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Many community members came out to celebrate Canada Day today.

Like many places in Canada, Courtenay saw several events take place throughout the day in celebration of Canada’s 158th Birthday.

The festivities began with the Comox Valley Concert band performing in front of the Sid Williams Theatre in the morning, followed by the Road Runners taking part in the 5th Street Mile fun run.

The parade, which began at 10:00 a.m. today, saw a huge turnout involving many families and individuals, with several waving Canadian flags.

While the exact number of attendees is unknown currently, the parade drew in a big crowd as it went down 5th Street from the Appletree Market to Lewis Park.

The parade resulted in several road closures throughout the day and detours for those using the bus.

After the parade, The city held several events in Lewis Park between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Those included a kids zone, performances from musicians Nathan Senner and The Big Easy Funk Ensemble, a welcoming ceremony, a birthday cake, and a kids draw.

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Interior Health has issued a drug alert for Cranbrook for light pink pebble sold as Down.

This drug contains fluorofentanyl, ketamine and Benzodiazepine (unspecified).

“Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic. In higher doses, it can cause immobilization, loss of body control, dizziness and hallucinations.” said Interior Health.

“The combination of fluorofentanyl, ketamine and benzodiazepines can lead to significant sedation. Overdose symptoms may last beyond administration of naloxone.”

Other symptoms include nausea, amnesia, sleepiness, nodding out for a long time.

Interior Health said smoking is not safer than injecting.

The drug alert will remain in effect until July 7.

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Thousands of people packed Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park in Prince George to celebrate Canada’s 158th birthday.

Bands, guest speakers, food trucks and cake marked the festive occasion yesterday (Tuesday).

Retired Politician, Shirley Bond told MyPGNow.com she is unapologetically Canadian and the recent tensions with our American neighbours has banded us together.

“I love the country that we get to call home and I think it is fantastic that it’s a sea of red as we look around and people celebrate the special values that Canadians have.”

“I do think that the behaviour on the other side of the border has driven us closer together and has allowed us to stand up for the country that we love.”

Prince George-North Cariboo Conservative MLA Sheldon Clare echoed those sentiments noting the behaviour of American President Donald Trump is the root cause in this sudden spike of patriotism.

“I think there is additional pride in people and I think there are issues that still divide us but I think on Canada Day it is a time to put those issues behind us and celebrate what we have in common and what brings us together.”

“We live in a terrific country and I think that Canadians have a great way of coming together and working in the face of adverse situations and conditions. We certainly seem to be doing that.”

Opening remarks were done by host first nation Elder Lenora White.

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Crews continue to work hard on the Kiskatinaw River wildfire, 58km south of Dawson Creek.

While conditions have stabilized on the 26,372 hectare blaze, warm and dry weather is expected to return, which could re-ignite activity.

Incident Commander, Stefan Hood says they are working to extinguish hot spots within 100 feet of the fire’s edge.

“That will show us the spots we are going to need to focus on. We have about 140 crew working on this fire right now and the challenges they are facing are the ongoing drought in the area, which has impacted the root systems to the trees.”

“We have not just danger trees but also deep burning and un burned fuel in areas between the body of the fire and the guard that we built, it takes a lot of time for crews to get into those areas.”

Hood mentioned the blaze will likely be a long term project.

“They (fire crews) will be here for the next two to three weeks and once we feel we have achievement that containment objective, we will have people here working in conjunction with the Dawson Creek zone. They will be patrolling this fire for sometime to come.”

An area restriction order remains in place and the blaze continues to be held.

144 firefighting personnel have been assigned along with 3 helicopters and 14 pieces of heavy equipment.

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NHL

Today is the first day of the NHL’s free-agent frenzy, however a lot of the meat is already off the bone.

On Monday, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad re-signed with the Florida Panthers taking six-year extensions, giving the two-time Stanley Cup Champions a “home town discount”

Sam Bennett 8x8m
Aaron Ekblad 8×6.1m
Brad Marchand 6x5m

Bill Zito has done it again. #TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/BCx6F0I5kN

— David (@David954FLA) June 30, 2025

Elsewhere, the Toronto Maple Leafs dealt Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights for forward Nicholas Roy.

Marner then signed an eight-year, $96 million dollar deal in Sin City.

Mitch Marner’s Leafs career is over…

-741 points in 657 games played
-2x All-Star
-Fastest player in Leafs history to reach 600 points
-4th in assists Leafs franchise history pic.twitter.com/7ZSNK2LcmY

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 30, 2025

In addition, VGK blueliner Alex Pietrangelo has decided to step away from the NHL due to lingering injuries, missing at least the 2025-26 season.

Notable names such as Nikolaj Ehlers and Brock Boeser are among the top forwards who will test the open market.

PG Cougars

The Prince George Cougars made a pair of transactions on Monday.

General Manager Mark Lamb made a deal with the Regina Pats acquiring Brock Souch from the Regina Pats for a draft pick.

Souch spent last season in the BCHL with the Brooks Bandits and Okotoks Oilers.

The Cougars also inked goaltender Kole Anderosov to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.

He was selected in the third round of the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.

SIGNED! We are excited to announce that G Kole Anderosov (’10) has signed a @TheWHL Scholarship & Development Agreement!

Welcome, Kole! https://t.co/0HXd92ti75#ForTheNorth • #WHL pic.twitter.com/bwtBYWv2YH

— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) June 30, 2025

TRADE: The Cougars have acquired F Brock Souch (06) from the Regina Pats in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2029.

https://t.co/DtfMH9PpYL#ForTheNorth • #WHL pic.twitter.com/yxsvbNAHRY

— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) June 30, 2025

MLB

Toronto Blue Jays 5 New York Yankees 4

The Blue Jays improve to 46-38 on the season and will host the Bronx Bombers today at 12:07 pm.

Our star makes his mark

You know what to do: https://t.co/s7rxDvexK1 pic.twitter.com/Bb5Ka6SNcp

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 1, 2025

CFL

Week 5 of the CFL season kicks off on Thursday as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-0) travel to Calgary and play the Stampeders (2-1).

The next action for the BC Lions (1-3) is on the road Saturday against the Montreal Alouettes (3-1).

“Nous devons être meilleurs que ça. Nous ne perdons pas ici, nous apprenons. Nous apprendrons de celle-là.” Jason Maas’ message in the locker room after yesterday’s game. pic.twitter.com/w1buRCFzMN

— Alouettes de Montréal (@MTLAlouettes) June 28, 2025

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Clinton RCMP is seeking witnesses following a serious multi-vehicle collision over the weekend.

Police said on Sunday (June 29) afternoon at 12:04 they responded to a report of a collision between a pickup truck and a motorcycle on Highway 97 at Clinton Cemetery Road.

The 66-year-old operator of the motorcycle suffered serious life-altering injuries and was airlifted to hospital for treatment and remains in stable condition.

Police said a second motorcyclist, although associated, was uninvolved in the crash and no other injuries were reported.

Causal factors for the crash are not yet known and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with any information who may have witnessed the crash or any preceding driving behaviours, or may have dash camera footage is asked to contact the Clinton RCMP.

Police said the highway was shut down in both directions while they conducted the investigation.

–Files by Pat Matthews, My Cariboo Now 

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A fire claimed the life of one person in Parksville this past weekend.

On Saturday at 6:51 p.m., Parksville Fire Department received a report of a structure fire in a mobile home park at 150 Corfield Street North. After arriving on scene, crews found a mobile home on fire with an occupant inside.

Fire Chief Marc Norris says it took crews 20 minutes to control the flame, but after extinguishing it, they found the occupant dead inside the structure.

“We believe that person was a lone occupant of the structure,” said Norris.

Norris says along with the affected structure, there was also damage to the adjacent mobile home to the east of the structure. Fire crews were able to ensure no further damage.

He adds they are still investigating the incident, with no cause behind the fire found at this time.

“We are very saddened that there was loss of life with this fire, and we want to remind everyone to have working smoke alarms and escape plans for their homes.”

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Prince George residents will have another option when it comes to recycling.

According to the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George’s website, new Recycle BC depots are set to open this week at the Vanway and McBride transfer stations.

At the March 20th meeting, the Regional District’s Board of Directors accepted an offer from Recycle BC to operate an additional principal depot at the Vanway Transfer Station, as well as a satellite depot at the McBride Regional Transfer Station.

The Vanway location will open Wednesday, while the McBride location will open Thursday.

Last year, the contractor providing paper and packaging recycling drop off bins and hauling services was unable to continue to provide the service.

The Recycle BC program launched in three locations later in the year.

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The Prince George Cougars have signed goaltender Kole Anderosov to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement.

The Cougars picked Anderosov in the third round of the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.

“We’re very happy to get Kole signed. He’s a bigger-bodied goalie with a strong technical foundation,” said Cougars Director of Player Personnel Bob Simmonds.

“Simply put, he makes saves and give his team a chance. When you look at our recent goaltending history — from Gauthier to Brennan to Young to Ravensbergen — Kole has the potential to be the next name in that chain.” 

The Campbell River product posted a 14-4-1 record in the CSSHL’s 2024-25 season, putting together a 2.48 GAA and a .925 save percentage.

He was also named the CSSHL U15 Top Goaltender and earned a spot on the CSSHL First All-Star team.

The post Cougars ink Anderosov to WHL deal appeared first on My Prince George Now.

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Ladysmith has new banners hanging along First Ave. Natasha Bartlett won this year’s community banner program and will have her pieces titled ‘By the Sea’ and ‘Along the Trail’ on display.  

The theme this year was “Coastal Living: Growing Our Future Together.” 

“My mind immediately went to the two most iconic parts, I think, of Ladysmith which are the coast and the forest and trails. The tides of change, the moving ocean and the newest of the coast, along with the tradition and the roots and the forest and the trails, it just seemed like the perfect combination,” Bartlett says. “I hope folks see that in the design and I hope they appreciate, like I do, the beauty of our surroundings.” 

Her designs were chosen by the town’s selection committee, and she will receive $1,000. 

“The 2025 community Banner Program brought out a myriad of interpretations from several talented artists, making the decision difficult for everyone involved. After much debate, the selection committee determined that Natasha Bartlett’s designs best reflect Ladysmith and encapsulate this year’s theme,” says Don Stewart, the Town’s arts, culture and events coordinator.

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The Prince George Cougars have added some depth up front.

The Cougars announced today they’ve acquired 2006-born forward Brock Souch from the Regina Pats in exchange for a 5th round pick in 2025.

Souch spent last season in the BCHL, playing for both the Brooks Bandits and the Okotoks Oilers.

Over 45 games last season, the 6’0 180 pound forward scored 12 goals and added 19 assists.

“Brock is a crafty player that can play wing or centre,” said Cougars Director of Scouting Leland Mack.

“He has some grit in his game and is also a tremendous teammate.”

Souch also has a NCAA scholarship to St. Cloud University.

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Fees for additional garbage tags are increasing as the City of Duncan starts to implement their new automated curbside collection system. 

Tags are currently being used across the city, and according to a staff report residents can continue to use the current system but if they need more capacity then it’ll cost an additional two dollars.  

“The fee for garbage tags is proposed to be increased from three dollars to five,” the report says. “If residents find they regularly require additional capacity, they may purchase additional collection carts, and their fees for solid was collection will be adjusted accordingly.” 

As the city makes changes to accommodate the new automated system, they say the city will be adding a new automated truck which will allow them to offer improved collection services as an extension of the current ones now offered.  

“To accommodate the requirements of the new automated collection truck, all serviced properties will be provided three city-owned wheel carts, one each for garbage, recyclables, and comingled food and yard waste,” they say. 

The increase in fees is to help the city recover the cost of implementing the new system. 

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Clinton RCMP is seeking witnesses following a serious multi-vehicle collision over the weekend.

Police said on Sunday (June 29) afternoon at 12:04 they responded to a report of a collision between a pickup truck and a motorcycle on Highway 97 at Clinton Cemetery Road.

The 66-year-old operator of the motorcycle suffered serious life-altering injuries and was airlifted to hospital for treatment and remains in stable condition.

Police said a second motorcyclist, although associated, was uninvolved in the crash and no other injuries were reported.

Causal factors for the crash are not yet known and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with any information who may have witnessed the crash or any preceding driving behaviours, or may have dash camera footage is asked to contact the Clinton RCMP.

Police said the highway was shut down in both directions while they conducted the investigation.

The post Clinton RCMP Looking For Witnesses To A Weekend Collision appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

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The Prince George RCMP turning to the public for help in finding 41-year-old Ashley Dawn Edgars.

According to police, she was last seen on May 29th on the 3300 block of 15th Avenue.

She is described as:

• Indigenous female
• 160 cm or 5′ 3″
• 60 kg or 130 lb
• Long, brown hair
• Brown eyes

“Ashley’s family is very concerned for her well-being,” said Cpl. Jennifer Cooper.

“Investigators request that if anyone sees her, they call the Prince George RCMP non-emergency line at 250-561-3300.”

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A new city program hopes to make the non-profit sector more sustainable for the future.

Called the Thriving Non-Profits Community Boot Camp, it’ll be used to give non-profits and charities in Campbell River the tools and strategies needed to build long-term financial sustainability and resiliency.

Its goal is to address the sector’s need to diversify revenue streams outside of grant funding.

The city, who launched this initiative with Campbell River Community Foundation and Scale Collaborative, says it’s open to organizations at $100 per person, instead of $3,900 plus GST per organization.

Director of Financial Services Alaina Maher says a sustainable non-profit sector is a key part of a healthy community.

“Council’s new Financial Assistance Policy is designed to be fair and sustainable, but we recognize that it brings change to the sector,” said Maher.

“As part of this, we see a crucial role for the City in supporting these community partners through the transition by providing opportunities and capacity building.”

To support the sector, the city says this program will hold training sessions and direct coaching to help organizations develop plans that focus on areas like social enterprise, fee-for-service models, and strategic partnerships.

The first training sessions will take place in a workshop at the student commons of North Island College, set to run from August 18 to the 19. They plan to hold a third session in October.

To register for the workshop, click here.

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A province wide campaign urging the public to act when it comes to invasive pigs has been launched.

The Invasive Species Council of BC’s “Squeal on Pigs” awareness campaign is a broad effort to stop invasive pig populations from establishing a foothold in BC.

Executive Director Gail Wallin said when you look at other parts of Canada like Saskatchewan, the Invasive Species Council of BC doesn’t want to be like them.

Wallin said these animals cause extensive damage to ecosystems, farmland and infrastructure.

Invasive pigs also pose a serious risk if diseases like African swine fever ever reaches Canada.

“We want people to be on the alert and looking for these pigs and to report anything that looks out of place. When you see a pig that’s on the landscape, that’s outside a fence, it’s a feral pig, an invasive pig and we don’t want it established.”

Wallin noted that in the Cariboo Chilcotin area they’ve had pig reports off and on over the years.

“Once a pig is out on the landscape it can easily go back to it’s original genetics. If it had been breed in the past with wild boars it will start growing thicker hair and tusks when it’s been left out on the landscape for over a couple of seasons.” Wallin said, “They can produce quite well, they can survive quite well and they hang in groups called “sounders”. When they are in that group, if you go out and try to hunt one or two of them, and you leave the other 8 or 10 out there, those pigs will form 2 or 3 sounder groups and it will be even more difficult to try to get rid of them.”

Wallin said they brought in people from the States, Saskatchewan and Manitoba for a workshop to share their experiences and one of the “must do’s” is take out the entire sounder not just part of it.

“The East Chilcotin, the area around the Sheep Creek Bridge and Farwell Canyon area that’s where we want you to be watching for these invasive pigs,” Wallin added, “Whether you’re on the land every day or out for a weekend hike, early reporting of pigs on the land makes all the difference.”

To report an invasive pig sighting go online bcinvasives.ca

The post Watch & Report Invasive Pigs To The Invasive Species Council Of BC appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

This post was originally published on My Cariboo Now

A province wide campaign urging the public to act when it comes to invasive pigs has been launched.

The Invasive Species Council of BC’s “Squeal on Pigs” awareness campaign is a broad effort to stop invasive pig populations from establishing a foothold in BC.

Executive Director Gail Wallin said when you look at other parts of Canada like Saskatchewan, the Invasive Species Council of BC doesn’t want to be like them.

Wallin said these animals cause extensive damage to ecosystems, farmland and infrastructure.

Invasive pigs also pose a serious risk if diseases like African swine fever ever reaches Canada.

“We want people to be on the alert and looking for these pigs and to report anything that looks out of place. When you see a pig that’s on the landscape, that’s outside a fence, it’s a feral pig, an invasive pig and we don’t want it established.”

Wallin noted that in the Cariboo Chilcotin area they’ve had pig reports off and on over the years.

“Once a pig is out on the landscape it can easily go back to it’s original genetics. If it had been breed in the past with wild boars it will start growing thicker hair and tusks when it’s been left out on the landscape for over a couple of seasons.” Wallin said, “They can produce quite well, they can survive quite well and they hang in groups called “sounders”. When they are in that group, if you go out and try to hunt one or two of them, and you leave the other 8 or 10 out there, those pigs will form 2 or 3 sounder groups and it will be even more difficult to try to get rid of them.”

Wallin said they brought in people from the States, Saskatchewan and Manitoba for a workshop to share their experiences and one of the “must do’s” is take out the entire sounder not just part of it.

“The East Chilcotin, the area around the Sheep Creek Bridge and Farwell Canyon area that’s where we want you to be watching for these invasive pigs,” Wallin added, “Whether you’re on the land every day or out for a weekend hike, early reporting of pigs on the land makes all the difference.”

To report an invasive pig sighting go online bcinvasives.ca

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“The workload is verging on unmanageable.”

That’s from Prince George District Teachers Association President Katherine Trepanier as another academic year wraps up for the summer.

She told MyPGNow.com while the 2024-25 school year was pretty good, areas like School District 57 are having to use un-certified teachers more often in order to fill some holes.

“We have a lot more teachers working on what is called letters of permission. Those are people who are not certified teachers who have been hired on a letter of permission to teach – we have many more uncertified teachers working in Prince George.”

“In addition, when there is not a sub available, then the school has to pull the support teachers to cover the classes and so, students aren’t getting those services when that happens.”

Trepanier is calling on the province to do more to financially support public schools in places like ours, and it starts by filling up the teacher vacancy.

“We need the government to step up and provide some incentives for people to basically go into teaching and also make sure that the working conditions are that they teachers want to stay and aren’t leaving the profession.”

“Our schools in general aren’t getting enough funding to meet all the needs of the students. It’s a big challenge for teachers and for our school district because the province isn’t funding enough of what schools need to be able to provide education to all students.”

“I would say the biggest gaps is the funding to provide inclusive education. The BC Government only covers about 72% in the province for school districts of what schools actually spend on inclusive education. Basically, school districts are having to re-direct funding in different ways so that educational assistants can help all students,” added Trepanier.

As for how many students are in each class room within SD 57, Trepanier noted the figures by grade have held steady.

“Our district has been really good about maintaining the class size maximums, I think they have been very good about that. I think the issue is we don’t have any composition language – we don’t have any language that says if kids have specific needs that there is this amount of support or things provided.”

The current collective agreement between the BC Public School Employees Association and the province’s Teachers Federation expires today (Monday).

The last package saw experienced educators cross the 100-thousand-dollar-a-year threshold with BC leapfrogging into the top tier of teacher salaries in Canada.

The BCTF represents nearly 49,000 teachers who deliver education to students in the province’s 60 school districts.

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Communities across Canada will get to see Air Force aircraft fly over on Canada Day.

The Royal Canadian Air Force announced they’ll perform flybys during Canada Day Events this Tuesday, with several aircraft to fly at various times of the day.

The flights will take place in parts of ABC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan. The aircraft will fly 500 feet above the highest target along their path.

For BC, the CC-295 Kingfisher is flying over Courtenay, while three CH-419 Cormorants are flying over Parksville, Qualicum Beach, and Mayne Island respectively.

Sechelt gets the CP-140 Aurora, and Sun Peaks also gets the CC-295 Kingfisher.

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Dignitaries from the region gathered to discuss the key challenges around forestry and how the recent curtailments at the Chemainus Sawmill have impacted the region. 

North Cowichan mayor Rob Douglas says discussions were centered specifically on how to turn the challenges being faced in the forestry sector into opportunities in the future.  

“We discussed opportunities in the forestry sector, including mill curtailments, fibre access, updates to the Private Managed Forest land regulations, watershed health, and the success of the community fields,” he says.  

Western Forest Products started curtailments on Jun. 18 due to what Douglas says was an inability to find a viable supply of fibre, which affected 150 workers at the mill, and he (Douglas) says the community is uncertain about the future.  

“In North Cowichan, we remain deeply concerned about the future of the Crofton pulp mill and Western Forest Products facility,” he says. “Especially in light of the recent curtailment at the Chemainus sawmill.” 

Last October, Western Forest Products said they’d be reducing their lumber production by 30 million board feet, which is blamed on market challenges. 

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The Cariboo-Chilcotin Crime Reduction Unit executed a search warrant at a residence in Williams Lake on Thursday June 26.

North District Corporal Madonna Saunderson said Police were provided with information indicating an adult woman, known to police, was allegedly trafficking drugs from a residence.

Saunderson said a search warrant was obtained and evidence consistent with drug trafficking was located and seized.

The suspect was arrested in the residence and released without process as the investigation continues.

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The City of Williams Lake will be completing the reconstruction of fourth avenue north from Cameron Street to Comer Street.

The work is scheduled to begin this Wednesday (July 2) and go right through until October.

Senior Engineering Technologist for the City, Jeff Bernardy said that block of 4^th avenue is getting pretty old and starting to wear out. “

It’s got old asphalt sidewalk, the water main is undersized, the asphalt’s failing, so the City will be reconstructing it. It will get new surface, new asphalt, new curb, gutter, sidewalk, water main and some new storm upgrades as well so it’ll spruce up that block for many years to come.”

While the work is being done Bernardy said residents and visitors should expect delays, detours, parking restrictions and other temporary impacts to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

“The block will be limited to local traffic only during construction so residents will still be able to access their property but we’re discouraging thru traffic and during the work there will be some parking restrictions and there will be flaggers on site giving advice.”

The City said access to properties will be maintained as much as possible however some phases of construction may require temporary access via rear lanes only and on-street parking will not be permitted for the duration of the project which is expected to last until October.

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The City of Prince George is making final preparations for another Canada Day celebration at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m tomorrow (Tuesday).

Opening ceremonies at the bandshell start at noon with an opening from host first nation Elder Lenora White and a cake cutting to recognize Canada’s 158th anniversary at 12:30 p.m.

The marketplace, food pavilion, and kids zone will also be open.

This year, the City is also offering a free shuttle between the Canfor Leisure Pool and Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park for residents who don’t want to fight for a parking spot.

In addition, the Northern Health Connections shuttle will arrive on 7th Avenue outside the pool every half hour.

The city is not hosting fireworks this year due to the current BC Wildfire burning restrictions.

Here is a list of the following sponsors:

• Canadian Tire – Presenting sponsor
• Canfor – Entertainment sponsor
• Aaron Switzer Realty – Kids Zone sponsor
• CUPE 3742 – Event supporter sponsor
• Save on Foods – Cake sponsor
• Pacific Western Charters Ltd. – Shuttle sponsor
• Pattison Media – Media sponsor
• Vista Radio – Media sponsor
• Prince George Citizen – Media sponsor

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The Grand Forks Slag Dusters made the Grand Forks International final for the first time in the team’s history since 1974.

Unfortunately, the Cinderella Shoe slipped towards the end, as they fell to the Fairbanks Goldpanners of Alaska 9-7 in the championship game Sunday afternoon.

Team Coordinator Steve Boutang said the entire final day of competition was close.

“The first game of the morning, Fairbanks beat the Seattle Studs 6-4 in 15 innings in a walk-off home run, tying the longest game in Grand Forks history.” said Boutang.

“Then Grand Forks held on to beat the Northwest Honkers 12-11 in the second semifinal.”

“The final was a back and forth affair with Alaska taking a lead midway through the game. Grand Forks battled back, scoring 5 in the fifth inning, and went ahead 7-5.”

“And then Alaska chipped away and eventually got ahead and stayed ahead, winning 9-7.”

Boutang credits the week long tournaments success to good weather, good crowds and great talent on the field.

“I think everybody had a really good time, and we’re already planning for the 42nd tournament next year.”

Be the first to know! Don’t miss out on breaking news and daily updates in your area. Sign up to MyGrandForksNow News Alerts.

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The family of a Vancouver man who was seriously injured in a Highway 16 motor vehicle incident in Vanderhoof earlier this month has launched a Go Fund Me.

According to page organizer Kateryna Tyrina, her husband Max and a close friend of his was struck by someone driving a Lincoln, claiming the life of his friend.

Max is now in the ICU at Vancouver General Hospital with severe brain trauma and multiple critical injuries.

He has undergone two major surgeries to reconstruct his pelvis and right shoulder with metal plates.

His wife stated Max worked as a skilled DevOps engineer for over 15 years and was the sole provider for their family, which includes a three-year-old daughter.

So far, just shy of $7800 has been raised with a fundraising goal of $10,000.

A link can be found here.

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Although Canada is on a Tuesday, there are going to be plenty of celebrations for Canada’s 158th anniversary this year.

The following are happening in the three largest towns in the Cariboo, and will be free to attend.

Quesnel:

The festivities in Quesnel will begin at 12 p.m. at LeBourdais Park and run until 4 p.m.

The opening ceremony will have a traditional welcome and opening prayer, followed by the national anthem, and then opening speeches.

Games and activities will begin soon after the opening ceremony, and the Quesnel Pipes and Drums will close the event at 4 o’clock.

Williams Lake:

The Lake City’s celebrations will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the Tuesday in Boitanio Park.

There will be live entertainment, and interactive booths that the entire family can enjoy. Including face painting, inflatables, a giant slip’n’slide, crafts, and more games.

‘O’Canada’ will be performed by the Williams Lake Community Band to start the event. The band will perform again later for a full music set.

Food, treats, and refreshment vendors will be on location with a variety of options for those who go and celebrate.

108 Mile Ranch:

In the South Cariboo, the celebrations will begin at 10 a.m at the 108 Heritage Site. The opening ceremony will kick off at 11 a.m.

108 Mile’s celebration will feature a vintage car show, the 108 Mile Volunteer Fire Department trucks, demonstrations by Cariboo Bladed Combat, face painting, and bouncy castles, alongside food trucks.

At 1 o’clock p.m., the winner of the 2024 South Cariboo Citizen of the Year will be announced.

Barkerville’s Dominon Day (not free):

The Historic Town and Park’s Dominion Day celebrations will begin at “precisely” 11:30 a.m. as the town and local Indigenous will take part in the nationwide’s Canada Day Drumming.

The Dominion Day parade will follow after at 11:50 a.m. There will be a gold panning competition at noon. At the same time as the competition, the Historic Town’s games will also begin. The classics such as Broad Jump, Ladies’ Nail Driving, Men’s Hammer Toss, and the Greasy Pole Climb will be back this year.

An evening of live music and dancing, with a performance by the Interstellar Jays will be at the House Hotel Saloon, beginning at 7 o’clock p.m.

The town’s regular programming will also be in full swing during the Dominion Day celebrations.

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John Cho Cup

The three-day John Cho Cup fastball tournament came to a close on Sunday night from Carrie Jane Gray Park.

In the Open Division, it was Chase/Kamloops-based STK defeating Broken Bow in the final game.

