Abbotsford news

• U.S. regulators clear path for genetically modified salmon

  08-03-2019 23:51 via abbynews.com
  
  The move comes despite a pending lawsuit filed by a coalition of consumer, environmental and fishing groups
  
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• Experts point to climate change as root cause of Victoria’s January blossoms

  17-01-2026 00:30 via abbynews.com
  Its early blooming season has long been something Victoria has long liked to flaunt before its neighbours in less mild climates across the province and the country.
  But avid walkers in and around B.C.’s capital region have noticed spring blossoms showing up this year in volumes that are considered untimely even below the 49th parallel.
  And the pictures of early flowers that have been circulating on social media since late December might not be something people should necessarily be boastin
  
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• B.C.’s sport fishing industry balks at salmon re-allocation that could put it last

  17-01-2026 00:00 via abbynews.com
  B.C.’s recreational and sportfishing community is up in arms over a potential change to how the province allocates Pacific salmon stock, which proposes eliminating the principle that salmon are a public resource.
  British Columbia’s salmon allocation policy (SAP) was created in 1999 to guide the allocation and priority of allowable Pacific salmon harvest among First Nations, as well as commercial and recreational harvest groups.
  However, in 2018, the B.C. Supreme Court determined that
  
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• Political commentator Caroline Elliott enters B.C. Conservative leadership contest

  16-01-2026 23:45 via abbynews.com
  Caroline Elliott, a conservative commentator and former vice-president of the B.C. United Party, officially declared her candidacy for B.C. Conservative leadership in a social media video on Friday (Jan. 16).
  She criticized the current government’s “radical reconciliation” agenda and attacked “race-based hiring policies.”
  “For years, I’ve stood up for our natural resources, called out the denigration of our history, and pushed back against ideology in ou
  
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• 300,000 records being auctioned off from iconic B.C. store in vinyl free-for-all

  16-01-2026 23:30 via abbynews.com
  Record collectors came to Langley for a chance to buy some of the approximately 300,000 records from the closed Krazy Bob’s Emporium record store.
  Bob consigned the stock from his Langley City store for sale with Able Auctions which held an auction at its Murrayville location on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
  “We had people that spent all day in here looking at all the records, because there were so many,” said Able manager Sam Garandza.
  The auction wasn’t for the sale of individual r
  
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• Surrey Union of Drug Users slams B.C. government’s decision to end decriminalization

  16-01-2026 21:51 via abbynews.com
  The Surrey Union of Drug Users (SUDU) is “disappointed but not surprised” by Wednesday’s announcement from the B.C. Ministry of Health to end the decriminalization pilot.
  “We shame the government for choosing to further isolate drug users and increase the likelihood of drug poisoning in the community,” SUDU said in a press release Friday (Jan. 16).
  Decriminalization began in January of 2023, allowing people to possess small amounts of illicit drugs in certain places
  
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• ‘Policy kills’: Drug users advocacy group slams B.C. government reversal

  16-01-2026 21:51 via abbynews.com
  The Surrey Union of Drug Users (SUDU) is “disappointed but not surprised” by Wednesday’s announcement from the B.C. Ministry of Health to end the decriminalization pilot.
  “We shame the government for choosing to further isolate drug users and increase the likelihood of drug poisoning in the community,” SUDU said in a press release Friday (Jan. 16).
  Decriminalization began in January of 2023, allowing people to possess small amounts of illicit drugs in certain places
  
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• Charges laid in Abbotsford hotel homicide

  16-01-2026 21:18 via abbynews.com
  Charges have been laid and a man is in custody in relation to a homicide that took place Thursday night (Jan. 15) in Abbotsford.
  Court records indicate that Sondeep Singh Gill, 26, has been charged with murder and interference with a dead body.
  The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is now leading the investigation and has not yet released details, including the victim’s name.
  Gill does not have any prior criminal charges in B.C., according to the provincial court database.
  The Abbotsf
  
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• Abbotsford keeps title of B.C.’s cheapest city to rent in

