Category: British Columbia

The Push to Change British Columbia’s Name

Commentary Is it time to change the name of British Columbia? An opinion article in The Tyee, an influential online publication based in B.C., says it’s the right thing to do. According to the piece, the name “honours England’s racist colonizers” and “lionizes Columbus.” The Village of Pemberton thinks the name should be changed too….


BC Readies Response Before Second Heat Wave

VANCOUVER—British Columbia is gearing up for another heat wave this weekend by opening more cooling centres and redeploying health-care workers as temperatures are expected to soar. Health Minister Adrian Dix said Friday that while more staff will be shifted to emergency rooms, work is underway to keep hospitals cool while workers in long-term care facilities…


8.2 Magnitude Quake in Alaska Puts Some B.C. Coastal Residents on Edge

KITAMAAT VILLAGE, B.C.—A powerful earthquake off Alaska Wednesday night triggered tsunami warnings and watches far across the Pacific and led to some anxious hours for residents of low lying regions along British Columbia’s northwest coast. The U.S. Geological Survey says an 8.2 magnitude quake hit off the Alaska Peninsula roughly 800 kilometres southwest of Anchorage…


More Than 250 Wildfires Continue to Burn in British Columbia

VANCOUVER—The BC Wildfire Service says there are 257 wildfires currently burning in the province. That’s one fewer than Saturday’s update, but down from about 300 earlier in the week. There are now 58 evacuation orders in place, affecting about 4,400 properties. Another nearly 17,500 properties are on evacuation alert, meaning residents have been told to…


Number of Active Wildfires in BC Drops, One Evacuation Order Lifted

VANCOUVER—The B.C. Wildfire Service says there are 258 wildfires currently burning in the province. That’s down from 275 fires reported in its last update Friday, and down from about 300 earlier in the week. There are 57 evacuation orders in place, down one from Friday afternoon, affecting nearly 5,000 properties. Another nearly 16,500 properties, more…


Temperature in Lytton, B.C., breaks all time Canadian high set in 1937

VANCOUVER—The temperature in a village in British Columbia’s southern Interior reached a scorching 46.1 C Sunday afternoon, marking a new all-time high recorded in Canada. The reading from Environment Canada in Lytton showed the mercury surpassed the previous record of 45 C set in Saskatchewan in 1937. A heat warning is in effect for most…


Expert Explains About the ‘Heat Dome’ Hovering Above B.C., Alberta and Territories

Much of British Columbia, northern Alberta and parts of Yukon and the Northwest Territories are experiencing a “heat dome” that is expected to shatter high-temperature records over the next few days. Temperatures into the 40s Celsius are expected for many parts of B.C. Many communities across the northern half of Alberta could also see temperatures…


Record Heat Now Due From B.C., to Alberta, Parts of Yukon and Northwest Territories

VANCOUVER—Environment Canada has extended heat warnings to cover all but the western edge of British Columbia, and the sizzling conditions are also forecast for the entire northern half of Alberta and parts of Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Temperatures into the 40s are expected for many parts of B.C., as the weather office says an…


B.C. Doctor Wants Action to Prevent Children Falling From Windows

VANCOUVER—A pediatric neurosurgeon in British Columbia is urging caregivers to take steps to prevent children from falling from windows and balconies after two kids have died from their injuries so far this year. Dr. Ash Singhal of B.C. Children’s Hospital said it’s also the provincial government’s responsibility to change the building code so windows in…


‘Highly Intelligent’: A Forestry Scientist’s Journey of Discovering How Trees Communicate

Suzanne Simard discovered a fascinating fact about trees: They communicate and interact with each other using below-ground fungal networks, what she calls biological pathways. Not only that, she found that trees also have cognitive capabilities in terms of perception, learning, and memory. Simard’s research led to the recognition that forests have hub trees, or “mother trees”—big,…