At the first visit to Prince George, the Yellowknife Merchants claimed the Intermediate crown winning 5-4 over the Grande Prairie Masters Pirates.

In extra innings, the Yukon Sun Dogs won a 9-8 thriller over the 100 Mile House Shuswap’s in the U-18 category.

For the second time in as many years, Okanese Thunder Strikers took home the U-23 crown defeating Team BC.

Lastly, in a rematch of last year’s final, the BC Ravens slipped past the Alexandra Rampage out of Alberta.

CFL 

Toronto Argonauts 29 Ottawa Red Blacks 16

Argos rookie Derek Slywka had a game to remember taking home a pair of 100-year touchdowns, one on a fumble recovery while the other was off a missed field goal.

NHL

The Dallas Stars might be going back over a decade to find their next head coach.

Edmonton Oilers Assistant Glen Gulutzan has been offered the job according to reports.

The 53-year-old was the Stars bench boss from 2011-2013.

In addition, the Vegas Golden Knights have traded restricted free-agent defenceman Nicolas Hague to the Nashville Predators.

Hague then signed a four-year, $22 million extension with the Predators.

The Golden Knights will receive defenceman Jeremy Lauzon and forward Colton Sissons in return.

Matthew Knies will remain in a Maple Leafs sweater for the long-haul. The forward re-signed in Toronto for six years worth $46.5 million dollars.

MLB

The Toronto Blue Jays host the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre.

The Jays sit with a rank of 45-38, third in the American League East.

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Cranbrook’s Public Works Parks team has planted 28 new trees around the community, thanks to an $8,000 Re-Greening Grant from BC Hydro.

The City says the new trees replaced those in key areas, including Gyro Park, Moir Park, Lions Park, the Arches Garden and along the 10th Avenue sidewalk.

Staff say planting new trees is essential for creating a healthy urban forest, enhancing beauty in the community and improving the local environment.

“We are extremely appreciative of the funding provided by BC Hydro through the Re-Greening Grant. Without their support, these important planting initiatives would not be possible. I’d also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our hardworking Parks Team and equipment operators for their dedication in this year’s planting project,” says Heather Gemmell, Arborist and Horticulturist with the City of Cranbrook.

“Establishing a healthy urban forest is a priority for us, ensuring that residents can enjoy vibrant green spaces for generations to come.”

City officials say urban forests are vital for community beauty, livability and environmental sustainability.

“Trees play a critical role in carbon sequestration, helping to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and clean our environment,” said the City.

“They improve air quality, mitigate climate change effects, reduce urban heat, and create serene spaces for recreation and relaxation.”

Money from BC Hydro’s Re-Greening Grant program is used to enhance community green spaces, developing healthy urban environments.

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As people head to the water this summer, Island Health urges you to be water safe.

In an Accidental Drowning Deaths report by the BC Coroners Service, Island Health saw 23 fatal drownings last year, higher than the 11-year historical average of 17 drownings.

The Lifesaving Society of BC & Yukon says 80 percent of drownings happen in bodies of water like lakes and rivers, with the health authority adding that drowning deaths are most likely to happen in the summer, especially in July, August, and on weekends.

“People at higher risk of drownings including males, people with underlying medical conditions, such as seizures, people with autism spectrum disorder and newcomers to Canada,” said Island Health.

Injury Prevention Lead Neil Arason says with the weather getting warmer, it’s important for people to learn how to swim, as lessons might lower the risk of drowning in children under four years old.

“Swimming skills are just one part of a robust safety plan, that also includes close, constant, attentive supervision, and learning lifesaving skills,” said Arason.

To prevent drownings, Island Health, along with the Lifesaving Society, are offering free Swim to Survive Programs to those in remote and underserved areas.

The programs would teach you the skills needed to survive an unexpected fall into deep waters, with plans to roll out sessions across communities this summer.

To stay water safe, the health authority asks you to not only learn swimming, but to also keep young kids within arm’s reach, stay sober, and wear a Lifejacket.

More tips can be found here.

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A new study led by UNBC researcher Dr. Brian Menounos has found glaciers in Western Canada and Switzerland are disappearing at a record setting pace.

The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal, Geophysical Research Letters, and reveal an alarming acceleration in glacier melt rates between 2021 and 2024.

According to the study, glaciers in western Canada and the conterminous United States lost approximately 22.2 gigatonnes of ice per year during the four year span.

“Even against the backdrop of rapid glacier loss since the start of this century, what we’re witnessing now is unprecedented,” Menounos said.

“The melt rates over the last four years far exceed anything we’ve observed in the past six decades, posing serious implications for freshwater availability, increased geohazard risks and the loss of cultural and tourism values tied to mountain landscapes.”

In both western Canada and Switzerland, researchers identified a combination of factors driving the record losses: low winter snow accumulations, early-season heat waves and prolonged warm, dry conditions.

“We’re seeing the effects of meteorological events compounding one another – these conditions rapidly depleted snowpacks, exposing darker glacier ice and firn – multiyear snow – which can absorb more energy from sunlight and further accelerate melting,” Menounos said. 

“We believe these firn and ice surfaces are becoming darker from deposition of ash in Western North America and Saharan dust in Europe.  Unfortunately, this darkening provides unhelpful feedback in a warming climate that will allow high melt rates to continue.”

The researchers are advocating for improved, next-generation physical models that better represent the response of glaciers to extreme weather events and processes like surface impurity deposition from dust and wildfires.

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ICBC says it’s best to leave tailgating for football and off the roads.

According to a new ICBC survey by Ipsos, 77 per cent of drivers admit to tailgating or following too closely behind a vehicle on occasion, but 86 per cent also say being tailgated makes them feel frustrated, scared, angry, or even intimidated.

When asked why they tailgate, half of respondents said it’s because the driver ahead is travelling below the speed limit, while 30 per cent blame slower drivers in the fast lane. Additionally, 17 per cent admitted they tailgate to block others from cutting in, and 16 per cent said they’re in a rush to get where they’re going.

The survey also states city streets are the most common place for tailgating, with 84 per cent of drivers saying it happens there, while 82 per cent reported it on highways.

“Every time you get behind the wheel, you’re sharing the road, and how you drive affects everyone around you,” said ICBC Road Safety Program Manager Kathleen Nadalin.

“Tailgating isn’t just aggressive, it’s dangerous. It cuts your reaction time, increases your risk of a crash, and puts pressure on the driver ahead. A safe following distance isn’t just a courtesy, it’s a critical part of keeping everyone safe. Remember, the only place tailgating is fun is at a football game, not on the road.”

According to ICBC, rear-end crashes are one of the most common types of collisions reported to ICBC, with tailgating often being a contributing factor. The insurance corporation said more than 57,000 rear-end collisions were reported last year alone.

While many drivers admitted to tailgating, even more recognized the importance of maintaining a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of them.

95 per cent of drivers surveyed said they are likely to maintain a following distance of at least two seconds when driving at 50 kilometres per hour or less on city streets, while 92 per cent stated they’re likely to keep at least a three-second gap when traveling at 80 kilometres per hour or more.

More results from the survey can be found here.

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Sports by Darin, as of 6:00 am, Sunday, June 29th:

NHL Draft:

Three players with Prince George connections were taken in this year’s NHL Draft.

Josh Ravensbergen was the second netminder of the board Friday during the first round, going 30th overall to the San Jose Sharks.

“It feels absolutely unbelievable”

pic.twitter.com/am9XASvWI2

— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) June 28, 2025

Cougars forward Aiden Foster went 127th in the 4th round to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Back at it

We’ve selected Aiden Foster 127th overall!#NHLDraft | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/1UOifFfKgt

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 28, 2025

Prince George’s Cameron Schmidt went 94th to the Dallas Stars.

Back at it

We’ve selected Aiden Foster 127th overall!#NHLDraft | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/1UOifFfKgt

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 28, 2025

 MLB:

The New York Mets have sent PG’s Jared Young back down to Syracuse.

We have made the following roster moves. pic.twitter.com/PqFQhHOgYW

— New York Mets (@Mets) June 27, 2025

Young posted a .171 average over 18 games with the Mets, tallying seven hits, including three home runs, over 41 at bats.

Boston Red Sox  15  Toronto Blue Jays  1

The Blue Jays (44-38) are third in the AL East.

CFL:

Saskatchewan Roughriders  37  BC Lions  18

One Sunday game:

Toronto Argonauts @ Ottawa Redblacks (4:00 pm)

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Campbell River developers will be facing a big jump in the cost of home construction.

City council endorsed proposed development cost charges (DCCs) at its Thursday (June 26) meeting.

For a single family home, the cost to build would go from roughly $5,600 to $24,000 per lot.

There are also increases proposed for town homes (nearly $14,000 per unit) and apartment complexes ($117 per square meter of ground floor area).

The fees are calculated based on future infrastructure needs and Councillor Susan Sinnott wonders if some of the plans are realistic like protected bike lanes on Rockland Road.

“It’s $52 million in transportation so I definitely want some time for council to be more clear about the actual transportation plan and what’s realistic and beneficial to the community,” Sinnott said.

While the city will consult with stakeholders next month after endorsing the plan, Councillor Ron Kerr believes consultation should have happened first.

“It feels kind of ass backwards. I mean, I’ve already got comment from the development community. Especially when you look at low density housing, the price, I mean we’re trying to encourage more housing and we’re going to be throwing $20,000 on to the price of the house,” Kerr said.

The Local Government Act allows the city to waive or reduce DCCs for non-profit affordable housing, for-profit rental housing and environmentally friendly housing.

Mayor Kermit Dahl said he was “pretty happy” with the draft rates, which would leave Campbell River as “one of the lowest (cost) communities to do development in.”

“Somebody has to fund the infrastructure upgrades and maintenance and that money has to come from somewhere,” Dahl said.

The mayor said developers have been “grossly undercharged” in the past.

The last time development charges were updated was 15 years ago. They are supposed to be updated every three to five years.

After consultation, council is expected to give first three readings to the bylaw in September and submit the DCCs to the province for approval. The bylaw can be adopted once the ministry gives its okay.

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Local communities will be better prepared for emergencies thanks to new funding.

On Thursday, The Strathcona Regional District was awarded $360,000 from this year’s Emergency Operation Centre grant, with the money to help improve emergency preparedness and response capabilities for communities in the Strathcona region.

With this funding, the district says it can buy high-frequency radio equipment, get specialized training, and hire disaster communications technicians.

“These upgrades will expand the reach of the DisasterNet BC network, linking six more communities to a secure, provincewide emergency communications system,” said the district.

“DisasterNet BC operates on commercial high frequency radio channels that are licensed and interference-protected, providing reliable communications even when cellular or internet networks fail.”

It adds by expanding access to this system, it can support rapid responses during any emergencies and disasters.

The grant will also be used to improve virtual meeting infrastructure for the city of Campbell River and Village of Sayward, bring an upgraded server for the Village of Gold River municipal hall, and add extra hours for part-time Emergency liaisons in participating villages and First Nations.

District Chair Mark Baker hopes this can make communities more connected and resilient in the face of disasters.

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A workshop about protecting shorelines returns to Powell River next month.

The qathet Regional District has announced the Green Shores Level 1 Workshop, an event where you’ll get to learn how to use nature-based solutions to protect the shoreline from coastal flooding and erosion while protecting habitats and ecosystems.

The free workshop will introduce you to basic shoreline ecosystem principles and management practices, with a focus on what threatens a shoreline, shoreline governance, and the Green Shores program.

The University of Victoria, who is running this event, say it’ll end with a group discussion on how to implement concepts and put what participants have learned into practice.

They hope by the end of the workshop, you can explain what makes these ecosystems valuable, identify examples of shoreline improvements, and outline responsibilities, among other goals.

They say you need to register for this event, with space only available for 20 participants.

The event runs in Powell River on July 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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The BC SPCA is reminding Prince George and area residents that they’re still supporting the city with animal services, despite the North Cariboo community animal centre closure.

Since the closure at the end of 2024, the service model delivery had to be adapted to ensure needs are still being met in the community.

“It allowed us an opportunity to focus on some other key areas of being able to keep pet guardians and their pets together, or support them when maybe they’re struggling.” said Senior Manager of Community Services, Jamey Blair.

“It’s been a good shift for us to be able to focus on those areas.”

The SPCA also has its Pet Food Bank Program in PG, working with four organizations serving various social services needs and supply their clients with pet food.

Those organizations include:

• Prince George Native Friendship Centre
• Salvation Army Prince George
• Positive Living North
• Society of St. Vincent de Paul Prince George

Blair said they also have the Community Spay and Neuter Program, which aims to reduce cost barriers for pet owners.

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Day two of the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles has a bit more Prince George connection.

Aiden Foster is the second Prince George Cougar taken in the draft with pick 127 by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 4th round.

AIDEN FOSTER

127th to the Tampa Bay Lightning!#NHLDraft • #ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/zJKLOWeAbC

— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) June 28, 2025

Foster is coming off of a 68 game season, putting up 20 points (11 goals 9 assists).

Goaltender Josh Ravensbergen was the first Cougar off the board, drafted 30th overall by the San Jose Sharks.

Forward Cameron Schmidt of the Vancouver Giants, who is from Prince George, went in the 3rd round, 94^th overall to the Dallas Stars.

With the 94th pick in the #NHLDraft, we’ve selected Cameron Schmidt of the Vancouver Giants!

Welcome to #TexasHockey, Cameron Schmidt! pic.twitter.com/ro3pjNV6WI

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) June 28, 2025

Schmidt finished the 2024-25 season with 78 points (40 goals 38 assists) in 61 games.

Current list of draft picks can be found here.

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Residents are reminded to save water this summer, as Stage 2 water restrictions take effect Tuesday.

The Comox Valley Regional District says restrictions will be in place for the Comox Valley, Black Creek-Oyster Bay, and Union Bay Water Systems.

The goal of these restrictions is to conserve water and ensure the water systems can handle peak summer demand.

The district says for the Valley, even-numbered homes can water between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. and between 8:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Saturdays. For those living in odd-numbered homes, you can water in these same hours only on Wednesdays and Sundays.

“In June 2025, the Comox Valley Regional District Board approved a 25% reduction to these watering times to help further reduce overall water consumption during the dry summer months,” said the CVRD.

“Watering times for the Black Creek-Oyster Bay and Union Bay Water Systems will remain the same from 6:00am – 8:00am and 8:00pm – 10:00pm on the designated days.”

They add that District and City of Courtenay Bylaw teams will patrol areas, issuing warnings and tickets starting at $100 to those not following the restrictions.

Restrictions start July 1.

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Many events look to celebrate Canada Day across the Island and Coast.

Municipalities and recreation staff on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast have announced events and activities that aim to bring people together to celebrate the country turning 158 years old this Tuesday.

In Courtenay, the city says they’ll begin festivities with the Night Before Concert on June 30.

“The evening kicks off with Indigenous and multicultural performances, followed by The English Brothers, a high-energy duo known for their mix of folk, country and classic rock,” said the City.

“Headlining the concert is Jeff Plankenhorn, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and slide guitar player whose roots rock and Americana style has earned international recognition.”

They say vendors and food trucks will be included, with the concert running at Lewis Park from 4:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday sees a Canada Day Parade starting down 5th Street from Menzies Avenue to Lewis Park at 10:00 a.m., followed by a kids zone at Lewis Park and a free bike draw at 3:00 p.m.

For Campbell River, the community will have access to a Canada Day Marketplace at 11:00 a.m., a Rotary parade at 4:00 p.m., opening ceremonies and cake at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks from the Quality Foods Festival of Lights at 10:22 p.m. All of these events take place at Robert Ostler Park.

Powell River will celebrate with an event at Willingdon Beach, with live music, entertainment, three bouncy castles, jouster, face painting, vendors, games, activities, and fireworks included.

The city says a free park and ride shuttle will take you from Town Centre Mall to the beach starting at 6:15 p.m. The event runs from 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Port Hardy residents can take part in face painting, bouncy castles, a watermelon eating competition, games, activities and more from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m at Carrot Park.

Nanaimo’s event will have live music, a kid & family zone, a cultural community stage, and a food zone at Maffeo Sutton Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For the Cowichan Valley, a Canada Day celebration will take place at Mesachie Lake Community Hall in Lake Cowichan. It includes music, dancing, arts & crafts, kids games, concession, and birthday cupcakes, running from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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Many events look to celebrate Canada Day across the Island and Coast.

Municipalities and recreation staff on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast have announced events and activities that aim to bring people together to celebrate the country turning 158 years old this Tuesday.

In Courtenay, the city says they’ll begin festivities with the Night Before Concert on June 30.

“The evening kicks off with Indigenous and multicultural performances, followed by The English Brothers, a high-energy duo known for their mix of folk, country and classic rock,” said the City.

“Headlining the concert is Jeff Plankenhorn, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and slide guitar player whose roots rock and Americana style has earned international recognition.”

They say vendors and food trucks will be included, with the concert running at Lewis Park from 4:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday sees a Canada Day Parade starting down 5th Street from Menzies Avenue to Lewis Park at 10:00 a.m., followed by a kids zone at Lewis Park and a free bike draw at 3:00 p.m.

For Campbell River, the community will have access to a Canada Day Marketplace at 11:00 a.m., a Rotary parade at 4:00 p.m., opening ceremonies and cake at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks from the Quality Foods Festival of Lights at 10:22 p.m. All of these events take place at Robert Ostler Park.

Powell River will celebrate with an event at Willingdon Beach, with live music, entertainment, three bouncy castles, jouster, face painting, vendors, games, activities, and fireworks included.

The city says a free park and ride shuttle will take you from Town Centre Mall to the beach starting at 6:15 p.m. The event runs from 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Port Hardy residents can take part in face painting, bouncy castles, a watermelon eating competition, games, activities and more from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m at Carrot Park.

Nanaimo’s event will have live music, a kid & family zone, a cultural community stage, and a food zone at Maffeo Sutton Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For the Cowichan Valley, a Canada Day celebration will take place at Mesachie Lake Community Hall in Lake Cowichan. It includes music, dancing, arts & crafts, kids games, concession, and birthday cupcakes, running from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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Many events look to celebrate Canada Day across the Island and Coast.

Municipalities and recreation staff on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast have announced events and activities that aim to bring people together to celebrate the country turning 158 years old this Tuesday.

In Courtenay, the city says they’ll begin festivities with the Night Before Concert on June 30.

“The evening kicks off with Indigenous and multicultural performances, followed by The English Brothers, a high-energy duo known for their mix of folk, country and classic rock,” said the City.

“Headlining the concert is Jeff Plankenhorn, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and slide guitar player whose roots rock and Americana style has earned international recognition.”

They say vendors and food trucks will be included, with the concert running at Lewis Park from 4:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday sees a Canada Day Parade starting down 5th Street from Menzies Avenue to Lewis Park at 10:00 a.m., followed by a kids zone at Lewis Park and a free bike draw at 3:00 p.m.

For Campbell River, the community will have access to a Canada Day Marketplace at 11:00 a.m., a Rotary parade at 4:00 p.m., opening ceremonies and cake at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks from the Quality Foods Festival of Lights at 10:22 p.m. All of these events take place at Robert Ostler Park.

Powell River will celebrate with an event at Willingdon Beach, with live music, entertainment, three bouncy castles, jouster, face painting, vendors, games, activities, and fireworks included.

The city says a free park and ride shuttle will take you from Town Centre Mall to the beach starting at 6:15 p.m. The event runs from 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Port Hardy residents can take part in face painting, bouncy castles, a watermelon eating competition, games, activities and more from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m at Carrot Park.

Nanaimo’s event will have live music, a kid & family zone, a cultural community stage, and a food zone at Maffeo Sutton Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For the Cowichan Valley, a Canada Day celebration will take place at Mesachie Lake Community Hall in Lake Cowichan. It includes music, dancing, arts & crafts, kids games, concession, and birthday cupcakes, running from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The post Several Canada Day events announced across Island & Coast appeared first on My Cowichan Valley Now.

This post was originally published on My Cowichan Valley Now

Many events look to celebrate Canada Day across the Island and Coast.

Municipalities and recreation staff on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast have announced events and activities that aim to bring people together to celebrate the country turning 158 years old this Tuesday.

In Courtenay, the city says they’ll begin festivities with the Night Before Concert on June 30.

“The evening kicks off with Indigenous and multicultural performances, followed by The English Brothers, a high-energy duo known for their mix of folk, country and classic rock,” said the City.

“Headlining the concert is Jeff Plankenhorn, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and slide guitar player whose roots rock and Americana style has earned international recognition.”

They say vendors and food trucks will be included, with the concert running at Lewis Park from 4:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday sees a Canada Day Parade starting down 5th Street from Menzies Avenue to Lewis Park at 10:00 a.m., followed by a kids zone at Lewis Park and a free bike draw at 3:00 p.m.

For Campbell River, the community will have access to a Canada Day Marketplace at 11:00 a.m., a Rotary parade at 4:00 p.m., opening ceremonies and cake at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks from the Quality Foods Festival of Lights at 10:22 p.m. All of these events take place at Robert Ostler Park.

Powell River will celebrate with an event at Willingdon Beach, with live music, entertainment, three bouncy castles, jouster, face painting, vendors, games, activities, and fireworks included.

The city says a free park and ride shuttle will take you from Town Centre Mall to the beach starting at 6:15 p.m. The event runs from 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Port Hardy residents can take part in face painting, bouncy castles, a watermelon eating competition, games, activities and more from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m at Carrot Park.

Nanaimo’s event will have live music, a kid & family zone, a cultural community stage, and a food zone at Maffeo Sutton Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For the Cowichan Valley, a Canada Day celebration will take place at Mesachie Lake Community Hall in Lake Cowichan. It includes music, dancing, arts & crafts, kids games, concession, and birthday cupcakes, running from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The post Several Canada Day events announced across Island & Coast appeared first on My Comox Valley Now.

This post was originally published on My Comox Valley Now

Many events look to celebrate Canada Day across the Island and Coast.

Municipalities and recreation staff on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast have announced events and activities that aim to bring people together to celebrate the country turning 158 years old this Tuesday.

In Courtenay, the city says they’ll begin festivities with the Night Before Concert on June 30.

“The evening kicks off with Indigenous and multicultural performances, followed by The English Brothers, a high-energy duo known for their mix of folk, country and classic rock,” said the City.

“Headlining the concert is Jeff Plankenhorn, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and slide guitar player whose roots rock and Americana style has earned international recognition.”

They say vendors and food trucks will be included, with the concert running at Lewis Park from 4:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday sees a Canada Day Parade starting down 5th Street from Menzies Avenue to Lewis Park at 10:00 a.m., followed by a kids zone at Lewis Park and a free bike draw at 3:00 p.m.

For Campbell River, the community will have access to a Canada Day Marketplace at 11:00 a.m., a Rotary parade at 4:00 p.m., opening ceremonies and cake at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks from the Quality Foods Festival of Lights at 10:22 p.m. All of these events take place at Robert Ostler Park.

Powell River will celebrate with an event at Willingdon Beach, with live music, entertainment, three bouncy castles, jouster, face painting, vendors, games, activities, and fireworks included.

The city says a free park and ride shuttle will take you from Town Centre Mall to the beach starting at 6:15 p.m. The event runs from 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Port Hardy residents can take part in face painting, bouncy castles, a watermelon eating competition, games, activities and more from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m at Carrot Park.

Nanaimo’s event will have live music, a kid & family zone, a cultural community stage, and a food zone at Maffeo Sutton Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For the Cowichan Valley, a Canada Day celebration will take place at Mesachie Lake Community Hall in Lake Cowichan. It includes music, dancing, arts & crafts, kids games, concession, and birthday cupcakes, running from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The post Several Canada Day events announced across Island & Coast appeared first on My Powell River Now.

This post was originally published on My Powell River Now

Many events look to celebrate Canada Day across the Island and Coast.

Municipalities and recreation staff on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast have announced events and activities that aim to bring people together to celebrate the country turning 158 years old this Tuesday.

In Courtenay, the city says they’ll begin festivities with the Night Before Concert on June 30.

“The evening kicks off with Indigenous and multicultural performances, followed by The English Brothers, a high-energy duo known for their mix of folk, country and classic rock,” said the City.

“Headlining the concert is Jeff Plankenhorn, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and slide guitar player whose roots rock and Americana style has earned international recognition.”

They say vendors and food trucks will be included, with the concert running at Lewis Park from 4:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday sees a Canada Day Parade starting down 5th Street from Menzies Avenue to Lewis Park at 10:00 a.m., followed by a kids zone at Lewis Park and a free bike draw at 3:00 p.m.

For Campbell River, the community will have access to a Canada Day Marketplace at 11:00 a.m., a Rotary parade at 4:00 p.m., opening ceremonies and cake at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks from the Quality Foods Festival of Lights at 10:22 p.m. All of these events take place at Robert Ostler Park.

Powell River will celebrate with an event at Willingdon Beach, with live music, entertainment, three bouncy castles, jouster, face painting, vendors, games, activities, and fireworks included.

The city says a free park and ride shuttle will take you from Town Centre Mall to the beach starting at 6:15 p.m. The event runs from 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Port Hardy residents can take part in face painting, bouncy castles, a watermelon eating competition, games, activities and more from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m at Carrot Park.

Nanaimo’s event will have live music, a kid & family zone, a cultural community stage, and a food zone at Maffeo Sutton Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For the Cowichan Valley, a Canada Day celebration will take place at Mesachie Lake Community Hall in Lake Cowichan. It includes music, dancing, arts & crafts, kids games, concession, and birthday cupcakes, running from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The post Several Canada Day events announced across Island & Coast appeared first on My Campbell River Now.

This post was originally published on My Campbell River Now

Many events look to celebrate Canada Day across the Island and Coast.

Municipalities and recreation staff on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast have announced events and activities that aim to bring people together to celebrate the country turning 158 years old this Tuesday.

In Courtenay, the city says they’ll begin festivities with the Night Before Concert on June 30.

“The evening kicks off with Indigenous and multicultural performances, followed by The English Brothers, a high-energy duo known for their mix of folk, country and classic rock,” said the City.

“Headlining the concert is Jeff Plankenhorn, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and slide guitar player whose roots rock and Americana style has earned international recognition.”

They say vendors and food trucks will be included, with the concert running at Lewis Park from 4:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday sees a Canada Day Parade starting down 5th Street from Menzies Avenue to Lewis Park at 10:00 a.m., followed by a kids zone at Lewis Park and a free bike draw at 3:00 p.m.

For Campbell River, the community will have access to a Canada Day Marketplace at 11:00 a.m., a Rotary parade at 4:00 p.m., opening ceremonies and cake at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks from the Quality Foods Festival of Lights at 10:22 p.m. All of these events take place at Robert Ostler Park.

Powell River will celebrate with an event at Willingdon Beach, with live music, entertainment, three bouncy castles, jouster, face painting, vendors, games, activities, and fireworks included.

The city says a free park and ride shuttle will take you from Town Centre Mall to the beach starting at 6:15 p.m. The event runs from 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Port Hardy residents can take part in face painting, bouncy castles, a watermelon eating competition, games, activities and more from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m at Carrot Park.

Nanaimo’s event will have live music, a kid & family zone, a cultural community stage, and a food zone at Maffeo Sutton Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For the Cowichan Valley, a Canada Day celebration will take place at Mesachie Lake Community Hall in Lake Cowichan. It includes music, dancing, arts & crafts, kids games, concession, and birthday cupcakes, running from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The post Several Canada Day events announced across Island & Coast appeared first on My Comox Valley Now.

This post was originally published on My Comox Valley Now

Many events look to celebrate Canada Day across the Island and Coast.

