Vancouver Rundown

A new extortion task force is being set up in B.C. with one goal - targeting threats and violence in the South Asian business community. The RCMP-led task force will include 40 members from various agencies. Police say 45 extortion attempts and 27 shootings are under investigation in Surrey from this year alone. The Surrey Police Service says it’s very close to making arrests in this year’s shootings and arsons.

Public sector workers who support the B.C. mining sector are the latest to walk off the job as the BCGEU strike expands. Many of the workers are involved in safety and environmental regulation. The move comes as the two sides appear entrenched in their positions with the union pushing for a large wage increase and the government facing a huge budget deficit. In addition to the strike action, an overtime ban is now in place for provincial corrections workers.

B.C.’s provincial deficit is now pegged at $11.6B and expected to grow to $12.6B next year. That record high has been laid out by Finance Minister Brenda Bailey in her first quarter report. In addition to a loss in carbon tax revenue, Bailey says the province has seen decreases in revenue sources from natural gas, mining and forestry. The government continues to lay much of the blame on the Trump tariffs. Conservative Finance Critic Peter Milobar says the real issue is fiscal mismanagement.

Other news…

Surrey Police have not yet commented on whether a suspect has been identified in a shooting in a parking lot at Bear Creek Park. It happened just after 9:00 Saturday evening following a confrontation between two groups of people. The victim’s injuries are serious but a recovery is expected. Investigators are now seeking more witnesses and dashcam footage.

RCMP say two deadly Lower Mainland shootings over the past week are linked to B.C.’s gang conflict. Last Friday, 24-year-old Taran Pandher was found shot dead in a taxi near 200 Street and 53 Avenue in Langley. On Wednesday, 34-year-old Shahaib Abasi was gunned down outside the Burnaby McDonald’s at Still Creek, just north of Highway One. Both victims were known to police. RCMP say the gang landscape is complex and fluid with those responsible for the shootings showing a complete disregard for public safety.

The hunt continues for the person who shot and killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Kirk was shot in the neck Wednesday morning while taking questions during an outdoor speaking event at the university campus south of Salt Lake City. Two initial suspects have been cleared following their arrests. Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, is a friend and supporter of Donald Trump. He was 31-years-old.

Close to 4,000 B.C. public sector workers are now on strike with pickets up at 22 sites across the province. The Eby government continues to acknowledge its latest offer is below the rate of inflation but says the pay raises are above inflation if the previous three years are taken into account. BCGEU members in places such as Kelowna joined the pickets with one telling Black Press the government failed to live up to a promise last year to keep up with inflation.

Eight more cities, all outside the Lower Mainland, are now included in expanded picket action as the BCGEU strike enters its next phase. A B.C. Corrections office in Surrey will also be behind pickets on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the provincial government has tabled what it calls a final offer - a 4.5 per cent increase over two years consisting of both a wage increase and a cost-of-living allowance. Premier David Eby says the government wants a deal that fair to both public sector workers and B.C. taxpayers.

A high level B.C. gang member who escaped from the North Fraser pretrial jail three years ago has been arrested in Qatar. The Vancouver Sun reports Wolfpack gangster Robby Alkhalil was taken into custody on Friday. A month after he escaped, Alkhalil was convicted in absentia of the 2012 first degree murder of rival gangster Sandip Duhre. Despite a continuing investigation into the escape, no charges have been laid against those who helped Alkhalil flee.

Pickets are expanding as the BCGEU ramps up the province’s public service strike. The Vancouver office of the Ministry of Finance is now behind a picket line. Workers in Surrey, Victoria and Prince George remain off the job. The union says there’s no indication the government is prepared to return to the bargaining table with an improved offer. Premier David Eby says the government is not in a position to offer the wage hikes being sought by the BCGEU - he says union members already got a substantial wage increase in the last contract.

