Assessed values of properties in British Columbia are up again, but the pricey Vancouver area has been upstaged by small towns where value estimates rose by more than 40 per cent. Data posted on the BC Assessment website shows market value as of July 1, 2021, increased over 40 per cent in the communities of Hope, Port Alberni, Lake Cowichan and other rural areas, while Vancouver was up seven per cent. Bryan Murao, BC Assessment's deputy assessor, says the provincial real estate market remains resilient and homeowners provincewide can expect higher assessment values for 2022. But he says large

Stricter COVID-19 measures are taking effect in Ontario today. School classes will run remotely until at least Jan. 17, while most other measures, including business closures, are slated to last at least 21 days. Hospitals are ordered to pause all non-urgent surgeries to free up staff to cover absences and the rising number of hospitalized virus patients. Several kinds of business including cinemas, gyms, theatres and restaurants must close for indoor activities. Some other businesses including retail stores and personal care services are limited to 50 per cent capacity. Social gatherings are

The Prime Minister's Office says Justin Trudeau and B-C Premier John Horgan spoke Tuesday about flooding relief efforts as well as how governments can keep citizens safe during the wave of Omicron variant cases. Trudeau says he and Horgan -- who is the chair of the Council of the Federation -- discussed how provinces and territories can deal with the surge of cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Trudeau's office also says a talk will be scheduled with provincial leaders next week on efforts to reduce the health, economic, and social impacts of the variant. He and Horgan also spoke about

Over the past 24 hours, B.C. is reporting 2,542 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 266,710 cases in the province.There are 27,106 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 236,309 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 298 individuals are in hospital and 86 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:1,458 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 12,729329 new cases in Vancouver Coastal HealthTotal active cases: 8,274270 new cases in Interior HealthTotal active cases: 2,250125 new cases i

British Columbia's provincial health officer is advising businesses to put contingency plans in place to continue operating as up to one-third of their staff could be off sick with the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Dr. Bonnie Henry says private companies, schools and health-care sites must all prepare for a wave of illness by reinforcing safety protocols like physical distancing to protect as many people as possible. She says businesses that require employees to come into a workplace should stagger shifts and break times, use Plexiglas barriers and limit the number of customers entering the pre

Elizabeth Ann Laird, a pioneer in B-C's broadcast industry, has died. Laird moved to BC from Ontario in 1967 and lived in the North Okanagan before settling with her husband and family near Merritt and investing in radio station CJNL1230, now Q-101, in 1994. Laird became the sole owner in 2016 and is credited with giving many broadcasters their start in the industry while she was involved with the station. The active community volunteer, business leader and longtime Merritt-area school trustee sold CJNL to Pattison Media last year. An announcement about a memorial service is expected later.

On July 11, 2021 shortly after 4 am, the Delta Police were called to a disturbance at Gunderson Park in North Delta.Officers located two victims who had both been stabbed. Their injuries were serious, but not life-threatening. On December 17th, 2021, Crown Counsel approved two charges of Aggravated Assault in relation to the incident. Accused Balraj NIJJAR, 19 years old, of Delta has been arrested and has made his first appearance in court."This event was related to a conflict between individuals who are known to each other, and is not a random incident," says Staff Sergeant David Vaughan-Smit

Vancouver police say a 23-year-old man has been charged with one count of robbery after allegedly threatening a grocery store worker with a meat cleaver. Police say it happened yesterday morning at a grocery store in downtown Vancouver when the worker asked the suspect to put on a mask. It's alleged the man pulled the meat cleaver instead, threatened the worker and then left the store without paying for the groceries. Police arrested the man as he tried to hail a cab and he has since been released on bail and ordered to return to court next week.

Two men, one from Abbotsford, the other from Calgary, face numerous charges related to a series of robberies in Surrey, Langley and Abbotsford. The alleged heists by the 21 and 22 year old suspects happened on October 2nd, 10th and 11th during break-ins at separate cellphone stores in Surrey and Langley and a pharmacy in Abbotsford. The 21 year old Calgary man faces a total of 11 charges including robbery and forcible confinement, while the 22 year old Abbotsford resident is accused of two counts of robbery and two of forcible confinement. Both were arrested on December 20th and remain in cus