British Columbia News

In his first-ever Ironman triathlon, Stephen Wheeler surprised himself a bit. After the Whistler athlete completed the enormous challenge of Sunday’s (Aug. 29) Ironman Canada race, he found himself feeling a little surprised at just how well the…

Even with a possible broken scaphoid bone and a sprained wrist, lingering reminders of a serious training-run crash, Claire Buchar was still striving to hit perfect lines in the season’s final round of World Cup downhill mountain biking action.

Early-season success was difficult to come by for the Squamish Wolf Pack in the first two seasons for the young Pacific International Junior Hockey League (PIJHL) team. But look for slow Septembers to be a thing of the past this year, if some of the

Even though the day had seen an early blast of fall, by the time the race was about to go off the weather was gentle as a lamb again. It was Aug. 26 and the 17th Toonie race of the season was on.

When sit-skier Josh Dueck delivered the best slalom race of his life at Whistler Creekside and captured a Paralympic silver medal, local mountain bikers who have ridden in Westside Wheelup races in the past eight years could feel a bit of pride in…

Some athletes thrive when plans go haywire. Judging by the musical performance of Jill Giese and her longtime mare Dreamcatcher at the Spokane Sport Horse Farm’s Annual Dressage Spectacular, they are exactly that kind of competitor.

Whistler’s Will Routley, who became the 2010 national road race champion earlier this year, has earned a berth on the Canadian team that will take on the world in the prestigious UCI ProTour cycling events this month in Quebec.

An alleged associate of the United Nations gang has been denied bail in BC Supreme Court.
 Soroush Ansari is one of eight men who are charged with conspiring to murder the notorius Bacon brothers.
 He applied for bail, but Mr. Justice Arne Silverman denied his application.
 The arguments and reasons for the denial are covered under a publication ban.
 All of Ansari’s co-accused…

British Columbians say the Harmonized Sales Tax is definitely affecting their bottom line.
 A new survey by Angus Reid public opinion shows 68 per-cent of British Columbians say the tax has severely or moderately affected their household finances, 31 per-cent say they’ve been severely affected.
 89 per-cent of respondents say dining out has become more expensive, while 76 per-cent are no…

Abbotsford Police are looking for public help in solving a rash of break and enters.
 They are reporting 33 in the last week alone.
 Police say it’s very disturbing, and it’s widespread.
 Constable Ian MacDonald says a number of people have seen the break-ins or seen indicators of crime, but have not called police.

Following a two year investigation, RCMP have arrested two people in connection with the murder of a Beaverdell man.
 Two years ago, Timothy Tyler was shot dead on his acreage.
 He had a grow op on his property.
 police think he was killed as he tried to stop people from ripping him off.
 RCMP now say  49 year old Gerlinde Klumpp of Rock Creek is being charged with robbery…

“An absolute joke”, and “……preposterous.”  Some of the words Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson is using to describe a supposed list of 15 reporters unpopular with the city’s governing party.
  Robertson says to his knowledge,  there’s been no substantive evidence that any such list exists or was created by anyone he works with.  ”……an absolute joke it’s preposterous…

Two First Nations groups from Vancouver Island are taking the Province to Court, in a bid to proceed with a very profitable run-of-river hydroelectricity project.
The Da’naxda’xw and Awaetlala First Nations say they were given assurances 200-hectares of land from the Great Bear Rain Forest Conservancy would be removed.
Nanwakolas Council President Dallas Smith says that would allow them to move fo…

Over 12-million dollars has been taken out of the criminal economy since 2006, thanks to BC’s Civil Forfeiture Program. And it’s not costing taxpayers a dime.
In the four years its been running the Program hasn’t lost a case. It’s goal is to seize assets considered the proceeds of crime, or used in the commission of criminal activity.
Executive Director Rob Kroeker says the program pays for itself…

With New Brunswick’s minimum wage increasing to 9-dollars an hour, the BC Federation of Labour wants BC’s to catch up. President Jim Sinclair says BC’s minimum wage of 8 dollars an hour, along with the 6-dollar training wage are contributing to the worst child poverty rates in the country, “Every other Government in Canada has raised their minimum wage in the last two years, and most in the l…

Finance Minister Colin Hansen is playing down a study that suggests the HST will take five to ten years to benefit BC’s economy, with a negative effect on jobs and take-home-pay in the meantime.
The study by the CD Howe Institute was published in 2008, and Hansen says “flexibility” on the part of Ottawa has reduced the negative impacts of the tax, “The seven percent Provincial portion does not app…

A recent study of the work-life of BC teachers show the vast majority love their jobs. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have challenges.
BCTF President Susan Lambert says teachers continue to find great satisfaction in helping students learn, working with colleagues and parents, and exercising professional autonomy, “When you have chosen a teaching career and you stay with it, it’s because you love…

The public will have a chance to wade into the debate before Victoria councillors make boulevards and medians no-camping zones, council decided this morning

The City of Abbotsford has partnered with Abbotsford Connected Neighbourhoods to take a different type of Pepsi Challenge.

Community objections, environmental concerns put $152,000 worth of art in limbo.

Doctors need to focus on harm reduction, says Samuel Gutman

Police warn local renters about Craigslist scam.

How North Shore churches are evolving in the wake of the digital revolution. Part one in a two-part series.

Expanded U-Passes not ready yet.

Councillors Bob Shaw and Sheilah Fea quit effective today, which will mean a by-election will have to be held in North Saanich.

Need to get up Island quickly? Starting this Sunday, a B.C.-based airline will be offering daily flights between Victoria and Comox airports.

Victoria residents could soon be asked whether they’d be
willing to haul their garbage to the curb instead of having it
picked up from the backyard every week.

U.S. environmentalists are bracing to battle a Canadian company that has plans for a copper and gold mine in the shadow of Mount St. Helens, the Washington state volcano that famously blew its top in 1980 and is now the centre of a national protected area.

Forecast is for a relatively stable market with any increase in mortgage rates expected to be modest.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Quesnel Volunteer Fire Department, and its members invite the public to celebrate with them.

Sharing of dirty needles by Victoria’s injection-drug users increased substantially after the city’s only fixed needle exchange closed in 2008, according to a study by the University of Victoria’s Centre for Addictions Research of B.C.

Police are still looking for witnesses in Tuesday’s death of a pedestrian on the Pat Bay Highway.

Three people have been charged in connection with a remote marijuana grow operation, Campbell River RCMP said.

old scam is making fresh rounds.Ca

B.C. municipalities say they are being overrun by wild animals that are threatening public safety and befouling urban amenities, and they are asking the provincial government for help.