Abbotsford news

• Secrets and Lives

  03-06-2022 16:30 via abbynews.com
  
  — AND THE 7 SINS with Kim Williams
  
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• Maple Ridge pharmacist suspended, fined $30k

  20-03-2026 17:45 via abbynews.com
  A Maple Ridge pharmacist has been suspended for three years and fined $30,000 over his handling of controlled drugs.
  The College of Pharmacists of BC conducted an inspection at Lougheed Pharmacy, which was managed by Sahil Sharma, almost two years ago, in May 2024. An investigation by the college followed.
  A college inquiry committee and Sharma agreed to resolve all issues by a consent agreement, which came into effect last month. The college also issued a public notification on its bcpharmacist
  
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• City of Nelson pushes for federal ‘duty of care’ law for digital platforms

  20-03-2026 17:40 via abbynews.com
  Is it a municipal government’s job to confront online companies such as Open AI, X, and Roblox about the online harms they cause?
  Nelson city councillor Keith Page thinks it is.
  He says society expects a car manufacturer or a food producer to be held accountable for the quality of their products and to face consequences if that product proves to be harmful. Online platforms, he says, should be held to the same duty of care.
  At council’s Feb. 3 meeting, Page proposed that Nelson counc
  
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• Flatdeck crane strikes Langley’s Highway 1 rail overpass

  20-03-2026 17:30 via abbynews.com
  The police are investigating after a commercial flatdeck struck the CP Rail overpass on the TransCanada Highway in Langley Thursday.
  The B.C. Highway Patrol said the strike happened Thursday, March 19, at 2:52 p.m., when a white, eastbound flatdeck truck with a crane boom struck the CPKC Rail overpass between Glover Road and 232 Street.
  “We know that the truck stopped briefly before leaving the scene, but the driver did not meet the legal obligation to wait for police or report the inciden
  
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• Major damage to Columbia Valley Road near Cultus Lake forces emergency assessment amid heavy rains

  20-03-2026 17:29 via abbynews.com
  Geotechnical experts will be assessing Columbia Valley Road on Friday (March 20) after days of heavy rains toppled a massive tree causing a section of the road to collapse near Sunnyside Campground.
  Avoid the area around Cultus Lake completely if possible, say officials.
  The roadway is going to require extensive repair in the coming weeks, according to FVRD director Taryn Dixon for Electoral Area H.
  The damaged section of the road had already been assessed by Thursday night, and had been deemed
  
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• Iran war hits close to home for Mission resident

  20-03-2026 16:46 via abbynews.com
  For Mission resident Melody Moheb, watching the war in Iran from afar has been an emotional experience.
  Moheb’s mother and sister still live in Rasht, Iran, and staying connected with them over the past few weeks has been difficult. If something were to happen, Moheb says she would be unlikely to find out for a few days.
  “I couldn’t get hold of them for a whole week,” Moheb said.
  “It took me a whole week to ask someone to ask someone to ask someone to ask them to gi
  
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• 3 B.C. Interior cities break temperature records on last day of winter

  20-03-2026 16:17 via abbynews.com
  The warm weather on the last day of winter broke more temperature records across the Okanagan.
  On Thursday, Mar. 19, three temperatures records were broken in B.C., all in the Interior region.
  Kamloops was the warmest place in the province on Thursday, topping out at 21.2 C. This broke a 79-year record as it was 21.1 C on Mar. 19, 1947.
  Summerland broke a 98-year record for Mar. 19 as temperatures reached 19.5 C on Thursday. This broke the record of 18.3 C, set in 1928.
  And Vernon broke a two-ye
  
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• Wind, rain warnings scattered across Okanagan highways, region

  20-03-2026 16:00 via abbynews.com
  The term ‘spring showers’ is reigning true on the first day of spring as multiple rain and wind warnings have been issued for Okanagan highways on Friday, Mar. 20.
  As of 7:45 a.m., all warnings issued by Environment Canada are yellow, the most common warning.
  The Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt and Merritt to Kamloops as well as the Okanagan Connector from Merritt to Peachland is under a wind warning. On top of the major highways, the warning is also in place for Ashcroft, Ka
  
