Vernon councillor says city wading into 'culture wars' with 'divisive' rainbow crosswalk

by Liam Britten

A city councillor in Vernon, B.C., is accusing his colleagues of trying "to wade into the culture wars" by approving a pair of rainbow crosswalks in solidarity with the LGBTQ community.

Emotionally vulnerable children on the rise in B.C., study says

1 in 3 B.C. kindergarteners start school vulnerable in critical areas of development, according to a study released by UBC.

Discovery of Langley body 'a gruesome event,' says homicide team

Metro Vancouver's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is investigating the discovery of a body in Langley on Wednesday morning.

Liberals to introduce incentives to retrofit homes, rules for more net zero new homes

by Peter Zimonjic, Margo McDiarmid

This fall the Liberal government is expected to introduce changes to the national building code that will require builders to include more net zero homes while also introducing incentives for homeowners to retrofit their existing homes so they use less energy.

Climate change could harm relationships between predator and prey, says researcher

A new UBC study has found that extended summers and shortened winters can alter the relationship between great horned owls and the snowshoe hare, leading to the extinction of both.

Where to buy and set off fireworks in Metro Vancouver

by Maryse Zeidler

Firefighters across Metro Vancouver are warning Halloween revellers to comply with fireworks bylaws in their municipalities.

How to navigate Vancouver's bike lanes

As part of Bike to Work Week, a refresher on how to navigate Vancouver's bike lanes properly.

Aboriginal radio station to revive K'omoks language

by Deborah Wilson

A new radio station approved this month for the Campbell River area will broadcast a language fewer than two dozen people speak fluently.

Fired Vision Vancouver school board trustees allege education minister defamed them

Vision Vancouver trustees, who were fired Oct. 17, are demanding a retraction and apology from Education Minister Mike Bernier and B.C. School Superintendents Association president Sherry Elwood.

Former constituency staffer pleads guilty to stealing from MLA's office

by Richard Zussman

A former constituency staff member in MLA Rob Fleming's office has pleaded guilty to two counts of theft over $5,000. Marni Offman, through her lawyer Jeff Johnstone, entered the plea during a short court appearance in Victoria provincial court on Wednesday morning.

A new ice rink in Hazelton is more than a place to skate — it's 'a new sense of hope'

by Andrew Kurjata

Hockey players and ice skaters in Hazelton are celebrating news that the community will soon have a new indoor ice rink— after their previous arena had to be suddenly evacuated in the middle of a hockey practice last year.

Rock-y relationship: Did bickering diamond theft suspects visit Whistler?

by Jason Proctor

A Whistler jeweller says an Ontario couple suspected of stealing a $10,000 diamond in New Brunswick visited her store shortly before staff noticed that they had also been the victims of a jewelry swapping scam.

Majority of Canadians support legislation to ban distracted walking, poll suggests

by Lien Yeung

A new poll from Insights West suggests 66 per cent of Canadians would support laws forbidding distracted walking while using a cellphone.

City of Vancouver steps up enforcement on illegal short term rentals

by Farrah Merali

Just three weeks after the city of Vancouver announced its plan to regulate short term rentals, city inspectors say they're stepping up enforcement against illegal short term suites, including those advertised on sites like Airbnb.

Clown costumes banned in Prince George schools

by Andrew Kurjata

Schools in Prince George, B.C., have implemented a ban on clown costumes this Halloween following a recent police incident involving a picture of cartoon clowns with guns.

New Westminster police seek public help finding missing mom

by Michelle Ghoussoub

Thirty-two-year-old Florence Leung has been missing since Tuesday and may be experiencing postpartum depression

Walking can reduce memory loss in seniors, study says

by Roshini Nair

UBC researcher Teresa Liu-Ambrose new research shows that an hour of walking three times per week can help reduce cognitive impairment in the early stages of dementia.

Field, B.C., rock slide road closure costing trucking industry $75K a day

Supplies are running low for some people in the Field, B.C., area where a huge rock slide that came down on the Trans-Canada Highway Monday isn’t expected to be cleared away until Thursday evening.

Bountiful polygamists on trial for taking girl to U.S. to marry older man

A trial has begun in Cranbrook, B.C. for three people charged with transporting an girl across the U.S. border to marry a much older man.

Flu strain stronger, earlier this year, warns B.C. Centre for Disease Control

by Lien Yeung

A doctor and researcher from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control says this year's dominant H3N2 flu strain tends to lead to more deaths and hospitalization.

Target of racial tirade says he posted video to start dialogue

by Liam Britten

Real estate and business lawyer Ravi Duhra says even in 2016, racism is still alive in Canada, and an incident he recorded on video proves it.

Does the Surrey RCMP need a surveillance camera database?

by Jesse Johnston

Surrey's director of Public Safety Strategies was at a community forum collecting ideas for his comprehensive safety strategy when a business owner started to speak. After a couple of sentences, Waterhouse knew the man was on to something ...

Death of Burnaby man Tasered by police deemed accidental

by Kamil Karamali

A coroner's inquest looked into the death of Maurizio Facchin after RCMP tasered the 50-year-old man at a Burnaby apartment. Now, a jury has come up with three recommendations.

'Works well with others': Parents' input on report card overhaul sought by education minister

by Liam Britten

Big changes could be coming to report cards in the province and parents are being asked to weigh in.

Man crashes car into house during targeted shooting in Burnaby

by Gian-Paolo Mendoza

A man drove his car into the bedroom of a house during a targeted shooting in Burnaby early Wednesday morning.