  16-01-2026 21:00 via abbynews.com
  Abbotsford finished 2025 in the same way it started – being the cheapest city to rent an apartment in all of B.C.
  The latest report from Rentals.ca determined that the average asking price in Abbotsford was $1,847 in December, remaining almost identical to the number reported in November.
  This was enough to keep the title of the most affordable city in the province, which is an accolade Abbotsford successfully held for the entirety of 2025.
  However, unlike the increasingly dropping housing
  
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• Maple Ridge teen dies in fall from chairlift

  16-01-2026 20:45 via abbynews.com
  A teen from Maple Ridge died after falling from a chairlift while skiing.
  West Vancouver Police report they “saddened to confirm that a fatality occurred on Cypress Mountain Resort yesterday evening.”
  Emergency Services were called at approximately 7:27 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, after reports of someone in medical distress after a fall from a chairlift. The 18-year-old man from Maple Ridge was pronounced dead at the scene.
  “All available evidence points to this being a tragic
  
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• Maple Ridge teen dead after fall from chairlift on B.C. ski hill

  16-01-2026 20:45 via abbynews.com
  A teen from Maple Ridge died after falling from a chairlift while skiing.
  West Vancouver Police report they “saddened to confirm that a fatality occurred on Cypress Mountain Resort yesterday evening.”
  Emergency Services were called at approximately 7:27 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15, after reports of someone in medical distress after a fall from a chairlift. The 18-year-old man from Maple Ridge was pronounced dead at the scene.
  “All available evidence points to this being a tragic
  
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• ‘Overwhelming, Heartbreaking’: Okanagan Humane Society overburdened by dog surrenders

  16-01-2026 20:30 via abbynews.com
  The Okanagan Humane Society (OHS) is facing an ‘unprecedented crisis’ two weeks into the new year, stretching its resources very thin.
  Just 15 days into the new year, OHS has taken in 42 dogs and puppies so far on top of their steady intake of kittens and cats.
  “We’ve started the year off with a bang,” said OHS executive director Romany Runnalls. “The need is immediate, overwhelming, and heartbreaking.”
  OHS has seen some of the most distressing cases in
  
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• Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar makes bid for B.C. Conservative leadership

  16-01-2026 19:02 via abbynews.com
  Peter Milobar, the former Kamloops mayor and current MLA for Kamloops Centre, is entering the race to be the next leader of the B.C. Conservative Party.
  Milobar wants to bring “full accountability” to government in B.C., he told media during his announcement in Victoria on Friday (Jan. 16).
  He said he wants to lead a Conservative party that is working to be an “effective opposition,” as well as to have the party taken seriously and “clearly demonstrate we are a gove
  
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• Mayor pleads for federal extension of EI program for displaced Crofton mill workers

  16-01-2026 18:41 via abbynews.com
  North Cowichan’s mayor wants the federal government to extend its temporary Employment Insurance program to include workers at the Crofton pulp mill who will be working until mid-April.
  In letters to Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu and Jeff Kibble, MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, Rob Douglas said the temporary EI measures that Ottawa introduced last summer in response to major economic conditions across the country, including mill closures, are set to expire on April 11.
  That&r
  
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• Vancouver’s Sarah Nurse returns from injury ahead of game against former team

  16-01-2026 18:33 via abbynews.com
  Star forward Sarah Nurse of the Vancouver Goldeneyes is back after suffering an upper-body injury during the first game of the season.Nurse had been on long-term injured reserve since suffering an upper-body injury during the first game of the season on Nov. 21. The announcement was made Thursday (Jan. 16) ahead of Saturday’s game, where Vancouver will take on Nurse’s former team, the Toronto Sceptres.
  Vancouver is scheduled to play Toronto at 12 p.m. PT/ 3 p.m. ET at the Scotiabank
  
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• Now 4 Bruno Mars concerts at BC Place Stadium, setting venue record

  16-01-2026 17:55 via abbynews.com
  Taylor Swift-level ticket demand means Bruno Mars will now be playing four concerts at B.C.’s largest stadium this fall, setting a record for most shows at BC Place on a single tour.
  His lengthy tour of North America and Europe was set to end Oct. 15 at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Live Nation Entertainment announced Jan. 8.
  But strong ticket demand during an “artist presale” Wednesday led to the announcement of a second concert for Mars at the 54,000-seat stadium, quickly fo
  
