British Columbia

B.C. sex offender pleads guilty to breaching supervision order following manhunt
VANCOUVER - A high-risk sex offender who went on the run for 10 days in Vancouver has pleaded guilty to breaching his long-term supervision order and failing to attend court. The province's prosecution service confirmed that Randall Hopley entered the guilty pleas in provincial court on Friday. Hopley walked away from...
12h ago
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Evacuation alert lifted as wildfire in northeastern B.C. now 'held'
CHETWYND, B.C. - An evacuation alert for residents in areas around Chetwynd, B.C., has been lifted just days after a wildfire forced some residents from their homes. Peace River Regional District in B.C.'s northeast cancelled the alert and lifted a state of local emergency that had been in place. BC Wildfire Services...
12h ago
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Day of Mourning
'Lives cut short': Vernon ceremony honours victims of workplace incidents
A National Day of Mourning event was held in Vernon to recognize those who lost their lives or suffered illness or injuries due to workplace incidents.The event, held in the Council Chambers Friday, April 26, saw about 80 people attend, including 24 B.C. Wildfire Service members.A wreath on display at the Day of Mourni...
15h ago
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B.C. asks Health Canada to make drug use in public illegal again
The British Columbia government is asking Health Canada to ``urgently change'' the province's decriminalization policy to stop drug use in public. Premier David Eby says in a statement the change would make illicit drug use illegal in all public spaces, including inside hospitals, on transit and in parks. The U-turn by...
15h ago
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Fatal B.C. stabbing victim may have chased suspect, investigators say
WHITE ROCK, B.C. - Police say the man killed in a fatal stabbing attack in White Rock, B.C., earlier this week may have tried to chase down the suspect who stabbed him. Homicide investigators say witnesses told them that Kulwinder Singh Sohi, 26, was seen in a physical altercation with the suspect before giving chase o...
18h ago
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Bin there, dumped that: Trash cans to be reinstalled along Montreal's Lachine Canal
MONTREAL - Parks Canada will reinstall around 30 garbage bins along Montreal's Lachine Canal after some visitors expressed frustration at their sudden disappearance earlier this month. The federal agency says the measure was a pilot project to encourage visitors to take responsibility for waste destined for landfills. ...
18h ago
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Killer whale calf trapped in B.C. swims out of lagoon
ZEBALLOS, B.C. - The young killer whale trapped for more than a month in a B.C. lagoon swam past a bottleneck at high tide this morning. The Ehattesaht and Nuchatlaht First Nations say the team is ecstatic, although she still has to leave the Little Espinosa Inlet to reach open ocean. A statement from the team says the...
20h ago
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'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
VANCOUVER - A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a "misuse" of agency vehicles by the woman. She is the same officer whose sexual assault al...
23h ago
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Burkina Faso Suspends BBC and Voice of America after covering report on mass killings
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) - Burkina Faso suspended the BBC and Voice of America radio stations for their coverage of a report by Human Rights Watch on a mass killing of civilians carried out by the country's armed forces. Burkina Faso's communication spokesperson, Tonssira Myrian Corine Sanou, said late that Thursday that bo...
Apr 26, 2024
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Inquest into B.C. police shooting deaths recommends emergency events be recorded
BURNABY, B.C. - An inquest jury looking into the police shooting deaths of a man and the woman he was holding hostage has recommended that events involving the emergency response team be recorded with both video and audio. The recommendation is one of seven to come following the inquest into the deaths of Randy Crosson...
Apr 26, 2024
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Princess Anne to visit British Columbia, sail to Esquimalt
VICTORIA - Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles, is scheduled to visit British Columbia next month. The princess and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, will attend a series of events during the three-day trip starting on May 3, including the commissioning ceremony for the HMCS Max Bernays followed by an ...
Apr 25, 2024
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B.C. civil lawsuit against Sex Pistols guitarist alleges 1980 sexual assault
VANCOUVER - A Vancouver woman has filed a civil lawsuit against Paramount Pictures Corp. and punk rocker Stephen Jones of The Sex Pistols alleging he sexually assaulted her as a teenager while she was a movie extra more than 40 years ago. A B.C. Supreme Court statement of claim filed by the plaintiff says she was 14 y...
Apr 25, 2024
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Opposition BC United seeks to prevent convicted dangerous offenders from name changes
VICTORIA - Opposition BC United Leader Kevin Falcon says he wants to prevent people convicted of dangerous criminal offences from legally changing their names. Falcon has tabled a private member's bill in the legislature to amend the British Columbia Name Act after learning convicted child-killer Allan Schoenborn was r...
Apr 25, 2024
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Wildfire triggers evacuations, state of local emergency near Chetwynd, B.C.
CHETWYND, B.C. - An out-of-control wildfire in northeastern British Columbia has triggered the province's first evacuation of this year's fire season. The Peace River Regional District declared a state of local emergency and issued an evacuation order for an area near Chetwynd, B.C., last night. The 50-hectare Wildmare...
