Statistics Canada figures show inflation in B.C. dipped sharply last month, falling to 4.7 per cent from its 6.2 per cent setting in February.Cost of living in Vancouver and Victoria was also down roughly one per cent in March compared with the month earlier as Stats Can says lower energy prices offset expenses such as higher mortgage rates.Despite the decline which was mirrored nationally as Canada's inflation rate fell to 4.3 per cent from 5.2 per cent in February economists say grocery prices and mortgage interest costs continue to climb.Groceries were 9.7 per cent more expensive in March t

Numbers released by the BC Coroners Service show deaths from toxic, unregulated drugs have nudged record levels across the province for the second year in a row.The coroners service says 596 lives were lost between January and March.It says that's the second highest total ever recorded over the first three months of a calendar year, behind only 2022 when 599 people died.The figures also show 2,314 deaths due to toxic drugs occurred last year, making the annual toll the deadliest on record since a public health emergency was declared in 2016.The statement from the coroners service says just und

More women and non-binary immigrants and refugees who have experienced violence, abuse or trauma will be able to access employment services and supports through a $2.4-million grant to YWCA Metro Vancouver.The three-year grant will enhance and expand YWCA Metro Vancouver's Axis, a trauma- informed, culturally safe employment program.Since 2021, the YWCA Metro Vancouver has offered the 12-week Axis program, helping nearly 200 women and non-binary immigrants and refugees develop the personalized employment and training plans they need to pursue meaningful employment."Immigrant and refugee women

Over 155,000 federal public servants will strike on Wednesday if no deal is reached between the government and the Public Service Alliance of Canada.While talking to the media, National president Chris Aylward told reporters on Monday that despite progress being made on several fronts, there has been little movement on the union’s key priorities.If no deal is reached by 9 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, workers will be on strike as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Wednesday.It is worth mentioning that the unions have been fighting for increased wages, benefits and remote work.Members include cleaners and cook

An Alberta-based R.C.M.P officer who died in a crash while heading to help another officer will be honoured with a regimental funeral later this week.The Mounties have said Constable Harvinder Dhami's vehicle hit a large concrete barrier on a road on April 10th while he was driving to help other officers with a noise complaint.His funeral will be held Thursday morning at Millennium Place in Sherwood Park and will be preceded by a procession from Bethel Lutheran Church.Millennium Place will be closed to all but invited family members, friends and first responders, but R.C.M.P say the public are

On the occasion of Vaisakhi, British Columbia Premier David Eby has issued the following statement marking Vaisakhi:"Today, Sikhs here in British Columbia and around the world will gather to celebrate Vaisakhi. Marking the formation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh Ji more than three centuries ago, Vaisakhi is among the holiest days in the Sikh calendar. Vaisakhi is a time for family and community, and of coming together in worship and celebration. This year, it will be marked by prayer and reflection in gurdwaras across the province, in parades and Nagar Kirtans, and gatherings with family.

In another glaring incident of hate crime, a woman passed racial comment and later spat on an Arabic speaking man’s face in a Vancouver café.This video has been released by Vancouver Police department claiming that a 38 year old man was playing cards and drinking coffee with a group of friends near West 4th Avenue and Alma street when they were approached by a stranger around 10:45 p.m. on February 26.After initially engaging in friendly conversation, the woman asked the men what language they were speaking. When one of the men told her they were speaking Arabic, the woman allegedly made a

British Columbia's premier says Mounties and Metro Vancouver Transit Police have increased their presence and stepped up patrols on bus and train lines so passengers can feel safe when travelling.David Eby says the stabbing death of a 17-year-old male on a Surrey bus on Tuesday is every parent's nightmare.The premier says Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth is reaching out to transit authorities and police to see if more resources are needed to ensure transit safety.The teen’s death is among a series of attacks on commuters across Canada that includes a shooting on a Calgary bus on Wednesd

An earthquake measuring 6 has shaken the seabed a few hundred kilometres off Vancouver Island.The National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska says a dangerous wave is not expected from the quake.The U.S. Geological Survey website shows the quake was only lightly felt in areas ranging from Port Hardy, just over 200 kilometres from the epicentre, to Kitimat, more than 500 kilometres away.Earthquakes Canada estimated the quake that happened at about 8 a.m. local time was magnitude 5.8, while the tsunami warning centre said it reached 6.2.The earthquake was centred along the eastern edge of the Juan