Pickets are expanding as the BCGEU ramps up the province’s public service strike. The Vancouver office of the Ministry of Finance is now behind a picket line. Workers in Surrey, Victoria and Prince George remain off the job. The union says there’s no indication the government is prepared to return to the bargaining table with an improved offer. Premier David Eby says the government is not in a position to offer the wage hikes being sought by the BCGEU - he says union members already got a substantial wage increase in the last contract.

Blame wildfire smoke and the warm, dry weather for the bad air around the Lower Mainland. A visible layer of haze will continue to hang for the next several days over the Fraser Valley, Metro Vancouver, Sea-to-Sky and other parts of B.C. Air quality advisories are in effect. Those bothered by the smoke are advised to stay indoors, close windows and use air filters.

Meanwhile, more than two days after a wildfire broke out in the hills next to the Coquihalla Highway, the blaze is so far out-of-control that the route between Hope and Merritt has...

The first round of job action by B.C. public sector workers has started. Pickets went up in Surrey, Victoria and Prince George as members of the BCGEU and the Professional Employees Association push for substantial wage hikes. Several ICBC offices are not open. The Royal B.C. Museum in Victoria is closed. While many of the workers are deemed ‘essential’ and likely won’t strike, others work for government liquor stores, cannabis outlets, social service agencies and more.

Close to 35,000 public service workers in B.C. are set to hit the picket lines Tuesday. Members of the BCGEU and about 1,800 members of the Professional Employees Association are now in a legal strike position following 72 hour notice. Both unions are pushing for higher wages. It comes as the provincial government braces for an $11B deficit this year.

Members of Canada’s largest general trades union have staged a Vancouver rally to push for greater efforts to save jobs amid U.S. tariffs. Close to 1,500 members of Unifor gathered near the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre calling on Canadians to protect jobs in the auto sector as well as those in key resource industries. Union members blame Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney for losing the leverage needed to push Donald Trump to drop his tariffs on many Canadian goods.

A carny has been killed after being hit by a ride in Prince Rupert. The worker was struck by a rotating cart on the Zipper during the first night of the Prince Rupert Summer Carnival. The company that operates the rides - Mission-based Shooting Star Amusements - says its worker was a ‘dear close friend’ and a ‘great man.’ WorkSafeBC, Technical Safety BC and the Coroners Service are investigating.

Other news…

Breaking News: A Wednesday evening stabbing in Mission has left a victim with life-threatening injuries. It happened at around 9:15 near the A&W on Lougheed H...

Kwantlen Polytechnic University is poised to layoff another 45 full-time staff members as international student enrollment takes a dive. Foreign enrollment is down 60 per cent from two years ago. KPU’s acting president blames the school’s money troubles on the federal government’s recent changes to visa rules. Domestic enrollment is also down by close to three per cent over the same period.

Mayor Ken Sim and his Vancouver civic party have broken the rules by holding secret meetings according to the city’s integrity commissioner. A damning report finds the mayor and seven councillors with ABC willfully breached the Vancouver charter by holding private discussions on two issues - the city’s climate plan and upgrades to Moberly Park. The ethics report follows a year long investigation. Sim has rejected the findings.

Numerous temperature records have been broken across the province after a late summer weekend of hot weather. On Saturday, Victoria reached 31.1C, breaking an August 23 record dating back to 1916, Other areas with record highs include Abbotsford, West Vancouver, Whistler and Pemberton. Lytton hit 38.6C - the warmest day for the date since 1958. The BC Wildfire Service remains on alert as this coming week promises more hot, dry weather across the province.

Voters will notice a new civic party in the next round of municipal elections. The B.C. Conservatives have filed the paper work allowing the party to be on the ballot in 15 of the province’s largest municipalities. There’s no word on the degree of alignment between the civic and provincial Conservatives but a party spokesperson says more information will be shared in the coming weeks including details about future plans.

