B.C. spent $780,000 on scrapped HST mailer The B.C. Liberal government spent $780,000 to create and print an HST pamphlet it planned to mail to each house in the province, but has since scrapped. New Democratic Party leader Carole James said the scrapped pamphlet was a huge waste of money. 9/2/2010 8:42:07 AM
Grey whale delights West Vancouver Seawalk strollers West Vancouver residents out for a morning stroll along the Seawalk were treated to the sight of an unusual visitor Monday morning as a grey whale was spotted just off the shore at both Ambleside and Dundarave.The grey whale was first spotted Sunday morning off English Bay. 9/2/2010 7:57:23 AM
B.C. government adopted HST despite warnings of negative impact on the economy The B.C. Liberal government pushed ahead with the harmonized sales tax despite warnings from high-level officials that it could lead to at least five years of increased unemployment, lower wages and depressed productivity. (Ed: And holding talks 2 months BEFORE the election.) 9/2/2010 7:48:58 AM
Canucks' Luongo contract could be void on Friday: Report The NHL could move to void Roberto Luongo's contract as soon as Friday, a report revealed late Wednesday. The NHL and the NHLPA appear on a collision course over Ilya Kovalchuk's latest deal and Luongo's contract is being offered up as collateral damage. 9/2/2010 7:21:41 AM
Another BC gov't flip-flop: $7M added to Arts Council budget B.C. Culture Minister Kevin Krueger has found an additional $7 million for the B.C. Arts Council. He's been under fire since B.C. Arts Council chair Jane Danzo resigned Aug. 11, saying the cuts to arts funding in B.C. were hurting the province's rich cultural legacy. 9/2/2010 6:37:30 AM
B.C. discussed HST with Ottawa before election, documents show Two months before British Columbians went to the polls last year, Ottawa provided government officials in British Columbia with detailed information on the structure of the harmonized sales tax agreement with Ontario - a document that would hold the keys to a pact with B.C. 9/1/2010 5:43:01 PM
Vancouver City staff politicized, worn down by aggressive council agenda: memo The Vision Vancouver administration at City Hall is implementing its agenda so aggressively that staff morale has plummeted and many fear the civil service is in danger of becoming politicized, according to the association representing more than 700 non-union employees. 9/1/2010 1:16:33 PM
Doda seized at B.C. flower shop Police in Delta, B.C., have seized six kilograms of the highly addictive opiate doda. A raid on a flower shop in the municipality south of Vancouver also turned up 15 kilograms of opium poppy seed for planting and 10 large boxes of dried opium poppy seed cases from which doda is produced, police say. 9/1/2010 12:26:40 PM
Vancouver: Soggy Tuesday washes away rain records The rain that deluged Metro Vancouver yesterday washed out a record. With more than 50 millimetres of precipitation, it was the wettest August day ever recorded for the region. Until yesterday, there'd been only 15 millimetres of rain all summer long. 9/1/2010 12:22:06 PM
Sarah Palin to speak in Vancouver in October Former Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin is one of six international speakers who will be coming to Vancouver in coming months on the invitation of the Bon Mot book club. Palin will appear at the Vancouver Club for the Oct. 13 event. 9/1/2010 7:48:26 AM
Pavers threaten non-payers with bombings, sex assaults A group of contractors repairing driveways in the Fraser Valley have allegedly threatened clients who don't pay for work with sexual assault, IRA-style bombings and the killing of livestock, say police. Two separate incidents in Abbotsford and Langley involve the same construction contracting company. 9/1/2010 7:37:55 AM
Restaurants continue to struggle under HST The latest news from Statistics Canada on the state of the restaurant business is likely to represent the calm before the storm. "Now we are hearing the average decline in the industry in B.C. is around at least 10 per cent. We know July was bad and August will be the same." 8/31/2010 7:20:26 PM
Victoria Fringe Festival breaks attendance records Attendance at this year's Victoria Fringe Festival has been "stellar" so far, a gleeful-sounding producer Ian Case said Monday. "We have broken records for the festival's 24-year history every single day of the festival so far." 8/31/2010 7:16:34 PM
B.C. sockeye estimate upped to 34 million The estimate for the sockeye salmon return to B.C.'s Fraser River has been increased again, with the run expected to reach 34 million fish. The latest estimate, made Tuesday, comes from the Pacific Salmon Commission, the federal body responsible for the fish count. 8/31/2010 6:54:37 PM
Man shot dead in Surrey, three suspects arrested A quiet North Surrey street was behind reams of police tape Tuesday morning as officers investigated a murder. Surrey RCMP were called to a disturbance at a home in the Bolivar Heights neighbourhood around 11 p.m. Monday. A neighbour said she heard a gunshot around 10:40 p.m. 8/31/2010 4:41:11 PM
B.C. churches volunteer to house Tamil migrants Parishioners at St. Catherine's Anglican and Trinity United churches in the Vancouver suburb of Port Coquitlam are planning to help a Tamil family settle in the city by paying one month's rent and linking them to local social services. 8/31/2010 8:04:02 AM
It's not a tall tale: West Coast forests are world's highest A new study using laser pulses has found that the world's tallest forests are those along the coasts of B.C. and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The temperate forests of Douglas fir, Western hemlock, redwoods and sequoias that stretch from northern California into British Columbia easily reach more than 40 metres (130 feet). 8/31/2010 7:40:53 AM
Hundreds of dolphins make themselves at home in waters of southwest B.C. When the first white-sided dolphin showed up in Echo Bay in the Broughton Islands about 13 years ago, Billy Proctor had no idea what it was. Proctor, who grew up in the Broughtons, near the north end of Vancouver Island, had never seen one of the mammals before. Now he sees hundreds. 8/31/2010 7:32:17 AM
29 charges laid in fatal Langley mushroom farm gas leak Relatives of three men who died and two others who were severely disabled in a gas leak two years ago on a Langley mushroom farm are pleased that charges have been laid in the case — but said even the maximum penalty of six months against the farm operators wouldn’t be enough to end the pain caused by the tragedy. 8/31/2010 7:28:54 AM
Search for missing camper suspended After an intensive 12-day rescue effort, authorities have suspended the search for missing hiker Tyler Wright. The decision was made on Sunday night after a final day of searching rocky West Coast mountain terrain turned up no sign of the 35-year-old. 8/30/2010 7:18:53 AM
Chilliwack: Amber Alert cancelled: Boy found, father in custody British Columbia RCMP cancelled an Amber Alert on Sunday after a 12-year-old boy was found in Surrey, B.C. Authorities said the boy was abducted from Chilliwack early on Sunday afternoon. RCMP said the boy and his father were found later in the day. 8/29/2010 11:06:37 PM
Man shot in targeted attack at Surrey temple wedding One man was shot at the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Surrey Saturday afternoon, in what RCMP say was a targeted shooting. One adult male has been taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries as a result of a gunshot wound in the “lower extremity." 8/29/2010 9:41:46 AM
Whiterock, B.C.: Boil water advisory extended into next week White Rock residents are being advised that a boil water advisory, previously set to end on Sunday, will likely extend into next week. Scott Lundy of EPCOR says crews are no longer expected to finish sanitizing the larger Merkland reservoir by Sunday night. 8/29/2010 9:32:52 AM
Pitt Meadows man charged with cruelty against pet Pekingese dog A Pitt Meadows man has been charged with animal cruelty after he allegedly abused his seven-month-old Pekingese, Bosco. A veterinarian alerted B.C. SPCA after a man brought in the dog to his clinic suffering from a broken hip and two fractured hind legs. 8/29/2010 7:29:45 AM
'Ultimate salmon' packs the docks and boardwalks of Steveston The docks and boardwalks of Steveston were literally packed to the gills Saturday as fishermen unloaded their bountiful hulls before the hungry, cash-wielding crowds. The fish that had crowds queuing for as long as two hours Saturday morning was the freshly caught Fraser River sockeye salmon. 8/29/2010 6:46:34 AM
Steven Fonyo marries girlfriend on beach that bears his name After months of off-again, on-again plans, Steven Fonyo and Lisa Greenwood tied the knot on the beach that bears his name Saturday afternoon. “It will work out. I kept hearing that from Steve,” Greenwood said afterwards. “And the day did work out.” (Ed: Now give him back his Order of Canada.) 8/29/2010 6:25:01 AM
Use of opiate doda spreading in B.C.: experts Consumption of the opiate doda, an illegal and addictive concoction made from dried poppy pods, is out of control in Metro Vancouver's South Asian community, say experts in Surrey. Dr. Gulzar Cheema said doda is currently sold under the counter in many pawnshops, video stores and other retail outlets. 8/28/2010 7:42:55 AM
Worker killed in Burnaby crane collapse One person is dead and two seriously injured after an accident on a construction site in Burnaby, B.C., on Friday. A small crane on the back of a lumber truck failed, dropping its load on to the workers, around 4 p.m. at a residential construction project. 8/28/2010 6:54:33 AM
Human foot found on Washington state beach A human foot has been found washed up on a beach in Washington state, police say. The foot was found Friday by a person walking on Whidbey Island, about 100 kilometres south of Vancouver, according to a release from Det. Ed Wallace of the Island County Sheriff's Office. 8/27/2010 8:17:19 PM
Straight-talkin' Aussie a thorn in BC Liberals hide Auditor-General John Doyle, accounting's version of the Thunder From Down Under, just keeps slamming the B.C. government the way the late, great Steve Irwin used to toss around uncooperative crocodiles. And the government keeps taking shots back at this number-crunching Aussie-with-an-attitude. 8/27/2010 6:33:50 PM
Update: Abbotsford police investigate suspicious temple fire Abbotsford Police are investigating after a suspicious fire at a temple in the 31900-block of Townshipline Road Thursday morning. Police said they attended with fire-rescue crews at about 4 a.m. and found the temple fully engulfed in flames. There were no injuries reported. 8/27/2010 6:26:13 PM
Police caution drivers as BC traffic fatalities now total five in last 24 hours B.C. roads claimed another life early Friday in Agassiz — for a total of five fatalities in 24 hours across B.C. A 31-year-old man driving a Pontiac Sunfire was killed after trying to pass on Highway 7. He crossed into the southbound lane and collided head-on with a tractor-trailer. 8/27/2010 6:16:00 PM
2 in B.C. linked to Facebook child porn bust A former Vancouver private school teacher and a resident of Kelowna, B.C., have been linked by police to an international child pornography ring that operated through Facebook. In total, 11 people were arrested, including six in Britain and three in Australia, police in Australia said Friday. 8/27/2010 5:58:32 PM
Fire destroys Abbotsford Sikh temple An Abbotsford Sikh temple destroyed by fire early this morning (Thursday) has a history that dates back to the 1940s, when it was a small prairie chapel. The blaze has been deemed suspicious by investigators. The building has since been used as a Sikh worship centre with a residence for the priest. 8/27/2010 6:43:38 AM
Port Alberni: Martin Mars Waterbomber’s back The Martin Mars waterbomber is back home at Sproat Lake. The Hawaii Mars announced its return Tuesday afternoon, circling the city before landing at its home base. The waterbomber and its crew of nine had been in the Bulkley-Nechako area, fighting fires in B.C.’s Interior. 8/26/2010 6:55:45 PM
