To help people navigate mental health and well-being, the Cowichan Valley Regional District is unveiling a new art exhibit with free viewing to encourage reflection and connection.
According to the district, Recognition and Recollection will explore themes including personal relationships, depression, memory and cognitive decline through visual art and offer viewers the chance to consider the impact of art on mental health.
Laura Stephenson, administrative supervisor for the CVRD Arts and Culture Division, said most artists know how to connect with their audience through visual stimuli, but art remains open to the viewer’s interpretation. “The subjective human experience is made universal through the creation of art, for both its makers and the viewers who perceive it,” she said. “Visual art, music, film, literature and theatre help people connect and understand each other.”
Cowichan Valley Arts Council president Elizabeth Croft said the exhibit was themed to highlight the importance of well-being and the role art plays in mental health.
“We wanted to profile how important art is to mental health, and we know being part of the creative process brings a lot of joy, focus and can be intuitive for social skills,” she said. “We also find those who like art tend to have more friends, healthier lives, and become more engaged in civic responsibilities.”
The CVRD Arts and Culture Division developed the initiative with five regional arts councils, selecting 55 diverse pieces for the exhibit.
The councils include the Cowichan Valley Arts Council, South Cowichan Arts Guild, Arts at Cowichan Lake, the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society and the Arts Council of Ladysmith & District.
The exhibit opens Jan. 8 with a free reception from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre and runs through Feb. 28
Icy roads were a significant factor in a serious motor vehicle accident that injured multiple people on Jan. 3.
Police said the collision occurred on Highway 3/95 near Moyie at approximately 5:30 p.m.
The initial investigation revealed that the driver of an East bound GMC Sierra lost control on a corner and collided with a West bound Jeep Cherokee.
The occupants of both vehicles suffered significant injuries and were transported to hospital.
One of the vehicles belonged to a local family.
A family spokesperson said the father required surgery on his legs over the weekend. The mother was airlifted to Vancouver for operations on her legs and wrists, while the couple’s young daughter was flown to B.C. Children’s Hospital with internal injuries, a broken neck and a brain bleed.
There is no further information yet on the occupants of the other vehicle.
The highway was closed for several hours due to the initial medical response and follow up evaluation of the scene by investigators.
The Cranbrook RCMP is continuing to investigate the cause of the collision and is asking anyone with dash cam footage to contact the police non-emergency line at 250-489-3471.
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Property assessments across the Bulkley Valley and Lakes District were up according to B.C. Assessment.
The largest jump was 12 per cent in Granisle with a typical assessed value of $113,000 compared to $102,000 in 2025.
The 2026 property assessments reflect market value as of July 1st, 2025.
Hazelton and Telkwa both saw 10 per cent increases in value to $293,000 and $478,000 respectively.
In New Hazelton, assessments rose 8 per cent from $223,000 last year to $241,000.
Smithers continues to have the highest property value at $527,000, up 4 per cent compared to 2025.
The smallest increase was in Burns Lake at 3 per cent with this year’s typical value being $273,000.
“The North Central real estate market remains stable which is being reflected in the 2026 property assessments,” said BC Assessment Deputy Assessor Jarret Krantz.
“Most homeowners can generally expect value changes in the range of -5% to +15% with some exceptions depending on the community.”
Property assessments have been mailed to homeowners, and are also available at bcassessment.ca.
“If a property owner is still concerned about their assessment after speaking to one of our appraisers, they may submit a Notice of Complaint (Appeal) by February 2, for an independent review by a Property Assessment Review Panel,” said Krantz.
B.C. Housing added North Central BC’s total assessments increased from over $99.8 billion in 2025 to about $104.7 billion this year.
It’s a new year and the RDEK has a lot planned over the next 12 months.
Board chair Rob Gay said residents can expect a survey on rural transfer station use to come out, to gauge how residents are currently using rural transfer stations and what services they would like to see.
“It is important to note that no decisions have been made regarding changes to rural waste transfer stations,” he said.
“As we begin the Rural Optimization project, your feedback is needed as we continue to explore new options for the expansion of recycling and waste diversion services for residents and businesses through extended producer responsibility programs.”
The District will also start phasing out the Yellow Bin Program.
“The Yellow Bin System has been in place for over 25 years and bins are still found throughout the region outside schools, businesses and in rural areas,” Gay added.
“This system was a great option for the East Kootenay for a long time. However, as the recycling landscape has changed in BC this program is no longer meeting the same needs and is incredibly expensive to operate.”
2026 is also a municipal election year and the RDEK will be busy getting ready for general voting day on Oct. 17.
The nomination period begins on Sept. 19 and Gay said the RDEK website and a General Local Election project page will be established with key dates and information for both candidates and voters by the spring.
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Fernie City Council will be presented with updated utility bylaws that could see large increases to water and wastewater rates.
The proposed increases are 14.5 per cent for water and 17 per cent for wastewater.
City staff said the hikes are driven by rising operating costs, inflation and the need to rebuild infrastructure reserves.
The city is also looking to bring in more money to get a head start on major future projects including upgrades to the wastewater treatment system.
For the average single-family home, the combined annual water and wastewater bill would increase by approximately $135 in 2026 from roughly $852 to $987.
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Courtenay residents will soon have a new way to stay informed about city updates.
The City of Courtenay said its new monthly e-newsletter will be sent for the first time in mid-January and will provide updates on city services, programs, projects and community events.
Mayor Bob Wells said the e-newsletter will serve as a direct line to residents to support transparency and trust.
“Our community deserves clear, accurate information about the decisions and projects that shape Courtenay.”
The e-newsletter will include council meeting highlights, links to city services, updates on major projects, recreation opportunities, and upcoming community events.
While the first edition will be released in mid-January, future editions will be distributed at the beginning of each month.
City Manager of Communications Anne Guillo said the e-newsletter was developed in response to community feedback.
“Our resident surveys consistently show that people want more direct updates from the city on planning, engagement opportunities, financial information, and more.”
Residents can subscribe through the city’s website. Three $50 gift certificates to downtown Courtenay businesses will be awarded at the end of the month through a draw for those who sign up.
Nanaimo and District Secondary School was placed on lockdown this morning due to an incident near the school.
Nanaimo RCMP said police were notified of an unspecified incident at about 9:15 a.m. on Jan. 5 and recommended the school activate a hold and secure protocol.
Police said the incident was resolved by 10:15 a.m. and the protocol was lifted. The matter remains under investigation.
Northern B.C. saw its fair share of New Year’s babies.
Five communities within Northern Health welcomed at least one baby on New Year’s Day, starting in Terrace.
The first baby born in Northern B.C. in 2026 was baby girl Molina at Ksyen Regional Hospital at 2:25 am on New Year’s Day to mom and dad Chantel and Robert, of Terrace, weighing seven pounds, nine ounces.
Northern Health’s second New Year’s baby came in Quesnel at 5:47 am.
Baby boy Ezren was born at G.R. Baker Memorial Hospital to mom and dad Kendra and Reighven of Quesnel, weighing six pounds, three ounces.
For Fort St. John, baby girl Hadley was born at the Fort St. John hospital on January 1st at 7:25 am, to mom and dad Shaylee and Ryan of Fort St. John, weighing in at six pounds, 11 ounces.
Prince George’s first baby of the year was Baby girl Stormy, born to mom and dad Kiana and Jason of Dawson Creek.
Stormy was born at 8:48 am on New Years Day, weighing five pounds, four ounces.
Northern Health’s final New Year’s baby came just a few minutes later in Dawson Creek at 8:54 am.
Baby boy Bradley was born at Dawson Creek and District Hospital to mom and dad Amanda Dylan of Groundbirch, weighing eight pounds, 11 ounces.
Rent in Nelson continued to rise in 2025, while vacancy rates remained well below healthy levels, according to recent data from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Primary rental market statistics show average rents increased across all major apartment types between October 2024 and October 2025, despite weak growth in the total number of rental units.
The total number of private apartment units increased by seven, to 508 in 2025 from 501 in 2024.
Most of that growth occurred in one- and two-bedroom apartments, while units with three bedrooms or more increased by just one.
Meanwhile vacancy rates remained tight.
Overall apartment vacancies fell to 0.4 per cent in 2025 from 0.8 per cent in 2024. That’s well below the provincial rental vacancy rate of 3.5 per cent and below the roughly three per cent rate officials generally consider balanced.
Two-bedroom apartments were the only category that showed measurable vacancy rate movement, falling to 0.7 per cent in 2025 from 1.5 per cent in 2024.
Vacancy rates for studio and one-bedroom apartments remained effectively zero.
At the same time, average rental rates rose sharply.
For studio apartments, the average rent increased to $844 in 2025 from $763 in 2024. Rents for one-bedroom units rose to $1,159 from $1,004, while two-bedroom units increased to $1,359 from $1,278.
Average rent across all apartment types climbed to $1,253 in 2025 from $1,113 in 2024.
The data shows the steepest increase occurred in the two-bedroom category, with rents rising about 6.6 per cent over the year.
One-bedroom units rose by about 4.6 per cent, matching the overall average increase.
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Another Holiday campaign of getting Williams Lake drivers and their vehicles home safely has come to an end.
Operation Red Nose Coordinator Deborah Pickering said they had really good season, not without their challenges.
“We had two Friday nights in a row where there was significant snowfall that probably kept more people at home. Overall, like I said we had a really good season. It seemed like each night the number of rides that we gave were higher than the same night’s in past years, the ones that I have been coordinating. On our last full weekend which was December 19 and 20, on the Friday night we had given 26 safe rides home, and the Saturday night we provided 38 rides.”
On December 31 (New Years Eve) Pickering said historically it’s the busiest of the 9 nights Operation Red Nose provides this service.
“This year we provided 67 safe rides home, a really good night for sure. It started off a little bit slow for New Years Eve but in the end we are more pleased with the number of safe rides we gave. Over the nine nights we were in operation (November 28 to December 31) this years total was 333 and my goal was to give 300.”
Pickering noted in the past 3 years that 300 goal was almost set hovering a little bit below at 284, 286 and another year 297.
“Comparing this past New Years Eve to others, in 2024 we had 65 rides and 2023 was 68, and 2021 was 81. This years Operation Red Nose campaign went so well and even though we were down one entire group of people for volunteers we managed to always have enough teams on the roads to get everybody home. Even on New Years Eve we had wait times of up to 45 minutes but that’s normal with everybody trying to get home at the same time. We got everyone home safe and our teams were fantastic every night.”
In a battle for first place in the Central Interior Hockey League (CIHL), the Terrace River Kings edged the hometown Hazelton Wolverines 3-2 on Saturday.
The River Kings improved to 11-2 while the second place Wolverines dropped to 10-5-1.
Hazelton will host the last place Kitimat Ice Demons this Saturday.
The same day, the Smithers Steelheads are headed to Quesnel to take on the Kangaroos before visiting the Williams Lake Stampeders on Sunday.
A 21-year-old Grand Forks man is expected to make a full recovery after being injured while snowmobiling near Castlegar.
RCMP say emergency services were notified about 1 p.m. Friday that a snowmobiler had been hurt while riding in the Goose Creek area.
The caller said they had received a message from a friend who was able to communicate by satellite phone. The message said the rider had been seriously injured and was receiving first aid from a friend riding with him. Embedded in the message were GPS co-ordinates of their location.
Castlegar Search and Rescue dispatched a team to the remote area.
Police say the rescue team arrived at the location and continued first aid until the man was airlifted to an ambulance and taken to hospital.
“Castlegar Search and Rescue personnel are volunteers who train regularly for a variety of unfortunate incidents which occur in remote and urban settings,” Cpl. Brett Urano said in a news release.
“Their assistance in this matter aided in the successful transport of the injured rider to the awaiting ambulance for urgently required medical treatment.”
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The Conservative Party of British Columbia has formed a committee to oversee its leadership race.
The party said Vancouver-based lawyer and former Conservative Party of Canada president Scott Lamb will chair the committee.
“Our Province is at a crossroads and is desperately in need of new leadership to guide British Columbia out of the economic and political crises that the NDP government has created,” said Lamb in a statement on Saturday.
He said the committee is working on setting rules for the leadership contest and will announce an election as soon as possible.
No contestants have been officially confirmed in the race.
B.C. Conservative interim leader Trevor Halford speaks to reporters flanked by caucus members on Dec. 4, 2025 | Vista News
Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford is serving as interim leader. The party announced on Dec. 3 John Rustad had been removed as leader. Rustad announced a day later he had formally stepped down.
Other members of the leadership election organizing committee include Skeena MLA Claire Rattée and B.C. Conservative Party president Aisha Estey.
A 21-year-old Grand Forks man is expected to make a full recovery after being injured while snowmobiling near Castlegar.
RCMP say emergency services were notified about 1 p.m. Friday that a snowmobiler had been hurt while riding in the Goose Creek area.
The caller said they had received a message from a friend who was able to communicate by satellite phone. The message said the rider had been seriously injured and was receiving first aid from a friend riding with him. Embedded in the message were GPS co-ordinates of their location.
Castlegar Search and Rescue dispatched a team to the remote area.
Police say the rescue team arrived at the location and continued first aid until the man was airlifted to an ambulance and taken to hospital.
“Castlegar Search and Rescue personnel are volunteers who train regularly for a variety of unfortunate incidents which occur in remote and urban settings,” Cpl. Brett Urano said in a news release.
“Their assistance in this matter aided in the successful transport of the injured rider to the awaiting ambulance for urgently required medical treatment.”
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Ferry service at Keats Landing Dock will be disrupted this week due to construction.
The Sunshine Coast Regional District said renovation work resumed Jan. 4 and is expected to be completed Thursday.
There will be no ferry service Jan. 5 and 6. On Jan. 7 and 8, there will be no morning sailings.
“The SCRD thanks the community for their patience and understanding while this essential work at Keats Landing Dock is completed,” the regional district said in a news release.
Williams Lake and Quesnel both had New Year’s babies.
A baby girl, Elinora DeGrasse, was born at 2:51 p.m. on New Year’s Day at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake.
Elinora weighed in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces.
Danaya Rankin and Bryce DeGrasse of Williams Lake are the proud parents.
Danaya says Elinora also has a big sister Juniper and a big brother Oberon.
Here’s what they think.
“They’re pretty excited. My daughter, definitely she’s been wanting to hold the baby and really enjoying being a big sister again. And my son, he’s just kind of figuring it out but he’s definitely wanting to come and pet the baby like a dog.”
Danaya says they were thinking about the possibility of having the New Year’s baby in Williams Lake.
“We were definitely thinking that the timing might be right and when we were in the hospital there was someone else in labour, so it was a race to the finish.”
She says there is a gift basket that they will get from the hospital auxiliary.
The first baby of 2026 for Northern Health was born in Quesnel !
A baby boy, named Ezren, was born at G.R. Baker Hospital at 5:47 a.m. on January 1st.
Prince George firefighters were kept on their toes in 2025 dealing with a number of major blazes.
Crews responded to such calls like the Nechako Bottle Depot, the Crossroads Brewing Downtown fire as well as Spotless Uniforms.
In a year-end chat with MyPGNow.com, Fire Chief Bryan Burleigh said the most challenging was the apartment blaze on Killoren Crescent, which damaged 24 out of the 57 units, but could have been much worse.
“The difference is most of those other commercial fires happened during the hours where there was no occupancy. Killoren was a fully occupied apartment with many people with mobility challenges as well as seniors. A full building at 5 o’clock in the morning makes it a very stressful fire and a huge incident for us.”
He added the incident could have been much worse had it not been for a well-built fire wall.
“The way it was designed, the way it was put together did exactly that. That firewall stopped a complete loss of that building although there was significant damage throughout the building from the smoke and our efforts with the water and water damage.”
As for what is on his wish list for 2026, more staff is going to be needed in order to utilize additional resources.
“We are in the process of obtaining additional staff to operate another apparatus from this number one fire hall and the ladder truck will be crossed up with the medic truck and provide response amongst our community,” added Burleigh.
The new fire chief mentioned our local department between all four halls responded close to 11-thousand service calls in 2025, pretty much on par with the trend that is being taking place over the last handful of years.
“September, October and November are some of our busiest months There is no real rhyme or reason to it and many fires range from everything to accidental to not being aware of the hazards around to a subject no one wants to talk about is arson.”
“There is always the possibility of burnout among our members and we try to support that by managing our crews by rotating halls every six months out or sooner to balance the call volume out.”
Burleigh was hired in May to replace Cliff Warner who elected to retire. Burleigh who was born and raised in Prince George is proud to be leading an elite group of firefighters and takes great pride in running the entire department.
“I was incredibly proud to be part of this organization and I am more proud to be the leader and cannot speak highly enough of the members. We couldn’t have the service we do today without those great people, there engagement, dedication and professionalism it is the people that make this job easy for me”
August’s Spotless Uniform blaze on the 3900 block of Kenworth Road, which ended up causing $1.9 million in damages to the structure.
In September, the Prince George RCMP arrested 57-year-old Richard Titchener and was charged with arson causing damage to property in relation to the Crossroads Brewing and Distilling blaze that resulted in $1.9 million dollars in damage.
The Trail Smoke Eaters have lost a fourth player this season to major junior hockey.
Owen McCarthy has been signed by the Victoria Royals and will play in the WHL for the rest of the season.
The 17-year-old defenseman from Trail went to the Royals training camp last fall and was reassigned to the Smoke Eaters before the regular season.
He has eight assists and 55 penalty minutes in 66 regular season games with the Smokies over the last season and a half.
Owen had just returned to the lineup on New Year’s Eve after missing six games with a lower body injury.
McCarthy was selected by the Royals in the fourth round, 69th overall during the 2023 Bantam Draft.
He has already has an NCAA Division I scholarship with the University of UMass Lowell.
Fellow defensemen Gairin Michalski and Drew Anastasio along with centreman Cade De St. Hubert left earlier this season for the USHL.
However, the Smokies are still in the hunt for first place in the BCHL’s Interior West Division.
The second place Smokies stung Salmon Arm 5-3 on Saturday and host division leading West Kelowna Friday, trailing the Warriors by four points with a game in hand.
A man accused of setting a fire at the West Fraser Centre in Quesnel is due back in court today (Jan 5) for a bail hearing.
44-year old Jamie Harkley is charged with arson in relation to an inhabited property.
The court ordered a psychiatric exam last week.
The Quesnel Fire Department was called to the arena back on Saturday, September 20th for a fire in the lower floor men’s washroom.
Fire Chief Ron Richert said it was partially extinguished by the sprinkler system, and that a good samaritan was able to put the rest of the fire out with some fire extinguishers.
The fire caused water damage to the washroom and the hockey office, which is located on the other side of the wall.
No one was hurt as the parents and the children at the rink were quickly evacuated.
For the third straight year, Hockey Canada will be scratching their heads on how to slay the dragon that is Czechia.
Kelowna Rockets forward Tomas Poletin played the hero for Czechs with less than two minutes remaining in the third period in a 6-4 semi-final victory against Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Minnesota on Sunday night.
Similar to 2023 and 2024, it would be Czechia’s depth up front that proved too much to handle for the slightly-favoured Canadians.
Tij Iginla, who also plays for the Rockets, got Canada off on the right foot tucking home a Michael Misa pass at the side of the net for an early 1-0 lead.
Later in the period, Max Curran, an Edmonton Oil Kings standout evened the score for the Czechs to end period one.
Vancouver Giants forward Adam Titlbach rose to the occasion early in the middle frame for Czechia getting one past Canada goaltender Jack Ivankovic for a 2-1 edge.
While on a 5-on-3-man advantage, Canada’s lethal power-play would strike again as Zayne Parekh let a point shot go that deflected off a body in front of the net and in.
Originally, the goal was credited to Cole Reschny who was flanked on top of the blue paint.
Six minutes later, speedy forward Michael Hage was slashed on a clear-cut breakaway and awarded a penalty shot by the referee.
While taking the shot, Hage was tripped at the very end by the stick of Michal Orsulak, and was allowed a second opportunity, a chance that was also foiled by the Prince Albert Raiders netminder.
The miss added to a frustrating night for Hage who also struck three posts, all of which, were on the power-play.
With less than a minute left in the second, Canada was caught flat-footed on their own blueline giving Czechia a 2-on-1 which they cashed in on.
Adam Benak’s one-time blast via a Poletin pass got through an outstretched Ivankovic for a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes.
In the third, both teams left it all on the ice leading to some heart-stopping moments.
Canada got back on even terms courtesy of the yeoman’s work by Reschny in the corner, making a nice power move, catching Orsulak deep in his goal for a 3-3 tie.
Vojtech Cihar broke the deadlock six minutes later making the Canadians pay for a mishap inside their own zone.
Porter Martone willed Canada back in it once again as he jammed up a loose puck after a sequence started by Harrison Brunicke and Kashawn Aitcheson.
But, similar to the last two world juniors, a late goal by Czechs would once again break the hearts of Canadian hockey fans.
Poletin notched his second of the contest with 1:14 remaining, sweeping the puck into an open cage, where it crossed the goal prior to Brunicke getting it away from danger.
Cihar added an empty-netter for the Czechs who will take on Sweden in the gold-medal game tonight (Monday).
Czechia outshot Canada 37-23 in the game.
Orsulak, has a 10-3-3 record this season with the Raiders prior to the tournament, which includes 2.34 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.
Canada plays Finland earlier in the day for bronze at 1:30 Pacific Time.
Prince George Cougars star defenceman Carson Carels saw limited action on the fourth pairing with Keaton Verhoeff.
Cougars’ goaltender Josh Ravensbergen was scratched as the third netminder. He did not see any live shots in the entire tournament.
A coastal flooding statement that had been in effect for parts of Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast since Friday, Jan. 2, has been lifted.
Environment Canada lifted the statement on the afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 4.
The statement had been issued due to the risk of flooding in low-lying areas and along shorelines, as higher-than-normal tides combined with stormy weather forecast through the weekend.
The weekend snowfall in the Prince George area will leave many parents and students scrambling tomorrow (Monday).
That’s because First Student Canada, the bus provider for School District 57 cancelled service for the return to class due to the weather.
In an email that has been circulating on social media, the company confirmed the decision.
The school board’s transportation department as well as Diane Nygaard were among the recipients of the message that was delivered prior to 5pm on Sunday evening.
North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP are asking for the public’s help to locate a woman who has been reported missing.
Police said Patricia Kent was reported missing Dec. 31 and has not been heard from since Nov. 26.
RCMP described Kent as Caucasian, five feet three inches tall, weighing about 110 pounds, with blonde hair and hazel eyes.
In a statement, police said friends and family believe it is out of character for Kent to be out of contact for this length of time and officers are concerned for her well-being.
Anyone with information on Kent’s whereabouts is asked to contact North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP or Crime Stoppers.
A photo of Kent is available below.
Patricia Kent has been reported missing. Photo from North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP.
Carolina Hiller-Donnelly is closing in on a lifelong dream of becoming a Canadian Olympian.
The Prince George product came up aces with a first-place finish on Saturday in the 500m event posting a time of 38.455 seconds at the 2026 Long Track Canada Cup and Olympic Skate-off in Quebec City.
Hiller-Donnelly finished ahead of Calgary’s Brooklyn McDougall, who came in 2nd.
“I don’t really have the words to express how I feel. The past four years I’ve been gearing towards this, and I’ve had the hardest year of my life in 2025, losing my mom at the end of March. One of the last things she told me was that I was going to go to the Olympics. I’ve just been holding onto that, and I felt her so much today in my preparation and on the ice. I can finally breath a sigh of relief and start preparing for Milan.” said Hiller-Donnelly post-race to Skate Canada.
Hiller-Donnelly finished ahead of Calgary’s Brooklyn McDougall who came in 2nd.
Canada can only bring a maximum of eight women and seven men to Milano-Cortina 2026, and places on the respective Olympic Matrix are filled in a specific order, which was determined based on international results and rankings from the World Cup season.
The Canadian long track speed skating team for Milano-Cortina 2026 will not be made official until later this month.
Sports by Hartley Monday, January 5th, 2026 as of 12:05 a.m.
WHL:
Calgary Hitmen 4 Prince George Cougars 2 (Saturday)
The Hitmen snapped a 2-2 tie with 6 1/2 minutes left in the 3rd period before 3,739 fans at CN Centre.
“The whole night was a struggle, not a good start, we couldn’t execute any plays, the power plays we had nothing there,” said Cougars GM and Head Coach Mark Lamb on the 94.3 the Goat post-game show. “We’re a pretty beat-up lineup right now. We’re really sick and missing some players. We’re playing some tough teams and the Christmas stretch is tough, we haven’t had any practice and we’ve been sick. You can tell, our team had no energy.”
The (23-12-2) Cougars, who have lost three straight and six of their last seven, continue a 5-game homestand when they entertain the (20-9-4-3) Penticton Vees Tuesday and Wednesday.
Prince George leads the B.C. Division by just a point over Penticton.
The Vees are riding a 5-game winning streak.
The WHL trading deadline is Thursday (January 8th).
The PG Cougars regular season schedule and results are here.
Sweden advances to the gold medal game tonight (Monday at 5:30) while Finland will play for the bronze medal game before that at 1:30 in the afternoon.
Defenceman Carson Carels of the Prince George Cougars had an assist in Canada’s 7-1 victory over Slovakia in the quarterfinals.
The (11-8-2-1) U-18 Cariboo Cougars are 3rd out of 7.
The (16-8-0-1) U-17 Cariboo Cougars are 2nd out of 9.
The (11-9-0-0) U-15 Cariboo Cougars are 5th out of 8.
The (8-11-0-1) U-18 Female Northern Capitals are 4th out of 5.
There are 5 NHL games tonight (Monday) with two of them involving a Canadian team; Calgary hosting Seattle and Ottawa home against Detroit.
The (16-20-5) Vancouver Canucks visit the (21-15-4) Buffalo Sabres Tuesday night (4:00) to begin a 6-game road trip.
The Canucks are last in the Pacific Division and second last in the overall NHL standings, ahead of only the (15-21-4) Winnipeg Jets. The Jets have lost nine straight.
The Prince George RCMP is asking the public to keep an eye out for 29-year-old Julian Wich.
According to police, he was last in contact with his family on December 10th, 2025, and it is out of character for him to be out of contact for an extended period.
He is described as:
Julian Wich (Supplied by the Prince George RCMP)
Caucasian male
5′ 11″ or 180 cm
150 lbs or 68 kg
Bald head
Clean shaven
Brown eyes
“Julian’s family is very concerned for his well-being,” said Cpl. Sonja Blom of the Prince George RCMP.,
Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen or heard from Julian since December 10, 2025, to call the Prince George RCMP non-emergency line at 250-561-3300.
A two-game road swing into Alberta netted no points for the Prince George Spruce Kings as they fell 7-3 to the Blackfalds Bulldogs.
The first period was filled with scoring, with the Bulldogs scoring three times in the opening period, and Ben Vreugdenhill and Carter Hesselgrave finding the back of the net for the Spruce Kings.
Blackfalds scored two more in the second period, but Vreugdenhill added his second on the night.
Blackfalds added onto the lead with two more in the third period.
Ryder Green got the start in net for the Spruce Kings, and made 22 saves on 29 shots before getting the hook. Colin Reay came in and stopped all six shots he faced.
An excellent performance in net from Alexander Levshyn was not enough for the Prince George Cougars, as they fell 4-2 to the Calgary Hitmen Saturday night.
“The whole night was a struggle, not a good start, we couldn’t execute any plays, the power plays we had nothing there,” said Cougars GM and Head Coach Mark Lamb on the post-game show on 94.3 the Goat.
“We’re a pretty beat-up lineup right now. We’re really sick and missing some players. We’re playing some tough teams and the Christmas stretch is tough, we haven’t had any practice and we’ve been sick. You can tell, our team had no energy.”
The Cougars were outshot 40-22 by the visiting Hitmen, but Levshyn held the Cougars in it until the end.
“He was really good for us,” Lamb said.
“It could have been a lot worse.”