Municipalities and recreation staff on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast have announced events and activities that aim to bring people together to celebrate the country turning 158 years old this Tuesday.

In Courtenay, the city says they’ll begin festivities with the Night Before Concert on June 30.

“The evening kicks off with Indigenous and multicultural performances, followed by The English Brothers, a high-energy duo known for their mix of folk, country and classic rock,” said the City.

“Headlining the concert is Jeff Plankenhorn, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and slide guitar player whose roots rock and Americana style has earned international recognition.”

They say vendors and food trucks will be included, with the concert running at Lewis Park from 4:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday sees a Canada Day Parade starting down 5th Street from Menzies Avenue to Lewis Park at 10:00 a.m., followed by a kids zone at Lewis Park and a free bike draw at 3:00 p.m.

For Campbell River, the community will have access to a Canada Day Marketplace at 11:00 a.m., a Rotary parade at 4:00 p.m., opening ceremonies and cake at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks from the Quality Foods Festival of Lights at 10:22 p.m. All of these events take place at Robert Ostler Park.

Powell River will celebrate with an event at Willingdon Beach, with live music, entertainment, three bouncy castles, jouster, face painting, vendors, games, activities, and fireworks included.

The city says a free park and ride shuttle will take you from Town Centre Mall to the beach starting at 6:15 p.m. The event runs from 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Port Hardy residents can take part in face painting, bouncy castles, a watermelon eating competition, games, activities and more from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m at Carrot Park.

Nanaimo’s event will have live music, a kid & family zone, a cultural community stage, and a food zone at Maffeo Sutton Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For the Cowichan Valley, a Canada Day celebration will take place at Mesachie Lake Community Hall in Lake Cowichan. It includes music, dancing, arts & crafts, kids games, concession, and birthday cupcakes, running from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The post Several Canada Day events announced across Island & Coast appeared first on My Campbell River Now.

This post was originally published on My Campbell River Now

Many events look to celebrate Canada Day across the Island and Coast.

Municipalities and recreation staff on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast have announced events and activities that aim to bring people together to celebrate the country turning 158 years old this Tuesday.

In Courtenay, the city says they’ll begin festivities with the Night Before Concert on June 30.

“The evening kicks off with Indigenous and multicultural performances, followed by The English Brothers, a high-energy duo known for their mix of folk, country and classic rock,” said the City.

“Headlining the concert is Jeff Plankenhorn, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and slide guitar player whose roots rock and Americana style has earned international recognition.”

They say vendors and food trucks will be included, with the concert running at Lewis Park from 4:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday sees a Canada Day Parade starting down 5th Street from Menzies Avenue to Lewis Park at 10:00 a.m., followed by a kids zone at Lewis Park and a free bike draw at 3:00 p.m.

For Campbell River, the community will have access to a Canada Day Marketplace at 11:00 a.m., a Rotary parade at 4:00 p.m., opening ceremonies and cake at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks from the Quality Foods Festival of Lights at 10:22 p.m. All of these events take place at Robert Ostler Park.

Powell River will celebrate with an event at Willingdon Beach, with live music, entertainment, three bouncy castles, jouster, face painting, vendors, games, activities, and fireworks included.

The city says a free park and ride shuttle will take you from Town Centre Mall to the beach starting at 6:15 p.m. The event runs from 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Port Hardy residents can take part in face painting, bouncy castles, a watermelon eating competition, games, activities and more from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m at Carrot Park.

Nanaimo’s event will have live music, a kid & family zone, a cultural community stage, and a food zone at Maffeo Sutton Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For the Cowichan Valley, a Canada Day celebration will take place at Mesachie Lake Community Hall in Lake Cowichan. It includes music, dancing, arts & crafts, kids games, concession, and birthday cupcakes, running from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The post Several Canada Day events announced across Island & Coast appeared first on My Tri-Port Now.

This post was originally published on My Tri-Port Now

Many events look to celebrate Canada Day across the Island and Coast.

Municipalities and recreation staff on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast have announced events and activities that aim to bring people together to celebrate the country turning 158 years old this Tuesday.

In Courtenay, the city says they’ll begin festivities with the Night Before Concert on June 30.

“The evening kicks off with Indigenous and multicultural performances, followed by The English Brothers, a high-energy duo known for their mix of folk, country and classic rock,” said the City.

“Headlining the concert is Jeff Plankenhorn, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and slide guitar player whose roots rock and Americana style has earned international recognition.”

They say vendors and food trucks will be included, with the concert running at Lewis Park from 4:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday sees a Canada Day Parade starting down 5th Street from Menzies Avenue to Lewis Park at 10:00 a.m., followed by a kids zone at Lewis Park and a free bike draw at 3:00 p.m.

For Campbell River, the community will have access to a Canada Day Marketplace at 11:00 a.m., a Rotary parade at 4:00 p.m., opening ceremonies and cake at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks from the Quality Foods Festival of Lights at 10:22 p.m. All of these events take place at Robert Ostler Park.

Powell River will celebrate with an event at Willingdon Beach, with live music, entertainment, three bouncy castles, jouster, face painting, vendors, games, activities, and fireworks included.

The city says a free park and ride shuttle will take you from Town Centre Mall to the beach starting at 6:15 p.m. The event runs from 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Port Hardy residents can take part in face painting, bouncy castles, a watermelon eating competition, games, activities and more from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m at Carrot Park.

Nanaimo’s event will have live music, a kid & family zone, a cultural community stage, and a food zone at Maffeo Sutton Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For the Cowichan Valley, a Canada Day celebration will take place at Mesachie Lake Community Hall in Lake Cowichan. It includes music, dancing, arts & crafts, kids games, concession, and birthday cupcakes, running from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The post Several Canada Day events announced across Island & Coast appeared first on My Powell River Now.

This post was originally published on My Powell River Now

Many events look to celebrate Canada Day across the Island and Coast.

Municipalities and recreation staff on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast have announced events and activities that aim to bring people together to celebrate the country turning 158 years old this Tuesday.

In Courtenay, the city says they’ll begin festivities with the Night Before Concert on June 30.

“The evening kicks off with Indigenous and multicultural performances, followed by The English Brothers, a high-energy duo known for their mix of folk, country and classic rock,” said the City.

“Headlining the concert is Jeff Plankenhorn, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and slide guitar player whose roots rock and Americana style has earned international recognition.”

They say vendors and food trucks will be included, with the concert running at Lewis Park from 4:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday sees a Canada Day Parade starting down 5th Street from Menzies Avenue to Lewis Park at 10:00 a.m., followed by a kids zone at Lewis Park and a free bike draw at 3:00 p.m.

For Campbell River, the community will have access to a Canada Day Marketplace at 11:00 a.m., a Rotary parade at 4:00 p.m., opening ceremonies and cake at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks from the Quality Foods Festival of Lights at 10:22 p.m. All of these events take place at Robert Ostler Park.

Powell River will celebrate with an event at Willingdon Beach, with live music, entertainment, three bouncy castles, jouster, face painting, vendors, games, activities, and fireworks included.

The city says a free park and ride shuttle will take you from Town Centre Mall to the beach starting at 6:15 p.m. The event runs from 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Port Hardy residents can take part in face painting, bouncy castles, a watermelon eating competition, games, activities and more from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m at Carrot Park.

Nanaimo’s event will have live music, a kid & family zone, a cultural community stage, and a food zone at Maffeo Sutton Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For the Cowichan Valley, a Canada Day celebration will take place at Mesachie Lake Community Hall in Lake Cowichan. It includes music, dancing, arts & crafts, kids games, concession, and birthday cupcakes, running from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The post Several Canada Day events announced across Island & Coast appeared first on My Coast Now.

This post was originally published on My Coast Now

Many events look to celebrate Canada Day across the Island and Coast.

Municipalities and recreation staff on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast have announced events and activities that aim to bring people together to celebrate the country turning 158 years old this Tuesday.

In Courtenay, the city says they’ll begin festivities with the Night Before Concert on June 30.

“The evening kicks off with Indigenous and multicultural performances, followed by The English Brothers, a high-energy duo known for their mix of folk, country and classic rock,” said the City.

“Headlining the concert is Jeff Plankenhorn, an acclaimed singer-songwriter and slide guitar player whose roots rock and Americana style has earned international recognition.”

They say vendors and food trucks will be included, with the concert running at Lewis Park from 4:15 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday sees a Canada Day Parade starting down 5th Street from Menzies Avenue to Lewis Park at 10:00 a.m., followed by a kids zone at Lewis Park and a free bike draw at 3:00 p.m.

For Campbell River, the community will have access to a Canada Day Marketplace at 11:00 a.m., a Rotary parade at 4:00 p.m., opening ceremonies and cake at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks from the Quality Foods Festival of Lights at 10:22 p.m. All of these events take place at Robert Ostler Park.

Powell River will celebrate with an event at Willingdon Beach, with live music, entertainment, three bouncy castles, jouster, face painting, vendors, games, activities, and fireworks included.

The city says a free park and ride shuttle will take you from Town Centre Mall to the beach starting at 6:15 p.m. The event runs from 3:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Port Hardy residents can take part in face painting, bouncy castles, a watermelon eating competition, games, activities and more from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m at Carrot Park.

Nanaimo’s event will have live music, a kid & family zone, a cultural community stage, and a food zone at Maffeo Sutton Park from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

For the Cowichan Valley, a Canada Day celebration will take place at Mesachie Lake Community Hall in Lake Cowichan. It includes music, dancing, arts & crafts, kids games, concession, and birthday cupcakes, running from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The post Several Canada Day events announced across Island & Coast appeared first on My Cowichan Valley Now.

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The rain didn’t stop the first campers, visitors, and artists from making the first day of the ArtsWells Festival feel like it had never left.

The Festival makes its return to the community after a six-year hiatus. With a welcoming ceremony thanking all the founders who started the festival back in 2004, to everyone who worked hard putting together this year’s festival.

“It feels great to have it back,” says Ed Coleman, the Mayor of the District of Wells. “It’s got a good vibe to the start of it, moving it to this Canada Day, Dominion Day long weekend, it’s working well already.”

The opening ceremony took place in one of Wells’ newly constructed buildings, the outdoor log Community Forest Stage, a brand new addition to the town. The ceremony started promptly at 6 pm ‘Wells Time’. Everyone was excited and happy to be back.

Lhtako Dene Elder Bryant Paul opened the festival with a prayer and words on the importance of community. Following Elder Paul, an elder from the Boneparte First Nations led a drumming to bless the festival and everyone attending.

The Festival will span the weekend with dozens of artists from around the province and country performing in the historic buildings of Wells.

“Island Mountain Arts, Elyssia Sasaki, has done this so well since 2004, they know how to tap into whole music and arts industry,” Coleman says. “It is remarkable the talent that gets here, and we get the benefit as a community.”

Coleman adds that just on the first evening of the festival, he’s already met people from the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Saskatchewan, on top of people from south of the province who made the journey up to Wells.

After the ceremony, the festival goers had a chance to walk around Wells, and find the other venue locations, before Mivule took to the Community Forest Stage to perform.

A full list of the artists, games, venues, and more can be found on ArtsWells’ website.

The post ArtsWells ‘Feels Great to be Back’ After Time Away appeared first on My Cariboo Now.

This post was originally published on My Cariboo Now

The move of the temporary homeless shelter to Riverside Dr has reduced the amount crime in downtown Trail.

A member of the Downtown Trail Improvement Committee made the comment to city council while going through the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Report.

Ron Perepolkin pointed out some criminal activity has moved with the shelter.

“It’s died down a bit because police are monitoring it more, but there was instances of drug dealing there,” he stated, but noted a significant improvement.

“It’s not the same level that is was downtown and certainly it’s not really impacting much out there,” Perepolkin explained.

The report makes almost 150 recommendations, including a great many calling for improved lighting.

Criminologist Dr. Bryan Kinney said better illumination at the entrance to stairways heading to West Trail could highlight the heritage structures.

He told council lighting could turn them into public attractions.

Kinney also commented on the soon-to-be demolished buildings in the downtown.

He feels making the spaces at the old Liquidation World location on Spokane St and the former medical clinic on Helena St into temporary parking could make the land attractive to developers.

“Parking is a solid short term gap, probably would require the least engineering,” he explained.

“And then it would be a flat and usable place to start with for the next stages, encouraging people to build on ” Dr. Kinney added.

“If it’s already kind of developed, then it might just make it easier for people to vision or think about new projects,” he concluded.

The Vice President of Operations for the company doing the work said  demolition will start once the abatement process is completed.

Garrett White of Local Industrial told My Kootenay Now.com he expected to start taking the buildings down by about mid-July.

City staff say contractors have removed 26 metric tons of asbestos and well over four tons of recyclable material from old medical clinic.

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Mount Sentinel Secondary School (MSS) graduate Phoenix Allen has been named a 2025 Schulich Leader, securing a $100,000 scholarship to study math at Queens University. 

Allen is one of only 100 students across Canada to receive the prestigious STEM-focused award, given annually to Canada’s top entrepreneurial-minded high school graduates pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. 

“My main area of interest is Mathematics and Computer Science, and I’m excited to attend Queen’s University this fall to pursue my bachelor’s degree,” said Allen. 

 “The Schulich Leader Scholarship focuses on building the next leaders in the applied application of a science within a field rather than academic research. My goal is to work in the development of creative technology that makes a difference in people’s lives.” 

The Schulich Leader scholarships are awarded to graduating high school students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement, leadership, and potential to contribute to innovation in STEM fields.  

Schulich Leaders also join a national network of scholars and benefit from enrichment opportunities throughout their university studies. 

Allen was nominated for the award by MSS teacher Meghan Morrison.   

“I’d like to thank my teachers, especially Ms. Morrison, for nominating me, mentoring me, and supporting my application,” he said.  

“I’m also so grateful to my family for encouraging my academic interests and supporting me to pursue what interests me.” 

Mount Sentinel Secondary School Principal Shellie Maloff says Allen is not only a dedicated student but a creative thinker and problem-solver.  

“He’s the kind of learner who embraces challenges and lifts up those around him. His potential to lead and innovate in STEM is clear. We’re incredibly proud to see him join the Schulich Leaders.”  

Schulich Leaders are selected by 20 partner universities from over 1,500 nominees each year.

With this scholarship, Allen will join an elite network of Canadian students building the future of STEM. 

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The post Mount Sentinel graduate Phoenix Allen Named 2025 Schulich Leader appeared first on My Nelson Now.

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Fort St. John RCMP made three arrests in relation to Tuesday’s homicide.

Police say this was after an investigation involving officers, the Serious Crimes Unit, the Street Enforcement Team, North District General Investigations Section and the North District Major Crimes Unit.

All three suspects are facing a manslaughter charge which has been approved by BC Crown Prosecution Service.

“Our investigators worked tirelessly over the past few days to conduct a thorough investigation and arresting these three individuals.” said Corporal Paul Waterman.

“We believe this to be an isolated incident with no additional threat to the public.”

Two suspects have been remanded into police custody with their next court appearance on Monday.

The third suspect is in police custody being held to be brought before a judge for a bail hearing.

The post Fort St. John RCMP arrest three following homicide investigation appeared first on My Prince George Now.

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NHL Draft:

Day two of the NHL Draft takes place in Los Angeles at 9am, covering rounds 2-7.

The Prince George Cougars have three remaining draft eligible players, including forwards Jett Lajoie, Aiden Foster and Ben Riche.

Goaltender Josh Ravensbergen was drafted 30th overall by the San Jose Sharks.

CFL:

Week 4 of the CFL is well underway with two games being played today.

Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. BC Lions (4:00pm)

Toronto Argonauts vs. Ottawa REDBLACKS (4:00pm)

Yesterday, Hamilton Tiger Cats Quarterback (QB) Bo Levi Mitchell became the 10th QB in league history to reach the 100 win mark, and the fastest to accomplish the milestone in 143 games.

THE FASTEST TO 100!

Bo Levi Mitchell gets win number 100 in his 143rd career start during @westjet Canada Day Weekend.#CFL | @Ticats pic.twitter.com/fJHGmQC9tw

— CFL (@CFL) June 28, 2025

The Tiger Cats walked away with a 35-17 victory over the Montreal Alouettes.

The CFL scores and schedule can be found here.

The CFL standings are here.

MLB:

The Toronto Blue Jays are in Boston this afternoon to face the Red Sox at 1:10.

The Jays are coming off of a 9-0 win yesterday against the Red Sox.

The MLB scores and schedule can be found here.

Standings can be found here.

The post Zach’s Sports Shorts; Saturday, June 28th appeared first on My Prince George Now.

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“It’s incredible. It’s a dream come true.”

Those were the words of Prince George Cougars goalie Josh Ravensbergen right after he was chosen in the first round of the NHL Draft.

The 18-year-old Ravensbergen went 30th overall to the San Jose Sharks.

More to come.

The post Ravensbergen becomes a Shark after being selected in round one of the NHL draft appeared first on My Prince George Now.

This post was originally published on My Prince George Now

Updated: June 27, 5 p.m.

A search warrant on a Warfield property on Wednesday has resulted in the seizure of a significant quantity of suspected illegal drugs, over $40,000 in Canadian cash and other currencies, and twenty firearm, as well as stolen property.

At approximately 8:00 a.m., Trail and Greater RCMP executed the Criminal Code search warrant in relation to firearms related offences.

Due to the potential risk to the officers and public, the Southeast District’s Emergency Response Team (SED ERT) assisted. As part of this, the highway was required to be shut down.

At the scene, officers located and recovered stolen property, including two travel trailers, a Ford F-350 pick-up truck, two ATV’s, and one motorcycle.

During the search warrant, five suspects were arrested, one of which remains in police custody.

The investigation is ongoing, with several charges being considered.

“We appreciate the patience of the travelling public while our officers undertook this high-risk operation”, says Cpl. James Grandy, BC RCMP spokesperson.

“Trail and Greater District RCMP continue to work toward keeping the communities it serves safe for everyone.”

Updated: June 26, 12:25 p.m.

The Highway 3B between Warfield and Rossland is now re-opened in both directions.

Original Story: June 26, 9 a.m.

Highway 3B between Warfield and Rossland will be closed due to a police incident, between 7:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

No details of the incident are being provided at this time.

We will keep you posted as information comes in.

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The post Updated: Search warrant yields firearms, drugs, cash and stolen property appeared first on My Kootenay Now.

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Resident on the Duhamel Water System in Electoral Area F are being move to Stage 2 water conservation measures effective immediately.

The move aims to conserve water as a part of the well pump replacement project.

The last pump replacement occurred in 2004, and recent operational issues indicate the pump is at end-of-serviceable life. With the replacement of the well pump, electrical and control upgrades are also being implemented that will reduce power consumption, extend the pump life, and reduce future-planned generator size requirements.

Stage 2 water conservation measures include:

• Watering of lawns, gardens, trees, and shrubs is ONLY permitted between 6:00 am – 10:00 am and 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm.
• Watering of gardens, trees, and shrubs by watering can or handheld hose is still permitted anytime.

“The RDCK appreciates your cooperation in adhering to the above water conservation measures.” said the RDCK.

Stage 2 Water Conservation Measures will remain in effect until completion of the project in mid-July.

Click here for a complete description of RDCK water conservation measures stages 1 through 4 or visit www.rdck.ca/water.

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East Kootenay communities are gearing up to celebrate the 158th Canada Day on Tuesday and invite the public to join the festivities.

Check out the list below for your one-stop destination for community events all across the region.

Cranbrook

Cranbrook residents can enjoy an afternoon in Rotary Park from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., with a kids zone featuring a bouncy castle, face painting and games.

The City will present its Citizenship Awards, and this year’s youth ambassadors will give out cupcakes to attendees.

Local band Pretty for the People will be at the event to play live music throughout the day.

Kimberley

Festivities in Kimberley will run from noon until 8 p.m. in Rotary Park with food trucks, face painting, a beer garden, free cake and more.

Local vendors will also be at the event until 4 p.m.

Live music will also be on offer in Kimberley, with performances by The Hollers, Mike McQuaid, Emma Kade and Brass Roots.

Fernie

Fernie’s festivities will feature a fun-filled day of fantastic fanfare as celebrations kick off at 9:30 a.m. and continue until 6 p.m.

The day-long event will feature the Fernie Mountain Market, live music, a car show, plenty of child-friendly events and plenty of musical performances.

Events will be held throughout the community, so be sure to check the schedule below to plan out your Canada Day activities.

Sparwood

In Sparwood, Canada Day celebrations will run from noon until 3 p.m., starting with a free volunteer appreciation barbecue.

Kids will have plenty to do with activities like a bubble station, pinwheel crafting, face painting, bocce, cornhole, axe throwing and ladder ball.

The Sparwood Fire Department will also hold water truck races to see which crew is the fastest.

After you enjoy the afternoon in the sun, you can cool off in the pool as the Leisure Centre will be open for public swimming from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Invermere

The Kinsmen Club of Windermere Valley will open the day with a bang as they set off fireworks from Kinsmen Beach at midnight on June 30.

Invermere will host its ‘Proud to be Canadian’ Parade in partnership with the local Legion branch.

The parade will kick off at 11 a.m. and will travel along 7th Avenue, ending at Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena.

The roads along the parade route will be closed to traffic until about 12:30 p.m.

The parade will end where the Mountain Mosaic Festival gets underway, with art tents, live music and entertainment, food vendors and more.

You can see a map of the parade route below.

Creston

Creston will be celebrating all day long, starting with a pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. at Canyon Park and continuing into the evening.

Events such as line dancing, Paint the Van, a multimedia showcase, vendors’ market, live music and more will be on offer for people of all ages.

Yahk

Festivities kick off with a parade at 2:30 p.m. at the Yahk-Kingsgate Hall.

Beer gardens, flag planting and decorating and a community picture will be a few of the events that will continue into the evening.

The day will be capped off with fireworks to celebrate Canada’s 158th anniversary.

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The David Douglas Botanical Garden Society, with UNBC, presented the new Indigenous traditional name for the botanical garden.

This was during a special naming ceremony held Thursday at the Prince George Campus.

The garden, now known as Khasdzoon Yusk’ut, which translates to Red Maple Hill Garden in the Carrier (Dakelh) language, and was bestowed in the spirit of connection, cultural recognition and community.

“This naming ceremony is a reflection of what’s possible through meaningful partnership and shared purpose,” said UNBC President Dr. Geoff Payne.

“Khasdzoon Yusk’ut honours Indigenous language and connection to the land while deepening the relationships that guide UNBC’s work across the North.”

In addition to the name unveiling, the event featured reflections on the garden’s development, and a look into Expansion Phase Two, aiming to enhance the garden as a destination for ecological education, cultural exchange and environmental research.

The University said the botanical garden stands as a symbol of cultural respect, environmental stewardship and community connection.

More information can be found on UNBC’s website here.

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Smithers RCMP are looking for more information about an indecent act at the Bulkley Valley District Hospital.

According to police, the incident occurred on September 22, 2024, inside the women’s washroom and were told a woman witnessed what happened.

Mounties say the event was reported to hospital staff at the time, but the witness did not come forward.

Investigators would like to speak directly with the witness to gather more information about what was observed.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Smithers RCMP at 250-847-3233 and quote police file number 2024-3712.

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A public hearing has been called to probe possible misconduct by three current and three former Nelson City Police officers.

The hearing will determine if they committed discreditable conduct and neglect of duty because of their posts to the WhatsApp chat group over a two year period.

The posts in question were alleged to be racist, sexist and discriminatory.

BC Police Complaint Commissioner Prabhu Ragan stated the hearing is the best way to get answers.

“There needs to be clarity for the officers involved in this case and for policing more generally,” Ragan said in the news release and raised another issue the hearing will address.

“Whether chat groups between police officers are protected when they bring discredit to their police department, or undermine a respectful workplace culture,” the commissioner added.

Ragan said the decision to call the hearing is due to the long delays caused by the constitutional challenge launched by five of the officers.

They argue the court-ordered search of one of their personal cell phones was an invasion of privacy.

The hearing will also deal with that legal question.

Nelson City Police alerted the police commissioners office of the posts in Dec 2021 and the former commissioner ordered a Vancouver police investigation in Feb 2022.

Ragan has appointed former Provincial Court Judge Brent Hoy to preside over the hearing.

In addition to ruling on the legality of the phone search and if the officers did act inappropriately, Hoy will decide if the officers should be disciplined and may make recommendations.

Ragan said the matter needs closure.

“The residents of Nelson deserve answers and to know that their police officers are held to higher standards of behavior to ensure their community’s confidence.”

According to the release, the hearing will begin at the earliest “practicable” date.

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An increase in illegal dumping in Nelson has prompted a warning from the City regarding associated costs and enforcement measures. 

The City said in a press release that the issue is particularly heightened along Government Road, which is not only illegal, but unhelpful and costly.

Earlier this month, the City conducted a site clean-up along Government Road, after noticing a rise in waste items dumped in the area over the spring. 

These items have included food and waste containers, clothing, bottles, cartons, cans, fridges, vacuums, pallets, and various household goods. 

“While there are several people living in temporary shelters along Government Road, even the most well-intentioned illegal dumping of household waste is not helpful. Local service providers are supporting those in the area with food, mental health services, water, tents, sleeping bags, and basic essentials,” the City said in the release. 

Service providers are also offering laundry, showers, and clothing regularly on set days of the week.

Illegal dumping—including free piles and unsolicited donations—attracts wildlife, becomes unsightly, and leads to health and safety concerns such as mould, insects, soiled items, and rot. 

Cleanup efforts have become increasingly expensive with the City saying it had to add $35,000 to the 2025 budget to deal with these types of issues.  

Residents are reminded that the fine for illegal dumping is $250, with an additional $150 fine for the improper disposal of garbage or wildlife attractants. 

Instead of dumping illegally, the City encourages members of the public to: 

• Put waste out for curbside collection or take it to the Grohman Narrows Transfer Station at 1201 Insight Drive. 

• Put recyclables out for curbside collection or take them to the Nelson Recycling Depot at 70 Lakeside Drive. 
• Take clean items that are in good condition to organizations that accept donations. 

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The City of Kimberley and the Rotary Club of Kimberley have partnered for a major revitalization of the Rotary Park Playground.

The City said the upgrades were made possible through the support of community fundraising efforts.

“Thousands of dollars have been raised to replace aging playground infrastructure with new, accessible, and safety-enhanced equipment that will serve Kimberley families for years to come,” said the City.

Construction is set to begin on July 2, and the playground area will be closed during construction.

“This project is a testament to the power of community,” said Sandra Roberts, spokesperson for the Rotary Club of Kimberley.

“The Rotary Club is incredibly proud to invest in a space that brings joy, activity, and connection to local families. We invite everyone to take this opportunity to discover all the amazing outdoor amenities Kimberley has to offer.”

The City of Kimberley said it will keep the public up to date throughout the project and will announce when the upgraded playground is ready to be unveiled, however, there are many other local amenities to enjoy in the meantime.

“While the playground is under construction, the splash park, public washrooms, and ball field at Rotary Park will remain open,” said the City.

“Families are also encouraged to explore the many other fantastic playgrounds and outdoor spaces throughout Kimberley, including those in Marysville, Townsite, local schools, and the new adventure park on Swan Avenue.”

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With more kids playing baseball in Fernie, adult users are getting pushed out unless upgrades happen.

That’s according to City of Fernie report, that recommends revised scheduling practices alongside facility upgrades at Prentice Park and James White Park.

Due to upcoming construction work on the new fire hall, the Servello Field in Prentice Park will be permanently closed.

