New Better chance of CPR in Chinatown and Richmond, UBC study finds

by Roshini Nair

A new UBC study finds the chance of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Metro Vancouver depends on where the incident takes place.

Baby, it's cold outside! Temperatures plunge across B.C.

by Mike Laanela

High pressure ridge pushing down from Arctic means weather outside is frigid across much of B.C.

Potato chips recalled due to possible salmonella contamination

Check your snack cupboards — a brand of potato chip is being recalled due to possible salmonella contamination.

Eastbound West Coast Express delayed 80 hours over last 47 days, says TransLink

by Liam Britten

“Unfortunately, despite assurances from CP, the situation has not yet improved … we continue to strongly advocate to CP and have appealed to the federal government to help press for an immediate fix,” TransLink writes in a letter to passengers.

Christmas gift drive for Downtown Eastside pets

by Clare Hennig

Charlie’s Toy Drive collects gifts for low income and homeless pet owners.

Canada 'falls short' in treating First Nations patients, says country's 1st female Indigenous surgeon

Dr. Nadine Caron is Canada's first female Indigenous surgeon. Working out of Prince George, B.C., she's known to be outspoken about racism in Canada's health-care system and is trying to change the way we handle Indigenous patients through culturally competent care.

Site C dam project forces expropriation of B.C. family farm this spring

A farmer in northeast British Columbia is still hopeful that he'll get to stay in his home, despite an announcement by BC Hydro that the company plans to seize the property to make way for a controversial hydroelectric project.

Around 200 garter snakes get new den near Williams Lake

by Jenifer Norwell

Around 200 garter snakes are hibernating in a newly created den just outside of Williams Lake.

Invasive plants make wreaths, and money, for Saanich, B.C., students

Grade 6 students in Saanich, B.C., turned invasive plants into profits by fashioning them into Christmas wreaths and selling them.

Victoria's Our Place faces squeeze as donations drop

by Deborah Wilson

Victoria's Our Place Society has seen a dramatic growth in services provided to poor and homeless people, and an equally dramatic decline in resources to do it with.

Fire Chief says attic sprinklers would have helped prevent Langley blaze

by Jesse Johnston

Langley’s Fire Chief says Sunday’s massive blaze at an apartment complex near 56 Avenue and 201A Street would have had a much different result if there were sprinklers on the top floor balconies and in the attic.

RCMP in Okanagan use 'bait mail' to track down stolen mail

by Brady Strachan

RCMP investigators along with Canada Post Postal Inspectors used "bait mail" to track down a man and a woman in possession of mail allegedly stolen from a community mail box in Peachland, B.C.

Your call is important to us: why you should be nice to call centre agents

by Liam Britten

“It’s tough to be in that mindset when you’re frustrated and upset and you’ve been in the rain on hold for 20 minutes, but we see there’s a benefit on the customer service side of things if you change your approach,” says researcher.

Photos 'Satellite emergency department' to treat DTES overdose patients

by Rafferty Baker

A Mobile Medical Unit has been set up in the heart of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, where the opioid overdose crisis hitting British Columbia is especially pronounced. The facility will treat people from the neighbourhood who are suffering overdoses.

Porsche-driving 'perfectionist' loses case to recover cost of repainting his sports car

by Gavin Fisher

A self-described perfectionist who paid out of his own pocket to have his Porsche fully repainted after an accident — because he wasn't happy with the ICBC-approved repairs — has lost his civil claim to recover the costs of his self-funded fixes.

Large sewer main break in Kamloops forces downtown closures

by Justin McElroy

Roads are closed and the public has been warned after a large sewer main broke in the City of Kamloops, B.C. on Monday afternoon.

Chetwynd residents help out neighbours in struggling Tumbler Ridge during difficult holiday season

by Andrew Kurjata

Organizations in Chetwynd are raising money for the Tumbler Ridge food bank as the northeast B.C. municipality continues to struggle with high unemployment.

B.C. takes 'extraordinary measure' of making temporary overdose prevention sites legal

by Richard Zussman

B.C. Health Minister Terry Lake has taken what he is calling "the extraordinary measure" of signing a ministerial order making the provincial operation of temporary overdose prevention sites legal. Lake has the authority due to the earlier declaration of a public health emergency.

Heart surgery patients in B.C. warned of potential infection

by Justin McElroy

The Provincial Health Services Authority is warning 21,000 people who, since 2011, have had heart surgery, heart transplant or lung transplant surgery in B.C. of a small risk of infection.

Ryan Reynolds dedicates Critics' Choice award to Connor McGrath, Grace Bowen

Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds dedicated his Critics' Choice Award for Entertainer of the Year to the memory of two children who died from cancer.

Vancouver's a coffee town, but good things brewing at tea spots

If you need a break from the pace of the holidays, consider going for afternoon tea at one of these places.

Family appeals for help to find missing Alaska man in northern B.C.

Anthony Adevai, 70, was last seen Nov. 29 in the Dease Lake, B.C., area. His relatives in Oregon fear he may have been suffering from dementia, and are now offering $10,000 for any information that leads to his safe return.

Monday December 12, 2016

As It Happens 'Business we don't want': Funeral director in B.C. sees more fentanyl-related deaths

A funeral director in British Columbia says he's increasingly planning funerals for families who have lost relatives to fentanyl overdoses. As It Happens host Carol Off speaks with John Romeyn in Aldergrove.

Stranded skiers rescued after spending night on B.C. mountain feel 'really stupid'

by Karin Larsen

Two skiers who spent a night stranded in a treacherous gully near B.C.'s Cypress Mountain Resort feel "really stupid" for skiing out of bounds.

