• Polls now open for B.C. election

    Polls now open for B.C. election
    Today, Oct. 24, is the final voting day for the provincial election.
    Polls open at 8 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m., local time.
    British Columbians will be heading to the polls to vote for MLAs in 93 ridings across the province.
    The snap election was called Sept. 22 by NDP Leader David Eby after about a week of speculation as the provincial Conservative party dissolved into chaos, and Kerry-Lynne Findlay quit as party leader.
    Lorne Doerkson was named interim leader of the B.C. Conservatives in th
  • B.C.’s snap election held the day after 2020 class of MLAs secured pensions

    B.C.’s snap election held the day after 2020 class of MLAs secured pensions
    By waiting until Oct. 24 to hold the B.C. snap provincial election, NDP Leader David Eby saved several of his party’s MLAs from losing their pensions.
    Had the election been called any sooner — and there was plenty of pressure for Eby to do so as the Conservative Party floundered — several outgoing MLAs would have received no pension.
    Any member of the B.C. legislature first elected on Oct. 24, 2020, and re-elected in 2024, had their pensions vested on Oct. 23, 2026.
    NDP caucus communicatio
  • B.C.’s snap election called for one day after 2020 class of MLAs secured pensions

    B.C.’s snap election called for one day after 2020 class of MLAs secured pensions
    By waiting until Oct. 24 to call the B.C. snap provincial election, NDP Leader David Eby saved several of his party’s MLAs from losing their pensions.
    Had the election been called any sooner — and there was plenty of pressure for Eby to do so as the Conservative Party floundered — several outgoing MLAs would have received no pension.
    Any member of the B.C. legislature first elected on Oct. 24, 2020, and re-elected in 2024, had their pensions vested on Oct. 23, 2026.
    NDP caucus communicatio
  • B.C. NDP meeting to select new interim leader this week

    B.C. NDP meeting to select new interim leader this week
    The B.C. NDP caucus is meeting this week to select an interim leader to replace David Eby, who announced he will step aside after leading his party to an ill-fated snap election.
    Both outgoing and new members of the legislature plan to meet.
    “Separately, the party will take a clear and honest look at the campaign and set the timing and process for a leadership race in the weeks and months ahead,” a caucus spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
    Outgoing Health minister Ravi Kahlon gave a
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  • Drawing of lots results in new mayor for Village of Lytton

    Drawing of lots results in new mayor for Village of Lytton
    The Village of Lytton has a new mayor, after a judicial recount confirmed a tied vote for that position and the decision came down to the drawing of lots.
    Jennifer Thoss has been confirmed as the incoming mayor, after the recount and draw on Tuesday (Oct. 27). She and incumbent mayor Denise O’Connor each received 45 votes in the municipal election held on Oct. 17, and a recount produced the same outcome.
    According to CivicInfoBC, there were an estimated 198 eligible voters in Lytton in this el
  • Princeton council seat determined by a draw

    Princeton council seat determined by a draw
    It came down to a draw, more than a week after the local government election, to determine the final seat in the Princeton town council election.
    The election was held on Oct. 17, but the vote resulted in a tie for the fourth of four councillor seats.
    On Oct. 26, Carrie Kassa, chief election officer for Princeton, declared Tyler Willis elected as councillor following a judicial recount lot draw.
    In the election, held on Oct. 14, Willis and Paula Shackleton were tied for the fourth spot on counci
  • Dead humpback whale seen in area of BC Ferries collision

    Dead humpback whale seen in area of BC Ferries collision
    A dead humpback whale has been reported to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) near the site where a whale was struck by BC Ferries’ Queen of Surrey from Langdale to Horseshoe Bay terminals on Oct. 18.
    In an update on Tuesday, Oct. 27, the Marine Education and Research Society said the dead whale was sighted near the Grace Islands just over a week after reports of a ferry striking a whale in the same area.
    “Necropsy anticipated, but it is believed that external injuries indicate ves
  • Shuttle Storm Abbotsford aiming to grow badminton with inaugural tournament

    Shuttle Storm Abbotsford  aiming to grow badminton with inaugural tournament
    The sport of badminton is about to receive its biggest spotlight in Abbotsford ever in a few weeks’ time.
    The inaugural Shuttle Storm Abbotsford 2026 tournament takes over the University of the Fraser Valley Athletic Centre’s North Gym for a full day of action on Saturday, Nov. 21.
    The event is open to 10 different singles and doubles divisions for ages 13 to 50-plus, with a youth and UFV student rate of $30 and an adult rate of $40 per category.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Sh
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  • 5 Abbotsford and Mission businesses receive Inclusive Employer Awards