“If minor baseball continues to increase adult users will be displaced,” said parks and recreation manager Jacquie Hill.

“It’s important that future planning ensures equitable field access to all age groups, acknowledging that all user groups are growing.”

Youth user groups have priority over adult users in Fernie.

An outfield extension at the James White Park small diamond would make it suitable for adult play but would not likely address availability issues.

The report recommend that the city look at a new baseball diamond as part of long term planning.

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A swimming advisory in place for Wasa Lake was lifted just in time for Canada Day weekend, as Interior Health and BC Parks say levels of E. coli bacteria have dropped.

BC Parks initially put the advisory in place on June 19 due to higher-than-acceptable bacterial levels.

“High levels of E. coli can pose health risks, especially to children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems,” said BC Parks.

“Exposure may lead to skin rashes, ear infections, or gastrointestinal illness.”

According to Interior Health, samples taken from Campers Beach Site show levels below the safe threshold, just in time for swimmers to enjoy a weekend swim at the lake.

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Cranbrook council has approved the 2025/2026 Annual Operating Agreement with BC Transit.

The agreement defines the rights and responsibilities of both parties and ensures that transit access will continue.

Councilor Norma Blissett said it continues to be a necessary service.

“We have an aging population and it’s good to use the public transit system. It’s convenient,” she said.

“Yes it’s once every hour but we’re not a big enough city to have it every 10 minutes like in Vancouver. It’s still an important service in this community.”

Work to improve Cranbrook’s transit system is underway with the Transit Future Service Plan being developed by BC Transit with a purpose of identifying initiatives for short, medium, and long-term implementation options to re-vamp the system.

A fare review system is also underway for Cranbrook transit.

Rates haven’t been changed since 2013 and they don’t cover Cranbrook’s expenses for running transit.

According to the last five-year financial plan, $1,260,000 in general municipal taxes is needed in 2025 to cover costs.

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Residents are being warned to expect detours and delays as road works to a section of Canyon Trail and Cedar Avenue in Fernie are slated to start on July 2.

The city’s contractor will be working Monday to Saturday until August 29, except for long weekends.

Work will involve a full roadway reconstruction with new pavement, curb and gutter, as well as a replacement and extension of the multi-use pathway from Highway 3 to Bossio Road.

Cedar Avenue Cross Section A from Bossio Road past Canyon Trail will be single lane alternating traffic to allow neighbourhood access.

Residents are asked to respect all detour signage and give crews space.

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A donation of over $85,000 from the Invermere Health Care Auxiliary Society is going to support the Invermere and District Hospital and Columbia House.

The money, raised through the Auxiliary’s Main Street thrift store, is going to the East Kootenay Foundation for Health (EKFH) to purchase new blood pressure and cardiac monitors, a blanket warmer, new mattresses, and replacement wheelchair cushions at the Invermere hospital.

Meanwhile, the Columbia House long-term care home will receive four new recliners with their portion of the donation.

“The money will go toward various equipment at the Invermere and District Hospital and Columbia House,” said Brenna Hong, EKFH Executive Director.

“One of the larger items they’re supporting is a Lucas 3, which is a machine that does chest compressions. It’s a piece of advanced equipment and it’s something that will change Health Care for Invermere and District Hospital.”

The Invermere Health Care Auxiliary Society (IHCAS) has donated over $1.8 million to health care in Invermere and the East Kootenay through the EKFH.

“The heart and dedication that the IHCAS volunteers pour into the Thrift Shop and their organization is nothing short of incredible,” said Hong.

“Each and every one of them makes a difference—not just to EKFH, but to the lives touched by their generosity and service. We simply couldn’t do what we do without them. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”

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A large reptile was on the loose and eventually captured by B.C. Conservation Service (COS) Officers yesterday. 

A five-foot boa constrictor snake was captured around 1:00 p.m. Thursday afternoon in Miracle Beach Provincial Park by conservation officers, in coordination with BC Parks staff and a provincial wildlife veterinarian. 

Trails in the area were closed, and visitors were temporarily cleared out of the area to allow officers to search for the snake. 

The snake was transported to the SPCA and determined to be a restricted reptile under the Controlled Alien Species (CAS) regulation, meaning a permit is not required to own it, but they cannot be released under any circumstances. 

Conservation officers are now investigating how the snake got loose, which may result in enforcement action. 

The COS doesn’t believe the incident is related to a boa constrictor which recently got loose at Chesterman Beach in Tofino.

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An extension has been granted to help complete street improvements along Canada Avenue to allow both the City of Duncan and North Cowichan to fund upgrades.  

Improvements along Canada Avenue include upgrades to sidewalks, road surfaces, medians and a multi-use pathway along the west side of Canada Avenue to the city’s boundary with North Cowichan. 

According to a report from Duncan CAO Peter de Verteuil, the project has already received significant funding from the Federal Active Transportation Fund Program, which is shared between both municipalities. 

Designs for the project are already 60 per cent complete, and with the extension it would allow for construction to start in 2026, providing unds are ready.  

The project is a collaborative effort between both municipalities. 

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The Prince George Cougars announced the team has claimed 2005-born forward Kooper Gizowski off WHL waivers.

The 20-year-old has four WHL season under his belt, suiting up for the Spokane Chiefs (2021-2023) and the Lethbridge Hurricanes (2023-2025).

Last season, Gizowski tallied 35 points (17G-18A) over 63 games, and registered nine points (5G-4A) and a +7 rating in the playoffs.

“We’re very excited to add a player like Kooper to our lineup.” said Head Coach and General Manager, Mark Lamb.

“He’s a proven veteran in our league who brings scoring ability and valuable experience.”

The 5’10” forward from Edmonton, AB, has appeared in 239 career WHL games, totalling 97 points (48G-49A).

Gizowski has played in 21 career postseason games, recording nine points (5G-4A).

NEWS! The Cougars have claimed forward Kooper Gizowski (05) off of WHL Waivers.

Welcome to Prince George, Kooper!

https://t.co/A7ZBDlVua6#ForTheNorth • #WHL pic.twitter.com/dWwrFzXnDE

— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) June 27, 2025

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A free event with music and games at Maffeo Sutton Park will celebrate Canada Day in Nanaimo. 

There will be performances from Unite the Beat (drumming), Barsby School of Rock, Mardi Gras Mambo, Turnpike, The Steadies throughout the day 

The event will begin at 11 a.m. with a blessing by a Snuneymuxw Elder and go until 3:30 p.m. 

A kids and family zone will have games, face painting, a bouncy castle and photo booth. There will also be interactive booths from community organizations such as the Nanaimo Drowning Prevention Coalition and magicians. 

There will be ship tours on the HMCS Nanaimo at the visiting vessel pier from 10 a.m. until noon and again at 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. 

A cultural community stage will feature Acclaim Celtic Dancers, Vancouver Island Bhangra, Latin and Ballroom Dancers, Fiddelium, Nanaimo Chinese Cultural Society, Flowers of Nanaimo Chinese Dancing and the Historical Fencing Club and Vibrant Studios. 

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‘Elvis’ will be in Quesnel for a benefit to bring donations in after the loss of the local food bank.

After the fire claimed the Nourish Food Bank in Quesnel in May, a group of community members is putting on a benefit to get food donations back into the city.

“There are a lot of people in this community that need that help,” says Eva Overbury, one of the organizers of the ‘Elvis is in the House Benefit’. “Some are on a low budget, and at times don’t have enough to eat, so we’re trying to help out.”

Admission to the benefit will be by donation of non-perishable food items or cash for the food bank. Overbury says there will also be door prizes.

An Elvis Tribute Artist will be the main performance, and there will also be a performance by Debbie & Roger.

The Benefit will take place on July 4, located at 365 Kinchant Street, in the old Greyhound building.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm, and performances to begin at 7 pm, and the benefit ending at 9 pm.

“We’re hoping that the community of Quesnel will come out and be right behind us on this,” Overbury says. “Nourish was important to our community, and we want to help get them back on their feet.”

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The Prince George RCMP are investigating a pedestrian motor vehicle incident that occurred Monday night.

Police say they were called to the intersection of Eleventh Avenue and Victoria Street at 11:30 for a report of a pedestrian that had been struck by a vehicle.

The victim was transported to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

RCMP say he driver fled the area after the incident, and the vehicle is described as a small, silver, 4-door hatchback.

“Despite gathering available video surveillance from the area, we have not been able to positively identify the suspect vehicle.” said Corporal Jennifer Cooper.

“We are hoping that anyone who was in the area that evening and may have seen the vehicle and have dash camera, cell phone or video surveillance. Please contact the Prince George RCMP non-emergency line with that information.”

Investigators released dash cam footage of the suspect vehicle in the hopes that someone may recognize the car and know its current whereabouts.

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It will be a busy weekend at Saratoga Speedway with two days of racing on the schedule. 

The fifth annual Gary Marcus Trucking Battle at Black Creek returns to the track this weekend, with races on both Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. 

Two 125 lap main events for the BC and WESCAR Late Model Series will feature over 20 cars on both days. 

Among the racers will be Former Saratoga Speedway Street Stock and Bomber champion Charlie Ackerman, who’s won both Late Model races to open the 2025 season despite this being just his second season racing a Late Model. 

Ackerman said he’s been able to quickly adapt to the faster class of car. 

“It’s a different animal to a Street Stock, there’s a lot more power, but you have a lot more tire to put the power to the ground.” 

Also in the field will be the defending series champion Daryl Crocker, 2024 WESCAR Rookie of the Year Kyle Wade, and others. 

Tickets for both days are available on the Saratoga Speedway website or at the front gate. 

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A weeklong camp focused on students in the Comox Valley learning the world of policing, concluded. 

The 15th annual RCMP Mountie Camp at HMCS Quadra finished, allowing Comox Valley Schools students to get hands-on exposure to law enforcement practices, specialized units, and learn the core values of the RCMP. 

Cs.t Monika Terragni of the Comox Valley RCMP said seeing the students challenge themselves during the week was truly inspiring. 

“They typically arrive a bit unsure, and by the end they leave with newfound confidence, teamwork skills, and a real sense of what it means to serve their communities.” 

Participants were able to learn about the history of the RCMP and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom. 

Activities throughout the week mirrored elements used at the RCMP Depot training in Regina Saskatchewan, including daily inspections, drill instruction, and fitness testing and training. 

Some of those sessions included forensics, police dog services, crisis negotiation, major crime investigations, crime analysis, RCMP Air Services, explosives disposal, and a nighttime exercise where students responded to a staged incident with RCMP officers. 

The camp was first established in 1996 and was the first youth camp ever held in the country, with over 700 students being welcomed since it started. 

The next camp is scheduled for spring 2027 with applications opening through Comox Valley Schools closer to the date. 

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Funding is being given to help First Nations on Vancouver Island boost their on-reserve housing, business development, and infrastructure thanks to a joint effort across all levels of government.  

Cowichan Tribes, Malahat First Nation, Khowutzun Development Corporation, and Cowichan Contractors were joined by the provincial and federal governments as the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB), BC Housing, and Knappett Projects announced loans to the First Nations.  

According to Cowichan Tribes, they’ll be receiving (along with Malahat First Nation) a total of $66.7 million in loans to provide an economic boost in housing and business.  

“The loans will help enable on-reserve housing and business development,” they say. “These are the first CIB projects on Vancouver Island to achieve financial close.” 

Malahat First Nation will also be getting a $57.8 million boost to help with infrastructure improvements, which they say will help boost water capacity and improve emergency preparedness.  

“It will help fund the replacement of a 28-year-old water treatment plant that is at capacity and build a new wastewater treatment plant to replace failing septic beds,” they say. “The increased water capacity will enhance emergency preparedness while the new wastewater system will protect local groundwater, the ecosystem, and shellfish beds in Saanich Inlet.” 

Additional funding of $15.8 million from CIB’s investment will also unlock Malahat’s primary reserve lands to help build new housing with over 200 units, as well as $8.9 million to Khowutzon Development Corporation to build two rental units, commercial space, an outdoor kitchen, children’s play area, and community gardens. 

Cowichan Tribes chief Cindy Daniels says hearing a housing development coming to the region will solve many challenges faced by Cowichan Tribes and will help improve the lives of so many.  

“Housing for families is acute,” she says. “There are many complex challenges to building on-reserve housing, and I commend the unique partnerships and collaborations to help build these 200 new homes. 

“This major housing development will transform the lives of the residents who will live here, at the edge of the Quw’utsun Sta’lo’ (Cowichan River) which has sustained our people physically and spiritually for millennia.” 

Cowichan Valley MLA Debra Toporowski says the area has a long history, and more infrastructure will allow future generations to remain in their community and thrive.  

“The Cowichan Valley is an extraordinary place, filled with a rich history passed down from our ancestors,” she says. “This will help many long-time Duncan residents and Tribes members stay in the community, including the Elders who teach us and young adults who grew up here. 

“Tribes members will have more opportunities to thrive on our traditional territory, and all residents will be able to stay close to family and loved ones.” 

The new homes are part of Rivers Edge, and part of Cowichan Tribe’s economic development strategy to prioritize the needs of its citizens.  

It’s expected 20 per cent of the homes at Rivers Edge will be below market rates.  

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What’s in store for rodeo fans weather-wise this weekend?

We asked Environment Canada Meteorologist Matt Loney to breakdown the 97^th Annual Williams Lake Stampede and region forecast.

“Things are going to start out perhaps wetter than most people would appreciate. For today (Friday) we do see showers, cooler temperatures in the low to mid teens, and a risk of thunderstorms into the evening. However the shower activity should lighten up as the evening goes on.”

As we get into the weekend Loney said things start to turn around.

“There may be a chance of showers tomorrow (Saturday) morning the further South you go in the region. Temperatures will be running a little bit lower than normal then Sunday and Monday it starts to brighten up and get quite warm for this time of year in the mid to upper 20’s and even into Canada Day it looks quite promising.”

With that in mind we asked how promising Tuesday’s (July 1) forecast will be.

“We’re looking at plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the mid 20’s possibly edging to the upper 20’s. So for the Stampede weekend and Canada Day in the Cariboo the weather is looking to make these two events quite enjoyable.”

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The Bulkley Valley and Lakes District is gearing up to celebrate Canada Day on Tuesday with various events and activities.

In Smithers, the Bulkley Valley Museum will host history walks starting at 10:00 a.m.

The town’s event starts at noon in Bovill Square featuring food, giveaways, live music, a kids’ zone, and a foam and dance party starting at 3:00 p.m.

A kid’s bike parade kicks off celebrations in Houston at the Claude Parish Memorial Arena at 10:45 a.m., followed by the main celebration at Jamie Baxter Park.

It will feature bouncy castles, food, games, prizes and various other family activities.

At 7:00 that evening, a movie will be shown in the park in partnership with Houston Link to Learning.

Celebrations in Burns Lake start at 8:00 a.m. at the Legion with a breakfast before transitioning to Spirit Square for the main event at 11:00 a.m.

Events in Granisle will run from start at 10:00 that morning at Granisle Memorial Park along with a market.

The Telkwa Museum is hosting an event starting at 10:00 a.m. with cupcakes, refreshments, and some history.

Also scheduled is the Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter’s annual Open House which starts at 10:00 a.m.

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Some residents in Campbell River’s Willow Point neighbourhood should be getting better cell coverage in the future.

A company for Telus plans to replace an existing 25-meter light pole in Willow Point Park near the tennis courts with one five meters taller.

The new pole on the 36-acre Sportsplex property at 1800 Alder Street South will also have nine cellular antennas plus a 6-by-10 equipment shed at the base.

A city staff report says the proposal meets exclusion criteria where public consultation is not needed.

City council agreed Thursday night (June 26) to the proposal in principle for the siting and design work.

The Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada doesn’t need the city’s approval to move forward.

The city doesn’t have a telecommunications policy but intends to have one drafted later this year. “This policy would allow the City to manage the process of identifying its concerns, as well as the residents it represents, regarding antenna installations,” the report said.

If approved by ISED, it’s not clear when the cell tower will be installed.

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The Regional District of Nanaimo is moving to stage three watering restrictions today.  

This means lawn watering is now limited to one day per week with odd-numbered houses on Mondays and even-numbered houses on Thursdays. 

“This change to stage 3 will help reduce water use and preserve our collective water resource as drought conditions become more severe,” reads a news release from the RDN. 

Decourcey and Surfside water service areas will remain at stage 4, according to the release. 

The province lists eastern Vancouver Island as drought level one, on a scale from zero to five. This means abnormally dry conditions, which the news release attributes to little rainfall in June and below-average snowpack. 

 “Water flow in the region’s creeks and streams is low, and fire risk is a concern for the rest of the summer if the dry weather persists,” the press release says. “Conserving water now ensures we have what we need for essential household use, fire protection, stream flows for fish and irrigation purposes.” 

The RDN also suggests people avoid washing their vehicles unnecessarily and sweeping outdoor surfaces, rather than washing them. 

A map of watering restrictions can be found on the RDN’s website. 

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A section of Hammond Bay Road in Nanaimo will be down to single lane traffic for a significant amount of time as a 10-month construction project is about to begin. 

Sewer and water main work will begin on June 30, focusing on underground work between the Turner Road and Rutherford Road intersections. 

“Once the underground work is complete, above ground infrastructure, including road paving and replacement of aging traffic signals, will wrap up the project. Construction is expected to continue until spring 2026,” reads a news release from the city. 

The latest information and updates on construction in the city can be found on the city website. 

“This is a busy stretch of road, so we recommend that commuters plan ahead. If your route is going to take you in this area, make sure to set aside extra time for delays. If possible, plan an alternate route,” says Phil Stewart, manager of engineering projects. 

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Tourism Prince George put out a challenge for more exploration in the City.

They’re encouraging residents and visitors to visit the different forests, parks, and green spaces spanning over 100 kilometres.

“Every step is a chance to connect with nature and uncover a part of Prince George you may not have seen before, and help grow the beautiful green spaces that make our community special.” said Colin Carson, CEO.

Participants are able to use the Passport Trail app to check in at trailheads, with a chance at rewards when reaching certain milestones.

Those include:

• The first 50 participants to visit 5 trails will each receive a Local Sustainable Prize redeemed at the Tourism Visitor Information Centre.
• The first 13 participants to reach 15 trails will be honoured with a Planting Recognition: in spring 2026, where a shrub will be planted in their name in the expansion garden by the David Douglas Garden Society (exact species chosen based on garden needs). These achievers will also be celebrated in a post across Tourism Prince George’s social media platforms.

More information can be found on Tourism Prince George’s website here.

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With another school year winding to a close, confusion has circulated online over school zones and when they change. 

The B.C. Highway Patrol said online rumours and AI have spread recently saying school zones across Canada will become full time on July 1. 

Corporal Michael McLaughlin with the B.C. Highway Patrol said the websites spreading the information are completely wrong and are amplifying misinformation. 

“School zones are a provincial jurisdiction.  There are no sweeping changes coming for Canada.” 

School zones only apply on a regular school day between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. where signs are posted according to the Motor Vehicle Act. 

The 30km limit for standard playgrounds is dusk-to-dawn, according to ICBC. 

B.C. Highway Patrol recommended checking sources of online posts or websites before making a conclusion and said any Canada wide change would include all levels of government and a public announcement well ahead of time. 

Anyone with questions or concerns about traffic laws should look at ICBC, the BC Ministry of Transportation, or other provincial counterparts. 

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A pair of local education leaders from School District 57 will play a role within the BC Principals’ & Vice-Principals’ Association.

Following five years as a Director of the Board, President-Elect Sid Jawanda (SD57, Prince George) will serve as President-Elect for one year, and will begin his two-year tenure as President on July 1st 2026.

Dr. Shannon Behan (SD47, qathet) has one year remaining in her tenure as President, which wraps up at the conclusion of 2025-26.

In addition, Kelly Johansen of SD 57 has been named to the Board of Directors.

Here is the full list of directors:

Jackie Borosa (SD64, Gulf Islands)
Lisa Frey (SD68, Nanaimo Ladysmith)
Sanj Johal (SD44, North Vancouver)
Kelly Johansen (SD57, Prince George)
Brian Leonard (SD43, Coquitlam)
Paul Marsden (SD36, Surrey)
Charity Peal (SD92, Nisga’a)
Trevor Robinson (SD67, Okanagan Skaha)
Navshina Savory (SD38, Richmond)
Bryn Williams (SD43, Coquitlam)

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Selkirk College is on track to end this fiscal with a balanced budget, but doing so has come with a cost.  

In May, Selkirk College’s Board of Governors passed a balanced budget of $70,400,827 – a challenging but successful feat that reflects several efforts focused on closing a projected $9 million revenue gap the institution was facing at the start of the 2024-25 academic year. 

The College has been reeling from the financial implications of the federal government’s changes to international student enrolment, which came into effect in 2024. 

These changes are expected to lead to a 60-85 per cent reduction in international student enrolment over the next several years, with a projected 55 per cent decrease in 2025-26 alone. 

To address the economic shortfall, the College has been forced to issue layoffs and scale back some programming. 

No programs have been cancelled yet, although intake for some programs with low enrolment has been suspended. 

So far, 43 full-time employees have either been laid off, not had their contracts renewed, or opted for early retirement.  

There have also been voluntary work reductions and decisions to leave vacant positions unfilled, with all layoffs affecting both ongoing and short-term employees across all departments. 

“We’re trying to minimize layoffs by identifying voluntary workforce reduction opportunities. We’ll be leaving several vacant positions unfilled and have not renewed contracts in some cases,” said Selkirk in a statement. 

However, there is some positive news. The College is seeing upward trends in domestic applications, including an 8 per cent increase in accepted domestic students compared to June of 2024. 

Selkirk currently has 14 active waitlists, and several fall intakes of Industry and Trades Training and Environment & Geomatics programs are nearing or have reached 100 per cent capacity. 

While the College is expecting international enrolment to decrease by over 50 per cent in the fall, it assures the community that work is underway to minimize further reductions and cuts for 2026-27. 

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Don’t know where to go and what to do this Canada Day, Tuesday, July 1? We’ve got you covered. Here is a full list of events happening around the region.

Nelson

Beginning at 8 a.m. July 1st, the Nelson Lions Club will once again take over the 500 block of Baker St for the annual Canada Day Pancake Breakfast fundraiser.  Enjoy pancakes, sausages, coffee, juice and more, before you head to Lakeside Park for a day of exciting festivities.

The Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce has organized a free family friendly fun day to commemorate Canada Day in Nelson.

There will be activities and Canada Day Indigenous events held over the course of the day at the Rotary Lakeside Park. Beginning at 10:00am, the Opening Ceremonies with local dignitaries will celebrate our diversity, culture, inclusiveness, and working together for reconciliation.

Don’t miss out on the giant Canada Day birthday cake that will be served and shared at 11 a.m. by Chamber Directors and local dignitaries. The entertainment will follow until 10 p.m. where you will get to experience fireworks over Kootenay Lake.

Trail

The City of Trail invites everyone to join Canada Day celebrations at Gyro Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will be free games, face painting and balloon creations, as well as, an opening ceremony and cake cutting from noon, and live music with Jason Thomas.

Castlegar

Join City of Castlegar Mayor and Council on Tuesday, July 1 for free activities to celebrate Canada Day at Millennium Park and Ponds.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., enjoy a free, family-friendly event, packed with fun for all ages. There will be live entertainment, over 12 vendors will be set up, free hamburgers (while supplies last) and Canada Day cake. There will be a Kids Play Zone with face painting, activities and tattoos, stickers, flags, beach balls and more!

There is a free shuttle provided by MTI starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Castlegar and District Complex with pickup at the Museum and drop-off at Millennium Parks and Ponds and returning to the complex. It will run every 30 minutes with the last ride out of Millennium at 3:30 p.m.

Creston

Come out for Canada Day at Canyon Park, located at 4725 Samuelson Road, where a full day of family-friendly fun, food, and festivities is planned. Events include a free live music from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will be a pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. with the proceeds going to the Canyon Community Association.

Other activities include local vendors, kids’ games, a dunk tank, a horse show and more.

Grand Forks

The Boundary Country Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Boundary Museum and Archives join efforts to host the Canada Day celebrations in Grand Forks.

On July 1st, the parade will go through town at 10 a.m., before the festivities begin at the Boundary Museum grounds on Reservoir Road. There, people will be able to enjoy several performances by local artists, bouncy castles for kids, food vendors, as well as face painting artists.

This is a free community event made possible by the City of Grand Forks and the contribution of many local volunteers.

Did we miss any events? Let us know Submit News Tip – My Kootenay Now.

Stay safe, plan ahead for Canada Day weekend

As people make plans for the Canada Day weekend, it’s important to be prepared and stay safe as warm temperatures, dry conditions and wildfire risk continue in many parts of the province.

People are encouraged to stay vigilant and up to date on local fire bans and restrictions and have an emergency plan in place that is shared with friends and family.

People heading outdoors this weekend are reminded to plan ahead, carry safety gear and follow all instructions from local governments and First Nations. Before you head out, check ahead for road closures, evacuation alerts, evacuation orders and any fire prohibitions in effect.

The province this Canada Day

British Columbia continues to face prolonged drought in many regions, and below-average precipitation is contributing to increased wildfire and water supply concerns. Everyone is encouraged to use water efficiently and follow any local watering restrictions.

Several open-burning prohibitions are in place around the province and will be updated as conditions change. People planning to have campfires should do so safely, following any local prohibitions. Avoid having a campfire when it’s windy, choose a proper fire pit or make a ring of rocks at least three metres from trees, shrubs, structures and debris, and do not leave a campfire unattended.

The BC Wildfire Service relies on the public for reporting wildfires quickly. Approximately 40 per cent of new fires are reported by the public. If you see smoke or flames, report it immediately by calling *5555 on a cellphone or 1 800 663-5555, toll-free.

The BC Wildfire Service mobile app allows people to report new wildfires and submit photos, which helps BC Wildfire Service make informed decisions. People can use the app for the most up-to-date information on the current wildfire situation, road conditions, evacuation information and weather forecasts.

People travelling in B.C. are encouraged to know before they go. You can plan ahead and get the latest road conditions and updates here: https://www.drivebc.ca/

Drivers on routes throughout the province this summer should expect higher-than-average traffic volumes and plan accordingly.

General tips for a safe trip include:

• allowing additional time to get to your destination due to more people on roads
• making sure your vehicle is ready for the drive by having a full tank of gas or charged battery, checking engine oil, washer fluid, lights and tires, including the spare
• packing food and water for passengers and pets
• planning breaks at rest areas
• watching for motorcyclists and sharing the road with cyclists and other users
• obeying all posted speed limits and driving with caution, especially during bad weather
• leaving the phone alone while behind the wheel, and
• ensuring all passengers always use seatbelts.​

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The Founder of Orange Shirt Day was recognized with yet another honour.

On Wednesday, June 25, she was in Ottawa to receive the Meritorious Service Cross Award that was presented to Phyllis Webstad by the Governor General of Canada.

This award is given to individuals who demonstrate behaviour deserving of honour and esteem recognizing acts that earn gratitude, admiration, and praise for their significant impact on the community.

“It was an honour and exciting to meet her,” Webstad said, “I’ve met her once before but very quickly so it was good to spend more than a few minutes with her and getting to know her a bit more.”

Webstad reflected back on the first time that she heard she had won the award.

“I had gotten word a couple of years ago just right after COVID I think that I had been selected to receive this honour and I’ve always been booked whenever they sent the emails that they are having these ceremonies. So finally a few years later they sent a date and lo and behold I wasn’t booked so here I am in Ottawa.”

