The Province

BRIDGE PLAN REVIVED

B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson said Thursday his government would revive a decade-old plan to build a 10-lane bridge between Richmond and Delta, citing years of mismanagement of the Massey Tunnel replacement project by the NDP. Doerkson said...

NEW-MOM SUPPORT

Vancouver mother Jenna Dorman had a habit of telling her friends just how much she loved them. At dinner parties, the 42-year-old would look around the table and tell the people around her, over and over, how much they meant to her. “She would just...

IS `NOT REALLY' A COP OUT?

Incumbent Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke is facing renewed scrutiny days before the election about what advance knowledge, if any, she had earlier this year when the police board moved to terminate then-police chief Norm Lipinski at a closed...

BLACK BEARS STRUGGLING TO FATTEN UP

A North Vancouver wildlife sanctuary has closed its trails to give black bears room to forage before hibernation, as unusually high bear activity in Lower Mainland communities puts more animals at risk of being killed. The Wild Bird Trust of B.C....

CRASH TALK

ICBC was bleeding red ink a decade ago, facing billion-dollar losses and the spectre of steep rate increases for drivers. The financial state of the Crown corporation had been kept secret by the B.C. Liberals, the right-of-centre ruling party at the...

TIMING OF CRIME STATS QUESTIONED

Vancouver police are telling voters crime is down. The timing is raising eyebrows. With early ballots already being cast in the city's municipal election, the Vancouver Police Department called a news conference Thursday to deliver a positive message...

BUSINESS PLEDGES

In an election shaping up to be all about the economy and affordability, the B.C. NDP and the Conservatives seem to be singing from similar song-sheets on making life easier for entrepreneurs, while the Greens focus on shifting toward tourism and clean...

FATAL COLLUSION?

THE SEARCH FOR A CURE

Pierre and Vivianne Seguin, a Port Moody couple, worry about whether dementia will affect their two adult sons and two granddaughters. While most cases of dementia are not hereditary, Pierre was diagnosed with young-onset dementia in 2022 at age 62....

WHEN IS IT OK FOR LEADERS TO CRY?

For the most part, being a man seems to help, expert says To cry, or not to cry? In the realm of politics, that is the question. And the answer, says one University of Toronto expert, largely depends on your sex. “If you're a woman in the public...

THE TRUSTEE RACE

With two elections a week apart in October, voters are going to be making a lot of choices. For the municipal election on Oct. 17, mayoral and council races tend to get most of the attention, but for families with children — and anyone who cares about...

ON THE FAST TRACK

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Thursday the $44-billion oil pipeline from Alberta to B.C. is a project of national interest. It's the first such designation under federal legislation passed last year, and means it has been decided the project...

TRAGEDY AT MALL

Two pedestrians were killed outside an entrance to the Tsawwassen Mills mall in South Delta on Wednesday morning. According to the Delta Police Department, the driver of the vehicle that hit the pair may have experienced a medical emergency before the...

EX-CHIEF WANTS FIRING QUASHED

Fired Surrey police chief Norm Lipinski has asked the B.C. Supreme Court to overturn his termination. A petition filed in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday by Lipinski's lawyer, Robin McFee, a specialist in employment law, argues the firing of Lipinski by...

IS EUROPE NEXT?

PARIS — More than four years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European nations worry Moscow could escalate the conflict there and beyond, targeting Kyiv's supporters. Western leaders have warned of a surge in Russian covert operations...

POINTING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

If there is one clear sign that tells you the Vancouver Canucks are in a rebuild, it's the truth of the task they are about to undertake. The future of the team is mostly not on the roster — it's with players who aren't there yet, and won't even be in...

SAFETY PRESCRIBED

As an emergency room physician at Surrey Memorial Hospital, Dr. Amoljeet Lail says he witnesses horrific acts of violence and abuse against the medical team every day. Some health-care workers are beaten or stabbed so badly they have to be admitted...

`CLIMATE ANXIETY'

Vancouver university student Zoe Grames-Webb was just a child when she became aware that health problems from wildfire smoke were keeping her from participating in summer outdoor activities. Now 20, the biochemistry major at UBC said when the smoke is...

EARLY ELECTION CALL

Preparations for a snap election call began in earnest two weeks ago as U.S. President Trump became a focal point once again for British Columbians, and the B.C. Conservatives continued to come apart at the seams, according to multiple sources within...

A HARD ROAD

It has been almost two years since Julia Kwan's life changed in an instant. As she stepped off a curb at Westminster Highway and No. 2 Road in Richmond, a dump truck hit her and pinned her under a wheel. She suffered massive injuries, including a...

`OUR NEIGHBOURS, OUR FRIENDS'

Amid tariffs, social media jibes and the renaming of lakes, the relationship between Canada and the U.S. continues to sour, with some public figures on both sides of the border expressing their support for Canadians. Most recently, American actress...

WOW, JUST ... WOW

When Chris Bodnar and his wife Paige recently filled the diesel tank at their Abbotsford vegetable farm, the price was $3,000 — double what it used to cost. The rising price of diesel across the world is hitting B.C. industries like farming and...