    5 Abbotsford and Mission businesses receive Inclusive Employer Awards
    Five Abbotsford and Mission businesses were honoured on Oct. 22 for their leadership in inclusive employment.
    More than 200 people attended the eighth annual Inclusive Employer Excellence Awards at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Centre in Abbotsford.The event was organized by Archway Community Services, Bethesda Christian Association, Communitas Supportive Care Society, Mission Association for Community Living BC and AKG Canada Employment Services.
    The awards received a record number of nomina
  • Abbotsford rugby player joins Team Canada for Summer Youth Olympic Games

    Abbotsford rugby player joins Team Canada for Summer Youth Olympic Games
    Abbotsford athletes have long been a steady presence in the international rugby scene, with one teenager keeping this trend going by attending the upcoming Summer Youth Olympic Games.
    Mason Balzer was recently named to the U17 men’s sevens Team Canada roster, making him the first-ever Abbotsford rugby player to compete in the Youth Olympic Games.
    Joining the Yale Secondary athlete in the Senegal competition are 11 other teen rugby stars, three of whom are from B.C.View this post on InstagramA
  • Industrial board orders Trigon to halt contractor work during ongoing longshore strike at Prince Rupert port

    Industrial board orders Trigon to halt contractor work during ongoing longshore strike at Prince Rupert port
    The International Longshore Warehouse Workers Local 523 welcomed a Canada Industrial Relations Board ruling today that found Trigon Pacific Terminals violated the Canada Labour Code by using contractors to perform work normally done by unionized employees during its ongoing strike.
    In an Oct. 27 order, the board directed Trigon to cease using contractors to perform specified duties within 48 hours of the order’s issuance, unless the union agrees otherwise. The restriction remains in effect for
  • Shuswap MLA says ‘better days are ahead’ following landslide Conservative win

    Shuswap MLA says ‘better days are ahead’ following landslide Conservative win
    For re-elected Salmon Arm-Shuswap MLA David Williams, the BC Conservative Party’s majority win as a source of “hope for the future.”
    Williams spent election night, Saturday, Oct. 24, with his team at the Salmon Arm Legion. When voting results began rolling in, from the riding and throughout the province, the watch party turned to celebration as the Conservatives took a wide lead early on, eventually securing 63 of the British Columbia’s 93 ridings.
    “I never thought for a minute that we
  • Gallery 7 Theatre in Abbotsford presents Frozen

    Gallery 7 Theatre in Abbotsford presents Frozen
    Gallery 7 Theatre opens its 2026-27 season with its production of Disney’s Frozen, starting Nov. 6.
    The show runs until Nov. 22 at the Abbotsford Arts Centre, 2329 Crescent Way.
    The Broadway adaptation of the beloved animated film features favourites like Let It Go and For the First Time in Forever, alongside new songs written for the stage, including Monster and I Can’t Lose You.
    In the kingdom of Arendelle, sisters Anna (Ash Nardi) and Elsa (Jaimee Huttema) have grown increasingly distant.
  • High school cross country provincial championships coming to Abbotsford

    High school cross country provincial championships coming to Abbotsford
    Abbotsford Christian School and the Valley Royals Track and Field Club have joined forced to help bring the 2026 BC High School Cross Country Provincial Championships to Cleabrook Park.
    The event runs on Saturday, Nov. 7 and features senior, junior and para high school athletes.
    ACS is the host school and the Royals are the lead sport technical role for the event.
    Senior athletes run a five-kilometre course, junior runners have a 4.1 km course and para athletes have a two km course. Hundreds are
  • Several B.C. rugby players included in Rugby Canada’s Nations Cup squad

    Several B.C. rugby players included in Rugby Canada’s Nations Cup squad
    Rugby Canada has selected 36 players for the senior men’s team’s final three 2026 Nations Cup matches in November.
    Head coach Stephen Meehan said the squad includes the return of several France-based players and a few who have signed professional contracts in England after a landmark deal with CHAMP Rugby, the country’s second-tier league. One is Courtenay’s Foster DeWitt, who signed with Nottingham Rugby in October. DeWitt was also part of Canada’s Pacific Nations Cup squad earlier th
  • ‘Absolutely incredible fish’: Female angler reels in massive sturgeon with Chilliwack guide