It was also a parade to the penalty box for the Cougars. The Cougars gave the Hitmen eight powerplay opportunities, including a five-minute kneeing major from Riley Ashe that came with a game misconduct as well, ending his night.
The Hitmen made the most of their opportunities with the man advantage, scoring three times on the powerplay.
The Cougars did open the scoring, with Brock Souch taking a feed in the slot and putting the puck past Calgary netminder Eric Tu.
Early in the second, the Hitmen took the lead with their second powerplay goal on the night when Kyle Dach found Calder Hamilton with a wide open cage.
Snowpacks accross the Kootenays are measuring above average following a series of December storms.
“Storm systems persisted from mid-December through the Christmas period, driving a rapid increase in mountain snowpack across much of the province,” said the B.C. River Forecast Centre in a Jan. 2 update.
Readings from automated snow weather stations in the West Kootenay show the region averaging 112 per cent of the long-term median for Jan. 1.
Individual measurements include Barnes Creek at 91 per cent of normal, St. Leon Creek at 150 per cent, Duncan Lake Dam at 104 per cent, East Creek at 173 per cent, Grey Creek Upper at 116 per cent, and Redfish Creek at 140 per cent.
Notably, the Forecast Centre said the Redfish Creek station recorded its highest snow levels since it was established in 2001.
Stations in the East Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary are also tracking higher.
In the boundary, stations at Grano Creek and McCulloch are recording an average snowpack of 121 per cent.
In the East Kootenay, the average as of Jan. 1 is 131 per cent.
Meanwhile, upper Columbia stations are averaging 139 per cent of the period-of-record median.
Across the province, snowpack is 130 per cent, placing current conditions around the 81st percentile for Jan. 1, according to the B.C. River Forecast Centre.
On average, about 45 per cent of seasonal snowpack has typically accumulated by Jan. 1.
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Property assessments in the Cariboo rose marginally, according to BC Assessment.
The 2026 property assessments, released on Friday, January 2, reflect the market values as of July 1, 2025.
“The North Central real estate market remains stable, which is being reflected in the 2026 property assessments,” says BC Assessment Deputy Assessor Jarret Krantz in a statement.
“Most homeowners can generally expect value changes in the range of -5% to +15% with some exceptions depending on the community.”
Williams Lake’s assessments rose the most in the Cariboo’s largest city residential areas.
The Lake City’s Typical Assessed Value for 2026 increased by 5 per cent. Rising from $419,000 to $440,000.
Quesnel rose by 4 per cent, increasing the Typical Assessed Value from $339,000 to $352,000.
The District of Wells increased the most overall across the Cariboo at 8 per cent, increasing from $175,000 in 2025 to $189,000 for 2026.
Finally, 100 Mile House had an increase of $1,000 over the year at 0 per cent. The District’s Typical Assessed Value rose from $197,000 to $198,000.
According to BC Assessments, North Central BC’s total assessments increased from over $99.8 billion in 2025 to almost $104.7 billion in 2026.
Almost $1 billion of the North Central BC region’s updated total came from new construction, subdivisions, and rezoning projects.
BC Assessments said in a statement, that property assessments have been mailed to homeowners, and are also available at bcassessment.ca.
A new survey from ICBC shows British Columbians are making a resolution to be more patient behind the wheel in 2026.
The survey, fielded through the Angus Reid Forum, showed 42 per cent of respondents making a driving goal for 2026 had showing more patience as their top resolution.
Two-thirds of drivers (66 per cent) said they were interested in setting a driving-related goal in the new year, with 24 per cent saying they’re highly interested.
Aside from patience, other popular resolutions included combining errands to save gas and times (36 per cent), improving fuel efficiency through better driving habits (28 per cent), leaving earlier to be less rushed (35 per cent), and simply being less stressed while driving. (31 per cent)
Environmental goals ranked lower among BC drivers interested in setting goals.
17 per cent are aiming to drive less to reduce their carbon footprint, nine per cent are planning to switch to an electric vehicle, and six per cent are aiming to carpool more often.
“Driving is part of everyday life for many of us, and these resolutions show that B.C. drivers are serious about making it safer and less stressful,” said Kathleen Nadalin, ICBC road safety manager.
“Simple actions like putting your phone away or having more patience can go a long way toward improving safety for everyone.”
The survey also found 76 per cent of drivers believe if everyone made a driving resolution, roads would be safer.
A young Quesnel man is making a name for himself in the early stages of professional soccer.
Connor Boudreau, a 14-year-old who got his start playing in the Quesnel Youth Soccer Association at 5 years of age, has been a part of the Vancouver Whitecaps prospect camp since August.
Boudreau was then invited to the Whitecaps’ regular prospect program and has been traveling back and forth to Vancouver from Quesnel once a week since last fall.
In December, Connor was asked to participate in a showcase match as a prospect against the Whitecaps’ official Academy team. Getting to don the full Whitecaps kit and gear.
“The experience is fantastic,” Connor said on his time. “I loved it, and it was so nice to find this new atmosphere with these different coaches and different players. From the showcase, I learned a lot better respect for these coaches, and that mistakes are not failures, but learning opportunities.”
The 14-year-old, Boudreau has been playing up for his age group since going down to the lower mainland to play. In 2024, Connor played in Division 2 in the Prince George Youth Soccer Association. In the spring of 2025, he attended a private club, the European Football School in Vancouver, that took him on a week long trip to California.
Then, in September, Boudreau was found and asked to play in Division 1 with the North Vancouver Football Club, where he has been playing in the Whitecaps Academy Prospect Program, while also still continuing in the European Football School, and still maintaining all his homework and studies at Quesnel Junior.
To Boudreau, it’s just steps towards his goals.
“My future goals with the Whitecaps is as clear as it could get — it’s to go from the pre-academy to the real academy. I just want to start playing in an older age group and then international. I feel it’s right there, I just have to believe and reach for it.”
Martin Brain, the Whitecaps Academy’s head coach, says its already remarkable how Connor is managing club ball, his studies on a nine to 12 hour journey from Quesnel to North Vancouver every Friday, and playing at pace, and above others in the Whitecaps prospect program as a 14 year old. A full year behind the other players in the camp, which starts at ages 15 and 16.
“Connor, just has it. He’s described by all of out technical directors as a Labrador,” says Brain.
“He is super energetic, very very keen to learn, he is a very technically gifted footballer, and he’s got a difficult and very challenging road ahead to break into the academy and how professional football is, but Connor has it. He is committed no question, the technical gifts, and he has the mental skills to take his ability to the highest levels he can possibly get to and the next stages.”
As he’s been coaching Connor, Brain added another of the qualities he sees is Connor’s hunger to learn the game, and pick up on everything happening on the pitch. Brain saying Connor’s always raising his hand, and often is the only one asking more than one question.
“I think the number one factor in whether a kind makes it to the end of the professional game or not, is that willingness to learn and the hunger to get better, and Connor has that. He asks questions about his position and in his role, and out of position and other roles. He absorbs everything. We had limited training sessions, and Connor managed to pick up what we asked of him, and the entire team, tactically and implement it into the game.”
“In my experience being from England, we wouldn’t get a player traveling eight to twelve hours just to try and find that level of competition Connor is in, much less have it in them already with such a high ceiling to his coachability… Connor’s a one-off in my experience.”
To Connor, he’s happy to find the level of competition and the chances to learn and grow as a player.
Connor’s mom, Lisa Boudreau says as parents, her husband and her are proud of how Connor has shown his commitment and chased his goals.
“I think our goal as parents isn’t to raise a professsional soccer player at all. We just want to raise a good human who’s kind, respectful, and resilient. We’re so proud of how much Connor works his butt off. Training six days a week, watching his diet, exercise, his rest time. He’s so locked in and focused. It inspires us as his parents. We’re just so proud and it’s really fun watching him push for this chance.”
Connor will be continuing his prospect camp and training, and schooling at Q.J in 2026.
“I really just want to thank the QYSA technical directoer Ferrari Geraldo too,” Connor says. “He supported me so much, my friends from there have too, and he’s been there since day one, everything he has done has just been so helpful for me and this chance.”
The 2026 property assessments reflect market value as of July 1, 2025.
“The North Central real estate market remains stable which is being reflected in the 2026 property assessments,” said BC Assessment Deputy Assessor Jarret Krantz.
“Most homeowners can generally expect value changes in the range of -5% to +15% with some exceptions depending on the community.”
Property assessments have been mailed to homeowners, and are also available at bcassessment.ca.
“Property owners can find valuable information on our website including answers to many assessment-related questions, and those who feel that their property assessment does not reflect market value as of July 1, 2025 or see incorrect information on their notice, should contact BC Assessment as indicated on their notice as soon as possible in January,” said Krantz.
“If a property owner is still concerned about their assessment after speaking to one of our appraisers, they may submit a Notice of Complaint (Appeal) by February 2, for an independent review by a Property Assessment Review Panel.”
According to BC Assessment, North Central BC’s total assessments increased from over $99.8 billion in 2025, to about $104.7 billion this year.
The Prince George Spruce Kings are kicking off 2026 with a two-game road trip in Alberta, but it’s not off to a great start.
The Spruce Kings opened 2025 with a 4-2 loss to the Spruce Grove Saints.
Marcus Lougheed opened the scoring for the Spruce Kings late in the first period, but a pair of powerplay goals and a shorthanded marker in the second put Spruce Grove out in front.
Late in the third, Tai Ushio brought the Spruce Kings back to within one on the powerplay, but Brandon Funk restored the Saints two-goal lead with just 49 seconds to go.
Colin Reay got the start in net for, the Spruce Kings, making 19 saves on 23 shots.
British Columbia has lowered the 2026 threshold for the provincial homeowner grant for residential properties to $2.075 million. That’s down from $2.175 million in 2025.
The government said Friday the basic grant amounts remain unchanged. Homeowners in the Capital Regional District, Fraser Valley Regional District and Metro Vancouver Regional District are eligible for up to $570 this year. Additional grants of up to $845 are available for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities with homes in those regions.
Properties outside those populous areas qualify for basic grants as high as $770 this year, with additional grants of up to $1,045 for eligible homeowners.
Homes valued above the threshold may still qualify for a partial grant.
To be eligible, a property must be the homeowner’s principal residence. Homeowners have to apply to get the grant. The province notes that homeowners who apply after their property-tax due date may face late-payment penalties.
The province said nearly 500,000 seniors and more than 19,000 people with disabilities received additional homeowner grants last year.
The homeowner grant is adjusted each year, based on B.C. Assessment’s annual property value reporting.
The 2026 assessments were released on Friday, based on market values as of July 1st, 2025.
B.C. Assessment appraised more than 2.2 million homes last year, with a total value of $2.75 trillion.
“The softening housing market is being reflected in 2026 property assessments,” said Assessor Bryan Murao in the report.
He said the homeowners in the Lower Mainland can expect to see decreases in assessed value, while Vancouver Island and the Southern Interior were generally flatter in value.
There was more variability in properties in the North and the Kootenays, with value changes in the range of -5 per cent to +15 per cent.
Eric Thurston will be very busy during BCHL All-Star weekend.
The head coach and GM of the Trail Smoke Eaters has been named head coach for Team Canada for the All-Star game and assistant coach for the Interior in the Top Prospects game.
Thurston’s Team Canada crew includes Cash Carter who leads the Smokies with 13 goals and he will be coaching against Californian Christian Kim, who is on the Team World roster.
Meanwhile the centreman on Carter and Kim’s line will play for the Interior in the Top Prospects game.
Erik Pastro, who was acquired in a preseason deal with Vernon is among players being showcased on All-Star weekend in front of NCAA scouts.
Thurston is in his 27th season as a coach.
His tenure includes 17 seasons with the University of Alberta as either an assistant or head coach.
Thurston was the bench boss for the Golden Bears when they won CIAU championships in 2006 and 2008.
He was also head coach of the Hungarian national junior team in 2011-12 before returning to Canada.
Before joining the Smokies as associate coach and assistant GM for the 2024-25 season, Thurston spent six campaigns as a head coach in the AJHL, four with Drayton Valley and two with Grande Prairie.
Children’s entertainer Raffi and music journalist Nardwuar the Human Serviette were among the 13 British Columbians appointed to the Order of Canada at the end of 2025.
Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon announced the list of 80 appointees on New Year’s Eve.
B.C.-based singer-songwriter Raffi Cavoukian is known for hit songs like “Baby Beluga” and “Bananaphone.” He also created the Raffi Foundation for Child Honouring, which promotes his “children-first” philosophy. In recent years he’s been a vocal critic of the Trump administration in the United States.
The 77-year-old Armenian-Canadian was first appointed to the Order of Canada in 1983. The 2025 appointment promotes him to Companion, the highest level within the Order.
The Governor General’s list says Raffi’s “songs have impacted generations with his message of love, environmental stewardship and social responsibility.”
Nardwuar was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. He’s known globally for his deep-dive celebrity interviews and offbeat outfits, including his signature tartan hat.
The announcement praises the 57-year-old Vancouverite for his advocacy for independent music and for campus and community radio.
“So humbled that people thought I was worthy of this honour and nominated me,” Nardwuar said in an Instagram post on Wednesday. “I would like to dedicate this Order of Canada to my late Mom who taught me so much about history, local independent media, and the value of research,” he said.
Eleven other British Columbians are among the appointees:
Cognitive neuroscience researcher Adele Diamond, O.C., Vancouver
Neurological rehabilitation researcher Janice J. Eng, O.C., Vancouver
Neurology professor Judy Illes, O.C., Vancouver
Animal Welfare researcher Marina Andrea Graefin von Keyserlingk, O.C., North Vancouver.
Forensic nursing educator Sheila Dawn Early, C.M., Surrey.
International law scholar James C. Hathaway, C.M., Vancouver
Educator Gillian Kydd, C.M., Roberts Creek
Vancouver International Film Festival founder Leonard Schein, C.M., Vancouver
Broadcaster, author, science journalist Ziya Tong, C.M., Toronto and Vancouver.
Composer and teacher Barry Truax, C.M., Vancouver.
Public Knowledge Project founder, John Mark Willinsky, C.M., Vancouver and San Francisco, California.
The shelter, located in the former work experience program dormitory at 138 10th Avenue North, will be open from 8 p.m. on Jan. 2 to 8 a.m. on Jan. 3.
“The Emergency Warming Centre is a public space, and the purpose is to provide a safe, warm, dry place of refuge, access to washroom facilities, a seating area, snacks and refreshments,” the town said in a media release.
Environment Canada is forecasting a high likelihood of rain and snow in the area overnight. A special weather statement has been issued for both the West Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary regions.
“A low-pressure system complex off the coast of California will draw warm air and moisture into the southern B.C. interior early Saturday morning,” Environment Canada said.
“With cold air lingering in the valleys and warm air aloft, conditions are favourable for periods of freezing rain across the region,” the agency added.
In Creston, the local forecast calls for flurries beginning at midnight, changing to rain and wet flurries in the afternoon on Jan. 3.
Temperatures are expected to remain steady around plus three degrees Celsius.
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A targeted deer hunt aimed at reducing the risk of chronic wasting disease is set to begin Monday, Jan. 5, and run through Saturday, Jan. 31, in areas surrounding Cranbrook.
The City of Cranbrook is urging participants to follow all applicable laws and restrictions during the hunt, which has been approved by the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.
The goal of the hunt is to reduce deer density, remove potentially infected animals and protect wildlife health, hunting opportunities and food sources.
Hunters are reminded to be aware of municipal boundaries and bylaws. Local regulations prohibiting hunting within city limits remain in effect, including within the community forest, under the B.C. Forest and Range Practices Act.
The city’s firearms bylaw also applies, prohibiting the discharge of firearms or bows within city limits. Violations may result in fines up to $5,000 or jail time.
Provincial safety rules also still apply, which state firearms cannot be discharged within 100 meters of homes, schools, churches, parks, or across roads.
Landowner permission is required if you wish to shoot or hunt on private property along with complying with all local bylaws.
Animals with CWD may not show symptoms, but anyone who sees wildlife that appears sick should report it immediately to the BC Report All Poachers and Polluters line (1-877-952-7277).
Environment Canada has issued a coastal flooding statement for B.C.’s south coast, affecting parts of Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.
Forecasters said a combination of abnormally high tides and low pressure may produce minor to moderate coastal flooding along shorelines through the weekend.
“This falling atmospheric pressure will help further elevate coastal water levels beyond predicted tides, thus increasing the risk of coastal flooding,” Environment Canada said.
The flooding statement is in effect through the weekend, with the highest risk of coastal flooding expected on Sunday.
“There is a risk of locally significant flooding especially where onshore winds compound on the highest tides,” Environment Canada said.
The advisory spans from Duncan through Campbell River on Vancouver Island and from Powell River to Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast, it also covers the greater Victoria area and west island.
Residents are reminded to continue monitoring Environment Canada for updates.
The lineups for the Quesnel Kangaroos Alumni Game have been announced.
Each team has a spread of former Kangaroos and prominent Quesnel hockey players, who like the team itself, have deep connections across the Qtown communities.
The Roos’ Alumni Game will be Saturday, January 3, at the West Fraser Centre. Warm-ups begin at 7 pm, and puck drop will be at 7:30.
One of this year’s teams will be coached by Ken and Brad Gassoff, and will face against a team coached by Jack and Bob Marsh.
Here is a list of the team lineups:
Team Gassoff:
Forwards:
Eli Jarvis; Chris Thonl; Caden Cygan; Micky Keen; Brody Dyck; Dan Hills; Jim Sales; Gerald Gagnon; Lennie Dies; Ed Sankey.
Defense:
Tavis Roch; Ted Law; Nick Tomassetti; Jason Meager; Harley Gilks; Dan Kirkham.
With Dan Mussel as the goalie.
Team Marsh:
Forwards:
Nick Falloon; Colton Thon; Brody Dale; Brayden Dale; Chad Kimmie; Waylon L’Heureux; Rob Zappone; Bryan Dumaine; Terry Klapstein; Jerry Watson; Roy Heppner.
Defense:
Tommy Grant; Leif Scott; Rick Kooses; Alex Gibbs; Chris Spencer; Greg Aiken.
With Ken Campbell and Colten Macaulay as the goalies.
The 2026 Polar Bear Swim saw about 100 people plunge into Lake Kathlyn yesterday. (Thursday)
This is third year the event has run in Smithers but was the first time being done by Xplore Smithers.
“I was posting my pictures and videos from last year’s plunge, asking people who was organizing this year, and nobody answered,” said Owner Thomas Camus.
Also new this year was a partnership with the Smithers Men’s Shed, building a deck and ladder so participants could more easily climb out of the water.
“We had a huge turn around. Lots of people, lots of love. People were really happy and had good weather,” said Camus.
He added the event has continued to grow since starting in 2023 and also had a fire with hot chocolate to help participants warm up afterwards.
“The Polar Bear Swim, it’s becoming kind of a tradition in Smithers but it’s to socialize.”
Camus said Xplore Smithers is hoping to continue running the event annually and expand it with more partnerships and prizing.
The MLA for Nanaimo-Gabriola Island has provided an update following the Boxing Day fire at Nanaimo’s Value Lodge motel.
Sheila Malcolmson said Emergency Support Services and the province have extended housing and food supports for those displaced by the fire until Jan. 14.
She also thanked the community for its response to residents affected by the blaze.
“I am grateful for the strong community response, including immediate clothing support from the Salvation Army and ongoing offers of donations,” Malcolmson said in a social media post.
Malcolmson said a meeting with evacuees was held Dec. 30 to discuss next steps and longer-term supports.
The fire, which ignited early on Boxing Day, displaced about 40 guests at the motel and sent seven people to hospital.
Creston property assessments are up one per cent, according to figures released today by BC Assessment.
As of July 1, 2025, the typical single-family home in Creston was assessed at $427,000, compared to $422,000 at the same time last year.
Across the Kootenay-Boundary, the change in assessments ranged from a decrease of three per cent in Midway to an increase of nine per cent in Sparwood and Canal Flats.
“It is important to understand that changes in property assessments do not automatically translate into a corresponding change in property taxes,” deputy assessor Boris Warkentin said in a news release.
“As noted on your assessment notice, how your assessment changes relative to the average change in your community is what may affect your property taxes.”
If you disagree with your assessment, you can contact BC Assessment and speak to an appraiser. If you are still concerned, you may file an appeal by Jan. 31 for an independent review. Those panels typically meet from early February to mid-March to hear formal complaints.
The complete local picture for municipalities is presented in the chart below.
Greenwood and Midway were among the only places in the Kootenay-Boundary to see a drop in their annual property assessments, according to figures out today from BC Assessment.
As of July 1, 2025, the typical single-family home in Greenwood was assessed at $243,000, down two per cent from the same time last year, when the figure was $249,000.
Midway dropped three per cent, from $340,000 to $330,000. Grand Forks showed a one per cent increase, from $422,000 to $427,000.
Castlegar and Kaslo also showed slight declines, although percentage-wise, the change was so small that it was written as zero. Trail and Montrose also held steady or close to it.
“It is important to understand that changes in property assessments do not automatically translate into a corresponding change in property taxes,” deputy assessor Boris Warkentin said in a news release.
“As noted on your assessment notice, how your assessment changes relative to the average change in your community is what may affect your property taxes.”
If you disagree with your assessment, you can contact BC Assessment and speak to an appraiser. If you are still concerned, you may file an appeal by Jan. 31 for an independent review. Those panels typically meet from early February to mid-March to hear formal complaints.
The complete local picture for municipalities is presented in the chart below.
East Kootenay property assessments have increased by up to nine per cent in some communities, according to figures released today by BC Assessment.
The biggest percentage increases were in Sparwood and Canal Flats, which were both up nine per cent on July 1, 2025 compared to a year earlier.
The average single-family home in Sparwood was assessed at $457,000, up from $419,000, and the average home in Canal Flats was assessed at $356,000, up from $326,000.
Radium Hot Springs increased eight per cent, with the average assessment rising from $488,000 to $529,000.
Fernie, which has the highest average assessments in the entire region, was up six per cent, from $856,000 to $911,000.
Kimberley was also up six per cent, from $533,000 to $564,000.
Deputy assessor Boris Warkentin said the greatest increases tended to be in resort communities.
“They all seem to have strong demand,” he said. “We want to make sure our assessments reflect the actual selling prices.”
Elkford and Invermere were each up four per cent. In Elkford, the average assessment increased from $390,000 to $406,000. In Invermere, the average went from $679,000 to $707,000.
Cranbrook increased three per cent, from $503,000 to $517,000. Golden was up two per cent, from $634,000 to $649,000. Creston increased one per cent, from $422,000 to $427,000.
“It is important to understand that changes in property assessments do not automatically translate into a corresponding change in property taxes,” Warkentin said.
“As noted on your assessment notice, how your assessment changes relative to the average change in your community is what may affect your property taxes.”
If you disagree with your assessment, you can contact BC Assessment and speak to an appraiser. If you are still concerned, you may file an appeal by Jan. 31 for an independent review. Those panels typically meet from early February to mid-March to hear formal complaints.
The complete local picture for municipalities is presented in the chart below.
Nelson property assessments are up three per cent, according to figures out today from BC Assessment.
As of July 1, 2025, the typical single-family home in Nelson was assessed at $699,000, up from $681,000 at the same time the previous year.
Salmo also saw a three per cent increase, from $379,000 to $391,000. Kaslo dropped slightly, from $490,000 to $488,000. In the Slocan Valley, Slocan was up one per cent, New Denver two per cent, and Silverton three per cent.
“It is important to understand that changes in property assessments do not automatically translate into a corresponding change in property taxes,” deputy assessor Boris Warkentin said in a news release.
“As noted on your assessment notice, how your assessment changes relative to the average change in your community is what may affect your property taxes.”
If you disagree with your assessment, you can contact BC Assessment and speak to an appraiser. If you are still concerned, you may file an appeal by Jan. 31 for an independent review. Those panels typically meet from early February to mid-March to hear formal complaints.
The complete local picture for municipalities is presented in the chart below.
Kootenay-Boundary property assessments mostly held steady, according to figures out today from BC Assessment.
In its annual assessments, the agency said Castlegar and Trail were virtually unchanged over the previous year.
As of July 1, 2025, the typical single-family home in Castlegar was assessed at $519,000, compared to $520,000 at the same time in 2024. Trail was at $376,000 in both years, while Rossland saw a two per cent increase, from $615,000 to $625,000.
Warfield was also up two per cent, climbing from $408,000 to $417,000. Fruitvale was up three per cent, from $455,000 to $470,000; Montrose held almost steady, rising from $451,000 to $453,000.
Salmo saw a three per cent increase, from $379,000 to $391,000. In the Slocan Valley, Slocan was up one per cent, New Denver two per cent, and Silverton three per cent.
The highest average assessment in the region was in Revelstoke, which hit $881,000, up two per cent on the previous year.
“It is important to understand that changes in property assessments do not automatically translate into a corresponding change in property taxes,” deputy assessor Boris Warkentin said in a news release.
“As noted on your assessment notice, how your assessment changes relative to the average change in your community is what may affect your property taxes.”
If you disagree with your assessment, you can contact BC Assessment and speak to an appraiser. If you are still concerned, you may file an appeal by Jan. 31 for an independent review. Those panels typically meet from early February to mid-March to hear formal complaints.
The complete local picture for municipalities is presented in the chart below.
Interior Health (IH) is announcing that the Emergency Room (ER) at 100 Mile District General Hospital will reopen tonight at 8 p.m.
The ER at 100 Mile’s hospital has been closed since 7 a.m on Friday, January 2. The health authority originally stated via a media release on Thursday, January 1, that the ER will be closed until 8 a.m on Saturday, January 3.
On Friday, IH stated it was able to “secure a physician” for Friday night and will reopen the ER at 8 p.m.
IH still cautions residents in 100 Mile House and the surrounding area in need of care that, until the emergency room reopens, they need to access care at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake.
Anyone in need of life-threatening emergency care should call 9-1-1 to be transported to the nearest available and appropriate facility.
Comox Valley RCMP have released surveillance images of multiple suspects believed to be linked to recent crimes in the community.
One incident involves an alleged break and enter at a business in the 3200 block of Small Road in Courtenay on Dec. 8.
“Police are hoping that someone might have information, recognize the clothing, backpack or the wagon in the picture,” said a statement from Comox Valley RCMP.
A photo of the suspect is available below.
Image supplied by Comox Valley RCMP.
Police said two other suspects are linked to separate incidents on Dec. 4.
One suspect is alleged to have stolen from a liquor store in the 1000 block of Cliffe Avenue. Police said the same suspect allegedly stole from another business later that evening in the 2200 block of Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay.
A photo of that suspect is available below.
Image supplied by Comox Valley RCMP.
The other incident involves a suspect who allegedly broke into an unlocked vehicle on Stewart Avenue in Courtenay and stole a wallet.
Police said the suspect later used a debit card from the wallet to purchase about $200 worth of merchandise at a business in the 2200 block of Cliffe Avenue.
A photo of the suspect is posted below.
Image supplied by Comox Valley RCMP.
Anyone with information regarding these suspects is asked to contact Comox Valley RCMP.
43-year old Joel Pidluberg is facing one count each of flight from police, failing to stop, and dangerous driving, and two counts of breach of a release order.
He’s due back in court for a bail hearing on January 7th.
The charges are in connection with an incident this past Saturday. (Dec 27)
100 Mile House RCMP received a report of a possible impaired driver in a parking lot on the 100 block of Highway 97.
Upon arrival, police did not locate the vehicle, but further patrols were made and it was found parked on Canim Hendrix Lake Road.
Sergeant Brian Lamb says police pulled in behind the vehicle with the lights on, which is when the suspect is accused of ramming the police vehicle before fleeing the scene.
The driver was identified and police did not pursue at that time.
Lamb says they later attended the male’s residence where he was arrested.
For the next two years, Prince George residents will only have one pool to access.
The Aquatic Centre closed yesterday (Thursday) for renovations and the city is preparing to move the project into the next phase of construction.
The Canfor Leisure Pool will host all aquatic activities including clubs, swimming lessons, and public swimming.
