Abbotsford news

• BREAKING: Apartment fire breaks out in downtown Chilliwack

  06-08-2026 04:50 via abbynews.com
  
  Dozens of people were left without a home after an apartment building went up in flames in downtown Chilliwack on the evening of Aug. 5.The blaze happened around 7:45 p.m. in a four-storey building on Spadina Avenue at Mary Street.
  Fire and heavy smoke were coming from the building and hundreds of people were outside on the street watching as flames crept up the sides.
  Traffic was closed in all directions at the scene as crews with the Chilliwack Fire Department battled the blaze, which was at t
  
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• PHOTOS: Wildfire rapidly spreading, encroaching on Peachland, Summerland

  08-08-2026 06:02 via abbynews.com
  
  The Bald Range wildfire has grown to 5,000 hectares since being discovered a little before 5 p.m.The wildfire sparked along Princeton-Summerland Road northwest of Summerland in the late afternoon of Aug. 7.Evacuation order are in place Brent Road and Log Chute Road area south of Peachland, Faulder, from Darke Lake south to Bathville Road, including Garnet Valley and the Deer Ridge area, west of Cartwright on Prairie Valley Road and the Princeton-Summerland Highway to kilometre 15.People in these
  
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• UPDATE: Some Westside residents can return home as OKIB rescinds evacuation order

  08-08-2026 03:09 via abbynews.com
  
  Update: 6:09 p.m.Some residents on Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) land on the Westside can return home as the band has rescinded an evacuation order early Friday evening.The following areas are no longer under an evacuation order as of 5 p.m. Aug. 7: All of Desert Cove, 32, 34 and 41 Antoine Rd. to Gottfriedson Road, all residents of Spotted Eagle Drive., Hawhola Road, Smitken Road, and Wilfred Road.The OKIB notes that properties on independent water systems are permitted to return to the area iden
  
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• Canada’s biggest taxonomy lab to call Esquimalt home

  08-08-2026 02:30 via abbynews.com
  
  Canada’s biggest taxonomy lab, rooted in Victoria, supporting environmental monitoring programs across the country for decades, is moving to Esquimalt.
  Biologica Environmental Services Ltd., established in 1994 as a specialized aquatic environmental laboratory, currently houses 34 scientists, technicians, taxonomists, and support staff in 488F Bay Street.
  Speaking to Victoria News, president Tara Macdonald said that they chose to move to Esquimalt because they think it is an operational fi
  
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• RCMP investigating three more fires following string of suspcious blazes in Shuswap

  08-08-2026 01:37 via abbynews.com
  
  North Shuswap firefighters responded to more fires along Squilax Anglemont Road on Friday – two days after tending to a string of suspicious blazes now being investigated by the RCMP.The Scotch Creek/Lee Creek, Celista and Anglemont fire departments were back in action Friday afternoon, Aug. 7, after three spot-sized grass fires were discovered in the Scotch Creek area near Copper Cove Road.
  “Thanks to the quick actions of residents and people passing by, as well as the fire departme
  
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• Overnight closures planned for Highway 99 in Delta Aug. 10, 11

  08-08-2026 01:35 via abbynews.com
  
  There will be overnight delays on Highway 99 in Delta on Monday, Aug. 10 and Tuesday, Aug. 11 as crews install new bridge girders for the 78th Street overpass.
  The closures will be in effect between the Highway 91 and Highway 17 interchanges so that work can be completed safely.
  Closures will start each evening with single lanes in each direction before progressing to full highway closures one hour later.
  Southbound lane closures will start at 7 p.m., followed by a full southbound closure at 8
  
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• ‘I’ve lost about 8 people to suicide,’ youth delegate tells Inuit council in Nunavut

  08-08-2026 01:28 via abbynews.com
  
  The severe state of mental health issues among youth in the North isn’t a shock to anyone anymore, says 22-year-old Gwen Natsiq.Representing Canada as a youth delegate at the Inuit Circumpolar Council’s general assembly in Iqaluit, Natsiq spoke about how she’s been personally affected by Nunavut’s high rate of suicide.
  “In the past five years alone, I have lost around eight people to suicide,” she said.There are generally 25 to 37 suicides in Nunavut each year
  
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• UPDATE: Evacuation alert rescinded for Inonoaklin Creek wildfire east of Vernon

