Abbotsford news

• B.C. premier calls on head of extortion task force to show ‘urgency’ or step aside

  21-01-2026 23:12 via abbynews.com
  The man in charge of B.C.’s Extortion Task Force might not be the right person for the job if he doesn’t feel it’s a crisis, said B.C.’s premier.
  Premier David Eby, during an unrelated press conference on Wednesday (Jan. 21) in Prince George, was asked to respond to RCMP Assistant Commissioner John Brewer’s categorization of the ongoing extortion violence in Surrey as not being a crisis.
  “I’ll speak bluntly if, if Mr. Brewer does not feel that urgency, d
  
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• Survey: More than half of B.C. businesses underreporting crime

  21-01-2026 23:00 via abbynews.com
  A survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent businesses is showing more than half of its small businesses are no longer reporting all crime to their property.
  According to the survey released on Jan. 21, only around four-in-ten businesses “always” file a police report when experiencing crime. Similarly, around the same percentage of businesses say they are satisfied by response time or service provided by law enforcement.
  The CFIB says this trend is “signalling a growing
  
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• No tsunami threat to B.C. after 4.3-magnitude earthquake in California

  21-01-2026 22:50 via abbynews.com
  Emergency Info BC says there’s no tsunami threat to B.C. after an earthquake hit inland California Wednesday (Jan. 21).
  A 4.3-magnitude earthquake hit about 128 kilometres northwest of El Centro, Calif. and about 193 kilometres east of Los Angeles, just after 12:30 a.m., according to the National Weather Service’s U.S. Tsunami Warning System. It was at a depth of approximately six kilometres.
  More than 1,400 people reported feeling the earthquake.
  It was initially reported as a magni
  
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• Kelowna woman ‘entering end-stage liver failure’ after transplant delays

  21-01-2026 22:30 via abbynews.com
  A Kelowna woman is losing her battle against autoimmune hepatitis.
  Lyndsay Richholt was diagnosed with the disease 18 years ago and was told she would need a liver transplant one day. At the time, it was explained to her that, given her young age and that it isn’t self-inflicted liver disease from alcohol, she would “skyrocket” to the top of the priority waitlist.
  Last March, she was told she had six months to live and now, she’s “entering end-stage liver failure,&r
  
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• Yukon Liberal leader steps down, MLA Debra-Leigh Reti replaces him

  21-01-2026 22:25 via abbynews.com
  Vuntut Gwitchin MLA Debra-Leigh Reti has been named interim leader of the Yukon Liberal Party after leader Mike Pemberton resigned, effective immediately.
  The party executive appointed Reti on Jan. 21 to replace Pemberton, ahead of the party’s annual general meeting on Jan. 22.
  “Change moments like this are an opportunity to come together, stay focused on our values, and keep moving forward,” party president Jason Cunning said in the release.
  Cunning thanked Pemberton for his s
  
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• Abbotsford sexual-abuse survivor forgives molester in court

  21-01-2026 22:22 via abbynews.com
  Warning: This story contains details about child sexual abuse.
  An Abbotsford woman who was sexually abused as a child has had the court publication ban lifted on her name so she can speak publicly about what happened to her and offer support to other victims.
  Nicolle Lauder said she carried the trauma of her abuse for many years before telling others.
  “I felt like it was only really protecting him, but I have nothing to hide,” she said.
  Lauder, 27, was at the Abbotsford Law Courts on
  
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• Victoria baseball pioneer weighs WPBL future following draft selection

  21-01-2026 22:10 via abbynews.com
  Claire Eccles did not hear her name called in an arena. She saw it on a screen.
  On Nov. 20, the former Victoria HarbourCats pitcher was drafted by New York in the second round – 38th overall – of the Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) draft.
  “I had a bit of a personal goal or hope that I would go top 40,” Eccles told Victoria News. “So that was cool. But more than anything, it was exciting just to be considered a part of the league in its first season.”(
  
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• B.C. issues final permit approval for Mt. Milligan copper-gold mine expansion

  21-01-2026 22:01 via abbynews.com
  B.C. announced on Wed., Jan. 21, that it has given final permitting approval for the expansion of the Mt. Milligan copper and gold mine in northern B.C.
  The open-pit mine, north of Fort St. James and west of Mackenzie, began operation in 2014. These permits allow Centerra to expand the mine’s ore-production rate from 60,000 tonnes per day to 66,500 tonnes per day, and extend operations through 2035. The old permits expire in 2028.
  This permitting process took 10 months. Paul Tomory, presid
  
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• Calls against crime grow louder from Okanagan chambers

  21-01-2026 21:50 via abbynews.com
  Across the valley, chambers of commerce are calling to save their downtowns against crime as businesses are being pushed to, and beyond, their limits.
  Getting governments at all levels to pay attention and to act: that is the gauntlet thrown down by the Okanagan Business Advocacy Council (OABC), following its first meeting of 2026 Jan. 20.
  The council represents more than 2,000 business members in Chambers of Commerce/Boards of Trade from Penticton, Summerland, West Kelowna, Kelowna and Vernon.
  