During the two-year closure, the downtown leisure pool will be open seven days a week with extended hours.
Public swimming hours are from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday, 12:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays, and 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
A minimum of two lanes will be available during all public swimming times.
Prince George recorded only one homicide in 2025, down from eight the year prior according to RCMP Superintendent Darin Rappel.
In a year-in-review interview with Vista Radio, Rappel told MyPGNow.com while the volume of murders were down significantly, other forms of violent crime saw an increase.
“Unfortunately, we have seen an increase in intimate partner violence, that has gone up and we do know that the province, the RCMP and the city have been very proactive with their campaigns trying to bring awareness and education, encouraging people to report.”
As for the sudden drop in murders, Rappel credits the decrease to the detachment’s pro-active approach to snuffing out the drug scene in the northern capital.
“I would say that our drug enforcement sees a lot of success throughout the year and help drive that number. Our homicides by and large are tied to the drug scene and when we do enforcement action in those areas we do see change in violent crime.”
2025 also marked the first full year local officers wore body-worn cameras while on-duty.
The local RCMP chapter issued over 100 cameras to its Frontline Police Officers, as well as support sections such as the Downtown Safety Unit, Problem Oriented Policing team and, Youth Support Team.
Video will be stored for a minimum of 30 days up to two years or longer depending on the retention requirements.
Each camera unit costs about $3,000 with the city footing the bill.
Rappel noted the new technology has proven to be a valuable tool on certain files.
“What it does is provide evidence that can be later assessed and so if there is a public complaint, one of my public compliant officers can view it and from that perspective increases the timeliness of getting to the bottom of a complaint and resolving it.”
“It did increase our workload significantly as it means the members were in the detachment longer than had been before processing those files, creating a bottleneck those members should be on the road with boots on the ground.”
Rappel is also a fan of the downtown security camera project that finally went live at the end of the December stating it will give officers another tool to work with.
“I certainly support the program. Good quality video evidence is key to solving crime and it’s the evidence that crown counsel likes to see so I am good supporter of that.”
He added drug offences as well as public disorder calls regarding the social issues downtown have also risen.
Rappel’s wish list heading into 2026 includes wanting to hire more officers as recruiting to the detachment proved to be a bit of a challenge last year.
“Where I see the real need in the short term is assistance in regards to municipal support with the increase in administrative tasks we are seeing by and large due to the body-worn cameras. Having help from an administrative perspective allows me to get boots on the ground more efficiently, which is a better use of resources,” added Rappel.
Arguably the most significant file from 2025 was the Crossroad Brewing and Distilling downtown fire in September that resulted in $1.8 million dollars in damage.
It also led to the arrest of 57-year-old Richard Titchener who was charged with arson causing damage to property.
Old Man Winter is ringing in the New Year with a fresh blanket of snow for the Prince George area.
With four to eight centimetres of the white stuff in the forecast for today (Friday), another 20cm is being predicted for Saturday and Sunday.
As for what’s causing this, Environment Canada Meteorologist, Ken Dosanjh spoke with MyPGNow.com.
“We have this low-pressure system coming in from the south coast and basically north and Prince George will see the large extent of this low and the precipitation band will be very existent within the central interior.”
“It’s really Saturday during the daytime where we are anticipating five to ten centimetres of snow with the peak timing the late morning and into the early afternoon and then as you transition towards Saturday, we will have a little snow but conditions will ease a little bit.”
“However, as we look into Sunday, we will have an additional five to ten centimetres Sunday afternoon. We are going to be in this snowy period for the remainder of the week.”
When it came to December as a whole, the average mean temperature in the city was -6.7 degrees while the northern capital saw 55 millimeters of precipitation, the normal for the month is around 40.
Another Trail Smoke Eater has landed an NCAA Division-I Scholarship.
Colton Whitfield has committed to Army.
On New Year’s Eve, the 19-year-old defenseman from Warwick, RI played his 16th game as a Smokie after starting his season with Tri-City of the USHL.
The six-foot-two rearguard scored his third goal as a Smokie that evening to move into the lead among the all Trail blue liners.
Whitfield and Carter Matthews were tied for the points lead on the back line with eight each heading into 2026.
Head coach and GM Eric Thurston has been impressed with Whitfield’s steady improvement.
“It’s just really exciting,” said Thurston.
“Colton came to us from Tri-City in the USHL and I could see he just needed to learn to have fun again,” added the bench boss.
Whitfield had one assist in seven games with Tri City this season when he came to the Smoke Eaters, but scored 12 goals and 27 assists in 66 games with the Mount St. Charles Hockey Academy U-18 AAA team before making the jump to the USHL.
Thurston says Whitfield’s offensive ability rounds out a strong overall skill set.
“He’s a great player, good size, he moves the puck well, he’s sneaky offensively, he’s done a good job on the power play for us,” Thurston pointed out.
One of Whitfield’s goals was on the power play and all three of his tallies have been snipes from the point.
His most memorable moment at Cominco Arena was a toe-to-toe fight at centre-ice in Nov against Brooks Bandits forward Brett Calhoun.
Thurston feels all of those attributes caught the eyes of Army’s scouts.
“It’s exciting that Army was able to recognize his qualities and now he’s got a scholarship to Army that we are all very excited for,” stated Thurston.
“We are also very proud of Colton and his family for that accomplishment,” Thurston told Vista News.
Whitfield is the third import on the Smoke Eaters roster this season to land NCAA Division-one scholarships.
Six-foot-three German defenseman Max Hense who has just wrapped up his second stint with the national team at the World Junior Hockey Championships, committed to St. Lawrence University.
Speedy six-foot-four Swedish power forward Louis Jonerheim has a commitment from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
The City of Kimberley is celebrating a year of progress, with several major projects underway and more planned ahead of the next municipal election in 2026.
Kimberley Mayor, Don McCormick said major movement this year on the long awaited Wastewater Treatment plant has been a huge achievement.
“Primarily because it’s a massive project at $90 million and it’s taken a long time to get to the point that we’re at now. We are confident that we will have all the things in place to be able to get shovels in the ground in April” said McCormick.
On the issue of housing, McCormick said the city has not only fulfilled provincial requirements but has gone beyond them.
“We’re trying to focus on higher density and this year we saw several multi-unit residential projects in the tens of millions of dollars that came into play and are going to supply the community with purpose built rental, which is badly needed”. McCormick said.
An overriding challenge that Kimberly has had this year has been around granting. Getting grants in place and looking for funding in the short term has been a real challenge primarily because of the provincial government deficit.
“A $12 billion deficit means there’s not an awful lot of extra money to go around. So if we have challenges that come up within the course of a year, beyond what has already been in place it’s very very difficult to get money”. McCormick stated.
An example in Kimberly, here is a project that’s in place for the Mark Creek watershed. The plan is to build resilience into the logging that is happening up in that water shed. To do that we need half a million dollars to be able to complete the modelling required to provide us with direction on how to log in the watershed.
He pointed to one specific need: funding for wildfire adaptation work in the Mark Creek watershed.
“The Wildfire Adaptation for Mark Creek watershed is a really really important project because it really is about the future of our water supply in Kimberly. I’m really looking forward to figuring out how we get the money to complete the modelling and moving forward with the next phases of that project.” said McCormick.
Mayor McCormick wants to highlight that 2026 is a civic election year and that it will be a busy first half of the year.
“As we move forward in 2026 we really need to get the majority of the work done in the first six months of the year because starting July. 1 all the way to election day on Oct. 17 there’s probably not a lot of material things that will be able to get done.” McCormick said.
McCormick and the city want to thank the public for their ongoing support and patience.
“On behalf of not just myself but council and staff at the city of Kimberly we really really appreciate resident support on all of the activities that we have throughout the year. Many of these things particularly when it comes to construction are not easy and we really appreciate the understanding and patience folks have shown as we complete these very important projects”. said McCormick.
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A charity hockey game will take place this Sunday afternoon at 1 at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex.
The second annual Guns n Hoses event, in support of Williams Lake Kids Sport, will have members of the RCMP facing off against members of the Fire Department.
Officer Fraser Bjornson who is one of the organizers said Kids Sport is a National Organization with a local aspect to it.
“We have a local Chapter right here in Williams Lake that helps kids who have the financial need to get into sports and I have been with them for four years now. A buddy of mine from the detachment we ended up doing a bit of a fundraiser for Kids Sport, found out about it online and reached out to the Chairperson, Rick Miller, and we ended up getting involved with it ever since and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Bjornson also explained how this First Responders Charity game came to be.
“Ever since COVID we ended up getting a decent amount of funding from the provincial and federal government for Kids Sport but some of that has dried up in the years since so all the monies raised that goes to our local kids a lot of it comes from local sponsorship and local fundraisers. So we were in need of a fundraiser that would make some those funds back and help to support local kids in our community. It was super successful last year with over 650 fans at the rink and we’re hoping to keep that going.”
Bjornson noted that sports is so important, it gets their confidence going, gets them out and involved, and I think everybody should be able to play sports.
“Apparently the stats in Canada are one in two kids has trouble playing sports just due to financial barriers. If Kids Sport can help lift those financial barriers by paying for registration I think it’s a really good cause. We cover quite a wide range from soccer to hockey to gymnastics, archery, to name a few.”
Bjornson added that they have quite a few volunteers to help out Sunday during the game at the door selling tickets, a puck toss where fans can win prizes that were donated by local community sponsors as well as a fifty-fifty draw.
“Myself and our local Kids Sport committee have been working on planning this charity game right from August through September and right up until now. That includes some pre event things that we had at Mustangs games, Stampeders games, Fresh Co and Save on Foods, a lot of people bought tickets there and are ready for Sunday.”
Tickets for the Guns n Hoses game are available at Cycle Logic and the Williams Lake RCMP Detachment and at the door.
“And if you search admit one online, type in Williams Lake in the search bar, you’re going to see our event which is the Williams Lake Kids Sport Guns n Hoses,” Bjornson said.
Campbell River RCMP are asking for the public’s help in locating a missing youth.
Police said 15-year-old Evelyn (Clay) Ilchuk-Williams was reported missing on Dec. 31, 2025.
RCMP describe Ilchuk-Williams as a Caucasian, gender-diverse teenager about four feet 11 inches tall with a slender build. They said the youth has lip piercings and was last seen wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans and black-and-white shoes.
“Police are very concerned for Evelyn (Clay) Ilchuk-Williams’ health and well-being,” said Const. Maury Tyre.
Anyone with information on Ilchuk-Williams’ whereabouts is asked to contact Campbell River RCMP or Crime Stoppers.
A photo of Ilchuk-Williams is available below.
Evelyn (Clay) Ilchuk-Williams. Image supplied by Campbell River RCMP.
The Cougars remain three points up on the Vees for top spot in the BC Division. PG is back in action Saturday against the Calgary Hitmen at 6pm from CN Centre.
BCHL:
The (16-11-1) Prince George Spruce Kings are back in action tonight when they visit the Spruce Grove Saints (13-14-1-0) and the Blackfalds Bulldogs (21-8-1-0).
PG also plays the Blackfalds Bulldogs (21-8-1-0) on Saturday at 5pm Pacific.
The Spruce Kings are two points back of the Coquitlam Express (17-8-1-0) for top spot in the Coastal East Division.
World Juniors:
Quarter-finals
Latvia vs Sweden
Switzerland vs Czechia
Finland vs USA
Slovakia vs Canada
NHL:
Ottawa 4 Washington 3
Utah 7 New York Islanders 2
Toronto 6 Winnipeg 5
Pittsburgh 4 Detroit 3 (OT)
Montreal 7 Carolina 5
Tampa Bay 5 LA 3
Chicago 4 Dallas 3
Seattle 4 Nashville 1
The Vancouver Canucks are back in action tonight against the Seattle Kraken.
NBA:
The Toronto Raptors are back in action on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks from Scotiabank Arena at 4:30 Pacific Time.
College Football Playoff
Oregon Ducks 23 Texas Tech 0
Indiana Hoosiers 38 Alabama Crimson Tide 3
Miami Hurricanes 24 Ohio State Buckeyes 14 (Wednesday)
Ole Miss Rebels 39 Georgia Bulldogs 34
Miami takes on Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl next Thursday (January 8th) while Indiana hosts Oregon in the Peach Bowl.
Jon Cooper has had the privilege of experiencing both in his NHL head coaching career with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 58-year-old from Prince George coached his 1,000 game on Wednesday afternoon as the Lightning defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in overtime.
Cooper, who is now the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL going on 12 seasons with Tampa Bay reached the pinnacle winning back-to-back Stanley Cup’s with the Bolts in 2020 and 2021.
In addition, Cooper led Canada to victory during last year’s Four Nations Face-Off. The local product is also the bench boss for Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics taking place in Italy next month.
Cooper has a record of 596-319-86 with the Lightning.
Tampa Bay is currently second in the Atlantic Division with a record of 24-13-3.
It’s safe to say the Penticton Vees mean business in their first year of existence in the WHL.
Down 5-3 with 8:40 seconds left in the third period, a trio of goals from Brooks DeMars, Nolan Stephenson and Ethan Weber capped off a furious 6-5 overtime victory against the Prince George Cougars on New Years Day (Thursday) in front of 3,613 fans at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Like their 5-3 set back in Kamloops against the Blazers on Tuesday, the Cougars blew a two-goal lead.
2026 got off on the right foot initially for PG as Townes Kozicky opened the scoring at 1:46 of the first period with the assists going to Kayden Lemire and Dmitry Yakutsenak giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Penticton answered right back with two goals to begin the middle stanza as Brittan Alstead cashed in on a Diego Johnson feed to even the score at one.
Less than six minutes later, Chase Valliant put the Vees in the driver’s seat solving Cougars netminder Alex Levshyn.
The Cougars clawed right back a few minutes later as Brock Souch lit the lamp shorthanded tied the Thursday matinee at 2-2.
Prince George received some much-needed secondary scoring punch to begin the third as Shaun Rios chipped in with a marker courtesy of Cole Hajt.
After DeMars made it 5-4, Nolan Stevenson pushed the game into overtime as his tying goal came with 1:31 remaining in regulation time.
Penticton secured the comeback as Weber scored twenty-six seconds into the extra frame to down the Cougars for the second time in less than two weeks.
PG was outshot 45-21 in the game, including a 24-2 margin in the third period. Levshyn made 39 stops in the loss. Andrew Reyelts made 16 saves for the Vees.
The Cougars went 1-for-3 on the power-play while Penticton was 0-for-1.
Penticton’s latest addition, 19-year-old defenceman Charlie Michaud, is off to a hot start with three assists in his first trio of WHL games.
He came over from the NCAA’s Miami of Ohio where he suited up in six games this season.
Michaud previously starred in the USHL for the Madison Capitals where he had 32 points in 61 games.
The Vees (19-9-4-3) who have won four straight and our 8-1-1-0 in their last ten games, are now three points back of the Cougars for the BC Division lead with a game in-hand.
PG drops to 23-11-2-0 and returns home for a five-game homestand starting on Saturday against the Calgary Hitmen (18-10-5-1) at 6pm from CN Centre.
Fans of either side won’t have to wait long to see the next chapter of the budding Vees/Cougars rivalry as Penticton rolls into town Tuesday (January 6th) and Wednesday (January 7th) at 7pm from CN Centre.
202 dippers took an ice cold plunge this afternoon (Thursday) for the 25th annual Polar Bear Dip at Ness Lake Bible Camp.
Dippers from all around the world, including places like Brazil, Colombia, and Hawaii came to Ness Lake to brave the frigid waters in temperatures just above the freezing mark.
Ness Lake Bible Camp Director Dave Horton has taken part in all 25 of the dips put on by the camp.
He said the “warmer” temperatures seen today may seem like a bonus for the dippers, but they come with drawbacks.
“When you get out of the water, you can’t dry off, it feels a little bit more like those Vancouver polar bear dips,” Horton said.
“I wish it was like, another five degrees colder, because all that moisture just dries off your body when you get out, but you know what, it’s all the same, either way, it’s so intense. It’s so intense every time that I’ll barely notice the weather when I get out.”
This year, the Polar Bear Dip raised $30,000, which will help send kids to camp who may not be able to afford it otherwise.
“As costs increase on everything, camp increases in its cost as well,” Horton said.
“There’s a lot of families that are telling us they just can’t afford to come to camp, we understand that, and so we offer sponsorships, so people can apply for a sponsorship, and if they’re approved, we’ll pay for a portion, a large portion, a small portion of their camper fees, and the money for that comes from this.”
Over the 25 years, the Polar Bear Dip has raised more than $283,000 to help send kids to camp.
One person has died in an avalanche near Tumbler Ridge.
According to Avalanche Canada’s incident description, three snowmobilers were riding the Bullmoose area. when one person was caught in and buried in an avalanche.
The avalanche was reportedly triggered remotely from the base of the slope, and measures approximately 300 metres wide by 240 metres long.
The avalanche is believed to have run on a rain crust from mid-December, buried approximately 75 centimetres below the surface.
Avalanche Canada says the subject was fully buried and did not survive, despite prompt companion rescue.
The past year was full of stories in Nanaimo and on the Sunshine Coast that made an impact to the local communities and beyond. Here is a list of some of the most memorable ones from our newsroom in 2025 in no particular order:
Gibsons cafe owners take over iconic Canadian landmark
Rebecca and David Bristow stand in front of Canadian icon Molly Reach, the new home of Black Bean Cafe in Gibsons. Photo credit: Supplied
Two Gibsons businesses owners are relocating their business, a move they say wasn’t planned, but will be an adventure.
Rebecca and David Bristow are co-owners of the Black Bean Cafe in Gibsons, and they say moving their location has some ups and downs, but they jumped at the chance to move to the world-famous Molly’s Reach.
Rebecca says both she and her brother were taken by surprise when they were told they had to look for another facility, in the fall, but they were grateful a place was available.
Twenty King Charles III Coronation medals awarded in Nanaimo-Ladysmith
Twenty recipient’s were presented with the King Charles III Coronation medal. Photo credit: Dirk Heydemann, HA Photography
Twenty King Charles III Coronation medals were presented to residents across Nanaimo Ladysmith in recognition for their contributions.
MP Lisa Marie Barron presented the medals for what she says individuals who made significant contributions to the community, and she says the medal is designed to the diverse role each person has played in the riding.
“From life-saving front line workers, to educators, advocates, volunteers and Indigenous knowledge keepers,” she says. “The diverse ways our nominees have contributed to our communities is impressive to say the least.”
Nanaimo skier wins bronze in Special Olympics World Winter Games
Nanaimo’s Ron Greenhorn won bronze in alpine skiing at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy earlier this month. Photo by Mauro Ujetto / Special Olympics Canada
An alpine skier from Vancouver Island is bringing home a bronze medal from the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Italy last week.
Ron Greenhorn from Nanaimo won bronze in the Intermediate Giant Slalom. He also placed fourth in the Intermediate Slalom, and seventh in the Intermediate Super G.
VIU approves program cancellations, appoints new president
Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo campus. Supplied by Vancouver Island University Facebook page.
Vancouver Island University has approved a long list of program cancellations, including the Masters of Community Planning.
An update on June 5 from the university’s acting president, Emily Huner, says the board approved cancellations proposed last month. All students currently enrolled will receive support to graduate. Affected students will be contacted by their program directly with specifics.
Cell phone locator helps SAR find missing mountain biker in Nanaimo
(North Shore Rescue photo via Facebook)
A search and rescue team enlisted the services of new technology to locate and assist a missing man in Nanaimo. Vancouver-based North Shore Rescue assisted Nanaimo Search and Rescue with a helicopter equipped with a LifeSeeker phone locating unit on Friday, Sept. 19.
Bamfield could be without power for 72 hours, evacuation ordered as fire grows south of Port Alberni
(Photo via the BC Wildfire Service)
The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District has declared a local state of emergency and issued an evacuation order for the Mount Underwood area.
The order is in the ACRD Bamfield and Cherry Creek electoral areas. Anyone in the affected area must leave the area immediately. A 24-hour reception centre has been set up at the Alberni Athletic Hall.
RDN issues evacuation order, alert as wildfire burns near Cameron Lake
(Photo via BC Wildfire Service)
The Regional District of Nanaimo has issued a local state of emergency and evacuation order because of a wildfire burning on the north shore on Cameron Lake. The evacuation order is for the north side of Cameron Lake, including Wesley Ridge, Chalet Road and Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park at Cameron Lake.
Nanaimo RCMP investigate homicide after finding missing 65-year-old woman
Nanaimo RCMP say they found the body of a 65-year-old woman the same day she was reported missing in November.
Officers said Sherry Shelley was reported missing on Nov. 14 and her body was discovered early that morning inside a burning vehicle in a wooded area on College Drive near the Highway 19 intersection.
The past year was full of stories from North Island that made an impact to the local communities and beyond.
Telegraph Cove begins to rebuild after devastating fire
Nearly a year after a devastating fire tore through Telegraph Cove, the historic North Island village is still standing and steadily rebuilding.
The blaze broke out on Dec. 31, 2024, destroying the pub, restaurant, Whale Interpretive Centre and several tourism offices along the boardwalk.
Owners Gordie and Marilyn Graham quickly vowed to rebuild, launching fundraisers that raised more than $120,000 to help cover costs not covered by insurance.
By March 2025, cleanup and rebuilding were underway after the Grahams received approvals from provincial and federal agencies. Local North Island companies handled debris removal, dock repairs and the replacement of the iconic cedar boardwalk.
Despite ongoing construction, Telegraph Cove welcomed visitors back this summer, with tours and accommodations operating while rebuilding continued in the background.
As of December, major progress has been made on the new restaurant, pub, wildlife tour facilities and pilings for the future Whale Interpretive Centre.
The historic Telegraph Cove boardwalk with the damaged sections visible in the background. Photo from Telegraph Cove Resort
Port Hardy marked a major step forward in Indigenous justice this year with the opening of an Indigenous Justice Centre.
The centre opened in February, one of six launched across B.C. in 2025 as part of a provincial expansion that brought the total number to 15.
Port Hardy’s location is the third on Vancouver Island, joining centres already operating in Victoria and Nanaimo.
Run in partnership with the B.C. First Nations Justice Council, the centres are designed to support Indigenous people navigating the legal system, offering culturally appropriate legal help and connections to additional community services.
The justice council said Indigenous clients often face barriers when accessing legal support, and the centres aim to provide a more holistic and accessible approach.
Province-wide, Indigenous Justice Centres supported more than 2,200 criminal and child-protection cases over the past year.
In April, the ‘Namgis First Nation marked a milestone in its efforts to take greater control over health care delivery for its members.
On April 10, the nation signed a memorandum of understanding with Island Health during a ceremony in Alert Bay.
The agreement laid the groundwork for a broader relationship framework between the two parties, aimed at strengthening Indigenous-led health services on the North Island.
The MOU is the first step toward a long-term agreement that will guide how health services are delivered through the ‘Namgis Health Centre.
The primary care clinic, owned and operated by the ‘Namgis First Nation, provides a range of services, including general medical care.
As the year progressed, the agreement stood out as a key example of Indigenous communities asserting greater authority over local health services while reshaping how regional health systems collaborate with First Nations.
One of the more unusual environmental stories of the year unfolded on north Vancouver Island in May.
A young Bryde’s whale, a species rarely seen this far north, washed ashore in Port McNeill Bay on May 14.
The Marine Education and Research Society responded, initially identifying the whale as a minke before confirming the rare find.
The ‘Namgis First Nation sent guardians to monitor the site and later held a blessing ceremony to honour the whale.
A necropsy was conducted, though the cause of death has not been confirmed. Researchers said warming waters may have played a role, but no link has been made to other whale deaths in B.C. this year.
The whale’s remains were transferred to the Whale Interpretive Centre in Telegraph Cove.
(Photo supplied by Marine Education and Research Society)
One of the more dramatic police incidents of the year unfolded off the Prince Rupert coast in June.
RCMP arrested a 25-year-old man following a dangerous overnight chase involving a stolen fishing boat reported missing from Port Hardy.
Police said the vessel was spotted south of Prince Rupert, sparking a marine pursuit that lasted more than an hour.
Investigators said the operator tried to evade police in the dark, fired flares, threatened officers over the marine radio and attempted to ram an RCMP boat.
The chase ended when the suspect ran the vessel aground and was taken into custody without injuries.
Charges were later recommended, and the stolen fishing boat was recovered.
One of Port Hardy’s community highlights of the year came in July with the opening of the rebuilt Kyle Scow Memorial skatepark.
After a year of planning and construction, the redesigned park officially opened on July 27, following a community-driven rebuild led by Comox-based Radius Skateparks.
The District of Port Hardy said the $550,000 project was funded by the B.C. government and shaped by local input.
The opening was marked with a public celebration that included demos, free skate sessions and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Island Health brings Step Up Youth program to Alert Bay and Port McNeill
Island Health expanded youth health care opportunities on the North Island this year.
In August, the Step Up Youth program launched in Alert Bay and Port McNeill through a partnership with the ‘Namgis First Nation.
The program gives youth aged 15 to 18 hands-on volunteer experience in hospitals and long-term care homes, along with mentorship and career exposure.
Island Health said it was the first time the program had been offered in those communities, opening new pathways for local youth interested in health care careers.
The team in charge of the new health care clinic in Port Hardy, Angela Pearl (Patient Care Manager), Dr. Alex Nataros (Medical Director), Helen Owen (Executive Director), and Sonia (Office Manager). From North Island Community Health Centre Society Facebook
Widespread Telus outage impacts thousands of North Island residents
Connectivity concerns came to the forefront in Port Hardy this year following a major Telus outage in September.
The disruption left homes and businesses across several North Island communities without phone service for more than 10 hours, including an inability for Telus customers to reach 911.
Mayor Patricia Corbett-Labatt said the outage caused widespread distress and highlighted how dependent the region is on a single provider.
She pointed to the incident as a reminder of the need for stronger, more resilient communications infrastructure, with projects like Connected Coast seen as a possible long-term solution.
Telus later said the outage was caused by vandalism to its infrastructure.
Island Health, Port Hardy mayor issue statements on hospital closures
Throughout 2025, residents of Port Hardy faced ongoing frustration as staffing shortages limited hours at the town’s emergency department.
Mayor Pat Corbett-Labatt emphasized that the district does not control hospital operations, which fall under Island Health and the province.
Council continued to meet with health officials over the year, including a proposal to keep the ER open until 7 p.m. daily.
Island Health said in November that it remains committed to restoring round-the-clock service, but shortages of nurses, lab staff and other clinical roles remain the main obstacles.
Physician recruitment has improved, but stable staffing across the full care team is still needed to safely extend emergency hours.
For the year, residents relied on full-time emergency care roughly 40 kilometres away at Port McNeill Hospital.
Community leaders are petitioning the province to restore the ER in Port Hardy. Photo credit: Google Maps
Large yellow cedar tree illegally harvested near Gold River
A large yellow cedar felled near Gold River became a flashpoint in 2025, drawing renewed attention to how old-growth protections are applied in British Columbia.
The B.C. Ministry of Forests confirmed in December that the tree was cut during authorized forestry operations, but said it had launched a review to determine whether special tree and old-growth policies were properly followed.
The ministry noted some trees can qualify for added protection depending on their size, species, location and tenure.
Officials said information was collected from the licensee involved and compliance requirements were reviewed.
No enforcement action had been announced by the end of the year, with further updates expected once the review is complete.
The past year was full of stories from North Island that made an impact to the local communities and beyond.
New child care spaces added in Powell River
A school in Powell River received additional child care spaces this year.
In January, the B.C. government announced Kelly Creek Community School would receive 28 new child care spaces.
Twelve of the spaces are for children younger than three, and the remaining 16 are for children aged three to five.
The addition was funded with a $1.1-million contribution from the ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, covering construction and equipment, bringing the city’s total number of licensed child care spaces to 56.
Funding boost for Powell River Rec Complex maintenance
The Powell River Recreation Complex received a funding boost this year to help maintain the facility.
In early February, the city announced more than $72,000 would be invested in two infrastructure projects at the complex.