Webstad will be heading back to Williams Lake to enjoy the Stampede with her family and to be in the parade on Saturday (June 28).

“We put in a hockey themed float with the Orange Jersey Project that my son does with the Orange Shirt Society teaching history of the Residential Schools through sport.”

Webstad said she will also be busy planning something for the Grad Class of 2026 in Williams Lake.

“Those students were in Kindergarten in 2013 so they’ve gone through the whole public system with Orange Shirt Day and Residential School teachings. We plan on celebrating that and it’s happening not only in Williams Lake but other places across Canada. We’ll be having an event in BC Place in April 2026 and I’m calling it A Stepping Stone For Canada on the Path to Truth and Reconciliation,” Webstad said.

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With temperatures expected to rise, Interior Health is sharing some tips to help you do your best to stay cool amid summer heat.

According to Environment Canada, daytime highs in the Kootenays are expected to climb above 30 degrees next week, and Interior Health says one way to beat the heat is to stay informed on your local conditions.

“Download the WeatherCAN app to receive real-time updates for upcoming heat alerts for your community directly to your phone. You can also choose to get updates for the communities where your friends and family live to keep them up-to-date,” said Interior Health.

You can also take steps to prepare your home by identifying cooler spaces for you to spend time and possibly sleep in.

“Find an air-conditioned spot close by where you can cool off on very hot days. Consider staying with friends or family, or find places in your community to spend time, such as movie theatres, libraries, community centres, shopping malls or even shaded parks,” said Interior Health.

You should also make sure you have a working fan or air conditioner, but Interior Health officials say you need to keep in mind that fans do not lower body temperatures for older people or in temperatures of 35 degrees.

Interior Health says BC Hydro offers free portable air conditioners through its Energy Conservation Assistance Program.

“If you live in an income-qualified household and/or have received a recommendation letter from your regional health authority’s Home Care Program you may be eligible for a free portable air conditioner,” said Interior Health.

“Check if you are eligible, receive a recommendation from IH staff, and apply online.”

Awnings, shutters, blinds or curtains over your windows can keep the sun out and help keep indoor temperatures lower during the day.

At night, you can keep doors and windows open to keep cool air in and close your windows during the day to keep hot air out.

Interior Health advises taking care not to overheat during the day.

“Make sure you take it easy during the hottest hours of the day, drink plenty of water, spray your body with water, and seek a cooler space if you are feeling too hot,” said Interior Health officials.

“You can also make sure you are familiar with the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness, how to prevent it, how to treat it, and when to seek medical care.”

If other people in your life are particularly susceptible to heat, Interior Health recommends checking in when you can.

“Develop a buddy system. Check in with your hot weather buddy often, especially in the evenings when indoor temperatures are highest, and in the morning to see how they managed throughout the night,” said Interior Health.

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Interior Health (IH) has confirmed additional measles cases in the Interior, including locations in the Nelson area, Kamloops, Kelowna, and Salmon Arm.

This brings the total number of measles cases in the Interior to five, with three currently active.

IH assures residents it is following up directly with individuals who are known to have been exposed to the cases as part of normal contact tracing.

For a full list of exposure locations across BC, please visit the BC Centre for Disease Control website.

This will be updated with any possible exposures for flights and airports, as well as potential exposures at BC Ferries.

Total measles cases in B.C. in 2025 are up to 63.

What is the measles?

Measles is a highly infectious disease transmitted by airborne spread. Most people in Canada will be immune to measles due to prior immunization or previous infection.

Symptoms include fever, dry cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed a few days later by a rash that usually starts on the face and spreads rapidly down to the rest of the body.

If you develop symptoms of measles, please call 811 for an initial assessment.

For additional information on measles, go to Measles | HealthLink BC.

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A Kwadacha man was found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter in connection to a January 2023 incident in Prince George that claimed the life of his then-spouse.

According to the BC Prosecution Service, Brent Angus McCook was acquitted of his original second-degree murder charge on June 17th.

A supreme court judge ordered a pre-sentencing report, which includes a psychological and psychiatric assessment.

His next court appearance is set for September 22nd to determine if the report has been completed.

Confirmation of the sentencing hearing will commence at a later date.

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Tonight is night one of the 2025 NHL Draft from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.

Prince George Cougars netminder Josh Ravensbergen, the top rated north american goaltender is likely to hear his name called early in the proceedings.

The 18-year-old from North Vancouver sat down with WHL.ca to explain why he is a good fit for any franchise looking for that next blue chip goaltender.

“I feel like I am a winner. I want to win for the guys and I feel like my record the last three years has been really good and is a testament to how good my team was in front of me but I can make key saves in big situations.”

Ravensbergen added being overlooked in the WHL Prospects Draft a few years ago lit the spark for him to a reach a new level with the Cougars.

“I’d say it kind of opened my eyes to how hard you have to work in the summer. After I wasn’t picked, I was pretty pissed off and then I had a couple really big summers. I was on the ice as much as I could be learning how to work out and take care of my body. Those were a couple of really important lessons that I can rely on.”

He admits while this is a pretty fun weekend for his family, who have never been to Tinseltown before, getting your named called is just one step in reaching the ultimate goal.

“I just want to go and try to enjoy the moment and see what happens. Not getting drafted into the dub, kind reminds me it’s not where you go but what you do after. I am excited to see who calls my name and go from there.”

Two weeks ago, Ravensbergen and a number of the top-rated draft eligible prospects went to Buffalo to participate in the combine, a series of agility and fitness tests as well as a chance for players and teams to get to know one another.

The 18-year-old stated the interview process with NHL clubs was unique but not overwhelming.

“Most of the groups were really fun actually. I didn’t get any super-hard questions – most of them were really chill and the Rangers had a sheet they wanted me to fill out from one to a hundred and you had to find as many numbers as you could in 30 seconds. That was a little different.”

Cougar forwards Jett Lajoie, Aiden Foster and Ben Riche are also eligible to be picked this weekend.

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Over 500 Survivors and community members from across the north will gather at the Prince George Civic Centre today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) for the first-ever Lejac Residential School Reunion.

Themed “Celebrating Friendship,” it is a community-led initiative to reconnect, share stories, and heal in a safe and supportive space.

It is hosted and organized by Takla Nation in collaboration with the Indian Residential School Survivors Society and made possible through funding from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC).

It brings together 17 First Nations who were directly impacted by the Lejac Indian Residential School.

The reunion is not focused on trauma, but instead on the strength, relationships, and resilience of Survivors.

“This gathering is about healing and honoring each other — it’s not a memorial, it’s a celebration,” said Tamatha French, Director of Youth, Family and Community at Takla Nation. “For many Survivors, the friendships made at Lejac were what carried them through. We want to give space for those relationships to be honored and nurtured again,” she continued.

The reunion is registration-only, and supported by Elders, cultural wellness teams, and volunteers.

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Hockey:

The 2025 NHL Draft begins tonight (just after 4:00 PT) in LA with round one.

Rounds 2-7 are slated for Saturday (9 a.m.).

Josh Ravensbergen of the P.G. Cougars is the Central Scouting top-ranked North American goalie in the draft.

Cougar forwards Jett Lajoie, Aiden Foster and Ben Riche are also eligible to be picked. Prince George’s Cameron Schmidt of the Vancouver Giants is also a consensus pick to be selected in the early rounds.

“Not being drafted into the Dub, I know it’s not about where you go but what you do after.”

Hear from 1st-ranked North American goaltender and @PGCougars netminder Joshua Ravensbergen ahead of the 2025 #NHLDraft. pic.twitter.com/eWl0kHbfdR

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 27, 2025

======

In other news involving the Cougars announced various signings within its hockey operations department.

Multi-year deals were signed by General Manager and Head Coach Mark Lamb, Associate Coach Jim Playfair, Assistant Coach Carter Rigby, Athletic Therapist Dave Adolph, and Equipment Manager Dane Engelhardt.

The Cougars also promoted Leland Mack to Director of Scouting, taking over the role from Bob Simmonds, who will transition into a new role as the Cougars’ Director of Player Personnel.

NEWS! We have announced updates to our Hockey Operations Staff ahead of the 2025-26 season!

https://t.co/Yolb5yqyGH#ForTheNorth • #WHL pic.twitter.com/b90fQLz1ql

— Prince George Cougars (@PGCougars) June 26, 2025

=======

MLB:

Toronto Blue Jays 6  Cleveland Guardians 0

The (43-37) Blue Jays head to Beantown to play a weekend series against the Boston Red Sox starting tonight at 4pm from Fenway Park.

The search for a QB1 in Cleveland continues… pic.twitter.com/CDBlOziGvx

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 26, 2025

#

Jared Young of Prince George did not play in the New York Mets 4-0 Thursday victory over the Atlanta Braves.

The 29-year-old is batting .171 (by going 7-for-41) with three homers and four RBI’s for the Mets since he was recalled on May 23rd from their Syracuse Triple A farm club.

“There’s a lot of belief in this group. There’s a lot of talent in this room.” – Pete Alonso

Full Locker Room Reaction https://t.co/ihSuayjrcJ pic.twitter.com/bgeaL09GSq

— New York Mets (@Mets) June 27, 2025

John Cho Cup:

The 43-team John Cho Cup fastball tournament kicks off at 8am this morning from Carrie Jane Gray Park.

There are five divisions competing in the annual long-weekend tourney consisting of Open, Intermediate, Women’s, U18 and U23.

The finals will be played on Sunday.

CFL:

Winnipeg Blue Bombers 36 Edmonton Elks 23

Tonight (Friday) sees the East-leading Montreal Alouettes (3-0) take on the winless Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-2).

WHAT A THROW & CATCH

KERICCCCCC TOUCHDOWN #ForTheW pic.twitter.com/vn9gWhNn0M

— Winnipeg Blue Bombers (@Wpg_BlueBombers) June 27, 2025

The (1-2) B.C. Lions visit the (3-0) Saskatchewan Roughriders Saturday at 4 PM (PT) in Regina.

Getting right.

Fuelling up with @Gatorade #BCLions | #RoarAsOne pic.twitter.com/xLMLnkD0hS

— BC LIONS (@BCLions) June 27, 2025

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The Vancouver Integrated Major Crime unit is now investigating a murder, after a man was found suffering from serious injuries in Port Renfrew.

Sooke R-C-M-P says they responded to a call of a man with blood on him on June 23 and was later pronounced dead at the scene.

They believe it’s an isolated incident and add one person was taken into custody.

The investigation is still ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact their detachment.

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UNBC has named a new research facility at the Prince George Campus in honour of a donation of specialized equipment from industry partner Brown’s Bay Packing Company that is accelerating innovation in sustainable materials.

The Seawise Biopolymer Processing Lab is the first at UNBC dedicated to producing plant-based biopolymer samples for research purposes, including the exploration of environmentally friendly packaging solutions.

This new lab also houses a state-of-the-art extruder and supporting equipment valued at more than $350,000.

“This generous contribution from Brown’s Bay Packing and its subsidiary, Seawise Innovative Packaging, expands the University’s capacity to innovate and empowers UNBC researchers and students to lead in the transition to more sustainable technologies,” said UNBC President Dr. Geoff Payne.

“The naming of this lab recognizes the incredible impact this gift will have on the University, and the broader community, for years to come.”

The Seawise Biopolymer Processing Lab serves as a hub for Dr. Hossein Kazemian and his team, who are working to develop eco-friendly-packaging solutions to conventional plastics and polystyrene foam.

“Donating this equipment to UNBC was an investment in a cleaner future and the kind of forward-thinking research that can get us there,” said Seawise Innovative Packaging CEO Jesse Knight.

“Our collaboration with UNBC is grounded in a shared commitment to sustainability and innovation. Seawise is dedicated to revolutionizing the packaging industry with sustainable options, ˗˗˗ creating value, while reducing the industry’s environmental footprint.”

The extruder was installed in May 2022, and helped Dr. Kazemian’s team develop thermoloc, a recyclable hybrid thermal packaging solution, while continuing to work on a fully biodegradable solution.

The new lab will facilitate the next phase of the collaborative, research development between Seawise and the University.

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The Tsilhqot’in National Government’s first major repatriation exhibit is now on display at the Museum of Vancouver.

Following the return of over 60 ancestral belongings from the museum in February 2024, this collection included many coiled spruce root baskets, stone tools, and a variety of other cultural objects which were held in museums or private collections for over a century, largely out of public view.

The exhibit, developed in collaboration with the Museum of Vancouver, also features a looping documentary film about the repatriation, historical and contemporary photos, other objects actively in the repatriation process, and a collection of several contemporary forms of Tsilhqot’in artistry and craftsmanship.

It opened on June 20th and will remain on display at the Museum of Vancouver for approximately one year before traveling to other locations across the province and beyond.

TNG Tribal Chief Otis Guichon said “This exhibition represents the change needed in museums around the world working in relationships of respect, sharing the workload, and telling stories together. Repatriation is more than bringing our belongings home, it’s connecting to our ancestors, lands, and culture.”

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Police in Nanaimo are asking the public for help to locate a woman who has not been seen since June 14.  

Alyssa Olsson is 45 years old, 5’5” and 141 lbs. RCMP say she is Caucasian with green eyes and shoulder length brown hair. 

She was in Nanaimo when she was last seen wearing a ripped jean jacket, black hoodie, black pants and shoes.  

Police are asking anyone who may have seen Olsson or has information that may assist in locating her, to contact the Nanaimo RCMP (250) 754-2345 and reference RCMP file # 2025-19135. 

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Two Cariboo Airports are receiving funding for upgrades from the provincial government.

The funding will be from the Province’s B.C Air Access Program (BCAAP), the grant funding is for infrastructure projects for the province’s rural airports.

“These improvements to our rural and regional airports will help keep British Columbians connected and our economy on the move,” says Minister of Transportation and Transit, Mike Farnworth.

This year, the Province is investing $6.2 million through the BCAAP, supporting 16 airport upgrades.

Williams Lake Regional Airport is receiving $233,127 to replace fuel–dispensing cabinets.

The District of 100 Mile House Municipal Airport will be receiving $14,401 for runway safety improvements.

Airports in Northern B.C., including Prince George, Burns Lake, and Smithers are also receiving funding through the BCAAP.

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The Special Olympics BC Summer Games are now just two weeks away.

Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee Lyn Hall said preparations have gone well to this point.

“At this point, it’s sort of doing the final pieces of the preparation, and saying yes this is done, transportation is good to go, and all of these positions, venues, sporting facilities, it’s just now time to tie the bow on it,” he said.

Hall said transportation is a big piece.

“You can appreciate we’re bringing in almost 1,000 athletes and coaches from around the province, so it’s bus transportation, it’s flight transportation, it’s making sure that we’ve got all of that in place, which it is,” he said.

“We’re now making sure that we’ve got all of our times of arrival, prep for that, particularly at the airport when the flights come in, then you move onto accommodation, we need that bus transportation and timing to be bang on.”

With roughly 1,200 athletes, coaches and participants coming to Prince George for the games, Hall said feeding them will be a big task.

“All of that’s going to take place at CNC, we have Chef Mandy who’s taken over the role of Director of Food Services,” he said.

“There’s no way that we can feed 1,200 people all at the same time, so we’ve got the schedule set up so that there’s around 350 people coming in for breakfast and lunches and dinner at offset times, and you try to get them through as quickly as possible.”

Hall noted they’ll also be delivering some boxed lunches to some of the sporting venues, which creates other challenges.

“Logistically, how do we deliver those boxed lunches, how do make sure that we get to all of the venues within a certain prescribed period of time,” he explained.

“It’s all about timing, that’s what we’re dealing with right now, just to fine tune that timing.”

The other Co-Chair for the planning committee is Renee McCloskey, who also served as the Host Society President for the 2022 BC Summer Games.

“She did a remarkable job for the games, and it was really interesting and kind of funny, when I was first approached to be a part of these games as the Chair, I said I would certainly do it if we can talk Renee McCloskey into coming on board and being a co-Chair with me,” Hall said.

“It’s worked out fabulously, and we took on the challenge and we are really enjoying it. Yes, it’s some work and yes, you have some days when you think by gosh, time is slipping away, we’ve got a couple of big things to do, but we’re really enjoying it.”

Hall added he’s heard from the 42 local athletes participating in the games, and they’re incredibly excited.

“They’re counting down the days and they’re talking about what it’s going to be like to participate in the sport, but meet friends that they haven’t seen for a year from other communities, to make new friends from other communities,” he said.

“This is what it’s all about, the comradery that they have with each other is remarkable and they have such a great time, and quite honestly at the end of the day, it’s a bit of a lesson to be learned.”

Hall noted they’re still looking for volunteers for a number of roles.

“Let’s take the food preparation for example, if people have their FoodSafe, if people have volunteered for food services in the past, say in the 2022 Summer Games, those are folks we would certainly like to have come back,” he continued.

“We have people who have worked either in the soccer community here in Prince George, the basketball community, bocce community, we’re looking for people who have stepped up and worked with those organizations, if you would volunteer for the games and be part of those particular sports, would certainly help us out a lot.”

More information on volunteering can be found here.

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Kimberley’s 2024 Drinking Water Report shows the community’s water demand has decreased by one per cent, despite population growth.

Mayor Don McCormick says this is thanks to residents taking conservation seriously.

“We don’t necessarily have a shortage of water in Kimberley, but I think we need to treat it as a scarce resource. That means prudent use of our water supply,” said McCormick.

“The City is now on stage 2 water restrictions, and we are really hoping it’s an education piece for folks.”

In 2024, Kimberley’s estimated population was 9,018, with a total water consumption amount of 3,506,572 cubic metres.

While residents are doing their part in saving water, Kimberley’s per capita water use is over 1,000 litres per day, much higher than the provincial average of about 465 litres.

McCormick says this is not the result of negligent water use, but rather, the report shows that a significant amount of Kimberley’s water consumption is due to leaks and breaks.

“This is due to the old infrastructure we have. About 40 per cent of the water consumption in Kimberley is due to leakage in our water system,” said McCormick.

“This is why our infrastructure renewal program is so important. As people see these projects underway, we’re replacing all of the old pipes in the ground and ensuring leakage doesn’t waste our valuable resource.”

McCormick encourages residents to keep up with conservation efforts, even though Kimberley has a stable supply.

“We are in really good shape with respect to water, but we need to exercise conservation efforts from user groups and get our infrastructure renewed as quickly as we can,” said McCormick.

According to the report, the City maintains 122,623 metres of water mains throughout the community, and McCormick says the Public Works crew is focused on fixing and maintaining those lines.

“We have increased our capacity for detecting where the major leaks are. We’re using a combination of software and other tools to find the leakiest spots and prioritizing those in our Five-Year Plan,” said McCormick.

“We’re being a little more targeted, finding the highest risk areas and getting those fixed first, and I think staff is doing a really great job with that.”

McCormick says the city’s efforts have been paying off.

“In the wintertime, when it gets really cold, we used to have huge amounts of water main breaks. The frequency of those has gone down considerably in recent years,” said McCormick.

“As we prioritize those high-risk areas, the service level we’re providing to residents is also increasing.”

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The Golden Rockets have acquired the playing rights to two players.

The Rockets traded forward Deegan Bert and future considerations for defenceman Evan Murray from the Quesnel River Rush.

The Kimberley-born defenceman had six goals and 27 assists for 33 points in 36 games last season.

The Rockets also got the playing rights of forward Justin Mol from the Kamloops Storm.

The Storm received forward Kalix Monkman in return.

Mol is coming off a 13 goal and 11 assist season last year.

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Construction work on the Toby Creek Dike in Invermere is starting on July 1, with some areas closed to the public.

There will be a partial closure to the parking area near the Ray Brydon Dog Park, as well as closures to the East Toby Dike trail and access to the Industrial 2 Road entrance.

The closures are expected to last until November 3 as crews work to raise the height and length of the dike so it stretches from Panorama Drive to Toby Canyon.

The changes will enhance long-term flood resilience and meet adjusted 200 year flood flow standards.

The district is asking residents to avoid heavy machinery in the area and to obey all posted signage.

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The City of Fernie has released its 2024 annual report showcasing the work done around the community over the past year.

The city has been making strides when it comes to housing projects, including the old firehall housing project with demolition underway now.

We continue to partner with and support the much-needed housing and childcare pilot adjacent to our Aquatic Centre and to work with the Elk Valley Family Society’s redevelopment of the old fire hall site,” said Mayor Nic Milligan.

“We have provided long-term leases for both these properties and prioritized staff time to support these important housing and childcare projects. We are looking forward to seeing both projects break ground in 2025.”

In total, the city saw 91 building permits, 111 development-related permits and 10 subdivision applications creating 56 new lots.

The city also rolled out its curbside organics program in 2024 along with other environmental initiatives.

“A focus on environmental priorities saw us roll out a curbside organics program that will help divert waste from the landfill, reduce GHG emissions, and provide topsoil for municipal projects,” Milligan said.

“We modernized our water bylaws to help conserve water use in our community, while also completing some critical reservoir rehabilitation and secondary source exploration and, importantly, a broad leak detection survey. All these initiatives are to ensure we continue to have viable and sustainable long-term access to quality drinking water.”

The full annual municipal report can be found here.

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The Fairmont Hot Springs Airport is getting a $48,688 grant from the B.C. government to upgrade its weather monitoring system.

“The equipment we’re getting is called an AWOS, which stands for automated weather observation service. Pilots can tune into its frequency or make a phone call to get weather information,” said Tex Deagnon, Fairmont Hot Springs Airport director of operations.

“The grant we’re getting is to help install ceiling height detection. In other words, if the clouds are 300 feet above ground, AWOS will transmit that information at the same time as the temperature, wind and all other weather conditions.”

Funding for the upgrades comes from the B.C. government’s Air Access Program.

“We’re supporting upgrades to airports that will improve access for vital communities across our province,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit.

“These improvements to our rural and regional airports will help keep British Columbians connected and our economy on the move.”

Deagnon says the new weather detection equipment should be up and running this summer.

“It will be very critical to have this system in the wintertime, because that’s when we have the most low cloud coverage floating around,” said Deagnon.

“The people who would use that most are the medevac folks. They like to know the ceiling height and all the other information.”

The airport is commonly used by tourists, medical teams and wildfire fighters.

“We have space for a whole bunch of helicopters to come in in case there is a fire,” said Deagnon.

“We are available at any time for wildfire service because we have the space, fuel and other resources. Of course, nobody wants a fire, but we are available to support the Wildfire Service.”

The Fairmont Hot Springs Airport’s grant is part of a $6.2 million funding program split across 16 airport upgrades across the province.

“From wildfire suppression to air-ambulance operations, from high-value tourism to connecting Indigenous and rural communities within our province and beyond, the B.C. Air Access Program supports our economy and society,” said Cathy Press, chair, BC Aviation Council.

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Work to enhance the city’s water supply will start in the fall after Duncan Council awarded a bid to patch the Gibbins Reservoir, extend its life, and reduce further deterioration.  

The contract was awarded to MCL Group, an Alberta-based contracting company, and the city is expected to pay $416,275 plus tax to empty and clean the tank, as well as patch the interior in specific locations and then install and inspect the liner before it’s put back into service.  

Director of public works and engineering Brian Murphy says the work is actively needed, but advised council that putting it off to the fall is the best option to ensure no disruption in service to consumers.  

“The reservoir is highly needed in the summer months,” he says. “This means the work won’t happen until the fall, at that time the reservoir will be taken offline and will be relatively non-disruptive. 

“All the work will be at the reservoir site, but there will be some construction noise for the neighbours, but they’ll be notified of the work in the fall.” 

The work is expected to last four weeks, and Murphy says the city has prepared contingencies if the work goes longer than scheduled. 

“The project will be supervised by city staff, and engineering consultants, who will monitor progress and provide updates,” he says. “If things aren’t proceeding as planned, then we have all the way until late spring before that tank would be critically needed.” 

The contract was opened to tender for two companies, MCL Group and Western Tank and Lining ($508,046), and according to Murphy there is roughly $540,000 remaining in capital reserves for the project. 

The project is expected to be completed in Dec. and was awarded to MCL by unanimous vote. 

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City Council is not supporting a bid for Trail Communities in Bloom to host the 2026 National Symposium.

The group’s submission has to be in by Monday.

City Council’s representative on the Communities in Bloom Committee says the letter requesting support didn’t contain the necessary information for council to make an informed decision.

Nick Cashol feels funding needs to be justified and the group should provide a revenue projection from the event.

“For something of this scale which could have up to 220 registrants with an estimated budget of up to $125,000, I would expect that this request should be made by a delegation to this council,” Cashol stated.

Councillor Thea Hanson says 2026 is already jam packed with events around the city.

“We have the 125th anniversary, there is little league (provincial championships),  there is BC Winter Games, there is a lot of staff time,” Hanson explained.

“I think the most reasonable thing would be to not put any additional pressure on staff for all of the things that are already going on in the community,” she added.

Councillor Terry Martin suggested Communities in Bloom could apply to host the event sometime in the future.

Council has also asked staff for a report into the city’s future relationship with the group.

The report will examine the potential benefits and challenges of participating in the Communities in Bloom Program, as well as the estimated costs and resources required.

It will also examine how comparable cities approach their relationships and determine the feasibility of remaining involved.

City Council wants to have the report for their Sept 8 meeting.

Meanwhile, the Communities in Bloom executive continues to work on an internal restructuring plan.

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As emissions continue to rise in Duncan, the city plans to purchase more carbon credits to offset the increase and will carry a price tag of $6,500. 

Council approved the purchase of 217 offsets during their Jun. 23 meeting, and director of finance Bernice Crossman says the purchase is to help the city remain carbon neutral.  

According to a city report, last year saw the highest amount of carbon being emitted since 2020, which was due to significant projects being done and fuel used, and Crossman says this is why offsets are needed. 

She says there’s a very simple way to determine how many offsets to buy, and the formula equates to spending $6,500. 

“We calculate how many emissions we’ve put out, and we purchase carbon offsets to make it neutral,” she says. 

Funding the money to purchase the offsets will be through the Local Government Climate Action Plan, which Crossman ensures shouldn’t raise tax dollars despite the increase in emissions.  

Discussion was held on whether to purchase the credits, and if the city would still receive Climate Action Program funding, Crossman says they’re not linked, but the municipality made an obligation. 

“We’ve signed an agreement indicating we will be carbon neutral every year, to achieve that this is the way to do it,” she says.  

The expenditure went ahead with council’s approval, but councillor Garry Bruce was the only member who voted against the motion to approve purchasing carbon credits. 

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The Prince George RCMP is investigating damages at the Prince George Municipal Cemetery costing tens of thousands of dollars.

According to police, on Monday morning, cemetery staff reported that approximately 20 headstones had been knocked over during the night.

The damages are estimated to be between $20,000-$25,000.

“Unfortunately, there is no surveillance in the cemetery grounds to provide us with insight into who the suspect is or are.” said Corporal Jennifer Cooper.

“Investigators are asking anyone who has information on who may have caused this damage to please come forward with the details.”

Anyone with information that may help identify the suspect(s) who caused the damages is asked to contact the Prince George RCMP at 250-561-3300.

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School District No. 8 has appointed Emily Mather as vice-principal of Mount Sentinel Secondary School (MSS) starting August 1, 2025.

Ms. Mather is currently the interim district principal for Inclusive Education in SD8 and served as vice-principal at Trafalgar Middle School in 2023-2024. Ms. Mather has taught at the elementary, middle, and secondary grade levels since 2008 and taught in a variety of positions including English Language Learning, counselling, and International Education.