The leader of the upstart One BC party has filed a private prosecution accusing a well-known pro-Palestinian activist of terrorism. Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Dallas Brodie - who broke away from the BC Conservatives - accuses Charlotte Kates of a variety of terrorism offences relating to statements made at anti-Israel protests in Vancouver. Outside the courthouse on Main Street, Kates’ supporters shouted, calling Brodie a fascist and right-wing bigot. Crown prosecutors will now review the court filing and decide whether to take any next steps.

The strike is over. Air Canada has resumed most of its flights now that a deal has been reached with its CUPE represented flight attendants. The four-year deal provides wage increases of between 16 and 20 per cent. Flight attendants will also receive some compensation for pre and post flight duties. The tentative deal still has to be ratified by members.

Mediated talks have restarted between Air Canada and its CUPE represented flight attendants. The Union says Air Canada contacted CUPE Monday night in the impasse over wages and pay for pre-flight work. The move also comes after labour leaders defied a second order to resume working. The strike has shut down most Air Canada flights in and out of the country’s major airports including YVR.

A stubborn fire that started early Sunday morning and burned through the day has destroyed most of an under-construction, residential/mixed-use building next to the future SkyTrain extension in Langley City. RCMP and the fire department are not commenting on the cause of the blaze at this point. Several businesses near Fraser Highway and 201 Street remained closed Sunday, including the Save-on-Foods next door.

B.C.’s South Coast is under a heavy rainfall warning as the weather takes a major turn. A frontal system has moved in which could bring up to 80mm of rain by the end of Friday. That’s prompted some concerns about possible flooding after weeks of dry weather - the BC River Forecast Centre has issued a high streamflow advisory for the North Shore mountains, Howe Sound, Sea-to-Sky and Pemberton.

Rain is in the forecast for Friday which may be good news as crews try to contain the huge and still growing Mount Underwood wildfire south of Port Alberni. The fire had reached 22 square kilometres by Wednesday morning. Parts of Port Alberni remain on evacuation alert. Meanwhile, the small town of Bamfield has been hit by a power outage as a result of the fire. The main road between Bamfield and Port Alberni is still closed.

That wildfire near Port Alberni has grown to at least 1,400 hectares as of early Tuesday afternoon. The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District has declared a local state of emergency as crews continue to fight the Mount Underwood fire from the ground and air. Bamfield Road is closed between Bamfield and Port Alberni. The China Creek Campground remains evacuated.

Breaking news…crews are working to contain a new and rapidly growing wildfire near Port Alberni. By late Monday evening, the Mount Underwood fire had grown to more than 150 hectares in the China Creek Marina area. On social media, Forests Minister Ravi Parmar says a BC Wildfire attack crew, air tanker, four helicopters, three unit crews and a Type 1 Incident Management Team had been sent in. Night-vision equipment has been used to follow through on the initial attack.

Heat warnings continue for parts of Vancouver Island and southern B.C. with temperatures expected to be in the high 30s in many areas. Sea-to-Sky, eastern and inland parts of Vancouver Island, and the Similkameen and South Okanagan are under warnings - cooling is not expected until late Tuesday. The Lower Mainland is not under any such warnings but eastern parts of the Fraser Valley may hit the low 30s.

BC Conservative Leader John Rustad says his party’s troubled fundraising campaign has been impacted by the last federal election. Rustad tells the Vancouver Sun a lot of people are just tapped out. The Conservatives only managed to raise $350,000 from April to the end of June. That’s half of what the NDP raised during that time period. The Conservatives are currently involved in a leadership review.

Some people forced from their properties due to the Wesley Ridge wildfire on Vancouver Island are now allowed back home. The partial downgrade of the evacuation order comes as crews make progress fighting the fire, which is about 540 hectares and burning 50 kilometres northwest of Nanaimo. Meanwhile, BC Wildfire crews will be surveying areas around the B.C. Interior Thursday after a new round of thunderstorms hit the Okanagan, Cariboo and Thompson-Nicola Wednesday.