Approximately $47,000 was directed to replacing an aging cold-water line that reached the end of its useful life in 2024, while the remainder was spent on upgrading heating, ventilation and air-conditioning controls and systems.
The upgrades were financed through the Canada-Community Building Fund, a source of predictable infrastructure dollars for local governments.
Tla’amin Nation reaches agreement to reacquire portion of mill site
A historic agreement was reached this year between the Tla’amin Nation and Domtar over land at the tiskwat paper mill site in Powell River.
In March, Tla’amin Nation and Domtar signed an agreement under which the nation will reacquire a substantial portion of the former mill site, primarily land fronting the river and ocean that holds historical and contemporary significance for the Tla’amin people.
Under the agreement, the nation will manage part of the land for cultural and environmental values while Domtar retains a portion until it is sold to one or more third parties for industrial redevelopment that the partners say will help create economic benefits for the community.
The agreement followed years of negotiations that began with the renaming of the mill site to tiskwat in 2021.
Tla’amin Nation opens complex care housing program
Members of the Tla’amin Nation received specialised support through new housing this year.
In April, the nation officially opened t̓ɛχɛθot (teh-heh-thot), a complex care housing program aimed at providing support to citizens facing challenges with mental health and substance use.
The initiative features four homes purpose-built to offer a combination of medical, peer and daily living support alongside cultural healing and community services..
During the opening ceremony in the village of tišosəm, Community Services Housepost Brandon Louie said, “Our Tla’amin families have suffered many sudden losses. Taking care of our relations in the spiritual realm brings healing — both in their world and in ours.”
Situated near key community services, the housing ensures residents can readily access health, social and support resources.
A float plane crash near Refuge Cove in May resulted in only minor injuries.
Powell River RCMP were notified just after 7 p.m. on May 19 that a float-equipped Cessna 185 with three people on board had overturned during a water landing near Refuge Cove, roughly 30 kilometres east of Campbell River.
After the plane overturned, the three people climbed onto the pontoons, and nearby boats assisted in the rescue before official responders arrived.”
None of the three suffered serious injuries from the crash. One was taken to hospital in Campbell River in stable condition, and the others received assessment and care without needing transportation to hospital.
RCMP said Transport Canada will conduct an investigation into the crash, and adverse weather may have been a factor.
A grizzly bear drew widespread attention on Texada Island over several months in 2025.
The bear swam to the island in May and was reported chasing livestock in early June, sparking debate over whether it should be relocated or destroyed.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service later said relocation was not an option unless the bear posed a direct threat to public safety, at which point officers would respond.
The Mamallilikulla First Nation offered to relocate the bear to a marine refuge in Knight Inlet, citing concern for its safety, but said the proposal was discouraged.
In July, the bear was shot and killed. Two people were charged with failing to report the killing and appeared in court in September.
Funding announced for new temporary Powell River shelter
Powell River received funding for a new temporary shelter in July to replace a closed emergency shelter.
The B.C. government announced a 40-bed temporary shelter will open at 7104 Barnet St., with 24-hour staffing, meals, showers and supports for people experiencing homelessness.
Powell River–Sunshine Coast MLA Randene Neill said that following the closure of the city’s emergency shelter in March, opening a replacement became a priority.
A fire on Wildwood Hill in August burned about one hectare of woods.
Powell River fire chief Rocky Swanson said crews were putting out hot spots and cutting down trees that posed a danger.
The B.C. Wildfire Service said the fire was quickly brought under control and that evidence from the area indicated someone had lit something on fire, causing the blaze.
The fire was part of an active wildfire season for the province, which included several larger fires on Vancouver Island and elsewhere.
A couple of firefighters take a break on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025 while putting out hot spots from a wildfire in the Wildwood neighbourhood of Powell River. (Powell River Fire Rescue/Facebook via Vista Radio)
Powell River now has 12 new treatment beds for men struggling with addiction.
A grand opening for the Arbutus Facility inside the old Powell River fire hall was held on Oct. 3. The supportive recovery beds offer a range of services, including medical care, counselling and wellness programming tailored to help individuals through treatment and recovery.
The beds provide medical supports, counselling, wellness activities and cultural programming in a trauma-informed setting aimed at supporting men on their recovery journey. Eight men were receiving services in September, with average stays expected to be about 90 days.
Sunshine Coast Addiction Treatment Services | Photo courtesy of the Canadian Mental Health Association
BC Hydro removes transmission line from Jervis Inlet
BC Hydro marked a major marine milestone on the Sunshine Coast in October by successfully removing a decommissioned transmission line that once spanned Jervis Inlet.
BC Hydro said crews completed removal of the 138-kV line that spanned Jervis Inlet, using controlled cuts to lower sections of the structure into the water for retrieval in a week-long operation using controlled detonations to safely cut the massive steel conductors that had been under significant tension.
About 60 workers took part in the operation, which paused several times to allow humpback whales to pass safely through the area, BC Hydro said.
The project sets the stage for continued upgrades to transmission crossings at Jervis Inlet and Agamemnon Channel, which will boost capacity and reliability. The 138-kV crossings will be replaced with higher-capacity lines, ultimately providing two 230-kV circuits to support future demand.
BC Hydro plans to restring and upgrade the crossings over the next two years, with work expected to continue into 2027.
Powell River Kings lose financial backing, reach agreement to continue season
The Powell River Kings Hockey Club Society is seeking financial support to stabilize the BCHL team.
President Shaun Garvey said the organization that had been financially backing the team is no longer able to continue, leaving an expected shortfall of $200,000 by the end of the season.
The society said immediate support is needed, including increased attendance at home games, volunteers, new sponsors and potentially new ownership.
Garvey said the society held a town hall meeting last week that was well attended, and he said the community appears ready to support the Kings.
The team announced on Christmas Eve that it had reached an agreement to continue the remainder of the 2025-26 BCHL season uninterrupted.
The Village of Radium Hot Springs had many highlights in 2025, but two major plans stand out for Mayor Mike Gray.
Gray said he’s most proud of the village’s updated official community plan, which has received first reading and is scheduled for a second reading in January.
Gray said it’s been a massive project with a huge amount of engagement.
“The public has really been interested in what’s going on. I think we’re at a spot where we’ve addressed the most difficult things and everything else just seemed to come together. There was a lot of consensus which is great to see.” said Gray.
Radium, much like many surrounding communities, has been trying to tackle housing Gray said.
“We acquired a large plot of land this year in north Radium, about four acres, and we have a general mission to do purpose-built long-term rental housing. A lot of steps in the process to get that over the finish line but we’re excited to make that happen.” said Gray.
One setback this year, Gray said, was the fire at Radium Park Lodge. While he called it a difficult experience for the community, he expressed gratitude for the response efforts.
“I’m unbelievably impressed with what the Regional District and our own local first responders were able to do as far as the emergency management support. They were able to provide and help out those residents. We were able to contain the fire as well as give a lot of support for people going forward.” Gray said.
The real challenge Mayor Gray states is the single occupancy locations are just not designed to have full time residents.
“We understand that there’s a need in the community, but we also want to make sure that we’re doing what we can to keep all their residents safe and pass those lessons down to other areas. said Gray.
Gray said the community plan and housing development will carry the village through the next term. His team is also working on an information initiative for potential election candidates ahead of the 2026 municipal vote.
“We are trying to work with College of the Rockies as well as other areas to let potential candidates know what to expect. We think the best candidates are those that are well informed. If you know what to expect you can show up and be prepared to engage and do this job properly, representing your people well.” said Gray.
The Village of Radium Hot Springs and Gray wished residents a happy new year and said they hope others share their excitement for what 2026 will bring.
As part of a look back at 2025 and look ahead to 2026, we’re talking with some key West Kootenay newsmakers, including Kootenay-Monashee MLA Steve Morissette.
The other thing about this first year for me, it’s been all about listening, learning, and building connections with constituents, with British Columbians, other MLAs and staff. I’ve been entrusted with some pretty important roles that I’m thankful for, such as parliamentary secretary of rural development, a member of the finance committee, also a member of the Treasury Board, and one of three BC representatives on the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, which includes five states and five provinces. I’ve had the chance to hear from folks all over British Columbia and our neighboring states. So it’s been a huge learning curve, but fun and great to learn of the challenges throughout British Columbia.
What are you looking forward to most in 2026?
Now that I’m getting into the groove of the legislature, I’m planning to use the bit of knowledge that I’ve picked up and the relationships I’ve built to push for improvements in rural BC around healthcare, transportation, substance use, homelessness, daycare, small businesses, forestry.
My focus this coming year will be on supporting our rural colleges, which are the foundation of everything we do. They train everyone from trades to forestry, daycare staff, healthcare workers, high-tech workforce. Federal immigration restrictions in the last couple of years have really impacted the finances of rural colleges. So we’ve got to find a way to sustain them. Colleges like Selkirk College are crucial to our area and to all the areas of BC.
We have to find new ways of financially sustaining the colleges. Colleges have lots of great ideas, and we as government need to work with them to find ways to sustain them, to make them viable. They’re so important to rural areas. They’re a bridge to higher education. They’re the bridge to trades and so on. They’re a good stepping stone for local kids who maybe aren’t ready to move away and and live on their own. It’s a nice bridge for our kids. So we’ve got to keep them viable.
Will be your greatest challenge in 2026 or what else might consume a lot of your time?
The colleges for sure is going to be a focus, but I’m heavily involved on finance committee and Treasury Board. Our biggest challenge is making sure we can continue to provide the services people need while keeping our budget and our deficit in check. It’s going to be challenging, but it’s going to be fun to work through solutions.
Anything else that you’d like to add about the year coming to a close or the year coming up?
There’s a lot of work to do, and I’m honoured and energized to do this work going forward. I truly respect the responsibility giving to me, and I will work hard in 2026.
Long-time Kootenay rivals the Kimberley Dynamiters and Fernie Ghostriders will face off in the annual Christmas Classic hockey game tonight Friday, Jan. 2, at 7 p.m. at the Kimberley Civic Centre.
Before the puck drops, residents are invited to support the Cram the Cruiser food bank fundraiser in front of the arena. The event will collect non-perishable food, hygiene products and donations for the Kimberley Helping Hands Food Bank.
Const. Doug Wilson of the Kimberley RCMP said they’re hoping for strong turnout and support from the community.
“For those coming out to the game or not if you can donate to the event that will be appreciated. We’re just looking for as much support as we can get from the community.” said Wilson.
This game between the Fernie Ghostriders and the Kimberley Dynamiters should be full of excitement, as the rivalry runs deep and they do this matchup event each and every year.
“It’s supposed to be a very busy night and we are hoping the community can help us support the food bank as much as possible. It should be a good night. I hear there’s quite a history between the two teams. I think that’s why they call it the Christmas classic”. said Wilson.
The Christmas season is an especially hard time for folks, and this is just one of the many ways the community can help those in need.
“We’re looking to get as much support from the community of Kimberly as we can. We know there’s a lot of people that struggle through many times of the year and we know that winter time certainly around Christmas is difficult for a lot of people so anything we can raise whether it’s cash or food we’d be happy to donate to the Kimberly Food bank”. Wilson said.
Long-time Kootenay rivals the Kimberley Dynamiters and Fernie Ghostriders will face off in the annual Christmas Classic hockey game Saturday, Jan. 2, at 7 p.m. at the Kimberley Civic Centre.
Before the puck drops, residents are invited to support the Cram the Cruiser food bank fundraiser in front of the arena. The event will collect non-perishable food, hygiene products and donations for the Kimberley Helping Hands Food Bank.
Const. Doug Wilson of the Kimberley RCMP said they’re hoping for strong turnout and support from the community.
“For those coming out to the game or not if you can donate to the event that will be appreciated. We’re just looking for as much support as we can get from the community.” said Wilson.
This game between the Fernie Ghostriders and the Kimberley Dynamiters should be full of excitement, as the rivalry runs deep and they do this matchup event each and every year.
“It’s supposed to be a very busy night and we are hoping the community can help us support the food bank as much as possible. It should be a good night. I hear there’s quite a history between the two teams. I think that’s why they call it the Christmas classic”. said Wilson.
The Christmas season is an especially hard time for folks, and this is just one of the many ways the community can help those in need.
“We’re looking to get as much support from the community of Kimberly as we can. We know there’s a lot of people that struggle through many times of the year and we know that winter time certainly around Christmas is difficult for a lot of people so anything we can raise whether it’s cash or food we’d be happy to donate to the Kimberly Food bank”. Wilson said.
Vancouver Island and Sunshine Coast snowpack levels are among the lowest in the province heading into the new year, according to the B.C. River Forecast Centre.
The agency’s snow basin index from Dec. 15 shows the Vancouver Island snowpack is at 12 per cent of normal for this time of year, while the south coast, which includes the Sunshine Coast, is at 49 per cent of its seasonal average.
A statement from the centre says warmer temperatures limited snowpack accumulation on the island, Sunshine Coast and lower mainland, while inland levels are closer to or exceeding seasonal averages in the interior.
“Several atmospheric river events impacted the province during the first two weeks of December,” the statement read. “On the South Coast and Vancouver Island, generally warmer temperatures limited mountain snowpack accumulation.”
Snow Basin Index data from B.C. River Forecast Centre (Dec. 15).
The provincial average measured through all Automated Snow Weather Stations is 114 per cent. Levels from the south coast toward the interior, Kootenays, north coast and northeast show considerable variability. Averages in the Liard region are highest in B.C. at 223 per cent, followed by 151 per cent in the Similkameen region.
The B.C. government has identified snowpack as a key indicator for assessing drought risk. Low snowpack combined with warm temperatures and below-average precipitation can create elevated drought hazards, potentially affecting water availability for communities, farmers, ranchers, wildlife and industry.
Godzilla may rule the movies, but it was no match for BC Hydro.
An incident in Nanaimo involving an inflatable Godzilla has earned a spot on BC Hydro’s list of most memorable outages of 2025.
BC Hydro spokesperson Susie Rieder said the incident, dubbed Godzilla in the Grid, happened after a series of storms swept through the province in early December.
Smithers RCMP are investigating a sudden death that occurred on Saturday near a Ranger Park trail.
Police said the individual has been identified with next of kin notified but will not be releasing the individual’s name out of respect for the family.
Additional officers are in Smithers assisting with the investigation and Mounties said there is no increased risk to public safety.
No further details will be released as the investigation remains ongoing.
The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako and Town of Smithers have rescinded the flood notice along the Bulkley River and evacuation alert for the Dohler Flats area.
The alert was issued on Sunday affecting about eleven properties and followed by the flood risk notice the next day.
Both were triggered by an ice jam in the Bulkley River causing water levels to rise to dangerous levels.
2026 is going to be a big year for Prince George, according to Mayor Simon Yu.
“As we look back, and with anticipation with all the major projects the Prime Minister has announced going to happen around our City, Prince George is really at the cusp of some major changes to come,” Yu said in a year-end interview with My Prince George Now.
“I think looking back last year, we as a City, of course the most important event, or the decision that we as a City have achieved is, people may not know this, that we are probably the only municipality of our size that is without active encampments. That in itself, Prince George should take a lot of pride in that. This is a big accomplishment.”
Yu recognized there’s still a long way to on the homelessness issue, but he believes the City has taken a big step to realize housing first.
“To some degree, we have met some success in our advocacy, as well as working together with the provincial government on this very difficult file has produced results,” he said.
“The court order is a big vindication that the direction we’re taking is a correct one, and we’ve turned a page on that one.”
Yu said he’s spoken with the owners and adjacent businesses, and there’s plans in place.
“It will be rebuilt. The area together with the City’s parkade there, the Ramada, they’re remodelling their rooms, I think some positive things will happen to will happen to that corner in the months and days ahead,” Yu said.
“In the meantime, I would like to see people set up some outdoor stages on their property with some food trucks and have some fun. We need to fill downtown, all the void space with some positive activities, and in the months and days ahead.”
Yu said 2025 has been a pivotal year, and he’s starting to see some positive things happening, even if it may not be fast enough for some residents, or even himself.
“Even though the homeless population as a whole, the number still fluctuates,” Yu said.
“We are right now, for the first time, we really feel good that to say with some level of confidence we have enough emergency shelter beds to house the people in need, and that is something that is fundamentally importance in terms of human rights.”
“We’ll be important in the months and years to come, to build up the infrastructure necessary to make Canada as independent country,” Yu said.
“When we look at these pivoting moments, I think we should be excited as citizens. We always believe that Prince George is the city of the future. Our importance to B.C., B.C.’s importance to Canada as a whole cannot be understated.”
He added he can feel the page starting to turn, partially because of the major projects announced for Northern BC.
“Whatever happens for these smaller cities around us, is good for Prince George,” Yu said.
In October, the City announced the Aquatic Centre would be shutting down for two years.
“Let’s take on more walking, and schedule our swim time more carefully, and we’ll see each other at the Canfor Leisure Pool,” he said.
“My message to our Administration is, it’s set at two years, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be two years, pivot when you can, see if you can shorten the closing period.”
Yu added Prince George has great contractors, and he believes the shutdown period can be shortened. He also believes it may be a good opportunity for pool users to find another new activity they may grow to love.
“Prince George is not short of recreation facilities,” he added.
“I just happen to be one that loves to swim as well, but I might be falling in love with walking, we have so many great trails, great parks, we have a lot of cross country skiing opportunities, some of the best in the world, just stay active, please.”
October 17th, 2026 also marks the next municipal election. Yu said he would be taking the holiday season to talk to his family before making a decision on running again.
“I’m 66-years-old, I’m a grandfather of eight, the last three years has been a lot of sacrifice, I didn’t get to spend much time with my grandkids, I hardly watched them play ball, which is a passion for me,” he said.
“I set out a couple of things I wanted to do, the downtown file, the other one is I want to articulate a long-term vision for the City. If there’s somebody there who will believe in this vision and can carry on, and if they have more energy than me, and they do a better job, I’ll consider that as well.”
Yu said he will likely make up his mind after the BC Natural Resources forum.
Operation Red Nose in Williams Lake wants to help you ring in the New Year with a safe ride home for you and your vehicle.
Coordinator Deborah Pickering said historically that’s when they give the most rides for one night.
“We’re kept very busy into the wee hours of the morning so I’m hoping that this trend will continue and people will arrange for a designated driver or use Operation Red Nose to avoid drinking and driving tonight.”
There is no fee for this service but Pickering said they do accept donations.
“All the donations that we do receive throughout this program and put into a pot and when the campaign is over the money is divided equally between 3 non-profit youth groups that are in Williams Lake and the drivers that came out and drive you and your vehicle home are largely the parents, friends and relatives of children that are in those organizations.”
Pickering noted that on New Years Eve they have a couple of extra teams.
“From November 28 to December 20 we have about 5 or 6 teams and tonight I hope to have 7 to 8 teams on the road which helps quite a bit for wait times. I do suggest always to call a half hour before you actually want to leave your location. Tonight as it gets later in the evening you might want to increase that to even 45 minutes. The rides are first come first served so when you call and give us your information we put that in the cue in the order that we receive it, and you can specify a time. If you call at 10 o’clock and say I want to be picked up at 12:30 we can do that too.”
Operation Red Nose will be available in Williams Lake from 9 pm until 2 am however Pickering said if the phones are still ringing and they have teams that are willing to stay we’ll keep providing rides home until they stop ringing, but 2 o’clock is officially our closing time.
“People that are having house parties, it doesn’t matter if you’re at a bar or a restaurant, we’ll come to your house and pick you up and take you home from there.”
Operation Red Nose in Williams Lake can be reached at 250-392-22-22.
The Town of Comox and its unionized employees have ratified a new three-year collective agreement that runs through 2027.
A statement from the town said members of CUPE 556 ratified the agreement on Dec. 22 after council gave its approval on Dec. 19.
The contract covers about 70 municipal workers and includes wage increases retroactive to 2025 and through 2027.
Under the new agreement, general wage increases will be:
• April 1, 2025 — 5 per cent
• April 1, 2026 — 3.5 per cent
• April 1, 2027 — 5 per cent
The deal also includes increases to potential earnings for CUPE 556 members who are on short-term disability.
Jordan Wall, chief administrative officer for the town, said the agreement is fair to both sides.
“This agreement is fair, supports our employees, and remains consistent with other recent settlements in the region,” said Wall. “We appreciate the commitment and collaborative efforts of the negotiating team throughout this process, and we’re pleased to reach an agreement that benefits employees and the community we serve.”
The previous collective agreement expired on March 31.
A separate statement from the town said the new agreement “ensures that the Town can continue to provide reliable, high-quality services to residents while supporting a stable and engaged workforce.”
New Year’s Day 2026 will mark a special milestone for the Ness Lake Bible Camp.
This year’s Polar Bear Dip will be the 25th edition of the event put on by the Camp.
“The Polar Bear Dip is like the premiere jump in the water on New Year’s Day,” said Ness Lake Bible Camp Director Dave Horton.
“You can do the sissy dip in Vancouver anytime you want, you can do that any day of the year, but this only happens one day a year because we’re cutting through a foot-and-a-half of ice.”
Every year the funds raised from the event helps send kids to camp who may not be able to afford it.
“Camp costs a lot, and the fees keep going up because the costs around us keep going up, which means that it becomes less and less accessible to certain families,”
“As the Director of camp, that kills me, to know that when I’m increasing prices to keep camp afloat, that we’re removing some families. This event is massive.”
According to Horton, the event has raised more than $250,000 to send kids to camp over the 25 years.
Environment Canada is calling for temperatures of -3 and snow for tomorrow for the Prince George area.
Interior Health said the damage occurred on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 30.
“Interior Health appreciates the response of the Nelson Fire and Rescue Services, who supported our staff to safely evacuate and reduce further damage to the facility,” said the health authority in a statement.
IH said clients with current appointments will be contacted by care teams to re-schedule appointments or determine alternate care plans.
Officials are working to re-establish health services as soon as possible. Restoration crews are on site and working to determine the extent of the damage and plans for remediation.
“We appreciate the challenges this situation presents to the local community and we will provide additional updates as they become available.”
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RCMP are searching for a man wanted on multiple charges in northeastern and coastal British Columbia.
Twenty-five-year-old Matthew McCharles-Carter is wanted in connection with assault, failure to comply with a court order, breach of undertaking and uttering threats in Fort St. John and the Comox Valley.
Police described McCharles-Carter as six feet tall and weighing about 210 pounds, with red hair that is currently shaved. He has an omega symbol tattoo on his left wrist and a relatively recent scar on his face.
RCMP said he is believed to frequent the Comox Valley. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Comox Valley RCMP.
At the stroke of midnight we usher out the old year and welcome in the new.
Question is, how will mother nature be ringing it in weather wise here in the Cariboo?
Environment Canada Meteorologist Ken Dosanjh said there’s not a whole lot of activity expected.
“We kind of have unsettled conditions around the area. Most likely the further North you go, more towards Quesnel, that’s where you can anticipate more of a chance of flurries. Most of the activity will reside around the Cariboo Mountains but any sort of precipitation expected will be fairly minimal.”
Dosanjh noted that areas like Williams Lake and 100 Mile House for the first day of the new year really shouldn’t see a whole lot of anything.
“Conditions will be relatively near normal in terms of temperatures. They’ll remain steady at around minus 2 tomorrow (January 1), mainly cloudy conditions, with Southeast winds around 20 kph but other than there is no major system coming into play for at least the first day of the year.”
As we come into the weekend Dosanjh said a weather system will start to move in and hit the South Coast so that’s when can anticipate some periods of snow, a few centimetres at most, nothing too exceptional at this time.
“No signal for strong winds either, just kind of a typical winter pattern until we move on to early next week where, maybe Tuesday we could see a few more centimetres of snowfall but other than that there’s no major system expected to move through the Central Interior. Temperatures will be bang on near normal for the next few days. Looking at highs in the minus single digits, minus 1 to minus 3.”
As we get into Sunday and early next week, Dosanjh added things will cool down a few degrees where overnight lows will be around minus 8 to minus 10 but other than that conditions are generally normal for this time of year.
“On average area around the Central Interior see highs of around minus 4 and lows of around minus 12 so no real temperature fluctuations are expected at this time. We’ve seen a couple of events occur over the past month or so, it’s been fairly active over the province so starting 2026 off in the right way with a typical winter expected.”
The Prince George Cougars took a two-goal lead into the third period but ultimately fell 5-3 to the Kamloops Blazers last night.
“You’re up two with minutes to go, causing o-zone turnovers and trying to make fancy plays at the offensive blue line, and not getting pucks out of our end, that’s what happens,” said Assistant Coach Carter Rigby on the post game show on 94.3 the Goat.
“It’s a humbling game fore sure, and that’s a stinger for us.”
Both the Blazers and Cougars struck early. Andrew Thomson opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game, and Aiden Foster answered shortly after.
Things started to unravel in the third period. The Blazers scored four unanswered, including two in the span of nine seconds and an empty netter.
“Probably bored with the simple details it takes to win a hockey game,” Rigby said.
“Fozzy gets two, and you’re probably thinking you want to get him three, but it’s causing turnovers at the offensive blue, and not working back, and they capitalize on two great chances.”
Rigby said it’s been something that’s been creeping in for the group.
“Lamber said before too, we’re in the mud a little bit,” he said.
“We just need a mature group to show up there and be young men and lead by example, and we don’t have that out of our top guys there late in the third, it’s hard for the young guys to follow.”
With Alexander Levshyn pulled for the extra attacker, Dmitri Yakutsenak took a high stick that went uncalled, which led to the empty net goal that iced the game.
Levshyn made 30 saves on 34 shots for the Cougars.
Extreme wildfire conditions in the West Kootenay in the summer of 2024 played a central role in the sentence imposed on a Nelson man convicted of setting multiple fires around the city.
Honourable Judge C. Sicotte’s reasons for sentencing were published online earlier this month.
Sicotte’s decision, according to court documents, reflects the extreme wildfire danger posed by Travis’s actions at a time when the region was under a campfire ban and surrounded by active wildfires.
“The West Kootenay valleys were full of smoke and the citizens were on edge, nervous about the spread of these huge fires and the possibility of others igniting,” wrote Sicotte, who also noted Nelson fire crews were already deployed outside the city battling major blazes.
The court found Travis lit four fires in three locations within a short period, including one near the Gyro Park playground, another inside a basement on Front Street and a third behind Walmart.
The Gyro Park fire grew to about 20 by 50 metres and prompted numerous 911 calls and a response from Nelson Fire Rescue. A B.C. Wildfire Service helicopter that was already in the area also assisted with suppression efforts.
Additionally, a backpack recovered by firefighters at the scene contained lighters and a butane canister.
Sicotte emphasized the fires were only prevented from causing catastrophic damage because of the actions of civilians and first responders.
“The conduct of Mr. Travis in intentionally lighting multiple fires in the locations that he did during hazardous fire conditions was so extremely dangerous that it created enormous risk of massive property destruction and loss of life. It was only due to the fortuitous actions of others that this was prevented,” wrote Sicotte.
While Sicotte acknowledged Travis’s early guilty plea, expression of remorse and efforts to address substance use and mental health issues, he found those factors were outweighed by aggravating circumstances, including Travis’s prior criminal record.
Travis was also on probation at the time of the incidents, and a professional assessment found him at high risk of reoffending.
Sicotte rejected the defence submission for a conditional sentence, citing community safety concerns and the need for greater denunciation and deterrence in arson cases.
“I am also of the view that the judge could appropriately find that a conditional sentence would not adequately address the need for denunciation and general deterrence,” wrote Sicotte.
“While it is true that a conditional sentence can provide significant denunciation and deterrence, it is also true that a jail sentence will, generally, provide greater denunciation and deterrence than will a conditional sentence.”
Following his release, Travis will serve three years on probation with several conditions, including that he must not be within 10 kilometres of Nelson and that he undergo mandatory mental health treatment.
He is also prohibited from consuming drugs and alcohol and possessing incendiary devices.
He received credit for 136 days of pre-sentencing custody, leaving him with 593 days remaining on the primary count related to the Gyro Park fire.
