Abbotsford news

• UPDATE: Crews expect ‘erratic, gusty winds,’ as Summerland wildfire continues to grow

  22-08-2026 21:00 via abbynews.com
  
  UPDATE (12 P.M.)
  The Bald Range wildfire continues to grow, with the out-of-control blaze now 24,820 hectares in size.
  BC Wildfire Service says the growth comes as it expects “erratic, gusty winds” on Saturday.
  “Our crews, aviation and heavy equipment resources have been bolstering containment in preparation for today’s unpredictable winds,” it added.
  It hasn’t rained in the area for 49 days, the provincial service noted.
  Close to 40 structure protection perso
  
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• ‘Indefensible’: B.C. Premier Eby responds to collapsed Canada-U.S. trade talks

  22-08-2026 21:16 via abbynews.com
  
  B.C. Premier David Eby worked to reassure British Columbians that Canada will stand strong against U.S. tariffs after a potential trade deal collapsed.
  Eby held a press conference Saturday (Aug. 22) in Vancouver to address the collapsed Canada-U.S. trade talks. He called the incoming U.S. tariffs “inexplicable and indefensible.”
  He said many British Columbians woke up to the news Saturday of the latest in the Canada-U.S. trade war. The premier said he hesitated to call the talks a ne
  
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• UPDATE: Bald Range wildfire continues to grow west of Summerland

  22-08-2026 21:00 via abbynews.com
  
  UPDATE (12 P.M.)
  The Bald Range wildfire continues to grow, with the out-of-control blaze now 24,820 hectares in size.
  BC Wildfire Service says the growth comes as it expects “erratic, gusty winds” on Saturday.
  “Our crews, aviation and heavy equipment resources have been bolstering containment in preparation for today’s unpredictable winds,” it added.
  It’s also been 49 days since there’s been rain in the area, the provincial service noted.
  Close to 40 st
  
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• Victoria police chief recognized nationally for leadership

  22-08-2026 20:30 via abbynews.com
  
  After one year of her historic appointment as Victoria’s first female police chief, Fiona Wilson has received a national award recognizing her leadership and contributions to policing across Canada.
  Wilson received the 2026 CACP Recognition Award at the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Summit in Edmonton, presented by CACP President Commissioner Thomas Carrique.
  Wilson was one of the two police leaders selected to receive the national recognition of exceptional involvement,
  
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• More evacuation orders, alerts issued in response to Pear Lake fire near Clinton

  22-08-2026 18:56 via abbynews.com
  
  The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) and Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) have both issued new evacuation orders and alerts in the area of Highway 99/Pavilion Lake west of Cache Creek in response to the Pear Lake wildfire.
  The orders and alerts were issued as of 8 a.m. on Saturday (Aug. 22).
  Highway 99 remains open, but drivers are not allowed to stop along the highway. However, the threat of wildfire means that the highway could close suddenly, with little or no notice. Driver
  
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• Large, out-of-control wildfire quickly extinguished by Hope Fire Department

  22-08-2026 18:05 via abbynews.com
  
  Members of the Hope Fire Department prevented a large wildfire from spreading further on Friday.
  The out-of-control blaze happened around 3 p.m. on Aug. 21 along Flood-Hope Road, above Exit 170.
  “Twelve members responded on three apparatus, and thanks to the quick, co-ordinated work of our crews, the fire was rapidly knocked down and contained to an area of roughly 50-by-50 feet,” Hope Fire Department stated in a social media post later that same day.
  The cause of the fire remains un
  
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• Evacuation order expanded for French Bar Creek fire west of Clinton

  22-08-2026 18:00 via abbynews.com
  
  The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has expanded an evacuation order in response to the French Bar Creek wildfire, burning out of control west of Clinton.
  The expanded evacuation order was issued on Saturday morning (Aug. 22). It covers two properties, at 7633 and 7780 Watson Bar Road, bringing to 12 the total number of properties on evacuation order.The French Bar Creek fire was estimated at 54,892 hectares as of Saturday morning.
  The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says that convective act
  
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• Bald Range wildfire sits at 24,622 hectares west of Summerland