.Massive opium poppy bust in Chilliwack is Canadian record (Video) RCMP made what they said was the largest opium poppy plant bust in Canadian history on Monday, when they discovered a seven-acre field containing an estimated 60,000 plants in rural Chilliwack. When police arrived they found two males tending to the field. 8/26/2010 1:47:46 PM
B.C. MLAs tackle Citizen's HST petition Sept. 8 The B.C. Liberal government should accept the people's verdict quickly and make a deal with Ottawa to get out of the harmonized sales tax. That's the message from an NDP member of the committee that has until December to decide what to with B.C.'s first successful citizen initiative. 8/26/2010 1:42:43 PM
Fishermen 'excited' for largest sockeye salmon run in nearly a century Fishermen are all geared up for the largest Fraser River sockeye run in nearly a century, but many say this will not help the struggling industry recover. "It's bittersweet for sure," said fisherman David Secord. 8/26/2010 7:13:55 AM
Teen dies in SUV leap in West Vancouver A West Vancouver teenager has died after jumping from a moving SUV driven by her mother, police say. Murphy Patricia Delesalle, 16, went into full cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital but could not be saved, said a West Vancouver police spokesman. 8/26/2010 7:06:22 AM
Auditor general weighs in on B.C. school budget war Cash-strapped school districts are laced into an accounting straight jacket that is preventing them from using $1 billion in marooned cash, B.C.'s auditor general has found. John Doyle's report found that most of them are holding more cash and short-term investments than they need. 8/26/2010 7:03:51 AM
White Rock mayor rejects move to chlorination Six days of boiling water in an E. coli outbreak has not been enough to persuade White Rock’s mayor that the city should turn to chlorination. Mayor Catherine Ferguson said residents have a long history of resisting chlorine in their water. 8/25/2010 7:11:21 AM
Largely ignored investigator, Kim Rossmo, finds little solace in Pickton report His early warnings that a serial killer was stalking women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside — warnings that were largely ignored by his Vancouver police bosses at the time — have now been called “uncannily accurate” by that same police department. 8/25/2010 6:57:07 AM
Vancouver man annihilates Grouse Grind record To his friends, Sebastian Salas is known as something of a mountain goat. But even they were surprised Tuesday when he shattered the Grouse Grind’s six-year-old course record. The achievement made Salas an instant mini-celebrity. And the BCIT student confessed he was a little overwhelmed. 8/25/2010 6:52:38 AM
Fish farming projects in B.C. get funding boost Salmon-farming technology research in B.C. got a boost from the federal government this week. Tests of an injectable vaccine against sea lice and a demonstration of salmon farming in closed pens were two of the six aquaculture projects approved. (Ed: Put the fish farms in the Great Lakes and see how the easterners like it.) 8/25/2010 6:36:25 AM
Fraser sockeye posts biggest return in nearly 100 years B.C. is reaping the biggest Fraser River sockeye return in nearly a century, as estimates Tuesday say the return will be slightly more than 25 million fish, the largest return since 1913. Barry Rosenberger, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, said the estimate could even go up. 8/24/2010 5:47:15 PM
B.C. woman goes on birthday Monster truck rampage Police in the Vancouver suburb of Abbotsford have charged a 26-year-old woman with leaving the scene of an accident and driving without due care after a black monster pickup truck she was driving crushed a handful of parked cars Friday night. 8/24/2010 4:40:29 PM
Gas-and-dash killer Darnell Pratt to stay in jail Darnell Pratt, who dragged 24-year-old Maple Ridge resident Grant De Patie (pictured) for seven kilometres under a stolen car in an attempted gas-and-dash, will remain in jail for another 15 months unless he is granted an earlier parole. Pratt is now due for statutory release in November, 2011. 8/24/2010 4:29:54 PM
BC Government Ambulance service cutbacks means sick gets sicker Recent cuts to the Lower Mainland's fleet of transfer ambulances have created an added burden to Christine Stirman's health care and caused her husband and daughter a lot of grief. Stirman has a severe case of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, first diagnosed 16 years ago. 8/24/2010 1:25:17 PM
Informant warned Mounties about Pickton in 1999 Two years after B.C. prosecutors dropped attempted murder charges against Robert Pickton, Leah Best warned Vancouver police that the Port Coquitlam man was a killer -- but her warning was not heeded. "I did feel angry about it," Best said. "It didn't seem like they cared." 8/24/2010 6:48:16 AM
HST fuels under-the-table renovations, builders say B.C. homebuilders say they're already seeing evidence that the new harmonized sales tax is driving the renovation business underground. Before the HST, it was estimated that more than a third of renovations were done under the table. Now, they believe that number has spiked dramatically. 8/24/2010 6:41:58 AM
White Rock residents will have to boil their water until Friday White Rock residents will be boiling their water at least until Friday after E. coli was found in another water sample, and that’s sure to trigger debate about the possibility of using chlorine to disinfect the city’s water. Unlike most of the Lower Mainland, White Rock’s water is not disinfected. 8/23/2010 7:47:09 PM
B.C.'s forest fire season worst in 12 years The 2010 wildfire season won't be over for weeks, but it has already charred more than 300,000 hectares of B.C. forest, an area larger than Metro Vancouver. That's more forest burned than any year since 1998, including the 2003 season that saw 33,000 people evacuated in the Okanagan and Thompson regions. 8/23/2010 6:33:52 PM
B.C. could see another serial killer: expert Metro Vancouver's police forces made the same mistakes that other disorganized jurisdictions made around the world in allowing a serial killer to slip between their fingers and there will be more such murders if changes aren't made, a criminal profiler predicts. 8/23/2010 5:41:57 PM
Free vote urged on B.C. anti-HST initiative Anti-HST campaigner Bill Vander Zalm has sent a letter to B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell urging him to send legislation to repeal the new tax directly to a free vote in the legislature this fall. He warns the premier he'll launch recall campaigns against Liberal MLAs if the initiative process is delayed further. 8/23/2010 5:07:31 PM
Environment ministry failing to preserve B.C. parks, auditor-general finds The Ministry of Environment is failing to meet its mandate to preserve the ecological integrity of parks and protected areas, according to a damning report. “They’ve been cutting the B.C. parks budget for many years. It’s at rock bottom, And the government is saying it is going to continue on.” 8/23/2010 4:29:56 PM
Opponents want HST vote rushed; gov't puts on brakes British Columbia's finance minister is trying to put the brakes on demands his government push forward the debate over the future of the harmonized sales tax. Colin Hansen says a legislative committee is required to look at the petition to abolish the HST before deciding how to handle it. 8/23/2010 4:04:54 PM
Diver saves unconscious woman 14 metres underwater A scuba diving instructor in the right place at the right time is being credited for saving a drowning diver in West Vancouver's Whytecliff Marine Park on Sunday. The instructor was teaching a class in the waters at the mouth of Howe Sound near Horseshoe Bay when he and his students heard calls for help nearby. 8/23/2010 4:03:20 PM
Senior abducted, robbed at gunpoint in Kitsilano Vancouver police investigators are turning to the public for help after a senior was abducted at gunpoint and robbed in Kitsilano last week. The 69-year-old was walking in the 2900-block of West Broadway when police say he was accosted by two men in their 20s, who forced him into a waiting black pickup truck. 8/23/2010 4:01:57 PM
Trooper's first owner pleads guilty to animal abuse Trooper, an emaciated Golden Retriever that nearly died under the care of a cruel owner, got some justice today. The young dog’s previous owner, Michael Schneider of Maple Ridge, appeared in court Monday and pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and abandonment charges. 8/23/2010 4:00:00 PM
Vancouver city hall houses seven empty floors For nearly 75 years, the imposing grey art deco city hall building at the corner of 12th and Cambie has been a symbol of civic government in Vancouver. But for more than a year, city hall has harboured a secret, the upper seven floors of the 11-storey tower, built in 1936, are completely empty. 8/23/2010 10:08:52 AM
Grouse Mountain turbine finally cleared to produce power BC Hydro and Grouse Mountain have reached an agreement that will allow the Eye of the Wind turbine to start producing power within a few weeks. The turbine's blades have been spinning for several months, but a disagreement over safety concerns from BC Hydro has kept it off-line. 8/23/2010 8:34:16 AM
Two stabbed on Capilano First Nation Reserve Two men are in police custody after a man and woman were stabbed early Sunday morning on West Vancouver's Capilano First Nations Reserve. Police were called to the reserve shortly after 5 a.m., where they found a woman in her early 30s suffering from serious stab wounds. 8/23/2010 8:19:55 AM
Fate of B.C.'s HST rests with group who never expected to meet On Monday when he is handed the first task of the province’s Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives in 16 years, Terry Lake, a freshman B.C. politician (former Mayor of Kamloops), and his fellow Liberals on the all-party body will find the token appointment has morphed into a politically perilous undertaking. 8/23/2010 8:16:21 AM
Nine injured in early morning limousine crash Nine people were taken to hospital early Sunday morning after a limousine veered off the road in downtown Vancouver, striking a group of pedestrians on the sidewalk. Vancouver police say the crash occurred in the 1000-block of Davie Street at around 2:30 a.m. The cause is still under investigation. 8/23/2010 7:31:04 AM
Family, friends of missing hiker rent helicopter for search ((Video) The family and friends of overdue hiker Tyler Wright have taken to the skies in a rented helicopter in a desperate attempt to find the beloved 35-year-old. Wright set out on a five-day solo hike from Squamish to Coquitlam nearly two weeks ago. A massive search effort began on Wednesday. 8/23/2010 6:28:07 AM
Canada passes its first big test at Little League World Series The Little Mountain Good Times Express just keeps rolling along. With the now-famous stinky sock and Frank's pants and a bench full of smiles all in riotous tow, the 2010 Canadian champions moved to the big stage Saturday, making an impressive 2010 Little League World Series debut. 8/22/2010 7:57:12 PM
Frankie Bones: Overbearing BC MInistry of Children Services backs off after news conference Frankie Bones, a foster child from Surrey, was offered an opportunity to study university-level music courses at Walla Walla University nearly a year ago. “I think it’s because of the news conference this morning,” Cordner said, referring to a media event that Carole James had arranged for the family on Friday. 8/22/2010 7:02:29 PM
Mounties arrogant, poor team players: criminologist The RCMP is facing criticism in the wake of a scathing Vancouver Police Department report. A British Columbia criminologist and former London police officer said Mounties are trained to believe they are Canada's top cops, while considering other provincial and municipal officers as below standard. 8/22/2010 5:34:07 PM