    ‘Absolutely incredible fish’: Female angler reels in massive sturgeon with Chilliwack guide
    A Chilliwack-based fishing guide is calling it one of the largest sturgeons ever caught by a female angler on the Fraser River.
    Sturgeon Slayers was out on a guiding trip with her when she reeled in an untagged 11-foot, 4-inch white sturgeon. It had a 60-inch pectoral girth and a 70-inch belly girth.
    “This was an absolutely incredible fish,” said Kevin Estrada, owner of Sturgeon Slayers. “When you see a fish with these kinds of measurements, you realize how special the Fraser River is. And
  • ‘Absolutely incredible fish’: Female angler reels in massive sturgeon in Chilliwack

    ‘Absolutely incredible fish’: Female angler reels in massive sturgeon in Chilliwack
    A Chilliwack-based fishing guide is calling it one of the largest sturgeons ever caught by a female angler on the Fraser River.
    Sturgeon Slayers was out on a guiding trip with her when she reeled in an untagged, 1,200-pound, 11-foot-4-inch white sturgeon in Chilliwack. It had a 60-inch pectoral girth and a 70-inch belly girth.
    “This was an absolutely incredible fish,” said Kevin Estrada, owner of Sturgeon Slayers. “When you see a fish with these kinds of measurements, you realize how speci
  • ‘Absolutely incredible fish’: Female angler reels in 1,200-lb. sturgeon in Chilliwack

    ‘Absolutely incredible fish’: Female angler reels in 1,200-lb. sturgeon in Chilliwack
    A Chilliwack-based fishing guide is calling it one of the largest sturgeons ever caught by a female angler on the Fraser River.
    Sturgeon Slayers was out on a guiding trip with her when she reeled in an untagged, 1,200-pound, 11-foot-4-inch white sturgeon in Chilliwack. It had a 60-inch pectoral girth and a 70-inch belly girth.
    “This was an absolutely incredible fish,” said Kevin Estrada, owner of Sturgeon Slayers. “When you see a fish with these kinds of measurements, you realize how speci
  • IIO investigation clears Victoria Police officers of wrongdoing in June arrest

    IIO investigation clears Victoria Police officers of wrongdoing in June arrest
    The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) has concluded its investigation into the arrest of a man in Victoria last summer.
    The incident that sparked the investigation began around 3 p.m. on June 7 when Victoria Police officers were at a liquor store in a commercial plaza in the 170-block of Wilson Street to arrest a man who was not permitted to be there.
    Officers arrested the man and took him to the police department, but on July 6, the IIO was notified about the incident by the man, wh
  • Loss of B.C. shoppers a $64 million hit for Washington State border towns

    Loss of B.C. shoppers a $64 million hit for Washington State border towns
    Businesses in Washington State’s Whatcom County on the border with Canada lost “in the range of” $64 million U.S. from 2024 to 2025 because far fewer B.C. residents are driving south to purchase merchandise, clothing, gas, food and beverages.
    The estimate was published in an online report by Western Washington University’s Border Policy Research Institute (BPRI).
    “Whatcom County’s Cross-Border Retail Economy,” a collection of interactive maps and data charts, shows Canadian shoppin
  • 1 person ‘unaccounted for’ after massive blaze destroys former Victoria hotel: police

    1 person ‘unaccounted for’ after massive blaze destroys former Victoria hotel: police
    Amid the lingering smoky smell from the massive Saturday fire, investigators expect to begin delving into the charred debris of a former hotel for a cause and potential victims.
    Victoria police and fire departments are investigating the major fire that tore through a former Travellers Inn at 760 Blanshard Street on Oct. 24.Firefighters arrived just before 4 a.m. to find heavy flames extending up the exterior of the building. Crews began an interior attack, but intense heat and fire conditions fo
  • ‘Great example of cooperation’: Mounties help Island resident rescue deer from pool

    ‘Great example of cooperation’: Mounties help Island resident rescue deer from pool
    A deer that found itself in an unusual predicament was safely rescued by police and a resident last week.
    At approximately 8:53 a.m. on Oct. 23, Sidney/North Saanich RCMP received a report from a resident of Downey Road in North Saanich that a deer was trapped in a backyard swimming pool.
    An officer attended the residence and found an adult buck unable to get out of the pool on its own.
    Working together, the officer and the homeowner used a large strap to help guide the deer safely from the wate
  • Vancouver Island dog rescuer killed helping animals in war-torn Ukraine