  22-08-2026 17:14 via abbynews.com
  
  The Bald Range wildfire west of Summerland continues to burn out of control more than two weeks after its discovery.
  ​According to the latest update from the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), the blaze has grown to 24,622 hectares, with 13 evacuation alerts and eight evacuation orders still in place.
  ​Despite the large number of evacuation orders, many residents have been able to return home, with just 32 properties still under evacuation.
  ​BCWS says its priorities are to maintain th
  
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• ONC joins the hunt for cosmic particles in the ocean

  22-08-2026 15:30 via abbynews.com
  
  University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is part of a major project that will give scientists a glimpse into the universe from under the sea.In this multi-partner Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment (P-ONE), ONC is co-engineering key infrastructure to create a deep-sea neutrino telescope that will transform vast stretches of the deep Pacific Ocean into a massive neutrino detector.
  Research has shown that the pitch-black depths of the deep ocean are an ideal environment for studyi
  
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• Police search for fraud suspect after incidents at Mission, Abbotsford banks

  22-08-2026 14:30 via abbynews.com
  
  A man attempted to open bank accounts using forged identification documents in Mission and Abbotsford earlier this month.
  Mission RCMP said in a news release that staff at a Mission bank contacted police on Aug. 5 after denying a man looking to open an account.Per the release, the man produced a Canadian passport and Certificate of Indian Status card with his photo on them, in the name of “Donald Chjarboneau”. Staff noted the passport had mismatched pages, along with missing security
  
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• UPDATE: Bald Range wildfire grows to 24,536 hectares, as Summerland residents continue to return home

  22-08-2026 04:31 via abbynews.com
  
  UPDATE (7:25 P.M.)
  The Bald Range wildfire continues to grow in size, according to the latest report from BCWS.
  The provincial agency said in an update at 7:04 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 21, that the fire is currently 24,536 hectares in size and continues to be classified as out of control.
  Earlier this Friday, BCWS reported that both fire behaviour and activity have been dampened over the last several days as smoke from the Bald Range wildfire and fires to the west and south have been impacting the r
  
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• Montréal minor arrested, allegedly used AI to plan school attack

  22-08-2026 02:35 via abbynews.com
  
  A Montréal youth was arrested Friday (Aug. 21) on terrorism allegations.
  RCMP’s Federal Policing Eastern Region arrested the “young man” from Montréal as part of an investigation by the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team. Police did not specify the suspect’s age, but also referred to him as a minor.Police say the investigators had “reasonable grounds” to fear he might commit crimes related to violent extremism.The investigation began a
  
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• Less than half expected sockeye returning to B.C.’s Fraser River this year

  22-08-2026 01:58 via abbynews.com
  
  The Pacific Salmon Commission has slashed estimates for this year’s Fraser River Sockeye run by more than 50 per cent.
  The initial prediction of 7,743,390 sockeye salmon returning to the Fraser River has now been downgraded to 3,496,000 fish.Experts warn this appears to be part of a 16-year downward spiral for the Fraser River’s dominant sockeye salmon run.
  “The trend for this four-year cycle in the Fraser is very concerning,” said Jason Hwang, vice-president of the Pacif
  
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• B.C. man sentenced to 22 years in jail for sex offences

  22-08-2026 01:30 via abbynews.com
  
  A Port Alberni man in his late 40s has been sentenced to 22 years in jail after being convicted of several sexual offences.
  On Aug. 11, 2026, Shaun Pater was convicted of sexual offences, including one count of sexual interference involving a person under the age of 14, two counts of sexual interference involving persons under the age of 16, and one count of sexual assault.
  “The care, sensitivity, and professionalism demonstrated by Port Alberni RCMP investigators throughout these complex
  
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• Tumbler Ridge shooting documents detail confusion around number of shooters

  22-08-2026 01:15 via abbynews.com
  
  Recently released court documents are providing more insight into the events and subsequent investigation into the mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge in February.
  Hundreds of pages of information to obtain documents were released after a media consortium sought to have them released. Black Press Media obtained the documents through the Dawson Creek court registry as a result.
  While heavily redacted, the pages of documents detail the confusion regarding how many shooters there could have been, search
  
