• Trans Mountain begins laying Alberta pipeline for expansion

    Trans Mountain begins laying Alberta pipeline for expansion
    Construction continues at Westridge terminal in Burnaby B.C.
  • Hope conservationist demands answers to why bear cub was released alone

    Hope conservationist demands answers to why bear cub was released alone
    What started as a couple of wandering bears on Sept. 20 ended with one of them dead and another abandoned in the wild, with a prominent Hope conservationist now demanding some answers to exactly how this happened.
    Lydia Koot is the chair of the Hope Mountain Black Bear Committee, and she recently published an email to the provincial government regarding the decisions made about the curious bears.
    The black bear and her cub walked into the Hope Pharmasave on Sunday (Sept. 20) and wandered around
  • U.S. news outlet reveals details from Tumbler Ridge shooter’s ChatGPT account

    U.S. news outlet reveals details from Tumbler Ridge shooter’s ChatGPT account
    The American magazine Mother Jones has revealed disturbing new details of Tumbler Ridge shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar’s ChatGPT account use in the months leading up to the tragic school shooting on Feb. 10.
    The AI chatbot reportedly produced “hypothetical” mass-shooting scenarios for Van Rootselaar, described what types of guns can have the most devastating impact in school shootings, answered queries on what time of day other high-profile shootings have occurred, and even expla
  • Welcome Day event in Abbotsford celebrates newcomers

    Welcome Day event in Abbotsford celebrates newcomers
    Residents and newcomers from across Abbotsford gathered on Sept. 14 to celebrate the community’s diversity and inclusion at the fourth annual Welcome Day celebration.
    The event was hosted at Matsqui Centennial Auditorium by Archway Community Services in partnership with the City of Abbotsford.
    The event brought together community members, service providers and local leaders to recognize the contributions of newcomers and foster a greater sense of belonging for all.
    Event organizer Abhinoor
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  • Centre BC leader Elenore Sturko running in Surrey South for provincial election

    Centre BC leader Elenore Sturko running in Surrey South for provincial election
    CentreBC Party leader Elenore Sturko is returning to her roots, and running in the riding she was first elected in four years ago, Surrey South.
    Sturko, who was elected to the Surrey South riding in a 2022 byelection when former MLA Stephanie Cadieux left electoral politics to become Canada’s first Chief Accessibility Officer, said she just recently made the decision.“This is where I was first elected in 2022 in a byelection, and this is where I live. So I wanted to come back to my h
  • B.C. First Nations man recounts life at Kuper Island Residential School

    B.C. First Nations man recounts life at Kuper Island Residential School
    Editor’s Note: This article contains descriptions of physical and sexual abuse endured or witnessed by children at Kuper Island Residential School that may be triggering.
    It’s a warm, clear day for mid-September, and Vernon Jack sits in dappled sunlight behind his Peninsula home. Moving in formation, a wedge of geese flies overhead, while a kitten hops in circles through a nearby patch of straw-yellow grass. Just out of sight, cars passing along West Saanich Road hum softly.
    It was j
  • Abbotsford police chief to speak at annual fundraising breakfast

    Abbotsford police chief to speak at annual fundraising breakfast
    The annual “Crime is Toast – Breakfast with the Chief” event in Abbotsford takes place Wednesday, Oct. 7.
    The breakfast runs from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Centre (36035 North Parallel Rd.), and is a fundraiser for the Abbotsford Police Foundation (APF).
    Police Chief Colin Watson will address the crowd and answer questions. The event also includes raffles and a 50/50 draw.
    This year’s theme is Building What’s Next.
    The APF was founded in
  • Gasper, Alexis, Jhaj and Monds to seek Abbotsford-Mission seat

    Gasper, Alexis, Jhaj and Monds to seek Abbotsford-Mission seat
    At least four familiar faces intend to run for Abbotsford-Mission MLA in the provincial snap election on Oct. 24, after the cancellation of the Sept. 26 byelection.Former MLAs Pam Alexis of the BC NDP and Reann Gasper of the Conservative Party of B.C. both voiced their intentions to seek the seat again. Byelection candidates Lakhwinder Jhaj of CentreBC and Jeff Monds of the Libertarian Party of BC will run in the snap election as well, the respective parties confirmed.Gasper defeated the incumbe
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  • Top dogs: 2 Metro Vancouver Transit Police dogs named best in Canada