PNE parade marks fair's 100th anniversary Vancouver's annual Pacific National Exhibition celebrated its 100th anniversary with a parade along the English Bay waterfront Friday night. The parade was watched by thousands of people as it wound its way from Stanley Park and east along Beach Avenue toward Sunset Beach. 8/22/2010 9:44:46 AM
B.C. toddler painfully waits 10 months for hernia surgery Three-year-old Ruby Gittens does her best to keep up with her older brother and sister, but sometimes the discomfort of her hernia means she lags behind. Watching her daughter struggle and be unable to sleep is frustrating for her mom, Tess Barlow, who is baffled by a delay in Ruby’s treatment. 8/22/2010 6:59:58 AM
B.C. firefighters get help from Mars water bomber B.C. has brought back the largest aircraft of its kind in the world — the Martin Mars water bomber — to help fight some of the hundreds of wildfires scorching the province. The Mars is once again working to douse wildfire flames in B.C. after years of being contracted to work outside the province. 8/22/2010 6:53:09 AM
Missing Women: Cops not believed as killing continued Police didn't believe their own sources, their own officers or that there was a serial killer roaming Vancouver's streets, and Robert Pickton got away with murder. He said several officers were ignored, and he specifically referred to Kim Rossmo, a geographic profiler. 8/21/2010 4:10:06 PM
There are two million reasons for high prices in Vancouver What drives Vancouver’s house prices so relentlessly to levels four times higher than Winnipeg’s, and more than half again what Torontonians pay? “If you want Winnipeg-level house prices here, all you have to do is tear down the mountains and fill in the ocean.” 8/21/2010 7:20:45 AM
Cruise ships turn B.C. into 'toilet bowl of North America,' critics say Waters off British Columbia are the "toilet bowl of North America" as dozens of cruise ships heading to and from Alaska dump sewage in Canadian waters, environmentalists say. American regulations have been tightened in the last decade. But the vessels have another option: 8/20/2010 4:04:51 PM
Eerie UFO sightings reported over Cultus Lake Reports have been flying in of an unidentified flying object hovering over Cultus Lake in Chilliwack, B.C. on Tuesday night. The story broke on radio Wednesday morning. 'Dallas' called into the show to report that his girlfriend spotted some eerie lights flooding the pitch-black sky. 8/20/2010 3:51:02 PM
Bad management, Police infighting derailed Pickton probe Because of jurisdictional battles, bad management, and shoddy analysis of the information, police turned their backs on Robert Pickton, while he continued to take women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and murder them on his Port Coquitlam, B.C., farm. 8/20/2010 12:49:35 PM
Did the Sri Lankan migrants 'jump the queue'? The Catch-22 of the Canadian refugee system is that when they enter the country -- whether by boat, plane, train, bus or foot -- refugees are breaking the law. But if they make if through the entire refugee process, and their claims of persecution in Sri Lanka are accepted, "The illegal entry is A-OK." 8/20/2010 11:50:55 AM
Breaking News: Judge rules anti-HST petition is valid B.C.'s 700,000-signature anti-HST petition will be allowed to proceed, a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled Friday morning in Vancouver. Chief Justice Robert Bauman said in his decision that Premier Gordon Campbell himself called the petition against the harmonized sales tax a success for democracy. 8/20/2010 11:36:41 AM
ICBC sitting on pile of our money, should they lower rates? The Insurance Corp. of B.C. is sitting on a mountain of cash that should be used to reduce rates to motorists instead of providing funds for provincial government operations, critics said Thursday. Financial documents indicate that ICBC has $3.1 billion in the bank. 8/20/2010 6:44:43 AM
Tamil boy sends father a heartfelt letter saying 'don't worry, don't cry.' Since their arrival to Canada aboard the MV Sun Sea, a young boy and his father have been held in separate detention facilities in B.C. The boy recently wrote a letter to his father and gave it to Luxmi Vasan, a Toronto lawyer who is helping the Tamil migrants. "Father, I'm safe," the letter begins. 8/20/2010 6:09:57 AM
B.C. online casino relaunched after privacy breaches The British Columbia government has fixed its online gambling website, which was shut down due to a privacy breach. PlayNow.com, the first government-sanctioned online casino in North America, was taken offline a few hours after it was launched on July 15. 8/20/2010 5:56:46 AM
Abbotsford family fury after botched grow-op bust An Abbotsford mom says gun-toting police terrified “innocent” children on the weekend during a raid that failed to produce the underground grow-op bunker police were after. “Maybe somebody’s going to get shot the next time,” mom Jennifer Hewison, 35, told The Province. 8/19/2010 6:56:59 PM
B.C.Government ignored Pickton report, documents show Vancouver police offered to provide the B.C. government with a confidential copy of its damning report on the missing women investigation more than four years ago, according to letters obtained under B.C.'s freedom of information law. (Ed: Premier Campbell is full of crap on this one.) 8/19/2010 5:50:21 PM
Michael Smyth: HST, Even a toothless tiger has the power to kill When I heard the lawyer for big business on Wednesday accuse Bill Vander Zalm of "misleading" people about the harmonized sales tax, I just about choked on my fast-food breakfast sandwich (HST included). Misleading? Give me a break. If anybody misled the public about the HST, it wasn't Vander Zalm. 8/19/2010 5:44:35 PM
Vancouver bar's urinal TVs raise concern A customer at the bar in Vancouver's Opus Hotel said she was shocked to discover men could watch her on video monitors placed over the urinals in the hotel's men's washroom. The bar menu does mention that the restrooms feature "live video feeds to keep an eye on the action." 8/19/2010 4:26:05 PM
Wedding on again as Steve Fonyo makes bail Steve Fonyo's storybook wedding to his fiance on the Victoria beach that bears his name can proceed after all. The 45-year-old Surrey resident was released from jail earlier this week after an unidentified benefactor put up the $20,000 bail following Fonyo's arrest on credit card fraud charges. It's the latest development in a rollercoaster year. 8/19/2010 2:08:49 PM
Stabbing murder in Campbell River Campbell River recorded its third murder of the year Wednesday. Just after 10 p.m., Campbell River RCMP attended the 300 block of Birch Street for a report of a stabbing. A 46-year-old male was transported from scene to hospital but died shortly after. 8/19/2010 1:59:13 PM
Officer injured, shots fired in Vancouver Island police chase A police chase in a quiet North Saanich neighbourhood last night ended with an officer being injured, shots fired and a suspect in custody. “One of our officers discharged his firearm during the incident, though nobody was struck,” said Island district RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darren Lagan. 8/19/2010 12:26:00 PM
Big Business lawyer says anti-HST campaign is a 'waste of time and money' A lawyer representing big business says their efforts have been a waste of money and time because the Legislature of B.C. can’t eliminate the tax. Peter Gall told B.C. Supreme Court Wednesday that only the federal Parliament can extinguish the blended levy. 8/19/2010 8:36:10 AM
Update at 5:54am, Penticton: Still no sign of plane, passengers There is still no sign of a light plane that went missing in southern British Columbia earlier this week along with its pilot and three passengers. Two helicopters were involved in the search for the missing plane on Wednesday, which focused on an area between Penticton and Princeton. 8/19/2010 7:29:42 AM
Migrant Tamil toddler has shrapnel stuck in head: lawyer A toddler with a piece of shrapnel lodged in his head is just one of many battle-scarred migrants among the 492 Tamils who arrived in B.C. onboard the MV Sun Sea. The child's injury is just one of many that lawyer Malini Dyonisius says she's learned of during her consultations with the migrants. 8/19/2010 7:24:30 AM
Neighbour's staring isn't grounds to sue: B.C. judge Don't like nosy neighbours staring into your home as they walk by? Too bad. A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled that even the most "intimidating" stares cannot be used as grounds for a lawsuit. 8/19/2010 7:21:12 AM
44 children from Tamil ship being detained in Burnaby 44 children from the cargo ship carrying Tamils from Sri Lanka are being detained at the Burnaby Youth Detention Centre. The children are staying with their mothers, 25 women, as they await detention hearings. All 492 people who arrived on the ship will go through this process. 8/18/2010 9:08:56 PM
Update: Rescuers narrow search for missing plane from Penticton The search for a missing airplane that went missing en route to Victoria, B.C., has now been focused on the mountainous region between Penticton and Chilliwack, military personnel say. The privately owned plane carrying four adult males left Penticton around 5:10 p.m. 8/18/2010 8:51:44 PM
B.C. ministry outs non-compliant firms For the first time, the B.C. government is outing companies and individuals who flout environment, health or safety laws in the province. Domtar and Seaspan of North Vancouver, **the North Okanagan Regional District and Gracia Financial Corporation of Delta were all issued compliance or enforcement orders. 8/18/2010 6:43:39 PM
Former arts council chair slams B.C. cuts The former chair of the B.C. Arts Council said she stepped down from the post so she can speak freely on cuts to arts spending. Jane Danzo's resignation was announced Aug. 11 by the province and she spoke to CBC Wednesday about the lack of support for the council from the provincial Liberals. 8/18/2010 6:36:41 PM
Provincially run gambling sites not worth the risks: Experts When officials in British Columbia and Ontario announced plans to start new online-gambling ventures, they cited the retention of potentially hundreds of millions of dollars that would otherwise go to offshore sites. They also promised a more responsible and secure environment in which to play. 8/18/2010 6:21:52 PM
Rat problem in home of Nanaimo woman attracts international attention An international video crew brought the bright lights to Nanaimo this week to shoot footage about a woman's problems with a rat infestation. London-based Darlow Smithson Productions was drawn here by Tamara Hounsome's story about a rodent problem first discovered in May. 8/18/2010 6:17:54 PM
Lawyer lying? Gov't lawyer argues feds have the say on HST, not B.C. The lawyer for a number of big business groups in B.C. says the HST was imposed by Parliament and cannot be overturned by a B.C. court. Vancouver lawyer Peter Gall said the consent of the province is not constitutionally required because Parliament approved the Harmonized Sales Tax. 8/18/2010 4:07:11 PM
Man in hospital after violent Maple Ridge attack this morning A 24-year-old man is in hospital after suffering life-threatening injuries after being attacked early Wednesday morning. Ridge Meadows RCMP are investigating the violent incident that occurred on Dewdney Trunk Rd., between Laity St. and 210 St., around 3:30 a.m. 8/18/2010 12:32:30 PM
Victoria police employee charged with child sex attack A Victoria police civilian employee has been charged with sexually attacking a child. He is also charged with sexually assaulting a woman in Victoria in March, accessing child pornography, criminally harassing a Victoria woman and obstructing police officers. (Ed: Victoria chief pictured.) 8/18/2010 12:28:13 PM
FortisBC receives approval for rate increase The British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) has approved an interim rate increase of 2.9 per cent to FortisBC’s electricity rates, effective September 1, 2010. This is a direct result of BC Hydro’s recent interim rate increase, which has increased FortisBC’s cost to purchase power from BC Hydro by 9.2 per cent for 2010/2011. 8/18/2010 11:01:06 AM
