Twelve of the 400 or so blazes burning in British Columbia are described by the province's wildfire service as "wildfires of note," meaning they are highly visible or pose a threat to public safety. Here is a look at the 12 fires, with information provided by the BC Wildfire Service as of Friday at 1 p.m., Pacific time: Name: Bush Creek East WildfireLocation:West and East of Adams Lake, north of Shuswap and Little Shuswap lakes, south of Highway 1 between Chase and Sorrento Size: 431 square kilometres Suspected cause: Lightning Name: Casper Creek WildfireLocation: 24 kilometres west of Lilloo

The Canadian economy appeared to stall in the second quarter as Statistics Canada says the economy contracted at an annualized rate of 0.2 per cent in the second quarter. The agency also revised its reading for growth in the first quarter to an annual pace of 2.6 per cent, down from 3.1 per cent. Economists say the latest spending data showing a contraction in the economy suggests the Bank of Canada's rate hiking campaign may be coming to an end. Statistics Canada says the economy contracted at an annualized rate of 0.2 per cent in the second quarter. The pullback in the second quarter came as

Quebec's education minister says it doesn't make sense that a teacher can commit sexual misconduct and then be transferred without consequences to another school district. Bernard Drainville made his comments today in reaction to a report that identified numerous shortcomings in how misconduct cases against teachers are treated within the school network. Drainville requested the report earlier this year after several allegations of sexual misconduct in schools came to light. The report raises several problems with the way teachers' files are handled, including a lack of communication between

Canadian federal government has put a price tag on how much it would like to see Google and Facebook spend under an act requiring the tech giants to compensate media for news articles. Federal officials estimate Google would need to offer $172 million and Facebook $62 million in compensation to satisfy criteria they're proposing be used to give exemptions under the Online News Act. The criteria listed as part of a draft set of regulations would allow compensation provided by tech giants to be both monetary and non-monetary.While the guidelines do not specify what non-monetary contributions wou

The Canada Revenue Agency says 120 people have been fired for claiming a federal COVID-19 benefit while employed there. The CRA is reviewing approximately 600 cases in which current employees received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit — or CERB — during the COVID-19 pandemic. The benefit was worth $2,000 a month to Canadians whose jobs were lost or downgraded as a result of public-health restrictions. The CRA said in July that it had let 20 employees go as a result of its CERB investigation, but it now says that number is up to 120. Claims for CERB were found to be legitimate in 30 cas

Edmonton Police issued a warning to Lexus owners after six RX350 SUVs were stolen in Edmonton between Tuesday and Wednesday. According to the Edmonton Police Service, nearly 50 Lexus RX350s have been stolen in Alberta in 2023, with 19 of them being in Edmonton. Most of the SUVs are 2019 to 2022 models, but a few 2016 and 2017 models have also been targeted. The thieves are disabling the GPS tracking systems, police say. "We want to make owners of these vehicles aware of these thefts, so that they can protect themselves from becoming victims," Acting Sgt.Don Lawrence of the Targeted Response to

The EPS Financial Crimes Section has charged a man and a woman in a $7.8 million alleged Ponzi scheme targeting investors in Alberta and British Columbia. In early 2020, police became aware of a Ponzi scheme reportedly being run by a man and a woman operating primarily out of Kelowna, BC and Edmonton, AB, although some victims were located as far away as Nevada, USA and Australia. The two suspects were allegedly offering securities in the form of promissory notes to guarantee investors a set return on their investment. The scheme was run under the company name Group Venture Inc., and is believ

A fire broke out in a 5-storey building in Johannesburg, South Africa, due to which 73 people have died.According to local media reports, 52 people have been injured and admitted to the hospital.The death toll is suspected to increase.The fire broke out in a five-storey building at night.According to emergency service personnel, seven of the victims were children, including a one-year-old baby.Witnesses present at the scene said that around 200 people lived in the building.Security personnel are engaged in the rescue operation.Officials have advised people to stay away from the building.Firefi

The Montreal Public Health Authority says there were 175 deaths related to suspected drug overdoses in the city last year.Most of these deaths occurred at home.Releasing this new data, the department said that it has been collected from August 2022 to July 2023.According to new data released by DRSP, Montreal's public health department, 77 percent of overdose deaths occur in homes.Of the 175 people who died, 9 per cent were homeless.According to the Public Health Authority, the age of the deceased is between 40 and 59 years.Among the dead were 138 men, and 38 women.Public health authorities sa