Sicotte waived victim fine surcharges because of Travis’s financial circumstances.
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Young British Columbians returned to take over the legislature in the final days of 2025.
BC Youth Parliament brings together 97 representatives between the ages 16 and 21 at the provincial legislature to learn about the parliamentary system.
The non-profit group has been holding the gathering in Victoria nearly every year since 1924, aside from some interruptions due to the Second World War and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Members take on the roles of parliamentarians, including an elected premier, opposition leader, and deputy speaker.
They present bills and private member resolutions, and even participate in question period-style debates.
The organization said some past resolutions have included lowering the voting age and changing the province’s name to an Indigenous name.
The debates also include discussions about volunteer service projects the group will support in the coming year.
Isabella Harmel, who is in her fifth year with the organization and is serving as premier this year, said the gathering is a chance for members to have a say on what the organization will focus on in the coming year.
The 21-year-old University of Victoria student, who hopes to pursue a career in planning, said the organization brings together young people with a wide range of goals.
“The thing that all binds us together is a passion for service and for youth serving youth,” said Harmel.
Twenty-year-old Finn Thoms, from the Lower Mainland, said he studied political science for a couple years, but is now training to be a chef.
“We aren’t here to create politicians or anything. We’re here to create good informed citizens,” said Thoms.
Harmel said education can be an antidote for young people who may be disillusioned with political systems.
“We have 97 people sitting in that room right now that are passionate about this process and about these issues,” she said. “I think that the counter to any disillusionment that might be out there that we’ve found is education and engagement and allowing that learning to be hands-on,” she said.
Ermira Progri, who grew up in Burnaby, is the group’s minister of regional youth parliaments. The four smaller scale organizations host mock parliaments for teens as young as 14.
The 19-year-old Progri said she has watched first-year members transform during the gathering from being shy about speaking out in the legislature, to engaging actively in debates on bills.
“I think it’s a place where people can really find power within their voice,” said Progri.
Sparwood saw several positive developments in 2025 and has much to look forward to in 2026, including new housing, company moves and approval for a new wastewater treatment plant.
Sparwood Mayor David Wilks said construction has begun on a second affordable housing unit at Timbers Landing.
“We’ve had the start of our second affordable housing unit for Timbers Landing. It’s run by Elk Valley Family Society, and the second of hopefully four apartment blocks being rebuilt.” said Wilks.
Mayor Wilks explains how Elk Valley Resources is moving into their huge administrative building that will house 580 employees, which will open up the space they’ve been using.
“That will free up Mountain View School that they’ve been utilizing for the last several years and there is an opportunity for School District 5 to move forward with plans to hopefully reopen a school.” Wilks said.
The most significant project moving forward is Sparwood’s new wastewater treatment plant. Wilks said the district has secured funding for the project and expects construction to begin soon..
“We were able to secure funding for it through borrowing as well as some grants. That will start hopefully in the next month or two and will set us up for the next 50 to 100 years,” said Wilks.
Traffic on Highway 3 remains a concern. Wilks said the municipality continues to work with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure on potential safety improvements.
“We’ve been trying to move forward with a traffic light at Sparwood Drive and Highway 3. It’s getting dangerous, really dangerous, not only for emergency personnel but for everybody. We have a disagreement on the amount of traffic coming through Sparwood. It’s their highway, we’re willing to work with them but it can be challenging.” Wilks said.
Wilks said he is also looking forward to continued work with New Dawn Developments on expanding a subdivision known as Westwood.
“They’ve been diligently building fourplexes. They’ve got 15 or 16 of them built or in various stages of being built, some are occupied some aren’t. They are working closely with Elk Valley Resources on providing some form of housing for employees of Elk Valley Resources.” said Wilks.
Between the wastewater treatment plant and new housing, Sparwood has a lot of exciting projects in the works for 2026.
Vancouver Island University’s interim president and vice-chancellor said 2025 has been about strengthening the institution’s financial footing and positioning it for student success in 2026.
Dennis Johnson said despite challenges this year, VIU is committed to boosting student success.
“I continue to see that despite our challenges, faculty, staff and the team at VIU continue to put students first,” he said. “There is a lot of great learning going on, we’ve also had student research highlighted, and VIU continues to be high-quality and keep students focused.”
Despite the financial hardship weighing on the university, Johnson said multiple factors contribute to VIU’s situation, with a decline in international students a significant part of the picture.
“The sector is going through a significant period of adjustment with international student policy changing at the federal level,” he said. “These numbers continue to drop, and the work ahead will be to strengthen VIU by being more efficient on how we spend our dollars.”
Johnson said VIU’s focus in 2026 will be on becoming more financially responsible, and that will take time but optimism is essential.
“We’re doing everything we can to make sure students have a positive learning environment, and I’m positive and optimistic about the future. We will get through these financial challenges, making VIU strong.”
Cowichan–Malahat–Langford MP Jeff Kibble said there have been several key successes this year, and that each accomplishment has come with important lessons.
He said he has raised a range of issues in Ottawa, including health care, accountability in the justice system and forestry concerns affecting Vancouver Island businesses.
Kibble said 2025 has been a rewarding year overall and he hopes the progress continues into 2026.
“One of the most rewarding aspects was being able to connect with so many people,” he said. “This is the most important thing I do, whether it’s at Christmas events, community events or with other politicians.
“I really enjoy hearing the challenges and learning from people.”
Kibble said one success he is proud of was how the community came together to support his efforts to help a local family secure access to life-changing medication.
“I advocated for Charlie Pollock in the spring, and with the help of the whole community we were able to get her life-changing medication reinstated,” he said. “She wouldn’t have been with us anymore if it wasn’t continued.”
He said representing the riding has brought challenges as well, including the recent closure of the Crofton mill.
“It was heartbreaking that they had to close and so many people lost their jobs,” he said. “That makes life even harder. People are already struggling and it’s just really heartbreaking to hear that.”
Kibble said the toxic-drug crisis and rising overdose deaths remain major issues he continues to advocate on in Parliament.
In the new year, he said he plans to keep pushing his private member’s bill aimed at providing more compassion to families affected by horrific crimes.
“The whole bill is focused on families, so they don’t have to go to parole hearings every couple of years,” he said. “This way families aren’t re-traumatised by hearing from these most heinous of criminals.”
He said he also hopes to connect with more people across the riding in 2026.
Nanaimo is seeking applications for its annual Concerts in the Park series.
The concert series will run from May to August, with local performers putting on shows at parks across the city.
“We strongly encourage local musicians to apply for this dynamic and popular outdoor series,” said Adrienne Mercer Breen, manager of culture and special events for the city. “Concerts in the Park is an exceptional opportunity for performers and audiences to connect through music against the backdrop of Nanaimo’s gorgeous parks and natural spaces.”
Applications open Jan. 2 and will be accepted until Feb. 8, 2026.
As part of a look back at 2025 and look ahead to 2026, we’re talking with some key West Kootenay newsmakers, including Castlegar mayor Maria McFaddin.
What was the highlight of 2025 for you or for council or for the city?
For me, the highlight was just to see the organization grow. I believe the city has made some great strides in how we function, how we have learned to work together, how we’ve learned to work with our community groups, and seeing some of those relationships strengthened.
As council, it would probably be to see some of the things we’ve been working on for years starting take effect, so that would be some housing being built, some progress at our airport development, like Kalesnikoff [Mass Timber] and other major development. That’s always a highlight when you work so hard at building foundations so that something can be done in the future and then you begin to see some of that flourish. That has definitely been a highlight for all of us.
What are you looking forward to most in 2026?
Seeing some of those projects come to completion. So not only the beginning of them, but some of the housing being built. Hopefully reliability of our airport increasing, more development coming to town, and continuing to work with community groups that we’ve built these relationships with. That would be make 2026 feel like it has been a success.
What challenges do you anticipate in 2026? Or what do you think council’s going to be spending the most time working on?
I think our greatest challenge right now is probably our septic. That has been our biggest challenge is our treatment plant and figuring out what to do there. It’s not a easy solution. We spent a lot of time on this last year, we’re spending just as much time this year, trying to figure out not only the long-term solution, but also the short-term solution.
Anything else you want to add about the year that was or the year that will be?
I want to say thank you. It’s been my pleasure to get to serve this community and to serve our residents. I am very honored that I sit in this seat. I know for all of council, we just hope that everyone has a great season with their family and friends.
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Comox Valley RCMP’s major crime unit is investigating a break and enter in Courtenay.
Police said the incident occurred on Sunday, Dec. 28, around 7:30 a.m. at a residence on the 100-block of 13th Street. Officers were called to the home around 9:25 a.m.
RCMP said an 83-year-old woman was home at the time and described the suspect as a masked man wearing sunglasses and dark clothing.
Investigators canvassed the area for surveillance video, but said some residents and businesses may not have been home or available to speak with police at the time.
In a statement, Comox Valley RCMP said the Integrated Forensic Identification Section is assisting with the investigation and gathering evidence.
“We are asking residents and businesses in the surrounding area to review any security camera or dash cam footage from the morning of December 28th and give us a call with anything out of the ordinary,” said Cst. Monika Terragni, Comox Valley RCMP media relations officer. “We are also taking the opportunity to remind residents to take safety precautions, including ensuring doors and windows are locked and reporting suspicious activity right away.”
Interior Health has responded to concerns about all of the Emergency Room closures at 100 Mile District General Hospital.
There have been five in December, all related to staff shortages.
Karen Cooper is the Executive Director of Clinical Operations for Thompson/Cariboo/Rural.
“Certainly in the short term, particularly in the holiday season, it’s been very challenging for 100 Mile but no, this is not going to be the new reality for 100 Mile. It just requires that we take a different approach as the traditional coverage approach is, we’ve exhausted them.”
Cooper says they’ve had success in other communities that have went through this.
“Given the success we’ve had over the last couple of years of stabilizing other communities like Merritt. like Lillooet, I’m confident we can do the same for 100 Mile. In fact, in my two years in the role this is the least amount that we’ve seen disruption over the Christmas break, and really starting to feel like the solutions we’re putting on the table are paying off. We just need to bring that same full court press to 100 Mile.”
Cooper says that includes looking at other ways to cover off shifts.
“We’re going to need to move away from the traditional handbook of how to cover shifts and look at other ways of being competitive to be able to attract folks both for permanent positions as well as to come as locums. So we can look at the coverage models that we have in place that worked for a very long time but we’re starting to hear from providers that as the emergency departments get busier, looking at different ways of covering the shifts is one way of potentially making them more attractive.”
She says what employees want has also changed.
“I think traditional shift coverage where people wanted full time positions where they moved to an area and maybe worked their entire career, so we’re seeing different ways of working. Do we need to train more in order to provide the same coverage that we used to, we’re finding out yes we do, so it takes time between offering more seats for people to actually become trained and then that actually paying off for the workforce load that we have.”
Cooper says the pandemic led to an exodus of healthcare workers and they’re now trying to make up for those lost years.
She says she is optimistic though as traditionally 100 Mile House has actually been fairly easy to recruit to.
Cooper says she would like to “express gratitude for the local physicians who do step up and cover, as well as local nurses, and a huge thanks to Cariboo Memorial Hospital who covers when 100 Mile is unable to stay open.”
The union representing nearly 6,000 ambulance paramedics in British Columbia says it is considering job action after contract talks with the province broke down.
Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia (APBC) said in a release Tuesday that job action could include a strike.
The union said the two sides last held bargaining talks in mid-November, and no talks are currently scheduled.
“As part of preparing for potential job action, we are currently establishing essential service levels for paramedics and dispatchers,” said APBC president Jason Jackson in a statement.
“This is not where we expected or wanted to be,” said Jackson. “We are deeply concerned about what will happen if government fails to take these negotiations seriously.”
The union said it is seeking stronger protections against contracting out, improved deployment models for underserved and rural communities, and enhanced mental health and wellness supports for frontline workers.
APBC communications and social media director Ian Tait said wages and benefits are also sticking points in the negotiations.
He said paramedics are mandated with essential service orders that will preserve services in the event of job action. But he said even small disruptions to B.C.’s strained health care system could have significant domino effects, especially in smaller, rural communities.
“When we look at staffing and we look at what’s happening with ER closures across the province, it’s the ambulance service and the paramedics that are filling those gaps,” said Tait.
“We don’t think it’s an appropriate thing to affect health care, but at the same time we have very little options available to us so we have to explore those options,” he said.
Tait said the union is aiming to conduct strike vote around late January or early February. In the meantime, he said he’s hopeful the two sides can return to the bargaining table, possibly with the help of a mediator.
The Health Employers Association of B.C. (HEABC) said in an emailed statement it “respects the right of unions to pause negotiations and consult with their members which can be a normal part of the collective bargaining process.”
“HEABC is prepared to continue bargaining to address the issues that both parties believe are important and we look forward to continuing to work with the union to resolve outstanding issues and reach a renewed agreement,” said the statement.
Residents are being encouraged to recycle their Christmas trees this weekend through an annual fundraiser hosted by the Campbell River Fire Fighters Union.
The Christmas Tree Chip allows residents to dispose of their natural Christmas trees while supporting the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund and local charities.
The by-donation event allows residents to drop off trees to be chipped by local firefighters, keeping them out of the landfill.
Organizers remind the public to remove all tinsel, lights and decorations before dropping off trees.
The event runs Saturday, Jan. 3, at the Campbell River Sportsplex in the lower parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
See more information from the Campbell River Fire Fighters Union below.
Image from Campbell River Fire Fighters Union’s Facebook page.
The Comox Valley’s annual charity hockey game has raised a record amount of money this year.
The Comox Valley RCMP said the third annual Wounded Warrior charity hockey game on Dec. 5 raised more than $40,000, making it the most successful event to date.
Sgt. Rob Brennan of the Comox Valley RCMP said the filled arena sent a powerful message to everyone struggling that they are not alone.
“We are once again absolutely astonished by the overwhelming support the Comox Valley has shown – not just for this event, but for all our women and men in uniform and their families.”
The game saw local first responders and military members face off against the Comox Valley Glacier Kings in an exhibition match.
Funds raised go directly to supporting first responders, military members, veterans and their families living with PTSD and other operational stress injuries as a result of their service.
This year’s total brings the three-year fundraising amount to more than $82,000.
“I am extremely proud of every player and volunteer who made this event possible, and deeply grateful to every person and donor who supported this incredible cause,” Brennan said.
The Wounded Warrior Charity Hockey Game Committee thanked fans, supporters, volunteers, businesses and the Glacier Kings for their support and partnership.
That’s the word Interim President Dr. Bill Owen used to describe 2025 for the University of Northern B.C.
“I use the term dynamic to refer to a lot of change. The University continues to adapt and evolve, but at the same time, what impresses me about this University is the core mission that this University is here for, our regional commitment, and it’s the reason why 16,000 people signed a petition to get UNBC here, and that resonates,” Owen said in a year-end interview with Vista Radio.
“We don’t necessarily use the same words that we used back in the late 80s, early 90s to get this institution moving forward, but those themes keep coming through, they came through this year in our refreshed Academic Plan and our refreshed research plan, so it’s great to see that even with newer faculty, a large contingent of newer faculty and staff here at the University, the heart of why we’re here and what we do remains the same.”
“I’ve had the opportunity to walk alongside Dr. Geoff Payne and several other presidents in the past,” he said.
“This is a very different role than roles that I’ve been in previous years, so it has taken some time to adjust, a lot more external facing, components to the role. I’ve said to folks you never know what the role is like until you come into the office, then you look at their calendar, and you realize, oh, that’s what the role is about, but I’m very proud to represent UNBC, to represent our students, our staff and our faculty in those external facing roles, to make sure that our voice is heard in Victoria, in Vancouver, Ottawa, across the country, and also to reconnect with alumni, so exciting times.”
Owen added the biggest surprise has been the amount of external engagement.
“When I reflect back, I remember a comment by Dr. Charles Jago, a past president here, who said external facing opportunities for the president represent about 40 per cent of their responsibility,” e said.
“That conversation was a long time ago, so it certainly came and was highlighted when I looked at the calendar and some of the responsibilities that I now had to engage in.”
Photo (UNBC Class of 2024) – provided by UNBC
Owen said the convocation tour is something that always stands out for him.
“This year we had about 800 graduates, adding to the close to 18,000 graduates and alumni that we have at UNBC,” he said.
“This year, we got to honour Shirley Bond and also Yvonne Pierreroy with honourary doctorates, so that was remarkable for us. It’s also special for me to go out to the regions, to talk with graduates, to talk with their parents, and to see the impact that UNBC has beyond Prince George, in Terrace, in Quesnel, and in Fort St. John.”
Photo (Left: UNBC President Dr. Geoff Payne | Right: Shirley Bond) – Zach Barrowcliff, My PG Now staff
Owen said there were nine nursing grads in Fort St. John, all of whom are staying within Northern B.C.
“That’s the purpose of having local, accessible, affordable education in the home communities, and you can see that kind of impact,” he said.
Owen added the Northern Region is in “a state of precarity.”
“We don’t have a sense of security of what the next few years are going to look like,” he said.
“We look at what’s happening in the world, politics, tariffs, etcetera, and so to be able to educate people here in the region, and have them contribute to sustainability of our communities, to have them contribute to, beyond sustainability, resilience of the communities, because the tariffs are not the last thing that this region is going to face, there’ll be a new issue next year, and the fact that our graduands go on to do remarkable in community, and to help stabilize and help provide that resilience gives us a sense of hope for the region, and it’s something that excites me, is seeing how those students have a direct impact in their home communities.”
“The contributions that NALS and many other labs are doing to help have a sustainable and resilient future for all of us, is just remarkable,” he said.
“The ability for our researchers to go out to community, to understand local issues, local problems, and to bring high-class research solutions to them, just fantastic.”
Dr. Hossein Kazemian (left) and one of his team members demonstrate the Seawise Biopolymer Processing Lab at UNBC (D. Bain, My PG Now staff)
“One of the contributions that they’ve done is that they’ve worked with Northern Health and Vanderhoof to do a couple of things, he explained.
“One is to improve the quality of life for residents in their dementia suite by thinking about things like a living wall, where residents can plant and see herbs grow for example and utilize those herbs for food. The other component that they’re involved in is putting in technology that helps the residents with their daily functions, their daily life, and also keeps them safe and secure.”
In terms of federal caps on international students, Owen said it did decrease the number of international students coming to UNBC.
“We are looking at ways in which we can enhance the number of international students coming here,” he explained.
“It’s really important in the classroom, for research, etcetera, to be a global partner in the research enterprise for example, and international students play a phenomenal part of that. They also play a part in terms of diversity of thought. So that’s really important here.”
Owen added the University was able to recruit more domestic students.
“That’s been a benefit here, it’s going to be a benefit here to our region, because these will be highly trained students and graduates that contribute back to community,” he said.
Owen added another highlight for the University in 2025 was a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Lheidli T’enneh to help improve access to education for the First Nation’s members.
Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dolleen Logan (left) and UNBC President Dr. Geoff Payne signed an MOU on a tuition initiative (D. Bain, My PG Now staff)
“This is really seen as a true partnership between the Lheidli T’enneh and UNBC, in supporting future students,” Owen said.
Owen added they’re open to having similar conversations with more First Nations in the region.
“One of the things we’re open to is not using a stock template,” he explained.
“Each nation has their own needs and desires and aspirations, and they have different resources and levels of resources, so we want to come in and truly be a partner with various First Nations across the region. There’s also going to be a lot of opportunity as we look at this region, the federal government investing in this particular region, and how can we support First Nations to be there at the table with the federal government, and the provincial government as some of these deals get negotiated.”
For 2026, Owen said the university will look to continue to evolve and build.
“I’ll go back to my word, dynamic. We’ve got the foundation now of an academic plan and a research plan, now it’s the opportunity to work with faculty members and staff and students to action those plans,” he said.
“Really looking forward to the creativity that our faculty students and staff bring to making those plans come alive, strategic plans that sit on a shelf and collect dust are no good, so one of the things that we’re doing right now is, out of the academic plan, we’re going to be focusing on building a bold and inclusive regional strategy, one that looks at, not only our current offerings that we provide in the region, but what else can we do to support communities, and what types of research do communities want from us.”
The Haisla Nation and Southside fire departments are the latest Nechako-Kitamaat Development Fund (NKDF) grant recipients.
The Haisla Nation was given $34,500 to buy new advanced life-saving equipment including automated external defibrillators and automatic CPR machines.
These are to help enhance the department’s medical first responder program.
In Southside, $19,000 is being used to upgrade the fire hall to improve its safety and functionality for firefighters.
“We are pleased to invest in these two projects that strengthen community resilience by supporting the hard work of our volunteer emergency response teams.,” said NKDF Chair Cindy Shelford.
“New equipment for the Haisla Nation and upgrades to the Southside Volunteer Fire Department strengthen local capacity to respond to challenges, essential for economic growth and stability in our communities,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth.
The deadline to apply for the next round of grant funding is January 31st.
The City of Courtenay and its volunteer fire department have several options for residents looking to dispose of their Christmas trees.
The Courtenay Volunteer Fire Department is hosting its annual Christmas tree chipping event on Saturday, Jan. 3, and Sunday, Jan. 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Trees can be dropped off at the Courtenay Fire Hall or at Home Depot by donation.
At-home pickup is also available for all areas served by the Courtenay fire department for a minimum $5 donation.
Residents can arrange a pickup by calling 250-334-2513 or emailing [email protected].
All donations will go to support local charities.
Residents can also cut their trees into pieces to fit in their organics cart with the lid fully closed. Trees must be free of decorations, stands and plastics.
A fire that broke out at the Kimberley Public Works Yard on Christmas Eve remains under investigation but has not been deemed suspicious.
The fire, which resulted in the cancellation of the town’s annual Santa Claus tour, had a quick response from Kimberley’s Fire Department, as many members were at the City’s fire hall preparing for the event.
“The swift action by our department members, along with community members who reported the fire, significantly reduced the fire’s impact.” said Kimberley Fire Chief, Will Booth.
“The department’s readiness and teamwork ensured the situation was brought under control quickly, preventing what could have been a much more serious event.” said Booth
Although no injuries were reported, four pieces of equipment were destroyed including two dump trucks, a boom truck and a mini excavator. There were minor repairs and smoke damage reported, along with the building housing all equipment sustaining significant damage.
The city is working with local equipment providers and insurance adjustors to determine the next steps. Essential services such as snow clearing and road sanding are continuing.
Solid waste collection for the city has some impending changes as the solid waste collection truck is still awaiting assessment.
Organics collections are cancelled for all routes and will resume the week of Jan. 12.
Route C garbage collection has been moved from Friday Jan. 2 to Monday Jan. 5
Kimberley Transfer Station, which will be closed New Year’s Day is otherwise open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
No changes are coming for recycling.
The City of Kimberley expressed appreciation for the community’s patience and understanding as the situation develops. Updates will be provided as they become available.
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Bryan Kromm is embracing his new and expanded role with the Trail Smoke Eaters.
The 30-year-old joined the organization in the summer of 2024 as an assistant coach and after one season was promoted to associate coach and assistant general manager.
That move was made after Tim Fragle left to become an assistant coach with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL and his second in command last season Eric Thurston was made head coach and general manager.
Kromm is thankful for the opportunity.
“Right from day one when (owner) Rich (Murphy) hired me, his goal was to not just develop players, but develop coaches, so to see that step taken with me is really encouraging and I’m excited to jump into more responsibility moving forward with the organization,” said Kromm.
In addition to helping Thurston with coaching duties including analyzing video, Kromm has taken a more active role in recruiting and his keen eye for talent is already paying dividends.
“Looking at some of the guys I helped bring in this year, with Cooper Struckel and Caden Stoltz and seeing their growth is really exciting for myself,” stated Kromm, who is also pumped about players signed for next season.
“Also too with our new signings we have with (goalie) Bennett Byers and (Fruitvale defenseman) Brayden Tremblay and (Trail forward) Ben Fragle and (defenseman) Logan Ybara to help solidify our roster moving forward,” Kromm added.
Kromm is also more actively involved in local player development, including camps for players as young as nine years old.
The availability of ice all year round at the refurbished Cominco Arena also brings its advantages with expanded late spring and summer of programming.
“We are looking at a three-on-three league in May and then also too summer programming, trying to get some of our local talent back in the area,” according to Kromm.
“Last summer (current Smokie) Owen McCarthy had to travel to Kelowna to train, we really want to keep the local guys here to train,” stated Kromm, who said year-round ice will benefit for more than just local players currently playing for the Smoke Eaters.
“Also too our pro guys, Craig Martin (Jacksonville ECHL), Riley Brandt (Cardiff EIHL), Ross Armour (Nottingham EIHL), all those guys, it doesn’t make sense for them to go elsewhere when he have the facilities here,” commented Kromm.
He is the grandson of Bobby Kromm, the player-coach of the 1961 World Champion Trail Smoke Eaters who went on to a long and successful career as a head coach in the WHA and NHL.
Bobby Kromm coached the Winnipeg Jets to a WHA championship, was NHL Coach of the Year with the Detroit Red Wings and was an assistant coach with Team Canada’s Canada Cup championship team in 1976.
Bryan Kromm hopes to become a head coach some day, but for now is content to continue to learn on the job.
“Trying to keep my feet underneath me, my feet planted and staying in the moment and staying present,” Bryan told Vista News.
“I’m just working with the opportunities I have right now and when that opportunity (head coach) comes, hopefully I’m prepared enough with the experience that I have now to step into that role and be successful,” concluded Kromm.
The District of Elkford had its fair share of challenges in 2025, whether it was power outages or enticing developers.
Mayor Steve Fairbairn said the frequent outage were tough this year, but he is happy BC Hydro now has a plan to address it.
At one point we were averaging one significant power outage every two weeks,” he said.
“We’ve got BC Hydro addressing long standing issues of reliability and service maintenance in town.”
Fairbairn says they continue to have a hard time bringing in developers and getting more projects underway.
“We’re trying to get builders and developers into town to build here, so that’s an ongoing challenge. Oddly enough our real estate isn’t expensive enough to draw builders,” he said.
“Relative to the region and the rest of the province we have affordable housing, we just can’t get anybody to come and build it. The cost to build is more than the value of the home.”
The District did see see a number of positives this past year as well, such as the new senior’s apartment building.
“The Elkford Housing Society’s seniors apartment got completed and opened for residency and is almost full,” he said.
“That’s a big thing.”
Fairbairn said they have also been able to fill a number of roles at the district for the first time in a long time.
“We’ve successfully replaced or CAO and we haven’t added staff but we’ve brought it back up to close to full staffing and that’s a really good thing.”
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A GoFundMe has been set up for a family who lost their home fire in the Pineview area yesterday.
According to the Pineview Volunteer Fire Department, the call came in just before 3:00 Monday afternoon, with three fire departments responding with three tenders, two engines and a rescue responding.
No injuries were reported to humans, and the fire was contained to the back bedroom and bathroom with smoke damage throughout the trailer.
The GoFundMe has been set up for Justine Brown, her boyfriend and her daughter.
“We left the house momentarily and within eight minutes of us leaving the house, I got a call that the whole thing was ablaze from my lovely landlord,” Brown said.
“There was a lovely gentleman who stopped and let all the pets out.”
Tragically, a four-month old kitten perished in the blaze due to smoke inhalation.
“We’re just really lucky because the fire started in the wall at my daughters room. We we’re kind of lucky we were out of the house,” Brown added.
Brown also works from home as a nail tech, and she’ll now be unable to work, as well as not having a home.
“It was a lot to watch unfold,” she said.
“We had turned around and gone back while the blaze was still going. I’m lucky enough to have a good community around me, and good friends and family.”
Clothes, toys, Christmas presents, sentimental items and more were lost in the fire as well.
Brown said they were told they may be able to go into the house today to see if there’s anything that’s salvageable.
“They’re pretty sure most of it is, like, if smoke damage didn’t get it, then the fire did,” she said.
Brown added her partner is put out as well, as he is a DJ who was supposed to work for New Years.
“Unfortunately, his laptop and everything was right there at the fire,” she said.