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• Grace Elaine Paquette

  22-08-2026 00:30 via abbynews.com
  
  In Loving Memory ~
  Grace Elaine Paquette passed away peacefully in Abbotsford with family at her side on August 13, 2026 at the age of 92. She was pre-deceased by her husband, Don Leonard Paquette, her parents, Lloyd and Dorothy Wright, her sister Norma and her brother Jerry.
  Grace leaves behind her children, Darryl (Linda, Megan and Julia), Wendy, grandsons, Bryce (Melissa), Jerrdon (Kristal) and Mitchell, great-grandchildren, Robert, Genevieve, Cohan, Rylee and Cali, her sister Norma’s c
  
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• UPDATE: More Summerland residents head home as staged re-entry moves ahead

  22-08-2026 00:13 via abbynews.com
  
  UPDATE (3:20 P.M.)
  More Summerland residents are heading home.
  The entire community, except for 32 properties, is no longer under evacuation order.
  Properties located in Electoral Area F (Greater West Bench and Faulder) within the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen remain evacuated, with the exception of 23000 Gallaugher Street.
  See here for properties still evacuated.
  Properties with downgraded orders are now on evacuation alert.
  People on alert are urged to prepare to evacuate their pre
  
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• State of emergency extended in B.C. due to wildfire risk

  22-08-2026 00:04 via abbynews.com
  
  The provincial government is extending it’s state of emergency for one more week due to the ongoing wildfire risk.The state of emergency, which was first declared two weeks, is now extended until Saturday, Aug. 29, the government announced Friday (Aug. 21).The province says the extension follows advice from emergency-management officials. It allows the province to have access to emergency powers under the Emergency and Disaster Management Act if they are required.
  So far, the provincial go
  
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• Greater Vancouver Zoo reveals name of zebra foal

  22-08-2026 00:00 via abbynews.com
  
  A zebra foal at the Greater Vancouver Zoo has officially been named after a surprise reveal by zoo staff.Zoo visitors gathered at the zebra enclosure for the reveal, where guests were selected to choose a number from one to 10. A staff member then turned a box corresponding to the selected number, revealing the name Zuri.
  The zoo revealed the young zebra’s name during a special event on Aug. 20, after about 1,500 of the zoo’s social media followers voted on the options presented by t
  
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• IIO investigating Williams Lake incident that left woman seriously injured

  21-08-2026 23:56 via abbynews.com
  
  The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) is investigating an incident in Williams Lake after a woman sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
  In a press release, the IIO said the incident occurred May 8, 2026, in a municipal park.
  The IIO reported that initial information states the woman had an interaction with bylaw officers and city staff. RCMP officers were called to the area and advised her that she needed to leave the park.
  At one point during an interaction between th
  
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• Kelowna Events Centre, community volunteers make a big difference for wildfire evacuees

  21-08-2026 23:15 via abbynews.com
  
  A steady stream of wildfire evacuees lined up outside the Kelowna Events Centre (KEC) on Friday, Aug. 21, with some arriving well before the doors opened, seeking clothes, diapers, toiletries and other essentials after spending weeks away from home.
  ​The recovery event at 2041 Harvey Ave., organized by Susanne Soranno with support from the KEC, local partners and community members, marked the second push to distribute a large volume of donated goods. It aimed to support those displaced by
  
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• Hope mushroom composting facility gets $7K fine for emissions violations

  21-08-2026 23:00 via abbynews.com
  
  A mushroom composting facility near Hope has now been fined for more than two years of violating air emissions regulations.
  The BC Ministry of Environment and Parks recently announced the fine, which concerns a period from May 1, 2024 to May 4, 2026.
  According to the report, Highline Mushrooms West Limited was operating its Ruby Creek location (59600 Lougheed Hwy.) without the proper air emissions controls, despite being warned about the issue two years earlier.
  The issue stems from the facility
  
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• Quesnel Regional Airport runway temporarily closed after aircraft incident

  21-08-2026 22:49 via abbynews.com
  
  A small aircraft was involved in a landing incident at the Quesnel Regional Airport on Friday, Aug. 21, with no injuries reported.
  According to a social media post by the City of Quesnel, emergency responders attended the scene and the aircraft remains in the runway area while recovery and assessment activities are underway.
  The runway has been temporarily closed and Transport Canada has been notified.
  The city added it will continue working with regulatory authorities and the aircraft operator
  