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• Rainfall warning remains in place for Fraser Valley as heavy rain continues

  20-03-2026 15:30 via abbynews.com
  A prolonged atmospheric river event for the Fraser Valley is expected to continue Friday and begin to taper off in the afternoon, according to Environment Canada.
  The yellow rainfall warning was upgraded to orange for the region, including Agassiz, Hope, Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Mission. While yellow warnings have moderate impacts, orange warnings expect major impacts with severe weather “likely to cause significant damage, disruption, or health impacts”.
  “Periods of heavy ra
  
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• University of Victoria students rope in climbers for rising business venture

  20-03-2026 13:30 via abbynews.com
  Faced with gruelling class schedules and potential for mounting debt, a pair of UVic students opted for the flexibility of creating their own business.
  Kathryn Meers and Dylan Gyr embarked on a dog brand – but it didn’t sit right.
  “It was kind of lame, we weren’t proud of what we were doing,” said Meers, an environmental studies student. “It didn’t make me feel very happy creating something that would end up in the landfill.”
  Then Gyr saw a video o
  
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• QUIZ: A celebration of spring

  20-03-2026 13:20 via abbynews.com
  It is time to welcome spring, the season of rejuvenation and renewal.
  In 2026, the first day of spring is March 20.
  There are plenty of spring-themed traditions and celebrations, as well as historical events that occurred during past springs.
  And there are also places and objects with the word “spring” in their names.
  If you are ready to spring into spring, put your trivia knowledge to the test with these 10 questions.
  Good luck.READ MORE: QUIZ: Exploring visions of the future
  READ M
  
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• VIDEO: Small species, big stakes at the Greater Vancouver Zoo

  20-03-2026 02:00 via abbynews.com
  The most interesting sounds at the Greater Vancouver Zoo don’t always come from the lions.
  Inside a series of low, water-filled tanks tucked behind the public exhibits, a quieter effort is underway, one that has taken decades to refine and is now producing thousands of endangered amphibians each year.
  If you listen close enough, you can hear a sound similar to a soft knocking, a mating call of the Oregon spotted frog, a species once thought to have disappeared from Canada entirely, explain
  
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• Princeton mill celebrates approval of tenure transfer to Gorman Group’s Similkameen Forest Products

  20-03-2026 01:30 via abbynews.com
  Princeton’s mill celebrated not just new owners but a new name as well with the handover of forestry tenures from Weyerhaeuser to West Kelowna-based Gorman Bros on March 19.
  The provincial government’s approval of tenure transfer was the last step in a process that began with Gorman’s purchase of the mill and tenures in 2025, which will now operate as Similkameen Forest Products.
  The transfer of the timber tenures has happened quickly since being announced in September 2025, as
  
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• Kelowna MP Fuhr details $339M plan to modernize Armed Forces

  20-03-2026 01:30 via abbynews.com
  Canada is launching two multimillion-dollar procurement projects to strengthen the Canadian Armed Forces.
  Secretary of State and Kelowna MP Stephen Fuhr made the announcements at separate events on Wednesday and Thursday, March 18 and 19, outlining plans to support the country’s space surveillance and bring modern equipment to the military.
  The investments, which combined total $339 million, are part of a larger plan to revitalize the CAF.
  Fuhr’s Defence Investment Agency (DIA) facil
  
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• Killer dies while serving time in Abbotsford prison

  20-03-2026 00:14 via abbynews.com
  A former Cape Breton man who strangled his roommate to death in 2012 has died in an Abbotsford prison.
  A press release on Thursday (March 19) from the Correctional Service of Canada states that Charles Wheeliker, 59, died Tuesday (March 17) from apparent natural causes while in custody at Matsqui Institution.
  Wheeliker had been serving a life sentence, which began in December 2013, after his conviction for second-degree murder.
  News articles indicate that Wheeliker was living with Troy Francis J
  
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• Time travel: B.C. councillor says time switch puts students at risk