Brown added her eight-year-old daughter has been brave under the circumstances.
“She just told me, ‘mum, at least we have each other, we may have lost Hermes, but it was one of, x amount of us, at least we have each other,’” she said.
With the holiday season coming to a close, residents are encouraged to recycle their live Christmas trees safely and sustainably as they welcome the new year.
The Cowichan Valley Regional District is reminding the public not to burn live Christmas trees, as burning contributes to air pollution and can negatively impact heart and lung health. Instead, residents can give back to the community by taking part in Easter Seals’ annual “Chip In for the Kids” Christmas Tree Recycling fundraiser.
Funds raised support Easter Seals programs and services, including Camp Shawnigan. Live trees must be free of lights, tinsel, and decorations and will be chipped in exchange for a donation.
Drop-off locations and times:
January 3 & 4, 2026
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Mason’s Store & Patio Ltd. – Shawnigan Lake
Thrifty Foods – Mill Bay
Live Christmas trees can also be recycled free of charge at CVRD Recycling Centres, provided the tree trunk is less than three inches in diameter. Larger trees must be disposed of as clean wood waste at a rate of $165 per tonne.
Residents are encouraged to recycle responsibly and start the new year with an environmentally friendly choice that supports local families.
It’s been a busy holiday period for the Nelson Police Department.
They partially attribute the high call volume to thefts, traffic incidents, wellness checks, and emergencies involving partners.
Police say there have also been multiple false alarms at commercial properties prompting police to ask owners to ensure alarms are set and working properly.
Police have also been tracking down abandoned 911 calls and urge accidental callers to stay on the line until the calls are answered.
The City of Nanaimo will ring in the new year with games and activities at Beban Park.
The event runs from noon on Jan. 1 and will include swimming, skating, magic and arts and crafts.
“Ring in 2026 with fun, activity, and family at Activate at Beban Park—your best year starts here,” said Damon Jonston, manager of recreation services for the city.
The celebration will also feature a food truck and concession, along with games, face painting and a silent disco.
Admission is $10 per person. Children younger than two will be admitted free.
From air fryers, to luggage, to dishwashers, E-Comm has heard it all this year.
Every year, E-Comm releases a list of some of the absurd calls the 9-1-1 call takers received throughout the year, as a reminder to British Columbians that 9-1-1 is for emergencies only.
“No matter how absurd a call might be on the surface, we have to treat every 9-1-1 call as an emergency, until we can confidently determine otherwise,” said E-Comm police call taker Bailey Mitchell.
“Every second we spend fielding questions about traffic, hornets or bad haircuts is time that that could otherwise be helping someone in a life-threatening emergency situation.
This year’s top ten list included a wide-range of complaints:
Their luggage exceeded the carry-on limits
Walmart wouldn’t return an air fryer
Their dishwasher was broken
Someone parked at Starbucks and went into a grocery store instead
A non-electric car parked at EV charging station
They wanted to complain about traffic
They got locked out of their Airbnb
The left their iPad at the SkyTrain station
They wanted help getting a hornet out of their apartment
They were unhappy with their haircut
“The majority of people use 9-1-1 responsibly, and we want British Columbians to feel confident calling for help in an emergency,” said E-Comm Communications Manager Carly Paice.
“No matter the time of day, our call takers are here to connect people with critical emergency resources when they need them most.”
E-Comm reminds British Columbians that 9-1-1 is for police, fire or medical emergencies when immediate action is required, such as someone’s health, safety, or property being in jeopardy or a crime is in progress.
When it comes to significant steps forward, Cowichan Valley MLA Debra Toporowski says there are too many to list but notes some key highlights.
With a new high school, urgent primary care unit, and hospital Toporowski says the region has stepped forward with help from the province, but there is still much more to be done.
“It’s huge for our community to have local emergency and ongoing healthcare access,” she says. “The Quw’utsun School is culturally sensitive and inclusive and provides care for students.”
She notes the opening of the Youth Emergency Shelter in Duncan was a huge step forward for the younger community to have access to compassionate care and a safe area when needed.
“The space was needed for youth,” she says. “It became a reality though work with the province, Cowichan Tribes and other local organizations.”
She says other highlights include childcare spaces in McAdam Park, and a shelter for women suffering from violence.
Although services are growing in the region, Toporowski says the challenge is to make sure there are enough spaces for those in need and for workers who operate the facilities.
“Once you provide 10 spaces, you’re going to need 10 more,” she says. “These are challenges that not only the province faces, but also municipalities need to keep up with the need.”
Going forward, Toporowski says she’ll continue to advocate for affordability, access to healthcare and housing in 2026.
A police cruiser was struck by a suspected impaired driver in 100 Mile House.
Sergeant Brian Lamb says RCMP received a report of a possible impaired driver at a parking lot on the 100 block of Highway 97 on Saturday. (Dec 27)
“Police attended but did not locate the vehicle, but further patrols were made and it was located parked on Canim Hendrix Lake Road.”
Lamb says police pulled in behind the vehicle with lights on.
“The vehicle then backed up and rammed into the police vehicle and fled the scene.”
Lamb says the driver was identified as a male previously known to them.
“Police did not pursue at this time. Police attended the man’s residence shortly after that where he was arrested for failing to stop for police, dangerous driving, and failing to comply with an undertaking.”
Lamb says he was held in custody pending a bail hearing and was remanded by the courts until December 31st.
No one was hurt in the collision between the two vehicles.
The District of Invermere saw progress in several areas throughout 2025 and plans to continue the momentum into the new year.
Invermere Mayor Al Miller expresses the importance of the arrival of new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Dean McKinley in early 2025.
“Obviously having a great team is very important for a community. Our CAO has brought the wherewithal to create a good team atmosphere. Our accomplishments are many now, and we are seeing great things happening in the community.” said Miller.
In addition to the staffing change, the district has also made a small land purchase.
“We’ve recently purchased a small piece of land on Panorama Drive. The future vision for the land is possibly doing a circle, or realignment in the road a little bit, to help with our traffic in the industrial park area”. Miller said.
In connection to the industrial park area, the recent hire of a new bylaw officer has brought positive changes to the growing accumulation of old cars and wrecks in the space.
“We had good talks with those involved and are clearing a lot of the vehicles out. Through good discussion and good partnerships with our business people who are involved directly, we are making good progress on that issue.” said Miller.
On the flip side, Miller acknowledged housing and short-term rental regulations as one of the district’s biggest challenges.
Miller states there is no doubt they have a housing issue, but Columbia Valley, specifically Invermere in this case, is in a tourism industry.
“We’ve had issues but I think we’ve come to the right bylaw now, but it was a challenge. We’ve had accommodation rentals on a short term basis for many years, but it grew with the new digital platforms coming into play. So just trying to mix tourism with residential concerns, making sure that we’ve got a balance.” said Miller.
Looking ahead to 2026, Miller said he is eager to begin discussions with council on the year’s top priorities.
“I’m certainly excited to hear from our council what those ideas are so that we can move ahead and really do some great planning for 2026.” Miller stated.
BC Transit has launched their new province wide five year Customer Experience Plan.
Director of Strategy and Growth Ryan Dennis said this is the first time BC Transit has made a public commitment towards the ways in which they are going improve their rider’s experiences on the bus.
“We track our progress on a lot of this work internally every year but this is the first time we’ve tried to say what is it that we would commit to over a longer time period and what are the things that our riders are most going to see, feel, and experience in terms of these areas of improvement,” Dennis said, “We will commit to reporting back on how we’re doing and towards the end of that five years we’ll go through this exercise again and do another round of engagement.”
The five year Customer Experience Plan outlines how BC Transit will improve the customer experience in four different areas identified as most important by customers through regular surveys.
Dennis noted those areas are: Accessibility and ease of use, Reliability and convenience, Safety and comfort, and Connection to expanded network.
BC Transit said the plan includes initiatives like ensuring customers know where to get the most up to date information on service delays or impacts and ensuring the ride is as smooth as possible.
Dennis said the way people use our services and the way services are delivered varies widely across the province.
“What we’ve put into this Plan should speak to riders across BC, that was our intent. Obviously in some areas it’s different than others, how people use our services are different than others, but we came at this with the lens of what we’re committed to working on should improve the experience of people throughout the province.”
Dennis noted if riders want to see their experience reflected in future plans to sign up for BC Transit’s Voice of the Rider survey.
As part of a look back at 2025 and look ahead to 2026, we’re talking with some key West Kootenay newsmakers, including Trail mayor Colleen Jones.
What were the highlights of 2025 for you and for the city?
It was such a big year for us. We had so many positive things happen for our community, starting off with the opening of the Lower Columbia Community Health Centre, which is one-of-a-kind in our region. I know a lot of work and time and energy went into that and to actually have the doors open for primary care and mental health services in our area was a really huge win for us.
In the spring, we honored Sister Norma for Citizen of the Year, which I thought was a tremendous show of community spirit and what volunteerism means to our community.
Moving on to the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Government, we passed a very strong resolution asking for funding, support for housing, mental health and addiction services. And that resolution was made regionally with the City of Castlegar and City of Nelson. We went in on that together and it was received very well at the Association of Kootenai Boundary Local Government and then again at the provincial level at the UBCM.
So really putting it out there that we need these services for our community, especially the most vulnerable population. We also had the ability at UBCM to talk about our policing resources and how we need to get back up to our police compliments because our community is not feeling safe or secure on the streets right now. So really good conversations down there and those conversations are continuing.
I think one of the biggest things is how important the demolition of 900 Spokane Street and 901 Helena was. We know that’s going to make a really big difference in the revitalization of our downtown community. We’re really hoping that we can provide some new storefronts, maybe some housing. The possibilities are endless, but we’re really looking forward to working on that space.
Another thing that came out of the downtown revitalization project was we had the ability to hire a city planner and climate action manager. This is the first time we’ve had a planner in the City of Trail for almost over 20 years. And it is definitely needed. We have a lot of projects on the grow. And we’re going to need someone that can work in-house that has some planning expertise and be able to help move the city along.
I also want to talk about the exciting news of the Unicorn Child Care Centre opening up. Thank you to Teck for donating that land to us. This is a project that we have been working on since I was [a councillor] and now we see it shovels in the ground. We’re ready to go and it’s going to make a real difference for people who need child care in Trail.
I don’t think we often get recognized for the work that we did around the homeless population. When the community comes forward with their concerns, we took each of those concerns very seriously. We want our downtown community to feel safe. We want the people coming downtown to go shopping to feel welcome. We want people to be able to come down and enjoy our facilities.
So when we did have a complaint or an issue, we worked really hard to resolve it. I think that shows in our downtown area right now. We have a few individuals still on our streets, and some of them we aren’t going to be able to house unless we get some help and support from Interior Health. But I think we can honestly say that it does feel safer and more welcoming. I think our council has been very respectful, very collaborative. We’ve worked hard on issues and worked very well as a team along with staff.
What are you looking forward to most in 2026?
We have a lot of events coming into our community. We’re starting off with the BC Winter Games, co-hosting them in February with Rossland. So that’s going to be a really busy time, with over 1,800 athletes coming into our communities. We also have two major hockey tournaments, one being the under-18 female hockey tournament that we have not seen in Trail before, so that’s going to be exciting.
We have the opportunity to have the Kootenay Boundary local government convention in Trail in April, and that’s bringing in 160 delegates with family and friends from the east and West Kootenays for almost four days. And of course, Silver City Days is always a huge event for our community.
We’re celebrating the 125-year anniversary for the City of Trail. And then we have provincial and Canadian ball tournaments that will be coming into Trail as well. So a really exciting year for our community and surrounding area. It’s just going to be a good time to welcome everybody to our community, show off our town, and all the facilities and everything we have to offer. Trail always comes out 100 per cent with community spirit for events like this. So it’s going to be another really good year. The first six months are going to be super busy.
What do you foresee as the biggest challenges for 2026? What do you think council will have to put the most energy into?
We’ve done a lot of pre-planning already, but keeping up with the organizing and making sure that we’ve got everything prioritized, We have done a lot of work on our arena already. Our baseball diamonds are looking amazing. So we’ve been pre-planning and looking towards 2026.
One of the biggest challenges is to make sure that everything goes off as planned and just being ready to support all the projects we’ve got going on and being aware of how much energy and time and everything that this is all going to take. But we’re organized. We’re ready.
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According to WorkSafeBC, an investigation has been launched after the worker at a cable yard operation was struck as it was yarded to the roadside on December 2nd.
The worker later succumbed to their injuries.
No further details are being released currently.
In a separate incident, three workers from the region sustained injuries as they were applying a protective coating to natural gas pipelines under construction.
One worker sustained a fracture while the other two were reported to have soft tissue injuries.
WorkSafeBC noted a vacuum truck struck the pipes, which contacted the workers.
One person was hurt in a two vehicle collision in 100 Mile House over the weekend.
RCMP Sergeant Brian Lamb says police were called to an accident on Highway 97 near 103 Mile on Saturday.
“Police and EHS (Emergency Health Services) attended where a pick up truck was found to have struck a parked vehicle on the shoulder of the highway which was apparently broke down.”
Lamb says the driver needed help getting out of the vehicle.
“The single occupant of the pick up was trapped inside and was extracted by local Fire Departments. The occupant was transported to hospital in Williams Lake for undetermined injuries.”
Lamb says the road was closed for a short time while the scene was cleared.
The affected area includes all low-lying areas adjacent to the Bulkley River between the Smithers Airport and the Highway 16 bridge crossing the river south of Smithers.
The town and regional district recommended residents and the public exercise extreme caution or limit recreation near and around the river at this time.
Anyone requiring sandbags is asked to contact the town or regional district.
The BCHL’s Powell River Kings will remain in Powell River for the rest of the season.
The hockey club issued a statement saying its season will continue without interruption after the Birch Group and the Powell River Kings Hockey Society reached an agreement following a town hall meeting earlier in December.
At the meeting, the society said the team was facing the loss of its primary financial backing, prompting a call to action to help address a projected shortfall of $200,000 by the end of the season.
Team president Stephan Seegar Sr. said in the statement the priority is to ensure players have the development opportunities needed to stay in Powell River.
“We have a great group of young men here in Powell River,” the team’s statement reads. “It is with great hope and expectation that our team will continue to develop and perform in the upcoming second half of the season.”
The statement did not include plans or updates for the 2026-27 season.
The Kings are hoping to see plenty of fans at their next home game, Friday, Jan. 2, against the Coquitlam Express.
Cowichan Tribes business enterprise is making a significant purchase.
The Khowutzun Gaming Corporation has entered a purchase and sale agreement with the Duncan Dabber Bingo Society (DDBS) for the acquisition of all DDBS interests in the operations of Chances Cowichan.
Chair of Khowutzun Gaming Corporation and chief of Cowichan Tribes Cindy Daniels said the corporation looks forward to exploring opportunities for future growth following the purchase of the casino.
“We have a very positive vision for the future of Chances Cowichan and the move towards full ownership and operations by Khowutzun Gaming Corporation is an exciting first step.”
Pending regulatory approval, DDBS will transfer all rights and interests associated with operations at Chances Cowichan, including the assignment of the operational services agreement with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation.
The parties will continue to collaborate to obtain all necessary approvals related to the operational services agreement and liquor licensing.
Under the agreement, current employees will be offered continued employment and financial contributions will continue to support the Duncan Dabber Bingo Society’s gaming grant program for non-profit organizations in the Cowichan Valley.
DDBS president Roy Davies said the agreement will ensure a continued high-quality experience for clients.
“It has been especially meaningful to support so many worthy community groups over the years.”
The two parties formed a joint venture in 2006 to bring the casino to the Cowichan Valley and opened it together in 2007.
Under the operational services agreement, Khowutzun Gaming Corporation provided land and construction costs, while DDBS operated the casino.
Khowutzun Gaming Corporation is expected to assume operational responsibility for the casino, its assets and the associated regulatory obligations on April 1, 2026.
Coralee Oakes has been appointed as Cariboo Regional District Director for Area A.
The decision was made at a special CRD meeting back on December 19th after Alternate Director Charlotte Kurta said she was unable to continue in the role that she had held since the the fall, following the passing of long-time Director Mary Sjostrom.
Oakes is a former member of Quesnel City Council who later served as an MLA for 11 years.
She is a lifelong resident of the Cariboo and her family moved to the region in 1933.
Oakes worked closely with Area A representatives Ted Armstrong and later Mary Sjostrom on numerous projects over the years.
“Mary was a deer mentor. She taught me how to be a strong constituent-based leader. I feel a sense of sorrow stepping briefly into this position but I want to honour Mary by supporting the many projects she was working on for the residents she represented.”
Oakes said on a Facebook post that she does not intend to run for the position in an upcoming by-election.
General voting day for the By-Election will be on February 21st.
The nomination period will open on January 6th and close on the 16th.
Despite a drop in donations across the province, the 2025 Salvation Army Kettle Campaign was able to raise $24,000 in Smithers.
That is equal to the amount raised last year according to Community Ministry Director Lara Niessen.
“We were wondering how well we would do in comparison to the overall Food Bank B.C. statistics because they are down,” she said.
On top of donations through the campaign, several groups around the community collected non-perishable food donations which were able to more than fill the shelves at the food bank.
That was despite the annual Santa’s Breakfast fundraiser being cancelled indefinitely earlier this year.
“It really made us uneasy and wonder how we were going to make ends meet but the community has really come forth with the Kettle Campaign and been able to match the amount of food donations we’ve had previous years,” Niessen said.
She added some of the events that contributed to the food donations included school food drives, free breakfast events, and others.
The food donations Niessen said should last the food bank until early spring when the financial donations would take over.
About 70 per cent of the people using the food bank this year were new clients with the number of people using the bank up compared to three years ago.
“We have people coming in from other countries that are just starting, people coming out of college and in debt needing assistance with groceries, and low income families,” said Niessen.
She added no fundraisers are currently being planned by the Salvation Army for the start of 2026.
From building new homes to banning herbicide use, 2025 was an eventful year for the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation according to Chief Dolleen Logan.
In a year-end interview with Vista Radio, Logan said the herbicide ban was needed after a study showed glyphosate residues can remain in plant tissues up to 12 years post application.
“We are spraying our food with chemicals. That is huge. Like I have mentioned before, we have had band members out picking berries and a plane flew over and sprayed them and some of the stuff that has been studied at UNBC and its in the roots of the plants. There is no long term study on the harm it could do.”
She added expanding the reserve’s housing stock is key to their future.
“This year, we are excited to say that we have seven new homes coming on reserve and looking to invest in housing. We are investing in our community for housing, we have four members out there on the homeless list, our first nation does what it can to support them.
“It’s just gentle nudges,” added Logan.
Other highlights from the past 12 months include educational partnerships with the College of New Caledonia.
In October, the two sides signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding named ilhoh nus ts’et’oh Tuition Initiative, also known as We are Paddling Forward Together, given by Lheidli T’enneh Language Holders.
It is a commitment to work collaboratively in support of Lheidli T’enneh members’ access to post-secondary education through tuition support and wraparound services, while deepening the relationship.
Logan mentioned breaking down any sort of financial barriers for students so that they can enter post-secondary is a big step to improving graduation rates among Indigenous youth.
“We help everybody, all of our kids to try and get an education. We understand that not everyone is going to be a doctor or lawyer or a CEO. There are going to be trades. Trades is what moves the world and this will be my brag moment – we have 29 post-secondary students going to school this year and we had 19 Grade 12 graduates this June.
The investment will look to bolster economic development not only for the First Nation, but also Prince George and other communities.
One project in the works with the help of the bank is the windmill project, which is expected to be completed at around 2032.
However, Logan was equally as frustrated with the provincial and federal levels of government due to both elections that were called.
In addition, Ottawa’s MOU with Alberta to build a pipeline along B.C.’s north coast also didn’t sit well – the proposed project has led to some scathing opposition from Indigenous leader from across the province including Logan.
“I think the federal government should have talked to the first nations in B.C. before making the decision on what is going to happen with Alberta. They went about it the wrong way – they should have come to B.C. they should have talked to the Coastal First Nations and anywhere where that line is going to get feedback. To me, I get flashbacks on how Ottawa tried to push through the Northern Gateway Pipeline. I think the federal government should have talked to the first nations.”
The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) saw the completion of several sizable projects this year.
That includes the opening of the Radium Transfer Station and the Cold Spring Creek Mitigation Project.
Board chair Rob Gay said the opening of a new campground was also a big accomplishment.
This year was also a big milestone for the RDEK.
“This year we were honoured to celebrate the RDEK’s 60th anniversary. Sixty years of collaboration, service, and steady growth,” Gay said.
“The RDEK has developed from a handful of essential functions to an extensive network of utilities, parks, emergency management programs, and community planning efforts that support residents across the region.”
Gay said there’s always challenges each year, but luckily the area was able to to mostly avoid a frequent one this summer.
“We were fortunate to see fewer days of smoke this past year, with a lower number of wildfires in the Southeast than in recent years,” he added.
“The East Kootenay Emergency Management Program remained busy with a variety of activations, preparation, planning, and training workshops. Our RDEK firefighters had another busy year between calls and extensive training completed.”
The RDEK also saw a busy year when it came to new development.
There were over 454 building permits issued and 139 dwellings created in the rural areas of the RDEK.
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Nanaimo RCMP are asking the public to help locate a man wanted on an active warrant.
Police said 57-year-old Dereck Paul is wanted on one count of break and enter. The allegation is linked to an incident at a car dealership on Kenworth Road in late July.
RCMP said officers responded to a glass-break alarm at the business, where Paul was located and arrested.
Police said Paul was later released and failed to appear in court. His whereabouts are unknown and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Paul is described as a non-white male, five feet five inches tall, weighing about 180 pounds, with black-and-grey hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.
See a photo of Paul below:
Dereck Paul is wanted by police. Image supplied by Nanaimo RCMP.
Campbell River RCMP confirmed a 21-year-old man who was reported missing earlier this month has been found dead.
Police said the man was located on Sunday, Dec. 28. He was reported missing on Saturday, Dec. 20.
RCMP said criminality is not suspected and the investigation has been turned over to the B.C. Coroners Service.
“The Campbell River RCMP wishes to thank the public for their assistance and extend their condolences to the family during this difficult time,” the detachment said in a statement.
A key milestone has been reached on the 6th Street Active Transportation Bridge project.
Workers completed all micropile drilling before the new year.
The drilled micropiles will form foundations and anchors to support the bridge structure.
Courtenay Mayor Bob Wells said he is pleased to see the project progressing.
“It’s a project that really has come to fruition through the efforts of a lot of community engagement, and it was really a community project that the city is taking forward.”
He acknowledged the project might not be everyone’s favourite, but said he is excited to see its progress.
Drilling near the river required extra care to ensure any water encountered was captured and managed to protect fish habitat and prevent sediment from entering the river.
The city said this phase of the project was completed on schedule and that more visible stages of work are expected to start in 2026.
The 2025 edition of the Williams Lake Salvation Army Christmas Kettle campaign is now in the books.
From November 22nd to December 24th, there were several locations set up around the City taking donations for this annual fundraising event.
“Our goal was $70,000,” Community Engagement Coordinator Sarah Jackman said, “that was our goal last year as well. In 2024 we came up a little bit short but we made up for it this year. Our grand total was $76,593.”
Jackman said all money raised through the Christmas Kettle campaign goes to all of their direct service programs like the drop-in centre, food bank, and the breakfast and lunches served every day.
“I though we might be having a really difficult time this year just because of our high cost of living and everyone is feeling the pinch. We were very happily surprised to see that we broke our record thanks to the community’s support.”
One person was taken to hospital following a vehicle incident in the Lake City over the weekend.
Williams Lake RCMP Staff Sargeant Brad McKinnon said yesterday (December 28) afternoon they responded to multiple complaints of a suspected drunk driver operating a vehicle in and around the City.
“They located the vehicle, attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect vehicle fled from police. The suspect driver later crashed the vehicle, attempted to flee on foot and later fell down an embankment in the River Valley Trail area sustaining lower body injuries.”
McKinnon said due to the male’s location on a steep cliff side, Central Cariboo Search and Rescue was activated.
“The rescue was very technical and dangerous in nature,” McKinnon said, “and also resulted in a call to CFB Comox for assistance from their Search and Rescue. The male was eventually rescued and transported to hospital for medical attention.”
McKinnon said the man remains under investigation for impaired driving and will be required to attend court at a future date.
Alcohol and speed are believed to be contributing factors in this incident.
“The Williams Lake RCMP Detachment would like to remind members of the public that when consuming alcohol or drugs, don’t drive!” Plan ahead, have a designated driver, utilize operation red nose, call a taxi, but don’t drive impaired. This incident resulted in a significant strain on all first responder resources,” McKinnon said.
A book that examines the secrets of a Slocan mining magnate will have its Nelson launch at the Capitol Theatre on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m.
Greg Nesteroff’s The King of Sandon: Murder, Myth, and the Man Behind BC’s Greatest Ghost Town is a biography of John Morgan Harris, the man most responsible for Sandon’s existence. Harris owned the townsite, power plant, waterworks, hotels, and office buildings — all paid for with the proceeds of his silver mine, the Reco.
Harris was Sandon’s chief benefactor and feudal lord, but the zeal with which he enforced his property and mineral rights earned him no shortage of enemies.
Harris had arrived in the Slocan from Virginia by way of Idaho in 1892, at the forefront of a mining rush that saw hundreds of prospectors invade Sinixt territory in search of fortune. He was luckier than most, and for a few years, he watched with pride as the mining camp grew into a bona fide city.
The bubble burst fast and Sandon was soon a shadow of its former self. But Harris refused to go. Even as others left for greener pastures, he kept up Sandon’s infrastructure, betting that the mines would roar back to life. It didn’t work out that way. Instead came a long decline, punctuated only by a brief, bitter interlude when Sandon became a Japanese-Canadian internment camp.
After Harris’ death, a natural disaster nearly finished the town. Yet with Sandon on the brink of ruin, a new generation arrived who thought what remained was worth saving.
The book has been 20 years in the making. At the launch, Nesteroff will present a slideshow explaining how he travelled to Harris’ birthplace in Virginia, and to Wallace, Idaho, to discover things about his past that were long hidden.
“Sandon has fascinated me since was a kid,” Nesteroff said. “It was such a strange place for a town, and it was only years later that I came to appreciate how it was Johnny Harris’ monument to himself.”
The event is presented jointly by the Capitol Theatre and the Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery.
BC Transit will run a modified schedule in the Regional District of Nanaimo over the holidays, with additional changes coming in the new year.
Starting Jan. 4, 4,000 service hours will be added to Route 1, the Nanaimo Rapid Line, and Route 40, the VIU Express, to improve service during peak hours, according to a news release from the regional district.
“Major and minor adjustments have been made to all routes to ensure they reflect the current conditions. Recovery time adjustments were made to help routes stay on time so transit customers can make their connections and get to their desired destination as per the transit schedule,” the release said.
Also in January, RDN Transit will introduce new light-duty buses featuring BC Transit’s updated colours. The release notes this is the first significant change to bus designs since 2007.
The new buses will feature vibrant green on the front and pure white on the back, blended in the centre.
“The green represents BC Transit’s commitment to a modern and environmentally friendly future for public transit across the province,” the release said.
The modified holiday hours are as follows:
A full winter schedule can be found on BC Transit’s website.
Christmas Day was a little bit brighter for those struggling to make ends meet in Prince George.
The St. Vincent De Paul Society served over 150 meals to seniors and those unable to afford one at its 2nd Avenue drop-in centre.
Spokesperson, Bernie Goold told MyPGNow.com the numbers were down from previous years due to some of the shelters keeping their doors open during some chilly days.
“Normally, the shelters would let people out at seven, eight or eight-thirty but because of the temperature being so low they stayed open 24/7.”
Goold added over half of those meals went to support our elderly.
“Ninety-four went out to seniors and the Rotary Club partnered with us and those meals went to seniors who might not have had a dinner. This was like a meals on wheels kind of thing.”