    Top dogs: 2 Metro Vancouver Transit Police dogs named best in Canada
    -Two Metro Vancouver Transit Police service dogs have taken the top two prizes in the country for their superior explosive detection skills.Transit Police Const. Lisa Mackay competed with her canine partner, Police Service Dog (PSD) Harnett, while Const. Shawn Basi competed with his canine partner, PSD Chopper, in the Explosive Detection Dog division of a competition held at the 2026 Canadian Police Canine Association (CPCA) Canadian Police Service Dog Championships, held in Saskatoon, Sask., in
  • B.C. Finance Minister Josie Osborne will run for re-election

    B.C. Finance Minister Josie Osborne will run for re-election
    Josie Osborne, the incumbent MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim, has announced she is aiming to retain her seat in October.Osborne was first elected as MLA in 2020 and has since served as the province’s Minister of Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation, the Minister of Health, and (currently) Minister of Finance at various points.Prior to her election as MLA, Osborne worked as a fisheries biologist for the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, led an environmental education non-profit, and was Tof
  • Chilliwack Indigenous Court moves to Siyá:m Lálem

    Chilliwack Indigenous Court moves to Siyá:m Lálem
    The Chilliwack Indigenous Court has moved to a new location and will be known by a new name.
    The court, now known as the Xayx̱lám Iyóqthet Indigenous Court, has moved from its spot at the Chilliwack courthouse to Siyá:m Lálem, a space on the Qw’oqw’elith’a grounds owned by the Stó:lō Collective located at 8B-7201 Vedder Rd.
    “Indigenous courts do their best work when Elders, families, victims and community can participate,&rdquo
  • School District to support Kelowna families, children affected by crash involving 2 students

    School District to support Kelowna families, children affected by crash involving 2 students
    In response to an incident that left two young kids in hospital after being struck by an SUV in Kelowna’s Upper Mission neighbourhood on Thursday, Sept. 24, Central Okanagan Public Schools’s (SD 23) is supporting all families and students impacted.“We are saddened at the news of this accident, and our hearts are with those affected,” said SD23’s communications advisor Justin Schneider.” The District’s Post Critical Incident Response Team and school staff
  • Overnight rollover crash in Surrey sends 2 to hospital

    Overnight rollover crash in Surrey sends 2 to hospital
    Two people were taken to hospital after a rollover crash in Surrey Thursday.Around 10 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 24), RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit officers, BC Emergency Health Service paramedics and Surrey Fire Service crews responded to a high-impact crash between a Mercedes and a Ram pickup truck at 152 Street and 99 Avenue.
    The pickup truck flipped and sheared a light pole before coming to rest on its side, a freelance photographer at the scene noted.Two people were transported t
  • ‘Earmarks of a scam:’ Shuswap Bird society goes dark after RCMP raises concerns

    ‘Earmarks of a scam:’ Shuswap Bird society goes dark after RCMP raises concerns
    Search online, and you can still find a trail of breadcrumbs purportedly linked to the Bird Sanctuary of Shuswap.
    Click on the resulting links to either the organization’s website or Facebook page, and you’ll find they go nowhere.
    These destinations disappeared from the internet shortly after the Observer contacted Bird Sanctuary of Shuswap, a registered non-profit society (confirmed by Service BC), regarding concerns in the community about the group, its goals and fundraising effort
  • Former rodeo rider Doerkson seeks to buck-off Eby in B.C. election

    Former rodeo rider Doerkson seeks to buck-off Eby in B.C. election
    When interim B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson was a bareback rodeo rider in the 1990s, he once took a spill bad enough to knock him out, burst his eardrum, dislocate his shoulder and break his collarbone.
    Riding a horse named Kung Fu, which he described as a “huge” animal, Doerkson’s hand suddenly slipped out of his rigging, and he began to fall backwards.
    “It bucked just as my hand let go of the rigging,” he said.He landed hard on his shoulder, and the other
  • Surrey child-killer granted unescorted absence

