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British Columbia

B.C. drug use advocates warn decriminalization change may cause more drug deaths
VANCOUVER - The executive director of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users says Health Canada's decision to allow British Columbia to again prohibit the use of illicit drugs in most public spaces will cause more deaths, calling it "prohibition 2.0." Brittany Graham says the initial decriminalization exemp...
42m ago
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Safety board issues message to float-plane pilots on landing-site hazards
RICHMOND, B.C. - An investigation by the Transportation Safety Board has concluded that a small float plane coming in near Tofino, B.C., either hit a boat wake or an object before slamming into trees on a second landing attempt, killing two people aboard. The report says the pilot and a passenger were killed, while ano...
2h ago
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back open
London Drugs president says sorry for cyber breach, no evidence customer data taken
RICHMOND, B.C. - The president of London Drugs has issued a letter apologizing for a cybersecurity incident that forced the company to close stores for more than a week, but he says there's no evidence customer databases were compromised. The letter from Clint Mahlman says the Richmond, B.C.-based company is still inve...
4h ago
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B.C. insurance corp. announces $110 vehicle rebate, rate increases on hold until 2026
VICTORIA - Most drivers in British Columbia will receive a $110 vehicle insurance rebate this year. The Insurance Corporation of B.C. says strong investment and financial returns and the 2021 shift to the "enhanced care" model for providing health coverage for people involved in crashes has put the Crown corp...
4h ago
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British Columbia

B.C. court date set for third suspect in Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing
SURREY, B.C. - A court date has been set for the third man charged with the murder of British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, coinciding with that of the other two suspects. Case listings from Surrey Provincial Court in B.C. show that Kamalpreet Singh will appear next on May 21. Kamalpreet Singh, Karanpree...
5h ago
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Music Review: Sebastian Bach's 'Child Within the Man' makes the case for a Skid Row reunion
Sebastian Bach's latest solo album, "Child Within the Man," is a reminder that every once in a while, a man and a moment meet. This is that time for Bach and his former band Skid Row. The vintage-sounding album has everything that made Bach a force and offers a tantalizing glimpse into what he could bring to ...
8h ago
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Community mourns thousands of fish lost as B.C. drought risk looms again
DUNCAN, B.C. - Images of steelhead and trout flicker over long sheets of paper, brought to life in blue and green crayon rubbings by the thousands. It's called Project 84,000, and is intended to depict the number of steelhead and trout that died in a massive fish kill in the drought-stricken Cowichan River on southern...
14h ago
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London Drugs reopens all stores across Western Canada after cybersecurity shutdown
RICHMOND, B.C. - London Drugs says it has reopened all its stores across Western Canada after a cybersecurity breach forced the retailer to close last month. The Richmond, B.C.-based retailer and pharmacy chain operates 79 stores across Western Canada. It said in a news release Monday that it had begun reopening its s...
21h ago
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Another barge adrift in Vancouver prompts speedy coast guard response
VANCOUVER - Another barge went adrift in Vancouver's English Bay, prompting a quick response from the Canadian Coast Guard. A spokeswoman for the agency says it received the report around 2:30 p.m. and two crews from its Kitsilano base responded within minutes. Michelle Imbeau says those crews, with the help of a vess...
21h ago
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UBC president says endowment fund doesn't directly own stocks targeted by protesters
VANCOUVER - The president of the University of British Columbia says its endowment fund doesn't directly own any stocks that are the target of divestment demands by pro-Palestinian protesters who have set up an encampment on the Vancouver campus. Benoit-Antoine Bacon says the targeted companies are instead part of &quo...
May 07, 2024
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whale watching
Orca pod spotted in vicinity of orphan B.C. killer whale, but no evidence of family
ZEBALLOS, B.C. - A reported sighting of an orca pod off Vancouver Island near where an orphan killer whale is spending her time after escaping from a lagoon has an expert expressing caution and downplaying a possible family reunion. A confirmed sighting of a pod of nine orcas was reported Monday near Kyuquot Sound, abo...
May 07, 2024
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Illicit drug deaths reach 192 in March in B.C., down from last year
VICTORIA - Another 192 people were killed in British Columbia by illicit drugs in March, 11 per cent down from the same month last year. The BC Coroners Service says the relentless toll makes illicit drugs the leading cause of death for those aged between 10 and 59, surpassing accidents, suicide, homicides and natural...
May 07, 2024
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Ottawa approves British Columbia's request to scale back drug decriminalization pilot
OTTAWA - Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya'ara Saks says the federal government has granted British Columbia's request to scale back its drug decriminalization pilot program. Saks says the change takes effect immediately. The province requested that Health Canada amend an exemption allowing the decriminalizati...