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• Now 4 Bruno Mars at BC Place Stadium, setting venue record

  16-01-2026 17:55 via abbynews.com
  Taylor Swift-level ticket demand means Bruno Mars will now be playing four concerts at B.C.’s largest stadium this fall, setting a record for most shows at BC Place on a single tour.
  His lengthy tour of North America and Europe was set to end Oct. 15 at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Live Nation Entertainment announced Jan. 8.
  But strong ticket demand during an “artist presale” Wednesday led to the announcement of a second concert for Mars at the 54,000-seat stadium, quickly fo
  
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• Police investigate homicide at Abbotsford hotel

  16-01-2026 16:06 via abbynews.com
  A man was arrested after a homicide at a hotel in Abbotsford on Thursday (Jan. 15).
  Abbotsford Police Department officers responded to a “suspicious circumstance” at a hotel in the 32100 block of Marshall Road at approximately 11:42 a.m.
  “Upon arrival, officers secured the scene and confirmed the incident was contained to a room within the hotel. Further evidence was quickly obtained, confirming the incident as a homicide,” the department said in a news release.
  The man a
  
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• VIDEO: Street crime, disorder prompts watchful eye over downtown Kelowna

  16-01-2026 16:05 via abbynews.com
  Downtown Kelowna streets are growing quieter as businesses face a surge in crime that owners say is driving customers away and putting staff at risk.
  Diners, shoe stores, book shops and even chocolate makers are just some of the downtown businesses that have been affected by crime and disorder, as people are becoming “more and more brazen,” according to one area representative.
  Todd Daniels, owner of Gallery Streetwear on Bernard Avenue, had his storefront broken into Jan. 2, and som
  
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• Canucks dumped 4-1 by Blue Jackets as losing skid reaches 9 games

  16-01-2026 05:00 via abbynews.com
  The skid continues for the Vancouver Canucks.
  The Canucks dropped their ninth straight game, falling 4-1 to the host Columbus Blue Jackets in NHL action Thursday at Nationwide Arena.
  Charlie Coyle, Kirill Marchenko, Zach Werenski and Kent Johnson scored for the Blue Jackets (21-19-7). Elvis Merzlikins earned the win in goal, stopping 30 shots.
  Brock Boeser scored the lone goal for Vancouver (16-25-5), his first marker since Nov. 28. Kevin Lankinen took the loss in net, making 32 saves.
  Coyle got
  
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• $10K fine upheld against Edgewood ostrich farm

  16-01-2026 03:00 via abbynews.com
  After losing all of their animals, Universal Ostrich Farm must also pay a $10,000 fine.
  The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued the fine and violation to the Edgewood farm after it failed to report an outbreak in the approximately 400 bird herd in December of 2024.
  The entire flock was ultimately killed due to the outbreak, but the farm contested the violation notice and attached fine with the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal.
  Tribunal chairperson Emily Crocco upheld the decision in
  
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• Okanagan’s En’owkin Centre receives federal funds for national arts program

  16-01-2026 02:00 via abbynews.com
  For over 20 years, the En’owkin Centre in Penticton has supported the education and development of Indigenous artists across Canada, and with recently announced funding, it will continue to do so for the next three.
  Kelowna MP Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, presented the Jan. 15 announcement at the En’owkin Centre on Sn’pnktn (Penticton) Indian Band on the behalf of Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture Marc Miller.
  The $960,000 in funding from th
  
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• Bishnoi gang news surprises B.C. premier on 1st day of India trip

  16-01-2026 00:36 via abbynews.com
  Premier David Eby said he was “incredibly concerned” to see news reports about an internal RCMP memo containing talk of an alleged link between the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and the Indian government right after he landed in the country on a trade mission.
  “It was challenging,” he said on a Thursday Zoom call with reporters. “We almost cancelled meetings here until we were able to see the full document.”
  Eby downplayed the significance of the information after see
  