Robert Pickton could have been caught earlier, Vancouver police report says Police could have caught serial killer Robert Pickton years earlier and probably prevented the deaths of more than a dozen women. The report has remained under wraps for more than a year. But sources familiar with its contents say one of the report’s main conclusions is that women’s lives could have been saved. 8/18/2010 7:20:41 AM
Employees' families get free ride with TransLink As TransLink celebrates the first anniversary of the Canada Line, it's also taking heat over a $1-million-per-year transit pass program giving free rides to employees and their family members. Retired workers and their spouses are also offered a lifetime pass if they've worked in the system for more than two years. 8/18/2010 7:06:52 AM
New Westminster: Abused cat put down A cat who was thought to be on the road to recovery after being dunked in a corrosive chemical had to be put down last weekend. The cat, Harley, leaves behind a traumatized eight-year-old boy and a crippling vet bill of nearly $18,000 — only half of which has been raised through fundraisers to aid the cat's owner, a single mother. 8/18/2010 6:23:33 AM
Media allowed in migrant hearings, Tamil Congress banned (Video) Reporters have been allowed in the room to cover detention hearings for the Sri Lankan migrants who arrived in British Columbia on a freighter last week, but the Tamil Congress and other interested groups are still barred. The hearings are required so authorities can keep the migrants in area jails. 8/17/2010 5:22:43 PM
$400K jewelry collection recovered from cab A California couple who left $400,000 worth of jewelry in a Vancouver cab are praising the honesty of a local cab driver and the dispatcher who helped them track it down. Phyllis Snelling and her husband were heading home to California on Saturday after returning from an Alaska cruise out of Vancouver. 8/17/2010 4:58:06 PM
Renowned B.C. fishing destinations affected by evacuations (Video) B.C.'s latest wildfire evacuation is affecting residents and fishing lodges along a section of the Dean River, a remote, world-renowned fishing destination 45 kilometres north of Bella Coola on the province's Central Coast. An evacuation order was issued at 6 p.m. Monday evening for the Dean River from Kalone Creek east to the Takla River. 8/17/2010 4:56:39 PM
Gatecrashers take off with ATM machine at Greater Vancouver Zoo It didn't work for the Trailer Park Boys, but two thieves left staff members at the Greater Vancouver Zoo flabbergasted when they took off with an ATM machine in the back of their truck last week. Langley RCMP say that a man and woman pulled off the heist on Aug. 11 around 6:15 p.m., while the zoo was still open. 8/17/2010 4:54:40 PM
'N' decals popping up on police cars, Driver claims entrapment A Burnaby man is claiming entrapment after he witnessed a driver get pulled over by an unmarked police cruiser with an N decal on the rear of the vehicle along the Abbotsford-Mission highway in late July. The officer was driving a black unmarked Dodge Charger with a novice driver emblem on the rear of the car. 8/17/2010 2:25:47 PM
Truck driver killed after plunging over Chilliwack bridge A Chilliwack truck driver died early Tuesday morning after his semi truck lost control on the Trans-Canada Highway Vedder Canal bridge and plunged into the water. The accident happened around 2 a.m., according to police and shut down westbound highway traffic for hour Tuesday. 8/17/2010 2:07:43 PM
Six drug lord kidnappers jailed for 10 and 18 years A B.C. Supreme Court justice has sentenced six men involved in the 2006 kidnapping of a drug lord to between 10 and 18 years in prison. Yat Fung Albert Tse, Nhan Trong Ly, Daniel Luis Soux, Myles Alexander Vandrick and Viet Bac Nguyen were found guilty in April of kidnapping, unlawful confinement and extortion. 8/17/2010 2:04:28 PM
B.C. social worker preventing young musician from studying in U.S. Frankie Bones, 17, has been playing music since he was five. The Surrey youth has won numerous medals and trophies in competition, composes his own music, and dreams of being a concert pianist. But now a huge obstacle is barring him from what he sees as the opportunity of a lifetime. 8/17/2010 7:41:56 AM
70% of B.C. under extreme forest fire danger: province Hot, dry conditions continue to fuel forest fires across B.C., said provincial fire information officer Alyson Crouch. Weather conditions have boosted the fire danger rating to extreme for 70 per cent of the province, Crouch said. 276 fires were burning in B.C. as of Monday, but "it's changing by the minute," she said. 8/17/2010 7:38:01 AM
HST causes B.C. housing market to dry up A new tax regime in Canada's two busiest housing markets caused demand for homes in British Columbia and Ontario to dry up in July, driving a 30 per cent decline in national sales activity from a year ago. Canadian home sales were down 6.8 per cent from June, continuing a months-long cooling trend. 8/17/2010 6:54:43 AM
Battle over HST heads to B.C. Supreme Court The fight over B.C.'s HST shifted from the political arena to the courtroom on Monday when supporters and opponents of the harmonized sales tax began arguing their cases in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver. Chief Justice Robert Bauman has scheduled a week to hear arguments. 8/16/2010 7:26:32 PM
Tamil migrants: 'We are not terrorists' Letters purportedly written by two of the roughly 490 migrants who arrived in B.C. aboard a cargo ship deny any involvement with terrorism and claim they are fleeing "mass murder" in Sri Lanka. The Canadian Tamil Congress, which distributed the two letters on Monday, said they were written by two Tamil journalists on board the MV Sun Sea. 8/16/2010 7:24:44 PM
UBC concerned after three teaching students charged with sexual misconduct Faculty of education staff at B.C. universities plan to zero in on professional behaviours after three student teachers were charged with sexual misconduct. “There will probably be a new focus or new energy directed toward professional conduct,” said Sydney Craig, director of teacher education. 8/16/2010 7:12:04 AM
Great gouda! Cheese racing rolls into Whistler It's all for the love of the cheese. More than 10,000 people descended on Whistler's Blackcomb Mountain Saturday, racing down the grassy climbs in search of an unusual prize: an 11-pound wheel of B.C.'s Cracked Pepper Verdelait cheese. 8/16/2010 6:46:46 AM
HST -- the best battle B.C. has seen in years Bill Vander Zalm's anti-HST petition may be frozen in legal limbo, but that doesn't mean his war is grinding to a halt. Far from it! The theatre of conflict now shifts to a Vancouver courtroom on Monday. A coalition of B.C. business groups is challenging Vander Zalm's successful anti-HST petition. 8/16/2010 6:17:53 AM
Tamil man died during voyage from Sri Lanka One of the nearly 500 Tamil migrants who set sail for Canada aboard a cramped cargo freighter died just weeks before the ship arrived. "Their investigation has determined he died of a sickness; he simply couldn't be treated at sea. There's nothing to indicate any criminal intent." 8/16/2010 5:53:42 AM
Duncan man dead after motorcycle crash A Duncan man is dead after a motorcycle crash on the Trans-Canada Highway Friday afternoon. The accident occurred around 4:30 p.m. near the Millstream Road off-ramp. It appears the 64-year-old motorcyclist collided with the back of an SUV. 8/15/2010 2:04:45 PM
Dragon boat paddlers rescued in Victoria's Inner Harbour after being swamped A team of paddlers at the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival got an unexpected dunking in the waters of Victoria's Inner Harbour yesterday when their boat was swamped and started to sink. The dragon boat being piloted by a Seattle team called Hot Sake had a quick cool-down when it was swamped by the wake of a fire boat. 8/15/2010 1:58:38 PM
Man who tried to point police at Pickton still haunted by inaction Of all the people calling for a public inquiry into Vancouver's missing women case, few have a more compelling reason than Bill Hiscox. Twelve years ago, he gave police information that pushed Robert Pickton to the top of their suspect list and triggered an investigation of the pig farmer from Port Coquitlam, B.C. 8/15/2010 12:54:39 PM
Migrants healthy; boat was well-organized, if cramped Asylum-seekers who spent months at sea aboard the migrant ship that reached B.C. this week arrived in surprisingly good health aboard a well-organized but extremely cramped vessel. Officials described a well-organized, relatively clean ship with separate sleeping spaces, an eating area and a waste-disposal system. 8/15/2010 7:16:22 AM
Highway 1 begins re-opening after brush fire in Langley A large brush fire temporarily closed Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver on Saturday afternoon. A spokesperson at the Provincial Highway Conditions Centre said a nearly eight-kilometre section of the route was closed through Langley. 8/15/2010 6:34:44 AM
Lemonade-stand fiasco turns sweet for PoCo kids Business will reopen this Sunday for two 12-year-olds. Mackenzie Burke Sikorra and his friend Alex Pederson were selling lemonade, popcorn and homemade dog treats last week to raise funds for Sikorra’s soccer team when a Port Coquitlam bylaw officer told them they needed to pack up their table. 8/14/2010 9:28:39 AM
Delta Perimeter road environmental costs climb The province will spend an extra $57 million to offset the damage done to the environment and farmland by the $1.2-billion South Fraser Perimeter Road. The controversial road along the south bank of the Fraser has been under fire because it means bulldozing homes, carving through sensitive ecosystems and paving over farmland. 8/14/2010 7:56:00 AM
Serial killer's sole survivor makes a new life The sole survivor of Robert Pickton's orgy of killing has made a new life for herself and her family far from the gritty drug-infested back lanes of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. The 43-year old woman, whose identity is protected by a judge's order, holds a steady job and is once again together with her children. 8/14/2010 7:04:00 AM
Hells Angels' former debt collector had no shortage of enemies, police say Juel Ross Stanton was a long-time debt collector for the Hells Angels with an unmatched propensity for violence and a long list of enemies. And the notorious biker gang is undoubtedly near the top of the suspect list in Stanton's execution after kicking out the 41-year-old this past May. 8/14/2010 6:52:33 AM
Seven-year-old Nanaimo girl drowns at public beach A seven-year-old Nanaimo girl drowned at Westwood Lake on Friday while the beach was packed with families and children. Nanaimo RCMP said an Albertan tourist pulled the child unconscious from the water near the dock in the supervised swimming area shortly after 2 p.m. 8/14/2010 6:48:32 AM
Tamils end months-long sea voyage under terrorism suspicion After months spent crammed into a cargo ship for a journey across the sea, hundreds of Sri Lankan men, women and children arrived in British Columbia under heavy security on Friday, and were quickly met by accusations that human-smugglers and terrorists are in their midst. 8/14/2010 6:22:26 AM
HST petition: Bench-clearing brawl that's set to turn uglier The irony of the whole HST-petition snafu is that the province's citizen-initiative law was supposed to give people just a little bit of power to influence their government — without politicians, bureaucrats, lawyers, judges or special-interest groups sticking their noses in. 8/13/2010 8:59:37 PM
One man dead, woman stabbed in violent clash at Surrey home One man is dead, another has been arrested and a woman is in hospital with significant stab wounds after an incident at a Surrey home early Friday. Police were alerted after a call from inside the home on 99th Avenue, said IHIT spokesman Cpl. Dale Carr in a release. 8/13/2010 5:49:37 PM