  08-08-2026 01:15 via abbynews.com
  
  An evacuation alert in place for a single property near a wildfire off Highway 6 has been rescinded.
  The Regional District of Central Kootenay pulled back the notice Friday, Aug. 6 for the Inonoaklin Creek blaze.
  Meanwhile hot, smoky and dry conditions continue to challenge crews fighting wildfires throughout the province.
  The situation is much the same at the 1,223-hectare Inonoaklin Creek blaze near Needles, east of Vernon.
  “Local smoke concentrations have increased,” the BC Wildfi
  
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• ATVBC recommends members postpone riding due to fire risk

  08-08-2026 01:15 via abbynews.com
  
  One B.C. organization that advocates on behalf of off-road riders is recommending that its members postpone riding until conditions improve, while another says that it respects whatever decision its members make.
  On Aug. 5, both the Quad Riders ATV Association of British Columbia (ATVBC) and the Four Wheel Drive Association of BC (4WDABC) issued statements about the current situation in the province’s backcountry.
  ATVBC has recommended that its members postpone any riding they have planned
  
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• Auditor general of Canada reviewing Nunavut drinking water management

  08-08-2026 00:58 via abbynews.com
  
  Nunavut’s drinking water management is coming under scrutiny from the highest oversight office in the country.The Auditor General of Canada will conduct a performance audit of the territory’s drinking water management.The audit results are expected to be released in 2027.“As this audit is still in the planning phase, its scope, methodology, and timelines are still being determined,” the Office of the Auditor General of Canada stated.The auditor general independent scrutin
  
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• Terrace pilot killed in helicopter crash while fighting wildfire in Greece

  08-08-2026 00:29 via abbynews.com
  
  A Danish pilot living in Terrace has been killed in a helicopter crash while fighting a wildfire west of Athens, Greece on Aug. 2, 2026.
  Two helicopters, one piloted by Rune Kyndal, 46, came into contact with each other in midair, European news agencies report.
  Kyndal and a Greek firefighting coordinator were killed when their helicopter crashed. The British pilot of the second helicopter made an emergency landing and he and a Greek coordinator are now in hospital.
  Kyndal had worked as a heli-sk
  
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• Vancouver Bandits advance to western finals

  08-08-2026 00:00 via abbynews.com
  
  At this stage of the season, style points don’t matter.
  “Just win the day. I said after the game, it wasn’t pretty, but this time of year, it’s survive and advance,” said Vancouver Bandits general manager Kyle Julius, who returned to coaching duties on Thursday night.
  Julius had stepped away from coaching duties earlier in the season after accepting a coaching position in China, but retained his role as the Bandits’ general manager.
  With Vancouver entering the
  
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• UPDATE: Some residents not following evacuation orders for Quilpituk Creek wildfire

  08-08-2026 00:00 via abbynews.com
  
  UPDATE: 3:00 p.m.
  Central Okanagan Emergency Management (COEM) is urging residents to follow the evacuation orders due to the Quilpituk Creek wildfire burning near Westside Road.
  ​COEM said it is aware that some residents have decided to remain in areas currently under order to evacuate and that anyone choosing to stay must evacuate immediately.
  ​“If you are in an evacuation order area, leave now. An evacuation order is not a suggestion. It is a life-safety measure,” sai
  
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• Kelowna native shortlisted in Rugby Photographer of the Year contest

  08-08-2026 00:00 via abbynews.com
  
  A Kelowna native is being showcased on an international level after her photograph of a university rugby game was shortlisted by the Rugby Journal.Katrina Laurila has one of her sports photos on display in Twickenham, England at the World Rugby Museum after her photo made the top 20 in the landscape category for the Rugby Photographer of the Year contest.The photo, taken in Kelowna, captures a match between her post-secondary institute, Trinity Western University, and the University of British C
  
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• Dave Sidhu to seek re-election to Abbotsford council

  07-08-2026 23:54 via abbynews.com
  
  Abbotsford councillor Dave Sidhu has announced he is seeking re-election in the municipal election on Oct. 17.
  Sidhu said he is seeking another term “to continue providing practical, responsible and community-focused leadership while working to keep Abbotsford safe, well managed and prepared for the future.”
  “Abbotsford is the community that raised me, gave me opportunities and allowed me to build a career and raise my family,” he said.
  “Representing the people of A
  