    Surrey child-killer granted unescorted absence
    A man serving life in prison for abducting, sexually assaulting and killing a Surrey 10-year-old 26 years ago has been granted a 60-day unescorted temporary absence (UTA) from prison, to participate in a cooking program at a community residential facility.
    According to a Sept. 2 Parole Board of Canada decision, Shane Robert Ertmoed – convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the Oct. 1, 2000 death of Heather Thomas – applied for the UTA “for personal development for r
  • VIDEO: Hope fire crews attend 2 separate encampment fires in 1 morning

    VIDEO: Hope fire crews attend 2 separate encampment fires in 1 morning
    The Hope Fire Department extinguished two separate fires at homeless encampments on the morning of Sept. 24.A fire broke out at the small encampment along Water Avenue, the portion of Highway 1 that cuts through town. The encampment is located on a thin, steep slice of land wedged in between the highway and the Fraser River and has been there for several years.Aerial video of the fire captured by a Hope resident showed the extent of the flames as they moved through the trees.
    “Looks like o
  • Running simultaneous with municipal race, Sicamous mayor calls snap election ‘disrespectful’

    Running simultaneous with municipal race, Sicamous mayor calls snap election ‘disrespectful’
    Premier David Eby’s call for a snap election on Sept. 22 trumped the recent Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention, as well as the regularly scheduled municipal election.
    With speculation about a possible provincial election circulating at UBCM, held in Vancouver Sept. 14 to 18, the general consensus was not favourable with local governments, including the District of Sicamous.
    “David Eby calling an election in the middle of a municipal election is disrespectful,” Mayor C
  • 4 Vernon Taekwon-Do athletes ready to take on World Cup in Spain

    4 Vernon Taekwon-Do athletes ready to take on World Cup in Spain
    Four Vernon athletes will soon step onto one of the biggest arenas in the sport of Taekwon-Do.Sundance Taekwon-Do is sending Jack Sharkey, Jill Donald, Shawn Donald, and Ezekiel Richman to the 2026 ITF World Cup in Benidorm, Spain, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, where they will be among 2,681 competitors from 57 countries.
    Canada’s 100 athletes form the eighth-largest delegation at the event.
    Sharkey is no stranger to the world stage.
    He has worn the Team Canada uniform at the 2023 ITF World Cha
  • ‘Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor’ in double fatality on W.R. Bennett Bridge

    ‘Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor’ in double fatality on W.R. Bennett Bridge
    Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor in the fatal car crash on Kelowna’s William R. Bennett Bridge that took place on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 22, according to media relations officer Cst. Clyde Feero of BC Highway Patrol.
    ​
    “The preliminary investigation indicates an eastbound Toyota collided with a westbound Jeep. Emergency responders attended the scene and located four occupants involved in the crash. Two individuals were pronounced deceased at the scene,&rdq
  • VIDEO: Cane-swinging pedestrian wants e-scooters, bikes off Surrey sidewalks

    VIDEO: Cane-swinging pedestrian wants e-scooters, bikes off Surrey sidewalks
    Tired of scooter and bike riders crowding his space on sidewalks, Robert “Bob Dog” Stierle urges police and government to enforce rules of the road before he gets seriously hurt, or worse.
    The Guildford resident, 65, doesn’t own a vehicle, has mobility issues and walks everywhere.
    Surrey sidewalks are no longer safe, he says, as pedestrians face “high-speed traffic, collisions and physical threats from illegal e-scooters, motorbikes and bicycles on pedestrian walkways.&rd
  • Buy Canadian campaign announcement made by David Eby at Lower Mainland stop

    Buy Canadian campaign announcement made by David Eby at Lower Mainland stop
    BC NDP leader David Eby made a stop in Maple Ridge Thursday morning, Sept. 24, to announce a new legislative requirements that government agencies buy Canadian products when possible for public infrastructure projects.Eby made the announcement at the IUOE 115 Training Centre, a specialized trades training facility, that provides hands-on technical training, apprenticeships, and safety certifications for the heavy construction, road building, and resource industries in British Columbia.
    It is a d
  • Search for missing paddleboarder on Okanagan Lake paused after ‘extensive search’

