Vancouver Rundown

Premier David Eby is spending Thursday meeting with First Nations trying to get approval ahead of changing DRIPA - the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Chiefs invited to a virtual meeting are asking questions about watering down legal language that aligns B.C. with the UN Declaration. The BC Conservatives have attacked the NDP government over its handling of the issue.

A new mechanical issue has removed a BC Ferry from the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay run, two days after she was put back in service. An electrical problem on the Spirit of Vancouver Island forced the vessel to return to Tsawwassen Tuesday morning - cars had to back off the ferry to unload. The Spirit of Vancouver Island broke down over spring break - it’s unclear whether she will be back in service for the Easter long weekend.

A pilot has survived the crash of a small plane at Pitt Meadows Regional Airport. The Cessna 172N, owned by one of the flight schools, hit the runway during flight training circuits late Monday morning. The pilot was rushed to hospital with serious injuries - no one else was onboard at the time of the crash. The outer runway remained closed for most of Monday.

Documentary filmmaker Avi Lewis has been chosen the new leader of the federal NDP - replacing former Burnaby South MP Jagmeet Singh. Lewis, who is Jewish but an outspoken anti-Israel pundit, hasn’t held political office but has worked as a TV host and CBC journalist. He had two failed bids to become and NDP MP - one in West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky, the other in Vancouver Centre. Lewis is a self-proclaimed social democrat and also the son of former United Nations Ambassador Stephen Lewis.

The BC Conservative MLA for Richmond Centre has been kicked out of the party caucus. Hon Chan has been removed immediately after being charged with assault, assault by choking and uttering threats. The counts relate to an investigation into a domestic file dating back to January of 2024. Hon Chan disagrees with the allegations - a Special Prosecutor has been appointed. Hon Chan was a journalist and anchor for Fairchild TV before entering politics.

Using public transit in Metro Vancouver will cost a little more, starting July 1. TransLink has approved an average five per cent fare hike for buses, SkyTrain and SeaBus. An adult commuter who uses buses and SkyTrain to get from Cloverdale to Downtown Vancouver will now pay $6.70 for a three zone ticket - that’s $13.40 a day for a round trip. The TransLink board is also pushing for an increase in the transit portion of property taxes - one of half a dozen tax and levy streams it uses to raise cash from taxpayers.

A Tuesday windstorm has knocked out power for thousands of people in several parts of B.C. At one point, over 50,000 BC Hydro customers on Vancouver Island had to look for power alternatives. Other areas hit by high wind have included Prince George, the Peace region, the Cariboo, Thompson-Nicola and parts of the Central Coast. Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley have been mostly spared. BC Hydro Crews and contractors continue to work to restore power to all areas.

Two separate Sunday avalanches in northern B.C. have claimed four lives. Three heli-skiers died in a snow slide on Mount Knauss, north of Terrace, early in the afternoon. A fourth skier is being treated for serious injuries. A second slide, a few hours later, killed one person in a remote area near the B.C.-Alaska border. Four others survived that avalanche, unhurt.

Two hikers are injured, one critically, after sliding down a treacherous area on Brunswick Mountain, near Lions Bay. It happened on Saturday as a group of 14 hikers tried to make their way down the hill. Lions Bay Search and Rescue, along with North Shore Rescue, used the help of two helicopters to bring the hikers to safety. A doctor provided advanced medical care on the scene before the injured hikers were hoisted.

Several people had to be rescued and power was knocked out for close to 5,000 BC Hydro customers following a mudslide in Coquitlam. It happened shortly after 5:30 a.m. Thursday, hitting four homes and two industrial properties. Search and Rescue used a private helicopter to rescue eight people, two dogs and a cat on Pipeline Road, north of Upper Coquitlam River Park. The heavy rain also forced a temporary closure of the West Coast Express at Port Haney Station. The atmospheric river is responsible for several advisories along Metro Vancouver’s North Shore and in Sea-to-Sky.

Meanwhile, the Fr...

A flood watch is now in effect for the Fraser Valley as bands of heavy rain continue to hit parts of the south coast. The atmospheric river coincides with significant snow melt on area mountains - localized flooding is expected in areas like Chilliwack and Abbotsford. Some area trails are now closed and people are warned to stay away from fast flowing streams.

Premier David Eby is pushing back against the federal government’s planned expansion of the temporary foreign worker program. That plan would allow employers outside of urban centres to increase the number of lower paid TFLs until at least next year. Eby says it ties vulnerable workers to employers who often exploit them. He says there should be a path to permanent residency instead.

‘There’s no evidence of extortion’ - that’s what the Surrey Police Service says after a Surrey home was shot up early Monday morning. Police say the homeowner found bullet holes in his door and front window. He did not witness the shooting that occurred near 76th Avenue and 126A Street in the Strawberry Hill neighbourhood. While Surrey’s police chief claims extortion is on the decline now, there have been 77 reports of extortion so far this year.