  20-03-2026 00:13 via abbynews.com
  While folks across B.C. look forward to longer summer days ahead, Langford Coun. Kimberley Guiry already has winter on her mind.
  With the jump now made to permanent daylight saving time, Guiry has flagged concerns about longer dark fall and winter mornings and the impact on children’s safety.
  From early November until the end of February, she warns that kids who begin their commute around 8 a.m. will be walking to school in the dark.
  Of particular concern for Guiry are the older Langford n
  
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• B.C.’s credit rating downgrade blamed on ‘deterioration’ of fiscal management

  19-03-2026 23:44 via abbynews.com
  Moody’s credit rating agency has downgraded B.C. a notch, blaming “entrenched deficits” and a “deterioration in long-term fiscal management.”
  The Thursday (March 19) decision is the agency’s second downgrade for the province in two years, lowering B.C. to Aa2, or two notches below the top Aaa status. These credit rating decisions signal to investors that the province is a riskier place to lend money to, which, in turn, may cause B.C.’s borrowing costs to
  
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• B.C.’s credit rating downgrade blamed on ’deterioration’ of fiscal management

  19-03-2026 23:44 via abbynews.com
  Moody’s credit rating agency has downgraded B.C. a notch, blaming “entrenched deficits” and a “deterioration in long-term fiscal management.”
  The Thursday (March 19) decision is the agency’s second downgrade for the province in two years, lowering B.C. to Aa2, or two notches below the top Aaa status. These credit rating decisions signal to investors that the province is a riskier place to lend money to, which, in turn, may cause B.C.’s borrowing costs to
  
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• Spill containment and cleanup underway after train derailment near Prince Rupert

  19-03-2026 23:33 via abbynews.com
  A mudslide triggered by heavy rain derailed a freight train near Prince Rupert earlier this week, disrupting service along the key northern corridor to the city’s port—and later revealing a significant diesel spill.
  On March 16, 27 CN Rail cars derailed approximately 20 kilometres south of Prince Rupert, near Mile 80 on Highway 16.
  Initial reports indicated that no spills had occurred, but subsequent assessments confirmed that at least one car was leaking, according to the Ministry o
  
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• Sexism or playful parody? B.C. car commercial sparks debate

  19-03-2026 21:30 via abbynews.com
  Some people aren’t happy with a Vernon Kia parody car commercial that pokes fun at female stereotypes.
  And while the car dealership’s commercial has sparked a degree of online backlash, one of the saleswomen that stars in the video suggests some people are missing the point.
  “You can absolutely trust us to sell you a car, maybe just don’t let us drive it,” says saleswoman Nicole Zbitnoff in the video titled Vernon Kia Girls Parody Commercial next to her female sales
  
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• Atmospheric river up to 50-80 mm of rain prompts warning for Coquihalla, Highway 3

  19-03-2026 20:52 via abbynews.com
  Heavy rain is making its way to two stretches of B.C. Interior highway.
  Just after 11 a.m. on Thursday, Mar. 19, Environment Canada issued yellow-coded rainfall warnings for the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt and Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton due to heavy rain and high freezing levels.
  From now until Friday afternoon, the Coquihalla stretch is expecting 50-80 mm of rain, while Highway 3 is forecasted close to 50 mm.
  “An atmospheric river will remain over southern B.C. today thr
  
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• Abbotsford experiences first drug-related deaths of the year

  19-03-2026 20:45 via abbynews.com
  After only one month into the new year, there have already been several lives lost to drugs in Abbotsford.
  The latest report from the BC Coroners Service revealed that three people had suffered from fatal drug overdoses, which is two per cent of all drug-related deaths in the province.
  This is only half of the ratio of these deaths that occurred in Abbotsford last year, with the city representing four per cent of fatal overdoses in B.C. in 2025.
  Abbotsford also makes up far fewer of the deaths t
  
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• B.C. partnering with Whitecaps, viaSport to build mini soccer pitches

  19-03-2026 20:21 via abbynews.com
  To celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup and ensure the tournament leaves a lasting provincial impact, the B.C. government is partnering with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and sports improvement organization viaSport to fund 20 mini soccer pitches to be built in all regions of the province.
  “We want to make sure that British Columbians from all over British Columbia are able to benefit from this legacy project,” said Anne Kang, tourism, art, culture and sport minister, in a Thursday announc
  