GROUSE MOUNTAIN GRINDER

There are a few reasons Roger Sauvain does the Grouse Grind every day (yes, even in winter, but don't tell the authorities). “It keeps me fit, healthy and very, very happy,” said Sauvain, who celebrated his 90th birthday by doing the Grind. His time...

DEFICITS AND DEBT DECRIED

Premier David Eby said Wednesday that money is required to build the infrastructure the province needs, but economists and two former finance ministers from both sides of the aisle say the government's fiscal situation is unsustainable. Speaking at...

LIFE SAVER

Retired accountant Ron Olynyk was just about to hit the third hole at Eaglepoint golf course in Kamloops five years ago when he suddenly felt like he couldn't catch his breath. “I had a bit of pain in my chest, but I didn't think it was anything...

FACING THE HEAT

Finance Minister Josie Osborne faced pointed questions and criticism from economists and the opposition Monday over the B.C. government's finances as the province's record deficit continues to climb. Osborne tried to put a positive spin on the...

AFRICA'S BURDEN AND LIFELINE

ABIDJAN — Across the pavements, residential areas and public spaces of African cities, the informal economy is booming under the noses of authorities, who are often powerless to stop it. Poverty, unemployment and bureaucratic red tape force tens of...

A FRESH START

Ryan Johnson, you can sense, is just champing at the bit to get going. The Canucks' general manager has long been known for keeping an upbeat attitude, for always being ready to talk about the game he has spent his entire life in. When he popped his...

BROTHERHOOD

When he was just a rookie Vancouver firefighter in 2001, Keith Stewart desperately wanted to help the families of the more than 300 New York firefighters who died trying to save people from the burning World Trade Center towers. He and dozens of other...

B.C. WINE BANNED FROM U.S.

B.C. wineries do not sell much wine to the American market, which makes the executive order U.S. President Donald Trump signed Tuesday barring the import of Canadian alcohol mostly symbolic for most producers. However, this escalation in the...

UKRAINIAN IN A PICKLE

A Kelowna resident and Ukrainian citizen is set to be deported Monday after his arrest following an international methamphetamine smuggling investigation earlier this year. Dmytro Nikolaiev, 46, allegedly hid 115 kilograms of methamphetamine in pickle...

FAKE ONLINE REVIEWS

Health-care patients are more likely to believe fake online reviews for a doctor over a genuine comment, raising concerns about the quality of care they may receive, according to a new study from Simon Fraser University. “Sometimes it's pretty easy to...

RAILTOWN REVISITED

A small portside quarter near Vancouver's northern shore evolved over the 20th century from a gritty district of foundries and factories into a modern hub of design and creative professionals. Now, city hall is trying to figure out what Railtown will...

DISCHARGED SENIOR SENT TO SHELTER BY HOSPITAL

The family of a New Westminster senior is looking for answers about why she was sent to a Vancouver Downtown Eastside shelter without their knowledge after being discharged from hospital two weeks ago. Elizabeth Davis, 78, told Postmedia News she has...

MORE TORY EXITS

Boundary-Similkameen MLA Donegal Wilson and Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Scott McInnis resigned from the B.C. Conservatives on Wednesday, becoming the eighth and ninth MLAs to leave over concerns about Kerry-Lynne Findlay's leadership. Their exits...

SNAKE BITTEN

Landen Spittal, 15, has never been afraid of snakes. Dangling the occasional garter snake in front of his mom Andrea was always good for a jump-scare. So last week, when his dad Colin picked up an interesting snake while the two were doing yard work...

BORDERING ON DISASTER

With a renewed call from B.C. Premier David Eby for residents to boycott travelling to and purchasing from the U.S., some businesses on both sides of the border are worried for their futures. Peter Raju, owner of the Peace Arch Duty Free shop, said...

DIVERSIFYING DIFFICULTIES

For decades, Canadian governments both Conservative and Liberal sought greater economic integration with the United States, the world's spendiest buyer of imports, including Canadian energy, machinery, lumber and wheat. But now, as U.S. President...

OUT OF THE PICTURE

Last year, when producer Chris Ferguson wanted to shoot parts of his latest horror movie at the 2400 Motel in east Vancouver, scheduling problems got in the way. But the location was special enough that he made it work. “We looked all over for other...

MIGRANTS ON HOLD

Smoke has been an increasingly familiar backdrop during Julio's summers in the Okanagan, hanging over the rows of cherry trees as he and other temporary foreign workers race against the clock to bring in B.C.'s fruit harvest. Some days, it's only a...

OTTER REVIVED

Gordon Mellish is convinced the baby otter he helped save nodded and made eye contact with him before returning to her family in the wild. A trio of juvenile otters got themselves tangled up in a fishing net at a dock in Alert Bay late last month....

EVACUEES HEARTENED BY CARING VOLUNTEERS

PENTICTON — Walt Nickerson pushed a cart of groceries and supplies out of the Real Canadian Superstore on Monday evening, three days into a life he hadn't planned. He left Summerland after a 1:30 a.m. call early Saturday from his landlord telling him...