A man’s been shot dead at a home in Surrey. It happened at around 1:30 a.m. Sunday as neighbours reported hearing gun fire. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests have been made. While there is no word on a motive for the shooting, it comes only days after Surrey Police Chief Norm Lipinski praised his force saying extortion related violence is on the decline.

The stabbed body of a Vancouver man has been found on a small sailboat off the coast of Belize. Thomas David Harmon, 72, was found on a catamaran - investigators in Belize say a woman rescued from the same boat claims Harmon suffered a heart attack but authorities found the stab wounds and indications of decomposition. Harmon’s son is reportedly making arrangements to return the body to Canada.

A Wednesday evening windstorm has knocked out power to thousands of BC Hydro customers in eastern parts of the Fraser Valley. By about 11: 30 p.m., crews had been trying to restore power for up to 35,000 customers as 100 km/h winds hit some areas. At least one home has been hit by a fallen tree in Mission. Fire crews have been dealing with numerous reports of downed power lines. The storm has dumped close to two feet of snow on parts of the Coquihalla Highway - blizzard conditions are responsible for several crashes.

At least 16 people have been checked out for smoke inhalation and 142 residents are displaced after that massive Monday evening fire at a retirement home in Mission. Crews are being praised for the massive evacuation effort as flames engulfed Chartwell Carrington Place on 7 Avenue. There were no serious injuries or fatalities but a woman, over 100 years old, was found on some stairs close to two hours after the fire started.

A huge fire has engulfed and destroyed a retirement home in Mission. Flames broke out at the Chartwell Carrington House on 7 Avenue early Monday evening and quickly spread to other buildings, prompting a massive response from Mission Fire Rescue as well as departments in Abbotsford, Maple Ridge and North Fraser. First responders and retirement home staff have been trying to determine whether all residents are accounted for. Many of the evacuees have been taken to the Mission Leisure Centre - at least one has been checked out by paramedics. There’s no official word yet on any victims. The Sa...

The Coquihalla Highway, north of Merritt, has reopened after being shut down for several hours on Sunday following a messy snow storm. Several people have been injured in a serious of crashes on Highway Five. Drivers say conditions changed quickly and switched between heavy snow, slush and rain. Environment Canada continues to warn drivers to beware of more snow and strong wind Monday and Tuesday.

An RCMP officer is injured but in stable condition after a police cruiser smashed into a utility pole and flipped at 208 Street and 74B Avenue in Langley late Thursday afternoon. Langley RCMP say the officer was responding to a call when it happened. No other vehicle crashed. The RCMP have not released any further details.

A ‘fireball’ meteor - that’s what NASA says thousands of people in parts of B.C. and Washington state witnessed on Tuesday evening. Experts say a meteor travelling through the earth’s atmosphere was responsible for the bright light and loud booms heard in many parts of the Lower Mainland including Coquitlam, Burnaby, Port Moody, Delta, Surrey and Langley. The meteor was likely no larger than a softball when it streaked across the sky, at about 9:10 p.m.

Breaking News: Thousands of people in parts of the U.S. Pacific Northwest and southwestern B.C., including Metro Vancouver, have reported seeing a flash of light and/or hearing a large boom. Those on social media say they heard or saw something at around 9:10 p.m. Tuesday evening - local amateur sky watchers say it may have been a meteor. It’s shown up on area seismographs. Nothing has been officially confirmed.

This weekend will be the last time those in B.C. move their clocks by an hour. Premier David Eby has announced this Sunday will mark a permanent move to daylight saving time. Eby says the twice yearly clock move has had a huge, unnecessary impact on the lives of British Columbians. The premier also says he hopes the U.S. Congress will now allow governors in the pacific time zone to make the same move.

Officials at the Indian Consulate in Vancouver have been linked to the June 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Temple. The Globe & Mail reports Canadian national security officers have been presented with that evidence. Nijjar was active in campaigning for a separate Sikh homeland . Prime Minister Mark Carney is currently in India trying to restore relations between Canada and the Modi government.

Over a dozen charges have been laid against a man in three kidnappings in four days in several Lower Mainland communities. Amritpal Singh, 28, is in custody on three counts of kidnapping as well as uttering threats, mischief using computer data, sexual assault with a weapon and various gun charges. The counts stem from four days of incidents last month in Pitt Meadows, Surrey and West Vancouver. Police will only say the victims where targeted through employment opportunities on an online platform.

An MLA from the Interior has scored a huge coup in the crowded BC Conservative leadership race - getting the backing of five members of caucus. Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar has been endorsed by Ward Stamer, Gavin Dew, Kiel Giddens, Brennan Day and Scott McInnis - all are from outside the Lower Mainland. Milobar faces ten other declared candidates seeking the leadership.

A backcountry skier has been killed in an avalanche in Sea-to-Sky country. RCMP say the avalanche happened near Joffre Peak, east of Pemberton. Search and Rescue reached the victim Tuesday afternoon and has been devising a plan to recover the body. This is the third avalanche death in B.C. in the past week.