Aboriginal, environmental groups to sue Canada over Petronas LNG project

by A. Ananthalakshmi

Aboriginal and environmental groups will file lawsuits on Thursday against the government of Canada to overturn the permit for a controversial $27 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in British Columbia.

Critics call for more social housing as Vancouver set to dismantle homeless camp

The City of Vancouver says outreach workers are helping about two dozen people move into a shelter after the homeless camp they were staying at was deemed unsafe.

Pivot Legal Society asks for B.C. police dog bite stats to be made public

The Pivot Legal Society is asking B.C.'s director of police services to release statistics on police dog use in light of an incident last month involving a Vancouver police dog that bit off a man's ear.

Moms and babies 'actually do very well' together in prison, researcher says

by Liam Britten

A researcher says mothers and their infants, when kept together, can thrive in prisons. They have special units built for them, and both mothers and their children seem to benefit.

Emotional ceremony marks anniversary of Tofino whale-watching tragedy

by Megan Thomas

Passengers who survived after a whale-watching boat capsized near Tofino, and family members of those who did not make it, hugged and shared tears during an emotional ceremony on the anniversary of the tragedy.

Trans-Canada west of Field, B.C., closed in both directions after rock slide

by David Bell

A section of the Trans-Canada Highway could be closed in both directions for up to three days after a rock slide west of Field, B.C., late Monday.

UVic students and faculty want after-school daycare cuts put into time out

by Liam Britten

UVic students, staff and faculty are upset an after-school care program at the university for their kids is being cut while they say little is being done for children under the age of three.

Photos 'Reconciliation tour' reveals dark history of Mission, B.C. school

by Rafferty Baker

A 'reconciliation tour' of St. Mary's school in Mission, B.C., took people deep into the troubled past that generations of Indigenous children were forced to live through.

Unanswered questions about mysterious illness leading to British Airways emergency landing

by Lisa Johnson

Officials are saying little about what sent 25 crew members to hospital and left about 400 passengers scrambling for flights. Here are five things we don't know about this emergency landing.

Forensic isotope analysis points cold case investigation north to Canada

by Mike Laanela

There is an old saying that you are what you eat, and it turns out it might hold the clue to unraveling the mysterious identity of a woman found dead nearly two decades ago in Wisconsin, who may have been raised in Canada.

Nutty intruder surprises Oak Bay couple

by Deborah Wilson

Christine Kiss could tell something was wrong the moment she and her husband arrived back at their Oak Bay home from a five-week vacation. An intruder had trashed the house, but instead of taking the silver they emptied the nut bowl next to the sofa.

Recap Ryan Dzingel's big night helps Senators blank Canucks

by Joshua Clipperton

Ryan Dzingel scored twice and Craig Anderson made 22 saves for his first shutout of the season and the 34th of his career Tuesday as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-0.

Pressure ramping up for feds, province to ensure world class spill response

by Richard Zussman

Nearly two weeks after a diesel spill on the coast near Bella Bella, B.C. NDP leader John Horgan has asked the federal government to 'immediately establish strategic spill response capacity for our coast to prevent future damage to our sensitive marine environment.

Grain cars tumble into Fraser River as train derails north of Yale, B.C.

by Justin McElroy

Crews are cleaning up after a train consisting of nine grain cars and two locomotives derailed in British Columbia's Fraser Canyon Tuesday afternoon.

Rising house prices pushing out young people, economist says

Scottish economist Duncan MacLennan says there are consequences when young people are pushed out of cities by rapidly rising house prices.

Missed the B.C. Beer Awards? Here are some winning brews to check out

Beer columnist Rebecca Whyman says there were a few surprises at this year's event and also a historic win.

'Like house arrest on a ship': legal limbo strands Korean crew in Canadian waters

The crew of the Hanjin Scarlett shipping container is headed for Vancouver after spending weeks stranded off the coast of Prince Rupert. The Korean and Filipino crew hasn't had fresh food or touched land in weeks, and their future is still unclear.

3 arrested in violent Vancouver pot shop robbery

Three men have been arrested in connection with a violent marijuana store robbery in Vancouver 10 days ago, while a fourth female suspect remains at large.

Criminal charges not recommended in party bus death of Langley woman

Vancouver police are not recommending criminal charges in connection with a party bus accident earlier this year that left a 23-year-old Langley woman dead.

Vancouver psychiatrist calls out lack of treatment options for at-risk youth

According to Vancouver psychiatrist Carl Wiebe, services for at-risk youth are expensive and extremely difficult to find.

Opposition critic calls for policy review after reports of Ellard pregnancy

After reports that convicted killer Kelly Ellard is pregnant, opposition public safety critic Tony Clement says the policy around prison conjugal visits should be reviewed for the safety of the child.

53-year-old arrested after Burnaby homeless camp stabbing death

One man is dead and another injured after a double stabbing at a Burnaby homeless camp Monday evening.

Surrey council green lights shelter despite concerns about location

by Jesse Johnston

Surrey city council plans to transform a two storey building wedged between an RCMP detachment and a grocery store into a low barrier winter shelter for the homeless.

B.C.'s new superintendent of real estate vows change

Micheal Noseworthy, who served a number of positions with the Yukon government, including superintendent of real estate, started this week.

Shoppers Drug Mart formally applies to distribute medical marijuana

by Pete Evans

Canada's largest pharmacy chain has formally applied to be a distributor of medical marijuana.