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• BC Hydro spending $90 million to upgrade Vancouver substation

  21-08-2026 22:26 via abbynews.com
  
  BC Hydro continues to pour money into grid upgrades and energy supply expansion to meet surging demand, announcing on Friday a $90-million spend on a new transformer in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.
  “We’re making sure that as the city grows, as British Columbia grows, our electricity network grows with it,” Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix said.
  Dix says this new upgrade will provide enough power for 50,000 homes.
  The Mount Pleasant substation
  
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• Orange air quality warning issued for parts of Fraser Valley

  21-08-2026 21:23 via abbynews.com
  
  An orange air quality warning has been issued for Chilliwack, Agassiz and Hope.
  The warning was issued by Metro Vancouver Regional District on Friday (Aug. 21) due to high fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke.
  The City of Chilliwack’s air quality health index is currently set at 10+, which the city describes as “very high risk”.
  IQAir’s air quality measurement is 96 for Chilliwack, 55 for Agassiz and 141 for Hope.
  The measurement for Chilliwack is described by IQAi
  
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• Trial date set for suspect in fatal 2024 White Rock stabbing

  21-08-2026 21:00 via abbynews.com
  
  A trial date has been set for the man charged in connection with the April 2024 stabbing death of 26-year-old Kulwinder Singh Sohi in White Rock.
  Surrey’s Dimitri Nelson Hyacinth was charged with second-degree murder on May 3, 2024, after Sohi was stabbed on White Rock’s waterfront promenade on the night of April 23, 2024 — the second of two stabbings in the seaside city that week.
  Hyacinth also faces aggravated assault charges in connection with a stabbing attack on Jatinder S
  
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• Testimony concludes in Grand Forks manslaughter trial

  21-08-2026 20:35 via abbynews.com
  
  The accused in a Grand Forks area manslaughter trial had only been living with his roommates for a couple of weeks before the fatal shooting.
  Cross-examination of the accused, 47-year-old Sean Tiessen, continued in Rossland Supreme Court Thursday (Aug. 19).
  Tiessen is facing one count of manslaughter in the death of Joshua Lockwood, 33, following an incident that took place at a home shared by the two and Lockwood’s girlfriend, Keera Roberts, after midnight on April 16, 2023.
  Tiessen is cl
  
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• PNE Fair starts Saturday with Wizard of Oz on Ice, big-stage concerts at new Arch, more

  21-08-2026 20:27 via abbynews.com
  
  Fifteen days of late-summer fun are promised during the 2026 edition of the PNE Fair in Vancouver.
  B.C.’s largest annual fair starts Saturday, Aug. 22 with a wide range of entertainment including Summer Night Concerts at the new Freedom Mobile Arch.
  The fair runs through Labour Day (Sept. 7) at Hastings Park, site of some familiar attractions and also new ones.“Whether you’re visiting for the rides, the food, the concerts, or simply to make memories with family and friends, the
  
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• Bus service set to begin at new Highstreet exchange in Abbotsford

  21-08-2026 20:27 via abbynews.com
  
  Bus service to a new transit exchange in Abbotsford is set to begin Sunday, Sept. 6.
  The new exchange is located on Highstreet Access Road – by Highstreet Shopping Centre – between Mt. Lehman Road and Cardinal Avenue.
  A press release from the City of Abbotsford states that the area will have five new bus bays to serve local and regional routes, including the Fraser Valley Express.
  The exchange will also feature new transit shelters with bench seating, a multi-use pathway on the north
  
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• Clean-up complete, payment forgot: Edmonton demo company takes Lake Okanagan Resort to court

  21-08-2026 20:05 via abbynews.com
  
  While the job to clean-up the remains of a wildfire destroyed resort has been completed, the payment has not, an Edmonton-based demolition company claims.
  On Friday, Aug. 14, McColman and Sons Demolition Ltd. filed a lawsuit against the owners of Lake Okanagan Resort, claiming they are owed $248.976.64 in outstanding payment for their work.According to the notice of civil claim, the Edmonton-based company was hired to complete the demolition, clean up, and removal of fire-damaged buildings from
  
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