• B.C. Conservatives appoint Lorne Doerkson interim leader

    B.C. Conservatives appoint Lorne Doerkson interim leader
    The B.C. Conservative caucus voted to install Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson as interim leader after Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned Sunday afternoon.
    “We thank Lorne for stepping forward to serve during this important transition,” the party said in a statement. “Our caucus and party will now move forward together, focused on providing strong opposition and representing British Columbians across the province.
    Findlay resigned after several tumultuous weeks in which 14 MLAs
  • Abbotsford school locked down after threat of violence

    Abbotsford school locked down after threat of violence
    Three schools and Abbotsford Recreation Centre were placed under safety precautions Monday morning (Sept. 21) after police received a call with a “potential threat of violence.”
    The Abbotsford Police Department stated in a social media post that the call came in just before 11 a.m. and referenced Yale Secondary.
    “The report prompted an immediate and significant police response to ensure the safety of students, staff, and users of the Abbotsford Recreation Centre,” the pos
  • Castlegar cancer survivor alleges unsafe Kelowna hospital stay after surgery

    Castlegar cancer survivor alleges unsafe Kelowna hospital stay after surgery
    A Castlegar breast cancer survivor is sharing some very personal information in the hopes that no one else will have to go through the things she experienced during a stay at Kelowna General Hospital.
    In October 2022, 47-year-old Leslie Chrusch discovered a small lump in her left breast.
    She was nervous, but with no family doctor, wasn’t sure where to turn.
    Thankfully, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Chrusch heard repeated commercials on the radio promoting mammograms. Each t
  • B.C. government files lawsuit against OpenAI in Tumbler Ridge shooting

    B.C. government files lawsuit against OpenAI in Tumbler Ridge shooting
    B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said Monday (Sept. 21) that the government has filed a lawsuit in California against OpenAI in the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting.Sharma said the lawsuit stems from OpenAI’s failure to notify law enforcement after it first became aware of an “alarming” conversation between the shooter and the ChatGPT chatbot.She said the government is seeking accountability and support for community rebuilding efforts, including for a new school.More to come.
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  • Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce pleased with province’s decision to pause PST expansion

    Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce pleased with province’s decision to pause PST expansion
    The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce has expressed relief that the provincial government has chosen to pause the planned expansion of the provincial sales tax (PST) to professional services.
    The chamber had advocated for the province to abandon the policy back in April and wrote a letter to the minister of finance urging the government to reconsider the measure.
    “This policy doesn’t just affect one sector, it hits every business, particularly small businesses,” stated Alex Mitche
  • Pamela Yee enters race for Abbotsford school trustee

    Education professional Pamela Yee has entered the race for school trustee in the Abbotsford municipal election.
    Yee, who has worked in the public and private sectors for more than 20 years, said she is passionate about education.
    “I believe it’s advantageous to have someone in the trustee seat who can look at how the system works from all sides and strive to make improvements,” she said.
    Yee is a Simon Fraser University graduate with a bachelor of arts in French. She also earne
  • B.C. physician wins woman’s healthcare award

    B.C. physician wins woman’s healthcare award
    Local physician Dr. Unjali Malhotra was recently honoured by the Federation of Medical Women of Canada, earning an award for excellence in women’s healthcare research and education.
    Malhotra, a menopause and women’s health physician based in West Kelowna, was awarded with the Enid Johnson MacLeod Award, which represents national recognition for her work to advance women’s healthcare across the country.
    Malhotra is well-known for her work to grow the women’s healthcare fie
  • Conservative MLA logs on to emergency B.C. NDP meeting after accidental email blast

    Conservative MLA logs on to emergency B.C. NDP meeting after accidental email blast
    A B.C. NDP caucus staffer sent out a notice of an emergency Sunday night caucus meeting to many MLAs outside the party — presumably by mistake — inviting opposition members to what appeared to be an election strategy session.
    At least one B.C. Conservative, Langley-Walnut Grove MLA Misty Van Popta, was able to log on to the 7 p.m. virtual meeting using the Microsoft Teams link provided.
    “People were just starting to log in, and then it got really quiet,” Van Popta said. &
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  • Quesnel man sentenced for sex crimes against 12-year-old girl