    Search for missing paddleboarder on Okanagan Lake paused after ‘extensive search’
    The search for a paddleboarder who went missing on Okanagan Lake has been suspended at this time, said Vernon North Okanagan RCMP.
    “An extensive search of the area where the person was last seen has been conducted on the water and from the air,” RCMP media relations officer Constable Chris Terleski told Black Press Media. “The paddleboard was located yesterday but the person remains missing.”
    Just before 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, RCMP were notified and called to assist
  • Mission youngsters accidentally cause fire, car crash in same day

    Mission youngsters accidentally cause fire, car crash in same day
    Young children in Mission accidentally caused a pair of “dangerous situations” last Friday (Sept. 18).
    According to Mission RCMP’s weekly “Community Connection” crime recap, a 7-year-old boy started a small fire with a blow torch in the morning and a 4-year-old boy crashed his parents’ Cadillac Escalade in the evening.
    Police say no injuries were reported in either incident.
    The 7-year-old found the “small” blow torch in his residence, connected to
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill nears opening day in Kelowna

    Chipotle Mexican Grill nears opening day in Kelowna
    Kelowna’s first Chipotle Mexican Grill is set to open at the end of September.
    ​
    The restaurant chain is expanding to the Interior of B.C. for the first time with its new restaurant at 150-1950 Harvey Ave., officially opening its doors to customers on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
    ​
    “Opening in Kelowna, the cultural hub of the Okanagan Valley, brings Chipotle closer to residents, students and visitors across the region,” said managing director Anat Davidzon.
    ​
    “O
  • Second annual Ken Peace Memorial Challenge Game set for Abbotsford on Saturday (Sept. 26)

    Second annual Ken Peace Memorial Challenge Game set for Abbotsford on Saturday (Sept. 26)
    The second annual Ken Peace Memorial Challenge Game returns to Abbotsford’s Exhibition Park on Saturday (Sept. 26).The game features a Division 1 men’s rugby match pitting the host Abbotsford Rugby Football Club against the Langley Rugby Club. Kick-off is set for 2:30 p.m.
    The event was created to honour local rugby legend and former ARFC and LRC star Ken Peace.Peace was inducted into the Abbotsford Sports Hall Of Fame in 2004 and was the first member of the ARFC to represent Canada
  • 400 attend Smiles Through Seva gala

    400 attend Smiles Through Seva gala
    More than 400 guests attended a gala event on Sept. 19 in Abbotsford in support of two programs that help local students.
    The fourth annual event was hosted by the Smiles Through Seva Foundation at the Ag-Rec Centre, which was transformed for the masquerade-theme evening titled Unmasking Futures.
    The event raised funds for the Starfish Pack Program, which provides weekend food support for local children experiencing food insecurity.
    The gala also raised funds for the Abbotsford Hospice and Grief
  • Abbotsford run raises $10K for domestic abuse survivors

    Abbotsford run raises $10K for domestic abuse survivors
    Running 100 km in 24 hours is no easy feat, but Andre Boada said he was happy to do it because it’s nothing compared to the courage shown by survivors of domestic abuse.
    The 20-year-old UBC student recently completed this challenge in Abbotsford as part of his Run4Her fundraiser.View this post on InstagramA post shared by Andre (@run4_her)For the first part of his journey, Boada hit the Abbotsford streets alone in the middle of the night, jogging around town into the morning hours.
    View th
  • Kimberley developer urges municipal election candidates to consider emergency response

    Kimberley developer urges municipal election candidates to consider emergency response
    As the municipal election approaches, professional planner and economic developer Schaun Goodeve is asking candidates to consider a more coordinated response for helping businesses prepare for wildfire evacuation and other similar emergencies.
    Goodeve lives in Kimberley, a community in eastern B.C. that was impacted by multiple wildfires this past summer. Three large-scale fires were ignited in succession after lightning storms, starting on July 18. All three fires were in close proximity to the
  • $1,000 reward to find person who trapped Langley raccoon

    $1,000 reward to find person who trapped Langley raccoon
    A wildlife protection charity is offering $1,000 for info leading to the identification and conviction of whoever set a leg-hold trap in Langley that caught and seriously injured a young raccoon.
    The Fur-Bearers non-profit offered the reward after a raccoon was found dragging the trap by Brookswood resident Louise Pilon on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
    “He was in our backyard, sitting on the fence,” she said.
    Her husband noticed he was stuck and had something on his leg. He couldn’t mov

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