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• ‘Brought tears’: B.C. region’s Japanese-Canadian legacy drives BBC spotlight

  21-01-2026 21:45 via abbynews.com
  Last month’s news of the Slocan Valley making the BBC’s list of top global travel destinations surprised many Canadians.
  The reason behind the region’s selection, however, was as much because of its Japanese-Canadian legacy as it was about its natural beauty.
  The British public service broadcaster unveiled its “20 best places to travel in 2026” on Dec. 11, encouraging globetrotters to seek out destinations as far-ranging as Algeria, Cambodia, the Cook Islands and Or
  
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• Greenlandic flag raised at Nunavut Legislative Assembly

  21-01-2026 19:33 via abbynews.com
  The Greenlandic flag was raised at the Nunavut Legislative Assembly on Jan. 20, just one day after U.S. President Donald Trump shared a photo online with U.S. flags covering Canada and Greenland on a map.
  Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen warned his people to prepare for a possible American invasion just one hour before the flag raising in Nunavut.
  Paul Irngaut, acting president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the largest Inuit organization in the territory, said Nunavummiut supp
  
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• Health Canada recalls baby teethers containing fungus sold at Dollarama

  21-01-2026 19:25 via abbynews.com
  Health Canada issued a recall for Disney Baby water teethers sold at Dollarama as the liquid in the product has been found to be contaminated with “the fungus Rhinocladiella similis.”
  According to the recall, Health Canada stated, “The fungus is usually harmless, but may cause an infection in children if the teether is punctured and the liquid filling is ingested.”
  Those with the product are told to “immediately stop using” the teethers and contact Dollarama f
  
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• Abbotsford Disaster Relief Fund surpasses $100,000 for flood recovery

  21-01-2026 19:20 via abbynews.com
  The Abbotsford community has shown time and time again that it knows how to come together during periods of crisis, and the recent flooding that shut down much of the Fraser Valley was no different.
  Even now, more than a month after the last of the evacuation orders were lifted from the area, the community is still showing its support for those affected by the flood, with the Abbotsford Disaster Relief Fund recently surpassing $100,000 in contributions.
  This resource is offered through the Abbot
  
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• B.C. woman found dead on Australian beach surrounded by dingo pack

  21-01-2026 19:15 via abbynews.com
  A woman found deceased in Australia on Jan. 19 has been confirmed as being from Campbell River.
  On social media, those who knew 19-year-old Piper James called her adventurous, independent and a powerhouse. James was found deceased on Mon. Jan. 19 local time on a K’gari beach, off Australia’s east coast.
  While autopsy results are not in, James was found surrounded by a pack of dingoes. Local authorities outlined three possible scenarios: drowning, being driven by the dingoes into the
  
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• Injured eagle rescued by conservation officers near 100 Mile House

  21-01-2026 19:00 via abbynews.com
  Members of the B.C. Highway Patrol and 100 Mile House Conservation Officers (CO) assisted with the rescue of an eagle struck by a vehicle in the region.
  Sgt. Brian Lamb said the incident occurred on Monday, Jan. 19, while members of the B.C. The Highway Patrol was conducting enforcement near Highway 97 and Ainsworth Road. During this time, an officer was flagged down by some motorists who were parked on the side of the road.
  “The member was advised that an eagle had been struck by a vehicl
  
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• Fog advisory set to end on Vancouver Island, could return in Lower Mainland

  21-01-2026 18:50 via abbynews.com
  An ongoing fog advisory in B.C.’s south coast is set to end on Vancouver Island and dissipate in the Lower Mainland Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 21).
  But people in the Lower Mainland may see more fog develop in coastal areas again Wednesday night.Environment Canada issued the yellow advisory Wednesday, warning that near-zero visibility in fog will continue in the morning, but should end on the Island and dissipate in the Lower Mainland by the afternoon.
  A yellow advisory means hazardous weath
  
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• Shanghai Dragons hire Quesnel’s Mitch Love as head coach

  21-01-2026 18:28 via abbynews.com
  Quesnel’s Mitch Love has been appointed as the new head coach of the Shanghai Dragons.
  According to an announcement on Monday, Jan. 19, Love has signed a contract through the end of the 2026-27 season and will take over immediately, with roughly one-third of the regular season remaining.
  The hiring follows the departure of Gerard Gallant and comes at a critical juncture for Shanghai, which remains firmly in the playoff race.
  “We’re still in the playoff race, and with a signific
  