Vander Zalm to circumvent HST petition delay Former premier Bill Vander Zalm says if B.C.'s chief electoral officer won't send the anti-HST petition to the legislature, he will. Vander Zalm insists the Initiative Act gives him the power to forward the results of the petition against the harmonized sales tax. 8/13/2010 5:11:08 PM
Migrants including children brought by ambulance to Victoria General Hospital Ambulances have started delivering migrants from a cargo ship to Victoria General Hospital. It is believed a six-month-old baby and two pregnant women are among those brought by about five ambulances to the hospital’s former emergency department. 8/13/2010 4:42:05 PM
B.C. mom of preteen offender says province won't help The mother of a 12-year-old B.C. boy who has had dozens of run-ins with police says "there's obviously something wrong" with her son but she is not getting the help she needs from provincial authorities. The boy was arrested Tuesday for allegedly robbing a man at gunpoint in Nanaimo. 8/13/2010 8:15:27 AM
B.C. man had 9 duffel bags of pot in car: Wyoming cops The Wyoming Highway Patrol says the arrest of a British Columbia man has resulted in one of its largest seizures of marijuana in one traffic stop. State troopers allege they found nine duffel bags of marijuana in a rental truck after stopping 33-year-old Andrew Klassen of Victoria Thursday. 8/13/2010 7:48:50 AM
B.C. premier denies anti-HST interference, NDP leader disagrees B.C. Opposition Leader Carole James said she demanded in a letter to Premier Gordon Campbell on Thursday that he recall the legislature and debate scrapping the HST. The fact the issue is before the courts in no way stops the government from debating it, James said in Victoria. 8/13/2010 7:24:59 AM
Rough seas ahead for Campbell's Liberals: analyst Some political observers are predicting that the BC Liberal government is headed for an implosion, and say the fuse was lit this week with the stalling of the anti-HST petition. Elections BC has declined to comment. 8/13/2010 7:09:12 AM
Police bust major counterfeiting ring RCMP have arrested six people linked to a ring responsible for more than three-quarters of all counterfeit bills passed in B.C. since autumn. They found a hefty amount of fake notes in 100s, 50s and 20s, blank credit cards, computers and counterfeit production equipment. 8/13/2010 6:51:38 AM
Canadian authorities board Tamil ship off B.C. coast Canadian authorities boarded a Tamil migrant ship carrying 490 would-be refugees late Thursday night off the coast of B.C., after intercepting the vessel in the afternoon and escorting it toward Victoria. The ship was expected to land at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt early Friday morning. 8/13/2010 6:50:08 AM
Tamil migrant ship not boarded: military Conflicting reports have emerged over whether Canadian officials boarded a cargo ship believed to be carrying hundreds of Tamil migrants off the B.C. coast. Earlier Thursday afternoon, (a confused) Public Safety Minister Toews said personnel from HMCS Winnipeg boarded the Thai vessel. 8/12/2010 5:33:32 PM
Islam's 'public enemy No. 1' in Langley to share his gospel A controversial Christian cleric with a $60-million bounty on his head is in Vancouver. Sources have told The Province that Father Zakaria Botros, a retired Coptic priest from Egypt, arrived at Vancouver International Airport Wednesday afternoon to little public fanfare — but an RCMP presence. 8/12/2010 5:15:04 PM
Chilliwack man drowns in Harrison Lake A 32-year-old Chilliwack man is the latest person to die in B.C. waters. The man, whose name is not being released by RCMP pending notification of next of kin, was canoeing on Harrison Lake with two other family members Monday evening. 8/12/2010 4:57:34 PM
Victoria Priest had past allegations of sexual abuse against kids As police in Saanich continue to receive information about a former priest now facing child sex abuse charges, the Catholic Dioceses in Victoria, B.C. and Columbus, Ohio are revealing more information on Philip Jacobs’ past. 8/12/2010 4:49:03 PM
Abbotsford teacher arrested for 'inappropriate conduct' with high school girl A university practicum student working as a teacher in Abbotsford has been arrested for potentially "engaging in inappropriate conduct" with a female student. Abbotsford Police say Brian William Davis befriended the high school student and developed a relationship with the girl outside of school. 8/12/2010 4:28:44 PM
Canadian authorities board Tamil ship Canadian authorities have boarded the ship carrying Tamils to this country's shores. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews announced that HMCS Winnipeg took action after the ship carrying Tamils altered course towards Port Alberni, B.C. The town on the west side of Vancouver Island. 8/12/2010 3:05:32 PM
Dangerous new superbug has cropped up in Vancouver A new drug-resistant superbug that can render common infections like E. coli untreatable recently appeared in Vancouver. NDM-1, the superbug is not itself a bacteria but, perhaps more dangerously, it is a gene common to and transferrable among many different bacteria. 8/12/2010 9:33:11 AM
Vancouver Hells Angels member shot dead A high-profile member of the Hells Angels is believed to be dead after being shot several times at his Vancouver home this morning. Juel Ross Stanton was on bail on a series of charges after a fight at the American Hotel earlier this year. Neighbours say they heard about 10 shots 8/12/2010 9:26:13 AM
Dirty Tricks? B.C. HST petition verified but stalled Elections BC has verified the official anti-HST petition submitted by the province's Fight HST campaign, according to former premier Bill Vander Zalm. However, he said, the province's chief electoral officer has decided not to act on the petition pending the outcome of a case before the courts. 8/12/2010 6:38:51 AM
B.C. border crossing to U.S. reopens The Peace Arch U.S border crossing south of Vancouver has reopened following a bizarre incident Wednesday evening. A man driving from the U.S. side of the border, who was being pursued by Washington state police, ran into a number of cars in the lineup waiting to enter Canada. 8/12/2010 6:37:00 AM
Droughts endanger stocks of B.C. fish The drought gripping northern B.C. is drying up streams and putting fish stocks at risk, according to the province's environment minister. Many streams are at or near record-low water levels, said Barry Penner. The Peace, Liard and Skeena and Nass regions are classified as Drought Level 3. 8/11/2010 7:25:05 PM
Home needed for dog allegedly dragged behind truck by owner A Merritt-area man is facing animal cruelty charges. The female golden Lab, named April Rain, was allegedly dragged for three kilometres behind the vehicle, over pavement, speed bumps, cattle guards and along gravel road, according to Judanna Caros of Angel’s Animal Rescue. 8/11/2010 6:03:18 PM
HST petitioners expect historic victory It's expected the anti-HST petition will be ruled successful today but Elections BC officials say they won't make any official announcement, leaving that to the Fight HST campaign. Ex-premier and campaign leader Bill Vander Zalm called the independent electoral office's behaviour bizarre. 8/11/2010 5:04:00 PM
Suspected people-smuggling ship now in Canadian waters The MV Sun Sea — a 59-metre Thai cargo ship which Canadian authorities have been monitoring throughout the summer and which is potentially carrying members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a terrorist group outlawed in Canada — reportedly entered within 200 nautical miles of the Canadian shore this afternoon. 8/11/2010 12:01:17 PM
B.C. woman awarded millions after dance floor accident ends legal dreams A Vancouver woman who was just weeks away from being called to the B.C. Bar has been awarded nearly $6-million for a potentially successful legal career that ended before it began. Michelle Danicek was 32-years-old in April, 2001 when she was flattened by a colleague twice her size who fell on her. 8/11/2010 11:53:44 AM
Gun-toting 12-year-old allegedly robs Nanaimo man Nanaimo RCMP are holding a 12-year-old boy after he allegedly pointed a gun at a man and demanded his cell phone on Tuesday. Around 11:30 a.m., the youngster apparently rolled up on his bike with another boy and pointed a gun at a man in broad daylight. 8/11/2010 10:47:48 AM
Future of HST in B.C. could be revealed today Today marks a big day in the battle over the HST. Elections BC is expected to release the results of a provincewide petition that seeks to repeal the tax. If successful, the B.C. Liberal party must either prepare legislation to repeal the HST or send the matter to a provincewide referendum. 8/11/2010 6:48:42 AM
Braidwood 'happy' after Taser loses court challenge The retired judge behind the Braidwood Inquiry says he's "quite happy" that the B.C. Supreme Court has dismissed a legal challenge by Taser International to overturn his findings. The company argued against Commissioner Thomas Braidwood's conclusion that the conducted energy weapons increase the risk of fatal heart failure. 8/10/2010 4:01:25 PM
Parts of B.C. facing drought conditions The B.C. government says drought conditions in the northern half of the province could put fish stocks at risk and lead to water shortages. Levels of the Liard and Skeena rivers are at 20-year lows, while the Bulkley River is at a 10-year low. Parts of northern B.C. got one quarter to one half the normal amount of rain in the last two months. 8/10/2010 3:59:18 PM
Steve Fonyo fails to make bail Steve Fonyo, who once ran across Canada to raise funds for cancer research, remained in a Surrey, B.C., jail Tuesday, unable to come up with $20,000 bail. Fonyo's fiancée, Lisa Greenwood, was distraught after his court appearance Tuesday. 8/10/2010 3:40:48 PM
Pickton juror regrets taking part in trial A juror at the trial of serial murderer Robert William Pickton says that if he had it to do over again, he would choose not to take part in the grisly 2007 trial. Jurors in B.C. make $40 a day for the first 49 days of a trial. That increases to $100 a day from the 50th day of a trial until it's over. 8/10/2010 3:38:19 PM
RCMP well prepared for Dziekanski report, spin doctors hard at work In June, Thomas Braidwood released his long-awaited report into the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski after being Tasered at the Vancouver airport. The RCMP, which was heavily criticized by Braidwood, was well prepared. The documents include answers to anticipated questions from reporters. 8/9/2010 9:50:18 PM
Police bosses arrogance delayed Pickton arrest, former officer says The investigation that finally led to the conviction of Robert Pickton was seriously hampered in its early days by internal animosity toward a Vancouver police officer who believed a serial killer was behind the disappearances of so many women, according to a 31-year veteran of the force. 8/9/2010 9:08:26 PM
B.C. hospitals failing high-risk mothers, anesthetists warn The B.C. Anesthesiologists’ Society warns that three out of four hospitals in the province charged with caring for high-risk expectant mothers are not meeting safety recommendations. Facing some of the lowest pay and highest hours in Canada, anesthetists have been fleeing the province for decades. 8/9/2010 9:03:15 PM
$5-million jade Buddha arrives in Aldergrove Hundreds flocked to the official unveiling of the glowing Jade Buddha for Universal Peace at an Aldergrove monastery on Sunday. The 2.7-metre-high figure — a youthful representation of a warmly-smiling, cross-legged Buddha — was carved from a massive chunk of B.C.- mined jade, and is valued at $5 million. 8/9/2010 1:11:48 PM
Tot killed in Vancouver Island crash A three-year-old Lake Cowichan girl is dead after a crash near Duncan, B.C., that also injured her mother and two young siblings. A minivan carrying the family went sliding off a curve on Saturday afternoon, sheared off a power pole and landed in a ditch. 8/9/2010 6:35:45 AM
B.C. used penile teen sex test for decades Young B.C. sex offenders were subjected to controversial testing with a genital measuring device for more than two decades, despite regular concerns from within government.