Alex Fraser Bridge re-opens in both directions

The Alex Fraser Bridge has reopened in both directions, with just the right-hand southbound lane remaining closed, according to the province.

All-Native Basketball tournament bans political messaging

Players coming to the All-Native Basketball tournament have been asked to leave the politics at home, according to a letter sent by tournament organizers in anticipation of the February event in Prince Rupert, B.C.

Victoria police seize guns, drugs, stolen goods

by Megan Thomas

Victoria Police have seized guns, drugs and stolen goods in what the force calls one of the largest property seizures in the department's history.

Liberals to make safe injection sites easier to open and fentanyl harder to smuggle into Canada

by Peter Zimonjic, Matthew Kupfer

Health Minister Jane Philpott and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced legislation today that will speed up the process for opening new safe-injection sites as part of a new national drug strategy.

One stop shop for youth mental health launches in Kelowna

by Jaimie Kehler

Premier Christy Clark helped launch Foundry Kelowna on Monday, a new integrated youth-service centre for kids and teens in need of mental health care and social services.

Board games the perfect holiday diversion, hobbyist says

by Roshini Nair

Paul Dean, co-founder of a web series that reviews board games, talks about the resurgence of the popular pastime — and shares his Christmas gift picks.

Will it ever end? More snow on B.C. South Coast sends people to social media

After 1,000 days without real snow, Metro Vancouver is more than making up for it over the past week.

Lionel Richie, Mariah Carey playing Vancouver in 2017

The duo announced their "All The Hits" concert tour will stop at Rogers Arena on April 27.

Animal cancer patients to keep getting cancer drugs in Kamloops

by Jenifer Norwell

A Kamloops vet is celebrating after finding out the Interior Health Authority will not stop providing chemotherapy drugs for pets on Jan. 2, 2017.

Jetboaters rescued from frigid waters after boat capsizes near Prince Rupert

by Wil Fundal

Two young people were rescued from the waters of Prince Rupert after their jet boat capsized Sunday afternoon.

David Suzuki says economy cannot trump environment

by Roshini Nair

Environmentalist David Suzuki says the federal approval of Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline and Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline expansion projects is "just crazy."

B.C. health minister to tour 'emergency room on wheels'

Health Minister Terry Lake will tour a mobile medical unit set to provide emergency services to people who overdose.

Photos More snow means school closures as cold snap continues

by Mike Laanela

Another round of snow fell on Metro Vancouver and other parts of the South Coast this morning — and it's likely to stick around for the rest of the week.

Crews work late to fix breaks along Granville Island water main

Crews fixed the broken water main at Granville Island by late Sunday evening.

Highway 1 near Revelstoke reopens after multiple accidents

Highway 1 near Revelstoke, B.C., has reopened after being closed in two locations Sunday due to accidents.

Car stolen? It may still cost you, as Kamloops man finds out

by Maryse Zeidler

A man in Kamloops, B.C., is warning vehicle owners about the perils of opting out of theft insurance after being told he has to foot the hefty bill to recover his pickup truck, which was stolen months ago.

Child-care costs rising rapidly in Canada's biggest cities, study finds

by Jacqueline Hansen

Average Canadian child-care costs are climbing three times faster than inflation — up eight per cent since 2014 — and that could mean an extra $1,000 a year for parents in cities where daycare is most expensive, a new report says.

GO PUBLIC 'My stomach dropped': Artist discovers 'stolen' work on shirts being sold at Winners

by Rosa Marchitelli

Artist Jody Edwards couldn't believe her eyes when she walked into her local Winners and saw a rack full of shirts with her artwork on them. She later discovered that even though the tops were being sold at big department stores across the country, she'll likely never get cent from those sales.

Kelowna, B.C., waterfront park getting a facelift

by Brady Strachan

People in Kelowna, B.C., are getting a look at the redesign plan for Kerry Park, the waterfront park at foot of the city's main street. The plan is being presented to city council Monday.

Rescue attempt for 2 out-of-bounds skiers left overnight on Cypress

by Chad Pawson

Rescuers are flying out this morning to try and pluck two out-of-bounds skiers from Tony Baker Gulley near West Vancouver's Cypress ski resort.

It's about to get easier to set up supervised drug injection sites in Canada

by Catherine Cullen

In the midst of an opioid crisis that has claimed thousands of lives, the federal government is going to make it easier to set up supervised drug injection sites.

Victoria family thankful for donations following devastating fire

by Megan Thomas

A Victoria family that lost everything in a townhouse fire last month is saying thank you. The Modestes and their five children are back on their feet thanks to donations from the community.

Classes cancelled for Chilliwack students on Monday

The Chilliwack School District says all of its schools will be closed to students on Monday due to continued snowfall in the area.

Pit Bulls, mysterious beluga deaths: 2016's news-making creatures

by Liam Casey

2016 saw numerous animals become the centrepiece of high-profile court proceedings and political hot potatoes.

Mom's desperate search for missing daughter too common among Vancouver's many missing

by Chad Pawson

Paula Bali continues to search the streets of Vancouver for her 17-year-old daughter Mekayla who went missing from Yorkton, Sask., eight months ago. It's a plight for many families, as Vancouver police say they receive 4,500 missing person files per year.

Customers run Ladner, B.C., comic shop after owner injured in serious car accident

by Matt Meuse

When the regulars at Dave's Pop Culture in Ladner, B.C., heard that Dave Strutt — the store's owner and only employee — had been in a head-on collision with a semi truck, they decided to keep it open for him during the busy holiday shopping season.