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• Shanghai Dragons hire former NHL assistant and B.C. native Mitch Love as head coach

  21-01-2026 18:28 via abbynews.com
  Quesnel’s Mitch Love has been appointed as the new head coach of the Shanghai Dragons.
  According to an announcement on Monday, Jan. 19, Love has signed a contract through the end of the 2026-27 season and will take over immediately, with roughly one-third of the regular season remaining.
  The hiring follows the departure of Gerard Gallant and comes at a critical juncture for Shanghai, which remains firmly in the playoff race.
  “We’re still in the playoff race, and with a signific
  
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• KPMG sued in B.C. over alleged $11M fraud in NWT

  21-01-2026 18:20 via abbynews.com
  A Northwest Territories-based First Nation has won a recent court battle with accounting firm KPMG and its Langley branch, part of a string of lawsuits linked to $11 million that was misappropriated from the Indigenous group’s businesses.
  In a Jan. 14 ruling, NWT Supreme Court Justice N.E. Devlin ruled that the Lutsel K’é Dene First Nation (LKDFN) can continue its court actions against KPMG, and does not have to settle issues through arbitration in British Columbia.
  The LKDFN
  
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• Chiefs hockey team remaining in Chilliwack for 2026-27 season

  21-01-2026 18:07 via abbynews.com
  The Chilliwack Chiefs home rink will remain the Chilliwack Coliseum for the 2026-27 season.
  The BCHL club announced on Sunday (Jan. 18) that an agreement has been reached for the team to continue for one more year in the venue.The @Chiefs_Hockey have announced they will continue playing out of the Chilliwack Coliseum for 2026-27.They were originally expected to leave town after this season due to the arrival of @TheWHL. However that team isn't starting until 2027 (allegedly). pic.twitter.com/NSO
  
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• Surrey man sentenced for sexual interference in Campbell River

  21-01-2026 17:25 via abbynews.com
  A Surrey man has been sentenced to sexual interference in Campbell River after pleading guilty.
  Surrey’s Dillon Caleb Partanen, 33, pleaded guilty to sexual interference, possession of child sexual exploitation and abuse material, and failing to comply with a probation order, and was sentenced to five years in jail last Tuesday (Jan. 13) in the Vancouver Island community.
  The sentencing, a result of an incident in Campbell River in April of 2024 involving a young person after Partanen enga
  
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• Frustrated B.C. landowner appeals to premier after years of tax assessment errors

  21-01-2026 16:35 via abbynews.com
  A Youbou waterfront property owner has written to Premier David Eby after he has had to repeatedly appeal the assessments of his property by BC Assessment over several years.
  John Duggan owns a 1960s-era recreational cabin that has no power and running water on approximately 0.72 acres on a remote logging road, and he was frustrated when he saw BCA has assessed the property at $1,592,600 in 2026, which is 45 per cent above what it was assessed at last year.
  He is growing increasingly irritated o
  
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• Semi-truck driver hauling ‘flammable material’ dies in Alaska Highway ‘fireball’ crash

  21-01-2026 16:27 via abbynews.com
  The driver of a northbound semi-truck that was hauling “flammable material” has died following a single-vehicle crash along the Alaska Highway about an hour north of Fort Nelson, B.C.
  Northern B.C. RCMP said police responded to a report of a crash involving a propane tanker truck at 4:43 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
  Police said the truck was on fire and the highway was “completed blocked.” Witnesses to the scene told RCMP they saw a “fireball” and heard exploding
  
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• Preventable deaths in Alberta ERs and near misses leaked to the public

  21-01-2026 15:45 via abbynews.com
  Hospital overcrowding directly contributed to six people dying while waiting for emergency care in Alberta during a recent two-week period, according to a leaked report.
  About 20 other patients, who waited hours for care and could have died in emergency waiting rooms or hospital hallways, were also listed in the report posted online.
  Dr. Paul Parks, emergency department physician and president-elect of the section of emergency medicine with the Alberta Medical Association (AMA), compiled but did
  
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• THE MOJ: Foote says this Canucks rebuild doesn’t have room for any passengers

  21-01-2026 15:30 via abbynews.com
  Vancouver Canucks head coach Adam Foote finally had enough after Monday night’s 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders at Rogers Arena.
  Despite his team being dead last in the NHL standings, Foote usually had a tendency to protect his team after a defeat but that wasn’t the case after the Canucks 11th straight loss.
  In his post-game media session, Foote called out his veteran players for their lack of composure when things start going sideways.
  “There’s a lot of positives. Th
  
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• Iranian-Canadians struggling to connect with relatives in their homeland