Government officials, clinicians and researchers were often at odds over the continued testing over the continued testing with a genital sensor device. 8/9/2010 6:34:42 AM
Search called off as life jackets is found aboard capsized boat The search for three missing fishermen and their guide was called off Sunday after life-jackets were found stowed in a locker on their capsized boat, discovered Saturday off the coast of Vancouver Island. “Searchers have concluded that none of the four occupants left the vessel wearing life-jackets,” said Quentin Wyne. 8/9/2010 5:51:50 AM
Site of B.C. landslide remains unstable: Mounties Although people living near a massive landslide in B-C have been allowed back into their homes, police warn the area remains unstable. As many as 15-hundred residents in and around the community of Pemberton were allowed to return home yesterday. They were ordered out of their homes Friday night. 8/8/2010 12:16:43 PM
Two hikers missing in landslide territory located (Video) It was supposed to be an easy weekend hike in the mountains for Vancouver firefighters Mark Nitychoruk and Jay Pruniak. But all that changed when a search-and-rescue chopper swooped in Friday to scoop them up after the second-largest slide in Canadian history took out a mountainside 8/8/2010 7:07:13 AM
Breastfeeding mother told to cover up on the bus BC Transit has offered an apology to a Victoria, B.C., mother after a bus driver asked her to cover up while breastfeeding on the bus last month. Olena Russell said the July 14th incident started immediately after she boarded the bus while nursing. 8/8/2010 6:58:37 AM
B.C. warned of organized crime’s reach into gambling An RCMP team targeting illegal gambling in British Columbia wrote a report more than a year ago warning that organized crime figures were likely involved in those activities. Three months later, the investigative unit that was funded by the provincial government was shut down. 8/8/2010 6:54:26 AM
MLA defends firefighting budget Provincial New Democrats are accusing the B.C. Liberals of deception in the firefighting budget, but Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick says the government is using the best budgetary method. The NDP says it's the fifth consecutive year of showing "how the B.C. Liberal government is refusing to be honest about the true estimates for the cost of fighting forest fires." 8/8/2010 6:36:26 AM
40-million-cubic-metre Pemberton avalanche second only to Hope Slide Picture if you can 40 million cubic metres — or roughly 15 BC Place stadiums full — of rock, sand and debris pouring down a mountainside at 30 metres per second. Now picture that debris thundering down one side of a mountain valley, rolling 150 metres up the other side and coming to rest atop a rushing river in between. 8/8/2010 6:09:02 AM
Missing boat found capsized off B.C. coast; no sign of four men A fishing boat chartered by four men missing since Monday has been found capsized off the coast of Vancouver Island but there is no sign of the men onboard. The boat was found in calm waters six miles off the Brooks Peninsula on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. 8/8/2010 6:05:45 AM
Port Coquitlam bylaw sours 12-year-olds’ business plans When you’re 12 years old and looking to raise some cash, there are some old standbys that kids have long relied on — such as selling cool lemonade on a hot summer’s day. Just don’t forget that business licence. Friends Alex Pedersen and Mackenzie Burke Sikorra learned that lesson the hard way. 8/8/2010 5:52:54 AM
Flood fears have eased, officials likely to rescind evacuation order Emergency officials will likely rescind the evacuation order for areas around Pemberton today after aerial assessments of the natural dam formed in a major landslide into Meager Creek showed that water is flowing over it more naturally than expected. 8/7/2010 11:52:23 AM
Langley RCMP fatally shoot man, result of domestic dispute Langley RCMP were involved in a fatal shooting Friday night at a residence and have called in the Vancouver Police Department to investigate the incident. The officers responding were confronted by a man while they were searching the residence and wound up shooting him. 8/7/2010 11:47:20 AM
Could legal California pot send Canadian profits up in smoke? In a column on the Guardian's website this week, B.C. writer Douglas Haddow writes that a move to legalization would be "devastating to the Canadian economy, halting the flow of billions of dollars from the U.S. into Canada." Are they just blowing smoke? Not necessarily, some academics say. 8/7/2010 7:50:48 AM
Canadians Faith in Mounties in decline, poll shows Public opinion of the RCMP continues to decline in the wake of the latest Mountie fiasco. The RCMP has been embroiled in a number of scandals over the past several years. There was a head-office pension scandal, the death of Robert Dziekanski after being Tasered at Vancouver airport, a number of (in custody) RCMP deaths on duty...... 8/7/2010 7:37:45 AM
'I'm a legend': Pickton Serial killer Robert Pickton bragged that "everybody knows about me" in a jail cell conversation after he was arrested, according to transcripts from police. The transcripts are from conversations the Port Coquitlam pig farmer had with an officer posing as his cellmate after his arrest in 2002. 8/7/2010 6:43:22 AM
Families of 4 missing fishermen hold out hope The families of the three fishermen reported missing off the west coast of Vancouver Island say they have not lost hope. Crews have been combing the waters for the six-metre aluminum boat that was carrying three fishermen and a guide when it vanished after setting out from the Qualicum Rivers Fishing Lodge on Monday. 8/7/2010 6:25:02 AM
Thousands ordered to leave their homes after massive slide A melting glacier triggered a massive rock slide on the unstable slope of a dormant volcano near Pemberton on Friday, diverting a river, blocking a creek and causing officials to issue an evacuation alert for more than 5,000 people. By late Friday, the alert had become an order for around 2,000 people. 8/7/2010 6:14:41 AM
Steve Fonyo charged with fraud related to use of credit card Members of Delta police's street crime unit arrested Stephen Fonyo Thursday on a fraud charge. Police say on three occasions Fonyo purchased fuel with an unauthorized credit card from a North Delta gas station. Fonyo, 45, was taken into custody without incident at his home in Surrey. 8/7/2010 6:01:29 AM
Police deny excessive force in arresting grandmother, 70 RCMP in Richmond, B.C., have denied using excessive force in the arrest of a 70-year-old woman. Henriette Durand told the Vancouver Province this week she was mistreated by one of four officers who arrived at her home Friday night investigating a 911 call involving someone threatening another person with a knife. 8/7/2010 5:42:07 AM
Former Saanich Catholic priest charged with sex offences A Catholic priest from the U.S. who spent four years working in a Saanich church was arrested this week on a Canada-wide warrant for a variety of sex offences. Father Phil Jacobs was arrested at the Victoria airport. Jacobs is charged with sexual assault, sexual interference and sexual exploitation. 8/6/2010 7:49:21 PM
Vancouver sex shop outrages residents A Vancouver community group is lobbying the city to get a sex novelty shop out of its neighbourhood. The store advertises the sale of adult videos and magazines, lingerie, performance enhancers, and sex toys. However, members of the Dickens Community group want it gone. 8/6/2010 5:40:55 PM
Wisconsin couple grateful for recovery of stolen motorhome A retired Wisconsin couple expressed relief and joy Friday after their stolen $100,000 motorhome (example pictured) and valuable personal papers were recovered by Vancouver Police. Vancouver had been the first stop on a five-year North American dream road trip for Ron Horbinski and wife Cyndi Covert. 8/6/2010 5:27:47 PM
13 evacuated after landslide near Pemberton, B.C. (Video) A huge landslide north of Whistler, B.C., prompted the evacuation of 13 campers on Friday morning. The two-kilometre wide slide washed over Meager Creek, about 75 kilometres west of Pemberton, around 7 a.m., severing access on the only road connecting the remote area. 8/6/2010 5:22:41 PM
Pickton probe 'a screw-up:' former Vancouver mayor The man who was mayor of Vancouver during the time Robert Pickton was murdering women from the city's Downtown Eastside says he feels some personal responsibility. Phillip Owen that the investigation was "a screw-up" and he wishes things had been handled differently. 8/6/2010 5:15:47 PM
Old-growth grove could be under the axe It appears imminent that another round of protests will likely come out of the provincial government's July 30th announcement of the protection of 39,000 hectares of old-growth forest on Vancouver Island. 8/6/2010 6:06:13 AM
New liquor licence rules worry municipalities New rules proposed by the provincial government to streamline how it deals with liquor licences will mean less consultation with local government officials, who worry that could result in more neighbourhood noise and nuisance complaints. The UBCM wrote to Minister Rich Coleman protesting the lack of consultation. 8/6/2010 5:51:36 AM
Hundreds of firefighters flood into B.C. Hundreds of firefighters from the U.S., Alberta and Ontario are flooding into B.C. as a huge area of the province continues to burn. The fire danger rating for 80 per cent of the province is high to extreme. Although the weather forecast calls for cooler conditions this weekend, hot and dry weather is expected to return early next week. 8/6/2010 5:48:33 AM
Pickton victim families press for inquiry Calls for a public inquiry into how the investigation of B.C. serial murderer Robert William Pickton was handled continue to mount in the wake of details revealed for the first time. On Wednesday, a B.C. Supreme Court judge stayed 20 remaining murder charges and lifted most of the publication bans. 8/6/2010 5:33:19 AM
Woman, 75, killed at Whistler chairlift A 75-year-old woman has died after a chairlift accident Thursday in Whistler, B.C. The woman was trying to board the Solar Coaster Express chairlift on Blackcomb Mountain at about 3:30 p.m. PT when she apparently fell four metres off a raised platform, said RCMP Sgt. Shawn Lemay. 8/6/2010 5:27:34 AM
Pickton nearly caught before killing most of his victims Serial killer Robert "Willie" Pickton was charged with attempting to murder one sex-trade worker who escaped from his Port Coquitlam farm after a bloody knife fight in 1997 that left both of them barely alive. Despite the police investigation, the case against him was dropped. 8/6/2010 5:15:56 AM
Lesbian teen quits church after officials denounce her for taking part in Pride A 17-year-old gay teenager from New Westminster is reeling after the minister of her church called her a poor role model for posing for a newspaper photograph for the city’s first-ever Pride celebration. She said she was told how she was promoting an improper lifestyle. 8/6/2010 5:05:27 AM
Fraser Sockeye Salmon fishery deemed sustainable, but critics disagree The Fraser River Sockeye Salmon fishery was certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council Friday, but conservation groups called the certification misleading to consumers. The fishery comprises genetic groupings or populations of fish that spawn in specific streams and lakes within the Fraser watershed. 8/4/2010 6:29:19 AM
Telus set to upgrade network Telus Corp. said Tuesday it plans to double speeds on its wireless network by early next year. But competitors say they are not standing still as the race for new mobile customers gathers pace. The upgrade will allow Telus to offer theoretical data transfer speeds of 42 megabits per second (mbps). 8/4/2010 6:14:42 AM
More than a dozen UBC employees suspended for viewing porn at work More than a dozen employees at the University of B.C. were suspended after being caught viewing pornographic websites on their work computers. UBC gave 13 unionized staffers 10-day suspensions for viewing the sexually inappropriate material, but none were fired. 8/4/2010 6:13:05 AM
Rope tangled in props of crashed B.C. ferry BC Ferries believes a piece of rope caught in the Queen of Nanaimo's propellers caused the ship to crash into the dock at Mayne Island early Tuesday, injuring five people, one of them seriously. Divers found the rope after examining the twin-engine, 130-metre vessel. 8/4/2010 6:00:36 AM
Court injunction halts UVic rabbit cull The University of Victoria has temporarily halted its cull of campus rabbits after receiving an injunction from the B.C. Supreme Court. The injunction was served by activist Roslyn Cassells, who had petitioned the court for time to get the proper permits for sanctuaries to hold some of the school's 1,400 feral rabbits. 8/4/2010 5:54:16 AM
Friends identify dead teen in B.C. gravel pit accident A young man celebrating his 17th birthday died Tuesday after falling nine metres into a gravel pit in Squamish, B.C. Although police have not identified the victim, friends have told CTV News that he is Dan Savage, who wore number 16 for the Squamish Eagles rep hockey team. 8/4/2010 5:50:25 AM
