British Columbia's economic recovery last year was stronger than forecast with the province's audited budget numbers showing a surplus of $1.3 billion, in contrast with an earlier projection of a deficit nearing $10 billion. Finance Minister Selina Robinson says the province's economy in 2021-22 outperformed both public and private sector predictions. She says the April 2021 budget, delivered during some of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, originally forecast a deficit of $9.7 billion, but revenues improved throughout the year. Robinson says the improvement can be attributed to reop

The federal government says it will spend more than $2 billion to build 17,000 homes, including thousands of affordable units. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement today in Kitchener, Ont., alongside Housing Minister Ahmed Hussen. The Rapid Housing Initiative will be extended for a third round to build 4,500 affordable housing units, some of which will be part of women-focused housing and homelessness projects. At least another 10,800 homes will be built through the Affordable Housing Innovation Fund, 6,000 of which will be affordable units. The federal government is also creat

The Nanaimo RCMP is investigating a report of an individual who went missing from a BC Ferry. The incident occurred shortly after 9 PM Thursday August 25, 2022, and involved the BC Ferry Coastal Inspiration that had departed from Duke Point for Tsawwassen at 8:15 PM.Nanaimo RCMP were requested to meet the ferry at the Duke Point terminal for a report of a vehicle passenger who was acting erratic and causing concern for crew and passengers. Police were advised that the decision was made to return the ferry to Duke Point. Shortly after 9 PM, officers boarded the ferry and arrested the adult man

Substance users with serious mental health issues in Nanaimo are expected to get access to so-called complex-care housing under an initiative offering services like addiction medicine, social workers and education on overdose prevention. Mental Health and Addictions Minister Sheila Malcolmson has announced the project in the Vancouver Island community alongside Mayor Leonard Krog, and she says in a release that the aim is to provide services in existing supportive housing. The complex-care housing approach was launched earlier this year, with services also announced in other areas including A

Just three of the thousands of reasons Surrey does not need a 60,000 seat stadium from Jinny Sims, Surrey Forward Mayoral candidate. "First, cost of living: Surrey taxpayers cannot pay for Doug McCallum’s folly," says Sims. "Already we are paying over $1,000 per resident for the ill-advised move to the Surrey Police Service, we simply cannot afford to pay thousands more for new stadium." "Second, who is supposed to play there? The BC Lions? The Whitecaps? This is not a case study for Field of Dreams; Doug McCallum is no Kevin Costner in Iowa. Even if we had an anchor tenant lined up, and Mc

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has unveiled plans to create a special team focused on countering Russian disinformation and propaganda. It's part of a package of new measures designed to support Ukraine and punish Russia for launching a war six months ago that has killed tens of thousands of people and affected millions of others around the world. In addition to imposing sanctions against 62 more people, Ottawa is also planning to spend nearly four-million-dollars on two projects to bolster Ukraine's military and police services. He told a special meeting this morning of leaders from dozens of

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending his government's decision to allow the return of turbines to Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom, as Ukraine renews its calls for Canada to reverse course. Ukraine has called on Trudeau and his government to reverse their decision to exempt Siemens Canada from sanctions against Russia so it can repair six turbines for use in a pipeline that supplies natural gas to Germany. One turbine already repaired at Siemens' Montreal facility has been delivered to Germany and was supposed to go to Gazprom, which operates the pipeline, but the Russian compan

Surrey RCMP is cautioning members of the public following several instances involving individuals being drugged and robbed while utilizing escort services throughout the region. Police have become aware of several instances of individuals hiring an escort online, meeting at pre-arranged locations across the Lower Mainland, being drugged and waking up to find their valuables stolen. These occurrences are concerning as they pose a high risk to the health and safety of the individuals being drugged with unknown substances. If you have been drugged, it is highly recommended that you seek medical a

The Greater Vancouver Zoo says one of the grey wolves that escaped their enclosure this week has been found dead. The zoo's deputy general manager Menita Prasad tearfully told a news conference today that searchers were ``heartbroken'' to find a three-year-old female wolf called Chia dead on a roadside. Prasad says a second wolf is still missing and is believed to be in the vicinity of the zoo. Investigators suspect the wolves got loose when someone deliberately damaged the animals' enclosure.