  21-01-2026 14:45 via abbynews.com
  After weeks of worrying, local Iranian-Canadians are finally hearing from their families back in their country of origin, which cut most connections to the outside world in response to nationwide demonstrations against the Islamic Republic regime.Iranian Canadians are struggling to contact their families back home. pic.twitter.com/Yq3NfelTmA
  — Langley Advance Times (@LangleyTimes) January 20, 2026
  Anoush Ebtekar, whose family moved from Tehran to Langley’s Brookswood neighbourhood ba
  
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• Community funds vital surgical equipment helping B.C. patients

  21-01-2026 14:30 via abbynews.com
  Three vital tools, which were used in 2,600 surgeries last year, are getting replaced at Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH).
  The upgrade comes thanks to a wave of generousity sparked by the VJH Foundation’s 39th annual Light A Bulb campaign.
  The holiday appeal set out to fund urgently needed surgical equipment – and the community delivered.
  “We’re always so touched by how our community rallies each holiday season to ensure we all have access to exceptional care,” said Ka
  
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• Central B.C.’s ‘super hot extended summer’ of 2025 scorched with ‘very rare’ weather

  21-01-2026 14:00 via abbynews.com
  One of the most notable Canadian weather events of 2025 was the “super hot extended summer” in B.C., when Ashcroft set a new national record.
  That’s according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) meteorologist Bobby Sekhon.
  Sekhon notes Kamloops had its fourth-warmest year on record in 2025.
  “It was also the hottest September on record there, and August was the third-hottest August on record in Kamloops-Thompson,” he notes. “Skip forward to the star
  
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• Son of NHL coach joins Vernon Vipers

  21-01-2026 06:00 via abbynews.com
  The Vernon Vipers have signed forward Thomas Duhamel ahead of their next B.C. Hockey League contest.
  Duhamel, 18, is a forward in his second season of junior hockey and brings experience from multiple high-level programs.
  He joins the Vipers from his hometown Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and previously spent last season competing for the Utah Outliers in the United States Premier Hockey League’s National Collegiate Development Conference.
  “I&rsqu
  
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• New West grand prize winner picks up new wheels in Vernon

  21-01-2026 04:00 via abbynews.com
  Santa Claus had a little trouble finding New Westminster resident Archie Calaguas at Christmas time.
  And, Jolly Ol’ St. Nick may have had an issue putting Calaguas’ present in his sleigh.
  Calaguas was the grand prize winner in the 2025 Knights of Columbus’ Charity Appeal raffle, collecting a new 2025 Ford Maverick XLT all-wheel drive pickup truck. He and co-ticket buyer, friend Andre Lim, flew from Vancouver to Kelowna Monday, Jan. 19, took an Uber ride to the Watkin Motors For
  
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• Semi and motorcycle crash in Langley Tuesday afternoon

  21-01-2026 01:18 via abbynews.com
  Langley RCMP are advising people to avoid Milner after a serious crash Tuesday afternoon between a semi and a motorcycle.
  Police were called just after 3 p.m. to serious motor vehicle collision in the 22200-block of Highway 10.
  “One person has been transported to a local area hospital with serious injuries,” said Sgt. Zynal Sharoom, of the Langley RCMP. “Road closures are in effect in the surrounding area therefore motorists are asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
  
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• B.C. court dismisses couple’s attempt to get out of $70,000 foreign buyers’ tax bill

  21-01-2026 01:00 via abbynews.com
  A couple attempting to skirt the rules on the foreign buyers’ tax are now being made to pay up — in the form of a $70,000 bill.
  A B.C. Court of Appeal ruling on Jan. 14 in the couple’s case makes it clear: if a person holds an ownership stake in a property on behalf of a foreign entity — regardless of the size of the stake — the entire value of the property could be subject to the tax.
  The law was introduced by former premier Christy Clark as a 15 per cent tax appli
  
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• Short-term rental expansion opinions sought in Okanagan

  21-01-2026 00:30 via abbynews.com
  Westside vacation home owners or those with space to offer can have their say on proposed changes that will open up opportunities for short-term rental regulations in the region.
  The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) is hosting an open house at the Killiney Beach Community Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 20, from 5 to 6 p.m. and at the same time at the Wilson’s Landing Fire Hall.
  The event aims to inform residents of proposed changes to the regulations in Electoral Areas East and West, an
  
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• B.C. freestyle skier named to Olympic team

  21-01-2026 00:00 via abbynews.com
  Elena Gaskell will get a second crack at the Olympic Games.
  The Vernon skier has been officially named to Canada’s freestyle skiing slopestyle/big air team that will compete at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy Feb. 6 to 22.
  Freestyle Canada made the official announcement on social media Tuesday, Jan. 20.
  Joining Gaskell on the Olympic squad are Megan Oldham of Parry Sound, Ont.; Naomi Urness of Mont-Tremblant, Que.; Olivia Asselin from Lac Beauport, Que; Dylan Deschamps of Quebe
  
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