FLEEING FLAMES

Flames licked the fence ringing Brian Callow's mushroom farm in Summerland and smoke made it hard to see the sky. It was early Saturday, just after midnight, and the Bald Range fire was creeping ever closer. After turning on his sprinklers, Callow...

A WORLD ON FIRE

Toronto and New York choked under orange and white skies. Madrid and Bordeaux had flames licking at their doorsteps. Vast forests, rural communities and ranchlands full of livestock in Western Canada and the U.S. have burned — and all in the month of...

How to save big this back-to-school season

Back-to-school shopping can become one of the most expensive times of the year. Between the usual school supplies, clothing, technology and the evergrowing list of extras required for a new school year, costs can add up quickly. For students heading to...

THE MILLION-DOLLAR QUESTION

A month after hosting seven World Cup games, Vancouver's host committee won't say whether FIFA offered it the legacy money U.S. cities say they were promised. The temporary grass at B.C. Place has been pulled up, the security cordons are down and...

`GOTTA CATCH 'EM'

Masked thieves broke into a collectibles store in Vancouver's Dunbar neighbourhood early Monday, making off with high-value Pokémon cards. Vancouver police said the commercial break-and-enter was reported around 3 a.m. on Aug. 3 at the Royal Card Shop...

BITTER PRICE OF REVENGE

A B.C. man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for fatally stabbing a man who'd had an affair with his wife in the past and had gone on to share intimate images from the relationship with her family. Riza Jafari, 34, pleaded guilty to...

TOP OF HER FIELD

DENISE RYAN It's hard for Gail Anderson to believe her childhood fascination with insects has led to her investiture as a recipient of British Columbia's highest honour, the Order of B.C. Anderson, Canada's first academic forensic entomologist and...

ALL ABOARD!

The Burnaby Central Railway will never be considered a rival to Canadian Pacific or Canadian National. But it's much more popular. The miniature railway has been bringing a smile to the masses since the mid1970s, when it started running at Heritage...

HOUSING CRISIS

For years, one aging fir tree on a South Surrey golf course has sheltered a bald eagle nest. Now, the tree is becoming a safety hazard — and residents are racing to build the pair a new home before it falls. Residents of Nico Wynd Estates are raising...

POLICE SMASH DRUG LAB

B.C.'s anti-gang agency has arrested four people, seized 44 guns and dismantled a large-scale clandestine drug lab in rural Abbotsford. The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit's Sgt. Sarbjit Sangha said the facility was still under construction...

`DESPICABLE' THEFT

Janice Yang was gardening outside her home near Commercial Street and East 41st Avenue at about 9:30 a.m. on June 12 when a woman she didn't know got out of a car, opened her gate and walked toward her. The 72-year-old backed away and called for her...

RIVALS RIDE IN

Members of both the Rebels and Outlaws motorcycle gangs have moved into B.C. — a province dominated for decades by the rival Hells Angels. The anti-gang Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit confirmed to Postmedia that some Outlaws have been living...

A PLACE OUT OF TIME

WAINGAPU, Indonesia — Two hours from the tourist beaches of Bali, slavery is alive and well on the Indonesian island of Sumba, where people are still born into bondage. They work from dawn to dusk without pay, are passed on in marriage and are...

COUNTRY COMFORT

In Ukraine, Natalya Rukavchuk's home was always full of people. Feeding a crowd was second nature. “It's our trait of hospitality,” she said. In Langley, where she has lived for just over a year, she and her child share a basement suite with no room...

TUNNEL EFFECT

For years, Riverwoods was a hidden gem, a cluster of 21 rancher-style townhomes tucked at the end of a rural road in Delta. Sheltered from Highway 99 by tall, black cottonwood trees, delivery trucks had trouble finding the cosy development, even...

COPS KILL MAN

A scene of chaos unfolded at a busy North Vancouver shopping plaza on Tuesday afternoon, ending with a crashed truck and a man dead after being shot by police. Witnesses were left shaken, describing a terrifying chain of events that started inside a...

ORPHANED GASBAR

One of the oddest sights in Vancouver is an abandoned gas station at 711 Beach Ave. What makes it odd is the location — at the foot of Vancouver House, one of Vancouver's most luxurious condo towers. It's the twisting building beside the Granville...

$115-BILLION BILL

Metro Vancouver taxpayers could face a $115-billion bill in the next 15 years to build the infrastructure needed to support the 570,000 new homes needed in the region by 2041. Metro staff are calling for negotiations on new funding from the provincial...

EUROPE'S COCAINE CRISIS

The boat appears through the green, grainy lens of a night-vision scope, skipping across the surface of the Atlantic Ocean hundreds of kilometres from the European coastline. On board are 2.5 tons of cocaine, four crew members and a bank of...

WHAT'S NEXT?

Jessie Adcock went to bed on June 10, a tense, restless night ahead of her. Years of work were going to be unveiled and judged in the morning, and small splinters of doubt still pierced her confidence. As the head of the Vancouver FIFA Host Committee...

PARK'S TREES UNDER THREAT

At a park in Vancouver's West End, small handwritten signs have been tied around dozens of tree trunks with ribbon. “On death row,” they say. The display is the latest effort by a group of residents to draw attention to B.C. Hydro's proposed...