B.C. Premier David Eby has called a byelection in the Abbotsford-Mission riding for Sept. 26, following the resignation of B.C. Conservative MLA Reine Gasper. Gasper recently stepped down from the legislature to run for the leadership of the B.C. Conservative Party, whose leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay does not currently hold a seat in the legislature. The governing B.C. NDP has nominated former agriculture minister Pam Alexis. Alexis lost to Gasper in the previous election by roughly 3,000 votes. Centre BC has also entered the race, naming Lakhwinder Jhajj as its candidate. Jhajj said the campaig

Lloydminster RCMP are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying a person of interest in connection with the attempted abduction of a nine-year-old girl. Police received a report of the incident on August 14 and immediately launched an investigation. No further details about the circumstances have been released. As part of the investigation, RCMP investigators worked with a forensic sketch artist to create a composite sketch of the person believed to be involved. Police say the suspect’s age is unknown and describe the individual as having short hair, a nose ring and a moustache. An

B.C. Opposition MLA Harman Bhangu has criticized Premier David Eby and the NDP government after the Elections Department approved the launch of a petition seeking to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). Bhangu welcomed the approval, accusing the Eby government of failing to take action on what he described as a controversial law. He said British Columbians now have a direct opportunity to push for the repeal of the legislation, which he claims has raised significant concerns about jobs, land rights and the province’s future. Bhangu said the B.C. Conservativ

The B.C. government says provinces and territories have reached agreements on several measures aimed at removing internal trade barriers across Canada amid ongoing trade uncertainty with the United States. Jobs and Economic Development Minister Adrian Dix said the federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for internal trade met Thursday and approved key changes to the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. Under the changes, a 30-day service standard will be introduced for labour mobility applications across Canada. Ministers also agreed to approve free trade in services nationwide by

A shooting incident has been reported in Abbotsford. According to police, shots were fired around 6:10 a.m. Wednesday in an outdoor parking lot in the 2400 block of Clearbrook Road. Both the suspect and the victim had fled the scene before officers arrived. After several hours of investigation, detectives traced three suspects to a home in the 2300 block of Westerly Street. With assistance from the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team, police arrested 33-year-old Ryan Sawatsky, 28-year-old Lucas Bezanson, and 34-year-old Kyle Korneik. Police later located the victim. Major Crime detectives a

The Canadian government has confirmed that 32 Canadians are among 1,924 people reported missing following the devastating floods and landslides along the Nepal-Tibet border. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Minister for International Development Randeep Sarai said Canada’s ambassador to Nepal has provided the latest information to Global Affairs Canada. Authorities have recovered 579 bodies from the debris so far, but Nepalese authorities have not officially identified any of the recovered victims as Canadian citizens. Anand warned that the number of missing Canadians could be even h

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who arrived in Punjab on the occasion of Rakhar Punnya, said the Indian government would not enter into any agreement with any country at the expense of farmers’ interests. Chouhan said all agreements signed by the Indian government have been made keeping public interests in mind and have benefited the people. Clarifying India’s position on talks with the United States, he said that no agreement has been reached with the U.S. so far and that discussions are still underway. On the possibility of an alliance between the BJP and Shiromani Akal

A couple from Port Moody, B.C., is missing after devastating floods and mudslides triggered by a glacial outburst along the Nepal-Tibet border, leaving their family deeply concerned. According to reports, 52-year-old Dhaval Shah and his 50-year-old wife, Megha Shah, were travelling to Tibet to visit the sacred Mount Kailash. The couple was staying at Hotel Kailash in the Timure area near the Nepal-China border shortly before the floods struck Wednesday morning. They were preparing to head toward a border checkpoint when contact with their tour company was lost. Dhaval Shah’s family said he p

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has accused Canada of walking away from trade negotiations with the United States for political reasons rather than economic concerns. Speaking to reporters in Washington on Thursday, Lutnick claimed the two countries had been close to reaching what he described as their best-ever trade deal, with both sides feeling positive about the negotiations. However, he alleged that Canada backed away from the agreement to gain a political advantage ahead of Quebec’s upcoming election and a potential independence referendum in Alberta. Lutnick also dismissed conc