The wildfire situation is continually evolving, and the information below is current as of 7 p.m. (Pacific time) on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. Fires:Wildfires currently burning in B.C.: 223Since April 1, 2021:1,563 wildfires865,299 hectares of area burnedActive fires by fire centre:Cariboo: 24Coastal: 19Kamloops: 70Northwest: 5Prince George: 48Southeast: 57Resources:Firefighters and other personnel currently fighting the fires: 3,015Out-of-province firefighters: 582Helicopters and planes supporting ground crews: 110Evacuations:Evacuation orders: 18 (-3) Evacuation alerts: 68 (-9) Properties:Numbe

Justin Trudeau is aiming to distinguish the Liberals from Erin O'Toole's Conservatives with a promise to enshrine abortion services in the Canada Health Act.He is also pledging tougher measures to ban an array of firearms.The pledges come in a Liberal re-election platform with $78 billion in new spending, more than three times the direct new revenues promised over the next five years.O'Toole is outlining a plan to build key infrastructure, promising to end delays and get shovels in the ground for world-class public transit, roads and 5G telecom networks.He accuses the Liberals of sitting on bi

Quebecers are required starting today to show proof of vaccination to access businesses and events the government deems non-essential, such as restaurants, gyms and festivals. The government has said the passport system is necessary to keep the economy open and limit COVID-19-related hospitalizations. Millions of people in the province have been issued QR codes by the Health Department containing their vaccination statuses. They must present the codes along with identification in order to do such things as eat at restaurants or work out at gyms. The new measure comes as Quebec is reporting 69

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 1,853 new cases of COVID-19, including four epi-linked cases, for a total of 165,413 cases in the province:Aug. 27-28: 769 new casesAug. 28-29: 581 new casesAug. 29-30: 503 new casesThere are 5,918 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 157,419 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 176 individuals are in hospital and 91 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the past 72 hours, seven new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,814.The new deaths include:Fraser

RCMP is seeking public assistance in locating Monica Cruz Perez, who was reported missing on August 24, 2021. Monica Cruz Perez was last seen in June, possibly in the area of Trout Lake, in Vancouver. Since Monica Cruz Perez’s disappearance, police have followed up on several leads, however Monica remains missing. Description of Monica Cruz Perez:Hispanic female39 years5 ft 4 in (163 cm)130 lbs (59 kg)slim buildlight brown hairbrown eyeswith a brown chihuahuaThere is nothing to indicate foul play at this time, but police are concerned for Monica’s health and well-being.

Federal BC RCMP officers have arrested three individuals in a drug trafficking investigation that has resulted in a massive seizure of methamphetamines over the weekend. On Sunday, August 29, 2021, the BC RCMP Federal Serious & Organized Crime (FSOC) Major Projects team, with the assistance of the Lower Mainland Integrated Emergency Response Team executed an operation as part of an investigation into drug trafficking. Three men have been arrested and face potential drug possession and trafficking charges. In total, approximately 600 kilograms of suspected methamphetamines have been seized

RCMP on Vancouver Island say one man is dead and a suspect is in custody after a shooting at a home in Port Alberni yesterday. Sergeant Peter Dionne says the people involved are known to each other. There is no connection to gangs or organized crime and there is no threat to the community. The Mounties say the investigation is in its early stages and Crown counsel would be briefed today before any potential charges are recommended.

Island Health says 17 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in an ongoing outbreak at the Sunset Lodge long-term care home in Victoria. The health authority says testing over the weekend found 13 residents and four additional staff members were positive for the virus, up from 5 previously detected positive tests among staff. Island Health says most residents are not experiencing symptoms at this point, while staff and residents are being screened for the illness twice a day. It says admissions, transfers and social visits have been paused.

Justin Trudeau says Canada supports a move by several other countries to have a safe zone established at Kabul international airport in Afghanistan. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is defending Canada's efforts to get Canadians and vulnerable Afghan citizens who helped Canada's mission in Afghanistan out of that country. At an election campaign stop in Quebec this morning, Trudeau was asked why Ukrainian soldiers were able to rescue Canadians from Kabul. Former Afghan translators who worked for the Globe and Mail have described how Ukrainian soldiers found them and escorted them into the Kabul