    Quesnel man sentenced for sex crimes against 12-year-old girl
    A judge in Quesnel sentenced a man to 12 months jail and two years probation on Sept. 17 for touching for a sexual purpose and invitation to touching for a sexual purpose.
    Colton Silas Stump, however, received 364 days credit for time served, resulting in one day custodial sentence, served by his court appearance.
    Judge Michelle Stanford found Stump guilty in September 2023 of the crimes committed between July 1 and Aug. 31, 2019. He was acquitted of a second touching for a sexual purpose charge
  • Abbotsford police seize 2 airsoft guns during weapons call

    Abbotsford police seize 2 airsoft guns during weapons call
    Abbotsford police seized a pair of airsoft guns while responding to a weapons call on Saturday night (Sept. 19).
    In a news release on Sunday (Sept. 20), the Abbotsford Police Department said a man was reported carrying an apparent handgun tucked into his waistband in the Station Road area at about 7:35 p.m.
    The man was found near Fraser Highway and 273rd Street. Officers discovered one airsoft gun concealed in the man’s waistband and another inside a briefcase he was carrying.
    In addition
  • Skunk in the Kootenay Lake region tests positive for rabies

    Skunk in the Kootenay Lake region tests positive for rabies
    Interior Health is advising that a skunk in the Kootenay Lake region has tested positive for rabies.
    The result was confirmed on September 17, 2026 by IH and the BC Centre for Disease Control. The skunk is believed to have been infectious between August 15 and September 4.
    A number of people who may have been exposed have already been assessed and treated by IH, and IH is asking that anyone within the area who may have had contact with a skunk come forward for assessment.
    Anyone who was bitten o
  • VIDEO: 2 bears wander into Hope pharmacy

    VIDEO: 2 bears wander into Hope pharmacy
    Two bears, including a young cub, wandered into a Hope pharmacy Sunday afternoon (Sept. 20) and the event was caught on camera.A large bear was videoed walking on all fours up and down the aisles, and also resting its head on a pharmacy counter.A small cub scrambled behind the larger bear in the video, which was shared on local Facebook groups.There is audio of someone starting to place a call to 911, explaining there are two bears in the Hope Pharmasave, as the bears activate the doors to leave
  • Kerry-Lynne Findlay steps down as leader of B.C. Conservatives

    Kerry-Lynne Findlay steps down as leader of B.C. Conservatives
    Kerry-Lynne Findlay has announced she’s stepping down as leader of the B.C. Conservatives.She posted a statement to social media Sunday afternoon (Sept. 20). It came hours after another defection from her party when Surrey Serpentine MLA Linda Hepner quit caucus.More to come.
  • MLA Linda Hepner leaves B.C. Conservative caucus

    MLA Linda Hepner leaves B.C. Conservative caucus
    Surrey-Serpentine River MLA Linda Hepner has resigned from the B.C. Conservative caucus, stating a loss of confidence in the party’s leadership.In a message received by a reporter with the Surrey Now-Leader, Hepner said she had decided to resign from the B.C. Conservative caucus effective immediately.
    “I have decided to resign from the Conservative Party of British Columbia caucus effective immediately,” Hepner wrote.Hepner said she remains committed to conservative principles,
  • Man arrested in fatal hit-and-run crash in Chilliwack

    Man arrested in fatal hit-and-run crash in Chilliwack
    An 80-year-old woman has died of her injuries following a hit-and-run collision on a residential street in Chilliwack.
    The woman was cycling on Portage Avenue and Woodbine Street at about 6 p.m. on Sept. 19 when she was hit by a truck that fled the scene.The driver has been located by police and the vehicle has been seized.RCMP issued information about the crash and the vehicle early the next morning, appealing to the public for any information including video footage in the area around that tim
  • Former Chilliwack Museum curator honoured by B.C. Historical Federation for exceptional work