Apr 25, 2024
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Teck Resources reports first-quarter profit down from year ago
VANCOUVER - Teck Resources Ltd. reported its first-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago due in part to its reduced ownership in its steelmaking coal business as well as lower copper and zinc prices and higher costs. The Vancouver-based mining company says it earned a profit attributable to shareholders of $343 ...
Apr 25, 2024
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Parole documents reveal B.C. teen's killer thinks TV show about crime 'disrespectful'
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - Reena Virk's killer told parole officials that a television series about the Victoria, B.C., teen's murder is "disrespectful" and will "re-victimize" Virk's family. Documents released by the Parole Board of Canada Wednesday say Virk's killer Kelly Ellard - who changed her name to...
Apr 24, 2024
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Stall, downdraft, decision making may have played roles in B.C. air-taxi crash: TSB
VANCOUVER - The Transportation Safety Board says several factors may have played a role in the crash of an air taxi in B.C.'s Chilcotin region two years ago, including poor visibility and the pilot's motivation to get to Lorna Lake after cancelling earlier in the day. The pilot and two of the five passengers aboard th...
Apr 24, 2024
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Man stabbed to death in White Rock, B.C., days after similar knife attack in area
WHITE ROCK, B.C. - A man has been killed in a stabbing in White Rock, B.C., and police say there are "apparent similarities" to another knife attack in the same area two days earlier. RCMP say the latest incident happened late Tuesday, when a man was reported to have been stabbed near the White Rock Pier. Pol...
Apr 24, 2024
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B.C. imposes five-month ban on large open fires in Interior
KAMLOOPS, B.C. - The BC Wildfire Service has announced a five-month open fire ban covering much of the province's Interior, as fire season gets off to an early start. The ban on Category 3 fires in the Kamloops fire centre will run from May 3 to Oct. 11 and will prohibit people burning three or more fires on a property...
Apr 24, 2024
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BoC officials split on when to start cutting interest rates, summary shows
OTTAWA - The Bank of Canada is offering more details today about its discussions on rate cut timing. The central bank released its summary of deliberations, which detailed the governing council's discussions during its most recent decision. The bank held its key rate steady at five per cent but members of the governin...
Apr 24, 2024
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West Fraser Timber earns US$35 million in first quarter, up from loss last year
VANCOUVER - West Fraser Timber Co. says it earned US$35 million in its first quarter, up from a loss of US$42 million a year earlier. Earnings per diluted share were 42 cents US, compared with a loss of 52 cents during the same quarter last year. The Vancouver-based company says sales totalled US$1.63 billion, unchange...
Apr 23, 2024
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B.C. government to set out housing targets for 20 more communities
VICTORIA - The British Columbia government has named another 20 cities and towns as priority communities for housing targets over the next five years. The government says in a statement the communities are in high-growth, high-need regions of B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says the goal is to complement work those...
Apr 23, 2024
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B.C. government sets November date for Surrey police transition
VANCOUVER - British Columbia's government has set Nov. 29 as the date when the Surrey Police Service will take over from the RCMP as the city's force of jurisdiction. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth says Surrey RCMP will continue to operate and provide support after the official transition, although the Mounties will ...
Apr 23, 2024
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Ombudsperson calls B.C.'s handling of youth confinement an embarrassment
VANCOUVER - B.C.'s ombudsperson says the Ministry of Children and Family Development should be embarrassed by its neglect toward reducing the practice of isolating youth in custody. Jay Chalke says the ministry has failed to take action on a 2021 report by his office that called for "separate confinement" of...
Apr 23, 2024
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B.C. places online harms bill on hold after agreement with Meta, X, TikTok, Snapchat
VICTORIA - The British Columbia government is putting its proposed online harms legislation on hold after reaching an agreement with some of the largest social media platforms to make people safer online. Premier David Eby says in a joint statement with representatives of the firms Meta, TikTok, X and Snap that they w...
Apr 23, 2024
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B.C. to increase local milk production with $25-million factory investment
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - The British Columbia government is spending up to $25 million toward the construction of a milk production plant aimed at boosting the supply of locally sourced food products. The province says in a statement that the expansion to Vitalus Nutrition's plant in Abbotsford, B.C., will begin construction...
Apr 23, 2024
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Baby lives after stroller hit and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
SQUAMISH, B.C. - A baby in a stroller survived being struck and dragged for two blocks while it was lodged in the front of a vehicle in Squamish, B.C. Mounties say they received multiple calls that a vehicle had hit a pedestrian pushing a baby in the stroller at a crosswalk Monday night. Investigators say the driver fl...
Apr 23, 2024
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U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers have found a body: RCMP
SAANICH, B.C. - Police in British Columbia say United States authorities searching for a pair of missing kayakers have found a body in the San Juan Islands of Washington state. RCMP spokesman Cpl. James Grandy says searchers south of the border have not yet identified the person as one of the missing kayakers. Grandy s...
Apr 23, 2024
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