    Vancouver Island dog rescuer killed helping animals in war-torn Ukraine
    Animal advocates across the province are mourning the loss of a leader, reporting the death of RainCoast Dog Rescue Society founder Jesse Adams.“It’s with a heavy heart that we, RainCoast Dog Rescue Society, have to announce the passing of our founder Jesse Adams,” reads a post from the Victoria Humane Society. “After a life lived in service to animal welfare, Jesse made the ultimate sacrifice to his beliefs on the frontlines of Ukraine.”
    The bond between a person and their pet knows n
  • Snow to fall in parts of the Cariboo: Environment Canada

    Snow to fall in parts of the Cariboo: Environment Canada
    Old man winter is making his first visit of the season to the Cariboo region.
    On Tuesday, Oct. 27, Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Kamloops, Clearwater, Barriere, Ashcroft, 100 Mile Ranch, and north to Anahim Lake due to “heavy banded snow giving locally high accumulations and poor visibility.” Williams Lake, Quesnel, and Prince George were not issued the weather statement.According to the government weather agency, the snow will start on Tuesday afternoon in th
  • Impaired driver crashes into utility pole in Abbotsford

    Impaired driver crashes into utility pole in Abbotsford
    A 49-year-old impaired driver was arrested in Abbotsford on Sunday night (Oct. 25) after crashing into a utility pole.According to a news release from the Abbotsford Police Department, the pickup truck driver initially came to the attention of a gang crime unit officer on McCallum Road near Highway 1. The unmarked police car was allegedly sideswiped by the pickup.During an attempted traffic stop, police said the driver initially slowed but then accelerated and fled.Police say the 49-year-old dro
  • ‘Clearly a mistake’: Candidates, experts reflect on snap election call

    ‘Clearly a mistake’: Candidates, experts reflect on snap election call
    As the dust settles on the 2026 snap B.C. election, the Conservative Party is poised to take two-thirds of the legislative seats, and the NDP is looking for a new leader.
    Ravi Parmar, who eked out a third victory for the NDP in Langford-Highlands, says voters “sent a message” that the snap election was the “wrong decision.”
    “It was clearly a mistake. No question,” Parmar said in a Monday morning interview. “We spent the entire election campaign answering the question, ‘ Why did
  • Langley man charged with hate-related assault in public park

    Langley man charged with hate-related assault in public park
    A 23-year-old Langley man has been arrested and charged for an alleged hate-motivated assault.
    A statement by Langley RCMP said on Oct. 20, a Tuesday, police received a report from multiple witnesses of an assault on a mother and her children by a man near Douglas Park in Langley City.
    “It is alleged that the accused assaulted the mother and her two children and uttered racial slurs,” the statement said. “Multiple witnesses observed the incident and contacted the police.”
    The suspect fle
  • Abbotsford 4-H community gets colourful

    Abbotsford 4-H community gets colourful
    The dozens of Abbotsford 4-H members will soon be green, but not with envy.
    As part of National 4-H Month this November, clubs all across Canada will be donning green on Nov. 4 for the Show Your 4-H Colours campaign.
    Victoria Pitsiaeli, B.C. representative for the Canadian 4-H Youth Advisory Council, said this campaign is meant to raise awareness about the many positive contributions that 4-H groups make to their local communities.
    This organization has been available to youth between the ages o
  • Fake campaign signs pop up in B.C. riding on election eve

    Fake campaign signs pop up in B.C. riding on election eve
    Who would bother to make fake election campaign signs and put them up without a candidate’s consent?
    Tim Binnema sure wants to know.
    Green Party candidate in Surrey-Fleetwood, Binnema says someone put up hundreds of unauthorized signs with his name and photo last Friday (Oct. 23), a day before final voting in the B.C. election.
    “It’s somewhere between 100 and 200 (signs), I would say,” Binnema estimated Saturday. “It was shocking, to be tell you the truth. When I turned around the corn
  • B.C. North Coast LNG project draws nearer to final investment decision

    B.C. North Coast LNG project draws nearer to final investment decision
    A floating LNG liquefaction facility proposed for north of Prince Rupert has now secured binding contracts for more than half its planned production.On Oct. 26, Ksi Lisims LNG announced it had converted its May 2026 heads of agreement to a binding sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Securing Energy for Europe (SEFE), a state-owned German energy company. Under the agreement, SEFE would purchase one million tonnes of LNG per annum (mtpa) over 20 years.
    This brings Ksi Lisims completed binding S

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