    Former Chilliwack Museum curator honoured by B.C. Historical Federation for exceptional work
    A former Chilliwack man has been honour on a provincial level for his decades of work at two museums, including the Chilliwack Museum and Archives.
    Paul Ferguson was presented with an award for Exceptional Service in the Historical Sector by the British Columbia Historical Federation (BCHF). The awards are handed out to people who have given outstanding service in the preservation of B.C.’s history.
    “It’s very humbling,” Ferguson said. “It’s a tremendous act o
  • QUIZ: Understanding international trade agreements

    QUIZ: Understanding international trade agreements
    The United States and Canada are caught in an international trade dispute, with each country imposing tariffs on goods from the other.
    Trade agreements, treaties and other negotiations are part of international relations, and these agreements are often complex.
    At the same time, the effects of these negotiations are felt by all residents of the countries involved.
    How much do you know about the present trade war and about Canada’s economy?
    Put your knowledge to the test with these 10 quest
  • B.C. government partners with UBC, McGill to develop life-saving gene therapy for Surrey boy

    B.C. government partners with UBC, McGill to develop life-saving gene therapy for Surrey boy
    The Ministry of Health annouced Saturday (Sept. 19) that it would work with two Canadian universities to create a personalized gene-editing therapy for a young Surrey boy battling a rare, progressive neurodegenerative disease.
    Gurmoh is a joyful three-year-old boy from Surrey who dreams of becoming a firefighter one day and drives his toy truck around the house while “proudly wearing his fire hat,” but his parents say time is not on his side.
    Gurmoh was diagnosed with spastic paraple
  • B.C. arrest involving less-lethal weapons, police dog sparks IIO probe

    B.C. arrest involving less-lethal weapons, police dog sparks IIO probe
    An arrest in Saanich involving the deployment of “less-lethal use of force weapons and a police service dog” has sparked an investigation from the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO).
    The police watchdog is appealing for witnesses to the arrest which took place outside a Saanich home on Woodhall Drive Sept. 18.
    The IIO says Saanich Police Department responded to a call shortly after 10 p.m., about a man involved in a possible assault at the home. Members of the Greater Vict
  • VIDEO: Harrison welcomes back John Reischman and the Jaybirds

    VIDEO: Harrison welcomes back John Reischman and the Jaybirds
    The Season of Performing Arts is set to launch again in Harrison Hot Springs.The Harrison Festival Society announced the Oct. 3 performance of John Reischman and the Jaybirds at Memorial Hall – 290 Esplanade Ave.John Reischman and the Jaybirds last performed in Harrison Hot Springs in 2021. The twice-Juno-nominated band blends original songs with old-time Appalachian music for a unique bluegrass sound. They have produced seven acclaimed albums to date. The band features Reischman’s m
  • Golden Ears Provincial Park day-use pass system to be updated

    Golden Ears Provincial Park day-use pass system to be updated
    Visitors to Golden Ears Provincial Park will need create an account on the BC Parks website to verify their identity.
    This new change to the day-use pass reservation system will take effect on Tuesday, Sept. 22, to strengthen security and improve fair access to passes required not only for Golden Ears Provincial Park, but three other popular provincial parks during peak season.
    The new requirements will be needed for a day-use pass at Garibaldi Provincial Park, Joffre Lakes Provincial Park, and
  • Arrest made after stabbing near Nanaimo overdose prevention site

    Arrest made after stabbing near Nanaimo overdose prevention site
    Nanaimo RCMP arrested a man in connection to a stabbing near an overdose prevention site in downtown Nanaimo Friday afternoon.
    B.C. Ambulance Service, Nanaimo Fire Rescue and Nanaimo RCMP were called to the 200 block of Albert Street just before 12:30 p.m.
    Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien, media liaison with the RCMP, said the victim of the stabbing suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to hospital as a result of the incident.
    He said staff at the OPS didn’t see what happen
  • VIDEO: Abbotsford plainclothes officer wrestles suspected thief to the ground

    VIDEO: Abbotsford plainclothes officer wrestles suspected thief to the ground
    Social media has recently been abuzz with a video showing an Abbotsford plainclothes officer wrestling with a suspect on the ground.
    The recorded incident occurred on Thursday evening (Sept. 17) just before 6 p.m. at the intersection of Townline Road and Maclure Road.
    According to the Abbotsford Police Department (APD), the physical altercation stemmed from a shoplifting incident that occurred in the 3200 block of Mt. Lehman Road.
    Officers responded to a business shortly after 5 p.m., where it w
  • Woman killed, man injured after West Coast Express collision in Mission