“We were down in numbers but the ones we got, we felt very pleased to have and not everybody is on the street. Some people are just not able to afford a Christmas Dinner anymore.”
Goold added her facility is much shorter on cash donations this year as some people who donated small amounts in the past are no longer able to due to the rising cost of living.
As part of a look back at 2025 and look ahead to 2026, we’re talking with some key West Kootenay newsmakers, including Creston Mayor Arnold DeBoon.
Housing, child care and improved access to local waterways defined a year of steady progress in Creston, according to Mayor Arnold DeBoon.
Looking back on the year, DeBoon said 2025 marked a shift as several long-standing issues began moving from discussion to action.
Housing and child care remained at the centre of council’s work. Plans moved forward on a combined development that would add a 110-space child-care facility paired with 47 apartment units.
The project secured grant funding this year and is being led by the newly formed Creston Valley Housing Corporation, an initiative DeBoon said he is particularly proud of.
“We did this because we have a real serious need for both daycare and housing and no developers willing to tackle such a big project here,” he said.
“So that’s something that we are progressing well on. We have the plans basically drafted and we hope to put a shovel to the ground in spring of 2026.”
While Creston continues to operate an emergency shelter through the winter, DeBoon said the town still does not have a permanent facility, an issue that remains unresolved.
To help address that gap, the town applied for and secured funding to establish a situation table, a collaborative model that brings local agencies together to respond to complex cases on an individual basis.
“Relevant agencies in our community will be sitting together to deal with situations one-on-one and it will be very adaptable according to the situations to come up with recommendations,” DeBoon said.
“We’ve done the first initial consultation and work on it, but we still have a ways to go on that. But that’s something we’ll be getting going more in 2026.”
Despite ongoing challenges, a recent citizen survey offered council some reassurance.
The survey found 89 per cent of respondents consider Creston a good or very good place to live.
DeBoon said the feedback signals confidence in local services, including emergency responders, town staff and community agencies.
“That’s a very strong indication that people are happy with living here. They’re happy with the work the town does, happy with the agencies here and it’s a good indication that we’re on the right track.”
Beyond municipal issues, 2025 also marked a milestone for public access to local waterways.
DeBoon pointed to the recent purchase of a four-acre parcel of land along the Goat River by the Regional District of Central Kootenay, which he said will restore access to a popular swimming spot lost under private ownership.
“This piece of property will form part of, hopefully part of a legacy of land that we will have to ensure constant and future access to the Lower Goat River,” DeBoon said.
“It will be the first regional park in the Creston area and that’s why we felt it was very important to regain access to the river for swimming, for recreation, and many other things. I’m very proud to have been part of that.”
DeBoon also spent part of the year working with the Border Mayors Alliance, a group of mayors from communities along the Canada-U.S. border affected by American tariffs and shifting trade policies.
The group formed this year and met regularly online to share information, assess economic impacts and co-ordinate responses.
Physician recruitment remained another focus. As the community continues to face doctor shortages, DeBoon said several vacancies were filled this year and recruitment efforts will continue in 2026.
Priorities for 2026
Looking ahead housing remains a top priority, along with plans to expand multimodal transportation options and encourage more sustainable travel.
The coming year is also a municipal election year. DeBoon said council believes it has set a clear, resident-supported direction he hopes future councils will continue.
“As council, we feel we have set a direction for our community that is well supported and we hope that the subsequent council will continue on the path.”
As the year draws to a close, DeBoon thanked residents, staff and emergency services for their role in the town’s progress.
“It’s very much a combined effort,” he said. “We work well together, and the direction we’re on is supported by the community.”
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As part of a look back at 2025 and look ahead to 2026, we’re talking with some key West Kootenay newsmakers, including Nelson Mayor Janice Morrison.
In Nelson, 2025 marked a year of major planning, community engagement and progress on key local projects.
Looking back on the year, Mayor Janice Morrison described it as one that saw ideas move from discussion to delivery, while also confronting ongoing challenges.
The plan is set to guide the city’s growth and development for the next 25 years.
“It’s a really important, overarching, aspirational document. We spent lots of time on it, had lots of public engagement and I think people were really engaged when we went into this process,” said Morrison.
“And so far the feedback has been, when we finally had the final document out, that it’s a positive document for Nelson to use going forward.”
Housing, parking and public safety remained pressing issues this year. Morrison said council has tried to address some of these through advocacy with senior levels of government.
She highlighted what she called productive meetings with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities and regular discussions with Kootenay-Central MLA Brittny Anderson.
“These discussions allow our rural message to come through,” said Morrison.
“I think our advocacy works. We get a lot of downloading and we don’t have a lot of money, and it’s those other levels of government that have to come through with programming and financial assistance.”
Also on Morrison’s list of 2025 highlights was securing funding for policing programs.
In the summer, Nelson Police rolled out Health IM, a tool to help officers triage individuals in distress with support from health-care professionals.
Nelson is one of the first communities to use the Health IM app, which Morrison said reflects the effectiveness of her and council’s advocacy efforts.
“These discussions that we have with government are important and I sort of feel like I can speak for the rural area in general,” she said.
On housing, the North Shore Inn opened in 2025, providing 28 beds for vulnerable residents.
“We can see the result of being able to house people,” said Morrison.
“And it’ll be interesting to see, as we open up the 45 beds in 2026 and we can house more people, how successful these programs will be.”
Other highlights include the completion of the Hall Street Pier Project.
While technically finished in 2024, it was only in November that the historic Lady Bird speedboat was returned to its glass enclosure at the pier, officially marking the end of a project that took 10 years.
“Finally, I think we can say that the Hall Street project, which has taken 10 years…that project is now fully complete,” said Morrison.
Morrison also highlighted progress on active transportation and infrastructure upgrades.
“We’ve got the new transit exchange. It’s beautiful. I think that refresh of that whole corner there is really beautiful,” she said.
“Also, when we were doing the exchange we did infrastructure work on the side streets, Kootenay and Stanley, so that when we finally get to do the renewal of Baker Street, we’ll quickly be able to tie into those side streets.”
The city also completed the waterfront pathway this year in front of the Shoreline Development on Lakeside Drive and finalized the Trevor Street connector with the rail trail.
“People, they just love it. We even got a hug in the Nelson Star about opening up that trail. So we’re continuing to work on active transportation, which is one of our strategic priorities,” said Morrison.
Priorities for 2026
Looking ahead, Morrison said 2026 will focus on infrastructure renewal, including plans to repair the city’s wastewater force main and make major upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant.
“2026 is going to be the year of infrastructure. We’ve got major plans that are not ‘sexy,’” said Morrison.
“We have aging facilities in town. We have a number of old city-owned buildings and we’re doing a lot of asset management planning, and the list of new plans is quite extensive.”
Many of these plans depend on grant funding, which means 2026 is set to be another busy year for the City of Nelson.
“That’s 2026. It’s going to be a busy year. There’s no slowing down in 2026,” said Morrison.
Next year is also a municipal election year. Morrison reflected on council’s accomplishments and governance and believes they have set a clear direction for whoever is at the table in the next term.
“This council has set a very good direction. We are a really diverse group of people around the table, and diversity leads to better decisions,” she said.
“At the beginning of our term, we set a sound strategic plan. Going forward, I don’t see that plan needing massive changes for the next council.”
She emphasized her appreciation for the cohesiveness of council, specifically highlighting the development of a new code of conduct, which she said was only achievable because councillors were not “in crisis mode.”
“We hear often about councils not getting along, or these adversarial issues that occur on council tables. You see cities paying lots of money defending a councillor against a mayor or the mayor against the city or issues along that,” said Morrison.
“And there’s no point in trying to develop a code of conduct when everybody’s being a bad actor. And I think we were able to develop that because we weren’t in crisis mode when we did that work.”
The document will be helpful for future councils, Morrison said.
Despite challenges, Morrison expressed optimism for the future.
“As much as we have challenges, I think challenges are always an opportunity. We just need to continue to be positive and uplifted and enjoy this season.
Let’s spread the kindness and remember that together we can make Nelson whatever we want it to be.”
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Quesnel City Council has written a letter of support to try and save the rail line between Squamish and 100 Mile House.
It is going to be discontinued by CN Rail and returned to BC Rail in July, and so now an operator will be needed.
The letter supports a funding request to the Northern Development Initiative Trust for $105,570 to do some work on that corridor, and to make a business case for a short line operator to take over the line.
The issue was raised by Mayor Ron Paull.
“This started at a meeting at UNBC (Union of BC Municipalities) with a group of Mayors and Councillors that were concerned about the fact that CN Rail has announced that they are going to discontinue use of the rail line through the Squamish and Lillooet subdivisions, and they’re going to turn that back to BC Rail. Well BC Rail doesn’t have any trains, so that really puts the whole line between North Vancouver and Prince George into question.”
Paull also noted that Rocky Mountaineer was also at stake.
“Our relationship with Rocky Mountaineer is hinging on this because if there is no rail service south of us, then Rocky Mountaineer can no longer have Quesnel as an overnight stop.”
City Manager Joel McKay said that although the line from 100 Mile House north to Prince George would still be maintained and it would still operate, you would obviously not have the type of traffic going on it so there is an implication for 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, Quesnel and Prince George.
Originally, the motion included the possibility of Quesnel staff taking the lead on this if no one else stepped up.
While there would be no funding commitment from the city, it would require staff time.
That raised several concerns at the table, including from Councillor Scott Elliott.
“I’m in support of giving them a letter, but I’m not in support of even mentioning that we might take over the administrative position on this. I’d be surprised if Lillooet doesn’t step up. They’ve been talking about this line since the public transit train shut down a decade ago, so Lillooet has really taken the lead on this in the past so I’d be surprised if they don’t continue to take the lead.”
Elliott also questioned if they could make a business case for the line.
“I’m all in favour of Rocky Mountaineer, there’s no doubt about it, it’s a big thing for our community with the multiplier effect and people going out for dinner and hotels and all of that, but honestly beyond that I’m not sure what they’re going to come up to make it feasible, make the line feasible because the public transit that they had before, all you have to do is to continue to look at the line from Prince Rupert to Prince George, there’s no one on it. I love the line, and I loved going on the train down to Vancouver too, but I just don’t see how it’s going to be feasible personally.”
A lot went on in Fernie this year, but nothing more notable than the ongoing firehall project.
Mayor Nic Milligan said they were kept busy and the contentious firehall project was a large part of that.
“It’s been a very busy year. we’ve made lots of positive policy changes through the year and we continue to advance our firehall project, which I know has caused some consternation within the community,” he said.
“We believe it’s the right thing to move it forward and are looking forward to positive outcomes.”
The choosing of Prentice Park for the project site was very controversial and council was met with a lot of opposition.
2025 was another busy year for the members of Central Cariboo Search and Rescue.
Interim Chief Deborah Bortolussi said their Auto Extrication Team responded to 200 tasks and their Land Search and Rescue responded to 19 call outs.
“In 2024 our Auto Extrication Team responded to 204 so that statistic is just about the same. We’re thankful to see that our Land Search and Rescue call out statistic was lower. In 2024 they were tasked out to 35.”
As the weather and road conditions change, Bortolussi said the number of call outs for motor vehicle incidents increase.
“Things like fog, blowing snow, and slippery roads we always see more call outs. We remind the public to use their safety driving practices and impaired driving in any form is never appropriate. Take a little extra time to get to your destination safely.”
The Regional District of Central Kootenay will begin accepting applications Jan. 2, 2026, for Columbia Basin Trust Resident Directed Grants.
The program supports local projects that provide added value to communities across the Columbia Basin. ReDi grants are designed to be flexible and are guided by community-based funding decisions.
The program is funded by Columbia Basin Trust and delivered in partnership with local governments and First Nations in the Basin, including the Regional District of Central Kootenay.
“Our community continues to benefit from the vital role Columbia Basin Trust plays in supporting and building local projects in our area,” said Aimee Watson, RDCK board chair and Electoral Area D director. “We look forward to seeing the submissions and having our many communities participate in the engagement process that the ReDi program requires.”
Last year, 322 applications were received, with 313 approved. Most funded projects supported cultural, social, environmental and economic initiatives.
The Regional District of Central Kootenay’s grant allocation for 2026-27 is $1,409,849.
How to apply
More information about Columbia Basin Trust ReDi grants, including eligibility requirements and how to apply, is available through Columbia Basin Trust.
The application deadline is Feb. 20, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.
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The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary isn’t impressed with a letter it received from the provincial government on the future of the Columbia & Western rail trail.
The letter, dated Dec. 1 from Lori Halls, the deputy minister of water, land and resource stewardship, says the province “recognizes the scenic and recreational value .. as well as its economic, cultural and historic importance” of the trail between Castlegar and Christina Lake. But in the same paragraph, Halls adds that the province has no plans to change its mind and maintain the old rail grade.
The rail corridor lost its designation as a recreational trail 2020. By the province’s reckoning, it reverted at that time to wilderness status, with no funding available for maintenance.
Halls says that because it was never a logging road, the corridor isn’t eligible for money beyond emergencies. The provincial government will respond to environmental concerns or safety problems, but won’t repair the trail itself.
Halls says the province will get more information about unspecified “structures” on the rail trail and decide on “future use, remediation measures, and/or deactivation of structures or sections of the rail grade.” The trail has several trestles and tunnels.
The trail remains open to the public. Halls said anyone who wants tenure over the railbed can apply for it. “Currently, the province is unable to fund or manage the [trail],” Halls wrote. “In recognition of the value and interest raised by local users, the province is open to receiving and adjudicating applications for authorized uses.”
Christina Lake director and board chair Grace McGregor said she wasn’t happy with the answer and would like to see a resolution go to the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments and the Union of BC Municipalities.
Area B director Linda Worley said she has been working on the issue with former RDCK Area J director Rick Smith.
“The trail has never been just about the money that Area B residents have put into this for the kiosks, the bathrooms, the back country signage and all this that goes along with it,” she said.
“This is about history. This would be denying people their right to access historical points. And I feel that this is a big issue.
“It’s also about the hundreds or thousands of hours of in-kind work that’s been done by not only residents, volunteer trails people, but also by people with large companies who’ve given their time, their product, their machinery to work on this trail.”
The Columbia and Western Railway was built in 1898-99 and operated until 1990. The CPR donated the line to the provincial government in 2000 to be part of the Trans-Canada Trail.
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As part of a look back at 2025 and look ahead to 2026, we’re talking with some key West Kootenay newsmakers, including Grand Forks mayor Everett Baker.
What was the highlight of 2025 for you?
I always say Grand Forks is a good news story, and I will continue to say that. In 2025, we saw the completion of our flood mitigation protective structures: 3,000 metres of dyke [worth] $72 million. It is probably 99.8 per cent [complete]. It’s a huge undertaking. We installed a new system in Valley Heights, which historically had electrical issues. Community safety work continues. We relocated some resources to provide more coverage and presence around the city, which has had a positive effect with new bylaw officers.
What do you look forwards to in 2026?
We have a brand new reservoir being constructed. This is another project that’s been on the books for a number of years. It increases fire flow, increases storage. So that’s huge. You won’t miss it when you drive in from the Christina Lake side. It’s up on the hill.
And as we close out of one chapter, which is the flood mitigation, we transition into infrastructure renewal and replacement. Every local government across BC and Canada is facing gaps that continue to grow between the cost of renewal and replacement of infrastructure versus the funding available.
So our challenge would be, like any other government, to find creative solutions to fund these projects that doesn’t rely solely on the citizens and taxpayers of Grand Forks. We have a tremendous positive relationship with government. That’s across all parties. We have a very strong brand in BC now, so we will continue to search ways to receive grant funding to fund these projects.
I’m most proud of my work with Interior Health that allows our emergency wards to stay open. My work with doctors and nurses in our local community here, the relationships we’ve built to be able to reach out to physicians and say, “Hey, we need you in our ER this weekend because otherwise we don’t have one.”
And then, of course, my work with forestry, recently with the indefinite closure of Interfor that someone said the mayor needs to stop lamenting. I can assure you I don’t lament. I get off my ass and get something done. It took me to Ottawa to tell our story back there. And today we have one shift. Fingers crossed for two. I see logging trucks rolling and that’s good for our workers, which is one of the reasons I work as hard as I do, because I know the workers and I know the effect it has when those jobs are not in the city.
Anything else you’d like to add about the past year or the one upcoming?
This year has been phenomenal. We’ve been named the most affordable city in British Columbia. We’ve been named the city with the lowest cost of living. The World Atlas said Grand Forks is one of the best places to call home in BC. Now, that’s unsolicited. It tells me what everybody else in the community is saying: that Grand Forks is a great place. My council and I and city staff and our union all work together as a team to get good things like this said about our city, so I’m ecstatic.
Kooper Gizowski scored the game-winning goal, his 15th of the season.
PG is eights points up on the Penticton Vees for the B.C. Division lead.
The Cougars begin a brief two-game road trip tomorrow (Tuesday) in Kamloops against the Blazers.
BCHL:
The (16-11-1) Prince George Spruce Kings are off until January 2nd and 3rd when they visit the Spruce Grove Saints (13-14-1-0) and the Blackfalds Bulldogs (21-8-1-0).
PG is two points back of the Coquitlam Express (17-8-1-0) for top spot in the Coastal East Division.
World Juniors Hockey Championship
Canada is back in action tonight at 5:30pm Pacific Time against winless Denmark.
PG Cougars defenceman Carson Carels was held pointless while Josh Ravensbergen was listed as the third goalie and not in the lineup.
Canada’s final round-robin game is New Year’s Eve against Finland.
Spengler Cup
HC Davos 4 Canada 1
Canada takes on HC Sparta Prague (Czech Republic) at 6:10am Pacific Time in the quarter-finals.
Former Prince George Cougars goaltender Taylor Gauthier is a member of Team Canada
Cariboo Cougars
Team Maryland 5 Cariboo Cougars 0
Cariboo (1-1) takes on the Northern Alberta Xtreme at 9am Pacific Time in its final round-robin game.
NHL (5 games)
Tampa Bay Lightning 5 Montreal Canadians 4 (SO)
Detroit Red Wings 3 Toronto Maple Leafs 2 (OT)
11 games are on the schedule today (Monday) with five Canadian teams in action including the Vancouver Canucks who are in Seattle to play the Kraken.
NFL (Week 17)
San Francisco 49ers 42 Chicago Bears 38
The Monday Night game has the Los Angeles Rams (11-4) against the Atlanta Falcons (6-9).
NBA
Toronto Raptors 141 Golden State Warriors 127 (OT)
Toronto improves to 19-14. Their next action is today (Monday) against Orlando (18-14).
It was a heroic ending to an otherwise tight-checking junior hockey game.
Kooper Gizowski saw the flickering Bat Single atop the CN Centre rafters and called game for the Prince George Cougars, earning a 3-2 overtime victory against the Victoria Royals in front of 4,319 fans on Sunday.
The 20-year-old accepted a laser-like feed from Terik Parascak during the five-minute, three-on-three skills competition and made no mistake on Royals goalie Ethan Eskit.
Jubilation could be felt on the ice for PG who snapped a three-game winless skid in the process.
“I was curling to the right side, and I was expecting the puck from Bauer, but he made a great play to Parascak and then Perry threw it back to me when I was wide open and then I found the corner and can’t really complain about it,” said Gizowski post-game to MyPGNow.com.
Gizowski’s 15th of the season ended a game that was not so aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Finding any sort of open ice was a challenge to say the least.
Besides that, Kayden Lemire showed off some super-human skill in the first period.
The 17-year-old forward finished a check in the corner and when everyone decided to think offense and exit the zone, Lemire hung back like a thief in the night and accepted a pass from Dimitry Yakutsenak.
He then had the presence of mind to put the stick between his legs, sniping a greasy backhand past Eskit for a 1-0 Cougars lead.
“He kind of slung the puck down to me and that was the first thing that came to mind so I decided to try it and capitalized on it so it was nice.” said Lemire post-game.
Cougars head coach and general manager Mark Lamb predictably did not take credit from Lemire’s newfound offensive prowess.
“I have seen him (Lemire) do that in practice and he is pretty good at it. That’s nothing for these kids and they do that stuff now. Back in the day, you would break your leg doing something like that or someone from the other team would break it trying to do it.”
Nolan Stewart struck back for the Royals, accepting a drop pass from Ludovic Perrault before using the Cougars defenseman as a screen, ripping a wrist shot past netminder Alex Levshyn.
Photo credit James Doyle/PG Cougars
PG took the lead back in the dying seconds of the opening 20 minutes as some blue-collar effort from Lee Shurgot and Aiden Foster eventually located a streaking Jett Lajoie who accepted a cross-ice pass and deflected the puck off his skate and into the opposing goal past Eskit.
Following a brief video review, the goal would stand.
In the second, the Royals would wake up from a slow start and muddied the waters for PG outshooting them 8-4 in the middle period.
Perrault evened the game at 2-2, peeling off the half-wall before blasting a shot past the stick side of Levshyn.
The 16-year-old rookie was stymied by the Ukranian-born goalie earlier in the period as he was stopped point blank on a 2-on-2 rush that included silky smooth-blueliner Timofei Runsto.
Parascak had a chance to win the game in the third period for the Cougars as he was sent in on a partial breakaway via Foster only stopped by the stick of Eskit.
Victoria outshot Prince George 24-20 in the game, however, both teams failed to score in their lone power-play opportunities.
The second half of the double-header was Be a Superhero Night in support of the Children’s Miracle Network where the Cougars wore Batman-themed jerseys during the game as well as capes in the pre-game warmup.
Photo credit James Doyle/PG Cougars
Prince George improves to 23-10-1-0 on the season, eight points up on the Penticton Vees for top spot in the B.C. Division.
The Vees have two games in hand.
The Cougars play Penticton on New Year’s Day from the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Prior to that, the Cougars are in Kamloops to take on the high-flying Blazers Tuesday night.
Lamb noted as we flip the page to 2026 and the second half of the year, the schedule isn’t any less forgiving.
“The schedule is tough right now. We have tough teams and division games, these two games against Victoria take a lot out of you and then you got to get back at it in Kamloops, and you know they will be looking for retribution and Penticton is a good, big hockey team.”
“Nothing comes easy, but we have to work for ourselves,” added Lamb.
Victoria on the other hand, claimed three out of a possible four points against the Cougars.
However, the Royals have lost eight games in either overtime or a shootout this season, three of which have come against the Cougars.
Royals bench boss James Patrick wasn’t overly enthused by the team’s start to Sunday’s game.
“I thought we had too many passengers in the first ten minutes knowing after last night’s game that you knew they would come out (the Cougars) and bounce back with determination. I thought in the first ten minutes they were dominating us and we talked about this and knew this – where we are in the standings we can’t have not everyone going and we can’t have games where we aren’t ready to start.”
“You got to fight to get inside and score against them as their defence boxes out as well as anyone in the league. You want to take advantage of these opportunities when they are missing a couple key players,” added Patrick.
The Royals drop to 14-11-5-3 on the season, tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, but only two points separate fourth from ninth in the conference.
Cougars’ defenceman Carson Carels and stalwart goaltender Josh Ravensbergen are back in action with Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Minnesota tomorrow at 5:30 Pacific Time against winless Denmark.
The Regional District of Bulkley Nechako has issued an evacuation alert for the Dohler Flats area near Smithers.
This includes properties north of Dholer Road and any east of Rosenthal Subdivision Road.
The alert is due to an ice jam on the Bulkley River posing a flooding risk.
With an alert, the regional district recommends affected residents:
Locate all family members or co-workers and plan to meet outside the evacuation area, should an evacuation be called while separated.
Gather essential items such as medications, eyeglasses, valuable papers (i.e., insurance), immediate care needs for dependents and, if you choose, keepsakes (photographs, etc.), and have these items readily available for quick departure.
Prepare to move any persons with mobility challenges and/or children.
Move pets and livestock to a safe area. If you require assistance, please call the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako.
Arrange to transport your household members or co-workers in the event of an evacuation order.
If you are asked to evacuate and need transportation assistance from the area, please call the
Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako.
Arrange accommodation for your family if possible.
Prince George is in for a bit more snowfall before New Year’s Eve, though temperatures look to temporarily warm up.
According to Environment Canada, the worst of the snowfall came this morning (Sunday), with Monday forecast to see some light snow up to two centimetres.
Operational Meteorologist Morgen Shull said the shift in temperature is expected at the same time, getting above zero, reducing accumulation.
“Moving forward, there is going to be snow around on Tuesday. It is going to be somewhat warm, hovering around zero degrees, but there should be around two to four centimetres of accumulation.”
Wednesday, which is New Year’s Eve, will see roughly a centimetre of snow in the morning, but clear the rest of the day, with New Year’s Day potentially seeing a heavier band of snow and a return to seasonal daytime temperatures at minus four.
More information on the forecast can be found on Environment Canada’s website here.
An early morning fire on Boxing Day at the Value Lodge motel in Nanaimo has displaced almost 40 guests.
Several guests were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
The motel says its doors are closed indefinitely while damage is assessed.
A statement from the motel says, “We are devastated that you have been displaced, and we’re working closely with local authorities and relief organizations to ensure everyone’s safety and support.”
Nanaimo-Gabriola Island MLA Sheila Malcolmson is expressing her gratitude for everybody who responded to the fire.
“I am grateful for the quick response of firefighters, first responders and emergency workers,” said Malcolmson.
She says the province is working closely with Emergency Support Services and local partners to ensure anybody displaced by the fire has access to emergency lodging, food, clothing, and immediate financial supports.
The calendar year is coming to a close for School District 57, and discussions are already being held for the year to come.
As for this year, Superintendent Jameel Aziz said there’s a whole lot of new structures in places, and feels it’s on the path of making progress he hoped to have when joining.
Aziz talked about the feeding futures program being one of the highlights this year.
“We’ve served over 1 million breakfast and lunches across the district this last year, and I had no idea it was actually that number.”
“There are so many new initiatives and things in place that I think are just really helping to support our students and families, and making school a better experience.”
Aziz noted the program comes from provincial and federal funding, making it important to use those dollars efficiently, such as improving equipment that was done earlier this year.
SD57 also made improvements in other areas such as adding three language teachers for Indigenous learning, a Safe Arrival System for students, among others.
Looking ahead to 2026, the School District will be upgrading the technology and software system at some schools to make sure any hiccups are sorted before going district-wide.
Aziz is optimistic about the next calendar year, and will be doubling down on highlighting student voices, and work with post secondary partners to give those students the best opportunities.
Turkey legs or no turkey legs, some sloppy defensive play gobbled up the Prince George Cougars against a longtime rival.
A five-goal second period allowed the Victoria Royals to stick a fork into the Cougars on Saturday night, skating to a 6-1 win in front of 3,858 fans at CN Centre.
After Hayden Moore made it 1-0 following the opening 20 minutes for the visitors, the flood gates opened in a big way.
The quick-strike offense from the Royals included a trio of goals in a span of 3:16 to kick off the middle frame.
Heath Nelson scored his first of three on the night, wiring a hard slap shot past Cougars netminder Alex Levshyn extending the Victoria advantage to 2-0.
The Royals continued to pound the Cougars into submission as Caleb Matthews drove hard to the net and squirted a puck past Levshyn adding to the lead.
The goal was quickly reviewed by lead official Brad Lebus but was deemed acceptable after a quick video review.
PG head coach and general manager Mark Lamb had a chance to settle down the troops after a concerning start but elected for his players to push through the adversity.
That backfired.
Newman completed a three-way scoring play from Moore and Roan Woodward lighting the lamp for the hungry Royals.
Nelson collected his second of the game off a slick pass from rookie forward Eli McKamey ending the night for Levshyn who was mercy pulled after allowing five goals on 21 shots.
The 19-year-old forward completed the hat-trick after Preston Lewis took over in the PG crease. Nelson tucked home a pass from Nolan Stewart on the power-play giving Victoria a 6-0 lead.
Corbin Vaughan shattered the shutout bid for Royals netminder Ethan Eskit as his shot from inside the blueline got past him.
Victoria outshot Prince George 29-26 and went 2-for-3 on the power-play while the Cougars failed to score on their lone opportunity.
