BC Hydro is warning customers to be prepared for significant power outages after the province endured one of its driest summers on record this year. Hydro spokeswoman Susie Rieder says trees weakened by drought can be more susceptible to winds and as storm season ramps up, a substantial number of dead and damaged trees are expected to fall, leading to power outages.The Crown corporation says its crews replaced more than 1400 power poles for 20,000 customers affected by wildfires since May, but the ongoing drought means there are still risks of outages this fall.Reider says residents should hav

A police crackdown on violent and chronic shoplifters in Vancouver has ended in 258 arrests and the recovery of almost $57,000 in stolen goods.Vancouver police say the arrests were made during a two-week operation in September, which was co-ordinated with other Lower Mainland police departments, resulting in another 82 arrests in Delta, Langley, Richmond and Burnaby.Staff Sgt. Mario Mastropieri says Vancouver isn't alone in dealing with rampant theft, and other North American cities have seen some major retailers shut down because of violent shoplifting.He says police are determined not to let

Canada's ambassador to the United Nations is expected to speak later today about a UN effort to establish a temporary pause in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.Bob Rae will take the podium on Day 2 of a special emergency session of the UN General Assembly as delegates debate a draft resolution calling for a pause in hostilities.The resolution also calls on the two sides to comply with international humanitarian law and to allow essential supplies and services into the war-torn region.Canada is also proposing an amendment to the resolution that would expressly condemn the Oct. 7 Ha

Organizers of an upcoming vote on an independent Sikh state say Canada's allegations of an Indian link to the killing of an activist in Surrey have significantly bolstered support for their cause.A lawyer for Sikhs For Justice says many supporters of an independent Sikh state in India had been reluctant to voice their opinions over fear of being labelled terrorists.But Gurpatwant Singh Pannun says discussions about India's possible role in the killing are allowing supporters to discuss the issue without fear.Sikhs For Justice will hold a second round of voting for its unofficial referendum ab

Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced new rules aimed at protecting international students from fraud, following an investigation this summer into more than 100 cases involving fake admission letters.The immigration department launched a task force in June to investigate a scheme that dates back to 2017, which saw immigration agents issue fake acceptance letters to get international students into Canada.Of the 103 cases reviewed so far, roughly 40 per cent of students appeared to be in on the scheme, while the rest were victims of it.Miller says schools that accept international stude

A man has been sentenced to 18 months in jail with another 18 months of conditional supervisionafter pleading guilty to manslaughter in the high-profile overdose death of a 14-year-old boy in Metro Vancouver.Justice Kathleen Ker says Carson Crimeni died of acute intoxication from an "exceedingly high" dosage of the drug MDMA sold to him by the man, who cannot be named because he was a youth at the time of the crime on Aug. 7, 2019.Before delivering the sentence in British Columbia Supreme Court, Ker told the gallery that other young people saw Carson in "obvious distress" that day in a park in

A Montreal man who was killed in Israel during a surprise attack by Hamas earlier this month is being remembered as a hero and a "larger-than-life" personality at a funeral today.A casket draped in the flag of Israel was carried into the packed chapel of a Jewish funeral home in Montreal as the service for Alexandre Look began at 2 p.m.Look's father, Alain Look, said his son died a hero while protecting others at the onset of Hamas's attack on Israel on Oct. 7.The 33-year-old was among the hundreds who were killed while attending a musical festival near the border between Israel and Gaza.One o

Quebec City police say a 19-year-old woman was killed in her home early this morning while a 16-year-old boy was seriously injured.Police say doctors fear for the life of the injured teen, who was listed in critical condition.Officers were led to the home in the city's Limoilou district after arresting another 16-year-old for impaired driving and vehicle theft.While looking inside the residence, authorities found the two victims, and the woman was pronounced dead on the scene.Homicide investigators and forensic teams were at the home today and a mobile command post was also deployed, with poli

Vancouver police have executed search warrants at the offices of the Drug User Liberation Front, an activist group that says it runs a 'compassion club' for distributing drugs.Police arrested two people and say the group has publicly admitted to trafficking heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines. Vancouver Coastal Health's website says the Drug User Liberation Front Society received $200,000 of public funding in 2021-2022.The group says its ``fulfilment centre'' allows drug users to receive up to 14 grams of cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine per week, with the substances tested for safety bef