“I know that Emily will be a great addition to Mount Sentinel Secondary School. Her breadth of experience and compassionate approach to supporting learners is sure to benefit staff, students, and families in the Slocan Valley,” said Superintendent Trish Smillie.

District Principal Kent Tamblyn will take on a dual role as district principal for Inclusive Education and International Education, also starting August 1, 2025.

“Congratulations to District Principal Tamblyn in his expanded role supporting students with exceptionalities and their educational teams as well as international students who study in SD8. Much gratitude to Vice-Principal McAllister for his leadership at Mount Sentinel Secondary for the past two years,” said Superintendent Smillie.

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The Youth Climate Corps (YCC) East and West Kootenay crews launched their season by joining forces on a wildfire risk reduction project that combined on-the-ground training with climate resilience work.

The project took place on 3.1 hectares of Goat Mountain near Creston, a mountainside that holds not only forest but homes, trails and powerlines, making it a high-priority site for wildfire mitigation, explains Angela French, planning and development supervisor for the Creston Community Forest (CCF).

The Creston Community Forest manages more than 21,000 hectares of forest in the area, including a portion of Goat Mountain, whose history and location made it a prime location for the YCC project.

After selective logging of this block in the early 2000s, explains Angela, many of the retained Douglas firs became infested with Douglas fir bark beetles. This endemic pest can help to create more open and diverse forests, but in this case the dead and dying trees that the beetles left in their wake posed a heightened wildfire risk too close to Creston for comfort.

Sweat, sticks, and satisfying work

The YCC project aimed to minimize the risk of wildfire by cleaning up the landscape. The crew spent hours cutting, piling, chipping and burning woody debris. The days were hot, hard and sweaty. But crew members agree it was worth every second of hard work.

“I really enjoyed the exercise, finding interesting plants, and spending time with my amazing coworkers,” says crew member Alina.

“The days were long and often had hard moments, but everyone kept a positive attitude and helped each other out. I really appreciate getting to work with people who have the same values as I do, and they change my outlook on life in little ways every day.”

The project not only offered experience with on-the-ground wildfire mitigation but also opened doors for young people to explore careers in forestry, fire management and even agriculture.

“It made me think about firefighting as a future summer job, and confirmed my interest in wildfire mitigation,” says crew member Maya.

Passersby likely won’t notice much of a change in the landscape now that the work on Goat Mountain is done. But, Angela says, that’s kind of the point.

“There isn’t sometimes a huge change in how we make the ecosystem look. Ecosystems tend to be a little messy; it’s not raked ground or rows of trees. We want to keep them that way; just more resilient.”

Circular economy

Where terrain allowed, the crew chipped wood to deliver to local farms, helping support a circular economy that connects forestry waste to soil-building practices in this agriculture-rich community. In early June, the YCC team spent a week helping out on farms that received wood chips, giving them the opportunity to both learn and support sustainable agriculture and rural land stewardship. The wood chips were used for a variety of farm projects including mulching fruit trees, landscaping, and as a mix-in with compost.

A model for rural climate resilience

The Goat Mountain project is part of a broader Wildsight initiative to explore how rural communities can build economic resilience while responding to a changing climate.

The work was funded by the Province of B.C.’s Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program and RBC Foundation, with the goal of supporting local economies while tackling urgent environmental challenges.

Through this pilot, Wildsight and partners, including CCF, are exploring the feasibility of producing biochar from forestry waste. Biochar, a form of carbon-rich charcoal, can be used to enhance soil health and sequester carbon.

It could be the solution to the ‘waste’ left behind from B.C. forestry operations if the methods are proven both feasible and economical. Not only would it add value to forestry operations, biochar would also support wildfire mitigation and a stronger agriculture sector.

“The question we’re asking is- can this kind of circular economy — where waste from one sector becomes a resource for another — help rural communities thrive?” says Brianna Thompson, West Kootenay YCC Coordinator.

Initial research, including interviews with local farmers and forestry experts, suggests multiple potential uses for biochar that extend beyond agriculture and include on-site forest and tree health benefits and many other applications including energy production, building materials and as a reclamation resource on contaminated sites.

However, biochar quality varies greatly depending on how it is produced and all of those contacted highlighted the importance of regional research using biochar to find the most suitable benefit. For more information check out the feasibility report.

The project demonstrates how combining climate action with economic opportunity has the potential to be a win-win for rural communities and their industries like Creston.

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Ravnoor Randhawa of the Castlegar Rebels has committed to play collegiate hockey for the Portage College Voyageurs in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference this fall.

“School has always been a big part of my life and end goal and doing it through hockey is really amazing,” said Randhawa, adding he chose Portage College, with a location in Lac La Biche, Alta, because it’s close to home and he will enter their new Kinesiology program.

The Calgary native completed his third and final season with the Rebels, posting 17 points in 44 regular season games. He collected two assists in four KIJHL Teck Cup playoff games.

In his final season with the Rebels, Randhawa stepped into a leadership role, which helped him grow as a communicator and learned to problem solve.

“The Rebels organization is happy for Rav and his commitment to Portage College,” said Rebels head coach and assistant general manager Alex Evin.

“He made a positive impact in the Castlegar community over his three seasons. We wish him nothing but success next season.”

Randhawa played 120 career KIJHL regular season games and had 49 points, and played in another seven playoff games.

“I really enjoyed my time in the KIJHL. It was an amazing time,” said Randhawa. “Being in a tight community like Castlegar, everyone kind of knows each other. Everyone is friendly.”

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Torn between supporting efforts to increase housing and fearing the city’s capacity to deliver, Nelson Mayor Janice Morrison voted against a zoning amendment for a 50-unit affordable housing complex on Front Street. 

Council passed the first three readings of an amendment to its Official Community Plan (OCP) to change the land use designation for the City-owned Front Street property located beside the Nelson and District Community Complex. 

Nelson CARES wants to use the site to develop a 50-unit affordable housing complex, which is still awaiting provincial approval. 

The original proposal included a recreation component alongside the affordable housing development, but the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) opted against donating its land to support the project last week. 

Despite the RDCK’s decision, the City moved forward with the proposed OCP amendment and rezoning, following a public hearing and special council meeting held on Monday. 

The land is currently zoned for institutional use, but with the amendment, it can now accommodate residential and recreation developments. 

The motion passed narrowly, 3-2, with Councillors Jesse Piniero and Rik Logtenberg absent. 

Those in support included Councillors Keith Page, Jesse Woodward, and Leslie Payne, while Councillor Kate Taite and Mayor Janice Morrison voted against. 

Taite’s concerns largely centred around the number of housing projects the City currently has in the “pipeline,” noting the Culos Development on Lakeside Drive, the Chamber of Commerce’s Railtown Housing project, the Waterview Senior Living Resort on Vernon Street, among others. 

“I will always advocate for using our current square footage more optimally, and I don’t think we’re doing that yet. As we look at what things are already in the pipeline, we might not recognize how good of an impact that will have.” 

Mayor Janice Morrison echoed Taite’s comments, acknowledging the local housing shortage but blaming the provincial and federal governments for putting too much pressure on municipalities to solve it. 

“I truly believe that the provincial and federal governments have contributed grossly to the housing shortage we have now, and as with many things, this has now been left to municipalities to scramble to build more housing once again – with limited resources and very few financial ways to do it.” 

Morrison supports expanding the potential use of the property, but says she feels uncomfortable with this particular project being the trigger. 

“The fact that we’re expanding the uses of the property. I like that. But the fact that the trigger is then that a project is going through I’m struggling with at this time.” 

“And then I worry about the number of projects getting carried out. I wonder about workforce, in terms of bringing people on to help with just capacity. Do we have the workforce and the skilled trades here? I worry about that.” 

Morrison praised Nelson CARES as the best housing operator the city could have but also expressed concern about whether the organization has the capacity to operate all the projects it has underway. 

“They’re involved with the North Shore Inn, and I’m hoping they will put in a bid to operate 45 Government Road too, because I want a local operator. But how much capacity do these organizations have to continue to take on all of this work?” 

While she knows her vote may be unpopular with some community members, Morrison made it clear she is not against providing housing, she just believes the City needs to slow down some of its plans. 

“I want to make it clear, because there will be those in the town that say, ‘you went against housing because your family was all about recreation’ – it’s just that there are drawbacks that I see, so I’m conflicted. I just think we need to make sure we can do what’s already on the books.” 

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The Prince George Cougars announced various signings within its hockey operations department.

Multi-year deals were signed by General Manager and Head Coach Mark Lamb, Associate Coach Jim Playfair, Assistant Coach Carter Rigby, Athletic Therapist Dave Adolph, and Equipment Manager Dane Engelhardt.

The team said this will be Lamb’s seventh full season behind the Cougars bench, ranking second all-time in coaching wins for the franchise with 183 victories.

Ed Dempsey leads with 214.

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11..that’s how many tasks Quesnel Search and Rescue (QSAR) has responded to so far this year.

SAR Manager, Director, Bob Holowenko said in the winter months they were primarily active on searches both locally and as mutual aid.

“Since Spring we’ve seen a number of stranded motorists calls so this includes Highway vehicles and off-highway vehicles either from recreation or from industry.” Holowenko said, “We’re use to seeing that kind of activity in the shoulder seasons when people go out and there’s still snow or maybe mud when roads are not as hard packed as they would expect.”

Holowenko noted it’s also shaping up to be a busy year for Quesnel Search and Rescue’s Swift Water Rescue team.

“They have already responded to 2 calls for persons in the river, in the Fraser in particular. As well as a number of tasks that require us to respond in the hot zone, that means immediately adjacent to a moving body of water.”

He added that water levels in all of our area rivers, basins, and their tributaries are high right now as mountain run off season continues.

“We would urge those who are recreating on, or near, the water to have appropriate Personal Floatation Devices and observe caution before entering any moving water,” Holowenko said.

Anyone interested in joining the Quesnel Search and Rescue team applications are always being accepted via their website and you can also visit their booth at the Canada Day celebration in LeBourdais Park.

QSAR currently has 33 active members.

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A petition to add bike lanes along 3rd Avenue from King to Queen Street in Smithers has received over 140 signatures.

It was started after town council voted down the idea during the March 11th meeting and had 100 per cent grant funding to start public and business consultations

The main concerns voiced were around using that section of roadway due to how often on-street parking is utilized with nearby businesses.

According to the petition’s website, the bike lanes would tie together the Civic Centre, Central Park, local shops, the new library, Muheim Elementary and more.

It also calls the lanes a “top promise” from the town’s Active Transportation Plan created in 2019.

The town told My Bulkley Lakes Now it is aware of the petition and acknowledged the bike lanes were a priority in the plan.

“Planning staff will be recommending to the Finance Committee this fall that council consider budgeting for a review and update of the Active Transportation Plan in 2026,” it added.

The petition is also calling for council to reinstate the conceptual design and public-consultation study related to the project.

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VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. – A measles exposure warning has been issued for several BC Ferries sailings and the Tsawwassen terminal after new confirmed cases were reported in British Columbia.

Public health officials say individuals infected with measles were aboard the Coastal Celebration ferry on June 20th, traveling between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay. Exposure times include the 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m. sailings. The Tsawwassen terminal was also identified as an exposure site that day between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

BC Ferries is reaching out directly to affected staff and passengers with reservations. Meanwhile, Island Health is urging anyone who was on those sailings and born after 1970, especially those unvaccinated or unsure of their immunity, to contact their local public health unit.

Measles is highly contagious, and symptoms may take up to three weeks to appear. For health advice or to book a vaccine, call 811 or Island Health’s measles line.

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PORT RENFREW, B.C. – A suspicious death reported earlier this week in Port Renfrew is now being investigated as a homicide.

According to Sooke RCMP, officers were called to the Pachidah Road area shortly after 9:00 p.m. on June 23rd after receiving reports of a man with blood on him. Upon arrival, police discovered another man nearby who was seriously injured. Despite life-saving efforts, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators deemed the death suspicious, and the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU) has since taken over the investigation.

“This appears to be an isolated incident,” said Corporal Alex Bérubé, spokesperson for BC RCMP. One person was arrested at the scene.

No further details are being released at this time as the investigation continues.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the VIIMCU information line at 250-380-6211.

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With another school year winding to a close, confusion has circulated online over school zones and when they change. 

The B.C. Highway Patrol said online rumours and AI have spread recently saying school zones across Canada will become full time on July 1. 

Corporal Michael McLaughlin with the B.C. Highway Patrol said the websites spreading the information are completely wrong and are amplifying misinformation. 

“School zones are a provincial jurisdiction.  There are no sweeping changes coming for Canada.” 

School zones only apply on a regular school day between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. where signs are posted according to the Motor Vehicle Act. 

The 30km limit for standard playgrounds is dusk-to-dawn, according to ICBC. 

B.C. Highway Patrol recommended checking sources of online posts or websites before making a conclusion and said any Canada wide change would include all levels of government and a public announcement well ahead of time. 

Anyone with questions or concerns about traffic laws should look at ICBC, the BC Ministry of Transportation, or other provincial counterparts. 

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A Vancouver Island First Nation hopes to relocate the grizzly bear roaming on Texada Island.  

The Mamalilikulla First Nation, located in Campbell River, has offered to bring the bear from Texada to the Gwa̲xdlala/Nala̲xdlala (Lull/Hoeya) marine refuge in Knight Inlet to give the animal refuge.  

The grizzly has been roaming around Texada for a month, with the BC Conservation Officer Service saying recently that it’s not a candidate for relocation following complaints about public encounters, aggressive behaviour, and property damage.  

Related: Texada Island Grizzly Bear to not be relocated – My Powell River Now  

Nation Chief Councillor John Powell says he’s discouraged by the ongoing situation with the bear.  

“I don’t think the bear has much chance of surviving through the summer if it stays on Texada,” said Powell.  

“Inevitably it’s going to come in contact with either humans or animals and eventually it’s going to be a negative interaction because it is a bear, and people are afraid of it. It needs food. Domestic animals are slower than wild animals and inevitably it’s going to figure that out and start chasing goats and chickens instead of deer.”  

Powell says the marine refuge is declared under the Nation’s ancient law of Aweenak’ola, meaning one with the land, the sea, the sky, and the supernatural, making it only fitting to offer a home for this bear.  

He says the nation looks at these bears as brothers and sisters, instead of inferior creatures.  

“It was a natural process for us, as we have a number of laws we’re following by doing this,” said Powell.  

“One of these laws is to do the right thing and it is the right thing to do to offer this bear a home.”   

If translocated to the refuge, it would be far enough that the animal won’t likely come back anywhere near people, with a small population of people used to grizzly bears and a chance for the bear to meet other bears in the area.  

Since the offer was made almost two weeks ago, Powell has gotten a call from Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Randene Neill and Minister of Environment Tamara Davidson about the issue, with both ministers telling him the reasons the bear isn’t a candidate for relocation.  

“They have regulations and policies and want to set precedents, but the bear doesn’t know that,” said Powell.  

“It’s going to follow its nose and eventually end up in the garbage can, chasing animals or at worst have a negative interaction with human beings.”  

Powell adds the Nation and Ministers are approaching this at two different levels, with the ministrys focusing on policy while the Nation focuses on kindness and compassion.  

He hopes the bear remains safe, and if it can’t be relocated to his territory, then at least the animal gets the chance to be taken back to its own territory again. 

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A hiker had a close encounter with a cougar on the morning of June 26, one of several sightings of mountain lions in the area.

Conservation Officer Mark Walkosky says the solo hiker was hiking along the Sleepy Hollow Trail near the Westridge Subdivision, southwest of Williams Lake, when the hiker spotted the cougar.

The cougar followed the hiker for 20 minutes, with no incidents, and the hiker was able to keep their distance from the animal using a large stick, before the cougar eventually ran away.

“We’ve done patrols in the area and were unable to locate a cougar at this point in time,” says Walkosky. “We’ll [Conservation] be posting signs up, keeping people aware of cougar activity.”

Walkosky says the cougar was reported to not be aggressive and was not stalking the hiker, and is believed to be a young cougar with this described behaviours.

Conservation Officers recommends people stay away from the hiking trails, and if they must go into the trails, go in with another person.

The hiking incident is one of several BC Conservation Officers in Williams Lake have recieved over the last few days, Walkosky says.

Cougars have been seen near the Westridge Subdivision on security cameras during the dawn and dusk hours over the last couple of days.

“This is normal behaviour for cougars. Dawn and dusk are the typical time most cougars are active,” Walkosky says. “ So be diligent with your pets. Don’t leave them out for extended periods of time. If you’re out and about, try to stay in groups, make noise, and don’t be out by yourself at dawn and dust periods or through the night.”

BC Conservation advises anyone hiking in nature when cougars or bears have been sighted to:

• Do not travel alone,
• Keep distance, and have something between you and the animal,
• Make lots of noise,
• Make yourself look big if an animal is spotted,
• And hike during daylight, and not during dawn or dusk.

BC Conservation says if anyone sees cougars, or other wildlife in the area, call the BC Conservation Office’s R.A.P.P phone line 877-952-7277 as soon as possible.

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The highly contagious disease, measles, is continuing to spread across northeastern B.C. 

The Northern Health region is experiencing eight reported and active cases of measles. Of the 49 reported cases of measles across the province in 2025, 33 were in Northern Health. 

According to Jong Kim, Chief Medical Health Officer at Northern Health, the agency is monitoring the situation in the northeast closely as measles continues to resurge across Canada. 

“In terms of the communities affected, we are seeing mostly that the cases have some linkage with that initial clusters we’ve seen that are under-immunized communities in the northeast” Kim said. 

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control says 10 per cent of people who get measles are hospitalized. Health officials recommend the measles vaccine to mitigate this risk. 

“The key advice to people in the community is to know and check your susceptibility,” Kim said.  

People born before 1970 may have natural immunity to measles – however, Kim cautioned people who are born after 1970 should confirm that they are immunized. Those who are not should contact their healthcare provider. 

Kim said the illness is especially brutal towards newborns and babies, who are not yet eligible for immunization.  

The Canadian Immunization Guide recommends the first dose of the vaccine to be administered to toddlers who are 12-15 months old – the timing of the second dose varies. 

Anyone who believes they are showing symptoms of the disease, and were exposed at some point, should seek medical attention.  

“Our advice that if your exposure is relatively close, like just within the last few days, to connect with your health unit and get checked with your primary care provider … so we can support assisting you and potentially providing immunization as a post-exposure protective measure,” Kim explained. 

The Centre for Disease Control requests patients call the clinic they intend on visiting for testing – as precautions must be taken to control the spread of the contagious disease. 

–Files by Tavi Dhillon, My Peace Region Now

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Dr. Craig Davis is on his way to Juneau, Alaska, starting his trek from Prince George by bike.

Davis, who resides in Panama City, Florida, is looking to learn from communities and residents during his ride about peace and how to make that bond stronger, through his Riding for Peace campaign.

While tensions have been high between Canada and the US, he wants to show that not all of Americans are antagonistic to Canadians.

“These are approaches that have worked in Somalia, and have worked in Yemen, and have worked elsewhere where there’s genuine hatred that is boiled into violence.”

“Before things can get any worse, I want to see if I can reach out to people and see if others share the same world view as I do.”

Davis will ride from PG to Prince Rupert, flying to Whitehorse, then to skagway, Alaska, then take the ferry to Juneau, and will share his journey through a daily blog.

“This is a new experience for me. I’m sure there are other people doing similar things, but hopefully I can spark some healthy interaction or healthy discourse, and we can go from there.”

Updates on his ride can be found on the PeaceBridge Solutions Website.

The previous story can be found here.

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Smithers had the third worst drug death rate per 100,000 people in Northern Health as of the end of April.

According to new data from the BC Coroners Service, the local health area’s rate of 69 deaths per 100,000 made it the fifth highest in the province.

So far this year, four people have died due to unregulated drugs in the area – fifth highest in Northern Health.

Last year, six deaths were recorded with a rate of 33.8 per 100,000 people.

No data was recorded for the Burns Lake Local Health area this year with no deaths recorded in 2024.

The health authority has seen the least number of drug deaths in the province at 46 with the lowest rate per 100,000 at 45.

Across the province 594 people have died due to unregulated drugs with last year’s total being 2287.

Fentanyl remains the leading reported cause at 85.4 per cent, followed by cocaine at 48.3.

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Highway 3B between Warfield and Rossland will be closed due to a police incident, between 7:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

No details of the incident are being provided at this time.

We will keep you posted as information comes in.

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Many B.C. drivers admit to tailgating, but when it comes to being tailgated themselves, they feel frustrated.

A new survey by Ipsos for ICBC found 77 per cent of drivers admit to tailgating or following too closely, with 86 per cent of them saying they feel frustrated, scared, angry or intimidated when being tailgated.

The survey also reveals that 50 per cent of drivers tailgate because the driver in front of them is going below the speed limit.

“Thirty per cent blame slower drivers in the fast lane,” says ICBC in a news release.

“Meanwhile, 17 per cent admitted they tailgate to block others from cutting in and 16 per cent simply said they’re in a rush to get where they’re going.”

For where tailgating happens the most, 84 per cent of drivers say it happens at least once on city streets, while 82 per cent report it on highways, 75 per cent in the fast or HOV lanes, 73 per cent in construction zones, and even 69 per cent report it happening in playground and school zones.

ICBC road safety program manager Kathleen Nadalin said tailgating is aggressive and dangerous as it increases the risk of a crash, cuts your reaction time and puts pressure on the driver.

“A safe following distance isn’t just a courtesy, it’s a critical part of keeping everyone safe,” said Nadalin.

“Remember, the only place tailgating is fun is at a football game, not on the road.”

ICBC says the survey comes as more than 57,000 rear-end collisions were reported last year, with tailgating often being a factor behind these crashes.

To keep yourself safe from tailgating, the corporation encourages you to consider slowing down slightly to increase the space in front of you if being tailgated, give yourself extra time on the road, consider others when driving, manage your speed and following distance.

For the full survey, click here.

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Nelson’s Victoria Street Transit Exchange will open on Monday, with bus service set to move from its current home between Ward and Baker Streets to it’s new home between Kootenay and Stanley Street. 

Crews are still working on the last leg of roadwork, which will see the 300th Block of Victoria Street closed from June 26 to June 30.  

While the new transit exchange will be open for bus service on Monday, the finishing touches are still in progress. Bus shelters will be installed later this summer. Landscaping will be completed in the fall. 

“The Victoria Street Transit Exchange will facilitate more frequent, regularly scheduled and aligned routes that will better connect residents and students to destinations within the region,” said the City in a press release.    

There will be some minor schedule and routing changes on all routes that service the City of Nelson. Transit users are encouraged to visit BC Transit’s website for up-to-date trip schedules and maps.    

The City plans to decommission the previous transit shelter at Ward Street and Baker Street this summer, which will result in a number of parking changes to increase the number of stalls in the area. 

Want to get your business noticed? Have you considered advertising through your local radio station? Speak to one of our sales agents and find out how radio advertising can boost your business today. Call 250-365-7600 or email Vista Radio.

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As Grand Forks Secondary School undergoes bathroom renovations, community concern is circulating around clarity of the gender-neutral facilities.

Principal of Grand Forks Secondary School, Tom Eccleston, assures the community the renovations are no cause for concern. Male and female bathrooms will remain as is, with one universal washroom available.

“We are renovating two of the boys’ bathrooms, two of the girls’ bathrooms and our universal bathroom,” said Mr Eccleston.

“We’ve had gender neutral bathrooms since I arrived and before then.”

Meanwhile, Principal Eccleston denies allegations stall doors being removed from washrooms because of vaping and encourages any concerned residents or parents to contact the school.

“If any parents have concerns, they can contact me directly.” said Mr. Eccleston.

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Provincial arbitrator Vince Ready has handed down his final report in the Kootenay Lake ferry dispute, ending the collective bargaining process.

Western Pacific Marine General Manager Odai Sirri said the report is not the full collective agreement, but rather the arbitrated resolution between WPM and the B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU).

“We are pleased that this process is now complete and look forward to focusing our efforts on delivering safe and reliable ferry service to the Kootenay Lake region, whilst continuing to strengthen relationships with our crew and community.” said Sirri.

“It’s a fair and reasonable set of recommendations that are binding on both parties, which is a huge benefit to the community to taxpayers, to the future sustainability of the ferry service, so we’re just looking forward to moving forward now.”

In his report, Ready encourages further collaboration between the parties to avoid further disputes down the road.

“I urge the parties to collaborate on rebuilding the trust between them necessary for ensuring the sustainability of Kootenay Lake’s essential transportation network in future,” he said.

“These parties have had two lengthy labour disputes in their last two rounds of negotiations which have had a significant impact on the communities served by WPM.”

“Therefore, I recommend that in future negotiations and in the event a strike vote is conducted or a lock out notice is served, and prior to any job action, that the parties engage the services of a special mediator pursuant to the B.C. Labour Relations Code who will issue recommendations using the well-established principles of interest arbitration.”

These recommendations will be incorporated into the new collective agreement, which takes effect retroactively as of 1 April 2024.

View the report here.

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The City of Prince George is kicking off the summer season in style by bringing back a popular event.

Concert In the Park is returning to Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park on Saturday from 1pm to 4pm.

The free concert will include the following acts:

• Aquiles Tarumba at 1 p.m. 

• Aquiles Tarumba is the solo project of Aquiles Pérez Merlos. This project was born in 2019, in the city of Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico. His music is characterized by having a sound with warm and embracing melodies and harmonies, fearlessly going from folk to jazz; from alternative rock to pop.  Aquiles Tarumba has a long musical career and has worked on many projects, the most notable being Expedición Humboldt, a band that he founded and with which he has played in many venues, festivals and cities across Mexico, such as the Marvin Festival, the Lunario del Auditorio Nacional, the Youth Week in CDMX, SofarSounds, among others.   

• The Verdants at 2 p.m. 

• The Verdants are an indie/folk rock band based in Prince George, B.C.  The band has a nostalgic yet forward moving sound that pulses with that happy sad energy reminiscent of late 90’s or early 2000’s indie rock.   

• Andrew Judah at 3 p.m. 

• Andrew Judah is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, songwriter and recording artist from B.C.  Fearless and meticulous, Andrew Judah’s diverse sound is strung together by a love of evolving cinematic orchestrations and bittersweet melodies. Piecing together what others might dismiss as incompatible sounds, he has found a way to employ familiar, organic instruments with warped analog textures. The arrangements are playful and exploratory, with subtle rhythmic complexities. Controlled chaos. All of this diversity in sound is held together by a single thread, Andrew’s voice. 

The City invites food truck owners to take part by applying via the city’s website by June 13 at 5 p.m.  

A second Concert in the Park is planned for August. 

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Two people have been transported to the hospital following a motor vehicle incident along Highway 97.

Quesnel RCMP responded to a call of the accident at approximately 1:30 pm yesterday (Wednesday).

A motorcycle and an SUV with a single occupant collided in front of O’Flynn’s Roofing, along the 2 Mile Flats area of Highway 97.

The highway was shut down while police assessed the incident and had it cleared.

Police say both the driver of the motorcycle and the SUV driver were taken to the hospital with undetermined injuries.

The scene was cleared and traffic began to flow at a slow to normal pace, at approximately 2:45 pm.

– story done by Teryn Midzain, My Cariboo Now staff

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Sports by Hartley Thursday, June 26th, 2025

(As of 12:05 a.m. All times listed are PDT)

UNBC Timberwolves:

The 2025-26 Canada West basketball regular season schedule is out.