May 07, 2024
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Ballard Power Systems Q1 loss grows from year ago, revenue up 9%
VANCOUVER - Ballard Power Systems saw its first-quarter loss deepen compared with a year ago as its revenue rose nine per cent. The Vancouver-based fuel cell maker, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its loss from continuing operations amounted to US$41.1 million or 14 cents US per share for the quarter ended ...
May 07, 2024
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Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Hardeep Singh Nijjar facing court in B.C.
SURREY, B.C. - Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are due to face court today over the killing that triggered a major diplomatic rift with India. Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karan Brar were arrested in Edmonton last week and are scheduled to appear in Surrey Provin...
May 07, 2024
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Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Hardeep Singh Nijjar facing court in B.C.
SURREY, B.C. - Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are due to face court in Surrey, B.C., today over the killing that triggered a major diplomatic rift with New Delhi. Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karan Brar were arrested in Edmonton last week and are scheduled to ap...
May 07, 2024
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Rights watchdog tells B.C. colleges: protect Gaza protesters at peaceful encampments
VANCOUVER - British Columbia's human rights commissioner is calling on universities and colleges to protect the rights of students and staff taking part in "peaceful encampments," saying she's worried about people who "speak up in solidarity with Gaza" being penalized. Kasari Govender says in a stat...
May 06, 2024
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Singh tells Conservatives to back off as House prepares for first pharmacare vote
OTTAWA - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is warning Conservatives to back down from attempts to block pharmacare legislation, as the House of Commons prepares to vote on the bill for the first time. The legislation is a central condition of the NDP's political pact with the governing Liberals, and includes a program to cover ...
May 06, 2024
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B.C. court date set for three accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
SURREY, B.C. - Three suspects accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year are scheduled to appear in court in Surrey on Tuesday. Indian nationals Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh, and Karan Brar are due to face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder at Surrey Pr...
May 06, 2024
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gradual reopening
Dozens of London Drugs stores reopen after cybersecurity shutdown
RICHMOND, B.C. - London Drugs is gradually reopening its stores across Western Canada more than a week after a cybersecurity breach forced the retailer to close. The company says it is working with independent cybersecurity experts to securely bring its systems back online after it was discovered April 28. The retailer...
May 06, 2024
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Music Review: Brad Mehldau connects Bach, Fauré to jazz on albums, 'After Bach II' and 'Après Fauré'
Grammy-award winning jazz pianist Brad Mehldau connects the dots as though they were so many 16th notes. His two new albums, "After Bach II" and "Après Fauré," use classical music as a foundation for solo explorations that draw a through line from Art Tatum to Thelonious Monk to Bill E...
May 06, 2024
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Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
VICTORIA - Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members today during a ceremony at British Columbia's legislature cenotaph commemorating the Second World War's Battle of the Atlantic. The princess, King Charles's sister, laid a wreath during the ceremony to mark the war's largest and longest battl...
May 05, 2024
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B.C. man wants homes for thousands of books he soon won't be able to read
VANCOUVER - In the 10 years since John William started to lose his vision, he's been finding new ways to enjoy his vast personal library. Right now, that involves glasses and a magnifying glass with bright lights illuminating the pages. But he says it's time to say goodbye to much of his collection, about 3,500 books...
May 05, 2024
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Princess Anne lays wreath at B.C. veteran's cemetery; receives 21-gun salute
ESQUIMALT, B.C. - Princess Anne paid tribute to veterans buried at a cemetery in British Columbia today, laying a wreath to honour the more than 2,500 military personnel and family members buried there. The princess spent more than an hour touring the God's Acre cemetery, a national historic site in Esquimalt, B.C., th...
May 04, 2024
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Man charged with second-degree murder in White Rock, B.C., stabbing: RCMP
WHITE ROCK, B.C. - Mounties say a man has been charged with second-degree murder in a fatal stabbing that shook the community of White Rock, B.C., last month. A statement from the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says 27-year-old Dimitri Hyacinth from nearby Surrey is accused of killing Kulwinder Singh Sohi on A...
May 03, 2024
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Fisheries Department warns boaters against disturbing orphan B.C. killer whale calf
ZEBALLOS, B.C. - The Fisheries Department says its monitoring and patrolling ocean waters off northwest Vancouver Island to ensure boat traffic doesn't interfere with an orphan killer whale calf's ability to reunite with her extended family. The Fisheries Department says in a statement it will be monitoring the locatio...
May 03, 2024
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B.C. police to make 'significant' announcement on Sikh leader's killing
SURREY, B.C. - Homicide police in British Columbia say they will be providing a "significant update" on the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, amid reports that arrests have been made in the case. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he has been informed about the update by the RCMP in the ...
May 03, 2024
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Hacker breaches B.C. libraries and demands ransom after taking emails, phone numbers
CARIBOO, B.C. - B.C. libraries have been targeted by a hacker who demanded a ransom or they would release user data that includes the phone numbers and email addresses of some clients. The Cariboo Regional District says its library was among those involved, and data was obtained about users who received automated notif...
May 03, 2024
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