B.C. restaurants hit hard by HST, says industry group Business has dipped for restaurants in B.C. since the 12-percent harmonized sales tax was introduced on July 1, a new survey suggests. The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association says almost three quarters of those who responded to its survey indicated the tax has had a “negative impact” on business. 8/3/2010 8:55:48 PM
Victoria: Murdered realtor's dad says P.I.'s close to finding killer The family of a murdered Vancouver Island realtor says that private investigators are close to identifying her killer, as well as a motive. Lindsay Buziak, 24, was stabbed to death while showing a property on Feb. 2, 2008. Her father hired private investigators to solve the murder. 8/3/2010 8:47:43 PM
Update: Five injured after ferry hard docks on Mayne Island At least five passengers were injured when the Queen of Nanaimo ferry steamed into the Village Bay loading ramp on Mayne Island this morning. One was airlifted from the scene to hospital and others were treated by medical staff on the island. 8/3/2010 5:33:23 PM
Wildfire count in B.C. hits 400 Provincewide, Crews were battling an estimated 400 wildfires in B.C. on Tuesday after dozens of new blazes over the weekend. Worst hit is the Cariboo region in the province's Interior, where as many as a third of the blazes are burning out of control, officials estimate. 8/3/2010 1:14:33 PM
N.W. Vancouver Island: Four fishermen missing since Monday A desperate search is under way for four fishermen missing in deteriorating conditions off the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island. Victoria Rescue Co-ordination Centre spokesman Gerry Pash says a six-metre aluminum fishing boat carrying a guide and three guests was last seen Monday morning leaving the Qualicum River Fishing Lodge at Winter Harbour. 8/3/2010 12:57:36 PM
Base jumper rescued from ledge in Squamish again A base jumper has been rescued after crashing into the face of the Stawamus Chief mountain in Squamish, B.C. RCMP say the jumper became stuck on a ledge about halfway up the 700-metre crag around 9 a.m. on Monday. Search and rescue workers reached the stranded man Monday afternoon. 8/3/2010 6:46:14 AM
B.C. federal tax collector was in on charity tax fraud scheme A federal tax collector from B.C. is one of the people implicated in a multi-million-dollar charity fraud tax scheme recently busted by the Canada Revenue Agency, according to internal government documents obtained by The Vancouver Sun. 8/3/2010 6:41:36 AM
Man rescued after falling off B.C. ferry into Victoria's Inner Harbour The Victoria Symphony Orchestra wasn’t the only thing making a splash in the Inner Harbour on Sunday. A man was rescued after falling off the MV Coho on Sunday afternoon. The ferry was about to make its 3 p.m. departure from Victoria to Port Angeles, Wash., when the man fell off. 8/3/2010 6:30:03 AM
Missing woman found dead; foul play not suspected The body of a B.C. woman missing for almost a week has been found by her family in Chilliwack. Maple Ridge resident Linda Mitchell had last been seen leaving a Hope-area hotel on July 27, and her car turned up the next day outside a pub in Chilliwack. 8/3/2010 6:27:14 AM
B.C. Human Rights Tribunal tosses out complaints filed by soccer and hockey parents The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has dismissed two complaints connected to youth sports. In the most recent decision, dated July 30, tribunal member Judith Parrack tossed out a complaint filed by the parents of a girl of South Asian descent. 8/2/2010 5:57:54 PM
Marc Emery wonders what's happening with his mail The Prince of Pot's U.S. Federal Prison blog # 8 cites a "disturbing series of occurrences" with his mail. In the blog, Marc Emery wrote that a number of items he has sent and that he should have received have gone missing. Emery stated in the blog that if items sent to him are refused, he is supposed to be informed of this. 8/2/2010 5:56:03 PM
Missing woman's family pleads for help The children of a missing B.C. woman whose rental car was found abandoned last Wednesday are asking anyone who may have seen her to come forward. Maple Ridge resident Linda Mitchell was last seen leaving a Hope-area hotel at around 3:40 p.m. Tuesday in a red Hyundai Accent. 8/2/2010 6:50:41 AM
Pit bull put down after injuring owner and guest at small party A pit bull dog is dead and two people are injured after a weekend incident at a small house party in Surrey. “The pitbull apparently, to the best of my knowledge, was not used to gatherings and got a little overwrought,” explained Surrey RCMP Staff Sgt. Bruce Anderson. 8/2/2010 6:19:16 AM
Downtown Vancouver bursting with Pride An estimated 600,000 spectators flooded into Vancouver's downtown core on Sunday, where the rainbow flag is flying high for the 27th annual Pride Parade. The 20-block parade, which began at noon, features extravagant floats, skimpy costumes, community groups and politicians of all stripes. 8/1/2010 4:06:12 PM
Family devastated after Abbotsford father killed while cycling on Hwy. 1 Abbotsford resident Sherry Boersma tearfully remembers the weekly bottle-collecting outings with her dad, Peter Boersma, as a fun way to spend quality time with an amazing and loving man. They’d go out on a Sunday, she says, riding their bikes from Abbotsford to Surrey and scanning the ditches for recyclables. 8/1/2010 10:29:56 AM
Man gets 14 years for smuggling pills for Hells Angels The first sign that something was wrong came well ahead of the story about the Hells Angels sending ecstasy shipments from Canada to the U.S. on Jet Skis. Suspicions were first raised when the U.S. Coast Guard patrollers heard that "this was just a dry run." 8/1/2010 9:47:13 AM
Dozens homeless after low-income housing complex burns (Video) Dozens of renters in Delta including several senior citizens, have less than 72 hours to find housing after a fire ripped through their low-income apartment complex Friday night. Investigators believe the fire broke out on a balcony, but have not confirmed witness reports that it was started by a barbeque. 8/1/2010 9:35:08 AM
University of Victoria served with rabbit cull injunction The University of Victoria was served with a temporary injunction issued yesterday by the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver which will prohibit the trapping and killing of rabbits. Roslyn Cassells went to court seeking time to process permits required to relocate many of the 1,400 rabbits overrunning the campus. 8/1/2010 2:33:09 AM
Vigil held for Abbotsford murder victim The 22-year-old victim of Abbotsford's latest murder was remembered by family and friends at a candlelight vigil Thursday night in White Rock. Mandie Astin Johnson, the single mom of a young daughter, was named earlier that day as the victim of the city's third homicide of the year. 7/31/2010 6:35:12 AM
Wild weekend in Vancouver's West End expected to draw massive crowds Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to celebrate in the West End's streets for what police call "the busiest weekend of the summer." With Saturday night's fireworks grand finale and Vancouver's Pride festival on in full force, hoards of excited revellers are expected to flock to the neighbourhood. 7/31/2010 6:31:03 AM
Sex charge prompts expanded probe of youth-offender penile test Although B.C.’s minister of children and families permanently shut down a controversial testing method on youth sex offenders Thursday, the province’s advocate for children’s rights says she will intensify her review of the program. The testing has been conducted by the government’s Youth Forensic Psychiatric Service for the past 25 years. 7/31/2010 6:13:47 AM
Man loses $200,000 certified cheque on SkyTrain — and gets it back By the time he stepped off the train and realized what was missing, it was already too late: The SkyTrain had left, and with it, a certified cheque worth $200,000 US. But thanks to some quick-thinking, mathematically inclined SkyTrain attendants, the train was located — and the cheque quickly found. 7/31/2010 6:11:44 AM
Smoking ban begins Saturday in Vancouver parks (Video) Smoking will be banned at all Vancouver parks and beaches beginning Saturday, after the park board raised the fire hazard rating to extreme. Smoking will be forbidden in all parks and on city trails, as will charcoal and wood-burning barbecues. Only propane barbecues will be allowed. 7/30/2010 7:30:21 PM
Pickton's appeal for new trial rejected by Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Canada has rejected serial killer Robert Pickton's bid for a new trial. The top court was unanimous in ruling that Pickton's right to a fair trial was not affected by the trial judge's final instructions to the jury, although they split 6-3 on the reasons. 7/30/2010 8:54:22 AM
Georgian minister slams Vancouver Sun, denies doctoring resume Georgia’s economy minister has reportedly lashed out at The Vancouver Sun, calling it a Russian propaganda unit, after an apparent discrepancy in the 28-year-old’s official biography. Vera Kobalia (center) came under international fire this week after a racy photograph of her posing next to some scantily clad women surfaced. 7/30/2010 8:13:36 AM
Vancouver woman charged in 2009 murder she reported More than 18 months after she reported his death, a 52-year-old Vancouver woman has been charged with the murder of William Canning. Nirmala Arjun was taken into custody Thursday morning and has now been charged with second-degree murder in the death of her 65-year-old acquaintance. 7/30/2010 7:55:41 AM
Campfire ban to be strictly enforced An absolute ban on campfires, fireworks and all open flames goes into effect at noon today. Three fires were still burning yesterday afternoon in the Kamloops Fire Centre, which covers Kamloops, Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton and runs to the U.S. border. 7/30/2010 7:19:44 AM
North Van teen complains of unpaid 'trial shift' A North Vancouver teenager is warning other young job-seekers to be wary of unpaid trial shifts, a practice that continues in B.C. despite being illegal. In May, Kathleen Kearns, 18, joined the throng of students looking for summer employment. Competition for these jobs is fierce. 7/30/2010 6:33:22 AM
Recycled phone re-issued with old user's private info (Video) Telus is investigating a possible privacy breach after it appears that one of its dealers re-issued a cell phone turned in for recycling. Jacquie Sali dropped off an old cell phone at an authorized Telus dealer for recycling in April. 7/30/2010 6:09:01 AM
Supreme Court: Pickton appeal ruling due Friday The Supreme Court of Canada will rule Friday on whether convicted serial killer Robert William Pickton will get a new trial. Pickton, a former B.C. pig farmer, was found guilty of six counts of second-degree murder in December 2007. He was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for at least 25 years. 7/30/2010 6:01:16 AM
Tax collector accessed private files for gain A tax collector in B.C. used the Canada Revenue Agency's computers to look up the private tax files of hundreds of high-income individuals, apparently in the hopes of hitting them up for a business she ran on the side, according to internal government documents. 7/30/2010 5:53:00 AM
'Help, help, my girlfriend's been shot': Woman shot dead in SUV in Abbotsford “Help, help, my girlfriend’s been shot.” Residents in a quiet Abbotsford neighbourhood were startled awake at 3 a.m. Wednesday by gunfire and a distraught man calling for help in those words. A neighbour told The Province she was getting a drink of water when she heard the shots. 7/29/2010 6:06:29 PM
Staffer's sex-offence charge prompts axing of controversial B.C. program A sex-offense charge against a staff member involved in a controversial testing program for teenage sex offenders has helped convince B.C’s minister of children and family development to cancel the program. The testing tactic has been employed for about 20 years. (Ed: Gov't is trying to avoid blame on this one.) 7/29/2010 4:21:14 PM
Georgian minister accused of stripping at Vancouver club A racy photograph of the Georgian economy minister, said to be taken at a Vancouver strip club, is creating international media furore. Vera Kobalia, 28, who lived in Vancouver and was educated at BCIT, is pictured posing salaciously with a group of scantily clad women. 7/29/2010 2:08:00 PM
Three Vancouver Island men guilty of assault in case with racial overtones Three white men who fought a lone black man in a Courtenay parking lot have been found guilty of common assault. Judge Peter Doherty said, "Three young white men, fuelled by alcohol and testosterone and their own immaturity, crossed paths with a black man and lives changed forever. " 7/29/2010 1:10:21 PM
Suddenly, Vancouver smells like Delta A smell resembling manure enveloped downtown Vancouver on Thursday morning, but nobody was quite sure where it was coming from. "We're out there trying to figure out the source," said Ray Robb, who enforces regulations for Metro Vancouver. At least four complaints had come in to Metro Vancouver's offices, mostly from the west side of Vancouver. 7/29/2010 12:56:20 PM