The UNBC Timberwolves will start their men’s and women’s season with five straight home games beginning Sunday, October 26th against the UBC Okanagan Heat.

The Timberwolves conclude a 20-game season with home games against Thompson Rivers February 6th and 7th.

.@UNBCATHLETICS to begin next season with a dose of @UBCOHeat | https://t.co/uqN6mr3McD #cityofpg #PrinceGeorge #northernbc #sports pic.twitter.com/Jn0NJra2QE

— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) June 25, 2025

Hockey:

The 2025 NHL Draft begins Friday (just after 4:00 PT) in LA with round one.

Rounds 2-7 are slated for Saturday (9 a.m.).

Josh Ravensbergen of the P.G. Cougars is the Central Scouting top-ranked North American goalie in the draft.

The Spruce Kings have committed to 2005 born defenseman Ozbej Rep from Slovenia for the 2025-2026 season.

DETAILS: https://t.co/nRic4DSC78 pic.twitter.com/mOcykmUJJC

— Prince George Spruce Kings (@SpruceKings) June 25, 2025

The Spruce Kings have committed to 2005 born forward Tai Ushio from Japan for the 2025-2026 season.

DETAILS: https://t.co/M9pbOzQXfo pic.twitter.com/zCbZTtqJjW

— Prince George Spruce Kings (@SpruceKings) June 25, 2025

MLB:

Cleveland Guardians  6  Toronto Blue Jays  5  (10)

The box score is here.

The (42-37) Blue Jays visit the (40-38) Guardians again today (Thursday 10:10 AM PT) in the rubber match of a 3-game series.

#

Jared Young of Prince George did not play in the New York Mets 7-3 Wednesday victory over the Atlanta Braves.

The 29-year-old Young is batting .171 (by going 7-for-41) with three homers and four RBI’s for the Mets since he was recalled on May 23rd from their Syracuse Triple A farm club.

The Blue Jays 2025 schedule and results are here.

The MLB schedule and results are here.

The MLB standings are here.

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Several airports in Northern BC are receiving funding for upgrades from the provincial government.

“Through the B.C. Air Access Program, we’re supporting upgrades to airports that will improve access for vital communities across our province,” said Minister of Transportation and Transit Mike Farnworth.

“These improvements to our rural and regional airports will help keep British Columbians connected and our economy on the move.”

In total, the Province is investing $6.2 million through the program to support 16 airport upgrades.

In Northern BC and the Cariboo, that includes:

• 100 Mile House – $14,401 for runway safety improvements
• Burns Lake – $802,297 for a fuel system upgrade
• Dawson Creek – $90,153 to repair airfield lighting
• Fort St. James – $310,727 for wildlife-exclusion fencing
• Mackenzie – $46,269 to install motorized gates and upgrade terminal doors
• Prince George – $469,480 to upgrade runway lighting
• Smithers – $35,000 for a facility master plan
• Williams Lake – $233,127 to replace fuel dispensing cabinets
• Vanderhoof – $366,465 to widen runway ends

A full list of projects receiving funding can be found here.

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The man accused in the collision that claimed the life of a 34-year-old woman and injured her four children has been found not guilty.

Terry Jackson was charged with dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily harm several weeks after the crash near Oasis on October 1, 2022.

Two witnesses testified seeing a northbound pickup truck drift across the shoulder of Hwy 22 twice before driving into the southbound lane and colliding with an SUV.

Both said the vehicle was able to correct back on to the highway after the drifting incidents and one told court he said “no this isn’t happening” seconds before the fatal head-on crash moments later.

They said the vehicle was traveling at around the 90 km/hour speed limit.

Jackson testified he was upset about his girlfriend taking his jeep and his elderly dog following an argument the night before.

The 57-year-old admitted he reached twice to answer calls to the dash mounted cell phone, but maintained he kept the vehicle under control.

Jackson told court he thought his girlfriend may have left the dog along the highway, decided he would turn around to check out rest stops and looked in his rearview mirror after passing one.

Once focusing ahead, he testified to seeing a “flash of light” just before the collision and ended up in the ditch.

Judge Craig Sicotte said he rejected Jackson’s entire testimony, pointing to inconsistencies and omissions with his statements to police.

Sicotte noted the testimony of one of the witnesses who said he would have called police if the truck continued to drift off the highway after the first two incidents.

Sicotte noted that a mother of four lost her life and two of her children suffered broken clavicles.

The judge also spoke of the emotional trauma suffered by the witnesses and Jackson who spoke of feeling sadness and guilt since the collision.

Sicotte surmised even the most prudent drivers make mistakes

He said the case came down to Jackson’s state of mind, whether he realized continuing the trip along the highway toward Genelle would pose a dangerous risk and could not make that conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Hot, dry summers are expected to continue throughout the Columbia Basin, and Living Lakes Canada (LLC) is urging improved water management tailored to local needs.

LLC’s Columbia Basin Water Monitoring Framework (CBWMF) Network encompasses 118 monitoring sites across the region, focusing on small watersheds, including streams, lakes, wetlands, groundwater and snow depth.

The latest data from LLC shows how small watersheds in the West Kootenay are responding to climate change and how it could impact local water supply.

“In many ways, the smaller watersheds of the Canadian Columbia Basin together act as a canary in the coal mine, and as our understanding of them improves, they can be used to track changes in water reliability for community resilience and ecosystem health,” said Dr. Martin Carver, consulting geoscientist and science advisor for the CBWMF Network.

The most recent data looks at north-facing watersheds, including Bjerkness, Harrop, Kootenay Joe and Carlyle.

Arlo Bryn-Thorn, CBWMF program manager, says these watersheds are especially important for local water availability.

“North-facing watersheds hold particular value for future community water sources. We’re seeing them have a lower melt response in the spring, and as a result, having a longer flow period over the summer drought,” said Bryn-Thorn.

Bryn-Thorn says some areas are showing signs of stress from climate change, while others are remaining stable.

“These data-driven insights can help us assess drought potential in small watersheds, help us develop adaptation strategies, and inform smarter, more sustainable water management at the local level,” said Bryn-Thorn.

“We’re seeing watersheds responding in different ways to drought and warming. That really highlights the need for tailored approaches for climate-ready planning across B.C.’s southeast.”

Historically, snowpack levels supplied a steady supply of water late into the summer across the Columbia Basin, but LLC data says that is no longer the case.

Bryn-Thorn says trends show water supplies are in jeopardy due to droughts and high temperatures.

“Water in the summer is running low because spring heat is starting earlier, less rain is falling in the summer, more precipitation is falling as rain instead of snow in the winter and heat waves are lasting longer,” said Bryn-Thorn.

“This is impacting our late summer flows and increasing the amount of time we’re seeing low flow in some areas.”

Bryn-Thorn says more data, research and monitoring can help local, regional, provincial and federal governments make informed decisions on water conservation.

“We are seeing increased variability in climate and variability in responses in our water sources. Advocacy and informed decision making are another important component,” said Bryn-Thorn.

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The Prince George Spruce Kings checked a couple of items from their off-season grocery list.

Today (Wednesday) PG confirmed the commitment of 20-year-old defenseman Ozbej Rep.

He is from Jesenice, Slovenia who played the last two seasons for Södertälje SK J20 in the Sweden J20 National league.

Over the last two years, Rep has put up 11 goals and 42 assists in 87 games.

At this years IIHF World Under-20 Division 1-A tournament, Ozbej represented Slovenia for a second straight year while also suiting up for five additional games with the men’s national team.

“I’m very excited to join Prince George for the upcoming season. I want to thank all the staff for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’ve heard so many great things about the organization and the work they do and I can’t wait to become a part of it,” added Rep.

In addition, the BCHL club inked 20-year-old forward Tai Ushio from Japan.

He spent the last two seasons with the Anchorage Wolverines of the North American Hockey League. In 87 games, Tai put up 45 goals and 42 assists for 87 points. He also added 5 goals and 5 assists in 14 playoff games.

In addition, Ushio represented Japan at the U-18, U-20, and Men’s levels, playing in 31 games, scoring 20 times and adding 9 assists.

He earned the Best Forward award while recording the most goals and most points at the 2025 IIHF World Under-20 Division 1-B tournament.

Ushio is committed to University of Alaska-Fairbanks for 2026-2027.

“Tai is a gifted player who will add a lot of skill to our forward group. He will be leaned upon heavily to help drive our offense while also contributing in all areas of the ice. He is a a great addition to our program,” stated Mike Hawes, Spruce Kings general manager.

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Enbridge’s proposed Sunrise Expansion project could bring up to 850 workers to the Mackenzie region following a recent presentation with the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George.

Company officials noted the build would include approximately 139 kilometers (86 miles) of new pipeline looping and several compressor station upgrades along the T-South section of the system, which spans from the Pine Pass to Washington State.

If given the green light, Enbridge spokesperson Rawnna Low told Vista Radio the project would take two years to complete.

“We are hoping to start the construction of this project as early as the second quarter next year and the construction is expected to last about 18 months – we are hoping to have the in-service date by late 2028.”

She added the expansion would be a big boost for the region.

“Natural gas is mainly used to heat our homes, hospitals, businesses as well as schools. This affordable and reliable energy is also used to aid in electricity and produce hundreds of products that we use every day.”

“We are proposing to install pipeline segments parallel to our existing pipeline system. You can think of it as like adding an extra lane to a part of a highway to accommodate more cars.”

The five sections being proposed are::

• An 18.1-kilometre pipeline loop from a compressor station at McLeod Lake to Trapper Creek Road
• A 13.5-kilometre pipeline loop from south of McLeod Lake to north of Summit Lake
• A new natural gas compressor unit northeast of Mackenzie
• A 19.9-kilometre pipeline loop near Summit Lake to north of Salmon Valley
• A 5.1-kilometre pipeline loop running north of Woodpecker to a compressor station
• A 20.8-kilometre pipeline loop from a compressor station to south of Hixon

Westcoast plans to install new compressors at existing compressor stations located at Azouzetta Lake, 93 Mile, Kingsvale, and Othello.

In addition, the company plans to set up two temporary workforce camps: one near Mackenzie for up to 700 workers and another near Powder King for 150 during construction.

A link to the project can be found.

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A very special breakfast was hosted today (June 25) in Boitanio Park in Williams Lake.

Interior Health’s Williams Lake Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) team hosted it’s third annual free Stampede pancake breakfast from 10:30 to 1 pm.

It’s put on to provide a welcoming venue for people in the Lake City who use substances or experience mental health challenges to also enjoy some of the Stampede festivities.

Team Lead, Sarah De Meda, Junction Community Centre Cariboo Connections, said over the last 3 years they wanted to bring the community in a very positive manner together and to have this breakfast.

“Our hope is to provide education, reduce stigma, and really connect together. We have a lot of really amazing community partners here with booths to provide information on their resources and supports and we also had incredible donations from other organizations as well.”

De Meda said it’s incredible to see so many enthused organizations willing to come out to support this event and be with us, we are so grateful for their participation.

“And again I really want to thank those who donated to this event, Cariboo GM, Gibraltar Mines, Crust & Crumb, Water Factory, Salvation Army and Canadian Tire. We were so excited to be able to enjoy a great day together.”

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The Prince George RCMP’s Community Policing Team observed several speed-happy drivers on Domano Boulevard in College Heights yesterday (Tuesday).

The program called, Speed Watch is a joint initiative between police and ICBC and attended the area due to a community complaint regarding speeding vehicles.

Patrol Volunteer Program Coordinator Mike Burt told MyPGNow.com the two volunteers who attended saw some shocking results.

“For about two hours, they checked over a thousand vehicles and they found 320 vehicles that were speeding. One of those was doing 87 kilometres per hour in a 50 zone.”

The next step will be to set up speed traps in the area.

“The volunteers can capture some of that information and provide that to the detachment and then the RCMP officers and our NCO can make the determination on where officers need to go to set up and conduct the enforcement.”

Earlier today (Wednesday), the Prince George RCMP and Wood Wheaton Honda unveiled a new Community Policing Vehicle, a 2025 Honda CRV.

“Community Policing staff and volunteers rely on sponsored vehicles to provide crime prevention education; to complete vehicle patrols; to attend home and business security assessments and to assist with city-wide special events,” stated Sergeant Craig Douglass.

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Two people have been transported to the hospital following a motor vehicle incident along Highway 97.

Quesnel RCMP responded to a call of the accident at approximately 1:30 pm on June 25. A motorcycle and an SUV with a single occupant collided in front of O’Flynn’s Roofing, along the 2 Mile Flats area of Highway 97.

The highway was shut down while police assessed the incident and had it cleared.

Police say both the driver of the motorcycle and the SUV driver were taken to the hospital with undetermined injuries.

The scene was cleared and traffic began to flow at a slow to normal pace, at approximately 2:45 pm.

More to come.

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The Prince George RCMP is on the lookout for 44-year-old Stephen Mark Gillis.

According to police, he is wanted on five unendorsed warrants for the seven counts of theft under $5,000 and one count mischief under $5,000.

He is described as:

• Indigenous male
• 5′ 7″ or 170 cm
• 177 lb or 80 kg
• Brown hair
• Brown eyes

Anyone with information on Stephen Mark Gillis’ whereabouts is asked to contact the Prince George RCMP.

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A report reviewing the feasibility of providing an alternate water supply for agriculture in the Creston Valley has been finalized and submitted to the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK). 

The Creston Valley Water Supply Feasibility Study Final Report was submitted to the RDCK this week. Its purpose is to reduce pressure on existing water systems in the valley while identifying ways to improve water use efficiency and reduce system losses. 

“This report is an important first step in recognizing the scale and complexity of water supply challenges for agriculture in the Creston Valley,” said Chris Gainham, RDCK Utility Services Manager, in a press release. 

Gainham says the study does not present a shovel-ready project, but rather a roadmap outlining the limitations of current systems and the magnitude of investment required to meet long-term agricultural water supply needs. 

“This is valuable information that allows us to make more informed decisions. Moving forward, our efforts will concentrate on evaluating economic opportunities, the potential for crop diversification, and the cost–benefit of securing more reliable water—alongside the risks of doing nothing.” 

The RDCK adopted a drinking water conservation plan in 2019. Under this plan, treated drinking water from Arrow Creek is currently used for agricultural irrigation in the Creston Valley. 

The feasibility study explored alternative water sources and the infrastructure needed for crop irrigation – an important step in sustaining agriculture in the region. 

At present, agricultural demand in the valley is met by the Arrow Creek Water Treatment Plant, the Goat River, and numerous private groundwater wells and surface water licences. 

Securing a separate water source for irrigation would help conserve treated drinking water from Arrow Creek for domestic use while alleviating pressure on the sensitive Goat River watershed. 

The study represents a critical first step in securing a sustainable source of agricultural water for the Creston Valley and reducing pressure on the existing water systems. 

Other goals of the project include: 

• Define water supply areas currently at risk and potentially requiring a new water source in the near future. 

• Identify interested parties, water purveyors, and First Nations governments with interests and rights in each area. 

• Summarize current agricultural land use and explore how agriculture in the study area could evolve in response to changes in precipitation and hydrological patterns, market forces, and food trends. 

• Establish and define future condition scenarios to form the basis of predictive water demand. 

• Explore options to centralize water supply on the Kootenay River, reducing pressure on over-allocated waterbodies and at-risk supply areas. 

• Identify potential infrastructure requirements – including intake, treatment, storage, and water conveyance options – for a proposed Kootenay River water supply system. The study presents and evaluates these infrastructure options and provides high-level cost estimates for each. 

• Assess the agricultural potential and cost–benefit ratio if water supply and reliability are improved. 

Proposed infrastructure routing map 

A high-level conceptual routing map for the proposed intake and water transmission infrastructure – designed to supply water across a large area of the Creston Valley – is available online. 

The map includes estimated maximum daily water demands for agriculture, based on a full build-out scenario. 

To better understand current water use in the valley, the study team has also created a map of existing groundwater and surface water diversion points, as well as water licence status. This map is also available for download. 

Gathering feedback 

Agricultural producers in the valley are encouraged to share their feedback on the report and project via an online survey. 

Survey responses will help the RDCK determine the scale of infrastructure needed and the level of support among local residents. 

You can find the survey here.  

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The Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society kicked off its biggest fundraiser of the year this morning (Wednesday) by unveiling 2025’s Dream Home.

“It’s always a big deal for us, it’s always exciting to just show these beautiful homes that are generously and lovingly made by people within our community,” said Executive Director Donna Flood.

“It’s what keeps Hospice alive, it keeps us able to do the service that we do, and so we enjoy the community coming in to take a peek.”

This is also the 15th year for the Hospice Dream Home Lottery, which Flood said is a testament to the generosity of the community.

“It’s a pretty risky business to do a lotto with the house,” Flood said.

“The house isn’t free, we do have to buy the house so we have to be optimistic that we’re going to sell enough tickets to at least buy the house first, and then everything else becomes what we use to do our service.”

Flood said the last 11 houses have sold out, and she’s expecting another sellout this year.

This year’s home is located at 7807 Southridge Avenue, and includes four bedrooms and three bathrooms, as well as a walkout basement, an office or den, and a wine room.

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The total value of the grand prize is $1,001,620.25.

Tickets for the draw are available online or at the home.

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The latest preliminary BC Coroners Service (BCCS) report says four Kootenay residents died from drug poisoning in April.

According to the BCCS, two people died in both the East Kootenay and the Kootenay-Boundary regions during the month.

Across the province, 165 people died from unregulated toxic drugs in April.

BCCS officials say this marks the first time in the last six months when more than 160 deaths were reported in one month.

So far in 2025, five people died in the East Kootenay and six were killed in the Kootenay Boundary. Nelson leads the region with four fatalities, followed by Cranbrook with three.

Paulette Sutherland, ANKORS Team Lead and Moving Mountains Community Action Team Coordinator, says harm reduction plays a vital role in reducing the number of drug deaths.

“The biggest way we can prevent these deaths is through our robust drug-checking program, which is funded through Interior Health,” said Sutherland.

“It’s an incredible program that’s based on building relationships with the people who need to have their samples tested the most.”

Sutherland says peer support can also make a significant difference.

“The folks who have come in and accessed our services have saved thousands of lives. They do this through being together, taking care of each other, making sure they have naloxone kits and encouraging each other to get their drug checked,” explained Sutherland.

“I think these stats are likely impacted by the champions on the street, which are the peers.”

Drug users are urged to take precautions and use their available resources and assistance.

“We’re encouraging people not to use alone at home. If you do, let someone else know and have a naloxone kit,” said Sutherland.

“We encourage people to have some kind of buddy system when they’re using. We are extremely concerned for people’s safety. We’re offering drug-checking services. It’s free and confidential.”

BCCS officials say over three-quarters of expedited testing results in 2025 were found to have fentanyl in their systems (68 per cent), followed by methamphetamine (51 per cent) and cocaine (48 per cent).

“Consistent with reporting throughout the public-health emergency, fentanyl and its analogues continue to be the most common substance detected in expedited toxicological testing,” said the BCCS.

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The latest preliminary BC Coroners Service (BCCS) report says four Kootenay residents died from drug poisoning in April.

According to the BCCS, two people died in both the East Kootenay and the Kootenay-Boundary regions during the month.

Across the province, 165 people died from unregulated toxic drugs in April.

BCCS officials say this marks the first time in the last six months when more than 160 deaths were reported in one month.

So far in 2025, five people died in the East Kootenay and six were killed in the Kootenay Boundary. Nelson leads the region with four fatalities, followed by Cranbrook with three.

Paulette Sutherland, ANKORS Team Lead and Moving Mountains Community Action Team Coordinator, says harm reduction plays a vital role in reducing the number of drug deaths.

“The biggest way we can prevent these deaths is through our robust drug-checking program, which is funded through Interior Health,” said Sutherland.

“It’s an incredible program that’s based on building relationships with the people who need to have their samples tested the most.”

Sutherland says peer support can also make a significant difference.

“The folks who have come in and accessed our services have saved thousands of lives. They do this through being together, taking care of each other, making sure they have naloxone kits and encouraging each other to get their drug checked,” explained Sutherland.

“I think these stats are likely impacted by the champions on the street, which are the peers.”

Drug users are urged to take precautions and use their available resources and assistance.

“We’re encouraging people not to use alone at home. If you do, let someone else know and have a naloxone kit,” said Sutherland.

“We encourage people to have some kind of buddy system when they’re using. We are extremely concerned for people’s safety. We’re offering drug-checking services. It’s free and confidential.”

BCCS officials say over three-quarters of expedited testing results in 2025 were found to have fentanyl in their systems (68 per cent), followed by methamphetamine (51 per cent) and cocaine (48 per cent).

“Consistent with reporting throughout the public-health emergency, fentanyl and its analogues continue to be the most common substance detected in expedited toxicological testing,” said the BCCS.

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Regular visitors to this website will have noticed some changes to the home page and other templates in recent days.

This is a feature not a bug, to coin a popular IT phrase.

The new home page features custom designs to better showcase our breaking news, municipal coverage, community stories, and our news team’s hand-picked highlights, all while giving prominent placement to your favourite on-air shows and listen-now tools.

There is the new Top Story box, placed by a news person to represent the big story of the day.

The new Latest stories block is a curated list of the categories most likely to see timely updates, including closures, weather warnings, RCMP updates and more. The Municipal News block is our collection of stories encompassing all council news in our coverage area. Both of these blocks feature arrows so you can easily access the next batch of stories by date.

We have placed a renewed emphasis on showing you story categories on the home page, so you can find the content you are most interested in at a glance. Each category is a live link to all stories published with that category.

We have also added three aggregated feeds to the homepage:

• Regional: This dynamically surfaces the stories of regional interest published in our other markets within the same cluster (in this case, the Kootenay region).
• Provincial: Stories of interest to the wider provincial audience from all B.C. newsrooms.
• National: Stories of national interest from all of Vista Radio’s newsrooms across Alberta, B.C. and Ontario, as well as NWT.

Speaking of finding topics of interest, we have also added a “Topic tags” list at the bottom of every post so you can go deeper on that subject.

Our new single post template allows us to surface three related stories in the sidebar for further category investigations.

There are new templates in place for search results, category and author archives, and more, all with easier-to-read fonts and spacings.

Let us know what you think.

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Category 2 and 3 fires will be banned across the Northwest Fire Centre as of noon on Friday.

This includes any fires up to two metres in height and three metres in width or having more than one blaze burning.

Category 1 campfires under a half metre in height and width are not affected.

Anyone found in contravention of an open fire prohibition may be issued a ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of $10,000, or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced for up to one year in jail.

On May 7th, a category 3 ban was put into effect for the Bulkley and Nadina fire zones.

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The Vanderhoof RCMP arrested one suspect after a reported break and enter.

According to police, the incident took place on Sunday, at a residence on 4th Street, where it was also reported that the suspect had a firearm.

Police say the person was quickly located after obtaining a description, and conducted a high-risk arrest, with the man taken into custody without incident.

During the search, police found and seized an imitation firearm, later determined to be a BB gun.

The suspect was later released by the court for a future court date and is on numerous conditions, one of which is not to be in Vanderhoof.

RCMP don’t believe there’s a risk to the public, and the investigation is ongoing.

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Hockey Canada is expanding the Western Canadian Development Model pilot project which will see changes to the KIJHL.

The first season of the pilot project brough eight changes to junior hockey in Western Canada including the KIJHL.

That involved development pathway flexibility for 15 and 16-year-olds, the choice to wear half-face protection for players 18 years of age or older and streamlined playing rules between Junior A leagues and the WHL.

“The KIJHL’s participation in the Western Canadian Development Model has created exciting new opportunities for our league and member clubs to help develop players for advancement to the Western Hockey League,” said Commissioner Jeff Dubois.

There will be five additional changes this upcoming KIJHL season.

Registered U.S.-born players on a team’s active roster will decrease from six to five.

Any 16 and 17-year-old U.S. born players who have been drafted, listed or signed by a WHL team are eligible to Junior A teams.

Each team can have one 16 or 17-year-old player whose parent(s) reside outside of their province or region, if the player has been drafted, listed or signed by a WHL team.

Out-of-province players can affiliate for Junior A teams if they participate in the Canadian Sport School Hockey
League, but no more than eight out-of-province players may be registered to the active roster.

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Cranbrook City council will be weighing a proposal from Key City Gymnastics that could see a multi-sport facility at Moir Park.

The proposal involves a gymnastics centre, childcare facility, lacrosse turf, basketball courts, pickleball and badminton courts and volleyball nets.

If approved the city would only be giving up land at Moir park for the facility and would not be on the hook for any of the project costs.

The estimated cost for the facility would be $14.5 million with Key City Gymnastics working on grant funding.

The early design can be found here.

Mayor Wayne Price says a facility of this calibre with no cost to taxpayers would be great for Cranbrook.

“It’s basically turn-key as far as the city is concerned and out of our hands with any costs associated,” he said.

“The value it brings to the community is incredible. We have some youth issues in town here and boy this is directed right for for youth. It’s exactly what we need so I’ll be supporting it.”

Key City Gymnastics is finishing up a feasibility study and will be bringing it back to council soon with a more detailed plan.

If approved, they are hoping to have construction done by December of 2027 when their current lease is up.

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The City of Fernie is preparing a new housing needs report, which will be used to inform land use planning and zoning decisions.

Under provincial regulations, the city is required to complete a housing needs report every five years, with the last report approved in 2020.

V3 Companies is conducting the housing needs report and once it’s done it will be applied to the next Official Community Plan.

“Upon confirmation of the draft we will begin to identify ways to enable the recommendations of the housing needs report in the interim OCP amendments that you’ll see this December,” said project manager Kristen Harder.

An interim amendment to the current OCP is required by December 2025, but the full update of the OCP likely won’t be finished until spring 2027.

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Cranbrook RCMP are asking the public to keep an eye out for missing woman, Jennifer Bjerknes, who was last seen on Monday, June 23, when she was leaving the Travelodge that night.

Bjerknes is described as a 47-year-old woman with long brown curly hair and blue eyes.

Police say she stands about 5 feet tall and weighs approximately 120 pounds.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Bjerknes is urged to contact 9-1-1 or the Cranbrook detachment at 250-489-3471.

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As the Cowichan transit strike sets a new milestone, mediation efforts continue in an effort to end the shutdown of the regional bus and handyDART service in the valley.

The strike broke the record today for the longest transit strike in B.C. history.

Transdev operates bus and handyDART services in the Cowichan Valley on behalf of BC Transit and its employees have been on strike for more than 136 days, which is the previous record.

“People who rely on the Cowichan Valley Regional Transit System have been greatly affected by the ongoing disruption to transit services. That’s why Minister Whiteside appointed Dave Schaub as a mediation officer to help resolve outstanding matters,” reads an email statement from the ministry of transportation and transit.

Forty-four transit operators, cleaners and mechanics represented by Unifor Local 114 and eight handyDART operators from Unifor Local 333 have been off the job since Feb. 8.

“All parties continue to work together and with the assistance of the mediation officer, towards finalizing a collective agreement,” the ministry statement says.

It adds the ministry and BC Transit are not involved in the ongoing negotiations but are closely monitoring the situation.

The negotiations are between Transdev and its union employees.

READ MORE: Cowichan Valley Transit strike about to become longest in B.C. history

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The City of Prince George is making final preparations for another Canada Day celebration at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m on Tuesday.

Opening ceremonies at the bandshell start at noon with an opening from host first nation Elder Lenora White and a cake cutting to recognize Canada’s 158th anniversary at 12:30 p.m.

The marketplace, food pavilion, and kids zone will also be open.