    Woman killed, man injured after West Coast Express collision in Mission
    A woman was killed and a man taken to hospital with serious injuries after they were struck by a West Coast Express commuter train in Mission on Thursday evening (Sept. 17).
    According to a statement from Mission RCMP, the incident occurred on the train tracks south of Wren Street at approximately 5:40 p.m. when the train was heading into Mission.“Initial evidence from the scene indicated that a man and a woman had been walking on or near the train tracks, when they were both struck by the
  • Break-in at Nanaimo hobby shop nets thief almost $6,000 in Pokémon cards

    Break-in at Nanaimo hobby shop nets thief almost $6,000 in Pokémon cards
    Allan Mah hasn’t left his shop on Bowen Road since it was broken into in the early morning hours of Thursday.
    At 3:50 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 16, someone smashed through the glass of the front door of All Elite Cards & Games, entered the store and stole eight sealed boxes of Pokémon box sets and some other items that were worth up to $6,000.
    The culprit was in and out in exactly one minute and 37 seconds, according to the store’s security cameras, and was gone before Mah a
  • Construction begins on major Abbotsford overpass

    Construction begins on major Abbotsford overpass
    Crossing Highway 1 will soon be even easier for Abbotsford commuters, with the construction of the new Peardonville Road overpass recently getting underway.
    This overpass project is part of the Fraser Valley Highway 1 Corridor Improvement Program and is the final part of the program to begin construction.
    While the current Peardonville Road crossing is only two lanes, this new overpass will be expanded to include four lanes, with 1.6 km of Highway 1 surrounding the overpass also getting new HOV
  • Okanagan councillor guilty: ‘Used coach position to find boys for companionship’

    Okanagan councillor guilty: ‘Used coach position to find boys for companionship’
    Penticton City Coun. James Miller was found guilty of multiple charges of sexual interference and one count of invitation to sexual touching for incidents taking place in Ontario decades prior.
    Ontario Superior Court Justice Russell Raikes delivered his verdict on Sept. 18 as Miller appeared in person in Sarnia, where the offences largely took place.
    Miller was charged in two separate cases involving three complainants of allegations dating back to the 90s, while he was a coach of the Sarnia Min
  • B.C. player makes first CFL start

    B.C. player makes first CFL start
    Third game, first start.
    Vernon’s Brady Szeman of the Hamilton Tiger Cats will make his first-ever Canadian Football League (CFL) start Friday, Sept. 18, when the Ti-Cats host the Montreal Alouettes (4:30 p.m., TSN 1/3) in the league’s annual Hall of Fame game.
    It’s one of multiple moves made by Hamilton prior to the contest.
    Offensive lineman Liam Dobson shifts from centre to guard, paving the way for Szeman to start under quarterback Harrison Frost. The move came after Jonath
  • World figure skaters land in Vernon

    World figure skaters land in Vernon
    Toe jumps. Edge jumps.Solo efforts. Team work makes the dream work.
    Fantastic outfits.
    And an abundance of smiles.Close to 300 skaters from a dozen countries lutzed and salchowed their way to Vernon for Skate Canada’s International Adult Figure Skating Competition.
    The four-day event began Wednesday, Sept. 16, and wraps up Saturday, Sept. 19, at Kal Tire Place.
    “We worked on a bid together with the City of Vernon and we were selected to host this event,” said Danielle Williams,
  • Golden retriever stolen from secure backyard on Vancouver Island

    Golden retriever stolen from secure backyard on Vancouver Island
    The owner of a four-year-old purebred golden retriever named Ginger is praying for her safe return after the dog was stolen from her secure backyard in North Cowichan.
    Ginger was last seen in her fully fenced backyard on Deborah Drive around 7:15 p.m. on Sept. 14.“The neighbour stopped hearing her collar around 8:30 p.m.,” explained Julie Dann. Dann had been out of the house at the time.“She was in a seven-foot-tall, fully enclosed yard with a latched gate,” said Dann.
    Sh

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