B.C. should help fund clinical trials of experimental MS therapy: MLA B.C. should take Saskatchewan up on its invitation to help fund clinical trials of a promising but untested therapy for multiple sclerosis patients, New Democrat MLA Adrian Dix said Wednesday. Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall announced his province will fund Canada’s first clinical trials of the therapy. 7/29/2010 6:12:38 AM
Former B.C. resident one of nine killed in Philippines robbery spree Police in the Philippines have arrested a man accused of murdering nine people, including a Canadian man with ties to Vancouver Island. Filipino Mark Dizon, a 28-year-old computer technician, is alleged to have gone on a killing spree in the last two weeks during robberies in three gated communities. 7/29/2010 6:07:10 AM
B.C. woman calls for aboveground pool regulations A Greater Victoria woman, whose home was badly damaged when a neighbour's above-ground pool collapsed last year, is calling for the industry to be regulated. "We just heard it. It was like a whoosh," recalled Caron Somers who watched as 50,000 litres of water poured into the basement. 7/29/2010 5:11:06 AM
Greenpeace mock oil spill targets Enbridge Greenpeace protesters staged a mock oil spill Wednesday morning at the downtown Vancouver offices of Enbridge after the Alberta pipeline company admitted responsibility for the oil leak now going on in Michigan. 7/29/2010 5:08:02 AM
B.C. man jailed for making child porn with daughters, their friends A Surrey man who sexually abused his own daughters and four other young girls was given a 13 1/2-year sentence Wednesday. The 36-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect his victims, pleaded guilty to 11 charges. All seven victims were under 10 years old. 7/29/2010 4:56:22 AM
More drivers abusing road Flagpersons In her line of work, says Micheline Archambault, the most important thing is patience. Keeping calm, she said, is the only way to handle raging motorists and cyclists who yell, kick and spit when faced with delays. "Oh my God, I've been called every name in the book. Even some I've never heard of," Archambault said. 7/28/2010 5:09:52 PM
Suitcase stickers draw ire of Baird's office Two Vancouver entrepreneurs selling eye-catching stickers so travellers can easily identify their luggage say they might consider stopping domestic sales. In one sticker, a gagged and bound flight attendant seems to be stuffed in the luggage. 7/28/2010 4:13:00 PM
B.C. man gets 11 years for child sex tourism Kenneth Klassen, 59, of Burnaby, B.C., was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in prison for committing sex tourism with children and importing child pornography. Klassen received 10 years for the sex-tourism charges and one year for importing pornography. 7/28/2010 4:10:37 PM
B.C. suspends penile sex tests on young offenders Comments The B.C. government has suspended a controversial test called a penile plethysmograph, which it was using to assess young sex offenders to determine their risk of reoffending after treatment. On Wednesday, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association demanded the government intervene after it learned of the tests. 7/28/2010 4:05:31 PM
BC Lottery Corp. could face huge fines for credit breach: expert (Video) The B.C. Lottery Corporation could face hefty fines as a result of displaying credit card information during the crash of its ill-fated website. Some gamblers were able to bet other people's money. In other cases, BCLC appeared to pay out winnings, but the money didn't appear. 7/28/2010 5:41:51 AM
Vancouver officer who shoved woman investigated (Video) The New Westminster Police Department will investigate a Vancouver police officer who pushed a disabled woman to the ground while walking on East Hastings Street earlier this month. New Westminster police will assume both the criminal and the Police Act investigations into the incident. 7/28/2010 5:30:29 AM
Growing threat sparks campfire ban, beach fire-pits too The upcoming weekend will be the most “critical” for the wildfire season. The arid conditions and relentless hot weather combined with a number of human-started forest fires has led to an outright ban on campfires as we head into the long weekend, this includes the fire pits on Penticton beaches. 7/27/2010 7:00:30 PM
Vancouver's gasoline prices highest in Canada The average price of gasoline has risen to its highest level in more than two months, according to data released Tuesday. A weekly survey by energy consultancy group MJ Ervin & Associates put the average rate for regular gas at $1.043 a litre, up 1.4 cents from a week earlier. 7/27/2010 6:54:21 PM
Preemie-care flip at Surrey Memorial bewilders donors The Fraser Health Authority has made a closed-door decision to cancel care for the most needy of premature newborns at Surrey Memorial Hospital — just months after the much-needed service was launched. And the move has left residents who worked tirelessly to raise millions of dollars angry and bewildered. 7/27/2010 3:07:02 PM
8 injured as flames engulf Delta apartment Eight people were rushed to hospital Tuesday morning after flames engulfed a three-storey apartment complex in Delta, B.C. Flames could be seen shooting from the roof when Delta police and Delta Fire Department responded to the complex near the Kennedy Heights shopping centre. 7/27/2010 3:00:24 PM
Carol Berner convicted on all counts Carol Berner was found guilty Tuesday of impaired and dangerous driving causing the death of four-year-old Alexa Middelaer. She was charged after four-year-old Alexa Middelaer was killed and her aunt was severely injured when they were hit by a car while feeding a horse at the side of a Delta road. 7/27/2010 2:54:50 PM
Vancouver mayor has close encounter with bus As Vancouver’s mayor prepares to have another controversial bike lane constructed downtown, he would do well to brush up on traffic laws. Note to Mayor Gregor Robertson: a red light means you have to stop before turning right. Another note, it makes good sense to obey the laws yourself. 7/27/2010 10:22:02 AM
Port Coquitlam councilors give themselves a raise Update: Port Coquitlam city councillors voted in favour giving themselves a wage hike Monday night. The unanimous vote means a 27-per-cent raise for councilors and a 42-per-cent boost for Mayor Greg Moore. The vote comes two weeks after Burnaby council approved a higher wage for Mayor Derek Corrigan, up 17 per cent to $114,031. 7/27/2010 6:59:58 AM
Blackjack winnings disappear along with PlayNow.com The B.C. Lottery Corporation's gambling website remained offline Monday, as the company faced questions about money that may have gone missing during its short life. Retired banker Mike Reid logged onto PlayNow.com on its debut day, July 15. 7/27/2010 6:07:18 AM
Surrey votes to allow secondary suites city-wide After decades of debate, Surrey has decided to permit homeowners to have one secondary suite in all single-family homes in the city, following an Ipsos Reid telephone poll in which 63 per cent of those surveyed supported the idea. 7/27/2010 5:42:50 AM
Vancouver man denied rabies vaccine after being bitten by raccoon When Brian Bruce and his two dogs were attacked and bitten by a particularly aggressive raccoon in Kitsilano, his first thought was to rush the injured pooches to the vets for treatment against rabies. That Bruce, 31, would not be able to find the same help for himself never crossed his mind. 7/26/2010 8:05:35 PM
B.C. tot dies after being struck in church parking lot A three-year-old girl died after being run over by a van in a church parking lot in Port Hardy, B.C., Sunday afternoon. The child was standing in the parking lot of the Port Hardy Baptist Church shortly before 2 p.m. when she was hit by a woman driving a passenger van. 7/26/2010 6:37:49 PM
Vancouver Island doctor convicted of sexually assaulting teen patient A Vancouver Island doctor has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy at a medical clinic after the physician made incriminating comments during phone calls taped by RCMP. The boy was an avid mountain biker and had frequently been treated for minor injuries by Dr. Farrokh Rohani at the clinic. 7/26/2010 6:26:24 PM
Campfire bans around B.C. to increase as of Thursday As of noon Thursday, campfire bans will be in effect around most of the province, B.C.’s forests ministry has announced. “We are heading into the peak fire season and the fire danger rating for most of the province is high to extreme,” said Minister Pat Bell. 7/26/2010 6:12:48 PM
Cops say robber cut ahead of them in line at Starbucks New Westminster police made a surprise arrest early Saturday morning after a man cut ahead of them in line at Starbucks and then allegedly attempted to rob the coffee shop. Two police officers were heading from the station to the coffee shop across the street. 7/26/2010 4:18:44 PM
Chilliwack: Cops call fatal mobile home fire a 'crime scene' One man is dead and another suffering from smoke inhalation after a fire in a mobile home park Monday. Chilliwack RCMP's serious crime unit is investigating the 1 p.m. blaze at the Cedar Grove Manufactured Home Park on Unsworth Road. Another adult male taken to hospital for smoke inhalation "is expected to be okay." 7/26/2010 4:10:26 PM
Registered problem gambler who had jackpot seized never signed away ability to win: lawyer A registered problem gambler who had his jackpot seized at a Duncan casino never signed away his ability to win, said his lawyer. Vancouver Island resident Mike Lee is suing the B.C. Lottery Corp. to have $42,500 he won at Chances Cowichan in January returned to him. 7/26/2010 6:51:24 AM
Resuscitated stabbing victim remains in critical condition A 37-year-old stabbing victim is fighting for his life after police found him without a pulse early Sunday morning. Insp. Dean Robinson said officers found the man lying unconscious in the intersection at Main and Hastings streets at around 1:30 a.m. 7/26/2010 6:29:23 AM
Port Coquitlam vote on salary boost gets province’s attention As Port Coquitlam’s mayor and council vote Monday on giving themselves a hefty pay raise, the minister in charge of B.C. municipalities is reviewing whether the proposed increase is justified. PoCo is considering a 27-per-cent raise for Mayor Greg Moore and a 42-per-cent boost for each councillor. 7/26/2010 6:08:14 AM
B.C. official briefed on cost of replacing RCMP with provincial police Despite official denials that the B.C. government is considering replacing the RCMP with a new provincial police force. The province’s contract with the RCMP expires in 2012. A version of the document written in April was released to The Sun in response to a Freedom of Information request. 7/25/2010 6:54:30 AM
B.C. Legislature cost details hidden from taxpayers When B.C. politicians publicize their expense accounts this fall, they'll reveal only the tip of a much larger chunk of spending that is hidden from taxpayers. Compensation for the 85 MLAs is a fraction of the $63-million-a-year budget for the legislative buildings -- few details of which are ever made public. 7/25/2010 6:51:12 AM
SPCA seizes starving dogs in Duncan Shocked B.C. SPCA officials are trying to figure out why the owner of a young Labrador-cross starved the dog and her eight puppies and left them covered with maggots under bushes on a rural Duncan property. The adult dog, named Dawn, and one surviving puppy out of eight are fighting for their lives. 7/25/2010 6:22:56 AM
"Violent" man wanted for breach of parole in Chilliwack Chilliwack RCMP are asking the public to be on the lookout for a dangerous criminal on the lamb. Frank Joseph Federici is considered violent and should not be approached, police said in a news release Friday evening. The 33 year-old is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for breach of parole. 7/24/2010 6:55:23 PM
Up to 3,000 coyotes now live in Metro Vancouver British Columbians and their pets have experienced all manner of dangerous run-ins with wildlife in recent weeks, from bear, coyote and cougar attacks to rampaging deer. One reason for the surge in encounters is that wildlife species in and around the Lower Mainland -- and throughout B.C. -- are thriving. 7/24/2010 6:47:35 PM
Giant hogweed invades Richmond Giant hogweed — a dangerous and invasive plant — has been found in Richmond, B.C. Lesley Douglas, the city's manager of environmental sustainability, said the plant has been found on Sea Island. Douglas warned that members of the public not to attempt to remove the plant themselves. 7/22/2010 6:03:23 AM
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Burnaby teen dies in crash
Fraser Health: Patient data lost with stolen laptop
RCMP admit sloppy work in abduction attempt case (Video)
B.C. wood carver shot dead by Seattle police
Majority of British Columbians says Liberals blew HST message
Boom of prison expansions underway to meet expected flood of inmates
B.C drivers who speed risk losing their cars for a week
Anti-HST forces livid about B.C. documents
