Hundreds of lightning strikes in many parts of British Columbia almost tripled the number of active wildfires in the province over the weekend, with most burning in central and northern B.C. The BC Wildfire Service is reporting more than 300 fires, with 87 spotted in the last 24 hours and almost 200 of the total number ranked as out of control. The wildfire service is bracing for challenging conditions, with lightning storms still in the forecast for most of the week, as well as heat warnings or above-average temperatures through the central Interior. Of the 13 blazes listed as "fires of note,

The B.C. RCMP says a former probationary constable at the force's Surrey detachment has been charged with multiple offences after a months-long corruption investigation.Mounties say the ex-constable faces 13 charges related to drug trafficking, breach of trust, theft, cannabis distribution and conspiracy to commit robbery.Police say the force started a covert investigation in the summer of 2020 after becoming aware that the former constable was allegedly associating with criminals.They say he was arrested after a six-month investigation in January 2021 for offences allegedly committed both on

Unemployment in Canada climbed in June and numbers from Statistics Canada show B.C. followed the trend.Stats Can says the national jobless rate edged up three basis points to 5.4 per cent last month, while the number of people looking for work in this province climbed to 5.6 per cent from five per cent in May.Analysts say 60,000 positions were added to the national economy in June, but the growing population and boost in jobseekers overshadowed the gain.The Bank of Canada has blamed low unemployment for fuelling inflation and it could consider the consecutive monthly hikes in the jobless rate

Airbnb has won a court ruling that quashes an order from British Columbia's privacy commissioner that would have identified hosts and their home addresses in Vancouver.The B.C. Supreme Court ruling released Wednesday says the Information and Privacy Commissioner got it wrong when it ordered the City of Vancouver to release the information about hosts who hold short-term rental licences without notifying them.Justice Jasvinder Basran's ruling says the privacy commissioner must reconsider its findings after notifying Airbnb hosts about the potential release of the information.The ruling says bot

The police have released the identity of the youth who was murdered on Sunday in Coquitlam.The deceased was Punjabi youth Karnvir Singh Garcha.He was 25 years old.Police said that Karnvir Singh was found injured near Foster Avenue near North Road at 9.30 pm and despite all efforts, he died on the spot. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said that Garcha along with another person had been issued a warning by the police in December to avoid gangs as their names were associated with gang violence and drug trade.Surrey RCMP described Garcha as a risk to the community at the time.Police sai

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says strong demand for the few homes listed for sale last month helped boost the benchmark price for all residential properties in the region to just over 1.2 million dollars.The board says that's up 1.3 per cent in a single month, although it's still more than two per cent below the benchmark price set one year ago.Overall, the board says the housing market continues to outperform expectations with the apartment or condo market eclipsing slightly slower sales in the townhouse and detached home sectors.The board also notes that sales continue to outst

Negotiations between the union representing British Columbia port workers and maritime employers have stalled and the workers' strike has entered its fifth day.More than 7,000 workers at 30 B.C. ports have been on strike since Saturday morning.The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada says that jurisdiction is being eroded by the use of contractors.Port automation and the cost of living are key issues in contracting.Business organizations as well as Alberta and Saskatchewan officials have asked Ottawa to move forward and end the strike, but federal Labor Minister Seamus O'Regan sa

The Canadian government has given a severe blow to Meta which is opposing the Online News Act.Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said the federal government is going to suspend all its ads on Facebook and Instagram.The Trudeau government minister said that Meta's threat to block Canadian news on its platforms in defiance of the Online News Act was irresponsible and unacceptable.He said that the government wants the two platforms to negotiate and pay Canadian media instead of local news while working on the regulatory process.The government said that the talks with Google are going in the right

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she is concerned about the safety of India's diplomats following what she calls an "unacceptable" poster for an upcoming protest near Toronto.The protest is planned in memory of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was killed in a shooting in British Columbia in June.A poster for the protest circulating on social media includes photos of India's top two diplomats in Canada, calls them "killers in Toronto" and suggests it's time to "kill India."Niijar was a vocal opponent of India and supporter of an independent Sikh state but police say they have fou