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• Abbotsford baker uses pastries to help new mothers

  07-08-2026 23:45 via abbynews.com
  
  It’s not every day that someone can pursue their dream while also supporting a charity near and dear to their heart, but that’s exactly what Sonali Rashidi has achieved with Pastry Paradise.
  The Abbotsford baker not only opened her own business earlier this year, but also welcomed her first child into the world last year.
  While she’s loved being a mother to her daughter these past 16 months, she said the journey into motherhood had a rough start.
  “My labour and delivery w
  
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• B.C. government seeks to seize vehicle linked to Surrey extortion shooting

  07-08-2026 23:43 via abbynews.com
  
  B.C.’s director of civil forfeiture has filed a claim to seize a Range Rover that is suspected to have been involved in a February extortion-related shooting and fire in Surrey.
  The notice of claim was filed in B.C. Supreme Court in Victoria on July 31 against the owner of the 2010 Range Rover, Dayajeet Singh Billing and Jasmine Kaur, who claimed to have a “financial interest” in the vehicle.The claim outlines the series of events that occurred on/ or around Feb. 1, 2026.In the
  
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• Inquest issues 7 recommendations to reform policing practices after Haida Elder’s death in B.C.

  07-08-2026 23:38 via abbynews.com
  
  A coroner’s inquest jury has recommended seven reforms to policing practices in British Columbia, specifically regarding wellness checks, following the death of Haida Elder Jimmie Johannesson during a police wellness check in Surrey in April 2022.
  The jury delivered its verdict Wednesday (Aug. 5) after the seven-day inquest, held July 27-Aug. 5 at the Burnaby Coroner’s Court before the presiding coroner, Kristen Everett.A coroner’s inquest is a formal court proceeding conducted
  
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• RCMP officer cleared in 2024 Tsay Key Dene shooting

  07-08-2026 23:35 via abbynews.com
  
  An RCMP officer has been cleared in the officer-involved shooting of an Indigenous man in Tsay Key Dene, according to a report by the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) released on Thursday, Aug. 6.
  On the evening of April 9, 2024, RCMP received a 911 call reporting that an Indigenous man had shot two family members on the traditional lands of Tsay Keh Dene.
  The civilian witness who called 911 to report the incident at their home fled to a relative’s home. A second civilian wi
  
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• UN experts call for urgent measures to protect B.C. man and family

  07-08-2026 23:33 via abbynews.com
  
  Five independent experts appointed by the United Nations are calling on the Canadian government to ensure the safety of Surrey resident and Sikh activist Moninder Singh, who has received several threats to his life.
  Singh is a Canadian citizen activist who lives in Surrey with his family and has received four “duty to warn” notices from police about “credible and imminent threats to his life.”
  Singh is known for his advocacy work in the Sikh community. He is the chairpers
  
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• Speeding motorcyclist crashes while attempting to flee police in Surrey

  07-08-2026 23:30 via abbynews.com
  
  A speeding motorcyclist attempting to flee from police crashed into a passanger car near Highway 1 in Surrey early Friday (Aug. 7).Police saw the “motorcycle travelling at a high rate of speed” and attempted to pull him over, but the driver did not stop and “fled into oncoming traffic,” where the crash happened, Surrey Police said.Emergency crews responded to the crash around 3:30 a.m. Friday (Aug. 7) on the eastbound 104 Ave onramp to Highway 1 near 160 Street.Paramedics
  
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• Canucks golf in Surrey at ‘Jake’ tournament Sept. 14 to kick off hockey season

  07-08-2026 23:23 via abbynews.com
  
  Vancouver Canucks players, coaches, management and alumni will converge on Surrey’s Northview course during another Jake Milford Charity Invitational Golf Tournament on Monday, Sept. 14.
  For a 42nd year “The Jake” will be a season-kickoff event for the NHL club prior to training camp, in Penticton from Sept. 17-20.
  Last year the charity tournament raised more than $676,000 for Canucks for Kids Fund and Vancouver Canucks Alumni Foundation.
  To enter a golf team of three participa
  
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• Canucks golf in Surrey at 42nd ‘Jake’ tournament Sept. 14 to kick off hockey season