This year, the City is also offering a free shuttle between the Canfor Leisure Pool and Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park for residents who don’t want to fight for a parking spot.

In addition, the Northern Health Connections shuttle will arrive on 7th Avenue outside the pool every half hour.

The city is not hosting fireworks this year due to the current BC Wildfire burning restrictions.

Here is a list of the following sponsors:

• Canadian Tire – Presenting sponsor
• Canfor – Entertainment sponsor
• Aaron Switzer Realty – Kids Zone sponsor
• CUPE 3742 – Event supporter sponsor
• Save on Foods – Cake sponsor
• Pacific Western Charters Ltd. – Shuttle sponsor
• Pattison Media – Media sponsor
• Vista Radio – Media sponsor
• Prince George Citizen – Media sponsor

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Four Vancouver Island airports are receiving funding from the province for upgrades. 

Over $4 million is being invested in the Comox, Courtenay, Alert Bay, and Nanaimo airports through the BC Air Access Program (BCAAP). 

Minister of Transportation and Transit Mike Farnworth said the program will support airports to improve access to communities across the province. 

“These improvements to our rural and regional airports will help keep British Columbians connected and our economy on the move.” 

Comox Valley Airport will take nearly half the funding, with $2 million being given to expand the runway apron. 

Courtenay will get $66,300 to rehabilitate the taxiway and runway, Nanaimo will get $74,630 for a lighting and electrical upgrade, while Alert Bay will get $35,000 for a facility master plan. 

The BCAAP is eligible for facilities which serve less than one million passengers a year, with intakes open for applicants every year throughout November and December. 

In total, $6.2 million will be spread across 16 airports province wide. 

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The Mayor, City Council, and City Staff of Williams Lake are pleased with the city’s positive growth in business and construction through 2024.

In the Council report, the City of Williams Lake expanded its permits and business growth. Issuing 122 building permits, an increase of 90 from 2023.

The City also increased its total number of business licenses to 1,116. 115 business licenses were issued in 2024 alone.

Mayor Surinderpal Rathor says he is “very pleased and happy as a Mayor” with the progress that has been made in the last year. He credited much of the progress to his colleagues on the City Council, the City Staff, and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Gary Muraca. Also present at this meeting.

“All of us, and with the community, we are working together, and we will continue working towards progress, together,” Mayor Rathor said in his opening remarks in June 24’s council meeting.

“This council has not borrowed a single penny. We are cutting down our debt, we have paid off our bylaw debt.”

CAO Muraca highlighted the positive reports of the City’s financial position in 2024. Muraca reports the City has an $8.1 million surplus, which he wrote “sets a positive trajectory” for the next year, as well as provides a possible early debt repayment, still on the city’s books.

Mayor Rathor and CAO Muraca highlighted current ongoing projects that are made positive steps forward in 2024, and look to continue do so through 2025.

In the report, City Council reiterated their strategic priorities through 2026. Writing it will continue to create collaborate and partner with local Indigenous, senior levels of government, and non-profit organizations.

While housing and infrastructure remains a priority, the City wrote that attracting more business, industry, and exploring new ways to increase the Lake City’s livability and recreation for the future.

“ Everybody had only one objective in their heart to make this community much more better and attractive for the families, for us, for our kids,” said Mayor Rathor. “That’s all they have. That’s our objective.”

The 2024 Annual Report was approved unanimously by City Council, with one correction.

In a section of the report, the report includes a section of what different levels of government manage. The City attributes regional parks and recreation to the regional district.

Steve Forseth, Director for Electoral Area D in the Cariboo Regional District, clarified the Regional District has had discusssions on taking management of regional parks, but has not agreed to the responsibility at this point in time.

Forseth then thanks the City of Williams Lake Staff and current City Council for the positive working relationship they share with the Cariboo Regional District.

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Canada Day will be both Canada’s birthday and the first day of Mount Washington’s new General Manager.

Pacific Group Resorts, parent company of the alpine resort, has announced that Mike Manara will be the resort’s new General Manager. He will be succeeding current manager Dean Prentice, who is set to retire after serving in the role for almost a decade.

They say Manara, who works as the mountain’s Senior Director of Operations, comes into the role with almost 30 years of experience in resort operations.

This experience includes work on lift operations, snow sports schools, slopes grooming, rentals, retail, Nordic activities, special events, and summer programming on the mountain for over 25 years.

The summer programming includes developing the Bike Park and Eagle’s Flight ZipTour.

“In addition to being a CSIA level 4 ski instructor, Mike is deeply engaged across the ski industry and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Snow Sports Committee for the Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA),” said Mount Washington Alpine Resort in a release.

“His operational experience is matched by his connection to the Comox Valley community and a longstanding commitment to mountain culture. Mike is also a founding volunteer board member of The United Riders of Cumberland (UROC) and worked for the organization more than a decade, including executing the land access agreement while serving as UROC’s president.”

Pacific Group Resorts President and CEO Mark Fischer says Manara has earned the respect of his peers and staff over the years and brings a clear vision to improving the resort and guest experience.

Manara says he’s excited to lead with a ski-first mindset, with a focus on making the resort more accessible, and building great snow surface quality.

This change is in effect from July 1.

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Nanaimo’s mayor says updates to provincial borrowing rules will help the city deliver necessary infrastructure.  

The province announced this week that municipalities can now borrow up to 10 per cent of their annual revenue without elector approval. This is doubled from the previous limit of five per cent. 

Municipalities can also borrow up to $150 per capita, up from $50, when the term of the borrowing is less than five years. 

“It will assist us in undertaking necessary capital expenditures. It’s not as big a change as might be hoped for but it is a step in the right direction,” Nanaimo mayor Leonard Krog says. “It is a recognition by the province that municipal governments are facing incredible challenges with growth, particularly when the provincial government is setting housing targets for various municipalities that in some cases, will be a challenge to meet.” 

Krog says the new rules will mostly impact projects that do not get a lot of public attention, such as waterlines or replacing utility vehicles. 

“This won’t make any difference to the major projects that are under consideration, whether it be the public works yard, a new police station, a waterfront walkway, a south end community centre – those are major projects that are tens and tens of millions of dollars,” Krog says. “The kinds of projects that are provided for here are much less substantial.” 

He says it is challenging for municipalities to increase revenue to fund projects and taxation on the local level is more visible to the public than other levels of government. 

“We are on the frontlines of the public response to taxation and yet we provide the infrastructure that many people don’t appreciate or even see. If we put $55 million worth of water lines under our streets, as we did in the last couple of years, no one notices but if we throw up a prison in town, everyone notices,” he says. “The requirement for referendum borrowing for things that we know are necessary is a bit of a challenge.” 

The mayor compares electors denying funds for needed upgrades to a car crashing and the driver regretting not taking advice to buy new brakes. 

“Think of municipal government as the mechanic. We’ve told you you need to get the brakes replaced. You told us not to – here we are,” Krog says. 

He adds the provincial changes reflect increased cost for materials and contractors for infrastructure upgrades. 

READ MORE: Province doubles municipal borrowing limits to speed up infrastructure projects 

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Several airports across the province are receiving part of a $6.2 million investment through the B.C. Air Access Program.

This includes the Burns Lake Airport seeing $802,297 for a fuel system upgrade.

The Smithers Airport is getting $35,000 to create a facility master plan.

“From wildfire suppression to air-ambulance operations, high-value tourism to connecting Indigenous and rural communities within our province and beyond, the B.C. Air Access Program supports our economy and society,” said Cathy Press, chair, BC Aviation Council.

The province said even though airports are under federal jurisdiction, it recognizes the importance of smaller airports to their communities.

The program helps facilities that serve fewer than one million passengers per year with applications open through November and December.

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One last softball tournament for the season was held in the Bulkley Valley as teams from across northern BC visited Houston.

In U9, Houston teams took the gold and bronze medals with Smithers coming in 2nd.

Smithers also took the silver medal and 4th place in U11 with Houston coming in 3rd.

Houston also took the top two spots in U13 with Smithers placing 4th and 5th.

“Everyone is really happy, and excited to play again next year. The tournament was a huge success and something the players and parents are looking forward to next year as well,” said Tournament Coordinator Chelsey Kettle.

She added this was the first tournament the Houston Minor Softball Association has organized with hundreds of people attending to watch.

Looking into the new year, Kettle said new jerseys and equipment are being looked at for the kids as they have some extra funds.

“We are also excited to plan another tournament, with more knowledge now that we know what it takes,” she added.

A boys’ team from Smithers is planning on attending a provincial tournament in Prince George as their participation numbers grow.

“Last year, we couldn’t think of that being a possibility but this year, we really have the skill set with our players and a strong organization behind them,” said Breeann Doerksen, Bulkley Valley Minor Softball Association Spokesperson.

They hope to continue increasing participation and spend more time practicing in the new year.

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Powell River’s Zunga Bus is back in service after being suspended for more than a week.

The city says the suspension took place on the week of June 14 because crews were waiting for parts for a mechanical repair, resulting in no service for 11 days.

With repairs finished, bus service has returned to normal as of today.

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Mother nature played havoc with the power in Quesnel last night (June 24).

BC Hydro said at 6:16 pm 3739 customers were in the dark west of Bryce Road due to the adverse weather.

They said the outage was partially restored later at 7:51 pm leaving the remaining 2268 customers without power until all repairs were completed on that line at 10:15 pm.

623 customers were also affected by an outage North of Brownmiller Road, West of Bjornson Road at 6:22 pm.

North of Garner Road, South of Marsh Road, West of Fraser Road and East of Ernst Road, 14 customers had their power go off at 6:30 pm and restored by BC Hydro crews this morning at 1:30.

That outage was caused by trees down on lines.

BC Hydro said last night at 6:53 8 customers lost their power on the 12200 block of Lavoie Road Dunkley Meter Station, 43100 to 44100 block of Quesnel Hixon Road and was restored at 10:30 that evening.

Two other outages also occurred last night.

At 10:54 less than 5 customers went without power due to tree down on lines on the 500 block of Murphy Street until it was restored at 12:14 this morning.

And on the 1000 block of Eagle Road less than 5 customers had their power go out at 7:46 pm.

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The countdown to tip-off for the 2025-26 Canada West basketball season is underway.

Today (Wednesday), the conference unveiled the schedule for all of its member universities including the UNBC Timberwolves.

The T-Wolves open the season at home against the UBC Okanagan Heat on Sunday, October 26th at Brownridge Court (Northern Sports Centre) at 2pm (Women) and 4pm (Men).

Conversely, UNBC’s first road games will be in Kelowna on November 14th and 15th against the Heat.

The Timberwolves wrap up their regular season at home February 6th and 7th against Thompson Rivers.

Here is the full schedule:

UNBC WBB

October 26th vs UBCO – 2pm

October 31st vs Alberta – 6pm

November 1st vs Alberta – 5pm

November 7th vs Trinity Western – 6pm

November 8th – Trinity Western – 5pm

November 14th at UBCO – 7:30pm

November 15th at UBCO – 6:30pm

November 21st at UFV – 6:00pm

November 22nd at UFV – 4:00pm

November 28th vs Victoria – 6pm

November 29th vs Victoria – 5pm

December 5th at Thompson Rivers – 5:30pm

January 15th vs UBC – 6pm

January 17th vs UFV – 5pm

January 22nd at Victoria – 6pm

January 24th at Trinity Western – 4pm

January 30th at UBC – 5:30 pm

January 31st at UBC – 4:00pm

February 6th vs Thompson Rivers – Noon

February 7th vs Thompson Rivers – 5pm

UNBC MBB

October 26th vs UBCO – 4pm

October 31st vs Alberta – 8pm

November 1st vs Alberta – 7pm

November 7th vs Trinity Western – 8pm

November 8th – Trinity Western – 7pm

November 14th at UBCO – 5:30pm

November 15th at UBCO – 4:30pm

November 21st at UFV – 8:00pm

November 22nd at UFV – 6:00pm

November 28th vs Victoria – 8pm

November 29th vs Victoria – 7pm

December 5th at Thompson Rivers – 7:30pm

January 15th vs UBC – 8pm

January 17th vs UFV – 7pm

January 22nd at Victoria – 8pm

January 24th at Trinity Western – 6pm

January 30th at UBC – 7:30 pm

January 31st at UBC – 6:00pm

February 6th vs Thompson Rivers – 6pm

February 7th vs Thompson Rivers – 7pm

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Castlegar RCMP have been kept busy following a number of break and enters and theft from property across the city.

On Monday, June 23, employees at a business located in the 2200 block of 14th Avenue arrived to work to discover the business had a broken window and a items missing.

Video surveillance captured an individual wearing dark clothing, while attempting to cover their face, enter the building through a broken window shortly after 5:00am.

Once inside, the suspect walked throughout the business looking for items to steal.

Property representatives are currently identifying items stolen, which includes Canadian currency, cheques to the business, and a grey Acer laptop.

The investigation is on-going and anyone with information is asked to contact the Castlegar RCMP at (250) 365-7721.

Meanwhile, police have received three separate reports of property being stolen from vehicles on Saturday night.

The thefts occurred throughout the previous evening in the 300 block of Lakeview Street where a wallet, Acer laptop and Canadian currency was stolen and two separate thefts that occurred in the 1000 block of 8th Street where a back pack with fishing tackle was stolen, and the second vehicle having a debit card stolen.

The back pack was later turned into the Castlegar RCMP and turned over to the owner while the stolen debit card was later fraudulently used at numerous local Castlegar businesses.

RCMP attended to the business and upon viewing surveillance footage were able to identify the suspect who was well known to police using the credit card.

The 51-year-old Castlegar male was later located by police and arrested. He is next scheduled to appear in Castlegar court August 27.

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A homicide investigation is underway in Fort St. John according to the RCMP.

Just after 6:40 last night (Tuesday), police received the report of an assault occurring in the 9900-block of 99 Avenue.

Upon arrival one person was located unresponsive, and despite life saving measures he was pronounced deceased.

The Serious Crime Unit has assumed conduct of the investigation and will be supported by North District Major Crime Unit.

The area surrounding the scene will be cordoned off for a significant amount of time while police work to gather evidence.

As the investigation is in its early stages, no further information will be provided at this time.

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The implementation of FortisBC’s Power Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) policy has received the green light from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC). 

FortisBC had planned to introduce the policy this summer. It’s described as a precautionary measure that allows the utility to shut off power in select areas in advance of extreme weather events in order to reduce potential ignition sources. 

The BCUC ordered FortisBC to suspend implementing the policy in May after receiving complaints from municipalities expected to be most affected. 

The communities of Greenwood, Princeton, Hedley, Keremeos, and Rock Creek were identified as the most likely to experience a PSPS event.

But in a statement issued on June 23, the BCUC said it found the policy to be consistent with the terms and conditions of FortisBC’s Electric Tariff and therefore approved it. 

These terms and conditions outline FortisBC’s legal obligation to its customers and require the utility to try to provide a regular and uninterrupted supply of electricity. 

However, they do not guarantee constant electricity supply. 

The BCUC says the terms and conditions allow FortisBC to suspend electricity service to customers whenever it is necessary in order to safeguard life or property. 

However, the utility is required to provide reasonable notice to customers when electricity service is suspended, based on the circumstances of the shutoff. 

With these terms and conditions in mind, the BCUC determined that the PSPS policy aligns with FortisBC’s Electric Tariff. 

“Notwithstanding, the BCUC recognized that temporarily shutting off the electricity in extreme weather may have a significant impact on customers. The BCUC also shared customers’ concerns about FortisBC’s minimal engagement regarding the policy to date,” said the BCUC in a statement. 

FortisBC has been directed to undertake further public engagement from now through the end of the wildfire season. 

The BCUC also expects FortisBC to host debriefing sessions in the fall with the affected communities and customers to gather feedback and identify lessons learned. 

If the policy is expanded to include additional areas, FortisBC is required to engage with newly impacted customers. 

Additionally, FortisBC must notify the BCUC if the PSPS policy is used or modified, and file a report summarizing customer engagement, lessons learned during the wildfire season, and any PSPS events, among other items, by November 14, 2025. 

FortisBC responds 

In its own statement, FortisBC says it has received the BCUC decision and acknowledges the decision’s findings regarding the need for continued public engagement. 

“We value the feedback we have received and will continue to engage with our customers, Indigenous, local and provincial governments, and community partners,” said FortisBC. 

“As we take next steps, we remain committed to engaging in dialogue and working collaboratively with local emergency planning and community partners to ensure community preparedness.” 

The utility reiterates that the policy is a last-resort, preventative measure that will only be used when necessary. 

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The West Kootenay Regional Airport terminal expansion is one step closer to fruition. 

Council awarded the architectural contract for the project to Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd. during the June 23 Council meeting, marking a significant step forward in the expansion. 

A press release from the City says the terminal expansion will allow the airport to better meet traveller demand with larger aircraft, improve the passenger experience, and create increased revenue opportunities. 

The need to expand the terminal was identified in 2019 following the completion of an airport master plan, which highlighted what Airport Manager Maciej Habrych called a major “red flag” related to the terminal’s capacity and level of service, particularly post-security. 

The service gap became especially noticeable when Air Canada brought in a 78-seat aircraft to replace a smaller one. 

“When we had the initial bump post-COVID with two flights, it was really noticeable that the terminal was just way too small.” 

In 2022, the City and Airport recognized this gap and successfully secured a $6 million UBCM grant to expand the terminal, with the initial cost of the project slated at $10 million. 

The project aligns with the City’s 2023–2027 Strategic Plan and will significantly assist in addressing existing capacity issues and service level shortcomings at the facility. 

“We’re looking to enhance the passenger experience by delivering an efficient, intuitive terminal flow. We’re looking to enhance the travel quality, and that’s really about matching the top boutique airport experience in North America, as Council noted in their strategic plan,” said Habrych. 

In terms of revenue growth, Habrych says his team will be exploring both aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue through the design, as well as options for long-term financial sustainability. 

The UBCM grant funding end date requires the project to be completed by July 2028, with design work to get underway this summer, and construction to occur between 2027 and 2028. 

There will be no flight disruptions or cancellations as a result of construction. 

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Cranbrook city council approved two bylaws addressing unsightly properties and public behaviour.

The public places bylaw outlines expected standards of behaviour in public areas like public intoxication, fighting, graffiti and littering.

The bylaw empowers bylaw services and the RCMP to act more effectively when problems do arise.

Public areas include streets, sidewalks, parks and other city facilities.

The unsightly premises bylaw gives clearer authority for the city to act on properties that are neglected or pose a nuisance, including those with excessive garbage, derelict vehicles, or overgrown vegetation.

“People want their neighbourhoods to feel safe and clean, and they want to be able to enjoy public spaces without running into disruptive behaviour, vandalism and garbage,” said Mayor Wayne Price.

“These new bylaws will really help our staff better respond to those concerns more quickly and effectively.”

City staff say the next step is to set clear fines for violating the bylaws.

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Two bylaws to speed up commercial and residential development have been adopted by the City of Cranbrook.

The Victoria Avenue Corridor Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw focuses on residential builds.

Meaning, for new medium or high density multi-unit residential or mixed-use developments with at least five dwelling units there would be a 100 per cent exemption in year one that would go down by 20 per cent each year after that.

The Downtown Revitalization Tax Exemption Bylaw is for new commercial and mixed use projects in the downtown core as well as renovations to existing properties.

For new commercial developments, there would be a tax exemption for 80 per cent of the municipal share of property tax for the first year and go down by 20 per cent each year after that.

“These revitalization tax exemption programs align with our new Official Community Plan and the Downtown Revitalization Master Plan and are an important part of our overall efforts to create more housing options and support growing our economy,” says Mayor Wayne Price.

“This is a major positive step forward and I am very optimistic that our business and development community will take full advantage of these programs. I thank our staff for all their hard work getting these tax exemption programs off the ground.”

City staff say more information about the programs and application process details will be released in the coming weeks.

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Outdoor enthusiasts across the Kootenays can soon take advantage of improved trail networks as four local organizations will get provincial grants for enhancement projects.

The B.C. government says $400,000 from its Off-Road Vehicle (OVR) Trail fund will be split among 20 projects across the province.

Work will include the construction of new trails, maintaining existing trails or promoting safe riding.

“Outdoor recreation connects people to nature,” said Tamara Davidson, Minister of Environment and Parks.

“It’s all about staying active, building community and respecting our natural spaces. The ORV Trail Fund helps keep our trail networks safe and provides space for people to come together to enjoy the outdoors.”

One local project will see the Kootenay Rockies ATV Club use its $25,000 grant for brushing and maintenance work along 22 kilometres of trail northeast of Cranbrook.

“The Kootenay Rockies ATV Club is excited to hear we will receive funding from the ORV Trail Fund to improve safety, promote responsible recreation and ensure long-term access to one of the region’s most beautiful trail networks,” said Bernie Ogonoski, chair, Kootenay Rockies ATV Trail Committee.

“These trail sections connect to a larger trail network in the area, thus providing some great riding over a vast scenic area just outside of Cranbrook.”

Their work will focus on four scenic trail sections that connect the St. Mary River Valley, Angus Creek and Hell Roaring Forestry Service Road.

Amber Lane, B.C. Snowmobile Federation Executive Director, says trail maintenance is usually undertaken by a team of dedicated outdoor enthusiasts.

“All of these organizations are volunteer-led non-profits. They are a passionate group of people coming together to build and maintain public trails and infrastructure,” said Lane.

“In the case of the snowmobile clubs, we often maintain emergency shelters that can be used year-round. A lot of our trails are used in the off-season as well, by hikers, bikers and ATV riders. This fund is to promote the safe and responsible use of the many trails across the province.”

The B.C. Snowmobile Federation will get $25,000 to roll out trail mapping updates, with many clubs receiving their own grant funds.

Locally, the Nelson Sno-Goers Snowmobile Club will get $10,000 for trail maintenance and signage, while the Windermere Valley Snowmobile Society will get $18,500 for new signs and avalanche safety equipment.

“All of these trails, motorized and non-motorized, really enhance life in rural communities across B.C. and they’re a huge economic driver for tourism across the province. People come from across Canada and internationally to enjoy the recreation we have here,” said Lane.

“Fortunately, individual organizations are able to partner with the Province of B.C. to maintain these public use recreation trails that are so valuable to rural life.”

Details on the province-wide and local projects can be found below:

• ATV Association of BC – Province-wide
  • ATV Association of BC – 2025 ATVBC Provincial Safety Program – $25,000
• BC Offroad Motorcycle Association – Province-wide
  • BCORMA ORM Trails and Rider Safety Education Program – $25,000
• BC Snowmobile Federation – Province-wide
  • BC Provincial Snowmobile Trail Map Updates – $25,000
• Nelson Sno-Goers Snowmobile Club — Nelson
  • Trail Maintenance and Signage Upgrades – $10,000
• Christina Lake Tourism Society — Christina Lake
  • Shared Use Safety Program – $20,000
• Windermere Valley Snowmobile Society — Invermere
  • Trailhead Signage & Avalanche Beacon Checkers – $18,500
• Kootenay Rockies ATV Club — Columbia Valley
  • Columbia Valley Trail Recovery – $25,000

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The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) has honoured long-time community-minded volunteer Curtis Gleeson as the 2025 Electoral Area B Volunteer of the Year.

“Curtis is well known in Area B for the time and heart he puts into many great causes,” says RDEK Electoral Area B Director Stan Doehle.

“He can often be found cooking at the concession, running the bar, showing up to help with a variety of community clubs, and dreaming up ideas that will benefit those around him. There aren’t too many community functions in our area that you don’t see Curtis helping at in some way.”

The RDEK says Gleeson has spent many hours organizing, planning, and seeing through events in the area, while taking care of the Jaffray Community Hall.

“The care that Curtis takes with our area is incredibly admirable,” adds Doehle.

“He gives from the heart and truly thinks about how he can lessen the load for everyone in the area. From arranging large functions and fundraisers, to spending hours making sure the Christmas lights on the Jaffray Hall are just right, he is a treasured member of the community and someone that can be counted on to step up on every occasion.”

The Volunteer of the Year celebration honouring Gleeson’s contributions to the community was held Monday night at the Electoral Area B Town Hall Meeting in Jaffray.

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The Town of Smithers is applying for a grant from the Northern Development Initiative Trust to develop a Winter Emergency Plan.

This was decided at tonight’s (Tuesday) council meeting with the hope of receiving $23,400.

The plan would help assess the issues and needs in the community in case of an extreme cold weather event, along with creating a communication plan.

It would also compile a list of resources in the town to be utilized and reduce the chance of duplicate efforts.

The report from town staff added issues around homeless and vulnerable people during extreme cold events are more public than ever before and local governments are being put at the forefront.

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Sports by Hartley Wednesday, June 25th, 2025

(As of 12:05 a.m. All times listed are PDT)

Hockey:

The Prince George Cougars will play 25 of their 34 home games on a weekend.

The WHL released its 2025-26 regular season schedule Tuesday.

The Cougars have 12 home games on a Saturday, 10 on a Friday and 3 on a Sunday.

They will also be at CN Centre for nine midweek home games; 5 on a Tuesday and 4 on a Wednesday.

The Cougars longest homestand is six games which will be in March and that will follow their longest road trip of the season which is eight games in February, including six on the Prairies.

Prince George will play nearly half (33 of 68) of its games against B.C. Division teams; 9 against Kamloops, 8 vs. Victoria, 6 against expansion Penticton, 6 against Kelowna and 4 vs. Vancouver.

The Cougars play each of the six American teams (Portland, Spokane, Tri-City, Seattle, Everett and Wenatchee) four times each.

PG Cougars to play 25% of their 68 games against Kamloops and Victoria https://t.co/Ucknm4jb1s

— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) June 24, 2025

PG opens the 2025-26 campaign at home against Portland September 19th and 20th.

The Cougars will have two home games just after Christmas on Dec. 27th and 28th against Victoria.

Is it August yet?

Today, the Western Hockey League announced the complete schedule for the 2025 WHL Preseason, beginning Sunday, August 31!

| https://t.co/anmn10eDL8 pic.twitter.com/tz8IQDc3rn

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 23, 2025

#

Former PG Cougar Zdeno Chara has been selected to the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 25.

After playing the 1996-97 season with the Cougars, Chara went on to an NHL career suiting up in 1,680 games (most ever by an NHL defenceman) over 24 seasons.

He won a Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011.

Former Cougar Zdeno Chara selected to Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 https://t.co/Yu6XLFsAtO @PGCougars

— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) June 24, 2025

#

The first round of the 2025 NHL draft will be held on Friday (starting at 4 p.m.) in Los Angeles.

Rounds 2-7 are slated for Saturday (9 a.m.).

Josh Ravensbergen of the P.G. Cougars is the top-ranked North American goalie in the draft.

Nothing fills an appetite quite like a Joshua Ravensbergen selection at the 2025 NHL Draft. @PGCougars | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/kzhqdZhCoZ

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 20, 2025

MLB:

Jared Young of Prince George went 1-for-1 as a pinch hitter for the New York Mets in their 7-4 Tuesday loss against the Atlanta Braves.

The 29-year-old Young is batting .171 (by going 7-for-41) with three homers and four RBI’s for the Mets since he was recalled on May 23rd from their Syracuse Triple A farm club.

Toronto Blue Jays  10  Cleveland Guardians  6 

The box score is here.

The (42-36) Blue Jays continue a 6-game road trip today (Wednesday 3:40 PM PT) against the (39-38) Guardians in Cleveland.

The Blue Jays 2025 schedule and results are here.

The MLB schedule and results are here.

The MLB standings are here.