Tag: British Columbia

Emergencies Minister Mobilizes Military to Help Fight BC Wildfires

Federal assistance including military resources are being mobilized to help British Columbia’s fight against hundreds of wildfires, Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair announced Friday. Blair said in a tweet he has approved a request for federal assistance to aid firefighters and emergency management personnel who are “working tirelessly” in B.C. The assistance will come…


BC Wants 1,000 More International Firefighters to Join Wildfire Battle

British Columbia has requested 1,000 additional international firefighters to join the battle against the province’s wildfires. Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma says she has also spoken to her counterpart in Ottawa, Bill Blair, about bringing more federal resources to help fight the 350 or so fires burning across B.C. Ma says a team from Australia…


Average Asking Price for Canadian Rental Unit Hits Record High in June: Rentals.ca

The average asking price for a rental unit in Canada reached a record $2,042 last month amid continued interest rate hikes and population expansion, according to a new report by Rentals.ca and Urbanation. The data, which analyzed monthly listings from the Rentals.ca network, showed year-over-year rent inflation for June was 7.5 percent, below the double-digit…


BC Expected to Request Ottawa’s Help With Worsening Wildfires: Minister

Canada’s Emergency Preparedness Minister says he is expecting a “fairly substantive” request for help from British Columbia as wildfires worsen. Bill Blair tells The Canadian Press the government operations centre has been in discussions with the province for the last several days, and Ottawa is ready to deploy the needed resources as the formal request…


More Evacuations, Alerts, Reflect Difficult Wildfire Season in BC, Yukon

At least 12 new evacuation orders or alerts have been issued over the last day in British Columbia as lightning storms and drought conditions add to the challenge of fighting hundreds of wildfires. The orders and alerts cover thousands of hectares of land mainly in the Prince George and Northwest fire centres. The BC Wildfire…


Off-Duty BC RCMP Officer Saves 3 Adults From Burning House

An officer of the Lake Cowichan RCMP in B.C. has been hailed a hero by his peers. An unnamed off-duty law enforcement officer from the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment saved the lives of three adults from a burning home during the early morning hours of July 9, the RCMP said in a news release. At…


BC Police Warn About 3D-printed Guns That Look Like ‘Harmless Toys’

Police in British Columbia are raising concerns about the rise of 3D-printed guns and other privately made firearms, saying the risks posed by the weapons that often resemble “harmless toys” may not be understood by parents or teachers. The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit has shared a photo of an array of weapons printed in…


Nutrien Curtails Production at Cory Potash Mine Due to Port Workers Strike

Nutrien Ltd. said it has curtailed production at its Cory potash mine due the port workers strike in Vancouver that is also raising concerns from businesses nationwide. The fertilizer producer said Tuesday that the strike has meant the loss of export capacity through Canpotex’s Neptune terminal. It says that if the work stoppage continues it…


BC Announces Total Campfire Ban Amid Drastic Wildfire Surge

British Columbia is imposing a total campfire ban across the entire province, except Haida Gwaii, after lightning combined with tinder-dry conditions sparked a huge surge in wildfires over the weekend. The measure, announced by Minister of Emergency Management Bowinn Ma and effective at 3 p.m. Monday, totally bans the smallest category 1 campfires, measuring up…


Lightning Sparks About 200 New Wildfires Across BC as Heat Grips Interior

Hundreds of lightning strikes in many parts of British Columbia almost tripled the number of active wildfires in the province over the weekend, with most burning in central and northern B.C. The BC Wildfire Service is reporting more than 300 fires, with 87 spotted in the last 24 hours and almost 200 of the total…