Syla Swords contributed 17 points for Canada in a strong performance. Jasmine Bascoe contributed 16 points in the same contest. The performance of Swords, who hails from Sudbury, Ontario, in the tournament being played in the Czech Republic has been commendable and her average per contest has been 16.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists. The Canadian team's semifinal match will be against Australia on Saturday.
federal-official-say-forecast-suggests-high-risk-of-wildfires-in-august
CanadaJul 18, 2025

Federal official say forecast suggests high risk of wildfires in August

Federal officials say the 2025 wildfire season is one of the worst on record for Canada, with a high risk of more fires in August. More than 5.5 million hectares of land have burned so far this year, more than double the 10-year average for mid-July. There are 561 fires burning, including 69 that are considered out of control, and most of them are on the Prairies. Officials say the fire risk rises throughout August and they are predicting higher than normal temperatures for most of the country next month. August is also slated to bring below-normal rainfall levels for the Prairies, B.C. and th
mother-of-girl-with-rare-disease-says-nightmare-is-over-after-b-c-restores-funding
CanadaJul 18, 2025

Mother of girl with rare disease says "nightmare is over" after B.C. restores funding

The mother of a 10-year-old Vancouver Island girl who has an extremely rare disease says the "nightmare is over" after the government restored funding for her daughter's drug for as long as she needs it. Charleigh Pollock is the only person in B.C. to have Batten disease, and her mother Jori Fales says in a social post that she is "beyond grateful" for "all the beautiful humans that have moved mountains" for her daughter. Pollock says the "love, support, generosity, compassion, kindness and devotion" shown by supporters of her daughters are "unmatched." Health Minister Josie Osborne announced
canadian-union-of-postal-workers-urges-workers-to-reject-contract-offer
CanadaJul 18, 2025

Canadian Union of Postal Workers urges workers to reject contract offer

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers is urging workers to reject Canada Post's latest contract offer. Union national president Jan Simpson says a strong no vote would not only reject the offer, but also protect the integrity of the bargaining process. The Canada Industrial Relations Board will hold the vote on the proposed deal starting next week. Canada Post is at an impasse with the union representing roughly 55,000 postal service workers after more than a year and a half of talks. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu last month asked the board to step in and put the Crown corporation's latest
report-says-alberta-government-created-command-challenges-fighting-jasper-wildfire
CanadaJul 18, 2025

Report says Alberta government created command challenges fighting Jasper wildfire

A report commissioned by the town of Jasper says crews did their best to fight last year's devastating wildfire but the Alberta government complicated the response. The report was based on surveyed participants and firefighters who battled the blaze that destroyed much of the mountain town. It says the Alberta government wasn't jurisdictionally responsible to lead the crisis but made things more difficult with regular information requests and by seeking to exercise decision-making authority. The report says incident commanders had their focus disrupted and were forced to spend precio
minister-restores-drug-funding-for-b-c-girl-with-rare-disease
CanadaJul 18, 2025

Minister restores drug funding for B.C. girl with rare disease

B-C Health Minister Josie Osborne says she's reinstated funding for drug coverage for a ten-year-old Langford girl who suffers from a rare neurodegenerative disease. Osborne says she spoke to Charleigh Pollock's family on Thursday evening and told them that the funding will be available for as long as her doctor and the family deem appropriate. The minister says a letter from experts on Batten disease confirmed that there's ``significant disagreement'' about the drug Brineura, which costs around $1 million a year. Pollock is the only person in B-C with the disease, and one of around 2
CanadaJul 17, 2025

Eliminating interprovincial trade barriers would add 30,000 annual housing starts: CMHC

Canada’s National Housing Agency says eliminating interprovincial trade barriers could lead to 30,000 more new homes being built in Canada each year. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said in a report Thursday that this would bring the total number of annual housing starts to nearly 280,000, a meaningful step toward addressing Canada’s housing supply gap. To achieve this goal, Canada will need to reduce provincial barriers that hinder transportation infrastructure from west to east, said CMHC chief economist Matthew LeBridge. The agency said this would help maximize the use of
sps-taking-over-patrol-from-rcmp-in-west-south-surrey
CanadaJul 17, 2025

SPS taking over patrol from RCMP in west South Surrey

Surrey Police Service is taking over patrols on the West Side of South Surrey from RCMP on July 28. SPS will also take over street patrols on the East Side on November 20. This information was provided by Chief Constable Norm Lipinski. Lipinski said that we are fully prepared for this transition and are working closely with our RCMP partners to ensure that this transition can happen smoothly. This is another phase in the ongoing transformation of Surrey Police Service, with SPS gradually taking over full responsibility as the city’s police force. The transition process is expected to be co

Just In

BCJul 15, 2026

Elderly woman distracted and robbed of gold necklace in Vancouver, police seek suspects

A 76-year-old woman was allegedly robbed of her gold necklace after being distracted by an unknown woman in Vancouver's East 11th Avenue and Victoria Drive area on Tuesday, according to the Vancouver Police Department. Police said the incident occurred at about 12:30 p.m. while the senior was waiting for family members. An unidentified woman approached her and claimed she looked like her mother, whose birthday she said it was. The suspect then hugged the victim and, during the interaction, allegedly removed the woman's gold necklace and replaced it with a fake one. The victim reportedly discov
AlbertaJul 15, 2026

Alberta launches online bike lane complaint form ahead of planned legislation

The Alberta government has launched an online public feedback form inviting residents to report concerns about bike lanes as it prepares legislation expected this fall. According to the Alberta government, Albertans can use the online form to share concerns about bike lanes in their communities, including whether they believe a lane is underused, has reduced on-street parking, contributed to traffic congestion, affected local businesses, or delayed emergency response times. The province says the feedback will help inform future transportation policy decisions. Transportation Minister Devin Dre
canada-pauses-new-parent-and-grandparent-sponsorship-applications-for-2026
CanadaJul 15, 2026

Canada pauses new parent and grandparent sponsorship applications for 2026

The federal government says it will not accept any new applications this year under Canada's Parents and Grandparents Program as it works to reduce processing times and manage a large backlog of existing files. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), approximately 60,500 sponsorship applications are currently being processed. The department said it expects to approve about 15,000 parents and grandparents each year over the next two years from applications already in the system. IRCC said the temporary pause is intended to improve processing efficiency. The department
federal-government-names-new-members-to-independent-senate-appointments-advisory-board
CanadaJul 15, 2026

Federal government names new members to independent Senate appointments advisory board

The federal government has announced new appointments to the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, one week after Prime Minister Mark Carney named four new senators to the upper chamber. According to a federal government news release, the advisory board will continue to provide non-binding recommendations to the prime minister on Senate appointments. The board was established in 2016 to support a merit-based and independent appointments process. The government said the board will continue to include three federal members, including a chair, along with two additional members from
BCJul 15, 2026

Surrey man sentenced to nearly five years in prison in extortion-related shooting and arson case

A Surrey Provincial Court judge has sentenced Abhijeet Kingra to nearly five years in prison for his role in a 2024 extortion-related shooting and arson targeting a Surrey home. According to court records, Kingra pleaded guilty on July 6 to charges of discharging a firearm at a residence and committing arson. The offences stem from an Aug. 10, 2024 incident in which a home belonging to a person who had reportedly received extortion threats was shot at and set on fire. The court imposed a two-year sentence for arson and a sentence of four years, 10 months and 19 days for the shooting offence. T