After Saturday’s win, the Royals improve to 14-11-4-3 while the Cougars drop to 22-10-1-0.
PG remains six points up on the Penticton Vees for top spot in the B.C. Division.
Both teams play again tomorrow (Sunday) at 5pm from CN Centre. It is Be a Super Hero Night where the Cougars will wear Batman-themed jerseys in support of the Children’s Miracle Network.
Capes will be worn by the players during the pre-game warmup.
Earlier in the day, Canada improved to 2-0 during round robin play at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Minnesota.
Cougars blueliner Carson Carels and star goaltender Josh Ravensbergen are part of the Canadians 25-man roster. Canada’s next game is Monday against Denmark.
Newly-minted Tourism PG Executive Director Scott McWalter says the activation of Canada Games Plaza, making a desirable four seasons destination was one of the major highlights of 2025.
During a year-in-review interview with MyPGNow.com, McWalter said the proof was in the pudding during the Civic Light Up from earlier this month.
“I look at that as a text book example on what can be done in that space (Canada Games Plaza) throughout the year, all four seasons and 365 days a year to be able to activate these beautiful spaces around Prince George.”
“This was exemplified perfectly at the Civic Light Up event where we hade various partners in the community collaborating together to put on an incredible event, one of the best Civic Light Up’s in history.”
He also mentioned various infrastructure projects were also a game-changer for the group.
“Tourism PG invested in various infrastructure like the Nanguz ‘An container project as well as a relocation in the new modernized visitor information centre as well as strengthening partnerships in the community and across the region.”
“I would look at the variety of events within our community that Tourism Prince George supports as the most impressive as well as the advocacy in hosting in industry advancement. We have supported sport hosting bids like the Canadian Native Fastpitch Championships (coming in August of 2026).
The past 12 months in Tourism PG also saw the winds of change blow in as previous CEO Colin Carson announced his resignation to take a position with Travel Columbia Valley.
McWalter added one of his main goals for 2026 is to bring more people into the northern capital, which will have a multiplier effect that trickles down to local hotels and businesses including restaurants and attractions.
“The past year really enforced that tourism success in Prince George or in any destination is truly a team effort. That team effort involves working with the City of Prince George, Indigenous partners, arts and culture as well as sports organizations and northern B.C. tourism.”
Prince George played host to the Special Olympics B.C. Summer Games in July of this year.
In October, a Party in the Plaza event was held to support the city’s bid for the 2030 Special Olympics Canada Games.
The Cowichan Valley Regional District says it is hopeful for a prosperous 2026 as it wraps up several successes from 2025.
Board chair Kate Segall said the district saw progress in areas ranging from support for vulnerable residents to improvements in utilities.
“We have a partnership with BC Housing to provide a temporary winter shelter,” she said. “We also have a three-stream curbside collection service, and we acquired the Shawnigan Village Waterworks that’ll bring a water system into public ownership.
“We also added 180 acres of parkland, and we also got very high marks from a survey showing an increased quality of life in the Cowichan Valley.”
Segall said the district faced several challenges in getting projects underway, but none compared with the impact of the transit strike.
“The strike played a huge impact to our residents and, being a funding partner, we were trying to advocate to the province by amplifying the stories from those ‘on the ground’ of what it meant to not have a way to get around.”
She said 2026 will focus on fiscal responsibility and preparing for the future.
“Asset management is something that has been overlooked in the past and now we have really strong staff to manage it,” she said. “Now we need to make some difficult budget decisions in terms of planning for the fiscal responsibility and avoid ‘costly surprises’.”
The Smithers-based Northern Lights Wildlife Society says a bear cub who sustained burns in a wooded area near Dawson Creek is expected to survive.
A called was received by the society about the cub who then sent a volunteer to drive eight hours and locate the animal who was found at the base of a tree, covered in snow.
In a video posted to Facebook, co-founder Angelika Langen stated the cub is doing well and that the bear sustained burns while hibernating.
The MLA for Courtenay-Comox called his first year in provincial politics a “very interesting one.”
In a year-end interview with My Comox Valley Now, Brennan Day credited his team for their support during his first full year navigating the B.C. Legislature.
Day said he is proud of the work the B.C. Conservatives did in holding the NDP government accountable, citing wins such as the reversal of the cancellation of drug coverage for Charleigh Pollock.
“I think the important wins though were the ones nobody will ever hear about whether it was case files in our office or just helping people in the community.”
Day also mentioned local issues like the hospice beds closure at Aitken Community Hospice and healthcare system issues as things which took up his time.
It was a year of internal party chaos for the B.C. Conservatives, with John Rustad being ousted as party leader in December and being replaced by interim leader Trevor Halford.
A leadership race is expected to take place in the new year, although no timeline has been set.
Asked about the year ahead, Day said he will remain “laser focused” on health care across the province.
“Rural and seniors health is under a tremendous amount of strain right now, and doctors and nurses need their voices to be heard in the legislature.”
Day also said he will ensure people in the Comox Valley get the support they need by speaking up loudly in the legislature when he identifies failures in the system.
In a social media post earlier this month, Day confirmed he will not be running in the B.C. Conservative leadership race and remains focused on serving the people of Courtenay-Comox.
2025 was a very successful year for the City of Courtenay, Mayor Bob Wells said.
In a year-end interview with My Comox Valley Now, Wells called it a vibrant year for the community, citing the many events that took place.
One of the mayor’s proudest achievements was reducing residential speed limits to 40 km/h, two years ahead of schedule.
“We really have a strong partnership with the school district to improve safety for students who travel to and from school by walking, riding, scooting, and all the things kids do to have an active and safe way to get to school.”
On the challenge side, Wells noted the provincial housing target the city received in August and the implementation of small-scale multi-unit housing, which required significant time and resources.
Looking ahead to 2026, Wells said he is anticipating the completion of the 6th Street Active Transportation Bridge, acknowledging that some residents may not support the project.
With a municipal election scheduled next year, Wells said he will focus on serving the community until the campaign period begins but expects to run for mayor again.
“I love doing what I’m doing, so at this point I see no reason why I wouldn’t run, and I’m really excited to see some of the things we continue to work on.”
Wells encouraged residents to book a Meet the Mayor session through the city’s website to discuss local issues.
The (22-9-1-0) Prince George Cougars are back in action tonight (Saturday) and tomorrow against the Victoria Royals (13-11-4-3) at CN Centre.
PG is six points up on the Penticton Vees for the B.C. Division lead.
BCHL:
The (16-11-1) Prince George Spruce Kings are off until January 2nd and 3rd when they visit the Spruce Grove Saints (13-14-1-0) and the Blackfalds Bulldogs (21-8-1-0).
PG is two points back of the Coquitlam Express (17-8-1-0) for top spot in the Coastal East Division.
World Juniors Hockey Championship
Canada 7 Czech Republic 5
PG Cougars defenceman Carson Carels was held pointless while Josh Ravensbergen was listed as the third goalie and not in the lineup.
Spengler Cup
Canada 3 US Collegiate Selects 2
Former Prince George Cougars goaltender Taylor Gauthier is a member of Team Canada
Former Prince George Spruce Kings forward Jack Stockfish is also a member of the US Collegiate Selects.
Canada’s next game is on Sunday at 11:15am Pacific Time against HC Davos.
Cariboo Cougars
The U18 Cariboo Cougars are in action at the Circle K Classic in Calgary.
Cariboo takes on the Calgary Royals this afternoon at 12:15 Pacific Time.
The Cougars also take on Team Maryland (Sunday) and Northern Alberta Xtreme on Monday (29th).
NHL (13 games)
The NHL returns from its Christmas Break today with 13 games.
The Vancouver Canucks host the San Jose Sharks.
NFL (Week 17)
Two games are scheduled for today as Green Bay hosts Baltimore while the Los Angeles Chargers face-off against the Houston Texans.
NBA
Washington Wizards 138 Toronto Raptors 117
Toronto is back in action on Sunday (12:30 Pacific Time) when they host the Golden State Warriors.
2025 was a pretty solid year for lottery players across northern B.C.
According to the BC Lottery Corporation, $851 million dollars in prize money was paid out province-wide with $54.5 million of that claimed by winning tickets in our region.
With a breakdown on some of the big winners, here’s spokesperson Shelley Wong.
“This year, there were six grand prize winning tickets valued at $500,000 or more and one of the prizes won was from Darryl Woods from Prince George who won the five-million dollar Lotto 6/49 Classic Jackpot from the April 23rd draw.”
Wong added it was nice to see so many people strike it rich from our region.
“We are very excited to have all of these winners claim their prizes and hopefully live out some of their dreams from that and we can’t wait to see what next has in store.”
The total does not include the 46-million dollar Lotto Max ticket that was purchased in Quesnel last week as that price has yet to be claimed.
“We can confirm that this is the largest lottery prize ever won up north and we look forward to sharing more once this winner comes forward,” added Wong.
Another prize not reflected in the 2025 prize pool was the $100,000 guaranteed payout following a Christmas Eve Gold Ball Draw.
The ticket was purchased in Prince George and has not been claimed.
The Sunshine Coast Regional District is moving several projects forward after completing its first round of budget discussions.
Plans include several water infrastructure projects, such as reservoir maintenance and replacement of the pump station at the Selma reservoir. The district is also planning further exploratory work to assess the feasibility of additional water supply at the shíshálh Hospital well.
Upgrades are planned for the Pender Harbour Transfer Station, including installation of a new scale, and work will continue on the Solid Waste Management Plan.
The Pender Pool will receive new tile, while a major refurbishment of the large red slide at the Sechelt Pool is also set to proceed.
Two new grant-funded projects will provide emergency equipment and training, and the financial plan includes continuing the paid on-call system for Sunshine Coast Regional District volunteer firefighters.
Local Sunshine Coast governments will take part in a financial planning roundtable on Jan. 29. Each local government will present an overview of its plans, followed by discussion. The meeting is open to the public.
The roundtable begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Sunshine Coast Regional District boardroom in Sechelt.
Ladysmith’s says 2025 brought progress on several municipal initiatives but also presented challenges for council.
Deena Beeston said council completed work on infrastructure and parks projects and made headway on others.
“We completed the decommissioning of the abandoned Mackie Dam on Holland Creek, and we have a storm‑water master plan under way,” she said. “We’ve also replaced the roof of our recreation centre at the Frank Jamieson Community Centre.
“We’ve seen improvements in some of our parks, and we’re moving ahead with plans for additional amenities such as a bike trail and a pickleball court.”
Like other municipalities, Ladysmith has faced challenges this year, Beeston said, including adapting to new provincial requirements and rising infrastructure costs.
“The legislation refers to increased density, and that requires us to start reviewing our development plan and making sure we have the infrastructure to handle it,” she said.
Beeston said the municipality is also dealing with changes to emergency communications services that affect local governments.
Looking ahead to 2026, Beeston said residents can expect plans for improvements to the town’s heritage facilities and waterfront, as well as ongoing work on renovating the historic train station to accommodate the Chamber of Commerce.
Prince George hockey fans will be watching the 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship with a lot more interest.
That’s because PG Cougars defenceman Carson Carels and star goaltender Josh Ravensbergen were named to the 25-player roster.
Canada kicks off round-robin play tonight (Friday) against the Czech Republic at 5:30 Pacific Time.
Ravensbergen, a 2025 first-round pick of the San Jose Sharks owns a 16-6-0-0 record, a 2.50 GAA, and a .921 save percentage, carrying an eight-game winning streak.
The North Vancouver product has previously attended the World Junior Summer Showcase in each of the last two years.
For Carels, the selection caps off what has been an incredible sophomore campaign. The A-rated prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft has produced 29 points (8–21–29) in 28 games.
In late November, he represented Team CHL at the CHL/USA Top Prospects Challenge, where he tallied two assists and drew significant attention from NHL scouts.
The Cypress River, MB product is no stranger to the national stage, having won gold with Canada at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship.
Carels is also one of two underage skaters on the roster, which also includes fellow blueliner Keaton Verhoeff, a former Victoria Royal now starring at the University of North Dakota.
This year’s tournament is being held in Minnesota.
The Sunshine Coast Regional District has approved its utility rates for curbside collection, water and wastewater for 2026.
A new structure for water billing will be implemented in the North and South Pender water service areas. Properties will now pay based on usage rather than a flat rate.
The base charge will be $850 annually and billed quarterly. The rate includes a water consumption allowance of 46,000 litres per quarter, about 500 litres a day. Water used beyond that allowance will cost $4 per cubic metre.
Connections larger than three-quarters of an inch will be charged a higher base rate.
Wastewater services in the North and South Pender areas will also move to quarterly billing.
All approved utility rates for 2026 are available on the regional district’s website.
The (22-9-1-0) Prince George Cougars are back in action tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday when they welcome the Victoria Royals (13-11-4-3) at CN Centre.
PG is six points up on the Penticton Vees for the B.C. Division lead.
BCHL:
The (16-11-1) Prince George Spruce Kings are off until January 2nd and 3rd when they visit the Spruce Grove Saints (13-14-1-0) and the Blackfalds Bulldogs (21-8-1-0).
PG is two points back of the Coquitlam Express (17-8-1-0) for top spot in the Coastal East Division.
World Juniors Hockey Championship
Canada vs Czech Republic
PG Cougars defenceman Carson Carels and Josh Ravensbergen are members of Team Canada.
Spengler Cup
Former Prince George Cougars goaltender Taylor Gauthier and Team Canada kick off round-robin play at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland.
Canada’s first game is this morning (Thursday) when they take on the US Collegiate Selects at 11:15am Pacific Time.
The 24-year-old is currently with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers, a minor-league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Cariboo Cougars
The U18 Cariboo Cougars are off until the Circle K Classic in Calgary.
Cariboo takes on the Calgary Royals on Saturday at 12:15 Pacific Time.
The Cougars also take on Team Maryland (Sunday) and Northern Alberta Xtreme on Monday (29th).
NHL (13 games)
The NHL returns from its Christmas Break on Saturday with 13 games.
The Vancouver Canucks are off until Saturday as they host the San Jose Sharks.
NFL (Week 17)
Dallas 30 Washington 23
Detroit 10 Minnesota 23 Denver 20 Kansas City 13
Two games are scheduled for Saturday as Green Bay hosts Baltimore while the Los Angeles Chargers face-off against the Houston Texans.
From the My Prince George Now newsroom to your home, we wish you and your family a safe and happy festive season.
We would like to extend a thank you to the whole Prince George community for supporting us throughout another year, and we wish you all the best in 2025.
From Hartley Miller (far right), Brendan Pawliw, Darin Bain and Zach Barrowcliff have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
According to food banks BC Hunger Report 2025, food banks in the province have seen an increase in the number of people needing food assistance for 5 consecutive years.
In the Interior region over 32-hundred were served by food banks in March up by more than 20 percent from last year.
This is why the United Way BC Regional Community Food Hub in the Central Cariboo has made it its mission to help communities in and around Williams Lake build their own sustainable food source, increase food literacy and improve access to nutritious food.
Founded in 2021, the United Way BC Food Hub is stewarded by the Social Planning Council of Williams Lake and Area.
The council coordinates with local organizations, farmers and community partners to identify available resources and community needs and distribute food to targeted communities.
McLeese Lake – Food Cupboard Photo June 2025 (Photo submitted)
One of United Way BC Food Hub’s initiatives is the Books and Basics program.
In small communities like Anahim Lake, Likely, Forest Grove and Mcleese Lake where food banks are not available, local libraries offer discreet, welcoming spaces to help residents access nutritious food.
It partners with local farmers providing easy and accessible opportunities to donate fresh produce while also offering nutrition and food literacy programs including seed giveaways and cooking lessons to help families grow their own food and prepare healthy meals.
A parade of trucks was spreading Christmas cheer through Smithers on Saturday.
The Christmas Truck Parade celebrated its sixth year in the community after initially starting as a way to bring residents together during the COVID pandemic.
“It’s crazy having such a big community support,” said Co-organizer Ben Webb.
“The floats get bigger and better every year. More people are in their front yard with fires going or cars lining the streets.”
About 30 vehicles were in the parade this year with some covering their vehicle with lights and others decorating them into floats.
The parade started on Railway Avenue before traveling on Third Avenue, Princess Street, past Bulkley Lodge and the hospital, and ending on Main Street.
Webb added him and a panel of judges have selected the best decorated vehicle in previous years to award a prize but decided to do something different.
“We talked about it last year that it would be more fun to have the community decide on the float they liked the best rather than the panel of us that have been doing over the years,” he said.
The voting is taking place on the Xplore Smithers Facebook page.
Webb said the parade is one of his favourite events in the year and hopes to continue running it into the future.
After several weather swings that pushed back the opening date, the Prince George Ice Oval welcomed users for the first time this season yesterday(Tuesday).
Ice Oval Society President, Kathy Lewis told MyPGNow.com with temperatures remaining cold for the next little while, it will be perfect skating weather for those that come out.
“It does get frustrating when the weather seems to be quite variable. It either seems to be above zero and possibly snowing or minus thirty. Right now, we have a really great weather window and we are super happy about it.”
Lewis added volunteers were hard at work to get the facility in good shape.
“Finally, after we had four floods the day before (Monday) we opened and then a couple in the morning and then we were able to get the ice going. We have been running the Zamboni on it although it is not working very well. We are babying it along but it sure makes good ice.”
“We started flooding as soon as the temperatures got below zero at least for most of the day. We had a little challenge because when it was really good flooding weather, it would snow and we can’t flood in the snowy, otherwise the ice gets slushy and pebbly.”
The Ice Oval was open for 42 days during the 2024-25 season, up from 27 the year prior.
In February, Prince George City Council made the commitment to develop a cost estimate to refrigerate the popular winter facility.
The extreme cold and general winter conditions can definitely have an impact on fire fighting in the Cariboo.
Ron Richert, Fire Chief with the Quesnel Volunteer Fire Department, says it starts with actually getting to the fire.
“Ya, the tires we run are obviously are mud and snow, but we do run into challenges in icy conditions even though those trucks are a lot of weight. They do tend to slip on the ice so we do have to use auto chains which is chains that deploy in front of the rear tires, and that gives us some short term traction. But with really extreme weather conditions, we have to chain up our trucks and that can be a bit of a challenge sometimes too because you have to drive at slower speeds.”
Richert says as a result it does impact response times.
“Normal response time overall is about 8 to 10 minutes response time. You know obviously with extreme weather conditions you have to drive accordingly and it does slow it down by a couple of minutes, but generally we still have a good response time in the winter time.”
He says there are reasons they don’t switch back and fourth between summer and winter tires.
“These are a mud and snow all around basically all season tire. It would just be too expensive to switch back and fourth all the time between seasons. And like any large vehicle, a truck, they’re an all-season mud and snow type of tire.”
Richert says the challenges don’t end there as there are also a few extra steps once they get to the fire.
“For sure. You have to worry about your pump freezing up, your water lines freezing up. You know in extreme weather conditions like we had a few years ago we had -35, 40 degrees at a structure fire. We had to, if we’re not using hose line, we had to leave them open just a little bit to have that water flow going through so it wouldn’t freeze up. Unfortunately with the shuttling of the water back and fourth we were having some challenges at the hydrant, also the truck, we have frozen up valves within the truck, which can be costly. We do have heaters on the truck and heat trace lines so it does make them a little bit better that way, but still extreme weather conditions it is challenging.”
Richert says there is also a human element that involves keeping fire fighters warm, even when they are near the fire.
“You definitely still feel it. I mean everything is stiff and cold and your hoses are cold and stiff. You know it makes it definitely more challenging, you can definitely feel it.”
Richert says fire fighters can only be in that kind of situation for so long as well before they have to change out their tanks.
He says they change fire fighters out regularly, and in the cold winter months they have the trucks running with the cab heaters going so they can go inside while on breaks to warm up.
Christmas will be a little bit brighter for those who are struggling in Prince George.
The St. Vincent De Paul Society is hosting its Christmas Dinner from its drop-in centre at 1220 Second Avenue tomorrow (Thursday) from 12:30-2pm.
Spokesperson and long-time volunteer, Bernie Goold told MyPGNow.com it should be a busy day as usual.
“We are planning for 150 to 175 people but we have partnered with the Rotary Club and this is something that is near and dear to my heart. We are going to provide up to 90 plus dinners that will be taken out to seniors.”
“Last year, some of our volunteers took some of the meals that were left over and delivered them to different areas in town.”
Goold added her facility is much shorter on cash donations this year as some people who donated small amounts in the past are no longer able to due to the rising cost of living.
“We are touched by the generosity of the public that helps all of our work take place, it is phenomenal. We are very, very grateful.”
She all they are worried about is having enough to get through January to March and will re-evaluate what they need in the spring.
Heavy snowfall has affected the Mainroad East Kootenay service area, with changing conditions expected through Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Elk Valley
Light snowfall is continuing in the Elk Valley and is expected to persist through the day. Up to five centimetres of snow is forecast for Christmas Day. Snowfall is expected to intensify on Boxing Day, with accumulations reaching up to 15 centimetres.
Cranbrook
Heavy, wet snowfall fell overnight, with accumulations of up to five centimetres or more in some areas. Light snow is expected this afternoon and may change to freezing rain this evening. A rain-snow mix is forecast for both Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Yahk
Rain is currently falling in Yahk, with heavier snow near Moyie. Temperatures are forecast to rise today, continuing with rainfall. Temperatures are expected to drop tonight, bringing the risk of freezing rain. A rain-snow mix is forecast for Christmas Day and Boxing Day, with a sharp temperature drop expected the evening of Dec. 26.
Columbia Valley
Light snow is currently falling in the Columbia Valley and is expected to taper off this evening. Christmas Day may bring up to three centimetres of snow, with up to five centimetres forecast for Boxing Day.
Motorists are advised to leave a safe following distance to allow maintenance crews to work safely. Drivers should use caution, adjust to road conditions and prepare for weather-related delays.
Travellers are encouraged to check DriveBC for current road conditions before heading out.
After several delays, Rossland’s Red Mountain will kick off its 2025-26 season today.
On its website, the ski hill said the Silverlode chair will be open from noon to 3 today. The mountain operations team and ski patrol are preparing terrain in the alpine, and there is a chance the Motherlode and Paradise chairs might open by 1 p.m., but that hinges on hazard mitigation and marking.
Red says operations will be limited as they wait for more snow. The ski hill has received seven centimeters in the last 24 hours.
Standard operating hours begin Christmas Day with Silverlode, Motherlode, and Paradise open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
100 Mile House and area residents are once again being advised of temporary changes to the emergency department hours at 100 Mile District General Hospital.
Interior Health said emergency services will unavailable from 7 am today (December 24) to 8 am tomorrow (December 25).
During this time IH said patients can access care at Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake.
All other inpatient services will continue at 100 Mile District General Hospital.
This is the fourth time this month that emergency services have been unavailable.
The last three times were back on December 12th, 14, and 22nd.
The commute from out of town or to that popular family dinner might be a little more challenging this Christmas Eve.
Environment Canada Meteorologist, Ken Dosanjh told MyPGNow.com the snowfall won’t begin until this evening.
“We are going to see the snow begin (at about 4pm) and that will continue all the way through tonight. And so, the snowfall we are looking at around five to ten centimetres for this afternoon to tonight and we can also expected some wind gusts of about 40 kilometres per hour.”
In addition, a snowfall warning for Highway 16 from Tete Jaune Cache to the Alberta Border is also in effect where to 10 to 15cm is expected to fall between today (Wednesday) and Christmas.
A frontal system approaching from Southern B.C will bring snow to the communities along Highway 5, which include Blue River and Valemount.
The snow, heavy at times, will begin midday and continue into later this evening before easing on Christmas Day.
Visibility will likely be reduced at times.
The Christmas Day forecast in Prince George is expected to see a 60% chance of flurries and a high of -12.
Dosanjh added the snowfall from the night before should be wrapping up by the time the kids get ready to open their presents.
“As you continue into late morning we are expected to see decreasing cloudiness and calmer conditions. People should be waking up to a Christmas morning where we will be in that transition between no more snow and decreasing cloudiness, it should be a fairly nice late morning to early afternoon Christmas for folks.”
He also expects this below-seasonal weather pattern to exit by Sunday in favour of much more balmier conditions that are expected to hover around the freezing mark.
“We are going to usher in that warmer sub-tropical air towards us and we are going start to see temperatures close to that zero-degree mark.”
It was curtain call in Campbell River for the longstanding Landmark Cinema in 2025.
The local theatre closed its doors on Jan. 5 before resuming movie screenings under new ownership, sparking conversation about the city’s cultural landscape.
Landmark Cinemas Campbell River at Merecroft Village had been a community staple since opening in 1994 and was the last remaining commercial movie theatre in the city.
The closure followed the 2017 purchase of the Canadian Landmark chain by Belgian company Kinepolis Group, which evaluated its portfolio and closed sites deemed too old for renovation.
On June 27, six months after shutting down, the theatre reopened under new ownership as Golin Campbell River Cinemas, bringing the silver screen back to the community.
Andrew Golin, owner of Golin Cinemas, said the purchase presented a good opportunity to return the theatre to the community.
“It made sense,” Golin said, noting the location complemented the three other theatres he owns.
Several former staff members returned to work at the theatre as part of the reopening. Golin said employees were enthusiastic about the news.
He added that everything had been left behind in the theatre when his company took possession.
ICBC is asking drivers to be prepared for any winter conditions they may face to keep their Holiday road trip merry and safe.
“Plan for all weather conditions, pack an emergency kit, use winter tires, and drive slow and steady on snowy, icy roads,” Kathleen Nadalin, ICBC Road Safety Manager said.
December is the top crash month in BC which is not the kind of Holiday experience anyone wants.
In the North Central Region, ICBC said during the Christmas Holidays on average 17 people are injured in 106 crashes.
Over New Year’s on average 13 people are injured in 632 crashes.
Taking the time to prepare your vehicle and reviewing safety tips can go a long way to keeping you safe and reducing your risk of crashing.
The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary isn’t impressed with a letter it received from the provincial government on the future of the Columbia & Western rail trail.
The letter, dated Dec. 1 from Lori Halls, the deputy minister of water, land and resource stewardship, says the province “recognizes the scenic and recreational value .. as well as its economic, cultural and historic importance” of the trail between Castlegar and Christina Lake. But in the same paragraph, Halls adds that the province has no plans to change its mind and maintain the old rail grade.
The rail corridor lost its designation as a recreational trail 2020. By the province’s reckoning, it reverted at that time to wilderness status, with no funding available for maintenance.
Halls says that because it was never a logging road, the corridor isn’t eligible for money beyond emergencies. The provincial government will respond to environmental concerns or safety problems, but won’t repair the trail itself.
Halls says the province will get more information about unspecified “structures” on the rail trail and decide on “future use, remediation measures, and/or deactivation of structures or sections of the rail grade.” The trail has several trestles and tunnels.
The trail remains open to the public. Halls said anyone who wants tenure over the railbed can apply for it. “Currently, the province is unable to fund or manage the [trail],” Halls wrote. “In recognition of the value and interest raised by local users, the province is open to receiving and adjudicating applications for authorized uses.”
Christina Lake director and board chair Grace McGregor said she wasn’t happy with the answer and would like to see a resolution go to the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments and the Union of BC Municipalities.
Area B director Linda Worley said she has been working on the issue with former RDCK Area J director Rick Smith.
“The trail has never been just about the money that Area B residents have put into this for the kiosks, the bathrooms, the back country signage and all this that goes along with it,” she said.
“This is about history. This would be denying people their right to access historical points. And I feel that this is a big issue.
“It’s also about the hundreds or thousands of hours of in-kind work that’s been done by not only residents, volunteer trails people, but also by people with large companies who’ve given their time, their product, their machinery to work on this trail.”
The Columbia and Western Railway was built in 1898-99 and operated until 1990. The CPR donated the line to the provincial government in 2000 to be part of the Trans-Canada Trail.
That’s because First Student Canada, the bus provider for School District 57 cancelled service for the return to class due to the weather.