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• Lonn Lawrence Kirschbaum

  16-01-2026 00:30 via abbynews.com
  April 22,1969 – January 2, 2026
  I am heartbroken to announce the sudden passing of my son Lonn at ARH following a brief illness.
  Predeceased by his dad on October 30, 2025, he is lovingly survived by his mother, Dorothy, son Tyler, daughter Ashley, five grandsons, and Lyrics, his cat. Cherished by his family and many friends, he was the joy of our lives.
  Lonn was a beloved Bowen Islander, part of the zest of old Bowen. ”….he had a good heart and will never be forgotten”.
  
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• B.C. paramedics union pursuing mandate to serve strike notice

  16-01-2026 00:30 via abbynews.com
  B.C.’s paramedics union is taking steps towards job action after last month’s breakdown in negotiations with the province.
  On Thursday, Jan. 15, the Ambulance Paramedics of BC (APBC)/CUPE 873 warned via social media that a looming provincewide strike vote could “seriously cripple our already fragile healthcare system.”
  “We need to return to the bargaining table – now,” said APBC, noting a disruption to paramedic services “risks serious impacts to 9
  
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• Four sex assault charges laid against Maple Ridge city councillor

  15-01-2026 23:45 via abbynews.com
  Maple Ridge city councillor Ahmed Yousef now faces four charges of sex assault, added to charges of common assault and firearms offences announced last year.
  On Jan. 15, in Port Coquitlam provincial court, the new charges were sworn against Ahmed Antar Yousef Mohamed. Three of the charges involve one complainant, and one charge is in relation to a different complainant.
  His first appearance on these matters is scheduled for Feb. 12, in Port Coquitlam provincial court.
  There is a ban on publishin
  
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• B.C. man charged after someone tried to set sleeping SkyTrain passenger on fire

  15-01-2026 23:00 via abbynews.com
  A 37-year-old Surrey resident has been charged in connection with a December 2025 alleged “unprovoked assault” on a man who was sleeping on the SkyTrain.
  On Dec. 16, a man was asleep on a SkyTrain that was travelling from Vancouver to Burnaby when the suspect “allegedly poured a liquid on the victim’s clothing and attempted to ignite it,” noted a Metro Vancouver Transit Police news release Wednesday (Jan. 14). “Several bystanders intervened, removed the suspec
  
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• Jail for recording minor in Penticton Community Centre changeroom

  15-01-2026 22:48 via abbynews.com
  ~Warning: This story contains references to child sexual abuse that may be upsetting to some readers.
  A Penticton man will spend 45 days in jail and 10 years on the sexual offenders registry for recording a video of a minor showering at the Penticton Community Centre in 2024.
  Zachary Nicholas Sarault, 24, appeared in Penticton Provincial Court on Jan. 14 to hear his fate after having previously pleaded guilty to the charges of secretly recording nudity in a private place and possession of child
  
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• Reece Howden breaks records, makes ski cross racing history

  15-01-2026 22:29 via abbynews.com
  The World Cup ski cross season has started, and Cultus Lake’s Reece Howden is already dominating the slopes.
  There were five races in December and he won three of them consecutively, and breaking world records in the process.
  Howden’s first win this season was in Arosa, Switzerland. He earned his 19th gold medal there, surpassing Jean-Frederic Chapuis (France) with 18.
  Howden was dominate, winning each of his heats.
  “That’s 19, right?” said a smiling Howden at the f
  
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• 17-year-old charged with manslaughter over 2024 teen overdose death in Prince George

  15-01-2026 22:18 via abbynews.com
  Prince George RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit has arrested a 17-year-old youth in relation to the fentanyl overdose death of a 16-year-old teen that happened over a year-and-a-half ago.
  On Jan. 13, 2026, members of the Prince George RCMP arrested the 17-year-old on a search warrant. The BC Prosecution Service has approved one charge of manslaughter in relation to the investigation.
  The 17-year-old was taken to court and was released on the conditions.
  “This is a tragedy, and our thoughts c
  
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