Canadian based airlines are starting to resume scheduled flights to and from Mexico. That’s good news for the thousands of Canadian tourists stuck in violent hotspots like Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara. Many tourists have been sheltering in place since the weekend following fire bombings of cars, shops and buildings - an apparent revenge rampage linked to the killing of drug kingpin ‘El Mencho.’ More than 70 people have died since the violence broke out on Sunday.

Those from B.C., along with other Canadians, are sheltered in place as widespread violence breaks out across Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Cars have burned, blocking roads, and travellers have taken cover as heavily armed thugs seek revenge following the killiing of the Jalisco New Generation cartel boss - a man known as El Mencho. YVR and other airports across Canada have cancelled flights to the tourist destination. Global Affairs is warning Canadians in PV to shelter in place. Travel to Mexico is not advised.

The BC Human Rights Tribunal has ordered former Chilliwack school trustee Barry Neufeld to pay $750K in a long standing hate speech complaint. Neufeld has been ordered to compensate LGBTQ+ teachers for his public attacks on gender-identity education - something which the Tribunal says created a ‘poisoned’ work environment. The Chilliwack Teachers’ Association, along with the BCTF, filed the complaint back in 2017.

Close to three dozen B.C. healthcare workers snooped into the medical records of the victims being treated following the Lapu Lapu Festival attack. A report from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for B.C. finds close to half of those injured had their privacy breached while being treated at various hospitals and healthcare facilities. The Commissioner is recommending Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health institute stronger measures to prevent future breaches. On April 26 last year, the driver of an SUV hit a crowd of people leaving the festival - 11 people died and 30 others were hurt. <...

Increased taxes, cuts to the public sector and more debt - it’s all part of the Eby government’s provincial budget. This year’s 2026 budget does include new funding for core services in education and health care but at the expense of many other programs. Thousands of public service jobs will be cut. At $9.6B, the budget is also down a bit from the last quarterly forecast of $11.2B. The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade is giving this year’s budget a D.

A tough, unpopular budget. That’s the strong hint from Victoria as the B.C. government gets set to deliver its provincial budget Tuesday. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey says tough decisions have to be made but there will not be any cuts to core services. The Eby government has delivered three deficits in a row and nearly doubled the provincial debt in as many years. The BCGEU reached a contract deal with the government last fall that gives public sector workers a 3 per cent wage increase in each year. The BC Teachers Federation is said to be very close to...

I carry a sorrow - that’s what the father of the Tumbler Ridge shooter is saying following the mass shooting in the north eastern B.C. community. Justin Van Rootselaar says “words feel far too small for the sorrow we carry together.” He’s offered his condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. Nine people, including shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar died in the shootings at his family home and Tumbler Ridge Secondary.

Hundreds of people have attended a Wednesday evening candlelight vigil in Tumbler Ridge - the north eastern B.C. community rocked by a mass shooting Tuesday afternoon. Eighteen-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar’s victim’s include the shooter’s mother and stepbrother - killed at home - and five students and an educator who were shot dead at Tumbler Ridge Secondary. Van Rootselaar later died by suicide. More than two dozen others are still recovering from various wounds. Premier David Eby promises he’ll get answers to questions about the shooter’s mental health and police interaction history. Thursday has been decla...

At least ten people, including a suspect, are dead after a mass shooting in the north eastern B.C. community of Tumbler Ridge. More than two dozen others are injured - some seriously. RCMP say six people were found dead inside Tumbler Ridge Secondary School while another died enroute to hospital. It’s believed the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. That part of the mass shooting happened during school hours on Tuesday and shortly after two people were found dead at a nearby home. Unconfirmed reports suggest the two are family members of the suspect. An alert, is...

The B.C. Greens are ending their co-operation agreement with the Eby NDP government. Green Leader Emily Lowen says the move comes after the New Democrats failed to follow through on two thirds of their promises made during the Co-operation and Responsible Government Accord (CARGA). This leave the NDP vulnerable as it governs with a single seat majority. It’s also sparked a new round of speculation about a possible provincial election call.

Fewer and fewer drivers are crossing the border into Washington state from Lower Mainland crossings. According to the Whatcom Council of Governments, January had a 32 per cent drop in southbound trips over the same month last year at the Peace Arch, Pacific Highway, Lynden and Huntingdon-Sumas crossings. Close to half of the 60 Bellingham area businesses surveyed report losses due to a decline in B.C. visitors. Many call the drop - devastating. Experts blame the decline on outrage over the Trump White House’s policies on both domestic and international issues, including tariffs.

The debt riddled B.C. government is getting ready to offer early retirement incentives to public servants. The BC Public Service Agency says each ministry is looking to find efficiencies which could require restructuring or consolidation. The review comes as the province struggles to control its $11.2B deficit. A hiring freeze remains in place in certain areas of government.

Former anti-gang cop Paul Dadwal will lead B.C.’s community panel on extortions. The move comes following the provincial government’s promise to crack down on South Asian extortion violence in Surrey and other communities. Dadwal is recently retired from the RCMP and now works as a private security consultant. He was a key figure in the Surrey Six investigation and trial.