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• South Cariboo woman helps document the 2025 Canadian 1,052 UFO sightings

  19-03-2026 20:00 via abbynews.com
  For decades, a team of Canadians has documented reports of unidentified flying objects, commonly known as UFOs.
  Every year since 1989, Ufology Research has released the Canadian UFO Survey, a summary of all major sightings of UFOs reported in Canada. For the last two years, South Cariboo’s Leanne Sallenback has been helping write the report as Ufology Research’s communications specialist.
  “It’s a fascinating time, because there is a renewed interest in this topic, especia
  
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• South Cariboo woman helps document 2025’s 1,052 Canadian UFO sightings

  19-03-2026 20:00 via abbynews.com
  For decades, a team of Canadians has documented reports of unidentified flying objects, commonly known as UFOs.
  Every year since 1989, Ufology Research has released the Canadian UFO Survey, a summary of all major sightings of UFOs reported in Canada. For the last two years, South Cariboo’s Leanne Sallenback has been helping write the report as Ufology Research’s communications specialist.
  “It’s a fascinating time, because there is a renewed interest in this topic, especia
  
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• Kelowna pastor, businesses face $70K civil suit due to unpaid rent

  19-03-2026 20:00 via abbynews.com
  Kelowna pastor and entrepreneur John Perks, along with his businesses, is being sued for more than $70,000.
  A civil suit was filed by Impact Upstream Ventures Inc. in Kelowna on Mar. 13 against Perks, 1486327 B.C. LTD, Western Canada Food Tours Inc., and JQA Enterprises Inc. after Impact owner Al Hildebrandt claims rent had gone unpaid for two months at its property 2041 Harvey Avenue.
  Perks was renting the building from Hildedbrandt’s company and operated several businesses through the ve
  
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• Abbotsford music teacher sentenced for harassment of 2 students

  19-03-2026 19:35 via abbynews.com
  A former Fraser Valley music teacher has been sentenced to time served and three years of probation after previously pleading guilty to the criminal harassment of two students.
  Bevin van Liempt, 34, was sentenced March 12 in Abbotsford provincial court to two counts of criminal harassment – one in Abbotsford and the other in Chilliwack.
  Van Liempt had been a prominent figure in the local music scene for many years, holding teaching positions at the Bakerview Music Academy and other organiz
  
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• Fraser Health social-prescribing team receives $1.3M boost

  19-03-2026 19:15 via abbynews.com
  The concept of ‘social prescriptions’ – prescriptions for wellness – has been gaining traction in recent years, and new funding will see a Fraser Health team help it advance provincewide.
  Dr. Grace Park and Margaret Lin are co-leads of one of two Fraser Health teams chosen for Michael Smith Health Research BC awards supporting research aimed at strengthening care for older adults living at home.
  With the funds – $1.3 million – Park and Lin “will collabor
  
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• Report released on Chilliwack drunk-driving arrest that led to woman’s broken jaw

  19-03-2026 19:03 via abbynews.com
  A public report has now been released that details an incident between Chilliwack RCMP officers and a woman they arrested for attempted to drive drunk.
  The incident took place outside a bar in the early morning hours on Nov. 23, 2024. It began with an intoxicated women “apparently intending to drive home” and ended with her having a broken jaw and being arrested.
  The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of B.C. took over the incident, and the report was concluded on Oct. 14, 2025
  
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• B.C. man dies in Belize due to ‘fall from height’

  19-03-2026 18:56 via abbynews.com
  A Kelowna man who was found dead in Belize on March 11 likely died from a lengthy fall, said Central American authorities.
  On Wednesday, March 11, a Canadian senior, later identified as 72-year-old Thomas David Harman was found dead on his drifting catamaran around 96 kilometres off the Belize shore, said Greater Belize Media.
  A cruise ship close by reported a distress call by a woman, who said her husband suffered cardiac arrest. The woman was rescued by the cruise ship but when Belize’s
  
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