Those attending one of B.C.’s most notable music festivals continue to be targeted by RCMP. Numbers released by the Mounties show 800 violation tickets were handed out to drivers during multiple road checks along the mountain passes leading to the Shambhala festival near Salmo in the West Kootenay. Another 83 people got drug-impairment charges. Almost half the tickets were for speeding but nine were for excessive speed, 11 for no insurance and 11 for unsafe vehicles. This is not the first year festival goers received tickets - last year, hundreds more were caught.

Hundreds of people have now been forced to evacuate as the Wesley Ridge wildfire on Vancouver Island continues to grow. It’s now well-over 500 hectares, out-of-control, and continuing to expand. Heavy equipment, planes and helicopters, specialists and more than 160 crew have been brought in. The area includes Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park and spots next to Highway 4. Drivers are being warned to prepare for sudden changes between Parksville and Port Alberni.

Meanwhile, smoke from the Wesley Ridge fire is starting to impact the air quality on Vancouver Island. Air Quality advisories have been posted for Nanaimo, Parksville, Qu...

Crews continue to contend with a growing number of wildfires around B.C. An out-of-control Vancouver Island fire has prompted an evacuation order for some properties on the north side of Cameron Lake. Highway 4 remains open between Nanaimo and Port Alberni.

Meanwhile, the Bear Creek wildfire next to Harrison Lake has grown to nearly 100 hectares. Some forestry roads in the area are closed to campers. Tourists are still able to visit Harrison Hotsprings.

And several new lightning-sparked wildfires are burning in Washington state, just south of the Canadian Okanagan. Smoke is visible from Osoyoos. Some...

Hot, dry weather seems to be a turning point as B.C.’s wildfire season ramps up. The wildfire south of Lytton has more than tripled in size to about 500 hectares. Three helicopters and 45 ground crew are working to contain the blaze which is about 10 kilometres south of the village. Evacuation alerts are in place for a few properties. Crews remain concerned about ash that has been falling in parts of Lytton.

Meanwhile, some campers have been told to leave as the Bear Creek wildfire near Harrison becomes a fire of note. It grew to at least 64 he...

Hot, dry weather seems to be a turning point as B.C.’s wildfire season ramps up. The wildfire south of Lytton has more than tripled in size to about 500 hectares. Three helicopters and 45 ground crew are working to contain the blaze which is about 10 kilometres south of the village. Evacuation alerts are in place for a few properties. Crews remain concerned about ash that has been falling in parts of Lytton.

Meanwhile, some campers have been told to leave as the Bear Creek wildfire near Harrison becomes a fire of note. It grew to at least 64 he...

Wildfire crews are on edge, concerned ash from a nearby fire could rain down on Lytton. A 200 hectare wildfire is burning south of Lytton as the village deals with dry conditions and temperatures nearing 40C. Evacuation alerts remain in place for properties on the west side of the Fraser River, across from Lytton. More than 60 wildfires are currently burning in B.C.

Heat warnings are posted for many B.C. areas outside of the south coast as temperatures are expected to soar above 30C for most of this week. Warnings are up for the Fraser Canyon, Cariboo, Okanagan Valley and West Kootenay. Some are bracing for temperatures as high as 37C. The Interior Health authority is advising the very old, very young, pregnant and homeless to be extra careful.

Three women have been arrested following a weekend stabbing at North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Quay. RCMP say the three were involved in a fight near the bus loop early Saturday morning. Two of the women in their 20s, along with another woman, suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious. Police say they all knew each other and there is no risk to the public.

The three miners trapped underground in northern B.C. are reported to have access to the natural flow of air according to the company. Drones have been assisting in rescue efforts at the Red Chris gold and copper mine near Dease Lake. The miners, employed by Hy-Tech Drilling, are in a refuge area that has enough food and water to supply 16 people for two days. Cave-ins trapped the miners on Tuesday.