  07-08-2026 23:23 via abbynews.com
  
  Vancouver Canucks players, coaches, management and alumni will converge on Surrey’s Northview course during another Jake Milford Charity Invitational Golf Tournament on Monday, Sept. 14.
  For a 42nd year “The Jake” will be a season-kickoff event for the NHL club prior to training camp, in Penticton from Sept. 17-20.
  Last year the charity tournament raised more than $676,000 for Canucks for Kids Fund and Vancouver Canucks Alumni Foundation.
  To enter a golf team of three participa
  
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• Police seek tractor-trailer driver who witnessed Coquihalla crash

  07-08-2026 22:54 via abbynews.com
  
  Police are looking for the driver of a tractor-trailer who is believed to have witnessed a crash that left a truck on its side on the Coquihalla.B.C. Highway Patrol was called to a crash on Highway 5 northbound near Exit 286, just south of Merritt on July 30 around 2:15 p.m., police said in a news release Friday (Aug. 7).
  Officers found a white GMC Sierra pickup that had left the road and flipped on its side. Police say the passenger had serious injuries, but no other vehicles were involved.&ldq
  
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• Court finds parts of B.C.’s involuntary care unconstitutional

  07-08-2026 22:37 via abbynews.com
  
  A B.C. Supreme Court justice has found a section of B.C.’s Mental Health Act unconstitutional when it comes to involuntary care and a director’s powers at provincial facilities.
  Justice Lauren Blake, in a July 28 decision, found that the second half of Section 8(a) of the Mental Health Act – the section being challenged – operates to “create a blanket restriction” on health-care consent and decision-making rights for all involuntarily admitted patients who do
  
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• Canucks vs. Kraken Prospects Showcase schedule announced for Abbotsford

  07-08-2026 22:33 via abbynews.com
  
  The Vancouver Canucks have announced dates and times for the Prospects Showcase weekend, which is set for Abbotsford’s Rogers Forum on Saturday Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13.
  The pair of games showcase the top young players for each franchise and face-off is set for 4 p.m. on Sept. 12 and 1 p.m. on Sept. 13.
  Plans for this game were initially announced back in early-2025, with last year’s games featuring the teams playing in Everett, Wash. and Seattle. It’s possible this multi-
  
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• Mary Ann Waldmann (née Brabant)

  07-08-2026 22:30 via abbynews.com
  
  Mary Ann passed away peacefully on July 23, 2026, at 96. Born in Winnipeg, she built a life marked by kindness, humour, and devotion to family. A nurse trained at St. Boniface Hospital, she later worked at Shaughnessy Hospital in Vancouver, where she met her husband, Dr. Hans Waldmann. She loved bridge, cooking, reading, music—especially Cole Porter—and cherished her years on Vancouver Island and with the PEO Abbotsford chapter. Mary Ann is survived by her daughters, Claire (Gary) an
  
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• Brenda Hordal (nee Will)

  07-08-2026 22:30 via abbynews.com
  
  It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Brenda. Brenda was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1954 and passed away peacefully in her sleep on July 26 this year of natural causes brought on during the start of her battle with cancer. Brenda is survived by her husband of 36 years, Tim, sister Jay (Ed) and brothers Darral and Randy. Brenda was a very thoughtful and caring person who always considered the needs of others first. She was such a loving, devoted and steadfast wif
  
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• Man drowns taking pictures of waterfall in Golden Ears Provincial Park

  07-08-2026 22:05 via abbynews.com
  
  Maple Ridge Fire Rescue is sounding the alarm after a man who witnesses say was taking pictures in Golden Ears Provincial Park fell into the water and drowned in front of family and friends.Assistant chief Gary Porter said they were called to the park at around 7:24 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 3, and arrived just before 8 p.m.
  Police were already on scene, said Porter, and were able to take one crew immediately to the Gold Creek Lower Falls area.
  There they discovered two people wet on a rock on the le
  
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• Hansel and Gretel comes to Harrison Mills

  07-08-2026 22:00 via abbynews.com
  
  There may be no breadcrumb trail leading to Kilby Historic Site, but Hansel and Gretel will be there all the same.Live theatre returns to Kilby Historic Site with Hansel and Gretel over the course of two weekends – Aug. 14 to 16 and Aug. 21 to 23. Volunteers of all ages made this production possible.“One of the most inspiring parts of this production isn’t just what audiences see on stage, it’s the incredible community spirit behind it,” said Jo-Anne Leon, executive
  
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