British Columbia

B.C. expected to surpass record 2018 wildfire season for most area burned

VANCOUVER - British Columbia is encroaching on its worst wildfire season on record as more than 370 fires burn in the province. BC Wildfire Service figures show wildfires have consumed more than 12,90...

Jul 18, 2023

Municipal police chief casts doubt on effectiveness of B.C. drug decriminalization

DELTA, B.C. - The chief of a municipal police force in Metro Vancouver has issued an open letter criticizing British Columbia's drug decriminalization policies as ineffective in the face of the ongoin...

Jul 17, 2023

CP NewsAlert: BC Coroner issues safety alert over wildfire smoke after child's death

VICTORIA - British Columbia's coroner has issued a public safety bulletin about wildfire smoke as it confirmed a nine-year-old boy died from a medical condition aggravated by the smoke. The service sa...

Jul 17, 2023

'The heart of us': colleagues and family honour fallen B.C. firefighter Devyn Gale

The British Columbia Wildfire Service is paying tribute to the 19-year-old firefighter who died after being struck by a falling tree last week, calling her "the heart of us."The service is also sharin...

Jul 17, 2023

Minister says he'll announce decision Wednesday on future of policing in Surrey, B.C.

CHILLIWACK, B.C. - British Columbia Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says he'll announce Wednesday whether Surrey will be allowed to revert to policing by the RCMP or be forced to continue the tr...

Jul 17, 2023

B.C. promises $3M to expand program that partners cops with health-care providers

CHILLIWACK, B.C. - British Columbia is spending $3 million to expand a program that partners health-care workers with police to respond to mental-health-related calls. Public Safety Minister Mike Farn...

Jul 17, 2023

Dogs trained to detect potentially deadly superbug at B.C. hospitals

VANCOUVER - Arti and Anton are the newest floppy-eared members of a team of dog detectives trained to sniff out adangerous bacterium in British Columbia hospitals, where it can easily spread among vul...

Jul 17, 2023

B.C., federal officials to discuss wildfire response, military deployed to assess

A working group comprised of members of Public Safety Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces and British Columbia emergency management and wildfire officials are set to meet today as several hundred blazes...

Jul 17, 2023

British Columbia wildfires prompt more than 70 evacuation orders, alerts

Wildfires in British Columbia have prompted more than 70 current evacuation alerts or orders, with many clustered in the province's central Interior. The Cariboo Regional District has issued an order ...

Jul 16, 2023

B.C. wildfires on the rise amid drought, federal help on the way

The number of wildfires in British Columbia continues to rise amid persistent drought, and federal aid -- including military resources -- is on the way. Bowinn Ma, B.C.'s minister of emergency managem...

Jul 15, 2023